Last minute fall reservations

[jdb1232]

Does anyone have experience getting last minute reservations? We are closing on our VWL contract on 9-28. We are going to attempt to find a studio reservation anywhere during the last two weeks of October. Were going to stay 4 or 5 nights. I've heard of reservations opening up at the last minute, anyone have any thoughts?

 

[oakmanner]

From what I've read on these boards with F&W going on I think you may have difficulties. It won't hurt too try but I would'nt count on it. Good luck!

Dennis-

 

[justloveit]

Welcome Home neighbor! We live in SJ and also VWL is one of our home resorts as well. We have had luck with last minute reservations in Jan,* however, from the end of Sept to beginning of Nov, the Food and Wine Festival is going on and this is a very popular time for DVC. So I'm not sure how lucky you will be at that time of year.* Best of luck!

 

[DebbieB]

I tried to get a room for a Sunday night in mid October about 3 weeks before last year, there was nothing, any room size, any DVC resort. I used 18 points at POFQ (before the $95 fee was instituted).

 

[DMKEDM]

We've had amazing luck w/last-minute reservations, particularly during very popular times...

This past March, 9 days ahead of time, my college son asked if we could go to Disney for spring break...I said sure if we can get a villa, but don't hold your breath!

Took 3 days of one phone call per day, but we got five nights in a one-bedroom near the Hospitality House at OKW...the reservation was complete 6 days prior to leaving! It was spring break, one of the three busiest/most expensive times at Disney...

For our early January 2007 trip, we the decided the week before Christmas (about 2 weeks prior to our trip) that we wanted to add 3 days (including a Fri-Sat) to our existing 5-night reservation--turns out that the weekend we wanted was marathon weekend...again, it took 3 days of calling, but we got all 3 nights ... we had to resort-hop the first two nights (OKW on cash one night and SSR on points the other night), but we were able to add the 3rd night to the start of of our BWV reservation...

Finally, last week my non-planning college son decided he could go to Disney the first week of August (a few days less than a month out). We had choices of both studios & one-bedrooms for 8/5-8/11...

So...there are no guarantees and it may be that we were the lucky beneficiaries of last-minute cancellations--but we've had great good luck w/last minute reservations...of course, it helps that we absolutely love both SSR and OKW--they are the resorts that most often open up at the last minute...altho for the January 2007 trip we could have chosen VWL, too...you just never can tell what will open up in those last 30 days, when automatic wait lists stop..

Good luck...

 

[Deb & Bill]

Lots of members have the "high points night" phobia for Fri and Sat night, so you might get lucky there. The rest of the nights may be very difficult, especially a studio.

If a member is going to cancel, they will do that 31 days or more out so their points don't go into holding. After that, if you cancel, your points becoming holding points (only good 60 days out and they expire at the end of the use year). So after 31 days out is much harder to get. Very few DVC reservations open up at the last minute because of the penalty.

 

[CDNmouse]

My wife and I have a few weeks off starting next week. Last week I was looking for something to do, someplace to go last minute during our time off so I started looking at the cost of flights to different cities. I usually check Southwest and Spirit Air.

When I came across a great at Spirit from Detroit to Orlando I booked round trip air for the last week of July.

I then called DVC member's services and asked if they had anything available for that week. Not really expecting anything within two weeks but I was surprised when I was given the option of a Studio at SSR or Old Key West near the Hospitality House.

I took the OKW studio, booked Magic Express and we are set to go last minute. The ME package even arrived yesterday so we really are good to go.

We have never been to OKW so I am excited to see what it looks like.

Gary

 

[michelle618]

we just closed on BWV. We would love to go down for NJ week. (first week of Nov) Is this still the food and wine time. I know I'll never get BWV if it is. What are my chances getting in somewhere else?

 

[barb45]

CDNMOUSE - I too am from Windsor. I've been looking for cheap flights for Oct. or November - does Southwest Fly out of Metro??? I've been watching Spirit and tried to catch their cheap flights but they book up in minutes. Then I was going to try for my DVC. Only want to go for a long weekend.

Last year I booked pretty close to last minute for November. I only wanted a studio for 5 days. What I had to take was 2 nights in a one bedroom at the BWV, 1 night in a studio at BCV and 2 nights on points at the Yacht Club. Wow that was an expensive (points wise) trip.

 

[backyardponder]

Southwest does go from DTW to MCO. Looking at their web site, they have a number of flights each day. Most are connections, with one non-stop.

On their home page, www.southwest.com is a link to their Ding program. This loads a program on your computer and displays, usually once a day, different bargins they have. I've saved lots of money by using Ding.

 

[Steve's Wife]

Steve has to go for a conference in Tampa the last weekend in October, so I just booked a stay on Thursday. The only thing left was Saratoga. I was able to get a Friday/Saturday studio, or I could have had a 1-bedroom for Friday/Saturday/Sunday. Since our objective is a quick dash through the Food and Wine Festival, I've waitlisted for something closer, but they did warn me that the waitlists were enormous.

 

[LIFERBABE]

Yesterday morning I called and was able to book Sep 1-5 in a Stand View 1 br @ BWV! Inside 60 days, so they must have released some units from cash nights. I know its sept but I was still

We had a studio booked at BCV and then move to AKV Concierge after our repo cruise, but I really want to be able to do the laundry inroom and after 15 nights in a Cat 10, I want a little space! So I cancelled BCV and AKV and took the 1 bed. Only 16 points a night!

 

[Deb & Bill]

Yesterday morning I called and was able to book Sep 1-5 in a Stand View 1 br @ BWV! Inside 60 days, so they must have released some units from cash nights. ...

There aren't any cash nights to release. There are only so many points stays available and that's it.

Undoubtedly someone cancelled that reservation and no one else booked it, they got another room elsewhere on points or they decided to go with the points in holding.