Last Minute Trips

[JohnBJr]

We are not currently DVC owners. However, based on friend's feedback and the discussion forum information that I've read here, we are very likely going to purchase at SSR very soon. Since we only live 70 minute drive time from Disney, we never plan trips at 11 months, 7 months or even a month. More like 7 days, sometimes even 2 days. Our work schedules allow for "hey let's go to Orlando for a night or two, hear Stormbringer play at Pleasure Island, go to the Grand Floridian for lunch the next day, maybe go to Epcot after 4PM and drive home in the morning." Very last minute! Also, mostly Florida Resident times-of-year.

So the question in my mind is "Does anyone have regular experience with last minute booking?" How is availability at the last minute, etc..
My thanks for any input.

 

[Deb & Bill]

It is getting more and more difficult to get a villa in a short time frame. October used to be easy to get, now it is much more difficult. December when points are low has always been hard to get. Summer time is not easy.

If you are very flexible with where you can stay, you might make it work. I'd think you'd need to do a little planning and not wait until 7 nights before. DVC turns over vacancy to CRO at 60 days out, so that will make it even harder.

 

[sagwanamu]

We are not currently DVC owners. However, based on friend's feedback and the discussion forum information that I've read here, we are very likely going to purchase at SSR very soon. Since we only live 70 minute drive time from Disney, we never plan trips at 11 months, 7 months or even a month. More like 7 days, sometimes even 2 days. Our work schedules allow for "hey let's go to Orlando for a night or two, hear Stormbringer play at Pleasure Island, go to the Grand Floridian for lunch the next day, maybe go to Epcot after 4PM and drive home in the morning." Very last minute! Also, mostly Florida Resident times-of-year.

So the question in my mind is "Does anyone have regular experience with last minute booking?" How is availability at the last minute, etc..
My thanks for any input.

If you planning last minute trips, you probably get whatever left over, most likely SSR. And weekend nights cost twice more points than weekdays.

You probably will be better off staying on cash basis. Buy AAA membership, you will get great discount on the rooms. After all, you can choose any resort you wish at any given point of time, of course subject to availability.

 

[Figment2]

Last year friends & I couldn't find a DVC room anywhere on property on Mother's day. Then again, I called a week and half before Christmas weekend and got a studio at BCV (arriving Fri. the 23rd and leaving Mon., the 26th). There have been a couple of times where I could not get a studio for one night the end of Oct. at OKW (once was a Friday and once was a Sunday).

I truly believe that it will get harder to book the smaller resorts for last minute trips as SSR sells out so as long as you are flexible about where you stay, you should be able to get availability somewhere however there will be times...


Cyn

 

[jeremys111]

We are not currently DVC owners. However, based on friend's feedback and the discussion forum information that I've read here, we are very likely going to purchase at SSR very soon. Since we only live 70 minute drive time from Disney, we never plan trips at 11 months, 7 months or even a month. More like 7 days, sometimes even 2 days. Our work schedules allow for "hey let's go to Orlando for a night or two, hear Stormbringer play at Pleasure Island, go to the Grand Floridian for lunch the next day, maybe go to Epcot after 4PM and drive home in the morning." Very last minute! Also, mostly Florida Resident times-of-year.

So the question in my mind is "Does anyone have regular experience with last minute booking?" How is availability at the last minute, etc..
My thanks for any input.

We are in the same boat as you. I sat down and went back for the past 2 years, wrote down all the days,dates and cost for the trips per year. When it was all said and done DVC looked like a better deal. On top of that if we do plan abit I figgered we could add 3 to 4 + more days in to disney, and have bigger rooms then the swan/dolphin.(were we stay the most) We have 2 kids 2 and 4, and we are already talking about they need there own room. So another check went in the yes box.
We just past ROFR on HH contract.
We bought HH b/c of a couple reason (personal right or wrong but works for me)
Cost... we got 210 point for less money then getting 150 at SSR.
If we can plan 11months out it would be for summer and why not go to HH
MF I saved alot to make it worth it plus they are 3rd lowest anyways( really no big deal)
I can always rent the points for cash and pay cash at the swan/dolphin if need be. for the FWF if need be, and if cant get a room some were else.
The extra years dont mean anything to me, I can always add on to SSR or an new DVC in the next 5 to 6 years .
GL just my 2cents

 

[SusanDK]

I hope it's ok to post to this thread instead of starting a new one.

I was also interested in last minute availability, but at HH. Does anyone have any experience?

We have a condo near Disney, so would not be looking for availability at any WDW DVC. We love HH, but we never plan in advance, and generally just find a hotel room when we arrive, usually travelling in the fringe seasons of spring or autumn.

If we had HH DVC points, does anyone have experience with how easy it is to book last minute trips for perhaps 2-4 nights at a time? We would never ever be able to book at 7 or 11 months out, and unlikely to ever do so more than a week ahead.

We would only go once a year or so. But I thought that purchasing perhaps 100 or fewer points resale would give us what we need for one short trip a year. Dumb idea or could it work?

Thanks,
Susan

 

[browniemtb]

Last minute trips will be a hit or miss. We booked VWL at 3 weeks and was able to change into our home resort 7 days out. So you never know. SSR and OKW had availability through out my calls with MS. So to sum this up....last minute trips will more than likely work at SSR since its a bigger property and not as demanded as the on-site resorts like BCV, BWV, VWL.
Buying HH for points may seem great but you will spend more over time for dues and as the DVC population goes up it will be harder to book at 7 months.
As most will say....buy where you want to stay.
Brownie

 

[jeremys111]

Buying HH for points may seem great but you will spend more over time for dues and as the DVC population goes up it will be harder to book at 7 months.
As most will say....buy where you want to stay.
Brownie

Why would say that if HH is the 3rd lowest in MF?
Year OKW BWV VB VB(sub) HH VWL BCV SSR

2006 4.24 4.69 5.27 4.12 4.34 4.61 4.48 3.98
2005 3.86 4.41 4.87 3.84 3.86 4.35 4.27 3.83
2004 3.68 4.25 4.67 3.67 3.70 4.22 4.18 3.80
2003 3.49 4.11 4.37 4.37 3.69 4.05 3.97
2002 3.22 3.92 4.17 3.33 3.49 3.80 3.77
2001 3.13 3.83 3.98 2.70 3.32 3.63
2000 3.16 3.94 4.07 2.87 3.25 3.62
1999 3.16 4.02 3.99 2.82 3.18
1998 3.17 3.94 ---- 2.76 3.20
1997 3.14 3.84 ---- 2.90 3.16
1996 2.99 3.70 ---- 2.82 3.16
1995 2.84
1994 2.70
1993 2.63
1992 2.56
1991 2.51

If im doing alot of last min trips why would I buy at BCV, BWV, VWL and pay more per point and more in MF then HH
Even if I bought OKW its only 10cents cheaper per point but to buy it would cost me $3 to6 more per point it would take along time or a big jump in HH MF to zero out my savings. plus no 11 months at HH summer time
Buy were you want to stay dosnt work for last min. from what I read, so I choose this route.