Limited availability in October already?

[Gothemi]

First off, I'm new to WDW. Frequent DL visitor here on the west coast. Last visited WDW over 5 years ago. We are planning an October 2018 trip to WDW and want to stay at the CR or other Monorail line resort since my daughter is young and we want to make it a special stay. We really want the CR, but the only rooms available are over $1000 a night!

I called the main reservations line and they had a garden wing room for $500 a night. This room was not available on the website so I asked if they had any other rooms in the CR Tower or BLT available and they did not. I found this odd so I asked if the rooms are truly booked, or just held back and she couldn't say either way.

She placed a courtesy hold on the Garden Wing room for me and said we can always upgrade later if a room becomes available or a discount room/package option comes up.

We really want a CR Tower room or a BLT room. View isn't as important because I think all the views there aren't bad.

I looked around again online today and found a BLT standard view that was cheaper than the Garden Wing room I have on courtesy hold. So I have one confirmed, with deposit, BLT room and a courtesy hold until Tuesday for a GW room.

My question is this...Is it possible that it's really already booked up at the CR for October? I know it's popular for Halloween time and the F&WF, but many value/moderate rooms are still available so I'm not seeing a widespread shortage in rooms throughout WDW.

Second question is should I keep the BLT room or the GW room? It looks like packages/discounts seldom include BLT rooms. So my concern is that I'll have a BLT room, with no option to get a package/room discount.

Thanks for your help!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

BLT is hard, because it's DVC. Disney only own about 3% of the points that can be used to book BLT units (that they can rent for cash), and other units are obtained via DVC member point trade activity. So there is always going to be very limited availability, and they will almost never discount them. They don't need to.

(October discounts are going to be weak regardless; it is a very busy month at WDW.)

In terms of other booking: Yes, it's entirely possible that availability is limited. CR is popular, and much smaller than every Value. The Garden Wing is used for conferences and conventions, and if your dates overlap October 14-18, that is a huge IT conference that uses large room blocks at every Disney deluxe hotel.

 

[SarahC97]

Have you considered trying to rent DVC points? Might be worth it to see if there's availability.

 

[Gothemi]

My luck _auroraborealis_, that's exactly when I'm looking to go. My daughter is out of school that week. Figures. I was considering joining DVC since this trip will cost (as of today without any discounts) nearly half of a membership to the Poly. I'm thinking of keeping both reservations and canceling one (or both) later.

Yes SarahC97, I have looked at DVC rentals, but my wife can't request the time off until April and isn't certain she can get the time off yet. As I understand it, you're locked in to a DVC rental once the offer is accepted through one of the main DVR rental sites that I'm looking at. That doesn't give me much time to get my ADR's in.

 

[Deb & Bill]

My luck _auroraborealis_, that's exactly when I'm looking to go. My daughter is out of school that week. Figures. I was considering joining DVC since this trip will cost (as of today without any discounts) nearly half of a membership to the Poly. I'm thinking of keeping both reservations and canceling one (or both) later.

Yes SarahC97, I have looked at DVC rentals, but my wife can't request the time off until April and isn't certain she can get the time off yet. As I understand it, you're locked in to a DVC rental once the offer is accepted through one of the main DVR rental sites that I'm looking at. That doesn't give me much time to get my ADR's in.

October is hard for renting DVC when you can't book until April since October is very popular with members. Plan on not getting a DVC rental in June for October. And Columbus Day is usually busy because of it being a Federal holiday and lots of schools are closed.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I don't know what they were thinking moving Gartner to that week.

 

[jlwhitney]

I would drop the the Garden room and take the BLT room. You will have sky way thing to walk between the two buildings and its covered. Plus youw ill have access to both pools not just the Contemporary room. From BLT its a 10 min walk to MK since you are closer to the walking path then from garden wings. When you do online check in request near sky walk thing and then so close to food and monorail and such. Plus its already cheaper and discounts period in oct can't be counted on.

 

[Gothemi]

Thank you for the info. I think I will just keep the BLT room since we like that better anyways. I might not get a discount on it, but at least I'll have a room that I want and get ADRs setup in time.

I found another DVR Rental site (not sure I can mention the actual name on these boards), but they offer a protection plan that allows you to cancel for any reason should you not be able to go (it's tiered, but I'll know well before losing my full deposit). So I'm considering that option now since the estimated, calculated cost for the same room is nearly half Disney's price!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Thank you for the info. I think I will just keep the BLT room since we like that better anyways. I might not get a discount on it, but at least I'll have a room that I want and get ADRs setup in time.

I found another DVR Rental site (not sure I can mention the actual name on these boards), but they offer a protection plan that allows you to cancel for any reason should you not be able to go (it's tiered, but I'll know well before losing my full deposit). So I'm considering that option now since the estimated, calculated cost for the same room is nearly half Disney's price!

It's worth noting that inventory for points and cash inventory are separate, so the availability of the cash unit does not mean the points units will be available. You would need to act quickly, as October is very popular for DVC.

 

[Gothemi]

Thank you! I just submitted a no obligation request through a site that offers a protection plan (can't say name on here). So now I wait and see what they have.

Do you know, can you pay to have the daily housekeeping added upon check in if renting a DVC? I'd like to have the daily housekeeping still.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Thank you! I just submitted a no obligation request through a site that offers a protection plan (can't say name on here). So now I wait and see what they have.

Do you know, can you pay to have the daily housekeeping added upon check in if renting a DVC? I'd like to have the daily housekeeping still.

It's $30/day for a studio and increases exponentially from there.

 

[jlwhitney]

Thank you! I just submitted a no obligation request through a site that offers a protection plan (can't say name on here). So now I wait and see what they have.

Do you know, can you pay to have the daily housekeeping added upon check in if renting a DVC? I'd like to have the daily housekeeping still.

You can, but I am DVC and we have actually come to really enjoy not having it. Nice not having people in the room with all our stuff and more peaceful. You will get trash and towels on day 4(check in day counts as day 1).

 

[fla4fun]

One thing to keep in mind (as a pro or con, depending on your family) BLT will have a balcony or patio on every room. CR garden wing has patios first floor only and no balconies on the other two floors. Some people with young kids want a balcony for after the kids go to bed, and some don’t want them due to safety concerns. I have stayed at both, and like both, but they are different rooms, both in size and amenities.