"Random" is now my favorite word to describe booking DVC at anything less than 6 months out!
As some readers know, we experienced a rather "wrenching" set of problems w/a last-minute (within 2 months) trip in March...left me wondering if the new rules (wait lists, primarily) were such that DVC just wasn't going to work for us anymore.
Well, DS (he's 21) "bribed me" a couple of days ago...said if we could get a villa, he'd go to Disney w/me next month (reasons irrelevant to this post)...still stinging from last month's difficulties, I told him I'd call and if we got lucky and there was availability, hurray. If not, I wasn't going to try the wait list, call each day "game" again...he tried to change my mind (but stopped short of offering to make the calls for me!); we left it that I'd call and see what was available (if anything--we were within 5 weeks of our dates) and then figure things out.
Well, sure enough, when I called on 4/13 (for 5/16-5/23): there was a day here, a day there, but no more than 3 days in a row in the same villa...I could have put all 7 days together using different resorts and different villa sizes, but elected not to do that. Told DS "no luck." But I did offer to try again at 30 days out, to see if there were any pre-holding-period cancellations -- that was yesterday.
Good news!
There was an SSR studio available for all 7 nights...I grabbed it. I was thrilled. But we've been wanting to try new DVCs for a while (we've been doing mostly SSR & OKW w/an occasional BCV thrown in for 3 years now), so I asked if I should book SSR "on the spot" or if it would be "safe" to look to see if anything else might be open...the CM said "let's book now" and then I'll look. She ran through the usual "spiel" (borrowing, holding, cancellation, etc) and booked us. We really love SSR, and our last trip was at BCV, so SSR would have been a wonderful choice for us.
I asked her to look for availability at AKV or WLV (the two DVCs currently open we've never stayed at)...she said "there might be" something--which should she try first--I asked for AKV. She asked if I would mind holding while she talked to her supervisor. No problem, I said.
While on hold (it took a good five minutes), I "noticed" that to cancel the now-booked SSR studio would put those points (112) in holding. There's a small chance we'd be able to go during the holding period (December-January), but not a good possibility. So basically I had to decide if I wanted to risk losing the 112 points (all borrowed) I'd used to book SSR if in fact AKV were available.
The CM then came back on the line and said they were almost done and it was looking promising, but would I mind waiting just a quick minute longer while they made sure and then switched my reservation to an AKV Savannah studio (talk about exciting news!)...I heard "switch" and on the spot decided, "OK, I'll risk the points...the worst case scenario is that I'll find myself "forced" to use 112 points at Disney in January (not a heart-breaking prospect!)"
Waited another couple of minutes and the CM came back w/news that we're booked into a Jambo House Savannah view studio 5/16-5/23. WOW! I then asked about the points from the now-canceled SSR studio...she said, "Oh, we just switched them; no problem. You don't have points in holding." She then went through the rest of my points and everything matched up exactly with my records.
How happy am I? VERY!!!
BUt I sure don't "get" the last-minute booking situation. Maybe this is no more than good luck...but she'd also said she thought she might be able to get me into BCV when we first talked...so, there were studio openings for an entire week at 3 different resorts (and that's w/out checking the others) within a month of arrival...maybe there really is a short "window of opportunity" within a day of the 30-day holding period time frame? Or maybe it's because it's mid-May, a low-use DVC time? Or maybe this was no more and no less than random good luck...
Still...after the "pain and agony" of the March trip, I was really surprised. (Thrilled, but really surprised)...
Anyway, we're excited. Nothing like an unexpected, unanticipated chance to do something we love in a way we never expected to be able to do it! Yay for Disney!!!
As some readers know, we experienced a rather "wrenching" set of problems w/a last-minute (within 2 months) trip in March...left me wondering if the new rules (wait lists, primarily) were such that DVC just wasn't going to work for us anymore.
Well, DS (he's 21) "bribed me" a couple of days ago...said if we could get a villa, he'd go to Disney w/me next month (reasons irrelevant to this post)...still stinging from last month's difficulties, I told him I'd call and if we got lucky and there was availability, hurray. If not, I wasn't going to try the wait list, call each day "game" again...he tried to change my mind (but stopped short of offering to make the calls for me!); we left it that I'd call and see what was available (if anything--we were within 5 weeks of our dates) and then figure things out.
Well, sure enough, when I called on 4/13 (for 5/16-5/23): there was a day here, a day there, but no more than 3 days in a row in the same villa...I could have put all 7 days together using different resorts and different villa sizes, but elected not to do that. Told DS "no luck." But I did offer to try again at 30 days out, to see if there were any pre-holding-period cancellations -- that was yesterday.
Good news!
There was an SSR studio available for all 7 nights...I grabbed it. I was thrilled. But we've been wanting to try new DVCs for a while (we've been doing mostly SSR & OKW w/an occasional BCV thrown in for 3 years now), so I asked if I should book SSR "on the spot" or if it would be "safe" to look to see if anything else might be open...the CM said "let's book now" and then I'll look. She ran through the usual "spiel" (borrowing, holding, cancellation, etc) and booked us. We really love SSR, and our last trip was at BCV, so SSR would have been a wonderful choice for us.
I asked her to look for availability at AKV or WLV (the two DVCs currently open we've never stayed at)...she said "there might be" something--which should she try first--I asked for AKV. She asked if I would mind holding while she talked to her supervisor. No problem, I said.
While on hold (it took a good five minutes), I "noticed" that to cancel the now-booked SSR studio would put those points (112) in holding. There's a small chance we'd be able to go during the holding period (December-January), but not a good possibility. So basically I had to decide if I wanted to risk losing the 112 points (all borrowed) I'd used to book SSR if in fact AKV were available.
The CM then came back on the line and said they were almost done and it was looking promising, but would I mind waiting just a quick minute longer while they made sure and then switched my reservation to an AKV Savannah studio (talk about exciting news!)...I heard "switch" and on the spot decided, "OK, I'll risk the points...the worst case scenario is that I'll find myself "forced" to use 112 points at Disney in January (not a heart-breaking prospect!)"
Waited another couple of minutes and the CM came back w/news that we're booked into a Jambo House Savannah view studio 5/16-5/23. WOW! I then asked about the points from the now-canceled SSR studio...she said, "Oh, we just switched them; no problem. You don't have points in holding." She then went through the rest of my points and everything matched up exactly with my records.
How happy am I? VERY!!!
BUt I sure don't "get" the last-minute booking situation. Maybe this is no more than good luck...but she'd also said she thought she might be able to get me into BCV when we first talked...so, there were studio openings for an entire week at 3 different resorts (and that's w/out checking the others) within a month of arrival...maybe there really is a short "window of opportunity" within a day of the 30-day holding period time frame? Or maybe it's because it's mid-May, a low-use DVC time? Or maybe this was no more and no less than random good luck...
Still...after the "pain and agony" of the March trip, I was really surprised. (Thrilled, but really surprised)...
Anyway, we're excited. Nothing like an unexpected, unanticipated chance to do something we love in a way we never expected to be able to do it! Yay for Disney!!!
YAY that is a great story. I love to hear how those last minute situations pan out. I am happy for you. Have a great trip. I am also impressed that DS 21 wanted to go. 
