Many Resorts Not Available Means a Busy Week?

[Earningmywings]

I have been looking into a trip Sept 19-24, but have found limited availability of the resorts that are currently open. DVC only has SSR for studio or 1 bedroom. Even the value resorts are mostly booked. Is it safe to guess that means this is going to be a busy week? It is a week before the 50th so I was thinking maybe a little quieter. I usually book this time of year, but book in February, so maybe this is normal. Any insight on this?

 

[GroupB]

Check to see if you’re looking at only rooms available for a specific promotion. Sometimes switching your search to another promotion or to just the regular rates will return different results.

 

[cindyfan]

Play with your dates. Online is very weird the way it books.
I have been playing with dates between Sept 21 through Oct 4. Actually only looking for a 4 or 5 night stay, but it's so crazy what pops up depending on the dates I put in.
Just today I tried Sept 29 to Oct. 3 (only 4 nights) and nothing at all.... However... it let me book Sept 28 to Oct 4th which is 6 nights at several resorts!!
So try to book 6 or 7 nights then call and shorten it.

 

[cindyfan]

OH... and I think one of the current promotions ends tomorrow.... so they might be preparing to put in a new promo?

 

[gigicnm]

I’ve been trying to book for mid-November and all that shows up is CBR pirate room, Coronado or AoA cars suite. That‘s without putting any restrictions on the reservation- hotel, cost, etc. We wanted CBR anything but a pirate room (only full sized beds). I was wondering if they were really that booked or holding back rooms. We’re looking to book off-site now because none of the choices suit our needs.

 

[Marionnette]

I’ve been trying to book for mid-November and all that shows up is CBR pirate room, Coronado or AoA cars suite. That‘s without putting any restrictions on the reservation- hotel, cost, etc. We wanted CBR anything but a pirate room (only full sized beds). I was wondering if they were really that booked or holding back rooms. We’re looking to book off-site now because none of the choices suit our needs.

Disney gains nothing by holding back rooms so why would they? They can book them now at rack rate instead of at a discounted price. Demand is there for the fall and they still have a number of resorts that have no official reopening date. I think that looking offsite is a good idea. There are so few perks for being an onsite guest nowadays that the offsite resorts have become more attractive.

 

[luckydriver]

intersting thread made me look at availability. arriving tomorrow for 4 nites and 11 resorts are still available. maybe that means empty parks

 

[Heather07438]

Play with your dates. Online is very weird the way it books.
I have been playing with dates between Sept 21 through Oct 4. Actually only looking for a 4 or 5 night stay, but it's so crazy what pops up depending on the dates I put in.
Just today I tried Sept 29 to Oct. 3 (only 4 nights) and nothing at all.... However... it let me book Sept 28 to Oct 4th which is 6 nights at several resorts!!
So try to book 6 or 7 nights then call and shorten it.

We noticed this too the past couple of years. I’ve read their system now actively works against dangling days. Not exactly sure how it works... something like if you try Sat-Tues and nothing shows but then Sat-Thurs might show availability. In past trips we’ve played with the dates to see what else comes up, especially for special offers.

 

[_19disnA]

I’ve been trying to book for mid-November and all that shows up is CBR pirate room, Coronado or AoA cars suite.

Might try different dates. I just tried 11/14-20 and it shows numerous resorts available.

 

[gigicnm]

We noticed this too the past couple of years. I’ve read their system now actively works against dangling days. Not exactly sure how it works... something like if you try Sat-Tues and nothing shows but then Sat-Thurs might show availability. In past trips we’ve played with the dates to see what else comes up, especially for special offers.

Thank you. I tried as you suggested. I changed my dates multiple ways, but the only difference was a few of the rooms that are $1000+ a night showed up. Apparently everyone thinks mid-November is the time to go. Now I’m off to price the Swan and some DS hotels.

 

[Earningmywings]

OH... and I think one of the current promotions ends tomorrow.... so they might be preparing to put in a new promo?

I checked today and made sure it was room only with no promo and there are more available. You were so right.

 

[Heather07438]

Thank you. I tried as you suggested. I changed my dates multiple ways, but the only difference was a few of the rooms that are $1000+ a night showed up. Apparently everyone thinks mid-November is the time to go. Now I’m off to price the Swan and some DS hotels.

1000 a nite is steep Good luck!

 

[JoJoGirl]

Booking through Disney is weird - you have to try different combinations of days sometimes.

Last week I was looking for a Monday-Friday in December at Wilderness Lodge, second choice Yacht Club. Searching the exact four nights showed no regular rooms at all for WL or YC. But when I broke it up into Mon - Wed, there was a courtyard view at WL. Then searching Thursday night only, there was WL/CV again. Exact same room, exact same nights, but it only showed up when broken into two reservations. Maybe Disney wanted two deposits. (And like a sucker I paid them )

As for how busy the parks will be, resort availability may not be an accurate gauge, especially with many of them closed. The parks hold FAR more guests than the resorts. However, my guess is that things will be brisk the rest of the year and into 2022 due to pent up demand. Hope they open more resorts soon!

 

[DCLMP]

Disney gains nothing by holding back rooms so why would they? They can book them now at rack rate instead of at a discounted price. Demand is there for the fall and they still have a number of resorts that have no official reopening date. I think that looking offsite is a good idea. There are so few perks for being an onsite guest nowadays that the offsite resorts have become more attractive.

One of the questions I got asked on the post-stay survey was if I had considered off-site and had gone as far as pricing out rooms. I answered yes and was then asked what made me decide to stay onsite. I thought about it a while and really couldn't come up with any good reason except that is what we have always done. You are right there is really no incentive to stay onsite, and the discounts aren't great. It's going to get worse with no ME and them charging for parking.

If I was going in the Fall I would check out the new resort near the Swan and Dolphin.

 

[buzzgirls&dad]

Resorts may be more booked earlier in the year because so many are still closed. Some availability may open when Poly, BC and WL open as people change to these resorts.

 

[Mle8308]

Also, yesterday 4/19, it was announced that all Disney CM's (even furloughed) will receive a complimentary one night stay in a Disney Resort (no specifics mentioned) to be used through September 25th. Not sure how to interpret that, if the hotels were fully booked or even close, not sure why they would offer comp stays. Though I am happy for them, they definitely deserve it!

 

[GADisneyDad14]

The general rule of thumb is that Disney resort occupancy is not directly correlated to overall WDW park crowds. Sure, it's a factor, but generally speaking Disney needs WAY more people than just on-site guests to fill the parks.

As for availability, based on current reopenings by the fall, roughly 36% of Disney's hotel room inventory will still be closed, or roughly 8,000 rooms. Roughly 3,000 of those are in the rather popular POR resorts, with many POR guests probably opting for the other moderates or Deluxe resorts (a generalization on my part). To me that's enough rooms offline to start to mess with availability norms, especially heading into a fall season filled with growing travel demand, limited other travel options such as cruises and int'l travel, 50th fervor, a new ride opening (Rat), etc.

 

[MomOTwins]

I agree crowds and room inventory do not always correlate given the large volumes of offsite guests. But I ALSO think late Sept may be more crowded than usual because (1) of people arriving early for a longer trip ending with the anniversary, (2) people uninterested in the anniversary who want to get in a trip before the anniversary crowds arrive, possibly with a soft open of Remy/Harmonious.

Still would expect Sept to be better than Oct.

 

[KittyKitty]

Apparently everyone thinks mid-November is the time to go.

It is... Great weather. And date after 50th Anniversary, so the new stuff will still be going on.
(Yes, I'm going end of Oct/Nov.)

 

[sponica]

The general rule of thumb is that Disney resort occupancy is not directly correlated to overall WDW park crowds. Sure, it's a factor, but generally speaking Disney needs WAY more people than just on-site guests to fill the parks.

As for availability, based on current reopenings by the fall, roughly 36% of Disney's hotel room inventory will still be closed, or roughly 8,000 rooms. Roughly 3,000 of those are in the rather popular POR resorts, with many POR guests probably opting for the other moderates or Deluxe resorts (a generalization on my part). To me that's enough rooms offline to start to mess with availability norms, especially heading into a fall season filled with growing travel demand, limited other travel options such as cruises and int'l travel, 50th fervor, a new ride opening (Rat), etc.

Seeing as I rolled my POR refund into a Poly stay, you're probably not far off the mark

It is an interesting set of dominoes that get knocked over when you take that much inventory out of circulation...