My first DVC reservation -- increased availability?

[mintwax]

I recently purchased DVC. BLT is our home resort. My guide said that he would make the first reservation for us and that there would be increased availability. Is there any truth to this, or is this just part of the sales pitch?

 

[RobDoc]

DVC Guides are often able to use some *pixie dust* to secure a reservation for new buyers (at non-soldout resorts ). They can usually make this happen by accessing rooms still in Developer Inventory and otherwise not available to DVC members.

If your guide has offered to help secure a reservation for your first stay, just enjoy the assistance and have a great trip!

 

[Deb & Bill]

If you can take advantage of this for your first trip, do it. Because you won't have the opportunity for future trips. You'll be competing against all the other members at 11 months or 7 months.

 

[Havana]

Our guide told us this when we bought, and when we asked for help with our first reservation he couldn't get us anything more than what we could with MS. We waitlisted and eventually it came through a few months later.

 

[ChiSoxKeith]

Yup, guides have some pixie dust to pull some rooms out of cash reservation inventory.

When we bought into BLT, our first reservaction was going to be in like 9 weeks from the time we bought.......he checked inventory and found that they could actually do it except for one night - and he pulled the extra night in from the cash inventory.

If you are booking between 11 and 7 months, I doubt there's much magic he / she would be working. But for a quick reservation it's definitely a nice perk.

 

[disneymath]

We bought at BLT before our 11 month window opened. Based on advice here, I contacted my guide a few days before our window opened to see if he could help me out. (We are going during F&W time and wanted some not-so-abundant room types - 2BR Standard View for the first part of our trip and a Lake View Grand Villa for the second.)

Anyway, he told me that he couldn't do anything before my 11 month window opened. He suggested that I should first try to make the reservation(s) myself by calling at 9:00AM on day 1. He said that if I wasn't able to get what I wanted, then I should call him back and he should be able to do something.

(I was basically able to get what I wanted - we have a L/O 2BR and are waitlisted for Dedicated - so I did not call him back. I would like to think he would have come through though ... he has been pretty straightforward in all of our dealings - which have all been over the phone.)

 

[Jonell]

During our initial purchase our guide was able to get us BLT 1 BR LV at 6 months out during Pres Day week. When we did our add-on she was unable to get us any room at BLT 7 months out for travel in Sept. We waitlisted but it never came through so we stayed at BWV which we loved

 

[dizfan]

Our guide worked some of the pixie dust magic when we first bought. It doesn't hurt to ask.

In the near future, this will likely become more difficult for guides at BLT. Both wdrl and I track points sold at BLT (via the county web site). They are near the point where they have declare most units in the past. (The developer must declare the units before they can start selling points in the units). If this next BLT declaration is the same size as the last BLT declaration, this will be the last one.

 

[mintwax]

Thanks for the responses. I'm trying to make a reservation during the Thanksgiving week, so I hope he does have some extra pull. I'm just waiting for my guide to return my phone call.

 

[mintwax]

Got it. He was able to get us the reservation. It would be great if we had access to this every time.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Got it. He was able to get us the reservation. It would be great if we had access to this every time.

If that was the case, no one would get anything because everyone's guide would be getting them that hard to get reservation.

 

[mintwax]

If that was the case, no one would get anything because everyone's guide would be getting them that hard to get reservation.

Yes, I understand. But one can dream.