New Availability Rules

[Mr. Disney 652]

I called DVC to check a non-home resort for availability in late June. With their new system I was told that they cannot check any resort beyond my 7-month booking window. I have never had an issue with this before and always checked for planning purposes. I assured her I only wanted to see the availability, since I will be booking seven rooms. She wouldn't check. Has anyone else ran into this lately? Not really helpful at all.

 

[LIFERBABE]

This system has been in place for a while. At least a year I would say.

I have 3 UY's and if I am working out of 1 UY and want to check 11 month availability for AKV, I am required to give my Membership # that contains the AKV points before they can check availability.

This morning I called and this is exactly how it works. If I ask to check 11month availability, I must be in the UY that contains those home resort points.

I believe the system blocks it to prevent booking errors. If MS cant access it in your contract, then they cant book it using morphed points, etc.

 

[bobbiwoz]

This isn't new. In the past there have been reports of CM's not looking for availability when the member didn't have points for the particular resort before the 7 month time. You can try to call and get a different CM, or maybe that is the case now.

Bobbi

 

[chalee94]

it's a waste of time - if a few dozen owners call in the next couple of weeks they'll wipe out whatever availability you see. if you can't book it anyway, it doesn't matter what might be there at this moment...

i can't fault the CMs for not being "helpful" in this kinda situation.

 

[cvjw]

I was told that if you call for availability during the 11 month - 7 month booking window, the only availability that the CM's can see is the resorts that you own at. When your 7 month window opens up, the CM's can see availability at all resorts. That makes perfect sense to me - during the 11-7 month window, you can only book at your home resorts, so that is all the availability that you need to know about.

 

[Chuck S]

I agree with the previous posters, it is a waste of time for the CMs to check, since it could be gone 5 minutes from the time you end your call and a waste of your time since there is noway you could book it, even if everything is available.

 

[jamn]

As others have said this isn't new. I had this happen at least a year or more ago. So its not the new system.

 

[com_op_2000]

Check the web-site. After you sign-in, there are dates for both the 11 and 7 months marks; MS will only be able to "see" up to those dates for you. This has been in effect for more than one year.

 

[DopeyDave]

it's a waste of time - if a few dozen owners call in the next couple of weeks they'll wipe out whatever availability you see. if you can't book it anyway, it doesn't matter what might be there at this moment...

As someone who has tried to check availability on rooms a week or two prior to my booking window, I agree that you can't book it now, but it would also have allowed me to rule out options that were already booked up. I had to rely on our very own DVC Resort Availability DISboard which is only as accurate as the DISboarders who submit info.

I wasn't trying to 'jump ahead', more like cutting my losses in advance and being more psychologically prepared for what may or may not be available when I called to book.

 

[crisi]

But that can change too. If a home resort is booked up, but then a lot of people switch at 7 months, that home resort can suddenly have availability.

My guess is that they were having way too many discussions with members that went "but you just told me it was available last week....."