New DVC Owner, question on method for reserving at 7 months

[Rjmdds]

Hi. First let me say that we are tremendously excited to join the DVC community. It is a dream come true. We are new owners (less than a month) at VGF. We were given 200 points for 2014 as incentive to buy. I am planning to use these 200 points for a trip next summer and can borrow up to about 35 points from my 2015 allotment.

I basically want to know if my understanding of the 7 month booking window and wait list is correct. Please correct me if I am missing something. I am really doing a lot of reading of discussion boards, FAQ's, etc. to educate myself on the finer workings of being a DVC member. I think I get it but would love your seasoned opinions if I have it right. So here it goes…

I am interested in booking a studio or 1 BR at VGC at 8am on the day of my 7 month window for 1 week. I know they can be tough. As a 2nd choice I would try to book a week at Vero Beach.

If part of my week is not available at VGC I can wait list the whole week and then hopefully book Vero so I have something booked. If the week at VGC becomes available on the wait list, will it automatically transfer my reservation and cancel the Vero one? I would imagine this is something that I can opt for during the booking process. True?

Another scenario: When trying to book VGC at 7 months, I can book what IS available on the first day it is listed at 7 months and pay cash for a regular room for the other days. Yes?

I hope this wasn't too confusing. I am just trying to make sure that I understand the process to maximize my chance at booking what I want. I know 7 months out is difficult at VGC to begin with.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and replying if you can.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Hi. First let me say that we are tremendously excited to join the DVC community. It is a dream come true. We are new owners (less than a month) at VGF. We were given 200 points for 2014 as incentive to buy. I am planning to use these 200 points for a trip next summer and can borrow up to about 35 points from my 2015 allotment.

I basically want to know if my understanding of the 7 month booking window and wait list is correct. Please correct me if I am missing something. I am really doing a lot of reading of discussion boards, FAQ's, etc. to educate myself on the finer workings of being a DVC member. I think I get it but would love your seasoned opinions if I have it right. So here it goes…

I am interested in booking a studio or 1 BR at VGC at 8am on the day of my 7 month window for 1 week. I know they can be tough. As a 2nd choice I would try to book a week at Vero Beach.

If part of my week is not available at VGC I can wait list the whole week and then hopefully book Vero so I have something booked. If the week at VGC becomes available on the wait list, will it automatically transfer my reservation and cancel the Vero one? I would imagine this is something that I can opt for during the booking process. True?

Another scenario: When trying to book VGC at 7 months, I can book what IS available on the first day it is listed at 7 months and pay cash for a regular room for the other days. Yes?

I hope this wasn't too confusing. I am just trying to make sure that I understand the process to maximize my chance at booking what I want. I know 7 months out is difficult at VGC to begin with.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and replying if you can.

First of all, understand that DVC did not give you 200 points for 2014 as an incentive to buy. You bought those, so I'm guessing your UY is somewhere from Feb to August since you have been a member for at least a month.

If you plan to use these points next summer, make sure you don't miss your banking deadline to bank them into your 2015 UY (as long as it isn't Aug and your trip occurs before Aug). But then you also have to worry about the possibility of canceling that summer 2015 trip and then using the points before the end of the UY.

But for your question, VGC can be hard to get. You need to be right on it when you seven month window opens up. In the mean time, you can use the new tool on the member website to see if your desired lodging is still available until you are able to book. You'll need to do the same with VB because that also can be harder to get for a longer trip (more than just a couple of days).

You can also set up your waitlist to cancel another reservation if you need the points to complete the reservation you are waitlisting.

Good luck.

 

[drusba]

If a waitlist comes through, they will automatically cancel your other reservation for the same time and make the new one and then send an email telling you that has been done.

Though you can make a point reservation and a cash reservation through MS and then have them linked to avoid having to change rooms, that assumes you can actually get that cash reservation and there have been many reports of cash reservations through MS not being avaialble at 7 months out even though the point reservation is. Moreover, that cash reservation itself cannot be made until 7 months out from the first cash date for a resort you do not own. In other words, if at exactly 7 monhts out you get the first three nights on points, you have to wait three days to try to get a cash reservation for the remaining four nights.

At 7 months out, if looking for a week, and some days are missing, you can reseerve with points only those open days that begin exactly seven months out from date of arrival when you call (or go online) to reserve, plus any open consecutive day thereafter but no more. For example if on Nov 1, you try to reserve June 1 to 8, and the nights of June 1, 2, 6, and 7 are open , you will be able to reserve only June 1 and 2. Another example, if June 1 is full and June 2-8 are open, you will not be able to reserve anything until Nov 2.

 

[maburke]

Moreover, that cash reservation itself cannot be made until 7 months out from the first cash date for a resort you do not own. In other words, if at exactly 7 monhts out you get the first three nights on points, you have to wait three days to try to get a cash reservation for the remaining four nights.

Really? I never heard that before. I thought that what you could get for cash through MS was the same as what you could get for cash through CRO (with the exception of the occasional 25% off). If not, why couldn't you just call CRO more than 7 months out?

Of course, everything works a little differently at DL, I'm not even sure it's the same CRO as WDW.

 

[Rjmdds]

I was not aware of this either. I was thinking about just calling CRO to make a cash reservation for any consecutive days that I can't get at 7 months.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I was not aware of this either. I was thinking about just calling CRO to make a cash reservation for any consecutive days that I can't get at 7 months.

You can call Disney Reservation Center (formerly CRO) anytime to book a cahs stay. BUT, unless they have changed it, you cannot link your DVC stay with the DRC cash nights. So you definitely have to check out and check in again and you might even have to move. Especially if you get a villa on points that is not bookable for cash.

 

[Song of the South]

They can link cro and points stays. In the comments section just ask each to reference the other reservation number. I was told there would be no issue. I will know more Saturday and can report back if what I was told was true.

SotS