New policy for reservations based on check IN date

[castleri]

Most bought because it's on Disney property and a significant portion would have bought if it was fixed week/fixed unit system as was the usual 20 or more years ago.

I'm in the minority here I guess as we had been to 3 fixed week/fixed unit presentations (not in the Orlando area)_before stopping in at the BW sales center back in 1997 just to ask some questions. I knew I didn't want a time share but did want to see what might be different if anything with the Disney offering. After asking a few questions and taking the paperwork out to the Big River Grill and talking it over while enjoying a beer and some nachos we went back in and signed on the Mickey Head lines. The absolute selling point was the ability to make reservations for 1 to 21 days any time of the year and at what was then either BWV or OKW. We did not want to be tied to a fixed week or unit or deal with the trading options they may have offered as they were all week long stays. That was our very first trip to Disney staying on property at POFQ and we had no strong feelings about staying on property at that time. We do prefer to be there now that we have so many wonderful options. I have said that the money I have spent on my DVC contracts is some of the best I have ever spent. I will wait and see how difficult it becomes to get the reservations I want with the new system before I decide if one or all the contracts go to the resale market. I did email the member satisfaction email address and got the reply about members wanting these changes.

For those that think not many people will know about the changes
anyone who uses the DVC site will know about the new policy as it is posted there so even those who don't participate on message boards will be aware of it.
I am one who believes the change will impact getting the reservations at the high priority times and just feel the old system gave the largest number of members equal chance at every room type every dayan 11/7 window opened even though it required some extra time spent on the phone.

 

[jamstew]

You can borrow points to make your initial reservation. Any points borrowed remain borrowed. HOWEVER, when you cancel a night they return points from the current use year. Those points can be banked into the next use year but then they need to remain in that use year.

I want to be sure I understand so I don't muck this up. I can borrow from my 2009 UY (traveling in 2008 UY) to complete the reservation, and those points stay borrowed. When I cancel the weekend night and substitute cash, the number of points I borrowed will be released, but they will be 2008 points (current UY), which I can then bank into the 2009 UY, and they will need to be used in the 2009 UY. Is that correct? Holy cow, there's a lot to learn! (Why isn't there a smiley that has someone banging their head against a wall?)

 

[Dean]

I can't imagine in triplicated in 18 months. If the Dec 2007 numbers are around 200k though, I guess it's possible.

Of course, what is a 'member'? Is a contract a member? Is a member number a member? If the latter, is a contract with (3) owners considered 3 members? Oh the games accountants and marketing types play

The number I posted is fully paid members, my understanding is it is unique contracts, not number of names associated.

 

[jdg345]

I want to be sure I understand so I don't muck this up. I can borrow from my 2009 UY (traveling in 2008 UY) to complete the reservation, and those points stay borrowed. When I cancel the weekend night and substitute cash, the number of points I borrowed will be released, but they will be 2008 points (current UY), which I can then bank into the 2009 UY, and they will need to be used in the 2009 UY. Is that correct? Holy cow, there's a lot to learn! (Why isn't there a smiley that has someone banging their head against a wall?)

That's correct. Just remember that Banking and Borrowing are one-time events. Once you bank points, they must be used in the use year banked to. One you borrow points, they must be used in the use year borrowed to.

You can borrow from 2009 for this trip, and when you replace the Sat stay with cash, it would release 2008 points. You can thank bank those points forward, but then those points must be used in your 2009. Since you wanted to save your points for a 2010 UY, that probably wont work for you (that's why I put that little note in my first post about it working for your UY or not). As I understand it, you want to take all your 2009 points and push them to 2010 so you can have a larger trip. Remember that once you're in your 2010 UY, you can borrom from 2011 as well -- which gives you NET 3x the points every 3rd year.

Since you wanted to keep 2009 untouched to push into 2010 (as I understood from your post), I suggested calling thrice so you dont have to borrow/cancel/bank.

That's just another one of the wonderful flexibilities of DVC. I sometimes end up borrowing points for a vacation and end up having to cancel it (I book for another family group and they back out, for example). That means I need to use those borrowed points or risk losing them. Since I have another reservation on current points, I simply re-allocate: I use the borrowed points to fuel my kept reservation. Once I do that, I've released my current use year points back into my account and can Bank them forward into next year.

Also, keep in mind that unless you specify otherwise, borrowed and/or banked points are always used first. So next year, the points I banked would be the first ones used (since they are the 'oldest' and will 'expire' soonest).

I think it sounds more complicated than it is.

I hope my explaination was helpful and didn't make it worse though.

 

[jdg345]

The number I posted is fully paid members, my understanding is it is unique contracts, not number of names associated.

Is a unique contract 123456.X inclusive of all add-ons counted as 1 member?

Or is a unique contract considered:

123456.0
123456.1
123456.2

As (3) members?

And by fully paid, are we talking no financing? Free and Clear?

 

[mikeandkarla]

I want to be sure I understand so I don't muck this up. I can borrow from my 2009 UY (traveling in 2008 UY) to complete the reservation, and those points stay borrowed. When I cancel the weekend night and substitute cash, the number of points I borrowed will be released, but they will be 2008 points (current UY), which I can then bank into the 2009 UY, and they will need to be used in the 2009 UY. Is that correct? Holy cow, there's a lot to learn! (Why isn't there a smiley that has someone banging their head against a wall?)

Your borrowed 2009 points stay on the reservation. The points released after your cancelation will be current UY (2008). If you end up not using them by the end of banking window, you can bank them into 2009. Essentially replacing your borrowed points by number, but they must now be used before the start of your 2009 UY. Once you borrow points, they can not be put back into their original UY.
They can not be banked again. I hope this helps.

 

[kfalsey]

I looked at marriott, hilton, hyatt vs. disney. I choose disney not for disney but because of the flexibility not to have to take a week and not to have to fly in on a specific day as marriott has set up. FLEXIBILITY was major. I believe may bought for this reason and did not feel disney was a regular timeshare because of this reason. You pay more for disney due to the flexibility not just being disney. Even though disney changed the plan for scheduling they have not stated you have to only have a 7 day reservations only. Marriott has only 7 day reservations. Flexibility is more important to many members for vacation needs.

 

[ljmiii]

And if so...how did it work? After booking the first week 11 (or 7) months in advance when were you able to book day 8 of your reservation at 11 months + 7 days or did you have to wait a week to book the 8th day?

curious,
leo

 

[dianeschlicht]

As did we ... apparently, we're in the minority though.

Count me in that minority too. I did NOT buy a week at a time timeshare, and that was an important part of the email I sent.

 

[jarestel]

If "THE most flexible timeshare in all of human history" opened up in Orlando (not on Disney property) I have a very difficult time believing that there would be any meaningful number of members who would sell DVC and choose off-site for the extra flexibility. Maybe some enterprising mogul will read this thread and realize that what the Orlando area needs is a really super flexible timeshare system.

Now I enjoy the flexibility of DVC as much as anyone does. We have hopped a last minute flight to WDW just for a long weekend a few times and the option of being able to call 2 days before arrival and get a reservation was great. But it's not as great as being on property close to the theme parks. 1) On-site 2) theme parks 3) flexibility - take away option 1 or 2 and I'm gone. Option 3, though nice, I can live without, though I really don't expect to have to anytime in the near future.

 

[pyrxtc]

Okay, it kills me that I just read evry single post, yes all 790 of them! The part that kills me is that my next 3 trips are already booked and have been since February (except for my recent hotel change). By the time I make my next ressie, I'm sure most if not all of this will be sorted out. I am banking my 2009 points into 2010 and then using those 2 years worth of point to try to book either Hawaii or Disneyland or somewhere that is NOT WDW! So in lieu of the fact that I won't be booking a ressie until at least late 2009 at the 7 month window and possibly not even booking til 2010, I don't know why I read this all and am worrying about any of it!

By the time I have to book WDW, the little things will be straightened out or there will be posts on this board on how to use them to your advantage. Now I can go to sleep and forget about this whole conversation. Yay me!!

For the record, Is till think they need to find a way to avoid "walking" your ressies and also need to let you extend beyond those 7 day for your vacation. I think 10 days make a perfect vacation for me. I'm not worried about someone wiht more points being able to get x-mas and New Years cuz that's their vacation adn they should be able to get it if they want it and they bought enough points for it. the 7 day limit is not going to keep them from doing that.

I bought enough to stay at AKV concierge for a week. I will most always get my week as long as I can book at least 7 days since I am more flexible with my vacation time than most. I can call day by day if unavailable the first and make whatever the first day available my first day of my 7 day vacation. My DH then tells his work what days he needs off and I find the most reasonable flight for the day I need to be there.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

And if so...how did it work? After booking the first week 11 (or 7) months in advance when were you able to book day 8 of your reservation at 11 months + 7 days or did you have to wait a week to book the 8th day?

curious,
leo

Several member have reported beign able to book day 8 the next day, even though the CM told them that the policy was that they could not book for another 7 days. But the computer system allowed the booking with no problem at all. And at least one member also cancelled the first day, thus "walking" his 7 day reservation forward by one day.

It is obvious that DVC needs to figure out the rules they really want to implement and then make sure the computer system is consistent with those rules so that all members can make the same reservations. Personally, since DVC has adopted the check in date reservation window, I am happier with a system that gives memebrs the ability to "walk" reservations than I would be with a system that prohibited it. -- Suzanne

 

[tidefan]

What I can't wrap my head around is if nobody is going to be able to book these rooms, who exactly is going to be in there?

Reminds me of the old Yogi Berra saying when questioned about a restaurant: "Nobody goes there any more, it's too crowded..."

 

[BeccaG]

As did we ... apparently, we're in the minority though.

Well then I am in the minority with you all! I know for one if it was a fixed week system, I would have probably bought elsewhere or not at all. My in-laws have a point based system with other locations I frequent, Vegas, Cabo and Hawaii, and I could have used those points at any of those locations. Honestly, at that point Disney would not be getting my ticket or dinng money because I simply would have not been going as often. Flexibility and a point based timeshare was a key reason we went with DVC over other timeshares we were looking at and I wanted to echo that sentiment.

I know I have not commented on this thread since the early pages but, after reading pages of posts here are my current 2 cents.

1. In reality, I think the old system of reserving 11 months out from check out date was/is more fair. Americans (which most of us are) tend to defend fairness at all costs and that is why I think many of us, including myself are in opposition to this change.

2. Many of us, including myself, expect a lot from DVC because it is Disney. We want Disney to be better because many of us share in Walt's vision of what a company and the world could be. Yes, DVC and Disney are corporations, but many of us want it to be a business with a heart. That's why we are so disappointed with how this was communicated (or not communicated.)

3. Although I STRONGLY dislike this change, and have and will continue to voice my opposition to this change to the powers that be; those hard to get rooms for those hard to get times for those special trips have to go to someone. And here is some pixie dust that all the right intentioned well deserving individuals get those room with or without this current policy.

So those are my current thoughts.

 

[Inkmahm]

Basically I can call at 7 months and take however many days of my OKW ressie it takes and reallocate the 42 AKV points to the OKW contract using the AKV points for the already made ressie. You can't transfer to yourself.

Doesn't that only work though if there are still rooms like the one you reserved that are available at OKW at the 7 month mark?

 

[Inkmahm]

Most bought because it's on Disney property and a significant portion would have bought if it was fixed week/fixed unit system as was the usual 20 or more years ago.

I would definitely NOT have purchased it if it were a fixed week/fixed unit system. I think the majority of us would NOT have purchased it under that scenario. I never ever stay a week at Disney much less on a standard Sat to Sat (or whatever would be considered a fixed week.) I always come for less than a week and most of the time start my trip in the middle of the week. DVC flexibility was key in even getting me to CONSIDER a timeshare, and then it took me several years to actually listen to a CM friend who was trying to tell me DVC was a good option for me.

 

[Longhairbear]

To be perfectly honest, I don't think this change affects me at all, for one really stupid reason.
In all my years as a member at VWL, I always thought the booking windows were for check in, and not check out. Since 2003, I have always got what I wanted on the first try, in one phone call, with very few exceptions. And I have never, ever called on the exact 11/7 window date, and that is probably why I have been so blissfully unaware of the check in/check out rule.
While it is true, I have never booked for Christmas, NYE, or Thanksgiving, I have booked BWV for F&G at the 7 window with no problems. So now that DVC is actually doing ressies the way I always thought it was done, I'm not affected, that is, until I add on at GCV.
The only holiday I want,need,have to have or I'll just die ressie is Thanksgiving day at GCV when it opens. Cooking from scratch, or reheating store bought Thanksgiving feasts in a DVC kitchen, and then walking off the meal at Disneyland, and shopping is my must have 3 day ressie. The 11 month window is very important in this scenario, so we will see how this plays out for us.

 

[bicker]

This is an insanely large thread, and while the OP outlines the new policy itself, there are apparently side-effects that have been discussed throughout this thread, which a new poster won't readily be able to find. (For example, I found this thread via a link from a thread where someone asked about wait-listing. Using "Search This Thread" at the top of the page, and putting in the term "wait-list" returns nothing.) Is there a summary of all the side-effects compiled in one posting, somewhere?

 

[alldiz]

This is an insanely large thread, and while the OP outlines the new policy itself, there are apparently side-effects that have been discussed throughout this thread, which a new poster won't readily be able to find. (For example, I found this thread via a link from a thread where someone asked about wait-listing. Using "Search This Thread" at the top of the page, and putting in the term "wait-list" returns nothing.) Is there a summary of all the side-effects compiled in one posting, somewhere?

Basically....lots of think that this policy will make it harder to reserve a room at hard to book times....
people are basically upset that they can't book day by day now.

also it is unclear how easy it will be to get a room after 7 days....theoretically my day 8 is someone elses day 2 and some think it will be very hard to get their ressie.
People are also worried that abuse will occur....ie someone with a lot of points will just start making a ressie sooner than their checkout date....and then cancel day one...and so on
Hope that helps
Kerri

 

[bookwormde]

1 more for the minority

I would never have bought a traditional timeshare. I bought DVC for 2 reasons #1 it was onsite #2 the flexibility and relative system fairness for my needs. Without either of these I would not have bought. Since for my needs #2 is now gone. I was planning on buying more but will no longer do this. If I have significant problems getting what I purchased the contract for I will sell it and take the $1000 beating.

bookwormde