No availability to DVC members at my home resort

[Nickymouse]

To be honest, this is the 1st year I've ever encountered a problem like this. I've booked a little earlier in the past, but I'm stll 9 months from the time I want to go. I know that CRO has the available points to give for those members who have chosen to use their points elsewhere that week, but I can't believe that such a large %age of BWV owners have chosen that particular week to vacation. I too would be curious to see what these %ages actually add up to.

 

[eva]

I own at OKW so maybe I shouldn't be as concerned but why is BWV always full even before the 7-month window? I know that it is a smaller resort than OKW but they should also have fewer members and points sold there. It really seems strange to me. I guess that members at OKW must be saving their points for a real blow out next year. It really concerns me to hear that people are reserving rooms quite readily when a member can't get in at all. I think that this might happen occassionally but it shouldn't happen often. I'm gald that a number of you clarified the concern of which resort the points are allocated from when using a trade. I was worried when I first thought about it too

 

[TampaDisneyFreaks]

This is very scary! Rich states that pts used for exchanges, etc. are made "available" for use thru CRO. Why should these pts/rooms be made available to the general public before the rest of BWV owners, let alone the rest of DVC owners at other resorts? These pts/rooms should not be made vailable to CRO until at least the 7 month mark. Now it appears even the 4 month priorty that owners of the home resort get are not able to get priorty. Now the priorty is supposed over DVC members at other resorts, but the general public now appears to get priorty over home resort owners unless we call exactly at the 11 month mark. That is outrageous. We paid to own at that resort and to get a priorty there over EVERYONE, and it appears that the general public gets a better shot at rooms (even though they are paying way more than we are per night) than we do. So those of us who choose to stay at our home resort rather than exchange are getting penalized b/c enough other owners chose to exchange and those rooms are no longer available to us as dues paying members, but the non-dues paying general public can gobble those rooms up giving us no chance at the rooms, even before the 7 month window. That then nullifies the 11 month home resort priorty, because thru exchanges, the general public is given priorty over DVC members.

 

[Richyams]

I have a possible theory. It does place a nefarious motive on Disney's part, so if you don't like things like that, read no further!!!!

All the points used for cruises and everything from all the resorts would get the highest return if they were used at BWV, right? So, Disney reserves all the rooms they can with the BWV points they get at the eleven month window. Then the mornings that the seven month window opens, all the VB, HH and OKW points that were used for other things are ALL used to reserve BWV rooms. Disney knows what they will be able to rent for cash, and reserves thos rooms at those times. They basically lock up the seven month window and also use the eleven month windo to its greatest advantage.....remember, they answer the phones, so they can take inventory before it ever actually is available for reservation...

I only hope that they respect the 7-11 month windows, they should, but if they are makeing the reservations the morning, before the first phone rings, the morning that the seven month window opens up, are they really respecting the booking windows????

"From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs", Karl Marx, pretty sick, huh?

 

[Nickymouse]

I couldn't agree with you more, TampaDisneyFreak!
I can't help but feel used since I pay to maintain a property that I can't even stay in. MS has suggested that I book a room at OKW when my 7 month window opens up, but I bought at BWV for a reason:Because I wan't to be able to have priority over others when I make my reservations. I feel that Disney is making a huge mistake when the general public has priority over a DVC member.

 

[RobDoc]

The "general public" is not getting any preference over members here. The BWV members have done so by using their points elsewhere. DVC MUST recoup the expense for these other reservations by using the corresponding points before they expire. The points themselves have already been used bu BWV members. In one sense the available reservations are being filled by members- who have chosen to "rent" those reservations to others.
The same situation exists at all DVC resorts- it has happened at OKW for years. There are many rooms available at OKW through CRO- for the same reason.
I think it's a little cynical to suggest that DVC is doing something wrong, as has been suggested in other posts. While I have no information from DVC explaining exactly how cash reservations are handled, I am still confident that they are processed using the guidelines set forth in our documents.
With the size of BWV (under 300 rooms) even a 10% utilization of member-non-DVC reservations (added to the 4% still owned by DVD) - allows for about 40 rooms available to non-members on a cash basis- right now.
Keep in mind also that with the higher point cost for other WDW resorts and the cruise- those member activities can really open up a large number of rooms for the same # of points.
Early Nov thru Dec- has really become a popular time to travel to WDW- due to the weather, lower point costs, lower room costs and many marketing factors promoted by WDW in general. It is not surprising that rooms at popular resorts are challenging to reserve.

Doc
doc@wdwinfo.com

 

[doubletroublemom]

Ditto! We're in the process of buying a resale at BWV because we wanted to have the best shot at getting a room there. My DH is now VERY concerned and is wondering if we should be buying into the club at all! How far in advance can cash ressies be made at the DVC properties? We won't be closing on our resale until the end of the month. Looks like we may be totally out of luck for the BWV around Thanksgiving or Christmas. In light of this, the fact that my DVC sales guide tried telling me that home resort doesn't matter and that there are only a couple trouble weeks, really infuriates me!

 

[Nickymouse]

Doubletroublemom, I don't know how far out they will let cash customers book, but I can tell you that both of my friends booked this past month for a November Vacation.
And Doc, I realize that some rooms are available to the general public. I just find it hard to believe that so many BWV owners have chosen this particular week to vacation. Since only BWV owners can book this far out, this resort isn't being filled up by those who own at any of the other resorts. I just feel that DVC isn't giving us our fair %age of rooms.

 

[RobDoc]

I don't think they usually will reserve cash ressies until 6 months in advance. I also don't think they "reserve" a block of rooms at any DVC resort just for cash ressies. When a member "trades in" points for other locations, the points rae then made available as the CRO reservation requests come in. In this case, you are reporting these reservations being allowed 9 months ahead- but it is entirely possible that the cash request came in and those points would otherwise expire in Nov and thus must be used.
DVC must be allowed to use those points- as they do contribute significantly to the dues structure of the resort owners. I see no reason to assume that BWV members are NOT using their points for a cruise during that same time period- thus freeing up a large number of points at the resort.

Doc
doc@wdwinfo.com

 

[dianeschlicht]

Good clear explanation Doc. I also think that perhaps that 4% that CRO has access to that is not declared into the condominium might seem highly available because not as many people attempt to get a cash reservation through CRO for these more roomy but also very expensive properties. It may just seem like there is a lot of availability.

Disneydiane

 

[jctwizzer]

Instead of generating all these wild guesses and whining, why don't you go to the other end of the horse and ask; ie., call DVC and see what they have to say.

 

[tiggersnj]

The first 2 weeks in November are very popular in the NJ area. The schools are closed for the teacher's convention and parents tend to take the kids out of school extra days ( I know I did) also Veterans' Day falls on the 11th giving Monday the 12th off. The week of the 4th is when all the extra days come into play. We always book the 11th month window. Keep trying, I would be upset if it happened to me.

 

[PamOKW]

Another possible lightbulb moment on why availability at BWV is tight and cash ressies are available....I believe we've heard that the last year or two are when BWV sales kicked into high gear. Lots of people took advantage of MB to make their purchase. Well, all those points people "sold back" to DVC are available for them to rent. This is in addition to points from various trades.

 

[Richyams]

Pam is very correct there, that is a HUGE source of points that Disney needs to get vlue for....what about all them MB VB points? Where do they use them? Are they used at the seven month window at BWV to get more money for them? I suspect Doc is correct about releasing rooms to CRO at 6 months, but I believe that is only the 4%, I think that the other points are in a different kettle and may be used as I described earlier....this is a question for DVC.

"From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs", Karl Marx, pretty sick, huh?

 

[bkalm46]

Was reading about your situation. I tried to book thru CRO for a one bedroom at BWV and as I was not a member, was told I couldn't book until 3-4 months out from my reservation date. Started looking for points then and after finding them, was told they were booked up. This was at about the 10 1/2 month mark. It seems to me members should have more priority than they're getting. Just my 2 cents.
Wanda

 

[Halle]

I guess we were lucky we're owners at OKW and decided to stay at the BW. I booked a 1 bedroom preferred view for mid March in Nov..

 

[HorizonsFan]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> It seems to me members should have more priority than they're getting. [/quote]

Folks seem to assume that because the rooms are booked, it must be due to non-members. It's possible that even at the nine month mark, other members have already booked the rooms. Add the current popularity of the season with all those MB points and I think you have your answer. Nothing sinister, underhanded, illegal or even unfair...

Dave

 

[Crissup]

I think one of the main reasons the BWV is booking up so much faster than OKW right now, is because it's still relatively new. The OKW owners have had almost 10 years to enjoy their resort and are starting to branch out and enjoy the other ammenities their memberships offer. Many BWV owners are still brand new to the system and want to use their points at their resort.

This only goes to prove that all of us who constantly argued that it *does* matter which resort you buy at, and that you *should* buy at the resort you intend to stay at most, were correct. I didn't really figure things would get this bad though for another 5 years yet.

John M. Crissup

crissup@disneyfan.com
Crissup's Web Site

 

[RobDoc]

The Annual meeting has frequently been used as an explanation for heavy reservations at DVC resorts. The BWV meeting this year had fewer than 100 members in attendance- and many of those were local members who were NOT staying onsite. Several others, like myself, were staying at OKW- NOT the BWV.

The first week in Dec has been heavily promoted by WDW and has many special programs designed to attract guests. (MVMCP, special music, etc.) Combining these features with the lower point cost would probably be a more significant explanation for the high resort occupancy during this time.

Doc
doc@wdwinfo.com

 

[Bill K]

For the past 2 years I have been able to stay at the BWV in November using of course the 11 month window. Never had a problem on getting what I needed.

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The Kosturko's