No DVC Resort availability yet again?!?!?!?!?

[rwcmath]

You are only 2 months out! I would be happy to get what you have!

rwc

 

[tomandrobin]

Time of year, location and unit type all play a part in availability at the DVC resorts. Try calling member service this month. The phones are busy, busy, busy with members booking thier December vacations. A few months from now someone is going post that there is nothing available in December. Obviously the week you want to go must be a busy time of year. I would suggest you waitlist, there are always cancelations.

 

[jade1]

Ealry March in Florida.......


Everywhere else.........


You do the math.....

 

[Laurabearz]

Yes, it has become harder to secure reservations on short notice. I think that is a fair statement to make.

I know there was a lot of talk on these boards about what kind of impact SSR would have on booking vacations, and two things always came up... Buy where you want to stay, and book as soon as you can, because the 7 month window will be much tougher than before.

And it is...

 

[tomandrobin]

I just got off the phone with member services, inquiring about BCV for May. There were no weekly stays left, only couple odd days here and there. May 19,20&21 were the only three days i could get together.

 

[Laurabearz]

The Flower and Garden show is at Epcot in May (Well March-June) making both BCV and BWV very full for that whole time span. Although it's not as big of a draw as the Food And Wine, most people book their stays at the 11 month window.

 

[crisi]

I just got off the phone with member services, inquiring about BCV for May. There were no weekly stays left, only couple odd days here and there. May 19,20&21 were the only three days i could get together.

Which is one of the ways some people get short reservations. A few days here and a few days there - or flexibility in their dates and resort. While occasionally we get posts like this:

I was able to get BCV for a full week only three months out, and the CM said there was availability at other resorts.

If you read carefully its more common to get posts that talk about short term availability more like this.

BWV was available for four our of our six nights, WVL was available just three.

Or

We had no problem getting out stay for Dates XX and XX in a one bedroom.

(looking at a calendar shows a Friday checkin with a Monday checkout).

Or

We had no problem booking three months out for BWV (for July in 2002).

I also think the automated waitlist closed a loophole (while creating problems of its own) - if you were lucky enough to call between cancellation and a waitlist check, sometimes you'd get the unlikely rooms. Now I think that gap has been closed - and its much less likely to get lucky in that fashion.

 

[drag n' fly]

Ealry March in Florida.......


Everywhere else.........


You do the math.....

Snap that is funny! Wish the tag fairy could make it a tag!

 

[tfc3rid]

It is harder to make ressies... I booked 11 months out at BCV for this year's Food and Wine Festival... I have no idea if we're going to go then but I made my ressies to make sure if we did, we had a spot close to Epcot AND before our AP's expire.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Here's the problem. Lots of members don't want to use points on weekends because they require almost as many points for those two nights as they used for the five nights previous. So I'd bet there are lots of Fri or Sat nights available.

As DVC sells more and more memberships (plus gives out developer points as an incentive to purchase), there are more and more people competing for the same times. Ala low point time, holidays, school breaks. At least the summer school break lasts for 10 weeks (more or less) and members have a better chance of getting what they want during that time.

Thus, you need to make a reservation as soon as you can.

If DVC decided to go to mandatory 7 night stays, like other timeshares, there would be a lot less holes available, a Sat here, a Wed there. All trip, Sat to Sat. It would make housekeeping tougher as well on that massive checkout/checkin day.

 

[DisDaydreamer]

(plus gives out developer points as an incentive to purchase), there are more and more people competing for the same times.

I don't know why I have never about this, but where are these developer points coming from. Seems like they are over and above the DVC inventory. Is this the case?

 

[BWV Dreamin]

I don't know why I have never about this, but where are these developer points coming from. Seems like they are over and above the DVC inventory. Is this the case?

I believe developer points are points DVC has, but has not sold yet. At AKV, they have inventory they will not be able to sell in 2008. So they give these out as free-bees with the new purchases. But they have to be used by 2008. Probably because they then will be able to sell them after that.

 

[tomandrobin]

Here's the problem. Lots of members don't want to use points on weekends because they require almost as many points for those two nights as they used for the five nights previous. So I'd bet there are lots of Fri or Sat nights available.

When I called earlier today for May, the weekends were booked up. The only availabilty at BCV was during the week.

 

[Starr W.]

Ealry March in Florida.......


Everywhere else.........


You do the math.....

Love your selection of smiles.

 

[DisDaydreamer]

I believe developer points are points DVC has, but has not sold yet. At AKV, they have inventory they will not be able to sell in 2008. So they give these out as free-bees with the new purchases. But they have to be used by 2008. Probably because they then will be able to sell them after that.

Thanks. That makes sense. Just never thought about it before.

 

[nunzia]

Which is one of the ways some people get short reservations. A few days here and a few days there - or flexibility in their dates and resort. While occasionally we get posts like this:

I was able to get BCV for a full week only three months out, and the CM said there was availability at other resorts.

If you read carefully its more common to get posts that talk about short term availability more like this.

BWV was available for four our of our six nights, WVL was available just three.

Or

We had no problem getting out stay for Dates XX and XX in a one bedroom.

(looking at a calendar shows a Friday checkin with a Monday checkout).

Or

We had no problem booking three months out for BWV (for July in 2002).

I also think the automated waitlist closed a loophole (while creating problems of its own) - if you were lucky enough to call between cancellation and a waitlist check, sometimes you'd get the unlikely rooms. Now I think that gap has been closed - and its much less likely to get lucky in that fashion.

Plus it seems like alot of people make the advice of ..just make a reservation, you can always change it...therefore..they do and then there is popping up of these surprise availabilities...I think.

 

[Dean]

Brian Noble - Thanks for the lesson on how DVC and other timeshares work, but that's not exactly the advice I was looking for and I don't think that was really necessary. I doubt that I'm the only member that isn't able to make vacation plans so far out and in previous years I have made reservations as few as 3 weeks in advance and had no problems getting exactly what I wanted (and yes it was at similar times as this year). I'm sure if DVC was only made up of people that were able to make vacation plans at exactly there 7 or 11 month window, then membership would be much lower.

The reality is that those who own need to plan further out to consistently be successful. DVC has been an outlier in this area and is simply moving closer to the way timeshares have generally worked for years. The reality is that the honeymoon is over for many though there will still be success stories, esp for slower times.

 

[micki7337]

We had this happen last year and we ended up having to move our vacation 1 week later. Even then we only had Saratoga Springs availability that week 12/8 to 12/15. I was told that is becoming more common during the year.

 

[dvcdisney]

Unfortunately it's not always possible for all of us to plan our vacations 7 or 11 months out - trust me I would love to be able to do that, but with varying work schedules, vacation times, etc. that's not always possible.

And many people are in the same situation. However, since the option of 11/7 month window is there, there will be quite a few members calling at that time because they want a specific resort and dates. And so, there is a good chance that your first choice will not be available. I think if you have several choices, you won't be disappointed.

And I think a lot of people are just saying that it's reasonable to assume that if you cannot call at the 11/7 month window, there is always a chance you won't get resort and date of your choice.

Before two years ago, I had always booked between the 11 and 7 month window (I thought it would be fine as long as I was more than 7 months out). However, two years ago, at 9 months out, I called and they said it was booked. I was shocked but not upset. I knew there would be a chance that I wouldn't get the resort or dates I wanted, however I thought that since I hadn't had a problem before, I wouldn't have one then, big mistake! Things have changed, members have increased, so from then on, I had decided to book 11 months to the day so that I would get what I wanted.

Here's an option that I know a few members have done. They book based on the assumption that they will be going at a certain time and if not, they cancel it before the penalty begins. As long as the points are not borrowed, all your points can be put back (as long as it's 31 days before). So if your plans change, cancel and reschedule.

 

[yxe dad]

This time I was looking to stay at another DVC resort in the first week of March and again I was told that everything but Saratoga Springs was completely booked.

I understand where your coming from,
being an AKV's owner and to have completed my first DVC trip home in Oct and to have my next trip Feb 27/Mar 9 all at SSR. Nothing was available at the other resorts for more than 2 nights when I booked over a month ago.

BUT
I also have to remember that I booked "last minute" and that I am travelling in Disney's peak season.
There was/is rooms available, just not my first through fifth choices, but I do have a room!
Take the SSR room and have fun, that's what I'm going to do. I actually kinda liked the place.
Just MHO
Shayne