Opinions, please. I made a bonehead mistake.....

[GeneralTso]

***I cross-posted in Resorts thread. Not sure which was best so covering 2 bases***


I booked 1 b/r villa @ Beach Club May 28-June 3.
Plans changed and we can now leave for Orlando Sat 5/25. Needed to add 2 nights to reservation.

No can do. Booked solid @ Beach Club. It's Memorial Day weekend, so not surprised.

I looked at other properties and saw a 1 b/r villa theme park view at Bay Lake Tower avail for those 2 nights. Same availability at Grand Floridian. I did not book it at that moment. Went back next day and it is no longer available. So dumb, I know! I should have known. So....back to searching.

Most DVC availability is gone. We do not want to stay at Saratoga Springs or Old Key West.

I did the next best thing (to me, anyway) and booked a (cash room) Deluxe Studio w/theme park view at Bay Lake Tower. Cost is $466/night.

We are DVC and AP. That is the DVC rate.
We have plenty of points to add nights via DVC.

Question: should I call DVC and see if they can help? There is 1 night availability, should I grab that and hope that the other night opens up? Doesn't seem likely as it's Sunday night that is booked, right before the Monday holiday.

Any insight and ideas are welcome. Thanks very much.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

If a night opens up then yes, book it. And also use the waitlist - each night as a single waitlist or else both nights at 2 different resorts. There's still lots of time for movement and people change plans all the time.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Also, now that you are looking you will probably be surprised how much availability will pop up. Personally I wouldn't be too concerned about getting something although it may not be your first choice. But still, I'd consider going ahead with waitlisting BCV unless I really wanted to try somewhere else and then check the RAT periodically to see what opens up elsewhere.

 

[robinb]

I would suck it up and book SSR or OKW before I paid $466 per night and then waitlist for something else.

FWIW, you need 3 nights to cover you from 5/25 to 5/28. I originally typed in 5/25-5/27 and a 1BR in BWV came up as did a Savannah view at AKV-Jambo. Both resorts are missing Sunday 5/27 ONLY (the rest of the week is fine) so I would think that the 27th would eventually come in.

I would (1) book at SSR/OKW and waitlist for the whole time at BCV so I had something for all 3 nights and (2) I would also book BWV/AKV for the 2 nights and waitlist the third.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

But, if your question about calling was a question of if they could get you the studio you booked cash on points, the answer should be no. Now, sure, five people will jump in and claim it happened for them, but generally, cash units are already "booked on points" by Disney as a point owner, so they can't double book. Exception cases: Within 60 days of check in, where they can release unbooked points rooms for cash, and "welcome home" visits for new direct buyers.

 

[gharter]

I agree that I would book the room at SRS for now, and waitlist the 2 nights separately. Between now and then something most liekly will open. Along with the waitlist, keep checking. We have been able to find a room before it popped up in our waitlist.

 

[Allison]

Don't you need 3 nights?

 

[mousestruck]

If it were me, I'd book the nights available at any DVC resort (rather than paying for a cash room) and waitlist for Beach Club. We've had lots of success with the waitlist, so I'd say you have a pretty good shot. You definitely increase your chances by waitlisting for each night separately - but then you run the risk of only getting one night at Beach Club and having to change rooms/resorts. If you absolutely don't want to stay anywhere else, you really have nothing to lose by waitlisting at Beach Club (up until the 30 day mark) and keeping the cash reservation. Just make sure you cancel the cash ressie, if necessary, before the penalty kicks in. Good luck!

 

[GeneralTso]

Update--First world problem averted! I didn't realize how dynamic the DVC booking site is. It changed several times today and I was able to book at Bay Lake Tower for the 2 nights I need. I also wait listed at Beach Club so might be able to add those 2 nights to the 7 already booked. I cancelled my cash room at BLT. Thanks for the comments. I learned a lot today!

 

[robinb]

Update--First world problem averted! I didn't realize how dynamic the DVC booking site is. It changed several times today and I was able to book at Bay Lake Tower for the 2 nights I need. I also wait listed at Beach Club so might be able to add those 2 nights to the 7 already booked. I cancelled my cash room at BLT. Thanks for the comments. I learned a lot today!

Yes, things change all the time. I would also keep on checking the RAT for your BCV days because the waitlist doesn't always trigger as soon as a room comes available. Sometimes the days sit out there without filling your waitlist.

ALSO, don't you need THREE days? You're coming in on 5/25 and checking into BCV on 5/28. That's 3 days and not just 2.

 

[paults]

you need 3 nts not 2. You better check your ressie.

 

[bumbershoot]

Leaving for Orlando doesn’t necessarily mean getting to and checking in on that day.

The OP said...

we can now leave for Orlando Sat 5/25.

 

[robinb]

Leaving for Orlando doesn’t necessarily mean getting to and checking in on that day.

The OP said...

Of course the OP could book a hotel near the airport or they could leave on the 26th. Why not just post that?

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Of course the OP could book a hotel near the airport or they could leave on the 26th. Why not just post that?

Actually, Saturday is the 26th and I just assume they mistyped a 5 instead of a 6. Or that is the most likely since mistyping Saturday instead of Friday is less likely.

 

[GeneralTso]

Correct--I mis-typed. We are arriving in Orlando Saturday, 5/26. I ended up booking 2 nights at BLT and then we are moving to Beach Club.
I didn't realize the booking site changed and updated so frequently. What was not available in the morning, showed up in the afternoon. Now I know.

 

[Matty B13]

Yes, stalking the website hourly can really work out in your favor. I was able to get a standard studio at VGF the first week in December last year by checking it a few times a day, seems that people were walking reservations and I was able to pick up one day at a time by checking a few times a day when the booking window opened.

 

[Micca]

I was able to book at Bay Lake Tower for the 2 nights I need

You could do a LOT worse than BLT. Walking to MK??? It's awesome.