paying cash question?

[Beca]

We are planning to stay at VWL over Christmas 2005 (we will see you there, Ruth n Paul!!!). The room rate on Christmas Eve is 106 points!! I have enough points to "cover" it...but, I have heard so many people post about paying cash for the expensive nights, and I was wondering how that works.

Here's my questions:

1) Do ALL nights come up for availability, or is there a chance (significant or not) that night would NEVER come up for a 2 bdrm?

2) When does that option become available?

3) What is the "waitlist" for cash nights called? I know I read it in a post a while back, but I have NO idea how to search for that post.

4) Has anyone reading this ever paid cash for rooms at VWL over Christmas?

Thanks so much!!!



Beca

 

[pumpkinboy]

I dunno about VWL at Xmas, but I was able to get cash ressies for weekend nights with DVC discount during Epcot Food & Wine this year. I had called at a little more than 9 months out, after having called every two weeks up until then.

But for super-high demand times like Xmas eve? Sounds dicey, but it could work. Ar you looking for a DVC discount or would you be satisfied with rack rates?

Good luck!

 

[tjkraz]

If you are wanting to get the 25% DVC member cash discount, rooms may or may not ever come available. When the do, it seemingly happens at random. You just have to call and call again to see if a room has been released for the DVC member discount.

Rooms are only released when DVC projects that it will not be able to book the room for points. So, at different checkpoints in the months leading up to check-in, DVC's computers will evaluate the current reservations and historical booking patterns, and begin to release rooms as deemed necessary.

There is no waitlist for these rooms.

With the high point costs for weekends, my guess is that Friday and Saturday nights get release for cash bookings a lot more frequently than for weeknights.

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

Beca: Doc made this comment in an earlier thread on this topic:

"If the discount is NOT available when you first check, I'd suggest making a "member cash" reservation (if they'll allow it) and if a discount becomes available later, it will be applied without further calls. If the cash reservation can't be made when you call, feel free to call back a few months later (MS may even be able to advise when to call back)."

I'd never realized this before.

Here's a link to the whole thread:
Cash Rooms Thread

HBC

 

[Beca]

Thanks for the link, HBC!!! I am nervous trying to get that night on cash...I will probably just "bite the bullet" and use the points!! Somehow, it just hurts a little, though!!



Beca