Please be honest!

[Krissy Marissy]

My family is truly considering buying into DVC but a friend of ours just gave me some info that burst our bubble so to speak. She said that getting a room, even at your home resort is extremely difficult and that we shouldnt bother as it is easier to book without being a DVC member. Can you guys give me the nitty gritty on how making a ressie actually works and be honest on the difficulty of gettimg rooms and is it impossible to book multiple rooms? She also said they would take some ones reservation over ours if attempting to book the same nights because they own more points? Please help! thank you so much!!

 

[miste76]

I just purchased at AKL a few months ago... but my parents have owned at OKW since it was "The Vacation Club" when Disney first started DVC... and they've never had a problem booking rooms. We usually would stay at OKW... but we have stayed at BWV and VB a few times and no problems there either.

 

[JimGarth]

We've been members since 2001 and have always gotten our first choice - whether at our home resort or outside of our home resort. We always book on the first possible day (either 7 or 11 month window - whether home or away, respectively). I think people that wait and wait have trouble....planning is key in our opinion!

 

[TEK224]

I've been a member since 2005. My home resort is SSR. I've stayed there twice and also at OKW and BWV twice. I try to plan in advance, but not usually at 11/7 months out. I've never had a problem getting a room. I may not always get the section/view that I would like, but getting a room hasn't been a problem. Come to think of it, the only problem I ever had was trying for a GV, but I don't do that very often.

Terri

 

[Chuck S]

The key is planning early. Buy where you want to stay most often, and book at your 11 month window. I've been a member since 1992 and never had a problem booking up to 3 rooms. And although I ultimately haven't stayed at other resorts besides OKW, I have been succesful in booking them at 7 months, but my plans changed and I had to cancel.

You may have problems trying to book at the 7 month window for popular times, like Easter, Christmas and Spring Break. Also booking the Epcot Area resorts (BCV and BWV) during Food and Wine Festival can be difficult as member who own there usually book early.

They do not take reservations away, or give priority to, people just because they have more points.

There are times, if trying to book on shorter notice, that rooms will be available for cash and not points. This happens for several reasons:

1) Disney retains a small percentage of ownership for maintenance. If the rooms they own are not needed to switch member into for maintenance reasons, they are made available for cash.

2) Member trades. If a member trades from DVC to a non-DVC resort, a cruise, Disneyland, Adventure by Disney or oher option then a room is made available to cash to offset the cost of the trade. Technically this room is already reserved on points by the member, but is traded. It can not be reserved on points twice.

3) 60 day window. At 60 days out, any rooms not reserved by points are turned over for cash reservations. Part of the income offsets our dues as "breakage income."

Again, the key to DVC is booking early. If you normally can't plan a vacation several months in advance. DVC may not be your bast option. However, eve on fairly short otice, most people have gotten a room, just not always their choice of resorts or room sizes. OKW and SSR (and soon AKV) will likely have the most availability year round because of he size of the resort. VWL is the smallest DVC resort, BWV and BCV are close to Epcot, and these three resorts all book up fairly quickly.

 

[vicki_c]

How many points you have has no bearing on getting a reservation -- it doesn't work that way -- as long as you have enough points for your reservation (and you can bank/borrow points you have too), and if you call before the next person, you'll get the room.

We made BCV reservations for Christmas week at 7 months out (SSR is our home resort) and had to waitlist 1 day, but it came through 2 months later.

Is this friend a DVC member or just someone who thinks she knows about DVC?

And DVC rooms that people can book on cash through Disney reservations are not the same set of rooms that DVCers can book on points, by the way, they're 2 totally different pools of rooms.

 

[Starr W.]

We've been members since 2001 and have always gotten our first choice - whether at our home resort or outside of our home resort. We always book on the first possible day (either 7 or 11 month window - whether home or away, respectively). I think people that wait and wait have trouble....planning is key in our opinion!

I agree with you, we have never been shut out and I travel during holidays. I call right at 11 months. We stay in 2brs and have had no problems booking at SSR or VB(Easter). Managed to get on the phone at 7 months and have switched to BCV and BWV/BW view for MLK weekend. Thanksgiving has been very easy for us. Only problem I have is having to call when the kids are home, their volume goes up as soon as I get MS on the phone.

 

[bnlbebes]

DVC is a great option for travelers who visit WDW at least once every 2 years and who plan their vacations early. 11 month will get you what you want at your home resort. At 7 months getting elsewhere does depend on whether or not there are openings available after home resort members lose their exclusive advantage. We have never been unable to get our desired resort - be it our home (Boardwalk) or elsewhere at 7 months or less (Wilderness Lodge, Saratoga Springs, Old Key West, Hilton Head, Vero Beach, even Grand Californian at Disneyland).

 

[TLSnell1981]

We bought into DVC last year. I wished we had done it sooner. I was able to book a studio at BWV for spring break at the 5 month mark. I just booked for December last week. I got a studio at BWV. I was flexible and was able to get what I wanted on short notice. We have a big family trip coming up in 2010. I will book that one at the 11 month mark.

 

[TenThousandVolts]

My family is truly considering buying into DVC but a friend of ours just gave me some info that burst our bubble so to speak.She said that getting a room, even at your home resort is extremely difficult

This really isn't true. If you are booking at a high demand time (high demand for DVC is most of December through New Years, October, and Spring Break or Thanksgiving) you do need to book early. There are certain high demand-low supply room types that may be hard to book, but if you book 11 months out, you will get a room. All reservations are based on availability, but it isn't hard to book a room at your home resort.

and that we shouldnt bother as it is easier to book without being a DVC member.

True- it is easier and a LOT more expensive.

Can you guys give me the nitty gritty on how making a ressie actually works and be honest on the difficulty of gettimg rooms and is it impossible to book multiple rooms?

It is possible and easy to book multiple rooms.

She also said they would take some ones reservation over ours if attempting to book the same nights because they own more points?

Not true. There is a complicated booking strategy that gives an advantage to large point owners but this really only pertains to those hard-to-get rooms. There is no reason to apply the booking strategy for regular rooms, because they are available at 11 months. (example of hard-to-get rooms: 1 of the 5 AKV concierge units OR a Grand Villa at Christmas, a Boardwalk view room at New Years Eve...)

2 quick questions: 1- is your friend a DVC member? 2. Where are you thinking of buying?

 

[ClarabelleCow]

only been a member since 2002, the only time I could not get a room was this past December for New Years. BUT - I only attempted to book the vacation 12/15!! So the chances of me getting anything were very slim. I could not even get a cash room for the nights we wanted at a DVC resort. We did get the Contemporary!

But - if you plan ahead, and pay attention to what you have, its great! This coming February we have a 2 bedroom at the VWL booked for just the 4 of us! Can't wait!. Only downside I have is we have a March use year, so if something comes up with this trip and say in January we can't go, we are in trouble because of our use year.

And thats nonsense about those with more points get better rooms?? Sounds like your friends are jealous and don't own, but wish they did!!!!!

 

[Krissy Marissy]

Thanks for the info guys! My family has been going to WDW at least every year, or every other, for the past ten years. My father was offered to buy in way back when they first started this and didn't...we talk about doing it every year but find a reason to wait. I was just worried about room availability. Thanks again!!

 

[Krissy Marissy]

This really isn't true. If you are booking at a high demand time (high demand for DVC is most of December through New Years, October, and Spring Break or Thanksgiving) you do need to book early. There are certain high demand-low supply room types that may be hard to book, but if you book 11 months out, you will get a room. All reservations are based on availability, but it isn't hard to book a room at your home resort.

True- it is easier and a LOT more expensive.

It is possible and easy to book multiple rooms.

Not true. There is a complicated booking strategy that gives an advantage to large point owners but this really only pertains to those hard-to-get rooms. There is no reason to apply the booking strategy for regular rooms, because they are available at 11 months. (example of hard-to-get rooms: 1 of the 5 AKV concierge units OR a Grand Villa at Christmas, a Boardwalk view room at New Years Eve...)

2 quick questions: 1- is your friend a DVC member? 2. Where are you thinking of buying?

No she is not a DVC member...she belongs to some other time share group...I tried to explain to her that I have researched this but she just wouldn't drop it!
And the agent keeps trying to sell AKV, which I wouldn't mind at all...would be happy anywhere. But they do like the villas at the wilderness lodge, we stayed there last year with friends. I suggested him buying resale in the WL but he said he is happy anywhere.

 

[CarolA]

I was going to try for Columbus Day weekend. I realize my chances booking today are slim and none (and slim may have left town for the week LOL!)

However, since I am OUT of points I gave up that idea.

Rarely however am I completely locked out with a few months notice. I don't recommend my "book from the airport method" but it does prove that you can often get rooms so I think the OPs friend is wrong.

 

[ldo]

VWL is one of the smallest DVC resorts. If you think you would want to stay there at any medium/high or peak times on a regular basis, then you should buy there. It would be VERY hard to book VWL anytime from mid Nov thru early Jan. unless you own at VWL.
If, on the other hand, you "might" want to stay there 1x in the summer in the next few years and can book at the 7 month mark, then your chances are excellent of getting it. But, you have to match expectations with reality. SSR and OKW eyer the largest DVCs and are generally easiest to book at under the 7 mth mark. AKV will have a lot of rooms. But it remains to be seen if it will be as easy as SSR and OKW to book. Because of its distant theming, it might not be as easy.
Many here say "buy where you want to stay" and I think that is pretty good advice, esp. if you have a strong preference, or can only travel a high/peak times.
I have found DVC to be very straight-forward in their presentation and in booking (you call 1st and get the room--total supply-demand). Good luck. Elaine

 

[gjw007]

My family is truly considering buying into DVC but a friend of ours just gave me some info that burst our bubble so to speak. She said that getting a room, even at your home resort is extremely difficult and that we shouldnt bother as it is easier to book without being a DVC member. Can you guys give me the nitty gritty on how making a ressie actually works and be honest on the difficulty of gettimg rooms and is it impossible to book multiple rooms? She also said they would take some ones reservation over ours if attempting to book the same nights because they own more points? Please help! thank you so much!!

(1) Getting a room at your home resort is easy but there may be some times where planning is necessary. As noted by others, there are periods, such as Christmas, which are very popular making it important that you book as early as possible. This is true whether you booked DVC or decided to stay at a hotel/motel as if you wait, all the units may be booked. I've always booked at resorts other than my home resort. I may not have gotten my first choice but I've been able to get a unit at my second choice. I usually book about 6 months out. I will be staying at my home resort, SSR, on the 16th of September. If a specific time is necessary, do your bookings at the 11 month window. If you are flexible, you may wait later but the longer you wait, the more likely the resorts will get booked up.

(2) I've never done it but multiple units are really just a matter of you having the necessary points and the units being available. You can read others here who have made multiple reservations for big gatherings. It didn't sound like most of them had any difficulties.

(3) Reservations are simply a matter of if you have the points and if the unit is available. Somebody with more points than you doesn't have priority over you meaning they cannot take your reservation away and give it to somebody else. Once you have made a reservation, that reservation is yours. If your friend is in a timeshare program that does this, they need to get out of that program as quickly as possible.

 

[TenThousandVolts]

No she is not a DVC member...she belongs to some other time share group...I tried to explain to her that I have researched this but she just wouldn't drop it!
And the agent keeps trying to sell AKV, which I wouldn't mind at all...would be happy anywhere. But they do like the villas at the wilderness lodge, we stayed there last year with friends. I suggested him buying resale in the WL but he said he is happy anywhere.

I guess your friend probably just thinks she is protecting you if she heard these rumors and believes them- she doesn't want to see you make a mistake. Both AKV and VWL are great resorts. You will love owning at either. VWL will probably always run out of availabilty sooner than AKV as it is the smallest resort.
I have only been a member for 2 years but have taken 4 trips and have 2 more reservations for upcoming trips.
I own at SSR and I have booked:
SSR early May - 3 months out
OKW week between xmas and new years- waitlisted at 7 months out- it came through 30 days prior to travel
HHI for Easter/Spring Break 7 months out
HHI for Thanksgiving 5.5 months out
AKV late August - 3 months out
HHI for New Years - 7 months out

 

[DebbieB]

I own at BWV and love the boardwalk view. I always book 10 to 11 months out and have always got my reservation without a waitlist. CRO does not rent the boardwalk view rooms, it's points only. I've also done OKW at 7 months with no problem. There's only been 1 time when I was not able to get a reservation and that it when I called 3 weeks out for mid October last year. No DVC resorts were available, I used my points for POFQ.

 

[bookwormde]

Like everyone said at 11 months there is rarely a problem

The only preference that I can think of is that under the new modification to the reservation policies, longer reservations have a preference for a particular day over shorter reservations but again this typically only has an impact on the busiest time of the year. It is not about how many points you own, but the length of your reservation


bookwormde

 

[HGLightlyj]

Thanks for the info guys! My family has been going to WDW at least every year, or every other, for the past ten years. My father was offered to buy in way back when they first started this and didn't...we talk about doing it every year but find a reason to wait. I was just worried about room availability. Thanks again!!

I, too had your concerns before becoming a DVC member. We were going to WDW 2/3 times a year staying in the moderate resorts for probably 5 years. Every year we would come close to buying. Finally, in 2002 we purchased a resale at OKW and now wish that we had bought sooner. We/ve never had a problem booking the resort that we want most of the time - sometimes we have to be flexible - but we've never been disappointed. We're coming down Sept. 1st and had booked a value studio, but decided to upgrade to a savannah view and just this week we called and were able to get our reservation changed to a savannah view. So we're happy. Being a DVC member has exceeded our expectations!