Question about DVC resorts and "public" bookings

[Lauralee131]

Hi all. I have an odd question. First a little background info...

I was on the phone with MS yesterday trying to secure a GV at OKW - finally my 7 month window was open - and was, of course, unsuccessful. I wanted it from the 9th to 15th of November. One was available but only on the 11th, 12th and 14th.

In my conversations with the CM, I asked her to check the surrounding weeks. She found that one was available for the following week, but I'd have to call each day and book it a day at a time since it's not my home resort. But it was doubtful that I'd get it for the whole week as GV's book up quickly.

Then somehow it came up in conversation that I could gladly be put in a GV if I wanted to pay cash instead. What??

She then said that there were GV's available, but per state law, they were "cash rooms", open to the public. Unless I wanted to pay +/- $1,000 per night, I'm basically out of luck for trying to get a GV.

I asked if I could provide a credit card number to secure a reservation and then use my points, but no - they're cash only - no points.

Why is it that someone can call and pay cash for a GV, but a DVC owner can't have it? Have you heard of this?

Wouln't we, as DVC owners, get priority? And then this begs the question, now that Disney has re-categorized the DVC resorts and is offering special rates on SSR studios for example (vs. deluxe category hotels), is it going to be harder for members to be able to stay on points??

She tried to explain it to me, but toward the end of the call it sounded like I was talking to Charlie Brown's teacher, "Mwah mwah, mwah, cash only, mwah, mwah, mwhah...."

 

[DVC Mike]

There are two separate sets of room inventory at each DVC resort -- one that can be reserved using points and another that can be reserved using cash.

Anyone can book a cash reservation via Disney CRO, and DVC members can book one via DVC MS at a 25% discount, subject to availability. There are four major sources of inventory for cash reservation:

• Exchanges: The number one source of cash rooms is actually from the Member inventory. This occurs when members exchange/trade outside of the DVC resorts. This includes using your points to book the Disney Collection (hotels at the Disney theme parks and the Disney Cruise Line), Concierge Collection, and the Adventurer Collection. When a member trades outside of DVC, the points used to book the outside reservation are assigned to DVD to rent out. This does not apply to the World Passport Collection.
• Breakage: Another source of cash reservations includes Member inventory that has not been reserved by members using points. Any Member inventory not reserved by members using points is made available to Disney CRO at the 60-day mark for cash reservations by the general public. This is actually beneficial to DVC members, in that the association earns “breakage” income on these rooms rather than letting them sit empty.
• ROFR: Another source of cash reservations is the inventory of declared points owned by DVD. These points are typically acquired by the ROFR process. Since DVD owns the points, they can rent them out.
• Undeclared: These are the units that have been built by the developer that has not yet been declared into the condominium association. Since DVD controls these units, they may be rented out for cash reservations.

 

[DisDaydreamer]

Hi all. I have an odd question. First a little background info...

I was on the phone with MS yesterday trying to secure a GV at OKW - finally my 7 month window was open - and was, of course, unsuccessful. I wanted it from the 9th to 15th of November. One was available but only on the 11th, 12th and 14th.

In my conversations with the CM, I asked her to check the surrounding weeks. She found that one was available for the following week, but I'd have to call each day and book it a day at a time since it's not my home resort. But it was doubtful that I'd get it for the whole week as GV's book up quickly.

Then somehow it came up in conversation that I could gladly be put in a GV if I wanted to pay cash instead. What??

She then said that there were GV's available, but per state law, they were "cash rooms", open to the public. Unless I wanted to pay +/- $1,000 per night, I'm basically out of luck for trying to get a GV.

I asked if I could provide a credit card number to secure a reservation and then use my points, but no - they're cash only - no points.

Why is it that someone can call and pay cash for a GV, but a DVC owner can't have it? Have you heard of this?

Wouln't we, as DVC owners, get priority? And then this begs the question, now that Disney has re-categorized the DVC resorts and is offering special rates on SSR studios for example (vs. deluxe category hotels), is it going to be harder for members to be able to stay on points??

She tried to explain it to me, but toward the end of the call it sounded like I was talking to Charlie Brown's teacher, "Mwah mwah, mwah, cash only, mwah, mwah, mwhah...."

As Mike detailed there a number of ways this can happen.

As an example... 5 years ago we stayed at the Tanque Verde Ranch on points. (Concierge collection back then). So Disney paid TVR cash for our room there. Then Disney sold our points used in the form of a room at my home resort to get reimbursed. If they did not do this we could not trade out of the DVC resorts.

Now, how they determine which rooms to sell (or make available) for cash is a secret.

Hope this helps.... It's really not a bad thing.

 

[chalee94]

I asked if I could provide a credit card number to secure a reservation and then use my points, but no - they're cash only - no points.

Why is it that someone can call and pay cash for a GV, but a DVC owner can't have it? Have you heard of this?

Wouln't we, as DVC owners, get priority?

but we do get priority.

as mike said, some dvc member somewhere used their points to trade for something like a cruise. DVC gave them the cruise in exchange for taking their pts, BUT needs cash to pay disney cruise lines. so DVC takes those pts they got from the DVC member and reserves a GV, which is has to sell for cash to trade for the cruise.

so it is disappointing to not get a reservation on pts when the same thing is available for cash. but it would also be disappointing for some DVCers to not be able to trade out for cruises and such...

(BTW, it's been speculated that DVC has not been very successful in turning those pt trades into cash, which is why we now have a $95 fee to book wdw hotels and part of the reason pt costs for trades continue to increase.)

 

[Lauralee131]

Ok, so I sort of get what you guys are saying, but let's say, hypothetically, they've got that (cash) GV sitting empty, would they at some point, release it into DVC member inventory so we could book it?

 

[chalee94]

i believe "breakage" is the only category on mike's list which (officially anyway) can be returned to points inventory.

i think it would make sense to allow a booking on pts if it looked like they couldn't sell it for cash...but i think there is some secret disney voodoo in how DVC handles cash reservations through CRO. i don't think anyone knows exactly how they determine what to reserve and how easy to sell those reservations will be...

 

[dianeschlicht]

She then said that there were GV's available, but per state law, they were "cash rooms", open to the public. Unless I wanted to pay +/- $1,000 per night, I'm basically out of luck for trying to get a GV.

The above quote confuses me. I have no knowledge of "state law" that requires them to have a GV as a cash room open to the public. If there is a GV in that catagory, it is because DVC put it there.

 

[disney54us]

The above quote confuses me. I have no knowledge of "state law" that requires them to have a GV as a cash room open to the public. If there is a GV in that catagory, it is because DVC put it there.

I was told once that according to FL. State Timeshare Laws, that a certain percentage must be made available to the public aka cash. This was when I questioned/complained that it was becoming more difficult to secure reservations using points, and maybe they should reconsider the percentage of rooms that are available for cash. Hope this helps, don't know the particulars but I was 'assured' it was not a DVC thing, they were following the law.

 

[RobDoc]

I was told once that according to FL. State Timeshare Laws, that a certain percentage must be made available to the public aka cash. This was when I questioned/complained that it was becoming more difficult to secure reservations using points, and maybe they should reconsider the percentage of rooms that are available for cash. Hope this helps, don't know the particulars but I was 'assured' it was not a DVC thing, they were following the law.

It sounds as though you were given a "cop out" answer rather than explain how the system works. Perhaps the MS rep you spoke with doesn't even know why there are GVs available for cash at this point, but not using points.

Regardless, it is the way the DVC program works for non-DVC options. The points used for these options are used to make cash reservations to pay for the non-DVC reservation.

Did you ask about using the 25% member discount? I would reserve the nights available on points and see if the other dates open up later on using the waitlist.

Good luck!

 

[Chuck S]

The above quote confuses me. I have no knowledge of "state law" that requires them to have a GV as a cash room open to the public. If there is a GV in that catagory, it is because DVC put it there.

I'm thinking that the CM may be referring to the fact that a room can not be booked for the same nights on points more than once. If this was a trade to a Disney Collection destination, the room may have been given to CRO. By law, the room could not be reclaimed an re-rented a second time on points, it may, in essence, be like over selling the available points at the resort, under FL timeshare law.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I'm thinking that the CM may be referring to the fact that a room can not be booked for the same nights on points more than once. If this was a trade to a Disney Collection destination, the room may have been given to CRO. By law, the room could not be reclaimed an re-rented a second time on points, it may, in essence, be like over selling the available points at the resort, under FL timeshare law.

Okay that makes sense, but why a GV?

 

[Chuck S]

Maybe some members traded for an upper level cruise category, and used a lot of points, or an Adv. by Disney.

 

[thepops]

But couldn't they cover the same number of points by offering 3 1BR units instead (and maybe get an easier sell vs. a GV)? ?

 

[DoOverDreams]

Ok, not trying to be dense here, but is this how it works? I made a couple of reservations at GC in DL in September. That took 242 points (ouch). So, does that mean there are now 242 points that have been taken from inventory at SSR, my home resort, for the same timeframe?

Every time I think I understand I get more confused!

 

[Deb & Bill]

Ok, not trying to be dense here, but is this how it works? I made a couple of reservations at GC in DL in September. That took 242 points (ouch). So, does that mean there are now 242 points that have been taken from inventory at SSR, my home resort, for the same timeframe?

Every time I think I understand I get more confused!

Basically, maybe. They might not have taken it from the same time frame. They might not have taken it from SSR. It's that mystery Disney formula that none of us know.

 

[DoOverDreams]

Basically, maybe.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who doesn't quite know! Thanks!