question on first DVC reservation

[Happy99]

We bought into DVC during the summer of 2012 and will make our first reservation, 11 months in advance,in a couple of weeks.

My question is this - we are looking for the club level 2 bedroom at AK. I know there are very few of these and playing around with the availability on the member website the last couple of weeks I have noticed that the first day is never showing available but the rest of the stay is and asks if I want to waitlist the entire stay

If I do waitlist the entire stay and then call in to cancel the first night can I get the rest of the dates guaranteed?
How would that work?

Also we banked our points for 2012 use year as they had to be used by Sep 30 and we couldn't use them by then. Plus we need some of our 2013 points to cover the cost of the stay. Our use year is Feb. Do I have to borrow points first? How does that part work?

Thank you

 

[CarolMN]

We bought into DVC during the summer of 2012 and will make our first reservation, 11 months in advance,in a couple of weeks.

My question is this - we are looking for the club level 2 bedroom at AK. I know there are very few of these and playing around with the availability on the member website the last couple of weeks I have noticed that the first day is never showing available but the rest of the stay is and asks if I want to waitlist the entire stay

Sounds like people are walking their reservations to get what they want.

If I do waitlist the entire stay and then call in to cancel the first night can I get the rest of the dates guaranteed?
How would that work?

No. The only way to get nights "guaranteed" is to first get a reservation booked. If the first night is not available, then you have to either waitlist the entire stay or try again the next day.

Also we banked our points for 2012 use year as they had to be used by Sep 30 and we couldn't use them by then. Plus we need some of our 2013 points to cover the cost of the stay. Our use year is Feb. Do I have to borrow points first? How does that part work?

Thank you

Assuming a February use year, a December 2013 reservation can be paid for with points banked from 2012, points from 2013 (which are current use year points for a December 2013 vacation) and if necessary, points borrowed from 2014.

A December 2013 vacation falls within your 2013 use year. You would not be borrowing 2013 points for that vacation. Points used are determined by the dates of the vacation, not the date you call to make the reservation.

Points can only be borrowed when making a reservation that will actually use them. You do not borrow them in advance.

HTH.

 

[disneynutz]

You will need to borrow enough points to have enough for the reservation. You can only borrow when you make the reservation.

I doubt if a waitlist will come through for club level but you never know.

There are only 10 rooms total which is comprised of, studios, one bedrooms, two bedrooms, and a couple of accessible rooms.

Several have posted that the first day of some reservations isn't available. Could be a software issue, Disney pulling dates for other purposes or just bad luck.

IMO club level is nice and you should give it a try but the hype is greater than the reality. The views from the rooms are the worse at the resort and the lounge offerings are so, so. The eligibility for the safari is a perk but we also felt that it didn't meet our expectations based on the hype.

Bill

 

[Happy99]

No. The only way to get nights "guaranteed" is to first get a reservation booked. If the first night is not available, then you have to either waitlist the entire stay or try again the next day.

Thank you - say I want to arrive Dec 15-21, 2013. I go on Jan 15 and the the first night is not available but the rest is then I have to waitlist the entire stay. How long would a waitlist like this take if the other nights are available. Would I be taking a chance on the rest of the nights being gone too?

If I go on the member site Jan 14 and Dec 14 is not available but the rest is I would still have to waitlist the entire stay. I don't see how you ever get a waitlist to come through this way if each day the first day of your stay is not available.

What do most of you do in this situation? Would it be best to confirm the stay for something else that is available and then waitlist the category you really want?

For example club level AKL is not available on first day of your stay but the rest is and it gives you availablity for a two bedroom at kidani or non club at Jambo do you book that instead to be guarnteed and then get on the waitlist for what you really want?

Thanks, getting nervous about making my first res and want to be as informed as possible when that time comes

AK is our home resort

 

[Happy99]

You will need to borrow enough points to have enough for the reservation. You can only borrow when you make the reservation.

I doubt if a waitlist will come through for club level but you never know.

There are only 10 rooms total which is comprised of, studios, one bedrooms, two bedrooms, and a couple of accessible rooms.

Several have posted that the first day of some reservations isn't available. Could be a software issue, Disney pulling dates for other purposes or just bad luck.

IMO club level is nice and you should give it a try but the hype is greater than the reality. The views from the rooms are the worse at the resort and the lounge offerings are so, so. The eligibility for the safari is a perk but we also felt that it didn't meet our expectations based on the hype.

Bill

Thank you - As for the borrowing, we will have enough points from our 2012 banked and our 2013 points we will get in February to cover the reservation and will have some left over. We don't have to borrow from 2014. I just didn't know since the reservation has to be made in January and our use year is in Feb if that caused an issue

we have stayed club level at AKL in a regular room, and most of the other resorts in a club level, and enjoyed our stay and the lounge and the offerings, everyone is different and for us it works. We have also stayed in a two bedroom at Kidani savannah view

 

[disneynutz]

Thank you - As for the borrowing, we will have enough points from our 2012 banked and our 2013 points we will get in February to cover the reservation and will have some left over. We don't have to borrow from 2014. I just didn't know since the reservation has to be made in January and our use year is in Feb if that caused an issue

we have stayed club level at AKL in a regular room, and most of the other resorts in a club level, and enjoyed our stay and the lounge and the offerings, everyone is different and for us it works. We have also stayed in a two bedroom at Kidani savannah view

You might want to book the missing night Jambo savanna view, the rest club level, and waitlist the missing club level night.

Bill