Questions about first ressie...........

[KGD]

We are set to close on our contract at VWL the first week of April. I understand points won't be available for another week or so, right? We want to make reservations right away for the first couple of weeks of December. How difficult do you think it will be to get VWL booking in April for a December stay?

We would like to stay for 7 nights (give or take a night) in a 1 br, then have family joining us for 3-5 nights and will need to upgrade to a 2br. My question is, will we stay in a 1 br, then the lock off studio be added to upgrade us to make it a 2br, so we don't have to change rooms? Or will it be a process of us transferring to an entirely new villa?

Also, what are the chances of getting a ressie at VWL in October, when booking in April? Does it fill up as fast as the Epcot resorts?

And, what are the chances of getting a quick trip in May? What are my best options to request for resort? Or will this be something that MS will review with me and let me know what resorts are available?

Thanks!

 

[chalee94]

We want to make reservations right away for the first couple of weeks of December. How difficult do you think it will be to get VWL booking in April for a December stay?

very difficult to impossible. don't get your hopes up.

VWL is a small resort. VWL is super-popular for christmas due to the decorations - many VWL owners bought to book VWL for dec at 11 months out. all of the period from thanksgiving to new years is peak season for DVC in general.

We would like to stay for 7 nights (give or take a night) in a 1 br, then have family joining us for 3-5 nights and will need to upgrade to a 2br. My question is, will we stay in a 1 br, then the lock off studio be added to upgrade us to make it a 2br, so we don't have to change rooms? Or will it be a process of us transferring to an entirely new villa?

new villa is more likely but i'm sure they will try to work with you if it is possible.

Also, what are the chances of getting a ressie at VWL in October, when booking in April? Does it fill up as fast as the Epcot resorts?

nah - but VWL is still a smaller resort. my guess is that you would have a better shot at oct for VWL than early december if booking in april.

And, what are the chances of getting a quick trip in May? What are my best options to request for resort? Or will this be something that MS will review with me and let me know what resorts are available?

yep - MS will let you know if anything is available on relatively short notice. you can ask for anything but plan to be flexible.

 

[KGD]

Thanks Charles!

Now, would booking a 1br and then a 2br be considered a split stay or 2 seperate stays? (maybe these are considered the same thing?) If we were lucky enough to be able to stay in the same villa and just add the studio to make it a 2br, would it be considered 2 ressies?

And if it is a seperate ressie, and we chose the DDP, would we have to use all our credits for each individual stay?

 

[chalee94]

Now, would booking a 1br and then a 2br be considered a split stay or 2 seperate stays? (maybe these are considered the same thing?) If we were lucky enough to be able to stay in the same villa and just add the studio to make it a 2br, would it be considered 2 ressies?

someone else might know better than i do - but i'm pretty sure you'd have 2 reservation numbers and the staff onsite would have to figure out if they had to move you or not. but you'd have to check-out and back in again on the changeover day.

And if it is a seperate ressie, and we chose the DDP, would we have to use all our credits for each individual stay?

yes.

BTW, now you could segment your stay if you wanted - so you could skip the DDP the first 2 nights and add it for the next 2 for example. but i'm pretty sure your credits for the 1BR stay would expire on the night you check-in to the 2BR.

 

[KGD]

Where can I get more information on the segmented DDP?

 

[chalee94]

Where can I get more information on the segmented DDP?

i'm not a fan of the DDP, so i have no personal experience, but i would start here:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2651745

 

[Greysword]

KGD, you didn't say how you were getting your points. If it is through Disney, you can tell your guide about your hopes and see if he/she can work some magic. Disney Vacation Development (DVD) holds some points for sale to the public (from their inventory, member trades, 30 day window, etc) in each resort.

Also, think about which resorts you would like to stay, so when you call member services, you can tell them and have them help you with the reservations.

Good Luck!

- Chris

 

[Deb & Bill]

KGD, you didn't say how you were getting your points. If it is through Disney, you can tell your guide about your hopes and see if he/she can work some magic. Disney Vacation Development (DVD) holds some points for sale to the public (from their inventory, member trades, 30 day window, etc) in each resort.

Also, think about which resorts you would like to stay, so when you call member services, you can tell them and have them help you with the reservations.

Good Luck!

- Chris

Based on the OP's comments about closing in April and the points not being in the system for about a week, it sounds like a resale. So no "magic from the guide". Plus "magic from the guide" would be hard for an existing resort and not a resort still not sold out.

 

[KGD]

Yes, we are closing a resale by the first week of April and hope our points are in by the 15th.
We hope to stay at VWL, our home resort, however, we are flexible. Based on other comments I am not getting my hopes up for VWL. I think we will try BLT, BCV and BWV.
Any advice?

 

[dj~merlin]

tough if you're trying for december. first you will have to wait
@ the 7mos. since the others are not your home resort.

maybe ssr or okw.

 

[hollis]

Actually, since BLT, VWL is not as hard to get as it used to. I think you stand a better than 50% chance of getting VWL for Oct in Apr. For Dec, the first couple of weeks you probably still stand a good 50% chance of getting a reservation at the 7-month window. But if you want the Christmas week, then not much chance you will get a point reservation in Apr. However, wait listing is still doable. I had success with such wait list in the past, even before there was BLT.

For your 1-bedroom to 2-bedroom transition, you should specifically ask for a 2-bedroom lockoff. If MS can secure a 2-bedroom lockoff for you, you can then add a note to say you want to stay in the same room as your 1-bedroom if possible. Front desk members assigning rooms will try their best to honor your request (even though MS always tells you there is no guarantee).

Your 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom can be under the same travel plan, with the same confirmation number. Whatever you call it, for DP, it is still 2 separate reservations. The DP credits for the 1-bedroom reservation must be used by the check-out date of the 1-bedroom, and the DP credits for the 2-bedroom reservation can be used starting the check-in date of the 2-bedroom. So you do have one day overlap of flexibility . As already pointed out, you don't have to get DP for the entire stay. Some people actually get Deluxe Dining Plan every other day instead of standard Dining Plan everyday. It is a lot of work (for MS) to split up the reservation to add the DP that way, but it can be done (and I have done it before). Once you are a member, you can call MS and they all are very eager to answer all kinds of questions (may be because of the survey thing at the end of the call that has been going on forever - feels like years ).

 

[KGD]

Hollis,
Very helpful and encouraging news! We are hoping for the first 2 weeks of December, but could leave as early as Thanksgiving weekend and are flexible the rest of the time going from the 1 br to the 2 br. We could even have the 2br stay in the middle of our 10-12 day trip.
Thanks!

 

[hollis]

Well, the Thanksgiving weekend is no easier than Christmas week. But sounds like you have some flexibility. Don't hesitate to wait list for whatever night you don't get on the day you call. Good luck!

 

[KGD]

Thanks!
So if I am flexible with our dates, does that mean if I don't get VWL on my first try and go on the waitlist, that I need to call back everyday at the 7 month window to check for availability? Say if we can travel starting
Nov 29th, I would beging calling on April 29th and then everyday after that?

 

[Deb & Bill]

I think Hollis is overly optimistic about VWL in December. We own there and know that we have to book at 11 months out for the holiday time. You can go on the waitlist and hope for the best. It's a very small resort.

I think you will have a better time getting OKW or SSR as soon as you can book at 7 months out.

 

[hollis]

Since VWL is your home resort, you can ignore the 7-month window reference. You can check / book / waitlist at the 11-month window. Apr is 8 months before Dec. Again, based on my recent experience, with BLT now open, getting VWL is way easier than getting BLT magic kingdom view or standard view. Since you are interested in the first 2 weeks in Dec (starting as early as 11/29, and not at Christmas time), I think you stand a good 50% chance. But of course that means about 50% chance of not getting it.

You need to see how many nights you can get out of the nights you want when you first call. Book those nights first. For the nights that are not available, it will depend on whether those nights are consecutive. You can have a maximum of 2 wait lists. Say, if 3 nights are not available and they are not consecutive, you can only wait for 2 nights. For any nights that you can not wait list, call MS everyday (5 times a day if you want) to check availability. If the unavailable nights are consecutive, after you add the wait list, I'd still call MS everyday to see if any night is available. The reason being if 1 night is available but you are wait listing for 2 consecutive nights, another person wait listing for just the 1 night will get it, regardless of which wait list gets in the system first. Calling MS everyday is tedious but it maximizes your chance.

Several years ago, I was able to get every single wait list during whatever holiday and whichever resort. Back then, there was no BLT, so VWL was way harder to get. But then, I used to be able to wait list one night at a time but they don't allow that any more, unless the nights are not consecutive. That's why now I have to call everyday. With daily calling, I am pretty much able to get everything this far in advance. If you are persistent, and truly call everyday, you have a 90% chance of getting every single night you want. And if there is a night or two you can not get, you can try member cash price (I hear people say it is 25% off rack rate). If member cash price is available, book it first (you have to pay with credit card first). And still wait list. When your wait list comes through, it will auto swap out the cash night (assuming that's how you set up your wait list) and you will receive a full refund (which may take up to 2 billing cycles to show up in your credit card bill).

Sounds complicated. But I do it all the time. At anything longer than 5 or 6 months out, I have been able to get everything with this persistent approach. Yes, I have recent wait list that didn't come through. But those I only have a couple of months (or shorter) to work with, and the days I don't get are usually one or two days before or after a holiday. So I would, say, get 5 out of 7 days I want, then use member cash price for the couple of missing days. By the way, rack rate goes up as it gets closer to the check-in date. So the sooner you book the member cash price, the cheaper it would be. Member cash price reservations can be cancelled 5 days before check-in for a full refund.

Hope I am not writing way too much to confuse you.

 

[Sandisw]

Thanks!
So if I am flexible with our dates, does that mean if I don't get VWL on my first try and go on the waitlist, that I need to call back everyday at the 7 month window to check for availability? Say if we can travel starting
Nov 29th, I would beging calling on April 29th and then everyday after that?

If you call to try to get VWL during the home resort period and its not available, you can then put in a wait list for VWL.

You can only put in two wait lists at one time so when you go on a wait list, you will have to pick dates.

At the 7 month mark, call back and see if any other resort is available. If it is, book it and then keep the wait list active for VWL.

I agree with others that getting what you need for December is going to be tough at even the 8 month mark.

Good luck!

 

[KGD]

If I make a ressie for Oct and Dec, can have 2 waitlists per reservation? Then cancel the one that doesn't work for us?

 

[Deb & Bill]

If I make a ressie for Oct and Dec, can have 2 waitlists per reservation? Then cancel the one that doesn't work for us?

I thought it was only two waitlists at a time. I looked on the DVC website, but couldn't find what I was looking for.