Questions on booking-help me understand!

[disprincess2213]

So once I am in Dvc database and I am ready to book, can Someone explain what the booking process is like through the computer?

1. When I log in, if it is 7 months from today (let's just say March 23, 2015 is the exact day of 7 months), will a page be available to view that shows every resort with every room type that is available for March 23 in all DVC resorts? Is it like the Adr system where on that certain day, you can see what's available? Is it only THAT DAY for all the resorts?

2. So let's say on March 23, I see BWV I br available. (And we wanted to stay a week)... Will it let me book a week (March 23-30) or just day by day?

3. Let's say that I have 100 points in my bank. Can I only book a trip if it costs 100 or less? Or will it let me book whatever I want and let me figure out points later (meaning, if BWV was say 120 for that week but I only had 100 but had points coming in April, would the system know that)? Can u only book for the amount of points you have at that 7 month mark?

4. Are there any restrictions on how many rooms you can book at once?

5. What room types tend to be most popular and fill up between the 7-11 month mark? I know it all depends on time, etc, but in general?


Sorry for all the questions!! It's just a big decision and I want to be educated!! I hope one day I will be answering questions instead of asking!!

 

[Geomom]

1. There's a new tool on DVC Member .com that shows you resort availability up to 11 months in advance--you can pick as many resorts as you want and the size rooms--that's the only thing that shows you multiple resorts at once. You can see if there are rooms available in that category for that whole month. Note that you can't book from the resort availability tool--it just gives you an idea of what is available--look at it before you can book at 7mths. When you go to book, it does not show you all the places available--you pick your dates, the resort, the exact type of room (standard/preferred view; studio/1br/2br/2br lockoff, etc.), how many people staying in the room. Next it will tell you if all your days are available for that 1 particular type of room--if not all dates are available, you can see which ones are/aren't available and it will ask if you want to waitlist for this request. It will also give you some suggestions of what IS available in similar categories--it'll give you suggestions in the same area of WDW--it won't show you ALL the resorts, so you have to keep picking other resorts--this is what the resort availability tool is really good at--giving you an idea ahead of time as to what is available. (You can book online at 8AM EST exactly 7 mths out--so today you could book for 4/24 and 6 nts after that.)

2. You can book the full week from your 7mth date, you don't need to do it day by day.

3. The reservation system will tell you if you need to borrow points, so you can book a room for the amount of pts in your current year plus next year's pts. It is very easy to borrow pts--it does all the work for you and you just need to click yes, borrow this many pts. Borrowing is a final transaction--so those pts will be in your current use year and need to be used up before the end of that use year or you'll lose them.

4. The system only lets you make 1 reservation at a time. You can book multiple rooms, but you have to complete each reservation before you start the next one.

5. 7-11 mths--the busiest times of year (Xmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, Columbus Day, Marathon weekends) would book up at the smallest resorts mostly for studios and 2br's. 1 br's tend to be the last to book up. The last resorts to book up will be AKV, OKW, and SSR as they're the largest resorts. Also things like standard views (cheapest pts at the resort) and theme park/boardwalk views, value and club rooms would book up before the 7 mth window for all resorts.

 

[disprincess2213]

your response helped me very much...thank you!! I am happy to know there is a search tool that you can use to keep an eye on as the 7 month window approaches since you have an idea of what is available!! Thank you!!