Reservation Wait List Problems?

[DB Washington]

I've been a DVC member for 6 years now, BWV is my home resort. We generally come the first two weeks of November or December because of the low points and low crowds. I got on the wait list a week after the 11 month window opened up for a standard view 2BR for BWV the first week of November and have yet to get any of my nights -- not one.

I've gotten on the wait list before for this exact reservation and ended up getting in within a few months. Does anyone know if DVC is reducing the number of rooms available or what might be causing the delay? I realize this is the end of the food and wine festival and is a high volume DVC time, but I've just never experienced this long of a wait and am starting to wonder if we'll end up getting the reservation.

Pretty sad when you can't get a room at your home resort.

Thanks for your insight...

 

[disneynutz]

I've been a DVC member for 6 years now, BWV is my home resort. We generally come the first two weeks of November or December because of the low points and low crowds. I got on the wait list a week after the 11 month window opened up for a standard view 2BR for BWV the first week of November and have yet to get any of my nights -- not one.

I've gotten on the wait list before for this exact reservation and ended up getting in within a few months. Does anyone know if DVC is reducing the number of rooms available or what might be causing the delay? I realize this is the end of the food and wine festival and is a high volume DVC time, but I've just never experienced this long of a wait and am starting to wonder if we'll end up getting the reservation.

Pretty sad when you can't get a room at your home resort.

Thanks for your insight...

This is a common complaint that has been discussed quite a bit recently. Some blame commercial renters, others don't seem to think that there is a problem. Personally I feel that a lot of people are in denial. Availability has gotten worse. It doesn't matter why, the end result is the same. I don't see it improving. As DVC continues to grow, the chances of getting our desired reservations continues to decrease.

 

[Anthony1971]

More of a reason to book at the 11 month window and day by day for the more popular times. Growth of DVC will have a positive effect in that there is more avialablity allowing people to book with shorter notice. However If you have to have the resort you own at then you need to take advantage of the 11 month window at day one

 

[jekjones1558]

Jersey week is during your dates, so that is probably having some impact, although I don't know why it would have any more influence this year than other years. I had a similar problem last year for the first week of December at BWV, even though I called at 11 months from checkout date. I guess that MS will need to get used to more and more members calling day-by-day.

 

[castleri]

This is a common complaint that has been discussed quite a bit recently. Some blame commercial renters, others don't seem to think that there is a problem. Personally I feel that a lot of people are in denial. Availability has gotten worse. It doesn't matter why, the end result is the same. I don't see it improving. As DVC continues to grow, the chances of getting our desired reservations continues to decrease.

Sorry but the same number of rooms are available every year. There are also the same number of BWV members who can compete for these rooms at the 11 month point for a reservation. People are no longer taking the chance of missing out on a much desired trip so are making those reservations earlier than they used to. If someone has to go on the waitlist at 1 week after the 11 month window opened the only people they are competing with are other owners at their resort. It will impact those people from other resorts who want to make the same reservation at 7 months. As my guide told me before I purchased in 1997 when only OKW and BWV were for sale - if you can't plan ahead DVC may not be for you. I have had the full range of experiences from booking day by day for a GV at OKW for Christmas week to booking the week of a trip for a 1BR at OKW and having waitlists that never came through to having some come through for NYE at the last minute. Also tried to get into the lottery for Christmas week the first two years I was a member and never made it. At least now I have the same chance as anyone else who wants to get up and be on the phone at that 11 month point where with the lottery system I didn't even have that. If a person can't be flexible they should probably look at a timeshare that will sell them the week they want and that is as close as possible to Disney as they can get. They will then have to give up the perks and benefits of membership but won't have to sweat getting that week they want. It is the same as making ADRs for those meals you really don't want to miss.

 

[fkj2]

I waitlisted for a BCV studio in mid-March for October 20th-26th. I called MS the other day to ask if they had any info/updates, and if I would have been better off to go day-by-day. The cast member said the waitlist is now auto filled (by computer, I guess), and I should probably leave the request alone and see how it works out. She advised that the waitlist might fill as it gets closer to the 30 day cancellation window.

 

[LVSWL]

Well, I have never jumped in to any of these discussions, but it seems to me that probably the biggest problem would be the folks that use their points to make several reservations at their home resort on the 11 month day just to rent them out during the busiest times of the season. I'm not talking about members who book a couple of studios for family or friends for a trip, but it seems to me if you get someone or more than one someone scooping up the inventory at the various villas right at the 11 month mark just to make a dollar, that is not , to me anyway what the spirt of DVC is all about. AND it shuts out the rest of us as we try to make a reservation, whether it be the first day or one week later. We always try to call on day one, but sometimes life gets in the way, or sometimes we all would like to take a spur of the moment trip. To the OP, I hope this comes thru for you!

 

[tfc3rid]

Been a DVC member now since 2000 and I just got off with MS and there are no rooms at all availalble on October 7th of this year at ANY DVC resort...

Now, I've made reservations in advance in under 60 days before and NEVER had an issue with availalbility...

This really makes me mad...

 

[Boston5602]

Part of the problem also may be that EVERY BWV owner on the Dis ( I know , not really everyone ) wants either BW View or to save points they want the standard view.

what is there something in or about 375 rooms( depending on lock offs ) at BWV and if 70 of them are standard and everyone calling 11 months out wants one of those rooms to save points then a whole bunch of us are going to be disappointed.

I use standard view rooms , if I call and do not get a choice I'm fine with it . When I call and get a standard room , I think of it as a bonus , Yayy I get to save points.

Of my 3 trips as a member so far one of the trips has been standard view , none BW view. Actually Before buying we took 8 trips there and have NEVER had a BW view , which will be changing next January

 

[tfc3rid]

I haven't stayed at one of my home resorts for about 4 years now... I actually call and don't expect to... I like OKW a lot and enjoy staying there... I don't mind if that's the only place I can go... I DO mind that there are 0 rooms available at all! It's not like Columbus Day Sunday is like Christmas Eve!

 

[castleri]

I haven't stayed at one of my home resorts for about 4 years now... I actually call and don't expect to... I like OKW a lot and enjoy staying there... I don't mind if that's the only place I can go... I DO mind that there are 0 rooms available at all! It's not like Columbus Day Sunday is like Christmas Eve!

We have switched from going in October Columbus Day week to Sept because the last two trips we took that week were so crowded. There were days that it was in fact like Christmas week at times. The combination of at least one day out of school, and F&W festival made it terrible. That was at least 3 or 4 years ago so it is probably even worse now.


QUOTE:
Been a DVC member now since 2000 and I just got off with MS and there are no rooms at all availalble on October 7th of this year at ANY DVC resort...

Was this really no rooms or no rooms of the size you were trying to get?

 

[CarolMN]

Part of the problem also may be that EVERY BWV owner on the Dis ( I know , not really everyone ) wants either BW View or to save points they want the standard view.

what is there something in or about 375 rooms( depending on lock offs ) at BWV and if 70 of them are standard and everyone calling 11 months out wants one of those rooms to save points then a whole bunch of us are going to be disappointed. ......(snip)....

I agree with this. In fact, I believe that it is much harder to get a standard view room than it used to be. In the past few years, many members have purchased small resale or add on contracts for BWV - specifically to use the 11 month advantage for SV (and BW view) rooms.

Those members are USING their 11 month advantage - a whole lot of them enjoy visits during the Food & Wine Festival and early December. I don't think very many who reserve those times cancel.

IMHO, this is a more likely reason (than renting) why it seems harder to get SV at BWV than it used to be. I really don't think it is renters.

Those who want SV need to call day by day for reservations during popular times.

DB - hope your waitlist comes through. Have you called MS to verify you are actually on (or still on) the waitlist for the days you want? Wouldn't hurt. Good luck.