I get what everyone is saying. However I find it frustrating when I am told there are absolutely no rooms in
dvc inventory in any resort, but at the same time every dvc resort is selling rooms to the public on Disneyworld.com.
I feel that Disney is selling too many rooms to the public and not holding back enough for dvc.
This is a common misunderstanding by those who aren't familiar with how the DVC system operates.
First, Disney Vacation Development is required to own at least 2% of each DVC resort; no more than 98% of a resort's total points can be sold to the general public. Since DVD owns these points, it can use them to offer cash reservations to the non-DVC public. At BLT, this 2% holdback accounts for about 114,671 points.
Second, DVD often owns more than 2% at each DVC resort. There are points that it hasn't sold to the public, and points that it has reacquired through foreclosures and exercising its right of first refusal on third party resale transactions. Like the points in the first category, DVD can use these points to offer cash reservations to the general public. At BLT through October 28, 2014, this accounts for an additional 9,869 points.
Third, whenever a DVC member exchanges their points to use in the RCI system, the Disney Collection (including Disney Cruises), the Concierge Collection, etc., DVC must pay for the exchange, and it does so by converting the points into cash reservations at the DVC resort. So even more villas must be made available to the general public to rent. But keep in mind that if members didn't exchange out of the DVC system, then they would be using their points to book villas within the system. Either way, those villas would not be available for other members.
And Fourth, there is the Breakage Inventory. If DVC has any inventory not yet booked at 60 days or less before check-in, that inventory becomes available to the general public as well as DVC members. The logic behind the Breakage Inventory is quite simple: DVC members have had as much as 9 months to book these villas. If they are still available at the 60-day mark, then DVC offers them to anyone who wants them. DVC members can still use points to book these villas, but if they don't then a non-DVC guest can make a cash reservation. By the way, if DVC receives any revenue from Breakage Inventory, some of the revenue is given back to the DVC owners in the form of reduced yearly maintenance fees.
All of these factors can come into play and cause Disney to offer DVC villas for cash reservations when there are no villas left for DVC members to book using points.
Exception is Aulani, where at 7 months wanted a standard..only pool view available, waitlisted at 7 months for island view and got that! Expected that standard was tough though....Actually, in retrospect, HAPPY that we went for the extra points for an island view versus standard! BEAUTIFUL view, really lucked out; spent island view points, but literally had "ocean view"' wow!
