??'s on Availability of DVC Resorts

[ctc917]

We have been a DVC member for about 6 yrs or so and when I first became a member when I checked to see if a room was available in the months of Feb, April, Sept or Oct I had lots of options especially at the 7 month mark(on that exact day) and even a month later I could still find rooms available but in the last year or so I'm not having as much luck. Is this a new thing or am I now just having these issues?
So what do others do book a room at the 7th month mark even if your plans aren't confirmed yet and then cancel if you have to?
Also if you can't find a room for your stay right away at the 7th month mark do you waitlist? and if you do waitlist do you usually get the room you wanted?
When you waitlist for a resort and 3 days are available now at the resort you want do you book those and waitlist the other days or do you waitlist the whole vacation? have you had better luck waitlisting just part of your vacation or does waitlisting the whole vacation work better for you?

thanks
ctc917

 

[supersnoop]

We have been a DVC member for about 6 yrs or so and when I first became a member when I checked to see if a room was available in the months of Feb, April, Sept or Oct I had lots of options especially at the 7 month mark(on that exact day) and even a month later I could still find rooms available but in the last year or so I'm not having as much luck. Is this a new thing or am I now just having these issues?
So what do others do book a room at the 7th month mark even if your plans aren't confirmed yet and then cancel if you have to?
And if you can't find a room for your stay right away at the 7th month mark do you waitlist? and if you do waitlist do you usually get the room you wanted?

thanks
ctc917

Here's some data on room availability: http://disboards.com/threads/predic...-some-1-bedrooms-vgc-update-10-21-15.3419112/

Yes, booking at 7 months is getting more difficult as more people are booking their home resort well in advance.

 

[ctc917]

Here's some data on room availability: http://disboards.com/threads/predic...-some-1-bedrooms-vgc-update-10-21-15.3419112/

Yes, booking at 7 months is getting more difficult as more people are booking their home resort well in advance.

Do you think DVC members are booking their resort at the 11month mark so they have something then they change things around or are the just liking their resort and don't want to hope they get what they want at the 7 th month mark and end up with nothing?

thanks for the above info I will check that out

 

[supersnoop]

Do you think DVC members are booking their resort at the 11month mark so they have something then they change things around or are the just liking their resort and don't want to hope they get what they want at the 7 th month mark and end up with nothing?

thanks for the above info I will check that out

I figure it's a little bit of both. Folks who want to stay at BCV or BWV during Food & Wine have probably been buying that specific resort, so they can book at 11 months. Other folks want to lock something in because they've started having problems at 7 months. Yes, there will likely be some movement at 7 months, but it's difficult to count on anything.

 

[disneynutz]

DVC the best kept secret, isn't.

Bill

 

[Deb & Bill]

In the old days, I think a lot of points just were wasted and not used. But with point brokers, members who don't plan to use their points can rent them out. And there is a lot of renting going on now.

 

[Granny]

We have been a DVC member for about 6 yrs or so and when I first became a member when I checked to see if a room was available in the months of Feb, April, Sept or Oct I had lots of options especially at the 7 month mark(on that exact day) and even a month later I could still find rooms available but in the last year or so I'm not having as much luck. Is this a new thing or am I now just having these issues?

I am surprised that you are finding no availability in any resort at 7 months for February, April or early September. After F&W starts in late September through the end of the year it can be challenging but again I am surprised to hear that no availability at any resort even for those times. We have moved reservations recently at the 7 months timeframe for October and April and had no issue. But maybe we were just lucky?

So what do others do book a room at the 7th month mark even if your plans aren't confirmed yet and then cancel if you have to?

First of all, we book a room at the 11 month mark at our home resort even if plans aren't confirmed yet. And if we want to stay elsewhere, we change it at the 7 month mark and then adjust dates if plans change. Just make sure you firm up your dates more than 30 days prior to arrival.

Also if you can't find a room for your stay right away at the 7th month mark do you waitlist? and if you do waitlist do you usually get the room you wanted?
When you waitlist for a resort and 3 days are available now at the resort you want do you book those and waitlist the other days or do you waitlist the whole vacation? have you had better luck waitlisting just part of your vacation or does waitlisting the whole vacation work better for you?

thanks
ctc917

I can't talk to waitlisting. Many people have had great success with waitlisting their trips. We are batting 0 for 4 on waitlists and don't bother with that any more.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Shorter waitlists have a better chance of being successful. Resorts with a larger quantity of villas in your booking category are also more successful. Older resorts have a better chance of success.

 

[jo-jo]

We are staying Nov 9 to Nov 20th. Yes Jersey week, Food and Wine, and beginning of Thanksgiving week. But I'm still surprised to see SSR, AKL Jumbo and Kidani fully booked for studios. Or to see BCV has not one studio open for the entire month. I just checked and a few resorts have a day here or there, but someone booking now would find it impossible even if they were willing to move everyday. It seems to me, SSR or AKL was almost a safe bet to get a last min room.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

If you can't book at the 11 or 7 month mark, you get slim pickings, especially if it's October through December. Even at SSR which used to have rooms open almost anytime. (And marathon weekends...gotta jump on those or forget it.) Especially if you want to book studios.

It's still unusual for nothing whatsoever be available for September at 7 months unless you are looking only at certain resorts. I booked at Boardwalk standard and had to waitlist a day, it came through quickly.

I do well with waitlisting if it's only one or two days. Three or more consecutive days and it gets harder.

 

[disneynutz]

Availability continues to get more challenging, more people in the club, people renting reservations instead of staying home and many of the resorts have rooms closed for booking due to refurbishments.

Bill

 

[DougEMG]

One of the things that I think is also effecting availability is that people who are buying at resorts like BWV or BCV these days are buying the resort because that is were they want stay, where as the original owners bought because that happened to be what Disney was selling at the time. So original owner were more likely to book other resorts, but current purchasers of sold out resorts are more likely to book at their home resort.

For myself, I only use my BWV points to book at BWV and usually right at the 11 month mark. Last year at 11 months out it still took me three separate days to get a reservation booked at 8am online.

 

[LisaS]

One of the things that I think is also effecting availability is that people who are buying at resorts like BWV or BCV these days are buying the resort because that is were they want stay, where as the original owners bought because that happened to be what Disney was selling at the time. So original owner were more likely to book other resorts, why current purchasers of sold out resorts are more likely to book at their home resort.

I agree and I think a lot of those buyers purchased BCV or BWV specifically to book stays during F&W, increasing the competition for rooms for the late Sep-early Nov time frame.

 

[DougEMG]

I agree and I think a lot of those buyers purchased BCV or BWV specifically to book stays during F&W, increasing the competition for rooms for the late Sep-early Nov time frame.

I've only been to F&W once and didn't really like as I'm not a foodie or drinker so all it did for me was make EPCOT too crowded, but I do like going in OCT/NOV to take advantage of both the Halloween and X-mas decorations. So I'm still wanting that peak time the same as everyone else.

 

[crisi]

I've only been to F&W once and didn't really like as I'm not a foodie or drinker so all it did for me was make EPCOT too crowded, but I do like going in OCT/NOV to take advantage of both the Halloween and X-mas decorations. So I'm still wanting that peak time the same as everyone else.

Add in the more common school break in the fall which a lot of states do, and you hit all the buttons for booking. Events happening, good weather, low points, school breaks, and manageable crowds. Its a great time of year to visit - and not shocking that its popular.

When our kids were younger it was the school break thing. You could pull them for two or three days and get a week.

We own Boardwalk and we just always book and stay there. So even though we aren't driven to that resort at that time of year for events, we were still competing for rooms. As owners knowing we were traveling a year in advance, it wasn't much competition.