?s on Cash Ressies with Member Discount

[SalandJeff]

Hoping someone can answer a couple of questions on DVC rooms with the 25% discount...

Is there a limit to the number of rooms we can get?
If we are getting the rooms for others who are traveling with us, can they call after we've made the reservation to add DDP and things like that (or is it like renting points where the member has to call)?
Can we reserve their room for nights beyond those we are staying?

Thanks!

 

[tjkraz]

The perk is designed to be used by DVC members only. Technically the guidelines state that the member must be staying in any room booked at the cash discount. Disney wouldn't have any way of policing that but it seems reasonable to expect that they will not let you book more than one room at the cash rate at a time.

That said, I happen to know at least one person who clearly booked a room at the cash discount in a relative's name and had no problem. Like so many things at Disney, it may ultimately depend on the Cast Member you speak with. Those adhering to the letter of the law should limit you to a single room and make sure your name is on the room. Others may not be quite that strict.

As for the dining plan, DVC will only deal with card-carrying members so you would have to handle that sort of communications.

 

[Pennyguy23]

Do you have to call and see if they have any rooms available with the 25% discount for your travel dates?
Is it always 25% or is it sometimes less?
Is it only DVC resorts?

 

[tjkraz]

Yes you have to call. Always 25%. Only DVC resorts.

The discount is ONLY offered for periods when DVC projects that the resort will not be fully booked by members using their points. To DVC, it's an alternative to letting the room site empty for the night. But they won't offer the discount unless they are reasonably certain that people using their points will not fill the resort. The availability of the discount can change at any time depending upon how the booking trends are running. If the discount isn't available at first call, you can continue calling on a regular basis to inquire as to whether it is then being offered.

It used to be that members could book a room at full rack rate and the 25% discount would be automatically applied if offered, but I've heard DVC won't do that anymore. The only option is to call, call, call.

And forget about getting the discount during high occupancy periods. DVC isn't going to offer the discount on rooms that it knows will be reserved by people using their points. After all, the primary goal of DVC is to facilitate people actually using their points.

 

[Pennyguy23]

Ok, so really you have to booking a place within like 2 months of check because they will wait to see how booking is. Or can you do it like 4 months in advance? Thanks again

 

[tjkraz]

Not necessarily. It depends on how popular the given day / resort / room combination has been in the past.

For example, let's say that OKW normally has 90% of its One Bedroom Villas booked for the first Monday in September. DVC could open up 10% of the rooms for the cash discount immediately at 11 months. If they know going in that there is zero chance of members using all of the rooms on points, why wait?

Then, let's say that by June the resort is trending more toward 85% occupancy in the 1Bs. At that point they may choose to release another 2-3% for the cash discount.

It's a balance of trying to reach 100% occupancy without turning-away members who want to use their points.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

I think the calculation of availability is even more complicated than tjkraz suggests. I have been able to book rooms using the member cash discount while on a waitlist for the same room for points. In each instance, my waitlist came through, so the points inventory was obviously sufficient to accomodate me, but at the time is seemed odd.

Best of luck -- Suzanne

 

[tjkraz]

I think the calculation of availability is even more complicated than tjkraz suggests.

I'm sure it is, too. I didn't mean to imply that my description was exactly how the system worked. Just trying to illustrate how it's possible for rooms to be available as far as 10 or 11 months out.

In each instance, my waitlist came through, so the points inventory was obviously sufficient to accomodate me...

And that's really the important part. If DVC had not released rooms at the cash discount level, as soon as the points cancellation occurred (which ultimately facilitated your waitlist request going thru), there would have been vacant rooms. No points reservations, no cash reservations.

I'm sure it's a fairly complicated process, one that is also not flawless as demand can change from year-to-year for unforseen reasons.

 

[CarolMN]

I think the calculation of availability is even more complicated than tjkraz suggests. I have been able to book rooms using the member cash discount while on a waitlist for the same room for points. In each instance, my waitlist came through, so the points inventory was obviously sufficient to accomodate me, but at the time is seemed odd.

Best of luck -- Suzanne

I think that MS sometimes allows members to book rooms for cash that are part of the "cash inventory" that it normally sends to CRO/WDWTC - the ones DVC needs to turn into cash to pay for member's non-DVC choices (like a cruise).

I know that CRO/WDWTC gets a "cut" or "commission" for renting out DVC rooms to the public and I wouldn't be surprised if the amount of the "cut" is approximately 25%.

Anyway, that's my theory of why a member might be able to get a member cash discount on a DVC room early in the booking period or when there are waitlists for DVC rooms on points. If the net cash to DVC is comparable, why not let a member have the cash room rather than a non-member? It makes sense to me.

 

[Dean]

Much of the inventory for cash reservations through MS is available at 11 months or so out just like any points reservations. It depends on the origin of the points used for the reservation. But I mainly wanted to point out that if you have a reservation and the cash discount comes open for those dates, they can adjust your price even if you already have a reservation but I don't know if they do it automatically.