Sometimes it pays to be a DVC Website stalker

[kittylady1972]

So I've been going back and forth about our upcoming July 2015 vacation using our DVC points. I've already changed resorts a few times, had two waitlists come through...and today I changed it up again.

Originally I had 7 nights booked in a 1BR Villa at OKW. We know we want to try to save money this time by eating more in the room. However I also thought it might be nice to tack on a few nights (two originally) at Wilderness Lodge Villas. We have stayed there once, for a very short pre-cruise stay (2 nights) in November, but thought it might be nice to stay again. So I waitlisted my first two nights there. I think it only took a few weeks before my waitlist came through....I was so excited!

Then came the announcement about booking the Polynesian Villas. Our last stay at the Poly was in Sept 2003 in a Magic Kingdom View room on the lagoon...with two small kids at the time. My husband has always wanted to go back...but then we had kid #3 and Disney rooms that hold 5 were hard to come by and we purchased DVC. We all know points in the resorts are not a good way to use the points, so I told him his dream of staying there wasn't going to happen...and then came Poly DVC.

This week I logged in on the first possible day and only managed to snag a waitlist for 2 nights in a standard view Poly studio. That was okay...I was willing to wait. A day later I saw people were showing availability for the nights I had tried to book before so I tried again..and this time I had success. Yippee...we would now be staying 2 nights at the Poly (no more VWL but there are always future trips) and then 5 nights at OKW in a 1BR.

Then we thought it might be nice to stay in a 1BR at Bay Lake Tower. We've stayed there before, in lake view room and it was really magical...but that was five years ago. Why not try again? So I waitlisted but to save points I just waitlisted the 5 nights in a standard view room, even though I knew there weren't many to be had there. We'd still be okay at OKW.

Yesterday...more thinking. What about adding one more night at the Poly? Let's make it 3 nights there, and then waitlist only 4 nights at BLT instead. Maybe we'd have a better chance at that? So yesterday I added one more night in a Poly Studio, dropped my OKW and made it 4 nights instead, and added BLT as a waitlist, still standard view.

My husband didn't agree with my tactic and wanted to go ahead and waitlist a lakeview room as well. Why not increase our chances? So just a little while ago I thought I'd look into doing just that, but first...let's see what 1BRs are available currently at BLT for my 4 nights.

I check and what do I see by a standard view room available for my 4 nights! OMG are you kidding? So just dropped my 4 nights at OKW and added the 4 nights in a 1BR standard view at BLT.

Sure we are giving up views but honestly how often do we really sit out there and admire our view. If we are in the room, it's usually to eat or sleep. We've had a great high floor lakeview at BLT with a glimpse at the MK before and it was nice, but that's okay. We can always go up to the lounge!

And now maybe just maybe I can give up stalking the DVC Member site for a while. I still have plenty of time to make my ADRs for July. I'm trying to convince my brother and his family to join us for a few nights but so far they haven't taken me up on the offer. I don't want to be a pain and stress to them that the only way I can put them up using our points is if they decide soon. Oh well...if it's just us that's okay by me. We almost always take trips with extended family. It might be nice to do our first trip with just us.

Just wanted to share my DVC craziness with somebody. I think my poor husband is really tired of me talking about this all of the time. Maybe now I can stop for a while!

 

[nalajms]

Congrats! Awesome story. Gives the rest of us DVC site stalkers hope

 

[disfanforlife]

Sounds great! I plan to try and change our resort when I get to 7 month window too.

 

[n2mm]

I'm so jealous. I've been wait listed for a 1 bedroom standard at BLT for a few weeks now for only one night in August and still nothing. Been stalking like crazy to no avail. I actually lost the day while booking it originally and got an error twice. So I booked the 4 nights and wait listed for the first night. You give me a glimmer of hope. I have a backup plan, but don't want to move with my 3 granddaughters. I'll take any extra pixie dust you have leftover.

 

[Anal Annie]

LOL my DH would've shot me and buried me in the backyard after the 1st waitlist as he just does not tolerate all the BS involved with getting these types of things accomplished!! Congrats!!

 

[disfanforlife]

LOL my DH would've shot me and buried me in the backyard after the 1st waitlist as he just does not tolerate all the BS involved with getting these types of things accomplished!! Congrats!!

I don't even both to tell my DH. His eyes just glaze over and he says you handle it fine, just tell me what day we are leaving!

 

[alldiz]

Congrats!!
I have done my share of stalking and it has paid off!
Half the fun is the planning/ stalking
Kerri

 

[ziravan]

So I've been going back and forth about our upcoming July 2015 vacation using our DVC points. I've already changed resorts a few times, had two waitlists come through...and today I changed it up again.

Originally I had 7 nights booked in a 1BR Villa at OKW. We know we want to try to save money this time by eating more in the room. However I also thought it might be nice to tack on a few nights (two originally) at Wilderness Lodge Villas. We have stayed there once, for a very short pre-cruise stay (2 nights) in November, but thought it might be nice to stay again. So I waitlisted my first two nights there. I think it only took a few weeks before my waitlist came through....I was so excited!

Then came the announcement about booking the Polynesian Villas. Our last stay at the Poly was in Sept 2003 in a Magic Kingdom View room on the lagoon...with two small kids at the time. My husband has always wanted to go back...but then we had kid #3 and Disney rooms that hold 5 were hard to come by and we purchased DVC. We all know points in the resorts are not a good way to use the points, so I told him his dream of staying there wasn't going to happen...and then came Poly DVC.

This week I logged in on the first possible day and only managed to snag a waitlist for 2 nights in a standard view Poly studio. That was okay...I was willing to wait. A day later I saw people were showing availability for the nights I had tried to book before so I tried again..and this time I had success. Yippee...we would now be staying 2 nights at the Poly (no more VWL but there are always future trips) and then 5 nights at OKW in a 1BR.

Then we thought it might be nice to stay in a 1BR at Bay Lake Tower. We've stayed there before, in lake view room and it was really magical...but that was five years ago. Why not try again? So I waitlisted but to save points I just waitlisted the 5 nights in a standard view room, even though I knew there weren't many to be had there. We'd still be okay at OKW.

Yesterday...more thinking. What about adding one more night at the Poly? Let's make it 3 nights there, and then waitlist only 4 nights at BLT instead. Maybe we'd have a better chance at that? So yesterday I added one more night in a Poly Studio, dropped my OKW and made it 4 nights instead, and added BLT as a waitlist, still standard view.

My husband didn't agree with my tactic and wanted to go ahead and waitlist a lakeview room as well. Why not increase our chances? So just a little while ago I thought I'd look into doing just that, but first...let's see what 1BRs are available currently at BLT for my 4 nights.

I check and what do I see by a standard view room available for my 4 nights! OMG are you kidding? So just dropped my 4 nights at OKW and added the 4 nights in a 1BR standard view at BLT.

Sure we are giving up views but honestly how often do we really sit out there and admire our view. If we are in the room, it's usually to eat or sleep. We've had a great high floor lakeview at BLT with a glimpse at the MK before and it was nice, but that's okay. We can always go up to the lounge!

And now maybe just maybe I can give up stalking the DVC Member site for a while. I still have plenty of time to make my ADRs for July. I'm trying to convince my brother and his family to join us for a few nights but so far they haven't taken me up on the offer. I don't want to be a pain and stress to them that the only way I can put them up using our points is if they decide soon. Oh well...if it's just us that's okay by me. We almost always take trips with extended family. It might be nice to do our first trip with just us.

Just wanted to share my DVC craziness with somebody. I think my poor husband is really tired of me talking about this all of the time. Maybe now I can stop for a while!

I grabbed an extra day AKV value for early June today...

 

[kittylady1972]

I don't even both to tell my DH. His eyes just glaze over and he says you handle it fine, just tell me what day we are leaving!

I tell my husband my plans but he also just leaves it all up to me. Rooms and ADRS are mostly mine to plan with some input from him. He just waits until the day we leave and asks where to go!!!

Thanks for the responses everybody and best of luck to those still waiting...and stalking!

 

[Disneybuckeye]

I am glad you are happy and enjoy your trip. I also give you credit for keeping it all straight. I know I would have jacked it up somwhere and had two rooms one night and none the next.

 

[n2mm]

I don't even both to tell my DH. His eyes just glaze over and he says you handle it fine, just tell me what day we are leaving!

Yep, married to the same type. Whenever I added on points I would just say, by the way let me know if you see the fedex man. Then I would just tell him where to sign. He said he just carries the suitcases.

 

[corpcomp]

Good for you. We are going down in two weeks at a 1BR in BCV and waitlisted for a 2BR
Our chances are nil. There are none anywhere in WDW due to Spring Break and it won't kill us if the three of us are a little more cosy

 

[bobbiwoz]

I'm glad things worked out so well for you.
I do not stalk the website, and for a trip in the middle of April, which I booked in late January, I have had 2 4 night waitlists come through. We are in a studio at the Boardwalk, we began in a 1 bedroom in Kidani, from there we waitlisted and got a 1 bedroom pool view at BWV. Then I decided, we didn't need a 1 bedroom since we would not be cooking, I waitlisted for a studio pool view and got it. As a final waitlist challenge, I am on a waitlist for a Boardwalk view studio. I am not hopeful for that, but for the same number of points, I figured, why not waitlist.

 

[kittylady1972]

I'm glad things worked out so well for you.
I do not stalk the website, and for a trip in the middle of April, which I booked in late January, I have had 2 4 night waitlists come through. We are in a studio at the Boardwalk, we began in a 1 bedroom in Kidani, from there we waitlisted and got a 1 bedroom pool view at BWV. Then I decided, we didn't need a 1 bedroom since we would not be cooking, I waitlisted for a studio pool view and got it. As a final waitlist challenge, I am on a waitlist for a Boardwalk view studio. I am not hopeful for that, but for the same number of points, I figured, why not waitlist.

Yeah I felt pretty excited about our two waitlists coming through, first at Wilderness Lodge and then our two nights at Polynesia. I didn't even give the BLT 1BR waitlist much of a chance before my stalking paid off just as I was going to add another waitlist.

Here's hoping yours comes through as well. LOVE Boardwalk as well!