Sooo bummed :(

[tinkertastic]

So it looks like, for the first time in ten years of being a DVC member, that I may get shut out. I always wait to make our Holiday ressies until I am absolutely sure that my DH and I will be able to get a few days off from work, and which days we will be able to take (Oct-Dec is our busiest time of year at work). SO about a month ago, maybe a bit more, I sat down to make a ressie for Dec 4-7, I fully expected to have to join the wait list, this has almost always been the case for us with early December travel. Every time we have ever wait listed, which is usually once a year, we have always been blessed with a positive outcome. This year, I am losing faith. There is no availability anywhere, not even a scattered day here or there. Not sure what to do, not sure if to give up entirely and just find a hotel (ugh, me no likey staying off property) Besides, I really didn't want to incur the cost of a hotel stay.

Oh wise forum, please help me stay positive. Please sprinkle some pixie dust and positive thoughts our way. I would have to miss out on the Holiday at WDW this year.

 

[robinb]

So it looks like, for the first time in ten years of being a DVC member, that I may get shut out. I always wait to make our Holiday ressies until I am absolutely sure that my DH and I will be able to get a few days off from work, and which days we will be able to take (Oct-Dec is our busiest time of year at work). SO about a month ago, maybe a bit more, I sat down to make a ressie for Dec 4-7, I fully expected to have to join the wait list, this has almost always been the case for us with early December travel. Every time we have ever wait listed, which is usually once a year, we have always been blessed with a positive outcome. This year, I am losing faith. There is no availability anywhere, not even a scattered day here or there. Not sure what to do, not sure if to give up entirely and just find a hotel (ugh, me no likey staying off property) Besides, I really didn't want to incur the cost of a hotel stay.

Oh wise forum, please help me stay positive. Please sprinkle some pixie dust and positive thoughts our way. I would have to miss out on the Holiday at WDW this year.

Bummer . I've heard that first week in December is one of the hardest weeks to get of the year because it's "cheap" and Christmas-y.

I would keep on trying the Availability tool multiple times a day. Right now the 4th is available in a studio at AKV Kidani. The only problem is that anything you book right now will mean that the points would go into holding if you cancel.

Good luck and make a back-up plan!

 

[jodifla]

I don't understand why you don't just book the days, then cancel if you can't get the time off?

 

[floribr1]

I don't understand why you don't just book the days, then cancel if you can't get the time off?

I was wondering the same thing -- as long as you cancel at least 1 month before your check-in there is absolutely no penalty. Which is precisely why you may need to think about alternatives... Most members who aren't 100% committed would have cancelled before they were within one month of check-in, so I would say that at this point there will be very few cancellations for your desired time period.

Having said that, it sounds like you have been pretty lucky in the past with your wait lists in early December, so maybe your luck will continue?

 

[floribr1]

Also, I would recommend calling Member Services (if you haven't already). I think I heard that they have access to more information for close-in reservations, i.e., reservaitons within a couple of weeks.

 

[Msmithmd]

Trying to book DVC for the first week of December in late September or early October suggests an ownership strategy destined for failure. If anything, I'm impressed and surprised that this has worked in previous years.

Take the PP advice, and next year book at 11 months and cancel if you cannot make it work. You're attempting to book a timeshare, that is sold for 98% year round occupancy, in the single most busy week of the year, at the last minute. That is destined for epic fail sooner or later.

Surely you were aware that this strategy would not work long term. If not, please spend more time reading DISboards, to understand just how lucky you've been in making this work in prior years, and just how unlikely this strategy is to continue to work. Sorry that it seems that this year is your opportunity to learn this truth the hard way.

 

[DizBub]

It does seem particularly full this year. I have been trying for weeks to get a 1 bedroom at SSR for Dec 6 - 9 and there has been nothing available at all. We already have a studio booked so at least we have a place to stay.

My only suggestion this close in is to stay on the waitlist until the very last minute or try checking the rent/trade board for confirmed reservations. Some people can't go last minute and try to rent their reservation rather than have their points go into holding or lose them.

Good luck!

 

[MulanMom]

A few years ago we were in a position where we were trying to book a vacation Xmas week only a few months out. At all the WDW DVC resorts, there was availability, but none gave an entire week. A DVC cast member suggested using points to book at a WDW hotel...I forget the name of the program. It might not be the most economic use of points, but we were able to stay at the Poly for all of Xmas week. It's an option you can explore.

Best of luck to you!

 

[DebbieB]

A few years ago we were in a position where we were trying to book a vacation Xmas week only a few months out. At all the WDW DVC resorts, there was availability, but none gave an entire week. A DVC cast member suggested using points to book at a WDW hotel...I forget the name of the program. It might not be the most economic use of points, but we were able to stay at the Poly for all of Xmas week. It's an option you can explore.

Best of luck to you!

There is a $95 fee to use the Disney Collection. Resale points purchased 3/21/11 or after cannot be used. Once you book the Disney Collection, the points cannot be used for a DVC resort if an opening comes up. Just a heads up.

 

[paults]

I don't understand why you don't just book the days, then cancel if you can't get the time off?

I too don't understand why they don't book and drop if they can't go.

 

[drusba]

OP, there has beem mention on these boards that when you are looking for something only a few weeks or less from time of arrival, you should try calling MS several times a day including in afternoon to see if there is anything, and for some reason that is better than just checking online. I do not know whether that actaully works or is in fact better than checking on line, but it has been mentioned on these boards more than once.

 

[heynowirv]

The whole first 2 weeks of Dec. seem awfully tight this year.Are there just more of us ?

 

[SusieBea]

We're going 11/28-12/6. We move from 3 nights at SSR to 5 at OKW. I looked this past week to move some things around. At that point, there was "limited availability" if you were willing to move. Keep checking.

 

[Pbuttadad]

Know what you mean. Looking to get 11 month ressie at home resort bwv for last week in October 2015. Looked to walking, but can't even get first day. Frustrating.

 

[DebbieB]

The whole first 2 weeks of Dec. seem awfully tight this year.Are there just more of us ?

It's always been busy. I used to stay at BWV the first week of December every year starting back in 2000 and I had to be on the phone right at 9:00 at 11 months to get standard view.

 

[drusba]

The whole first 2 weeks of Dec. seem awfully tight this year.Are there just more of us ?

Not unusual. Those are and have long been the first and third highest DVC demand weeks of the year at WDW. Many things actually disappear at 11 months out with the result that even owners of near park resorts can be blocked out if they delay beyond the 11 month window. Nevertheless, wait lists do work sometimes.

 

[heynowirv]

We've been going off and on these weeks since 2009,generally booking in early sept. 4 night 1 bedroom in OKW.Maybe next year we will look @something else for next year in May.(We do love OKW still).

 

[tinkertastic]

We don't book and drop off as a few people suggested because we would literally need to book the whole month. We never know which days are going to work until the month before and we are dealing with two schedules, mine and my DH's. So booking any further ahead would likely be a wast of time. Our jobs are pretty much 24/7 this time of year.

For those of you that had suggestions instead of wondering why we didn't book ahead, thank you so very much. I have been stalking the availability tool and even tried the tip about calling MS.

My "ownership strategy destined for failure" seems to work just fine, for the past nine years we have done the very same thing without issue, and i'm very happy to report that I received an email just a hour ago stating that our wait list had come through

 

[bobbiwoz]

We don't book and drop off as a few people suggested because we would literally need to book the whole month. We never know which days are going to work until the month before and we are dealing with two schedules, mine and my DH's. So booking any further ahead would likely be a wast of time. Our jobs are pretty much 24/7 this time of year.

For those of you that had suggestions instead of wondering why we didn't book ahead, thank you so very much. I have been stalking the availability tool and even tried the tip about calling MS.

My "ownership strategy destined for failure" seems to work just fine, for the past nine years we have done the very same thing without issue, and i'm very happy to report that I received an email just a hour ago stating that our wait list had come through

Good for you! What resort?

 

[tinkertastic]

Saratoga Springs, I always wait list SS during this time of year because I figure with so many rooms it's our best shot.