Thinking of purchasing, have a few questions about booking availability

[FireflyTrance]

My DH and I have been talking about buying resale DVC points for a while now. We are thinking of AKV as it's our favorite resort and we would be happy to stay there at least half the time. However, I know we would also like to stay at VGC and AUL as well, and I am wondering if someone can give me an idea of how difficult it is to book at other resorts, and also to do an exchange with RCI?

I think we would use the points mostly for Disney trips, but I am still curious if the RCI exchange is easy to do or not, if we did eventually want to take some other trip elsewhere using points. Right now we can take a trip any week of the year (and like to go in the off season), but once DD starts school I imagine we would only be taking trips in the summer, during spring break or during winter break. Is it very difficult to get these resorts 7 months out during those times? We would probably be booking the studios or one bedrooms.

Thanks for any insight!

 

[Deb & Bill]

My DH and I have been talking about buying resale DVC points for a while now. We are thinking of AKV as it's our favorite resort and we would be happy to stay there at least half the time. However, I know we would also like to stay at VGC and AUL as well, and I am wondering if someone can give me an idea of how difficult it is to book at other resorts, and also to do an exchange with RCI?

I think we would use the points mostly for Disney trips, but I am still curious if the RCI exchange is easy to do or not, if we did eventually want to take some other trip elsewhere using points. Right now we can take a trip any week of the year (and like to go in the off season), but once DD starts school I imagine we would only be taking trips in the summer, during spring break or during winter break. Is it very difficult to get these resorts 7 months out during those times? We would probably be booking the studios or one bedrooms.

Thanks for any insight!

VGC is very small, even smaller than VGF. So if you want to stay there with any regularity, you probably want to buy there. And because it is small, the number of points available by resale or direct from DVC is pretty limited. I have no idea about Aulani because I have no desire to go there at all.

As for RCI, DVC members do not have the full range of RCI resorts available. And trying to go skiing in January is going to be difficult, as will a deluxe beach resort during prime season. And you need a good long lead time to get the more desireable resorts at the times you are looking at. It takes a lot of flexibility.

DCV points work beset booking DVC stays. You can rent out your points or you might be able to work a trade on TUG (Timeshare User Group). But, buy where you wouldn't mind staying if you couldn't trade out to another DVC resort at seven months out.

 

[Nabas]

I wanted to chime in that certain types of rooms are really hard to book.

For example, booking a Studio at VGC is extremely difficult if you don't own there.

Booking a one- or two-bedroom villa can be easier, depending on when you go.

Booking anything at BCV or BWV during Food & Wine Festival can be very difficult, if you don't own there.

Since you are considering buying at AKV, you should be aware that booking their Value and conceirge rooms are very difficult. Generally, these need to be booked at 11 months, often first thing in the morning.

Standard and Savannah view rooms are much easier to book. Usually, both are available at 7 months.

 

[disneynutz]

DVC designed the home resort advantage because some people don't like taking chances. Even booking at 11 months, as posted some resorts/rooms can be hard to book.

You will read posts that some never have issues getting what they want, others will post that they are were disappointed. Some get up early to book at the opening bell, others will use several phones to make several calls at once trying to get through to MS. Currently the phone queues are running around 45 minutes.

For me owning at our favorite resorts makes life a little easier and we get the resort and room category that we want.

Bill

 

[IandGsmom]

We own at both Aulani and VGC and have found the 11 month priority necessary for all the times we have wanted to go which is usually holiday or summer times.

 

[Dean]

My DH and I have been talking about buying resale DVC points for a while now. We are thinking of AKV as it's our favorite resort and we would be happy to stay there at least half the time. However, I know we would also like to stay at VGC and AUL as well, and I am wondering if someone can give me an idea of how difficult it is to book at other resorts, and also to do an exchange with RCI?

I think we would use the points mostly for Disney trips, but I am still curious if the RCI exchange is easy to do or not, if we did eventually want to take some other trip elsewhere using points. Right now we can take a trip any week of the year (and like to go in the off season), but once DD starts school I imagine we would only be taking trips in the summer, during spring break or during winter break. Is it very difficult to get these resorts 7 months out during those times? We would probably be booking the studios or one bedrooms.

Thanks for any insight!

Others likely have a better feel for the demand of the 2 resorts you mentioned. IMO, buying to trade in RCI is a significant mistake. As noted, you only have access to roughly 10% of the RCI resort, the top options are very difficult to impossible to get and you simply never know what to expect. That's not to say there aren't ways to get ahead with RCI, there are, but the risks and reduced changes, plus the added fees make it a very poor choice to buy for this purpose. One is far better off simply buying less points and using cash otherwise or in some cases, buying into a non DVC timeshare. For those that do have the points, there are ways to improve your chances but it seems rare that I see any DVC member take the approach that gives them the best option to get a high demand choice.

 

[FireflyTrance]

Thanks for all your input! As for VGC, is it difficult to book there all the time, or just during popular times? For instance, if we are willing to stay there any day of the year, will we be able to get a studio? We want to purchase into AKL since we like going to WDW better, and VGC resale is much more expensive. However we would like to go DL every few years, so it would be disappointing if we can never book at VGC.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Thanks for all your input! As for VGC, is it difficult to book there all the time, or just during popular times? For instance, if we are willing to stay there any day of the year, will we be able to get a studio? We want to purchase into AKL since we like going to WDW better, and VGC resale is much more expensive. However we would like to go DL every few years, so it would be disappointing if we can never book at VGC.

If you really will be that flexible then I believe you will be able to get nights. Going during the week offers more chances and at off times and being willing to accept a 1BR if you can't get a studio will increase it.

 

[FireflyTrance]

I stumbled across http://www.******.com/ and that mostly answered my questions. However I do have one other question if anyone can clear it up. When you mention the 7 month mark, if today is 1/6/14 and I wanted to book VGC (or anywhere, just using an example) for 7 months from now, which would be August, could I book 8/4/14 - 8/9/14 if some of the days are less than 7 months out, but other dates are more than 7 months out? How does that work? Thanks!

 

[sechelt]

I stumbled across http://www.******.com/ and that mostly answered my questions. However I do have one other question if anyone can clear it up. When you mention the 7 month mark, if today is 1/6/14 and I wanted to book VGC (or anywhere, just using an example) for 7 months from now, which would be August, could I book 8/4/14 - 8/9/14 if some of the days are less than 7 months out, but other dates are more than 7 months out? How does that work? Thanks!

Technically, yes. Today you would be able to book an arrival of Aug. 7 for up to seven nights, however, the dates are already gone for Aug. 4 to 7 except for a dedicated 2 bdrm. As a pp mentioned, VGC is very difficult to book. WDW resorts would still have space because of the number of units there.

 

[FireflyTrance]

Thanks! Yes I can see it is very booked up, but I still think we can probably go there at some point. We live in California so it's easy for us to go there for whatever dates we end up being able to get.

Technically, yes. Today you would be able to book an arrival of Aug. 7 for up to seven nights, however, the dates are already gone for Aug. 4 to 7 except for a dedicated 2 bdrm. As a pp mentioned, VGC is very difficult to book. WDW resorts would still have space because of the number of units there.

 

[disneydenisel]

We own at VGC and I usually try and book at the 11-month window. I do know that most of the inventory that isn't already booked at 7 months and 1 day out will pretty much go quickly at 7 months out. I was nervous this week about trying to book something for August or October because villas go quickly. If you are flexible, I'd still try to book as close to 7 months out as possible for VGC.

 

[DisneyDenis]

I recently booked a ressie at BWV for Dec. 6, 2014 for 7 nights. I made the ressie about 1 hour after the 11 month booking window opened and made a mistake and put in a std view studio instead of a std 1 bedroom. I was shocked to see Dec 6 studio was not available !!!

I switched to what I wanted (the 1 bedroom std view) and nailed my ressie. The next day I checked again early and again the leading day (Dec. 7) now was not available for a std studio. Looks like a lot of people are walking beginning Dec bookings at BWV and not just F&W. Daily point charge is very low in early Dec - 10 pts a day.

 

[Missyrose]

I recently booked a ressie at BWV for Dec. 6, 2014 for 7 nights. I made the ressie about 1 hour after the 11 month booking window opened and made a mistake and put in a std view studio instead of a std 1 bedroom. I was shocked to see Dec 6 studio was not available !!!

I switched to what I wanted (the 1 bedroom std view) and nailed my ressie. The next day I checked again early and again the leading day (Dec. 7) now was not available for a std studio. Looks like a lot of people are walking beginning Dec bookings at BWV and not just F&W. Daily point charge is very low in early Dec - 10 pts a day.

Yep, I ended up walking a BWV Boardwalk view 2-bedroom for the same dates you were looking at. I panicked about getting a reservation for Dec. 6 when less than an hour into the 11-month window Dec. 2 the villa I wanted was gone. So I started walking at 8 a.m. on the 3rd.