Updated Resort Availability Tool

[dfb]

It is a resort availability tool not resort info tool. The old page allowed quickly to search single or multiple resorts or room types for available dates. Then you could follow links for more info but emphasis was on the availability, hence then name. Not the end of the world but not as functional. I called DVC to ask why the change. I was told the change was to integrate and make it look more like the pages for the regular Disney website. Doesn't make sense but there it is. The regular Disney guest would most times be new to process and more info maybe needed. DVCers are new to the process one time after that the fluff is not needed and the function, in this case is lost. Poor decision to change!

 

[DVC Doctor]

I hate the change. The old system was much better (except the Poly data was always wrong).

It can be fixed if they add a ROOM SIZE option as if I want a studio, I don;t care about the 1-2-3 bedroom options

 

[drusba]

I hate the change. The old system was much better (except the Poly data was always wrong).

It can be fixed if they add a ROOM SIZE option as if I want a studio, I don;t care about the 1-2-3 bedroom options

The Vacation Points slider at the top gives you some ability to limit the request to studios, e.g., top it at 200 points for a week and you will get back studios for any dates in magic season.

 

[DenLo]

The Vacation Points slider at the top gives you some ability to limit the request to studios, e.g., top it at 200 points for a week and you will get back studios for any dates in magic season.

Good point, but it would be easier if you could just say studio since the point cost per night really vary so much.

 

[LisaS]

Good point, but it would be easier if you could just say studio since the point cost per night really vary so much.

I agree. If you are a party of two and want a 1BR, you have to sort through everything from studios to GVs. I tried entering party of 5 to filter out most studios. Unfortunately that doesn't filter out 2BRs and 3BRs.

For those who are shopping for availability for anything ("What can I get for 179 points?") the new tool is great. For those approaching their 7-month window, checking every couple of days to see if a 1BR at their first and second resort choices just might be available when the 7-month window opens, the new RAT makes that search more time consuming.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

For those who are shopping for availability for anything ("What can I get for 179 points?") the new tool is great. For those approaching their 7-month window, checking every couple of days to see if a 1BR at their first and second resort choices just might be available when the 7-month window opens, the new RAT makes that search more time consuming.

I've been trying that today and it's not better IMO. Honestly it's been positively annoying and frustrating. I'm trying to get another room at BLT starting at the end of Oct but I'd also consider moving all of our group to a GV on the odd, miraculous chance that one opened up someplace. With the old RAT I could see with one search all of that info and have easily been using it to check for all of this during the last week or two. Enter dates and click search and voila! Now I have to click into every resort with GV's if I want to see that and my search for any room at BLT. Or do 2 separate searches by changing occupancy. All of it is really far more time consuming.

 

[LisaS]

I've been trying that today and it's not better IMO. Honestly it's been positively annoying and frustrating. I'm trying to get another room at BLT starting at the end of Oct but I'd also consider moving all of our group to a GV on the odd, miraculous chance that one opened up someplace. With the old RAT I could see with one search all of that info and have easily been using it to check for all of this during the last week or two. Enter dates and click search and voila! Now I have to click into every resort with GV's if I want to see that and my search for any room at BLT. Or do 2 separate searches by changing occupancy. All of it is really far more time consuming.

I see what you're saying. I just did a test, using dates in October for 2 adults. I specified a point range of 1-200. Under "Locations" I chose WDW. Under "Destination Type" I chose DVC resorts.

Next to each resort it states things like "Rooms from 60 Vacation Points Per Stay". I'm thinking that means there is availability but no... When I click the word "Availability" (next to the check mark) the list that is displayed shows either no availability at all (at BCV for example) or Partial Availability for maybe one booking category with just one night available. So you're right, even if you are doing a last minute search for a fixed number of points and want to know if anything is available for your dates you have to click the "Availability" link for each resort and scan the list for any booking category with at least "Partial Availability". Ugh...

 

[castle1]

Is there a way to see the calendar of a whole month and the availability that shows for the entire month? The old system showed the whole month's availability. I find it easier to just look at a calendar and see what is available, for example a studio at Aulani in January.

 

[gdrj]

Not a fan. The way I use the availability tool I want to click 1 button and see all studios, or all 2 BR's. I want to be able to do it quickly.

If I just put in the dates and select room size on the old tool I had a quick answer. Now if I just select date it gives me 2619 results! Yes I can refine and select DVC resorts, but I shouldn't have too.

On the site when I go under the tab member benefits instead of having the "benefits" and a few items it now has 293 items including a listing of each individual restaurant with a DVC discount or shop with a shopping discount. Throwing everything under a tab in random order serves no purpose. More stuff thrown on the site haphazardly isn't better.

 

[hakepb]

Is there a way to see the calendar of a whole month and the availability that shows for the entire month? The old system showed the whole month's availability. I find it easier to just look at a calendar and see what is available, for example a studio at Aulani in January.

It appears you can only search for 14 days at a time... But there appear to be several questionable RCI resorts you can book for 80 points/week

 

[drusba]

Is there a way to see the calendar of a whole month and the availability that shows for the entire month? The old system showed the whole month's availability. I find it easier to just look at a calendar and see what is available, for example a studio at Aulani in January.

Yes, after opening the "Availability" of a resort, giving you the list of rooms, you click on Partial. All Dates, or No Availability (which each has a little calendar next to it) and the calendar showing availability for the room for the month of your request, and also providing points per night, will come up. Once it is up, you can switch from month to month for all possible months in the 11 month period that start from today's date (before you were limited to month before and after the month your request was in).

 

[drusba]

If anything can be considered an improvement, you can do a specific search for accessible rooms by clicking on the "Accessible Rooms" square at the top with your request. The result is not just availability of accessible rooms but it also tells you the type of accessibility the room has, such as whether it has roll-in shower. You will also learn that accessible rooms are very often available when regular rooms are not, i.e., they are holding accessible rooms open for those that need them even after the room class is otherwise shown as full.

 

[disneynutz]

Great job DVC, fix something that isn't broken making it prettier while the rest of the website still has problems. Many of the web pages still haven't been changed to the new colors and using ie11 I get errors even in compatibility mode.

Bill

 

[JWG]

It's not as if the resort availability tool is correct. I just this past weekend saw that it said a Poly Standard View was available on a night I had waitlisted, I went over to booking tool and no availability. Yet the resort availability tool continued to say it was for the rest of the day.

Maybe it is accurate and rools being "held" for fill waitlists or for other reasons still show as available. But, I've found the booking tool to be a better indicator of what is really available.

 

[that's nice]

The new tool is horrible.

I just searched for the dates we will be in WDW 1/7-1/12. Poly showed as available... had to go through 3 more web pages to find out there is no availability at all including bungalows. This tool is just that, a 'tool'.

 

[castle1]

Yes, after opening the "Availability" of a resort, giving you the list of rooms, you click on Partial. All Dates, or No Availability (which each has a little calendar next to it) and the calendar showing availability for the room for the month of your request, and also providing points per night, will come up. Once it is up, you can switch from month to month for all possible months in the 11 month period that start from today's date (before you were limited to month before and after the month your request was in).

Oh, ok..I see it now. Thanks!

 

[mikelan6]

If anyone is going to the Owners Meeting in December, can you please bring up this topic? It'd be great if they got a handful of owners to draw up a type of website that'd work with what we need.

 

[robinb]

I just checked it out. I pretty much hate it.

 

[GrammyGee]

This is much more difficult to use - I wonder if they are trying to discourage people from checking availability on their own because there has been such an issue with people finding a room available that they have a waitlist for and seeing it disappear.....

 

[disneynutz]

If anyone is going to the Owners Meeting in December, can you please bring up this topic? It'd be great if they got a handful of owners to draw up a type of website that'd work with what we need.

Unfortunately the meeting is a dog and pony show, and the new management removed the question and answer session from the meeting last year. You could just yell out the question but I've noticed that Disney security is visibly present.

Bill