Very upset with DVC

[heidihiden]

I have only been a member for three years and up to this point, I have been very happy with the DVC. But right now, I am very upset. Here is my situation. Four months ago we booked a vacation to go down for the week of halloween. Only a stay at the Old Key West was available. So I booked it and got onto the waiting list for the Boardwalk. I have called down several times over the past couple of months and have been told nothing was available. So over this past weekend I call the Central Reservation System for Disney. They had a room available at the BWV for Oct 30 -Nov 2. So I told them I could not get through to the DVC reservations until Monday. So the room was put on hold and I was told just to call DVC reservations on Monday to convert the room over so I could pay using my points. So I call DVC on Monday and was told that there is no way to convert a cash reservation over to points. I argued that I was told by Central Reservations that I could. I then asked the DVC person why I could call down and pay cash but members can't get reservations??? The villas have been sold out and rooms are not supposed to be turned over until a certain time out if not booked by a vacation club member. But I have been on the waiting list for a few months!!! I am very upset and have lost some faith with DVC. I do not see why this reservation that is currently on hold in my name cannot be converted to points. The room will most likely stay empy now and not even be used during this time frame seeing the trip is only 9 days away. Now I have tell my 6 year old who was looking foward to luna park pool that we are not staying at the Boardwalk!! Am I wrong? Were did the magic go?

 

[ClarabelleCow]

this is the the that i do not understand, we are going down 11/1 on rented points ( i rented to try to convince hubby to buy, but I think he just gave in (today) to shut me up!!!) i could buy with cash a 1 bedroom at the VWL, but the person i rented from could only get OKW??? I don't get it. You would think if its available, DVC owners would get first dibs on it.

 

[Chuck S]

If DVC owners choose to use their points for a cruise or other trade out, some rooms are turned over to CRO for cash ressies. That is how DVC pays for the trade out.

 

[Lew]

I understand your situation, but as you have learned member inventory and cash inventory are completely different. CRO gave you incorrect information.

Cash night inventory is created when a member trades out of DVC for a cruise, II trade, etc. DVD needs to sell the nights represented by those points to generate the cash to pay for the trade.

 

[Dancind]

Try calling within a week of your trip. At that point, some of the available cash ressies will be "released back" to DVC for members. We got a week at BCV this way in August. You can still take your son to Luna pool, just pool hop! Diana

 

[ClarabelleCow]

"If DVC owners choose to use their points for a cruise or other trade out, some rooms are turned over to CRO for cash ressies. That is how DVC pays for the trade out."

Put it that way it makes all the sense in the world now!!

thanks

 

[WDWguru]

Just to (hopefully) clarify this, think of it a different way. DVC owners actually only own about 96% of each resort, the other 4% is owned by Disney. That is where their cash inventory comes from.

Additionally, they can gain more inventory when a DVC member "trades out" to stay at a non-DVC resort at Disney or takes a Disney cruise, You aren't technically paying for those with points - DVC is trading a theoretical reservation using those points to Disney to pay for your cruise cabin or room at, for example, AKL.

Finally, anything left over that wasn't rented by members at the 60 day point goes into general inventory and can also be rented for cash by Disney.

So, while there may be rooms available, they may belong to Disney, not DVC members for any of the above reasons. Most of the time I would think both inventories would be parallel, but not always. For instance when DVC points are low and lots of DVC people go, but the general season is not a popular one among regular guese (i.e. early December). There is also the matter of the rooms being rather expensive to book with cash and the availability of the points rental market. When people who would normally go through CRO decide to rent from members, that takes someone out of the pool Disney projects will reserve a cash room from their inventory and puts it into member inventory - which also skews things a bit.

Hope this makes more sense.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Now I have tell my 6 year old who was looking foward to luna park pool that we are not staying at the Boardwalk!!

You can always pool hop.

 

[Dean]

heidihiden, the only thing you should be upset about is that CRO, not DVC, gave you incorrect information. As noted previously, there are rooms (points) that do not belong to DVC for members use or that become unavailable to members. If a member trades for DCL, etc; DVC must get cash for that room to pay for the exchange option. DVD, not DVC, also owns roughly 4% which they can do with as they want.

This has been an area of confussion and exascerbation from the start but it seems simple to me.

 

[heidihiden]

Thank you everyone who took the time to respond. I do now have a better understanding of how it works. That is why I enjoy these boards. And I look foward to meeting members who may be there during halloween week. It is just frustrating but it is important so that we can take that disney cruise in the future or go to other places that is in our guidebook. I will keep calling even up to our arrival. I would hope that Disney would release the rooms back if not sold for cash. It would be very sad to know that the room stayed vacant while we were there. I now would like to know how Old Key West is. We will be staying there for our first time. Any suggestions on which building to request with young children? Again, thanks everyone for your responses!!

 

[PKK/MJK]

We have points at both resorts and love both for different reasons. Our "home" resort is OKW and we really LOVE it there. You didn't mention what size room you are staying in. The studios at both OKW and BWV are similar in size although they are shaped differently. The OKW studio has two queen size beds.
The one bedroom, two bedroom and grand villas at OKW are VERY spacious--quite a bit larger than BWV. At OKW you park at your door--it is more of a resort atmosphere while BWV has more of a hotel "feel" to it. OKW is very laid back. Many people love this while others think it is too quiet. While you cannot walk to any of the parks from OKW, you can walk (or take a boat) to Downtown Disney. As for which buildings to request, with young children you might want to be near the Hospitality House and the main pool. The Turtle Pond area is also very nice--nice pool, snack bar etc--although some distance from the main area. I think you will like OKW. It has a special kind of charm. And don't forget, you CAN pool-hop over to Luna Park. Good Luck getting the reservations that you prefer, though. Have a wonderful time!!

 

[DVC-Don]

I now would like to know how Old Key West is.

The problem I found with OKW is that if it is not your "home" resort, you almost immediately start looking for an OKW resale. I love OKW.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Actually, I think you will like OKW! We purchased with the idea that we would stay elsewhere once in awhile, but we always stay at our home OKW now!

 

[Terry S]

heidihiden... In you post you say that you will continue to call up until arrival. I just wanted to mention that I have heard success when calling at that late of a date with calling the resort directly, instead of calling DVC.

 

[The Disney Bunch]

You will love OKW!! I wouldn't stay anywhere else- the rooms are the biggest and the comfort of the kitchen and laundry room is wonderful - you won't regret staying there!

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

You didn't say what sort of room you were looking for...

But...as a suggestion...I had very good luck with doing a day by day waitlist for a studio for exactly that week...first half not the back half.

I'd also like to suggest that you might also put yourself on the waitlist for BCV. Because people are buying all the time that should mean the inventory of rooms available on points is constantly growing. If you waitlist there you will have the opportunity of getting in simply because someone bought points.

You would then be able to use Stormalong Bay and then use the boat to poolhop to Luna Park.

PS. The drawback of a day by day waitlist is that you could find yourself moving in the middle of your stay.

 

[chris1gill]

Heidi,

We had a similar type of experience over this past Labor Day. There were cash reservations at BCV's, but yet I couldn't get a DVC point reservation. Disney still holds 4% of the resort don't forget, even after it is sold out. Promptly cancel your cash reservation... BUT starting 7 days before, call DVC, I think once it get to 5-7 days before, the DVC CM's can call the resort directly & the resort CAN switch your reservation... That was our situation as well & this is what we did, this is the second time we've had such an experience.

I really do understand that it IS frustrating when there are cash ressies, but, Disney does own some of the inventory & they don't have to let us have it, it just seems 7 days prior you have more flexibility with the resort itself...

 

[bicker]

This is a very common situation: DVC owners must recognize that there is a difference between cash inventory and points inventory, and that it is THEIR responsibility, and Member Service's responsibility to understand that -- NOT CRO's responsibility. CRO doesn't need to know ANYTHING about DVC.

 

[wdwsos]

Originally posted by bicker
This is a very common situation: DVC owners must recognize that there is a difference between cash inventory and points inventory, and that it is THEIR responsibility, and Member Service's responsibility to understand that -- NOT CRO's responsibility. CRO doesn't need to know ANYTHING about DVC.

Brian, as confusing as this is to some, I do have to agree. The DVC does try to make this clear to members. If it helps anyone any, page 27 in the Member Guidebook is devoted to trying to explain the difference between declared and undeclared inventory.

I'd type it here, but it's too long and I'm too tired.

Dotti