VGF waitlisted 10.5 months out

[ninsux]

I am a new member. Just tried to book our first stay at our home resort, VGF. Booked 10 and a half months out, but for our dates for a studio at GFR coming up as 4 out of the 5 days unavailable. First is this a normal thing? I have waitlisted, but are the chances high of getting a studio room for start of Nov?

 

[BWV Dreamin]

It is getting really hard to reserve studios at VGF even at the 11 month booking timeframe. I looked today at availability for a standard studio starting Nov 28. Spotty availability and no consecutive days before or week after. That tells me people are walking these reservations because technically this is the first available day book for Nov 29. Not a good sign.

 

[LisaS]

I am a new member. Just tried to book our first stay at our home resort, VGF. Booked 10 and a half months out, but for our dates for a studio at GFR coming up as 4 out of the 5 days unavailable. First is this a normal thing? I have waitlisted, but are the chances high of getting a studio room for start of Nov?

One problem with early November is that the Food & Wine festival is very popular with DVC members and it usually runs from mid September through the Monday of/just before Veterans' Day.

If you bought directly from Disney, try calling your DVC guide to ask for help booking your reservation. They can sometimes work some magic to help you get your very first reservation (and only your first reservation), so take advantage of it! It isn't guaranteed to work especially given the low number and high popularity of VGF studios but it's worth a try.

 

[jerseyduke]

Welcome aboard!

As PP said, call your guide, they MAY be able to help.

Secondly, in case you are unaware, the waitlist fulfillment application runs on a schedule multiple times a day. When someone cancels, that room goes back into inventory. It is VERY possible for someone to grab it before it gets used to fill a waitlist request.

You are looking at a busy DVC time. THE VGF only has AT MOST 47 studios (to put this in perspective, the Poly is going to have 360!) It gets very hard to book if you do not do it at EXACTLY 11 months out, and I mean to the day!

I would book any days you can in your vacation, create the necessary waitlists, and CHECK CONSTANTLY for at least a couple of weeks. If people are walking their reservations, availability can change constantly, However, I do not think people are walking at the 10.5 month mark. It is usually done at the last week prior to the opening of the 11 month window.

For example, if you look to book 11 months from today, for one week, the first day is already done in both studio classes, with the rest of the week wide open. Ressies are being walked.

 

[Msmithmd]

I suspect the crunch on studios at VGF will be a chronic problem. The resort has the double whammy of being extremely expensive to purchase per point, plus the highest point chart per night of anything in Orlando. Taking those two realities, adding the fact that a whole lot of VGF members bought in as add-ons with relatively low point totals, and you've got a set-up for it being quite difficult to book studios.

I seriously considered purchasing at VGF- love the resort- but after thinking about this scenario, I decided it was wiser to add-on at a low cost resort via resale, and use the much larger point total from there to focus on the VGF one bedrooms. So far, I'm 3 for 3 booking at VGF in this manner, at seven months. Only time will tell if this remains a good strategy...

 

[ninsux]

Thanks everyone.

I will give our representative an email see if he can help. I totally forgot about the Food & Wine Festival being on. And I didn't realise so few studio rooms. But thanks again for the help and tips.

 

[paults]

what is GFR?

 

[Disbroads]

what is GFR?

A TLA. Just kidding! There are so many out here, I can never keep up.
I'm guessing Grand Floridian Resort... Final answer!

 

[cbnsoul]

I tried to book a studio for October at 11 months out at 8:00 and got shut out. I had checked a few minutes prior and my first day was available. Went to book right at 8am and the website gives me a "timed out" error even though I'd only been on the page a minute or so. By the time I refreshed the page and resubmitted, the studios were gone. I've been looking at the November '15 dates now and it appears people are walking the reservations as the dates a day or so prior to the 11 month out days are now available as they cancel while walking. I gotta decide ultimately if it is worth playing the stress of trying to book a studio or sell off the points.

 

[Dean]

I am a new member. Just tried to book our first stay at our home resort, VGF. Booked 10 and a half months out, but for our dates for a studio at GFR coming up as 4 out of the 5 days unavailable. First is this a normal thing? I have waitlisted, but are the chances high of getting a studio room for start of Nov?

I don't think missing out even day 1 at 11 months out will be uncommon. It's the reason I've touted the fixed week option for VGF as well as cautioned that owning there is not a guarantee of access.

Thanks everyone.

I will give our representative an email see if he can help. I totally forgot about the Food & Wine Festival being on. And I didn't realise so few studio rooms. But thanks again for the help and tips.

It's unlikely they can help. While some have been successful tying a purchase to a reservation, I've seen several examples where after the fact, even a few days, produced no help or options. I do not recall an exception but maybe there have been some I am unaware of.