Wait list and Room Questions

[Daffy41]

My girlfriend and I are leaving our husband and kids home and attending Food and Wine late October (21st thru 27th) I was really hoping for an Old Key West Deluxe studio, because it has the two beds but nothing was available - my home resort is Saratoga Springs so I booked a 1 bedroom and wait listed for Old Key West but my questions:

1. are there any other DVC's studios with two beds (other than a two bedroom )
2. anyone have any luck with wait list ( never needed to wait listed for a room before) during Food and wine Or any other time?
3. typically how long does wait list take if they do come thru?
4. do members typically keep checking to see if anything becomes available, or will it just be matched automatically ?

The CM who booked the vacation was very vague about wait list and told me she tells people to never "bank" on a wait list coming thru.



Thanks !

 

[southerngirl528]

My girlfriend and I are leaving our husband and kids home and attending Food and Wine late October (21st thru 27th) I was really hoping for an Old Key West Deluxe studio, because it has the two beds but nothing was available - my home resort is Saratoga Springs so I booked a 1 bedroom and wait listed for Old Key West but my questions:

1. are there any other DVC's studios with two beds (other than a two bedroom )
2. anyone have any luck with wait list ( never needed to wait listed for a room before) during Food and wine Or any other time?
3. typically how long does wait list take if they do come thru?
4. do members typically keep checking to see if anything becomes available, or will it just be matched automatically ?

The CM who booked the vacation was very vague about wait list and told me she tells people to never "bank" on a wait list coming thru.

I agree with the CM at MS that one should never bank on the W/L coming through in that you should always have a backup, which thankfully you already have booked! My concern is that it sounds like you are waitlisted for all 6 consecutive nights, which will make getting your waitlist tougher than if you were waitlisted for say, 1/2 of that.

F & W is a super busy time, plus you will be there right before Halloween and MNSSHP will be at its busiest.

I have waitlisted more times than I can count over the 25 years I've been a member, and more times than not, I do have my waitlist come through. BUT, #1 I don't think I've ever waitlisted for F & W, and #2 I generally start my waitlist several months in advance.

I know of no other Studios that have 2 beds. Most of us do still check availability but it is not necessary. The good news is that OKW is one of the 2 largest DVC resorts at WDW, so your odds are better than if you had waitlisted for one of the smaller resorts. Good luck!!

 

[disneynutz]

People who check the RAT often have reported that they sometimes find a reservation available even though they have a WL for the same dates.

Bill

 

[n2mm]

I just wanted to add that I run about 50% in getting a waitlist. The only times I’ve not gotten a waitlist was in the fall during F&W. My waitlist have been only one nights and twice I’ve not gotten them last fall. I have gotten rooms on the rat though, but generally different rooms, not what I’m waiting for. Good luck.

 

[Daffy41]

Thanks ! I started the wait list about a few weeks ago, and only after I secured SS 1 bedroom.

Normally we travel as a family of five so I never look at studios, but being 50ish and traveling for the first time with my best friend also 50ish, a room with two double beds would be soooo much easier! Really wish DVC would offer more double studios !

Believe it or not in 20+ years we've been going - I've never wait listed! I guess we just got lucky and if something wasn't available I was also able to change or travel dates to work around it. But it seems the last few vacations I've been having to switch things around a lot more as the resorts seem busier and harder to book.

I never thought of wait listing days instead of the whole vacation, maybe I'll add two wait lists with the time broken up and see if I can get something that way.

 

[crisi]

Remember that will increase your chances of having to move if part of your waitlist comes through and the other part doesn't.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

The only studio with 2 beds is OKW.

The good news is that waitlists at OKW and Saratoga tend to be the "easiest," mostly because they are the last to fill so the waitlists tend to start later and are shorter. An additional chunk of good news is that some of OKW may be held out for refurb and may be made available between now and then. Maybe.

The usual caveats apply - the longer the waitlist in days, the harder to match, as the WHOLE THING must match to fill.

But never count on a waitlist to come through. Someone might end up on the sofa bed.

 

[Daffy41]

Does anyone know how many DVC rooms Disney must put aside for cash sale? I happen to look online for the cost of a cash room - thinking I may just do that, I put in my travel dates and Old Key West Deluxe Studio came up! I was a little shocked since I'm currently wait listed for the same type room. I called Member services and was told a "small" number are held for cash only sale. I never realized they were - I guess I always thought if they did not get rented they were turned over for cash sale.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Does anyone know how many DVC rooms Disney must put aside for cash sale?

It's not a fixed number.

DVC by law must retain 2% of any of the Florida resorts, and those points can become cash rooms. But any time an owner trades points out (cruises, RCI, etc.), Disney gets control of those points, and they too can become cash reservations.

A good way to think of it is that every DVC unit is represented by points. The rooms up for cash rez are units "booked" with points controlled by Disney.

 

[southerngirl528]

Remember that will increase your chances of having to move if part of your waitlist comes through and the other part doesn't.

This is true.

Does anyone know how many DVC rooms Disney must put aside for cash sale?

Legally the timeshare developer has been required to keep 2% of inventory, which would be available for cash in most cases. But the cash availability varies greatly. For example, each time I book the Concierge Collection, DVD must take that many points worth of inventory from the Member inventory and move it over into developer inventory to sell for cash in order to pay the hotel I booked. This also applies if members book DCL cruises, etc.

Lots of members get upset when they find out there is Cash availability but no points inventory. They don't realize that DCL or a concierge collection hotel do NOT take DVC points as payment. It needs to be the green stuff, and that means converting member inventory to developer inventory.

 

[southerngirl528]

It's not a fixed number.

DVC by law must retain 2% of any of the Florida resorts, and those points can become cash rooms. But any time an owner trades points out (cruises, RCI, etc.), Disney gets control of those points, and they too can become cash reservations.

A good way to think of it is that every DVC unit is represented by points. The rooms up for cash rez are units "booked" with points controlled by Disney.

I got distracted and you typed faster than me, Aurora!!

 

[Firepath]

If you end up in the 1BR at SSR, whomever ends up on the pull out couch should try just removing the back cushions on the couch and sleep on it without opening it. We found it was much more comfortable that way and removing the back cushions widened the sleeping area. We just made it up with the available bedding.

 

[kristenrice]

I booked a studio (non-Hospitality-House) for October 19-21 at exactly the 7 month mark. I tried to get the HH category and it was not available so I went on the waitlist at exactly 7 months out and I am still waiting. I have been checking the RAT about every other day and there have been only one or two nights in the entire month of October that will occasionally show up as available in a studio.

I hate to shatter your hopes, OP, but I think your chances of getting 6 nights in a studio at OKW via the wait list are about as good as winning the Powerball.

 

[Sandisw]

I have had good luck with wait lists and even able to piece together trips in October. I have slept a few times on the pull out couch when I have gone with friends and I don't find it bad at all. The shorter the waitlst, the better chance you have of it coming in. The problem with that is that you have to gamble on ending up with a split stay. But, it is a way to secure what you want by doing it night by night. For example, I had a 4 night early October trip with 2 nights at BWV and 2 at SSR. I originally had 3 nights at BWV but had to adjust my trip and couldn't get it that way. I put in a wait list for one night and it came through in about a month. So, now I have 3 nights at one resort and 1 at another. I decided not to wait list the last night because I switched from SSR to BLT and want to keep it that way. I got that through watching the website. Keep trying!

 

[Daffy41]

Question: Booking a Jan 2019 trip and may split our stay between Beach club and Grand Floridian, how does Disney handle moving luggage? And if using the dining plan, how does that work - will we need to use the dining entitlements for our first stay at Beach Club prior to checking in to Grand Floridian ??

This would be my first split stay in 20 years ... so not sure how it would work.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Question: Booking a Jan 2019 trip and may split our stay between Beach club and Grand Floridian, how does Disney handle moving luggage? And if using the dining plan, how does that work - will we need to use the dining entitlements for our first stay at Beach Club prior to checking in to Grand Floridian ??

This would be my first split stay in 20 years ... so not sure how it would work.

Disney will move your bags.
Dining plan at first stay must be used by midnight of checkout from that resort.