Wait List Question for a Newb

[MamaJessie]

Hello - I was hoping to use some of our DVC points for a girl's trip in December. I do not see any availability at a studio for our days and had a question about waitlists. Is there any advantage to being at your home resort for a waitlist or is it strictly in order of request? Also - between RR, BWV and BCV is there one of those that may be more likely to have a cancellation pop up, or is it all about the same? Thanks for any info!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Strictly order of request, although people can waitlist their home resort earlier than they can waitlist others. December tends to book quick so many people on each list will have waitlisted home resorts.

BCV and BWV will both be very difficult, and at BWV you would have to pick views.

Best chances for waitlist tend to be at the biggest resorts, because say there is a 5% cancellation rate. 5% of Big Number is bigger than 5% of Little Number.

 

[Sandisw]

I would say RIV PV will have a better chance than the others you listed because as sales improve, DVD will declare more rooms for points booking which could open things up for a waitlist.

Your best chance for any room would be one of the big 3...SSR, OKW, or AKV..with SSR being my top guess as the best.

The other option is to stalk the website regularly and try to pick things up a day or two at a time. Waitlists are all or nothing.

I have pieced together trips this way and as I got rooms, I adjusted my waitlists.

 

[drusba]

In is order of request but, obviously, you have some advantage at home resort if you get on waitlist before 7-months out. Besides doing waitlist, you should consider just continuously checking ("stalking") to see if anything opens up.

December is not easy at 7 months out. You do not say when in December but be aware the highest DVC demand week of the year is first week of Dec, second is Christmas week, and third is second week of December, and third week of Dec is not far behind.

Getting a studio usually has lower probability than a 1BR. Moreover, choosing which studios to waitlist (you can have two separate waitlists) can make a difference, e.g., better chance to get SSR, OKW, or Kidani than others and at any resort that has a standard or value class of rooms, usually better to try waitlisting a preferred or lake view; example, if Riviera, waitlist preferred rather than standard view, if BWV waitlist preferred pool/garden rather than standard.

 

[MamaJessie]

This is all very helpful - thank you!

 

[Deb & Bill]

If you choose SSR, you'd need to use both of your wait lists since there are standard and preferred booking at SSR. At OKW, there are near Hospitality House and all the rest. I'd skip a WL for Near HH and just go with all the rest.

 

[holyrita]

The other option is to stalk the website regularly and try to pick things up a day or two at a time. Waitlists are all or nothing.

I have pieced together trips this way and as I got rooms, I adjusted my waitlists.

With waitlists being fulfilled in order of request, does modifying a waitlist change your virtual place in line?

 

[Sandisw]

With waitlists being fulfilled in order of request, does modifying a waitlist change your virtual place in line?

Yes. However, when you reduce the days on your waitlist, it increases your chances so I have found it worth it.

Remember, they don’t hold rooms. So, if you are second on the list for 3 nights, and only two come in, they skip you and keep going down the line until they find someone who needs exactly either one or both those two nights.

 

[Judique]

Hello - I was hoping to use some of our DVC points for a girl's trip in December. I do not see any availability at a studio for our days and had a question about waitlists. Is there any advantage to being at your home resort for a waitlist or is it strictly in order of request? Also - between RR, BWV and BCV is there one of those that may be more likely to have a cancellation pop up, or is it all about the same? Thanks for any info!

With your choices I would waitlist BWV garden view first and then possibly RR preferred view since you can have 2 waitlists.

Then I would stalk the website for individual days and book them as I saw them.
Good luck!

 

[GoingSince1990]

Keep checking on your phone whenever you have a free moment, keeping a browser tab open to DVC. Especially check very early in the morning, which is when I have had most success. And when you check select "All Disney World Resorts".

 

[Debbie Jean]

Keep checking on your phone whenever you have a free moment, keeping a browser tab open to DVC. Especially check very early in the morning, which is when I have had most success. And when you check select "All Disney World Resorts".

If you are serious, this is definitely the way to stalk! While I have had wait lists come through, I find this method to be the best. I pieced together 2 upcoming stays in a value studio at Jambo, the first is 9 days in July and the second is 7 days next March. Got a day or two through waitlist, but most from obsessive stalking.

 

[gisele2]

So , If i want to switch at seven months from one resort to the other , can I waitlist 2 different types of room per contract if I do not see what I want?

When making my request, if it goes well and I get it, if I am short of 3-4 points will they charge me OTU , or will they not honour the demand because I do not have all the points ?

Thanks

 

[Sandisw]

So , If i want to switch at seven months from one resort to the other , can I waitlist 2 different types of room per contract if I do not see what I want?

When making my request, if it goes well and I get it, if I am short of 3-4 points will they charge me OTU , or will they not honour the demand because I do not have all the points ?

Thanks

It is 2 waitlists per UY per membership, not contract. If you have more than one membership, then you can put in more for reservations on that membership..

If you do not have the points to fill a waitlist, it will not be filled, You have to have OTU points in your account to be used for a wait list,

Since they can only be purchased when making a reservation, you’d have to purchase ahead of time by making a fake night, buying them, and then canceling it. The drawback is once purchased, they have to be used in that UY.

 

[MamaJessie]

It is 2 waitlists per UY per membership, not contract. If you have more than one membership, then you can put in more for reservations on that membership..

If you do not have the points to fill a waitlist, it will not be filled, You have to have OTU points in your account to be used for a wait list,

Since they can only be purchased when making a reservation, you’d have to purchase ahead of time by making a fake night, buying them, and then canceling it. The drawback is once purchased, they have to be used in that UY.

Wasn't my question but thanks for this info!

 

[Akck]

Yes. However, when you reduce the days on your waitlist, it increases your chances so I have found it worth it.

Remember, they don’t hold rooms. So, if you are second on the list for 3 nights, and only two come in, they skip you and keep going down the line until they find someone who needs exactly either one or both those two nights.

I had a waitlist in for 4 nights. Well, I just checked and the first 3 nights became available. I went ahead and grabbed them and waitlisted the room for 1 night now. Hopefully that will come through and we won’t have to change rooms for the fourth night.