week of Oct 19

[llrain]

4 days ago I called to see for availability for anywhere for 2 nights to tag onto the beginning 17 and18th, for those 2 consecutive nights all that they had was saratoga. I was sure that I didnt need to make up my mind during that conversation knowing that since saratoga opened it has been deemed as the fall back resort, as in if you are desperate for a room there is always one open at saratoga, which has held true (for us at least).
So we sat on the option for a coulpe of days and then all of the sudden Disney goes and releases a DVC incentive for our friends to stay at saratoga for like 169.00 or 189.00 or something like that and I guess they released this to the public as well. I didnt hear about this until that evening so I told the wife we call the next day to get those 2 nights.
WHen we call Saratoga is sold out and luckily now there is a room at old key west at least.
Point......for the love of ________, please end this recession so the discounts can end....Can hardly even get a last minute room anymore....
I'm sure RCI may have sometihng to do with it too
Our DVC resort population has grown by the millions now, is this a sign of the future.....probability of no rooms available if you need a last minute room?
never was the case...Coincidence the case now that RCI is in our population...
I know that they are not disney owners, but they are in our circle now to get rooms....

Lets petition for more resorts!!!!!!!

 

[bevis]

This isn't a future issue, it is a present and recent past issue with numerous threads on this exact subject.
OP, I just happened to catch this first thing this morning and I'm on my way out but I'm sure there will be several responses to this and probably a link to a recent thread. This is in no way suprising at only 2 1/2 months out.
Besides, what is wrong with SSR?? I don't get it!

 

[Goofy's apprentice]

Are you trying to get a room for points or cash? The two inventories aren't the same, so discounts on cash stays don't affect your ability to book on points.

That time of year is a busy one. Food and Wine is in full swing. The 12th is a holiday in both Canada and the US. It isn't surprising that availability is scarce so far within the 7 month window.

 

[Chuck S]

RCI should not be affecting your availability at all, for a DVC invntory room to be turned over, a DVCer, in theory, needs to trade out. Yes, I'm sure Disney estimates the numbe based on the past history with RCI/II...but they certainly have many years worth of stats to support their estimate.

As other have said, Food & Wine and a holiday are likely your biggest obstacles in your planning, along with waiting until less than 3 months.

 

[llrain]

we did get a room, just not at SSR.
We use points only.
My thing is that In the past, even up to 2007 it was highly POSSIBLE
to get a last minute room at SSR...meaning that everyone would take up everywhere else and there would ALWAYS be SSR available
even during food and wine, year after year when we would make our last minute reservations using points SSR was always available as a last choice...
that is not the case this OCT nor this past APRIL...
disney is either OFFERING these rooms to RCI, a large amount of them
because RCI is now with us or DISNEY is giving these rooms away to the public at deep discounts, like i said, 169.00 being the current offer....
That is now leaving DVC'ers and Im not the only one probably who have always relied on SSR as a sure thing to get a last minute reservation...

Again ya thats Food and wine but in the past, during food and wine we could get a last minute at ssr no problems.....ritually during food and wine


And the holiday is the 12th...did i not mention i am going a full week after the holiday.....not on the holiday week itsself....just becuae its "around" that holiday doesnt give one reason enough to blame a holiday for no availability...
If it were the week of the holiday I was going then i would accept the holiday thing....

 

[llrain]

Oh and by the way ...here's proof that population is becoming an issue
as in its getting harder and harder to get a room..
DVC sent me and prob others an invite for REALTORS in the state of NY
to join the DVC team as a realtor.
hum...it also states that due to a florishing number of member sign ups
we are in need of sales realtors to keep up with the pace...
That itsself tells me that alot of people are joining DVC itsself
and then throw in the millions of RCI owners......and you are saying its cause of a festival that isnt even
as popular now as it used to be...Food and wine used to be packed years and years ago...not really the case
anymore..enough excuses that this is the cause..We are talking millions of new people who are now able to
take advantage of disney property and you blame a small festival...thats the thing of these mesage boards..
the answer is always either
A. A holiday
or
B. A festival
noone ever looks at the big picture


Disney is not going to be able to keep up the pace of owners and exchangers
in the future.....It will be that I will only be able to get a room at the Wilderness exactly 11 months out at 7am when member services open
otherwise i could be screwed.

In all...All I am saying is disney DVC is getting flooded and its not like it used to be at all...
Im happy they are opening the new rresorts but will need more to keep up with the pace

 

[Chuck S]

Sorry, but you are mistaken. Again, RCI doesn't get inventory willy-nilly. It is based upon member trade outs. Any "cash" availability on the RCI site is from CRO, and those rooms wouldn't be available to members anyway. High sales also doesn't necessarily equate to no DVC availability, and truthfully, all indications are that DVC sales have taken a big hit due to the economy. And there aren't "millions" of new people. Of course DVC want to improve sales in New York, and having these independent sales people means they aren't on Disney payroll...they are paid commissions, a smart business move in today's economy.

Don't forget, there were "millions" of Interval International members, too. And RCI was the original DVC trading partner, so if RCI were to blame, we would have seen this problem in the early 1990s.

 

[DebbieB]

Are you trying to get a room for points or cash? The two inventories aren't the same, so discounts on cash stays don't affect your ability to book on points.

That time of year is a busy one. Food and Wine is in full swing. The 12th is a holiday in both Canada and the US. It isn't surprising that availability is scarce so far within the 7 month window.

Until you get within 60 days (which wasn't the case for the OP). I'm sure some of the rooms that the upgraders from values got was from the breakage inventory within 60 days. That will affect last minute points reservations.

 

[castleri]

Until you get within 60 days (which wasn't the case for the OP). I'm sure some of the rooms that the upgraders from values got was from the breakage inventory within 60 days. That will affect last minute points reservations.

I don't think the upgrades come from "points inventory". I think they are the ones that come from developer inventory, trade outs to other resorts, DCL or RCI and the inventory that Disney owns.
October is a very popular time these days what with F&W, MNSSHP and good weather.
There is a possibility that more people are changing when they vacation and many have learned to book earlier. When we purchased in 1997 our guide told us then that DVC was not a good match for people who want to book last minute. One of the other factors with SSR is that it has become a very popular place to be for many people now that all the resort bashing has calmed down and people have found that it can be a wonderful resort at which to spend some time. There may also be some Developer points out there that are affecting the availability at SSR. I could not change some reservations at the seven month window at 9am for 12/27-1/1 this year where I have not had a problem in the past. I know this is one of the busiest weeks of the year so really didn't expect to have much luck but was hoping for at least one of them - AKV to be exact. Still no luck with the WL for that week. I think the new reservation system and WL restrictions have hurt more than anything else for me in the way I book. I think I would have had more luck if I could have WL for individual days instead of having to do it for the entire time.

 

[Starr W.]

I called last Saturday and was able to book a studio at VWL for 10/19-10/22. BWV preferred studio was also available for those dates.

This was the first time I have ever tried to get something this close in, as I'm usually a 11 month girl, sometimes 7 month.

 

[CarolAnnC]

At less than 3 months out, I would be surprised if there were any DVC availability the week of Columbus Day. Monday is Columbus Day and the Saturday following is the 17th that you were seeking.. You should not have hesitated a couple of days, but should have booked right then and there. One thing you learn, he who hesitates, may lose out..

No matter how many DVC resorts they build, they will be selling memberships corresponding to those points. So more DVC resorts will = more DVC members booking.