Welcome Home Visit Question

[SS22]

Hi Everyone! I just purchased my first ever contract at VGF (Direct) and I called member services today to try and book my Welcome Home visit. I was told that this offer is not available for VGF or VGC. Was that misinformation? Do I call back and try again or just choose another resort for my first trip?

 

[Sandisw]

When getting a welcome home trip, it doesn’t mean you will get a resort of choice.

It just means they will try to get you what they can based on what is available as they can’t make rooms open up if they are already booked.

Since the rooms at BPK were fully declared and these added to an existing resorts, they are booked already by others. VGC is always booked as well.

So, I’d call back and just see what is available for when you want to go.

 

[SS22]

When getting a welcome home trip, it doesn’t mean you will get a resort of choice.

It just means they will try to get you what they can based on what is available as they can’t make rooms open up if they are already booked.

Since the rooms at BPK were fully declared and these added to an existing resorts, they are booked already by others. VGC is always booked as well.

So, I’d call back and just see what is available for when you want to go.

Ok I see now!

When getting a welcome home trip, it doesn’t mean you will get a resort of choice.

It just means they will try to get you what they can based on what is available as they can’t make rooms open up if they are already booked.

Since the rooms at BPK were fully declared and these added to an existing resorts, they are booked already by others. VGC is always booked as well.

So, I’d call back and just see what is available for when you want to go.

Makes sense, I’ll do that. Thank you for letting me know!

 

[DonMacGregor]

As Sandi said, they'll do their best. The whole idea of the Welcome Home trip is really just DVC trying to let you use your points now rather than having to wait months and months to get any benefit out of your new contract. Right now in particular, we are headed into the holiday season, the busiest time for DVC resorts, with most rooms having been booked months ago. The Welcome Home trip helps folks like yourself, who just spent a considerable amount of money, get at least an opportunity to book a trip.

Other times of the year, based on resort, they might actually be able to book it at your new home resort, but this is a particularly busy stretch for DVC.

 

[sndral]

When a new resort starts active sales, the developer ‘declares’ a % of the resort into DVC & sells from that pool of points. VGF2 had an initial declaration of 50% of the available points - so when booking opened half the rooms could be booked w/ points & the developer held the rest to do w/ as they liked - usually cash bookings, but sometimes they’ll dip into those DVC owned points to make a welcome home visit happen, assuming the rooms aren’t already booked for cash by non DVC people. A couple months ago the developer declared the other half of VGF2 into DVC, making the resort 100% bookable w/ points & DVC owners booked those rooms. https://dvcnews.com/resorts/grand-f...clared-into-grand-floridian-condo-association
So there’s likely no unbooked villas to offer you for when you want to visit. Note DVC is required to retain a small % of points, I think it’s 2%.
Riv currently still has just under half the resort not yet declared, so DVC would have more to work with for welcome home visits there.

 

[K6+Mickey]

Tried to book a first time direct buyer welcome home visit today for Riviera during Thanksgiving week. No availability . I don’t know what I was expecting. A little magic?

 

[Sandisw]

Tried to book a first time direct buyer welcome home visit today for Riviera during Thanksgiving week. No availability . I don’t know what I was expecting. A little magic?

I am sorry they can’t get you the resort You were hoping for this time.

But, being such a popular week, it appears the resort is booked solid even for cash bookings, which is where they sometimes pull rooms from for welcome home trips.

Hopefully they can get you something else do you still enjoy your new DVC!!!

 

[crisi]

Tried to book a first time direct buyer welcome home visit today for Riviera during Thanksgiving week. No availability . I don’t know what I was expecting. A little magic?

It would have to be magic to make rooms appear at a fully booked resort.

 

[K6+Mickey]

Disney Magic is REAL!!! I called back the next day, and they were able to get me 3 nights in a 2 bedroom at Riviera and 2 nights at Boardwalk. I was on hold for a long time while they worked their magic and I was shocked they actually got me in! Now on a waitlist to get the other 2 days at RIV even though I really don't mind the split stay.

 

[SS22]

Disney Magic is REAL!!! I called back the next day, and they were able to get me 3 nights in a 2 bedroom at Riviera and 2 nights at Boardwalk. I was on hold for a long time while they worked their magic and I was shocked they actually got me in! Now on a waitlist to get the other 2 days at RIV even though I really don't mind the split stay.

Yay how exciting! Had the same thing happen to me, I called back and they were able to book my week in December at Riviera. Just have to give them a few resort options to work with. Wishing you luck on the waitlist!