What has COVID done to Availability?

[DizzyKnee]

Hi DVC Pros,

I've been going back and forth for years now on whether or not to purchase DVC. I like Bay Lake Tower because of the monorail access and walkability to MK. Has COVID created a backlog of folks wanting to use their points? My concern is that if I buy now, I won't be able to utilize my points for quite some time. I imagine Thanksgiving and the 2 weeks of Holiday in December are all gone but what about the rest of November and December?

For us, we'd rather buy a DVC than pay the exorbitant prices to stay at a Disney hotel. However, we don't want to pay for something with banked points that we won't be able to use this year.

Thanks for the help!

 

[Sandisw]

Right now there is more short term rooms but the fall and into the rest has been pretty much normal or worse.

Fall through January is the busiest DVC time. Right now, by the time resale would close, you’d have a lot of difficulty finding much November/December 2021 at BLT. But you should be able to at least stay at one of the larger resorts.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

As you are discussing banked points, realize that if you bid successfully today on a contract, you would not be able to book with it until at least May, maybe June. Even in DVC's low season in a normal year, 5 months out is going to have weak availability.

November and December are not low season. They are prime time and require that you be booking within home resort window.

Since DVC is a long term contract, recognize you will not travel on a resale contract in q4 of 2021 even starting right now, and consider in the long term context.

 

[4luv2cdisney]

Hi DVC Pros,

I've been going back and forth for years now on whether or not to purchase DVC. I like Bay Lake Tower because of the monorail access and walkability to MK. Has COVID created a backlog of folks wanting to use their points? My concern is that if I buy now, I won't be able to utilize my points for quite some time. I imagine Thanksgiving and the 2 weeks of Holiday in December are all gone but what about the rest of November and December?

For us, we'd rather buy a DVC than pay the exorbitant prices to stay at a Disney hotel. However, we don't want to pay for something with banked points that we won't be able to use this year.

Thanks for the help!

We are not allowed to give specific room availability, but overall:

What has it been like? Pretty wide open.
What is it starting Fall? Booking up but not full.

If you are buying resale, you will not have points loaded in time to book before the 7 month window opens and you will most likely be out of luck for anything except SSR and possibly AKV or OKW.

If you are buying direct and have some flexibility of dates and room types, you will be fine.

If by Fall things aren't significantly better (as in travel isn't back to almost normal, parks aren't operating normally, etc) you could have a chance at a last minute room switch as people have been making reservations but cancelling when they decide they can't / won't travel.

Good luck!

 

[DizzyKnee]

So, if I'm looking at a BLT contract with a February use year with 143 points from 20 and 210 points from 21...should I anticipate losing those 143 points that are banked from '20? I can use those up until February 2022 if I'm looking at it correctly. Considering it closes in May.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

So, if I'm looking at a BLT contract with a February use year with 143 points from 20 and 210 points from 21...should I anticipate losing those 143 points that are banked from '20? I can use those up until February 2022 if I'm looking at it correctly. Considering it closes in May.

Potentially, yes. You would have your best chance to book January. But you should not assign great value to those banked points.

 

[DizzyKnee]

So, if I am trying to find a loaded contract, the later the use year the better. August, September, October, November