What's the shortest reservation time-frame you had with DVC

[DebZip]

I am usually a spur of the moment Disney guest. Sometimes I decide 6 weeks in advance, sometimes 2 weeks in advance to go to Disney as it is just a 3-1/2 hour drive from home.

Has anyone done short time-frames like that for reservations?

I'm not talking about the length of your stay, just when you have a quick decision on going soon and hope DVC can accommodate you.

 

[disneynutz]

Availability today and worse tomorrow is much different that just a couple of years ago. SSR and OKW almost always had availability now not so much.

Bill

 

[CMNJ]

I am usually a spur of the moment Disney guest. Sometimes I decide 6 weeks in advance, sometimes 2 weeks in advance to go to Disney as it is just a 3-1/2 hour drive from home.

Has anyone done short time-frames like that for reservations?

I'm not talking about the length of your stay, just when you have a quick decision on going soon and hope DVC can accommodate you.

Last year we decided 2 weeks out we wanted to extend a trip. We rented distressed points to add on 3 days at SSR in a dedicated 2BR. However SSR was the only place avail and it was just for 3 days in May which is not prime DVC season. It can happen but DVC works best for those who plan much further out especially when you travel during peak times.

 

[com_op_2000]

Two cases:
DW and I several times have been at DTD for the day and decided we wanted to stay the night. Called the resorts directly (back before MS was open on Sundays) or MS and checked in within 15 minutes.

At MK for the day in Feb ’14 for our anniversary, called MS @09:00, and booked a room at BLT for that night. Checked-in @11:00 and the room was ready. We did not plan on this day going like this until @05:00 while still in bed.

 

[suebeelin]

We usually plan 7-11mo in advance but once we planned 4mo in advance and all categories for SSR, Okw were available but with other resorts only 2bd at akv was available (and we wanted a 1bd).

 

[_auroraborealis_]

An important consideration is that at 60 days, any unbooked rooms go into "breakage" inventory. This means Disney does whatever it takes to fill them before check-in. While you can sometimes find vacancies same-day or similar, it cannot be relied on. DVC do everything they can to run at 98% occupancy average year-round.

 

[pearlieq]

My shortest time frame was 2 days. I just managed to snag a last-minute studio at BLT for this past Wednesday that I booked on Monday.

Generally speaking we've had good luck booking last minute trips 2-4 weeks out. We've also gotten in at the Polynesian, BWV, and AKV at the last minute. HOWEVER, these have all been 1 night stays and we usually look for a 1-bedroom. I certainly wouldn't ever count on getting last minute bookings, we've just had a run of good fortune by being flexible.

 

[DebbieB]

I once got a BCV studio for 1 night in early February to extend a business trip about a week ahead.

 

[ziravan]

Last year, we decided in July to go in Aug. Inside a 30 day window, we made something like 17 changes (knowing that the first booking would create distressed points and trading up would create more).

We ended up with: 2 nights OKW near HH 1BR, 2 nights BCV studio, and 2 nights AKV Kidani Savanna studio.

Great trip. I stalked the RAT every hour for 2 weeks.

 

[southerngirl528]

Best last minute booking I ever got in 20+ years as a member was by calling from my GV at OKW the first week of December (I was ending my 6 night reservation I had booked 11 months before), at about 1am and asking the OKW front desk if there was any availability for me to extend one more night in my GV. I had zero expectations of that happening, but hey, nothing ventured nothing gained right? A pleasant CM asked me to hold while she checked just to see and lo and behold, she came back to the phone as said YES!!!! Now here's they huge miracle....I did NOT have to move. Stayed right in the same GV. Now THAT was divine providence IMO!! Yay!!!!

 

[Happy_Haunt999]

3 weeks

 

[pmaurer74]

I am trying to get just 2 days 6 months out and the only thing available is OKW and SSR.

 

[lisaviolet]

Day of. I ran to the airport to cheer on some runners in the half marathon when I got an airfare that fit in a voucher amount. I got two nights, BW view and one night AKV Savanna. It was insane. And I told my parents, who were down in Florida, I was not going that day unless they drove up. What a decision that was - it was a magical stay for me with my parents. Hard emotionally due to some changing health concerns, but magical time with them. My last memory with the three of us on vacation. So great find and great decision.

Day before, numerous times. Including just last month. I had three days set at PVB, wanted to come in a day early for Disney's After Hours. Got BLT LV 48 hours out and then changed to VGF LV the day before.

I have snagged week stays days out, more than once. I already had those vacations set, just changing resorts.

I know a lot of people think these occurrences do not have merit. But people do cancel around 31 days and within a 48 hours window before arrival. I found these jewels early in my membership as well, before online too. For eleven years.

 

[pinklotusflower]

Our points came through the second week of August last year and we managed to get a 12 day trip to SSR mid September booked through waiting listing gaps, and we had one night at OKW, but when we checked in they were able to get us a room at SSR so we didn't have to move for the one night.

 

[drusba]

Made a 5 day mid-May reservation for a relative this year at 30 days out in a 1BR, which are usually the last to be reserved. Mid-May is a moderate DVC demand time. Other than a single night for a couple other resorts, nothing was open except SSR, and even that was open only for three of nights when initially looked. Reserved it, wait listed, kept checking, and then two days later saw that the other two nights were available and reserved them, and then had MS combine the reservations.

Attempted two years ago to reserve 5 nights at 4 months out for a relative first week of December, either studio or 1BR, which is during DVC's high demand season. Nothing was open, not even SSR except for a single night that was needed and nothing opened up over the next two months, and then relative went for a rental from Disney at a Disney hotel.

 

[crisi]

So, something to be aware of. DVC points are use em or lose them. So lets say you have 100 points in the last quarter of your use year for one last last minute trip. You have things going on, so there are only three or four weekends over the three months you can go - and you can't get time off for a mid-week trip. If DVC has nothing available the weekends you can go, you'll lose your points.

I think you could bank your points, then borrow what you needed into the second half of your use year when there is availability to lower your risk. But before you follow through, understand the risks. There have been plenty of people here who have bought contracts with points about to expire who have just lost them because there wasn't availability.

 

[CarolMN]

I am usually a spur of the moment Disney guest. Sometimes I decide 6 weeks in advance, sometimes 2 weeks in advance to go to Disney as it is just a 3-1/2 hour drive from home.

Has anyone done short time-frames like that for reservations?

I'm not talking about the length of your stay, just when you have a quick decision on going soon and hope DVC can accommodate you.

You will find that some people have occasionally been lucky to get something last minute. However, those reservations are more the exception than the rule (and success is heavily dependent on time of year, resort & villa size). If you can (or will) only plan 2- 6 weeks in advance, you will end up frustrated more often than not. DVC works better for those who can and do plan at least 7 months in advance. It's just the nature of the beast.

 

[MickeyBobby]

We've only been members since 2013, but even since then there has been a huge change of availability. We frequently used to get short term availability since we live so close and would travel on a whim within a day or two. Many times at a week or two out, there were still desirable spots at BLT, Wilderness Lodge, etc. However, now it seems like even with a few months there may be either nothing, or short spurts of 1-2 nights of availability.

 

[Sandisw]

My daughter was visiting her friends in May and the air conditioner broke in the apartment. I called and was able to get them a room for that night at BWV. But, had they needed two nights, it would not have happened because we could not extend it for the second night.

I think last minute trips every once in awhile may work, if you are flexible in where you stay, room size, and moving night to night. But, for a regular type situation, I think owning DVC would be more frustrating than not. Of course, you could always buy with a small amount of points for those times when you may now a little ahead of time, and then go a different route for short term if nothing is available.

It will also depend on the year. Last minute trips are going to be very difficult October through the beginning of January as even booking during the 7 - 11 month books window can be tough.

Good luck!

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Last minute trips are possible but I'd never buy thinking I'd be able to regularly do that and still go on the days I wanted to. If you're just thinking of watching inventory and picking up a day now and then because it's available that is possible but I don't think it's necessarily a good way to work your DVC membership as a normal course.