What's the shortest time you've reserved in?

[hibbsofep]

We are contemplating joining but still have a few questions. We are not big on planning vacations 6-12 months out. I have no problem being flexible where we stay as I'd like to try them all eventually and I know it depends on the time of year, etc. All that aside, what's the shortest amount of time anyone has been successful in booking their stay at a DVC property?

 

[kerry_mf]

We are contemplating joining but still have a few questions. We are not big on planning vacations 6-12 months out. I have no problem being flexible where we stay as I'd like to try them all eventually and I know it depends on the time of year, etc. All that aside, what's the shortest amount of time anyone has been successful in booking their stay at a DVC property?

About 12 hrs out. We live 2 hours away and usually make most of reservations on short notice.

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

We signed the papers to purchase DVC at around 2 in the afternoon and stayed that night on the points.

HBC

 

[cobbler]

Early August for an end of October reservation and mid August for a late November reservation. Both done this year. Both times I had to be put on the waitlist and both times the waitlist came through.

1 was for a studio at SSR for 3 nights at the end of October and the other was for a studio at OKW for 2 nights the week after Thanksgiving.

 

[yxe dad]

I'm sort of a new member, since March anyway. My first ressie I made was on Aug 21st for Oct 9-10, and 12-14, and was waitlisted for the 11th. The waitlist came through for the 11th on the 28th of Aug. Oct seems to very busy for DVC as it's a low point season and the F&W Festiavl at Epcot. I could have had any thing I wanted in Sept but VWL but couldn't get my flights on airmiles to work out. These ressies were for a studio at SSR.

 

[CarolMN]

We are contemplating joining but still have a few questions. We are not big on planning vacations 6-12 months out. .........(snip)....

In my opinion, this is a red flag. DVC works best for those who plan ahead. If you are unable or unwilling to do so, I think you will end up very frustrated with a DVC membership.

Last minute reservations are possible, but in no way certain. You may find yourself in a larger or smaller unit than you prefer or moving between resorts.

Those who rely on last minute reservations are much more likely to end up with expired points than those who plan ahead. Availability is very limited once you get within 60 days of arrival.

 

[DVC Grammy]

We signed the papers to purchase DVC at around 2 in the afternoon and stayed that night on the points.

HBC

That's got to be a record!

 

[aprince&princess]

I have found out that I am a better planner since joining DVC last Dec. We booked for Oct in March or April, and a cruise for next spring at the same time. We are already discussing what we will do with our points that we get on Dec 1, 2008. Which will either get used for a vacation at xmas time 08 or Spring 09.

 

[iloveokw]

We have friends and family that LOVE our DVC but they cannot plan ahead - I've told them don't buy - you will end up being disappointed. That is still my opinion. We usually go Spring Break, Xmas to WDW and Vero and June to HH - we always book 11 months out. The times you think will be "slow" times will be very appealing to other members because of low point requirements. Just my two cents worth!

 

[dianeschlicht]

Shortest time making a reservation was less than 24 hours for a Labor Day ressie a few years ago.

I do agree with several other posters though, that flexible timeshare programs like DVC's does not lend itself well to last minute planning. The more DVC members there are, the less short term planning becomes possible. You should at the very least be able to make MOST of your ressies 7 months or more out to have your home resort advantage.

 

[WDW LifeLong Fan]

We've made reservations several times over the years on only "hours" of notice.

We are fortunate to be able to travel frequently and on short notice.

 

[Deb & Bill]

We were checking out of SSR that morning, had a tropical storm impacting our evening location and got BCV for that night. Moved out of SSR at 10, checked into BCV at 11 (but the room wasn't ready until 5).

This was a fluke because we had been trying to get BCV for months before this. I think they just worked a little magic on these added days.

If you can't regularly plan your vacation at least 6-7 months out, you will be disappointed if you are planning on Oct-Dec, Spring Break, marathon time, or any of the special room locations/types of villas.

If you will take any location, any room type, you probably could do it, but with no banking for the last four months of the use year (new Rule of Four), DVC might just start moving DVC availabiliity over to CRO three or four months out instead of just 60 days out.

 

[DebbieB]

I booked a Thursday night in a BCV studio about a week ahead in early Feb 2006. I had a business trip to Orlando and decided to spend an evening and the following day at Disney. Unfortunately, it rained the entire day (Friday).

 

[hibbsofep]

Thanks to all who replied to my question. While we do intend to plan as far out as possible, I just needed to know that short planning was still possible.

We signed up in Chicago today!!!

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

I was going to say I added Jan 3rd to my trip on Jan 2nd.

Anyway...hope it all works well for you. I only successfully did the 11 month window once....and that was this last New Year's. Otherwise I've wound up rescheduling for one reason or another.

 

[JudyS]

We are contemplating joining but still have a few questions. We are not big on planning vacations 6-12 months out. I have no problem being flexible where we stay as I'd like to try them all eventually and I know it depends on the time of year, etc. All that aside, what's the shortest amount of time anyone has been successful in booking their stay at a DVC property?

I think a lot depends on what type of unit you will want, and where you want to stay. If you want certain room types (Grand Villas, Boardwalk Standard view), it's pretty hopeless unless you can book early. On the other hand, one-bedrooms units seem to book up last, and SSR has the best availability.

Last Monday, I stayed at a studio at Beach Club for one night. I think I booked it about a week in advance.

 

[OKW Lover]

We've actually stayed with less than 1 hour advance reservation. Our flight home in February was over-booked so we volunteered to be bumped. This was about 3:30 pm. We got on the phone to MS and got ourselves a room that night (at BWV), rented a car, drove back to WDW and were checking in before 4:30.

But of course that isn't normal. We usually book anywhere from 2 months to 11 months ahead.

 

[owensamo]

We actually managed to do a reservation on points *at the desk*. We were driving down, and made better time than we had anticipated, so arrived a day early at around 5pm. It was a Saturday, and this was before MS was open on Saturdays, so we couldn't call to reserve the room. We went to the desk at OKW and they had a 1bdrm available for the night they let us have on points.

I realize now that they probably had to move mountains to get us the room on points for that night - if they'd said no, we would have tried All Stars or Pop, but they were amazing and got us a room and we moved right in for one night (moved the next day to a dedicated 2 bedrom) in the *perfect* location in building 15 or 16 near HH. We were kind of bummed we couldn't keep the room, but our Dedicated 2bdrm in Turtle Pond was nice too.

The next shortest was probably about 3 weeks out for Memorial Day this year. We got Fri-Sat easily at OKW, but had to move to AS-Music for Sunday night as there were no studios available for points anywhere.

Typically we reserve 7-11 months out, but we've been really lucky in getting reservations on shorter notice (well, except for the October trip during Hurricane Wilma where we ended up at PO-R on points).

Amanda

 

[DeeCee735]

3 nights out!!!!

Just now as a matter of fact. I originally had a studio at OKW for three nights coming in this Thursday 9/13. I called MS at 5:15 p.m. today and asked if they have any studio's at BWV for these 3 nights! Cast member asked me to hold for a moment and got back on with a YES!!! It is preferred view, so it cost me 8 more points than my original ressie at OKW, but I am more than happy to pay it, because BW is my home and where I prefer to be! I am travelling with my best friend, and we have Jellyrolls high on the list, so we are very happy that BW was available - this was a very spur of the moment inquiry! I'm so happy I got it!

Happy planning!

 

[crisi]

Thanks to all who replied to my question. While we do intend to plan as far out as possible, I just needed to know that short planning was still possible.

We signed up in Chicago today!!!

Make sure you understand how and when points expire and how to borrow. You need to bank all your points four months ahead or it becomes use them or lose them - if you can't get a room on short notice in the last four months of your use year with this years points, you'll be out the points.

I plan ahead, so I haven't thought this through, but I think you'd be better off banking those points right at four months and if you travel on short notice in those last four months, borrow the points from the next use year. Note that once borrowed, you can't return them and once banked they have to be used in the next year.

This has, I think, become especially important with the $95 fee for the Disney collection. Used to be that if members had points to use, wanted to take a last minute trip, and there wasn't availability at DVC resorts, members will book a Disney Collection resort - points were more expensive, but there was often availability when there wasn't within DVC. You can still do that, but now its more points AND $95 to do so.