When Do DVC Owners Visit?

[Bubbleboy]

I’ve just purchased at BCV and have become an avid reader of this forum. In reading the many posts, I’m a little confused when DVC owners travel to their resorts.
Because of the higher point requirements during the Dream And Magic Seasons, I was under the impression that this was the time of the year when most DVC owners use their points. From reading several of the posts it sounds like this may not be the case. It appears that DVC owners use their points during Adventure and Choice seasons to maximize their yearly allotment. Is this true?
If this is the case, why are the point values so high during the Dream and Magic Seasons? Is this Disney’s way of discouraging DVC owners from using their points during this time of the year so that they can fill these units up with cash paying customers at Peak Season rates?

 

[DebbieB]

The DVC seasons roughly correspond to WDW's attendance, with Easter & Christmas being the highest attendance. Cash rooms are also the highest during this time. January, September and early December are slow at WDW, although early December is getting more busy. These times are value season for cash rooms. Dream and Magic seasons correspond to WDW's regular season & peak season room rates.

We go in May and early December, so Dream & Adventure seasons. I know that early December is very popular with DVC'ers with the lowest points & all the Christmas activities. I just hope they don't move those dates into choice season if they ever do a redistribution of points.

The only way they could fill the rooms with cash customers is if they are left 60 days prior. They cannot rent points rooms before then.

 

[Bubbleboy]

Does this mean it is more difficult to get your request during Adventure and Choice seasons, since more DVC owners are traveling at this time?

 

[CarolMN]

DVC owners actually visit all year long. The objective of DVC is to "price" the days/seasons/unit sizes in such a manner that demand is spread as equally as possible throught the entire year. (I like to think of it in the same manner as handicapping a horse race. There, the objective is to have the horses finish in a tie and it is done by varying the amount of weight each horse is required to carry). IMHO, DVC has done/continues to do a good job of spreading out the demand. If it didn't, there would be a LOT more complaints than I believe there currently are re not being able to get a desired reservation.

Except for a small percentage (approximately 4%), members own the DVC resorts. Most of the rooms rented out for cash are to "pay" for trades that members have made to those resorts in The Conceirge Collection, The Adventurer Collection or the The Disney Collection. Thus, there is no incentive for Disney to try to keep the summer months available for cash rentals.

Anyway, many DVC members do like to visit WDW in the Adventure and Choice seasons. IMHO, this is in large part due to the lower points requirements. There are a few times of the year (and/or a few room types) that it will be necessary to reserve your room as close to the 11 month window as possbile to ensure getting a reservation. This is not the case for EVERY day and/or every room type in the Adventure or Choice seasons.

In general, Grand Villas (OKW & BWV) and standard view rooms (BWV) seem to be the most difficult to book in any season. Again, in general at the WDW DVC resorts, the first two weeks of December, the week between Christmas and New Year's, the two weeks surrounding Easter and President's Week seem to be the more difficult times of the year to book.

My comments are for the WDW resorts - patterns at VB and HHI are no doubt different.

HTH.

 

[Bubbleboy]

CarolMN, thank-you for your explination. I love your race horse analogy. It make sense to me now. I am a new owner at BCV and am just learning the DVC ropes. Thanks again.

 

[DaveH]

Bubbleboy, welcome to the DIS and the DVC board. I think what you will find here is alot of empty nesters like myself and my DW. So we have a tendency to not want to go to WDW when it is hot and crowded. There are plenty of DVCers who have kids and can only go during the peak times. The first week of Dec has started to become popular even for non DVCers because of less crowds and Christmas stuff is up and going on. In addition last year and this year there is a convention for this site there. I am new to DVC we bought one year ago. I think you can get something at anytime of the year. It may be harder at certain times.

 

[Granny]

Bubbleboy....

Another welcome to the DIS boards!

And to add a little comment, I think DVC owners may have a little different visiting skew than the other WDW visitors, but on the whole the same time periods are in relatively high demand.

We have two elementary school aged children, so our vacations tend to be in the summer. However, I can see that when we are empty nested, we would look to go during less hot times and less crowded times.

But on the whole, our times to visit are not really driven by point costs but by the time we have available to us as a family.

 

[Bubbleboy]

I can see that my travel times will change over time. Currently my DS is 1 and we can travel pretty much anytime my DW and I can get the time off from work. Since we live in the Northeast we like the idea of traveling in the fall. The temps are starting to get a little cool here, the weather is still nice in FL and the point values are lower at WDW. In the future our travel plans will be dictated by our DS and his school breaks. DVC does offer lots of flexibility for us.