Why can SSR owners book other DVC resorts...

[stacy6552]

Yes there are corisponding units at SSR. They are available to all non-ssr owners equally on Feb4. They arent going to vanish into thin air between now and Feb.

If an BCV member cant get OKW today and wants SSR as a second choice, they merely have to call back. Yes that an inconvenience, but nothing more. Because no other non-SSR get priority over him.

 

[SharonS]

Stacy, as I understand your point, you don't think it would be fair for an OKW owner to book BCV now for a June trip, and you potentially to have to wait until February to do so solely because you are an SSR owner because June is within the 7 month window. OK, I will buy that.

However, based on that logic, then since SSR is opening within the 7 month window, bookings should have been made available to everyone (SSR owners as well as all other DVC owners) on the same date.

Otherwise, if SSR owners were to be given a 'priority' booking window at their resort (Dec, Jan), then they should have only been allowed to book there. This is how the system functions during a normal 11 month priority window. 8-11 months out, you may only book at your resort. Doing this for SSR owners during Dec,Jan and not allowing them to book other resorts would have mirrored the current system, and been fairer to all DVC owners.

 

[stacy6552]

Wait a minute. I own at SSR. why shouldn't I get a priority booking window at my home resort? Everyone else did.

At the BCV, the owners had a priority booking window, and then the resort opened up to all other DVC members, equally. The only members who get priority booking there are BCV members. No other member should get priority over anyone else.

The same goes for all other resorts.

When the SSR window opens, it will open to eveyone equally, as it should. To have SSR members book later than other non-owner members is not to treat them equally.

 

[Terry S]

Actually Stacy. You are not correct. When BCV first started taking reservations on March 6th, it was already within the 7th month window of the opening date so on that day all DVC members were able to make reservations at BCV. It really stank to have to compete with everyone to get a reservation at my home resort, but those are the DVC guidelines that we all agreed to.

 

[stacy6552]

You're right Terry. That did stink. Why shouldn't Disney try to improve upon the process.

Anyway, I think I've finally broken this down. Disney should have found a fair and equatable solution to the short term booking problem at SSR. So here's the way Disney set it up this time....

I called in Dec to book my trip at SSR, my home resort, at my first opportunity. Had the resort been booked up, it would have been booked by other SSR owners. Would this have been the same set of circumstances had my booking window opened at the regular 11 mos mark? Yes.

If Terry, a BCV owner, calls on Feb 4, at her first opportunity to book at SSR and it is booked solid. Then it is booked by SSR owners. Are these the same set of circumstances if she were to call at her first opportunity at the regular 7 mos mark? Yes.

Now lets put the shoe on the other foot and try the other ways:

(SSR opens to all members across the board with regular booking windows) I, an SSR owner, call in Dec at my first opportunity and the resort is booked by all kinds of members. Are these the same set of circumstances if I had been given the 11mos window? No.

(SSR opens to SSR members for booking in Dec and SSR members cannot book anywhere else until Feb 4) I call Feb 4, to book a trip at BCV in June. The resort is booked by all kinds of members. Are these the same circumstances that would have existed if I had called at my first opportunity at the 7mos window? No.

 

[FriendsOfEeyore]

Originally posted by stacy6552


(SSR opens to SSR members for booking in Dec and SSR members cannot book anywhere else until Feb 4) I call Feb 4, to book a trip at BCV in June. The resort is booked by all kinds of members. Are these the same circumstances that would have existed if I had called at my first opportunity at the 7mos window? No.

At the 7 month, you never know what is going to be available. The answer "No", could be incorrect. But the point is... As an SSR member, you should have NO RIGHT to the 7 month window to begin with. If there is no availability on Feb 4th for June at BCV, Tough Luck! Stay at your own resort where could have booked with your 2 month priority. I am sorry, but that is how a lot of us feel. If you have nothing to offer in exchange for booking someone else's resort (SSR is not available to anyone but SSR), then you should not be allowed to book. Because under the normal 7 month window, you be offering SSR to all other owners.

Most DVCers will book their own resort during Home Priority and then attempt to exchange to another at 7 month, if that is where they really want to stay. Otherwise, if there is no availibility at another resort, you go to your home resort.

The other part that is terrible about this, is there are two very busy holidays involved in this booking advantage for SSR members. Memorial Day and the 4th of July, not to mention Member Homecoming!

I know that we have been over this like 1000 times. SSR owners should not have given full rights to all DVC properties. SSR owners should have only been to book their own resort with a 2 month priority over other DVC members. This was an improvement over BCV. DVC went beyond what is deemed to be fair.

I know that you want the 7 month window to other resorts, but you know what... You Shouldn't have gotten it until others could book your resort.

End of story.

 

[stacy6552]

So even though booking on Feb 4th yields the same results for all non-ssr owners, trying to book there, you want to change the process for SSR owners, which does potentially yield a different result for them, just because?

wow what a welcome to the neighborhood.

 

[inky dinky doo]

Stacy,

I very much understand what you are saying. However, all of the examples you offer talk only about the impact on SSR owners. What you need to remember is that DVC also has an obligation to the other 80,000 owners (a number I think someone offered) of other DVC resorts.

This is just a friendly suggestion, but perhaps if you pretended you already owned somewhere else and then played out the different booking scenarios, you might understand the POTENTIAL problems Dean and others have described. And if that doesn't work, perhaps you'll understand on down the road when another new resort opens and you're standing in our shoes.

The problem is not simply one of who books when at SSR or how SSR members are affected. It's much broader than that.

In friendship,

Pat

 

[FriendsOfEeyore]

It not changing a process.

Look at this example.

It is June 2004, you want to buy into DVC. You buy SSR (which is mythically completed - meaning all units are available). You decide that you want to go the first week of December for your 1st trip home. Guess what, you are past 11 months, you are past 7 months, and there is no availability at your home or any other resort. You are out of luck and can't go. This is the same process that EVERY new member of DVC potentially faces at any point in time.

You would be a new member joining a "process" that has been ongoing for 13 years. You wouldn't expect them to change the rules for you then, would you?

If so, well then that is just unrealistic. Like I said a couple days ago, wait for Eagle Pines and then maybe you will understand.

 

[Terry S]

Edward and Pat both make good points. SSR membes are new members that bought at a resort not yet complete and therefore they were unable to stay there. That was one of the reasons they were given the $10 off incentive without the Magical Beginnings to make up for that. Same thing went for BCV, those bought during the construction were given a $5 off incentive without magical beginnings.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I have read this thread, even though it doesn't really apply to me. Perhaps I can be an impartial judge, since I don't intend to book at SSR or need to.

I think it is best summed up by Sharon:
"Otherwise, if SSR owners were to be given a 'priority' booking window at their resort (Dec, Jan), then they should have only been allowed to book there. This is how the system functions during a normal 11 month priority window. 8-11 months out, you may only book at your resort. Doing this for SSR owners during Dec,Jan and not allowing them to book other resorts would have mirrored the current system, and been fairer to all DVC owners."

It is definately unfair to allow SSR owners to book at ALL resorts when they are within their own priority booking period. Not sure why DVC did it this way this time, but I suspect it was to make it sound like a good deal to those folks who wanted to buy in and didn't realize they could do resale to get the resort they really wanted if it was sold out by Disney. This was probably a sales ploy.

 

[stacy6552]

Actually, Inky, I did address other members., but I will repeat it.

The way it is set up now, all non-ssr members have the opportunity to book at SSR on Feb 4th. On that day, one of two things will happen. Either non-ssr owners will be able to book their trip, or they wont because SSR owners have filled it. These results are no different that if someone called on the first day of the 7mos window.

NO harm. NO foul. NO reason to change it and take something away from someone else.

 

[FriendsOfEeyore]

Uh Stacy, I think that you still do not get it, and therefore probably never will.

It must be the in you that thinks that you get something for free.

Sorry, but you do have the pirate face in you sig line, so I needed to go there...

 

[Terry S]

My opinion is

1) normal 7 month, 11 month guidelines should have been in place for SSR bookings and SSR owners

or

2) if SSR were given this home resort booking prioritory then it should have been treated as such and they should not have been able to book at any other resort during this home resort booking, just like normal guideline.

 

[inky dinky doo]

I agree, Terry!

Originally posted by stacy6552
The way it is set up now, all non-ssr members have the opportunity to book at SSR on Feb 4th. On that day, one of two things will happen. Either non-ssr owners will be able to book their trip, or they wont because SSR owners have filled it. These results are no different that if someone called on the first day of the 7mos window.

As I said, Stacy, I wish you could look beyond the particular example you keep giving and try to see it from another point of view. The problem is much broader than your example. In fact, the example you gave isn't even what I was talking about.

By allowing SSR members to make reservations at other resorts when they have nothing to trade (remember, SSR isn't open, yet), DVC is unfair to everyone (except new SSR owners) -- even to those like me and dianeschlicht and Dean, who have no desire to stay at SSR.

I'm not going to argue with you, though, and I hope you don't take my comments personally. You are not responsible for this (poor) decision made by DVC. You're just the beneficiary.

Pat

 

[Terry S]

Pat, that is another thing I agree with you about. I am certainly not angry with any SSR owners, it is not their fault that DVC made a bad decision. I will welcome home SSR owners just like anyone else.

By the way, I have no intention of booking SSR either.

 

[DrTomorrow]

Originally posted by dianeschlicht
Not sure why DVC did it this way this time, but I suspect it was to make it sound like a good deal to those folks who wanted to buy in and didn't realize they could do resale to get the resort they really wanted if it was sold out by Disney. This was probably a sales ploy.

Disclaimer: I'm a new SSR owner, and I believe that we did get an unfair advantage; but I didn't use it.

That being said, Diane, do you really think that most DVC first-time purchasers - and most DVC Guides - are smart enough to understand this advantage, or explain it? I've been following this thread, and it took me several readings, a protractor, a digital-analog converter and an astrolabe to finally understand it. I don't know if someone off.the.street could understand the benefit.

My personal guess is that this didn't even occur to DVC planners until it was too late - or until FriendsOfEeyore started this thread!

 

[SSRex]

I am another new SSR owner and I understood and followed the rules as they were spelled out very clearly on posts in this forum.

I called first thing December 1st and secured a reservation at my home resort, SSR, for July 11-16.

I thought about it for 2 weeks and would have been very happy to stay at SSR, but thought this may be the year to have the best chance to get into another resort also.

My logic was that it will only get harder in future years and also maybe a few existing resort members might want to try out SSR.

So, I called on January 15 & they had the first 4 nights I needed at BCV and I cancelled my SSR resevation. I had to also call the following day to get the fifth and final day.

It was 20 more points for the 5 night at BCV instead of SSR and that is where my worries ended. Was it fair? That was not of my concern and I should in no way be blamed for following the rules.

Everything I know about DVC I learned reading the threads here.
Based on that, I know that if a BCV owner wanted my BCV room, they would have taken before the 7 month window opened and if another resort owner wanted it, they had the same opportunity to call at 7 months as I had. I had no advantage over anyone else to get my 2 bedroom villa at BCV at 7 months.

I did open up a 2 bedroom villa for someone else at SSR that all non-SSR owners will have an equal shot at getting on February 4.

I have read the entire thread over the last few days, all 10 pages and I never felt that this was an attack on SSR or me as an SSR owner that took advantage of what was available to me.

Many have said that I will understand their point of view when Eagle Pines or the next DVC resort opens. I doubt it, because I plan on buying there also and will follow whatever the rules are there at that time.

Thank you for some very interesting reading and all of the helpful knowedge I have learned from many of you over the past months.

 

[madonna31]

That being said, Diane, do you really think that most DVC first-time purchasers - are smart enough to understand this advantage

I don't know who Diane is; but I wanted to answer this question.

No; we are not smart enough at all. I just purchased DVC at SSR for the very first time this past Monday while in WDW.

We may not be *smart* - but some of us know how to use these Dis boards; thus as a result of this thread; I am smart enough to understand this advantage now.

I have NEVER ventured to this area of the Dis - just came here to learn a bit more about DVC. Thanks for the tip!

 

[FriendsOfEeyore]

I have said all it along, do whatever you can to secure a trip home. If you are an SSR member, then by all means exercise the rights DVD/DVC gave you. While, I have no current intentions of staying SSR in the near future (I bought where I wanted to spend most of my vacations), I may have exercised whatever rights were granted to me when I made the decision to buy.

If you have learned about an opportunity to book someplace other than SSR because of this thread, then by means take advantage of that. It is your given by DVC.

For those that I want to cancel their non-SSR ressies.. No Way. You played by the rules.

I am sitting there one night thinking about DVC and all the properties and it came to me that was in mind, an unequitable situation. So I thought, I would ask my DIS DVC Neighbors. rEad my original post... I think I asked it I was misunderstanding something.

As it turns out, no I was not. DVC made a mistake. If they read these boards, they hopefully will correct it going forward. There is nothing that they could do retoractively that I would support.

Edward