What's happening? No DVC Resort availability December and January

[Ms.Minnie]

yes, in the last few years, unless you book THE FIRST day you can, you will get nothing for xmas, from last week of nov. to about dec 14th go almost as fast as when kids are out of school. so unless your booking the 11 months out forget a studio. I LOVE our DVC, however you really do have to plan and be willing to compromise.

I have to disagree with the above post. I waitlisted 10 months out for a studio at BWV for 12/2 through 12/7/18 and my waitlist came through about a week ago. I will say that I had pretty much given up hope that it would come through, I was pleasantly surprised when it did. Don't get me wrong, I am a major planner so DVC works very well for me and so far I have had very good luck with the waitlist function. I guess you just can't give up hope when waiting for that waitlist to come through...may the pixie dust fairy smile on all who are waiting....

 

[js]

Yay! Glad to hear you got it!! Was the WL for the same days you were able to pick up by stalking and just didn't pick it up? Or did you piece it together? I have a WL and am wondering how much I should be stalking v. relying on the WL, even for a single day

Thank you!

I did not have to piece it together and I had the same waitlist in for the same exact category. I refreshed ALL day. I would go in to work, get on my emails and then open up DVC in another browser and just hit refresh ALL day. ALL DAY. Then, yesterday morning I decided to take my ipad to work and did that while we were sitting around at lunch and that actually is when I was able to get my first one bedroom, but standard view. Then about 4:30 pm before I shut down at work, I saw full availability for my category, SSR one bedroom preferred view. I tried to modify my standard one bedroom ressie but it kept saying not available. I tried different browser and still saw all the dates. Left work, went to gym and came home and showered. Still saw both one bedroom categories available but still couldnt get it.

Sat on my couch with ipad and kept refreshing and it went through, got my confirmation email and its confirmed on MDE and DVC. Went and canceled my WL.

So, I would say to you stalk and dont wait for it to come just keep looking whenever you can as many times as you can. Start your search as you are ready to modify. I was nervous at first but it doesnt show you any button to cancel so that made me feel better, just went in as modifying and kept hitting refresh. If you go to search regular, you may see your day and have to get out of that screen then go to Dashboard and find your ressie and start to modify. By that thime, your day can be gone. I type that from experience lol I know for me, the most hardest dates to get are/were Fridays January 4 and January 11. When I looked after getting my ressie those Fridays are gone again. Dont just rely on the WL simce my stalking the week should have went to someone on the WL before me or should have went to me before being put up for grabs.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Can anyone please direct me to the General Availability thread?? Thank you! I will bookmark it.

 

[disneyeveryyear]

I understand the frustration of trying to book last minute (my life isn't conducive to this, but I know many people have much more flexibility).

I feel that in addition to the bungalows at CCV and Poly, the points at Aulani and HH create a lot of demand at WDW. If you look at the 60 day reservations, there are a lot of openings at Aulani and HH (off season). I think a lot of people bought at Aulani with the thought they could use them at WDW, leaving a lot of empty rooms at Aulani. The off season at HH is creating a lot of the opening there (in my opinion).

 

[JETSDAD]

Can anyone please direct me to the General Availability thread?? Thank you! I will bookmark it.

This one?

https://www.disboards.com/threads/p...-studios-1-bedrooms-june-2018-update.3689931/

 

[ljcrochet]

The system is designed for home resorts, everything else at 7 months is a crap shoot. For years the ownership was down so availability was better at 7 months. Now DVC is reaching the point that Disney designed, if you want availability, buy more home resorts.

Bill

I have owned since 2007 and have stayed at every resort except cooper creek which is my next trip. We never had an issue getting something,

yes, in the last few years, unless you book THE FIRST day you can, you will get nothing for xmas

Friday there was both studios and 1 bedrooms available at BLT and OKW for the friday night before Christmas.


My last 2 trips have been last minute. One we booked the night before the trip. We booked a 1 bedroom at BW, but did get "pixie dusted" to a 1 bedroom at VGF.
Next trip was booked less then 2 weeks out. We did have to do a split stay of one night at SSR and one night at wilderness lodge boulder ridge.

 

[crisi]

If you want to book at less than seven months, flexibility becomes key. And the closer you get to travel, the more flexible you'll need to be, and the less likely it is that even with ultimate flexibility you'll find anything.

Flexible might mean staying at a resort you don't want to stay at or staying at several resorts over the course of a trip. It might mean moving your dates by a week or two. It might mean a one bedroom instead of a studio. It might mean stalking the system to see if you can find what you want.

When other people say they've never had a problem - or that there is "nothing" available - you have to make sure you have the same definitions. Its quite possible for two people to look at the same availability and one to think there isn't a problem - because moving twice and staying in a one bedroom isn't a problem - and the other to say "nothing" is available - because there are not consecutive days in a studio.

DVC will get to 100% occupancy - more or less - that is how timeshares work. Its just a matter of how fast that happens. For some rooms - for some times of year - that's eleven months when MS opens. For some rooms/date combinations - there is a room available the day you decide to extend your trip a day. Its happening faster now for a variety of reasons - rentals probably have something to do with it - but so does the maturity of the system (once you get locked out because you didn't call early, you don't do that again), the ease of changing reservations and making provisional reservations with online booking, and the availability of information.

 

[bobbiwoz]

This one?

https://www.disboards.com/threads/p...-studios-1-bedrooms-june-2018-update.3689931/

Oh yes! Thank you! I was looking in the wrong forum!

 

[MikeyNS]

As a YAY ME, I *just* snagged a 1BR Standard at Bay Lake for our December trip.

 

[Ms.Minnie]

As a YAY ME, I *just* snagged a 1BR Standard at Bay Lake for our December trip.

Congratulations! Have a great time.

 

[js]

As a YAY ME, I *just* snagged a 1BR Standard at Bay Lake for our December trip.

Congratulations! What were your dates? I'm hoping to snag a last minute cancellation on a monorail resort for 5-6 nights but would LOVE a full week,
January 5-12. We come in on January 4, but thinking 8 nights will be a stretch so looking for the week of January 5-12.
Congratulations again. Did you keep looking on the RAT or just by chance looked and saw it.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Congratulations! What were your dates? I'm hoping to snag a last minute cancellation on a monorail resort for 5-6 nights but would LOVE a full week,
January 5-12. We come in on January 4, but thinking 8 nights will be a stretch so looking for the week of January 5-12.
Congratulations again. Did you keep looking on the RAT or just by chance looked and saw it.

That is going to be tough since that is Disney Marathon time (Jan 9-13).

 

[js]

That is going to be tough since that is Disney Marathon time (Jan 9-13).

Thanks. I know but I have seen a full week in a two bedroom at GFVs (didnt want to use the points since have a few trips planned) and last Thursday had six nights come up for BLT studio lake view but I was at work, started the process, then had to get up from my desk and leave my office to speak with someone and, poof, gone. Those were in last two weeks. I know it will be very rare, but I have the time at my desk all day at work, and if I happen to be on while someone cancels, Ill hopfully get it. Having the BLT slip through my fingers taught me stalking and confirming a ressie comes before leaving my office for work lol

But just one thing, I thought Marathon and races didnt start until January 12 What begins on January 9-11?

I need to be prepared. Thanks.

 

[LënuSëkahsëni]

But just one thing, I thought Marathon and races didnt start until January 12 What begins on January 9-11?

January 9th - Expo starts
January 10th - 5K
January 11th - 10K
January 12th - Half Marathon
January 13th - Marathon
https://www.rundisney.com/events/disneyworld/disneyworld-marathon-weekend/

 

[js]

January 9th - Expo starts
January 10th - 5K
January 11th - 10K
January 12th - Half Marathon
January 13th - Marathon
https://www.rundisney.com/events/disneyworld/disneyworld-marathon-weekend/

Thank you so much. I wasnt aware of this information. I guess I need to find out where these races begin/end and see if we will be affected by these races. Thanks sooo much!

 

[MikeyNS]

Congratulations! What were your dates? I'm hoping to snag a last minute cancellation on a monorail resort for 5-6 nights but would LOVE a full week,
January 5-12. We come in on January 4, but thinking 8 nights will be a stretch so looking for the week of January 5-12.
Congratulations again. Did you keep looking on the RAT or just by chance looked and saw it.

December 5-9th.
What helped: I grabbed a browser extension that would refresh my DVC booking search every 3 minutes through the day while at work. I'd randomly pop over to that window to see if anything had changed and lo-and-behold my dates were there (at a resort I didn't waitlist). It's funny to see how many random resort days pop up throughout the day and then disappear within minutes of becoming available. I'm assuming that's the waitlist kicking in as rooms are released.

 

[js]

December 5-9th.
What helped: I grabbed a browser extension that would refresh my DVC booking search every 3 minutes through the day while at work. I'd randomly pop over to that window to see if anything had changed and lo-and-behold my dates were there (at a resort I didn't waitlist). It's funny to see how many random resort days pop up throughout the day and then disappear within minutes of becoming available. I'm assuming that's the waitlist kicking in as rooms are released.

Congratlations!

What is a browser extension and can someone that is tech challenged use or make it?

I refresh ALL day at work and in evenings during week. Harder on weekends but today I was home. Yes, it is amusing to see various days come and go or three day be picked apart lol

By refreshing all day today, I saw five nights pop up inside my January 5-12 dates for BWVs one bedrrom pool/garden view. My dd-25 hasnt been in a while for a full week and we are currently staying at SSR one bedroom, preferred view. When I asked her about moving to BW area, she said she preferred SSR to have DTD in the evenings for drinks and dinner (she also was with us in September for two nights at BWVs). If she wasnt going with my mom and I, I would have snagged it but still hoping to find a last minute monorail cancellation.

Congrats again!

 

[LënuSëkahsëni]

Thank you so much. I wasnt aware of this information. I guess I need to find out where these races begin/end and see if we will be affected by these races. Thanks sooo much!

The Expo is at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
All the races start/finish in the EPCOT parking lot.
5K: Contained to EPCOT
10K: EPCOT -> Boardwalk -> Yacht and Beach Club -> EPCOT
Half: EPCOT -> TTC -> Contemporary -> Magic Kingdom -> Grand Floridian -> Polynesian -> EPCOT (Runners will still be in EPCOT when the parks open).
Full: EPCOT -> TTC -> Contemporary -> Magic Kingdom -> Grand Floridian -> Polynesian -> Animal Kingdom -> Wide World of Sports -> Hollywood Studios -> EPCOT (Runners will still be in Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studio, and EPCOT when the parks open).

This is all based on past race weekends, I haven't looked to see what course changes were made for this year.

 

[tjls]

Have been waitlisted for about 6 mos. for a BCV studio for New Year's Eve, Dec.31. Have Dec. 30 booked, as well as Jan 1-6 for DD and some friends. if anyone is going to be releasing that night due to change of plans, please let me know. There is no availability for a studio anywhere on property for that night. TIA

 

[MikeyNS]

Congratlations!

What is a browser extension and can someone that is tech challenged use or make it?

I refresh ALL day at work and in evenings during week. Harder on weekends but today I was home. Yes, it is amusing to see various days come and go or three day be picked apart lol

By refreshing all day today, I saw five nights pop up inside my January 5-12 dates for BWVs one bedrrom pool/garden view. My dd-25 hasnt been in a while for a full week and we are currently staying at SSR one bedroom, preferred view. When I asked her about moving to BW area, she said she preferred SSR to have DTD in the evenings for drinks and dinner (she also was with us in September for two nights at BWVs). If she wasnt going with my mom and I, I would have snagged it but still hoping to find a last minute monorail cancellation.

Congrats again!

Just google "Chrome Page Refresh Extension" (or FireFox). The one I installed was simply called "Page Refresh" and I can select a time anywhere between 2 seconds - 30 minutes. I found 2-3 minutes is fine so the site doesn't time-out.