YIKES!!! Does DVC really book up this fast?

[crisi]

I feel your pain, we closed a couple weeks ago and I asked our "guide" repeatedly how many issues we would have booking the 7 month window, of course the answer was no problems at all. Now almost all of the resorts are free except for a couple of days. I am always asking myself how a hotel gets totally booked one random wednesday during the week ;-)

One thing to remember - DVC is a timeshare, not a hotel. They sold enough points for the resorts to be fully occupied all the time - except for maintenance. If any room is available the day of, it means someone isn't using their points.

Members come and go at all points during the week. A lot of members use DVC for partial weeks or a night or two in addition to a cruise, so if the cruise leaves on Saturday and returns Wednesday, they book Friday night, then Wednesday through Friday when they return. Or in addition to a stay at Universal, or a visit to the beach, or a stay at Grandmas.

When the system is working at capacity, at 11 months every room is available. The day you check in, no rooms are left (well, one or two might be held for maintenance so if a toilet breaks....). Very often there ARE rooms available last minute - members cancel, they don't use their points and few points expire - but that is your fellow members not using their points - not Disney having more capacity than they sold. At what pace you go from 100% available to 100% booked depends on the time of year, the resort and the room type.

 

[delmar411]

The pools at SSR are wonderful for small children. There are actually three themed pools with water play areas - the Springs, the Paddock and the Grandstand. And there are also small animals walking around the resort - birds, squirrels, etc (native animals, not zoo animals) for the kids to watch.

My kids LOVE the SSR pools and splash areas. And I would find a way to make sure we aren't moving before I'd take a trip. Relocating rooms once sucks, let alone 3x!

 

[Tamar]

I never thought I'd be planning vacations 11 months in advance, but that's just what we do now. It's worth it, and those trips that aren't planned that far in advance but that work out are gravy.

 

[Anal Annie]

Thank you all for the replies! I didnt mean to come off too picky. I thought I had the option to be a little picky based on what I was previously told about Disney down times. But it's OK, I still love you Disney!! Now I understand that booking at 11 then 7 is KEY! I'll be sure to book soon for my next year vacation in April.
As for the weeks in May still available, I appreciate some of you finding weeks available at SSR, but we have to small boys (1,3, and a little girl on the way, OMG!!!!) and were really hoping to stay at the AKL because of the animals and the sweet splash park area! Again, thanks so much for the DVC booking insight.

Don't discount the SSR pools!! I actually think they may be better than AKV's. We prefer Jambo to Kidani and the splash area is at Kidani...but like Deb said, the pools at SSR are plentiful and they also have splash play areas and the main pools are zero entry which is what you'd want with toddlers. We really liked the Grandstand area of SSR (first bus stop and great pool). You can always try for AKV on a future trip. Your kiddos are young enough they won't really "get it" with either resort.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Don't discount the SSR pools!! I actually think they may be better than AKV's. We prefer Jambo to Kidani and the splash area is at Kidani...but like Deb said, the pools at SSR are plentiful and they also have splash play areas and the main pools are zero entry which is what you'd want with toddlers. We really liked the Grandstand area of SSR (first bus stop and great pool). You can always try for AKV on a future trip. Your kiddos are young enough they won't really "get it" with either resort.

And to a one and three year old, a bunny is almost as good as a zebra.

 

[wehavesix]

I never thought I'd be planning vacations 11 months in advance, but that's just what we do now. It's worth it, and those trips that aren't planned that far in advance but that work out are gravy.

Heck, we just booked a cruise that's over 13 months out. As soon as the 11 month window opens we will add our DVC reservations for before and after the cruise. But I know what you mean. Pre DVC we didn't plan this far in advance either.

 

[Mjkre]

Without any hesitation, I would book at OKW or SSR with young children. At SSR in particular, the Paddock area has a completely fenced in feature zero entry pool with slide and a fenced in water playground with splash area and tiny slides for the younger set. Containment with young ones is key in my book. Also, you then can take a short walk over to the main Springs area pool, across a bridge with cool turtles and fish. Your kids will love this part. And then at the main area, there is a large feature pool with a great slide, zero entry pool. Or choose the Grandstand area, with a pool plus water cannons for the kids. Congress park has a pool but it has no unique features for kids per se. The only area I would ask not to be in is the Carousel area. No pool, no fun. OKW's pool is also a blast with a sand play area right next to the pool with some kid friendly items. Great slide also. Zero entry pool. Don't get me wrong, I understand the pull of the animals at AK! But the pools are all fantastic at OKW and SSR.

 

[LJD2143]

And to a one and three year old, a bunny is almost as good as a zebra.

 

[OldGrizzly57]

Finally we are proud owners of DVC! We have been anxiously awaiting this moment for over a month now. So of course the first thing I do is see what options I have at booking a resort in May. Ah! No openings for a full week. So we ended up splitting our stay between three resorts.

When you get inside 30 days to your travel date call MS (can't go online to accomplish this) and explain what you have booked. Tell them what your preferred resort is and ask them if they can help with getting you booked for the entire stay at that resort. If they say no wait a few days and try again. Keep at it until your travel date.

You may have no success or you may get exactly what you want. As you get closer to your travel date there is a possibility the villas can be "reallocated" from either cash inventory or is some cases "renovation" inventory. Doesn't always work but a surprising number of times you can get something last minute. It helps that you are travelling in May as this is not a peak travel time for cash reservations.

Good Luck!

Griz

 

[wishicouldgomoreofte]

When you get inside 30 days to your travel date call MS (can't go online to accomplish this) and explain what you have booked. Tell them what your preferred resort is and ask them if they can help with getting you booked for the entire stay at that resort. If they say no wait a few days and try again. Keep at it until your travel date.

You may have no success or you may get exactly what you want. As you get closer to your travel date there is a possibility the villas can be "reallocated" from either cash inventory or is some cases "renovation" inventory. Doesn't always work but a surprising number of times you can get something last minute. It helps that you are travelling in May as this is not a peak travel time for cash reservations.

Good Luck!

Griz

Really!?! I never heard that before. Boy, I wish I had known that, before moving on several trips, last Aug especially. I hope I can remember it for my next trip. Have you done this?

 

[bobbiwoz]

And to a one and three year old, a bunny is almost as good as a zebra.

This was certainly the case with our DGC at VB!

 

[OldGrizzly57]

Really!?! I never heard that before. Boy, I wish I had known that, before moving on several trips, last Aug especially. I hope I can remember it for my next trip. Have you done this?

Personal experience!

I know others this has worked for also.

Griz

 

[crisi]

When you get inside 30 days to your travel date call MS (can't go online to accomplish this) and explain what you have booked. Tell them what your preferred resort is and ask them if they can help with getting you booked for the entire stay at that resort. If they say no wait a few days and try again. Keep at it until your travel date.

You may have no success or you may get exactly what you want. As you get closer to your travel date there is a possibility the villas can be "reallocated" from either cash inventory or is some cases "renovation" inventory. Doesn't always work but a surprising number of times you can get something last minute. It helps that you are travelling in May as this is not a peak travel time for cash reservations.

Good Luck!

Griz

At some point as well, the waitlist stops working automatically, but with thousands of rooms, people do continue to cancel when they get sick, break a leg, have a relative die - right up to the travel date. So its often possible to have more luck within 30 days than at 45.

 

[Deb & Bill]

When you get inside 30 days to your travel date call MS (can't go online to accomplish this) and explain what you have booked. Tell them what your preferred resort is and ask them if they can help with getting you booked for the entire stay at that resort. If they say no wait a few days and try again. Keep at it until your travel date.

You may have no success or you may get exactly what you want. As you get closer to your travel date there is a possibility the villas can be "reallocated" from either cash inventory or is some cases "renovation" inventory. Doesn't always work but a surprising number of times you can get something last minute. It helps that you are travelling in May as this is not a peak travel time for cash reservations.

Good Luck!

Griz

But if the new resort takes fewer points than the one you have already booked, any left over points become holding points and must be used before the end of the use year. They cannot be banked.

 

[Dean]

Finally we are proud owners of DVC! We have been anxiously awaiting this moment for over a month now. So of course the first thing I do is see what options I have at booking a resort in May. Ah! No openings for a full week. So we ended up splitting our stay between three resorts. Not exactly what I was hoping for, but better than the alternative. Slightly bummed about the setup, I researched rooms available at 7 months out. Just about everything seems to be booked. So I tried booking in September (down time for Disney) and still have issues with unavailable 1 bedroom or 2 bedroom options. Am I doing something wrong or is it nearly impossible to book a room for a week outside of the 11 month range of ur home resort? Before buying I was told by multiple Disney employees that booking during offseason isn't a problem. Is there a secret to getting a week at a 1 or 2 bedroom preferred view resort? Please say yes!!!! Any suggestions are appreciated.

IMO DVC members have enjoyed unexpected availability but it is getting slowly tighter over the past 3 years or so and will likely cont to get worse for about 1-2 more years. After that it should stabilize as long as they are no new lower demand resorts. The FW option may play into this and may further the pressure on other resorts. Some may think this will only affect the 7 month availability but as more and more owners are unsuccessful at their home resort, this will push them back toward the 11 mo window. So every new resort that is lower demand than the high demand resorts will make it worse. Unfortunately it doesn't go the other way, a high demand resort (GF, BLT) has little impact on the other resorts or the 7 mo window.

 

[Curtmo00]

Update on our reservations! Now instead of 2 days at Jambo 2 days at Kidani and 3 days at SSR we now have 4 days at Kidani and 3 at Boardwalk. It's actually been kind of fun checking the website everyday anticipating rooms that may have come available. It's turned into a nightly ritual. Who knows, by vacation day 1 we may have a week at Baylake Towers!! JK. Still hoping that Savannah view opens up but we're getting more and more excited about what we have now.
We'll be flying and have entertained the idea of using Garden Grocers. Anyone use them before? Good experience, bad experience?

 

[WsPrincess]

Update on our reservations! Now instead of 2 days at Jambo 2 days at Kidani and 3 days at SSR we now have 4 days at Kidani and 3 at Boardwalk. It's actually been kind of fun checking the website everyday anticipating rooms that may have come available. It's turned into a nightly ritual. Who knows, by vacation day 1 we may have a week at Baylake Towers!! JK. Still hoping that Savannah view opens up but we're getting more and more excited about what we have now.
We'll be flying and have entertained the idea of using Garden Grocers. Anyone use them before? Good experience, bad experience?

Glad you are down to 2 resorts and good luck with the savannah view! We used Garden Grocer our last trip and had no problems at all. Everything was there and waiting for us as soon as we checked in!

 

[BrerNashville]

Someone may have mentioned this, but if you bought direct through Disney, your guide may be able to help you get that first reservation -- they have the ability to pull from inventory not generally available for points. Not sure how long ago you closed, but it may be worth a call.

 

[BUDDYBEAR]

good luck some time we have problem at 7 months

 

[bwang123]

Someone may have mentioned this, but if you bought direct through Disney, your guide may be able to help you get that first reservation -- they have the ability to pull from inventory not generally available for points. Not sure how long ago you closed, but it may be worth a call.

When we bought direct, our guide found us two days at the end of our trip at BLT during Spring Break. I want to say we bought on March 13 and BLT reservation was for March 15 and 16. At check-in we were even given a choice of floors and chose the 16th, right next to Top Of the World. It was odd that they were able to pull those so close in peak season.