How hard to book DVC resorts?

[disneydreamingdebby]

We are preparing to join DVC:

I would love to hear feedback from current DVC members regarding:

Summer (late June/ July/ early August) Reservations:
(1) how hard is it to secure a reservation at your home resort 11 months out?
(2)a different dvc resort 7 months out?
(3)any dvc resort 4 months out?

I am a teacher, and my husband can't confirm vacation dates until 4 or 5 months before. '

Thanks!

 

[disneynutz]

We booked a studio 6 months ago for next week and the only thing available was OKW and SSR. We have been on a waiting list at BCV for 6 months and nothing came through.

 

[DebbieB]

Last year we were able to get AKV Concierge 1 bedroom at 7 months for late June. This year I got AKV Kidani studio at 7 months for mid-June. You should not have a problem at 11 months for that time, 7 months depends on the resort & room type. 4 months is iffy, OKW & SSR are usually available.

I would book a "best guess" by 7 months and then try to work with it.

 

[Sandisw]

We were able to book our AKV studio in April for 1st week of August (4 months out). We then were able to change to BWV in June (2 months out).

This was our first DVC stay so I don't know if I was lucky or its typical but it is obviously possible.

We are here now and have stayed BWV, BLT, and just checked in to VWL for our last 3 nights. BLT is FABULOUS and I will always book there at 11 months, but VWL is taking a close 2nd and I love what I have seen so far its possible split stays may be a yearly thing (did three this time so we could try things out).

 

[vladimir10]

We were able to get a 2 bdr savanah view mid april for a September 19th visit, for a week, at Jambo house, first call.

 

[chalee94]

I am a teacher, and my husband can't confirm vacation dates until 4 or 5 months before. '

it's very rarely difficult to get your home resort at exactly 11 months out (AKV concierge and anything at the smaller resorts on NYE are exceptions).

but IMO you're probably not ideal timeshare people. you will probably generally be disappointed with DVC and other timeshares in general. it might work out some of the time, but generally speaking, timeshares work better if you can plan well in advance.

if you are determined to give it a shot, look for a cheap OKW or SSR resale, as they are less expensive and have relatively lower annual dues. the difference between being able to get something at exactly 7 months and at 6 1/2 months is often going to be significant IMO.

 

[disneydreamingdebby]

Thank you everyone who has shared thus far. (Thanks mod for moving my thread to the right spot...)

Charles, I appreciate your thoughful response. I am a ridiculous planner and not nailing down dates/ plans in advance drives me nuts. However, with time, my husband will be able to determine vacation dates sooner.

I guess the heart of my question is as follows:

Is it ever likely that I would book in February and NOT be able to secure a reservation for one week for end of June, July or beginning of August at any DVC property?

My husband and I have preferences certainly, but seem positives and negatives in all resorts. I would prefer to buy at the resort we like the most, so for the future we can book far enough in advance to stay there.

 

[hakepb]

I am thinking that, other than 4th of July week , you should be fine getting a WDW DVC unit somewhere. (I know I did a Sat-Tue Mid-July SSR studio last year with a few weeks notice, but SSR was the only resort with all those dates...)

You would have to prepare yourself to be flexible in terms of Resort (OKW and SSR most likely) and unit (Studio or 1BR) and possibly moving resorts or unit sizes mid-trip. Many people are not that flexible which is why DVC is usually not recommended. Plus short-planning negates benefits of home resort ownership (11 month booking window)

You may want to try buying half your yearly points resale for OKW or SSR. Since you can borrow points you could use your DVC every other year and make sure it is working for you before buying more...

 

[nifferearly]

Other than our upcoming THV stay, I've never booked anything at 11 months. We've owned for 2 years and always book at 7 months or less. I've stayed at all the WDW resorts (with BLT coming in the fall). We just booked a trip for 3 nights starting on 8/22. Booked less than 3 weeks ago and options were OKW, SSR and VWL (that was probably a fluke but I was happy to take it). We love all the resorts for different reasons, so we don't get too worried about what options are available. I figure it forces me to get some variety in my life!

 

[Deb & Bill]

It's getting more difficult to get lots of times as the number of DVC members continues to grow. There is more competition for preferred times and locations, leaving the less preferred times and locations vacant.

If you have any idea of the time of year you want to book, it's a good idea to go ahead and book at your home resort at 11 months out.

 

[disneynutz]

You are going to spend a lot of money on your membership and it doesn't make sense to have to settle for anything other than your favorite resort.

Granted many will post that they have had success getting what they want, when they want it and although they mean well, they may be setting you up for a disappointment. Just because they have had good luck booking, doesn't mean that you will, and it is luck.

As additional members are added to the mix, the best resorts and the best times of year will become nearly impossible to get. The wait list rules have been changed once this year by the DVC, who knows if there will even be a wait list in the future.

My advice still stands, buy where you love to stay.

 

[deana20000]

We are preparing to join DVC:

I would love to hear feedback from current DVC members regarding:

Summer (late June/ July/ early August) Reservations:
(1) how hard is it to secure a reservation at your home resort 11 months out?
(2)a different dvc resort 7 months out?
(3)any dvc resort 4 months out?

I am a teacher, and my husband can't confirm vacation dates until 4 or 5 months before. '

Thanks!

Very hard to get reservations The last couple of years there has been no availability for me and DVC takes my points. I feel they have oversold the resorts. I have tried all months. I understand not available but they will take your points . I have banked points and then still can't get reservations

 

[siren0119]

We're also preparing to become DVC owners and one thing I have noticed (and we are preparing for) is that the TYPE of room you will book most often matters as much as where and when you are booking.

We had someone try to sell us on purchasing enough points to get a value room. Then I started reading about how few of those there actually are, and how difficult they are to get. We are adjusting our points target to accommodate either a 1 bedroom, or a room with a preferred view to increase our chances of getting what we want when we want it.

I will say that ALL the advice we have gotten has include to buy at the resort you would like to stay at most often. Home resort advantage matters, especially if you know that in the near future you'll be able to plan more in advance. These contracts are decades long, and if you know you'll have more advance notice in the next 5 years for vacation time I'd choose a resort with the long term in mind.

The time frame you're talking about tends to be peak regular park traveler season, but DVC seasonality seems to run a little counter to that. There was a fantastic thread someone compiled about room availability across each week of the year, but I forgot to bookmark it! If I can find it I'll link it here.

 

[crisi]

At four months during that time you'll most likely get something, but something might be no studios available, forcing your family to spend more points in a one bedroom. It might be not enough consecutive nights in a unit, forcing you to move resorts during your stay - maybe more than once. It may mean spending time looking on the reservation site, trying to snag a room as it opens up so that you don't have to spend all those points on a one bedroom or move or in order to fill in one night in the middle of your reservation.

I'd hold off until you can make travel plans at least seven months in advance.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

We just got a 2 BR at BCV at 7 months out for early June with no issues.

 

[lovin'fl]

Very hard to get reservations The last couple of years there has been no availability for me and DVC takes my points. I feel they have oversold the resorts. I have tried all months. I understand not available but they will take your points . I have banked points and then still can't get reservations

First off this thread was from 2009.

Second off not true. We get reservations just fine. Studios are hard as more people are buying smaller contracts (due to crazy high buy in costs) and then like to squeeze into studios. And DVC has put the flip down bed in many studios to now accommodate 5 guests. Certainn views at certain resorts are also hard to get, like standard view at BWV or value and club level views at AKV.... But overall, you can get something in your home resort between 11-7 months out and then can even switch to another resort many times at 7 months out. We just, about a month ago, booked March at BLT (granted, it was a 1BR but we got an entire week). We have used our OKW points at EVERY east coast DVC (except VGF, which we haven't tried to get yet). We got a studio at BCV for Xmas week right at 7 month window a couple years ago. We got F&W there in a 1BR at like 5 months out. There are tricks...have to be flexible with dates, maybe do short stays or split stays (easier to get 2-4 nights than an entire week sometimes), use the waitlist and also stalk availability via the online reservation system. So many ways. And if you are 1BR villa folks...all the better (easier to book).

Also wanted to add that end of Sept through 2nd week of Jan is prime time for DVC due to F&W, Halloween party, Thanksgiving, Xmas, New Year's and the marathon weekend. Also Sept-Jan is, for the most part (except the holidays), low point seasons. Good rule of thumb...lowest point cost (lowest season and/or room types) is toughest to get as well as room types that are very limited numbers (5 club level at AKV, 5 cottages at Vero...etc).

 

[chainkid]

I planned a trip to Aulani middle of June 2019. I have never had a problem before booking at 7 months for ocean view anything but this year I could not get anything but one bedrooms even with walking reservation from last week in may. I must have snagged the last two and had to pay a lot more points for two -one bedrooms versus a two bedroom ocean view which was my first choice. Now there is nothing available at all so I plan to keep rooms and use 100extra points. If you need something the 7 month window is no longer an easy get no matter where you are going. I have never had a waitlist work for me so do not even bother using it any longer. Miss the early years when 7 month was not that bad . If I want to stay someplace other than BWV I now find what dates are open and go then. Luckily I have a flexible schedule

 

[Marionnette]

Very hard to get reservations The last couple of years there has been no availability for me and DVC takes my points. I feel they have oversold the resorts. I have tried all months. I understand not available but they will take your points . I have banked points and then still can't get reservations

Something tells me that you don't understand the product that you purchased. DVD cannot oversell a resort. There are a finite number of points at each resort, representing the total number of points it would take to book every villa every night of the year. They cannot sell more than that number at any given resort.

If you're consistently running into an issue where you cannot book ANYTHING, it's because you're waiting until the last minute, trying to book a view that has a limited number of villas and/or you are unwilling to be flexible with your resorts and dates.

DVC, and timeshares in general, work best for people who can plan months in advance. I've never seen a resort book up completely during the 11-7 month home resort advantage.

 

[siren0119]

Something tells me that you don't understand the product that you purchased. DVD cannot oversell a resort. There are a finite number of points at each resort, representing the total number of points it would take to book every villa every night of the year. They cannot sell more than that number at any given resort.

If you're consistently running into an issue where you cannot book ANYTHING, it's because you're waiting until the last minute, trying to book a view that has a limited number of villas and/or you are unwilling to be flexible with your resorts and dates.

DVC, and timeshares in general, work best for people who can plan months in advance. I've never seen a resort book up completely during the 11-7 month home resort advantage.

I really have to wonder if the perception of "overselling" is because salespeople are pitching low points contracts with a "promise" of being able to book a value studio - not sharing the very small number of value studios that are actually available at each resort. Someone might think the resorts are oversold if they were given the impression they'd get a value studio easily.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Very hard to get reservations The last couple of years there has been no availability for me and DVC takes my points. I feel they have oversold the resorts. I have tried all months. I understand not available but they will take your points . I have banked points and then still can't get reservations

You are not booking when you should then. There isn't a single resort that you can't book at 11 months. It may not be the exact room category you want but they all have availability at 11 months. And banking has nothing to do with being able to book so it does sound like you have a lot of misunderstandings and confusion about your DVC. I'd suggest you ask some questions in a new thread on how to book a room using your DVC.

FYI - you revived a 9+ year old thread from 2009.