We have a trip coming up in October. We had booked CB, but since we have stayed there before we thought we might try a dvc rental for the first time. I went through the dvc rental store and made my request. I received an email back today stating that they contacted dvc and the only available rooms for our date were at Saratoga springs. This may seem self explanatory, but I'm not 100% sure how the dvc works and the email was incredibly confusing . Does this mean that there are not rooms available at all in any other of the dvc resorts or that is what is guaranteed? I was basically curious if I should 1. Try again after the 7 month mark passes and/or 2. If I should try through David's.
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Availability through DVC
- Thread starter LindsayW
- Start date
Simba's Mom
Well-Known Member
Unfortunately, the response doesn't surprise me. October is an extremely popular month for DVC members. Even for us DVC members it's hard to get, unless you book your home resort at 11 months out. We can only book non-home resorts at 7 months. Although I usually subscribe to the "buy where you want to stay", our DGDs really had their heart set on Kidani, so I was on the phone at 8:01 exactly 7 months out. I got one of the last rooms, and when I checked the DVC website an hour later, virtually everywhere (including Kidani) was booked.
sxeensweet
Love a little Disney every day!! ;)
This Is common for DVC resorts/rooms from Oct-Dec every year. We also always travel Oct-Dec it's our fave times to visit. Saratoga is still a wonderful resort. It's just so big and not as themed so that's why they always have availability. Nothing wrong with it still a very nice deluxe resort. So if that's all you can get there nothing wrong with Saratoga at all. That is one of our favorites.
First of all, you're "purchasing" points a DVC member "sold" to the DVC rental store. Trying again at the 7 month window doesn't guarantee any better availability at the resort you want, because you will now be competing with every DVC owner who wants to stay on points during that same period at that resort. I would imagine the DVC Rental Store works the same way Dave's does. They will check availability at the resort you've requested. If there is a spot, then the DVC owner makes the reservation and gives the info to the rental store to pass on to you. Any changes to the reservation have to be made by the DVC owner and the rental store probably has a no cancellation policy, since that can negatively affect the owner. What they can get for you depends on the points they purchased and what rooms DVC has available. Dave's may or may not be any better, since it depends on what points at what resorts they have in their inventory. BTW, you are at the 7 month window for October.
What time period and what resort(s) are you interested in? Those of us who are members will be happy to check resort availability for you.
Since you didn't specify either a resort or room size, i looked at studios and 1 bedrooms at all the resorts. Here's what's currently available....
Kidani - studio savannah view; one bedroom savannah and standard view
OKW - one bedroom
BW - one bedroom garden view
Boulder Ridge - one bedroom
The remaining resorts either had partial availability (not all your nights available) or were completely sold out. If the resort you wanted is either, once your membership is active, you can wait list that resort. They will, though, use points for the wait list, which will either be used or released.
Note that the resorts available can go quickly...within days or even hours.
Hope this helps
ETA: Don't wait until you get your membership card. Call a couple of days after you returned all your signed documents to see if they can activate it and give you the membership number to do so. You may also get an email confirming receipt of the documents.
Oh, okay. Hopefully there's something available when you're finally approved. OKW and SSR are normally the two resorts with availability pretty much year round, since they are the largest.
Welcome aboard!
slappy magoo
Well-Known Member
Without knowing the specific dates of your vacation, it probably means only a room at Saratoga Springs is available for every single night of your trip. Now, if you want to try to shift the dates, so it takes place a few days earlier or later than what you have planned...OR if you want to try to split the stay so maybe you keep some of your time at CB and some of the trip at a DVC resort, you might have more options. It only takes one night to screw up your options. If you were going 8/15-8/22, but the Poly was not available on 8/15 but available the rest of the week, Poly is out as an option.
If you're a DVC member, you can type your dates in the official DVC website and they'll be specific about which of those dates are available at each resort, whether it's all dates some dates or no dates. But if you're relying on a 3rd party rental site, they might only spit out the results of your specific request. Couldn't hurt to amend your request.
EDIT - so again, without knowing your specific dates I went on the DVC website using 10/15-22 as an example and yes, pickings are slim and right now only a preferred room at Saratoga is available for every single night. Many of the resorts have partial availability, a couple of nights here or there, or a single night. Kidani Village, for example, you could get the 1st 2 nights in a standard view, the 2nd two nights in a savannah view but then you'd have to move to a different resort (or pay cash direct to Disney to stay there). So if you can do a split stay, you might have some additional options. I don't mind checking out your specific nights if you feel like sharing them, tell you what's available where and when. But I might not be able to get to it right away. If you know someone who's a DVC member, a good friend, they might be in a better position to look this stuff up for you in a more timely manner.
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I've looked at both the Rental Store and Dave's process for determining resort availability. It looks like the Rental Store markets your request to DVC members. Dave's contacts DVC directly to determine resort availbilty. Neither is going to be as efficient as asking a DVC member to check the online resort availability tool.
OP, if you want one of us to do it, please give us your planned dates, room type and desired resort (s). DVC Member Services may have a relationship with several third party companies like these, but I and other DVC members can check for you in 5 minutes. Just know that rooms at the premium resorts (MK and Epcot resorts) are very limited, if available at all.
ETA: OP, the resort info you were given is what's available at that time, which can change in a few hours. Until the DVC member who's points you are "purchasing" makes the actual reservation, nothing is guaranteed. Hence the need for you to provide the specifics as soon as you can. We don't mind checking for you.
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