Is DVC really that booked?

[BrennaRN]

Okay, so we were suppose to be staying at the Wilderness Lodge Dec. 7-10th (DVC members).....booked in June and were told we are on the waiting list. Since we have added every DVC resort to our waiting list and the girl told my dad today that it just didn't look good. What the crap? Is every DVC resort that booked? OKW, SSR, AKL, you name it..........booked. We have plane tickets and tickets to Mickey's Merry Christmas party but no room. I can't believe this. We are now talking about just banking the points and staying at the All Star resorts! I just thought is sounded weird that they are all that booked.

 

[wannabeBelle]

Hi Brenna, My friend is a DVC owner and could only get SSR for the week we are looking at Dec 13th-18th. She had requested Beach Club Villas, Boardwalk Villas and Old Key West and couldnt get any of them!!! Dunno what is going on!!!!! Belle

 

[DVC Dave]

I had the same issue with DVC in October. I have to stay at three resorts to stay the length of time I want. and the majority of the time I am staying at my second to last choice for resorts

 

[WDWFanatic]

my family was going to book this october at CB and they were booked too, what is going on??

 

[tirian]

This is ridiculously true: I tried booking a hotel room for my parents three months ago and couldn't get into any DVC except SSR (the nicest one, but also the furthest away from the parks). Considering that the Reservations Center is mostly quiet due to the economy, the hotel situation seems unbelievably impossible.

I personally think that it's due to the deluxe and moderate resort refurbs. More refurbs=fewer available rooms, and people were pushed to the other resorts. But this is just my opinion; I don't know why everything seems booked, because based on the Res. Center, it "shouldn't be." :shrug:

If you can get a reservation at SSR, stay there, but make sure you have your own transportation. The bus system is grossly inadequate for this resort; the hotel itself is lovely.

 

[tirian]

Hi Brenna, My friend is a DVC owner and could only get SSR for the week we are looking at Dec 13th-18th. She had requested Beach Club Villas, Boardwalk Villas and Old Key West and couldnt get any of them!!! Dunno what is going on!!!!! Belle

SSR is much nicer than Oldie Moldy Key West; but RENT A CAR or you'll be waiting forever! Even the bus routes take the long way. You can drive yourself around the back of WDW and get to Epcot and the MK within 5-10 minutes, or you can take a 20 minute bus commute to Epcot. I complained to a manager, who told me she's very aware of the issue and SSR has been receiving these complaints since it opened. :shrug:

 

[marksniles]

Ok everyone let's talk about how DVC works. Most DVC members make their reservations at least 11 months prior to them arriving at WDW. Dec is the peak month of travel and they go really fast! I am going to SSR in three weeks and I had to call on Sept. 24, 2007! Yes 2007! To be sure I got the room I wanted. DVC doesn't really work that well if you call a few months before you plan on arriving. It is a timeshare business. You must plan ahead to get the room you want.

 

[C&D]

You can book your 'home' resort 11 months prior to when you wish to stay. You can book 7 months prior at other DVC resorts that are not your home resort. As mentioned above, the Christmas Season books very quickly (and also, some of the Villa rooms are not immediately booked because they are set aside for cash, non DVC points, reservations.) Sometimes, if they 'cash' rooms don't book, the DVC people can get those rooms with points (but this is usually on fairly short notice).
The reason this is is because DVC isn't allowed to totally sell points for every possible available reservation; they have to have some sort of percentage of rooms that are not bound to points.

 

[bears163]

we are DVC memebers also. We booked a trip in dec a few years ago & had a very hard time getting the room we wanted. we were on a waiting list but thank god it came through. now you know why they keep building more DVC resorts. they cant build them fast enough. we never stay in our home resort (SSR). We almost always stay at VWL but i call exactly 7 months out & have not had a problem besides december yet. but calling less than 4-5 months out....good luck

 

[wannabeBelle]

SSR is much nicer than Oldie Moldy Key West; but RENT A CAR or you'll be waiting forever! Even the bus routes take the long way. You can drive yourself around the back of WDW and get to Epcot and the MK within 5-10 minutes, or you can take a 20 minute bus commute to Epcot. I complained to a manager, who told me she's very aware of the issue and SSR has been receiving these complaints since it opened. :shrug:

And here I thought I was the only one who wasnt so impressed with OKW. Unfortunately for me, I have a problem with the bedding set up in EVERY other DVC room as I travel with friends. I want two beds in the room. With DVC in anything under a two bedroom or the studios at OKW, this isnt done. I dont mind staying on a pull out bed for a night, but for an entire vacation?? No thanks. I have heard from a VERY good source that the pull outs are VERY comfortable, but still. I have been in the one bedrooms in OKW as well and thought they were lovely, but again the bedding situation isnt ideal for how I travel with my friends. I also have no need for the kitchen facilities usually, as I dont cook at WDW. Too many good restauants for me to get to!!! So in general DVC doesnt work for me, but as I said one of my friends does own there so hence I can speak on it a bit. Belle

 

[Pippa]

I think I am using this thread as a word to the wise! When i book my Nov 09 trip I'll be on the phone January on the dot!!!!

 

[IheartWDW]

Im heading home in January and I booked my home resort a few months ago. But 2 weeks ago I tried to change to WL Villas, and they had everything but Sunday night (Im going MKL weekend). Funny enough it was the same thing at Beach Club, and Boardwalk. So we wait listed, and maybe 3 days later i checked online and I had gotten into WL..

Now 2 of my friends, also DVC members, are trying the same thing but they are still wait listed. The woman they booked with told them that they didn't even had Studios left in most of the hotels that weekend...

 

[IheartWDW]

You can book your 'home' resort 11 months prior to when you wish to stay. You can book 7 months prior at other DVC resorts that are not your home resort. .

Isn't it now that you can book 7 months from your arrival date instead of your departure date? :veryconfu

 

[Eyekimore]

I'm pretty sure I heard that they were going to start redoing some of the BCV rooms soon. That might make it more difficult to book.

Like another poster said- we booked 11 months ago for BCV 12/27-1/4.
My MIL had to call back every day to add on another day as it became available to book.

 

[pacochran]

We're going to BCV Dec 2nd thru the 9th, but booked ours right away at the 11 months so had no trouble getting in. But boy sounds like it might be a little busy that time of year.

 

[vegasbnd]

Being that the beginning of December is very low points and the holiday lights are up they do book up early. We did it a couple years ago and the parks are not to crowded but most people we talked to were DVC members.

 

[BrennaRN]

Ok everyone let's talk about how DVC works. Most DVC members make their reservations at least 11 months prior to them arriving at WDW. Dec is the peak month of travel and they go really fast! I am going to SSR in three weeks and I had to call on Sept. 24, 2007! Yes 2007! To be sure I got the room I wanted. DVC doesn't really work that well if you call a few months before you plan on arriving. It is a timeshare business. You must plan ahead to get the room you want.

Well thanks for the lesson. My parents were trying to surprise us with a Dec. visit and didn't decide on booking and going until May. We know about the home resort 11months in advance but they didn't know they were doing this. We are still on every DVC resort waiting list and my father this morning booked rooms at the All Stars Movies so we are guarnteed room. My parents have been DVC members for about 7 years now and know the ins and outs and just thought they wouldn't have a problem. Oh well.

 

[CatsMeow]

Early December is very popular. We found that out last year when we were waitlisted at OKW, but our waitlist did come through. We visited from 12/1-4 and Pop Warner was there as well as a Disney convention group (MouseFest). The parks were not too crowded, but the resorts were all full. We have visited at this time on many occasions, but it seems to have really skyrocketed in popularity over the years. This year the land events (after their cruise) for MouseFest are 12/11-15. That could be some of the reason.

 

[krueg66]

We booked at the 7 month mark for Boardwalk Villas and were only able to get the first 5 nights of our week at BWV, so we are waitlisted for the last two and are currently booked at OKW. (home resort) I thought it strange too that we couldn't get the full week but then I remembered the Marathon in the second weekend we are there...bummer. I'm holding out hope that something will open up over the next 5 months!!! Otherwise, we will have to pack up on Thursday and move over to OKW. Have any of you ever had to do that? Will they take your bags over to the other resort for you? I really hope it doesn't come to that..

 

[1000th_Guest]

Have any of you ever had to do that? Will they take your bags over to the other resort for you? I really hope it doesn't come to that..

We've done this several times. Call Bell Services when you're ready to check out and tell them the bags need to be transferred to OKW. The bags will be ready for your call @ OKW late(r) in the afternoon.

In terms of waitlist, we've never had any luck getting off the waitlist. It sure does look like it's going to be busy during our early December visit.