Reserving: VWL, BWV, AKV Concierge

[MaxsDad]

Merry Christmas fellow DVC owners!:xmas:

We made our first DVC ressie last July on the first day DVC opened up the AKV to owners, so we got what we wanted.

I am currently planning our next trip for Dec. 2008 (second or third week). We are wanting to try other resorts (namely 1. VWL or 2. BWV), but want to get something reserved in the meantime until the 7 month window arrives. I would like some opinions/experiences on some questions:

1. It is my understanding that VWL is very small, and very popular, particularly that time of year. Our chances @ the 7 are slim, no?

2. It is my understanding that BWV is relatively large, and if we are flexible on room type and view, our chances are pretty good?

3. At our home resort, I am leaning toward Concierge, as we have never done anything like it before. I believe there are only a few of these available. Have you booked Concierge at AKV before? Did you do Day-by-Day, or all-at-once?

4. I am self employed, so spending time on the phone w/ MS first thing each Day is doable for me. Is Day-by-Day booking a smooth, simple process?

5. Let's say I get AKV Concierge @ the 11 for the week. When the 7 rolls around, would you suggest Day-by-Day then? That would seem to me to really complicate things. Can MS tell you if rooms are available, even if you can't book them yet? Example, I call on the first morning for the first day and ask if there are any openings at all at this time for the other days? This way I would know if I even need to bother with it.



Please feel free to share any booking experiences you have had that you think may be helpful or anything I may be missing you think is important.

 

[DVC Mike]

1. It is my understanding that VWL is very small, and very popular, particularly that time of year. Our chances @ the 7 are slim, no?

Booking VWL during December is almost impossible at the 7-mo window. That is the most popular time for VWL, which is why I bought points there -- so I can book it at the 11-mo window.

2. It is my understanding that BWV is relatively large, and if we are flexible on room type and view, our chances are pretty good?

You may be able to get BWV if you book day-by-day at the 7-mo window. Again, the first two weeks of December is a heavy DVC period. The Boardwalk View and Standard View rooms will be gone, but there may still be Preferred View rooms available.

3. At our home resort, I am leaning toward Concierge, as we have never done anything like it before. I believe there are only a few of these available. Have you booked Concierge at AKV before? Did you do Day-by-Day, or all-at-once?

There are only six (6) concierge rooms at AKV, so yes, they would also be hard to get in Dec. I would book day-by-day at the 11-mo window.

4. I am self employed, so spending time on the phone w/ MS first thing each Day is doable for me. Is Day-by-Day booking a smooth, simple process?

Yes, it's easy. You spend most of your time on the first call, and you tell them you are booking day-by-day. On the first call, you tell them what your final check-out date will be. Each subsequent day, you call and tell them you are extending for one more night. It only takes 3-4 minutes. Booking day-by-day is typically never necessary at the 11-mo window (except for AKV Concierge) and is only necessary at the 7-mo window if you are booking a hard-to-get ressie.

5. Let's say I get AKV Concierge @ the 11 for the week. When the 7 rolls around, would you suggest Day-by-Day then? That would seem to me to really complicate things. Can MS tell you if rooms are available, even if you can't book them yet? Example, I call on the first morning for the first day and ask if there are any openings at all at this time for the other days? This way I would know if I even need to bother with it.

You need to be careful how you do this. You could end up with 2 nights at BWV and the rest at AKV. You also need to have enough points to hold both ressies for a few minutes; otherwise I've heard of MS cancelling your first ressie, and then when they go back to make the 2nd ressie -- it's gone.

The first 2 weeks of December are the favorite time of the year to go for us! We were there at AKV in Dec 2007 and will be at VWL in Dec 2008.

 

[Disneyfalcon]

Hey can I piggyback onto this question?

We just joined so I don't have much experience booking.

I was looking at AKV for Dec of 09. It's our home resort so I can use the 11 month window. I was hoping for the first or second week (7 nights) of Dec in a three bedroom grand villa.

What are my odds?

I hate to plan for two years on this grand vacation with all our family and then not be able to get it when I start calling at the 11 month point.

Any thoughts?

 

[DVC Mike]

I was looking at AKV for Dec of 09. It's our home resort so I can use the 11 month window. I was hoping for the first or second week (7 nights) of Dec in a three bedroom grand villa.

What are my odds?

By Dec 2009, some or all of the new Kidani Village should be completed. I think you shouldn't have a problem since you're an AKV owner and can book at the 11-mo window, as long as you book day-by-day.

 

[TwoTigersMom]

By Dec 2009, some or all of the new Kidani Village should be completed. I think you shouldn't have a problem since you're an AKV owner and can book at the 11-mo window, as long as you book day-by-day.

Ok call me stupid, but what do you guys mean by booking day by day. I mean I understand what it literally means, but why is it necessary? I've only been a member since May and I booked December 07 and April 08. I just booked the whole visit when I called the first time.

 

[DVC Mike]

Ok call me stupid, but what do you guys mean by booking day by day. I mean I understand what it literally means, but why is it necessary? I've only been a member since May and I booked December 07 and April 08. I just booked the whole visit when I called the first time.

Booking "day-by-day" is typically not necessary, and usually ends being a waste of your time (as well as MS time).

Instead of calling one time 11-mo or 7-mo in advance of your final check-out date (which is what I usually do), "day-by-day" booking involves calling in advance of the day after your first night, and booking just one night. You tell MS that you are booking day-by-day and tell them what your final check-out date will be, so they will hold sending out the confirmation until your entire reservation has been completed. You then call back each day, adding on one more day, until your reservation has been completed.

This is typically rarely necessary booking your home resort at the 11-mo window, except for perhaps booking a GV at OKW or a Concierge room at AKV, or perhaps VWL in December.

It is probably only needed when booking at the 7-mo window for a resort that is not your home resort, and only for "hard-to-get" reservations.

The reservations that are typically hard to get include the following resorts during the times listed:

• Most resorts (except perhaps SSR) in December, especially the week before Christmas to NY
• Most resorts (except perhaps SSR) for Easter Week, Thanksgiving Week
• BWV/BCV during the Epcot Food and Wine (October-1st of November)
• VWL - Thanksgiving-New Year's

The following room types may typically be hard to get:

• Standard or BoardWalk view rooms at BWV
• OKW Grand Villas
• AKV Concierge rooms
• AKV Value rooms

Again, I think booking "day-by-day" is a waste of time when booking most reservations, but it does provide job security for MS by increasing call volumes (thus maybe raising our maintenance fees).

 

[TwoTigersMom]

Thanks, it makes sense now. I'm going to call tomorrow and try to add on a day to our existing ressies at the BCV, the beginning of May. What's the likelyhood of getting it?

 

[Disneyfalcon]

Thanks for explaining all that DVC Mike.

 

[MaxsDad]

Thanks Mike

And thanks to others for joining in the conversation.

The more I think about the AKV concierge, with the Sunrise Safari et al, the more I think I may just stick with it if I can get it. If I do try to re-book at the 7, I think I will just wait til the check out date window and see what's available and make an audible then. The other way sounds too .... risky.

Mike, You mentioned 6 units. Do you know how those 6 break down as far as Studio, 1 BR, and 2 BR? Or can you direct me to the location in the volumous paperwork we got from DVC that would reveal this info?

TwoTigersMom: I am a Clemson grad myself. Hope you have a blast in Hotlanta at the Dome. Good luck. I've been to 2 Peach Bowls and had a great time both times (even in defeat).

 

[DVC Mike]

Mike, You mentioned 6 units. Do you know how those 6 break down as far as Studio, 1 BR, and 2 BR? Or can you direct me to the location in the volumous paperwork we got from DVC that would reveal this info?

The AKV Concierge rooms are all on the 6th floor. There may be only 5 units instead of the 6 I stated. The 5 units are all 2-BR lockoffs (up to 10 rooms total if you split all of them into 1BRs and studios). Of those 5 lockoffs, 2 of them face the pool, 3 of them face the Sunset Savanna. You are not guaranteed a Savanna view, but you can request it.

 

[AkiraRaptor]

I've never understood the reasoning behind the Concierge rooms at AKV/AKL. We've stayed in them for the last few years, but they always gave us such a worry every year that we were going to get a pool view or some really bad location.

Why do they do that to the customers that are willing to pay the highest room fees to stay in the best rooms with the best service? It just makes no sence to me.

Lets face it, its the same room that you'd stay in even if you were not "concierge". The access to the 6th floor lounge is electronic and assigned to the room key, so it doesn't matter where you are. Mousekeeping just has to do turn down service, which can be requested by any room in the resort as well, so location is not a factor there either?

The only other limiting factor I can think of is total count on "Concierge" service that day, but that shouldn't be a factor on location.

So what is it? Why can you specifically reserve a savanna room at the resort or on DVC, but if you want to pay extra for Concierge, you no longer get that choice?

I was hoping to use my DVC points for Concierge stays, but after reading threads like this, and a thread at another site that talked about the six rooms at the lodge, it just saddens me that they still are doing the the same thing to the DVC members too. Hopefully, this will not be the case when the new building opens.

BTW, I ensured the savanna view the best I could by being very vocal about it being a non-smoking room. Several Concierge CMs told be to do that because the 6 rooms overlooking the pool that were assigned to Concierge were all smokeing rooms. All of the other rooms were on savannas.

 

[DVC Mike]

I've never understood the reasoning behind the Concierge rooms at AKV/AKL.

Hopefully, this will not be the case when the new building opens.

There won't be any Concierge rooms in the new Kidani Village -- just in the existing Jambo House.

60% of the rooms will have a Savanna view (Sunset Savanna), while 40% will have a view of the Pool. You can request the Savanna view, but since most people will likely do this, it's the luck of the draw.

With Concierge, you do get:

• Advanced Walt Disney World itinerary planning service
• Personalized front desk and Concierge service
• Daily housekeeping service and evening turndown with chocolates
• Secured key access to 6th floor and Club Level lounge
• Weekday newspaper delivery of USA Today
• Assistance with special events planning and shopping
• Club Level Lounge refreshments

 

[AkiraRaptor]

There won't be any Concierge rooms in the new Kidani Village -- just in the existing Jambo House.

60% of the rooms will have a Savanna view (Sunset Savanna), while 40% will have a view of the Pool. You can request the Savanna view, but since most people will likely do this, it's the luck of the draw.

With Concierge, you do get:

• Advanced Walt Disney World itinerary planning service
• Personalized front desk and Concierge service
• Daily housekeeping service and evening turndown with chocolates
• Secured key access to 6th floor and Club Level lounge
• Weekday newspaper delivery of USA Today
• Assistance with special events planning and shopping
• Club Level Lounge refreshments

Thanks for the update on no Concierge in the new building, that's a bummer. Like I said before, we've done Concierge on previous trips. Actually, we've stayed in Concierge four times now I belive, could be five, I've lost count. :animwink: Our bigest reasons was to get access to the the Concierge only tours and the lounge. I really didn't care about the rest of the perks that much as I do all my own travel planning.

But do you know why they don't give Concierge guest a room choice? Why can't you just "add on" Concierge service to your room. Say, you must have a savanna view first, then pay extra for the Concierge service to that room. Then just limit the number of Concierge service rooms booked for that time period.

I just think it's kind of counter productive in selling Concierge rooms if the person who is paying for the extra services gets the shaft and someone else paying less gets the exact room and location they may want. Call it what you will (common sense maybe) but usally if you pay top dollar, you expect to get the best. I know if I paid rack rates ($580 a night) I'd expect to get at least a savvana view, not a pool view.

Oh well, I guess it will be a mystery. Thanks for the info on the new building though. So for us DVC memebers, it looks like only 5 rooms total for the whole property on Concierge? Kind of a waster of paper to even print the point info in the books. So strange. I'd gladly spend the extra points, but not for a pool view. If I'm paying the highest amount, I want the savanna view, Arusha at that or the new savana if at the new building.

 

[skeeder]

My husband and I own at SS. At 11 mth I made our ressie at SS. At 7 mth I called day by day to make ressies. MS told me what was going to be available for the whole time we were there. So I was able to get a value studio at AKLV from 4/10-4/19. The process was tedious, but you find out what buttons to press and what info to give without being asked. I always give my member #, name, address, and phone #. But it is worth being able to stay at different resort everytime you go. Since becoming members we have stayed at SS, OKW, BWV, and in April AKLV.:sohappy: