Since DVC rooms run at much higher occupancy rates than cash rooms, DVC does pull the overall occupancy rate up a bit, around 3%.
It's rather complicated because Disney counts DVC units as "2-bedroom equivalents". Physically, that's the same square footage as 3 Deluxe Resort rooms. As most DVC members know, DVC has "lock offs". That means turning a 2BR villa into a 1BR villa and a Studio. These units more often than not are booked separately. So you'd think Disney would want to count them separately to improve the occupancy rate even more, right?
No, because if they do that, then it kills the supremely important "Per Room Guest Spending" number, which is one of the key metrics monitored both internally and by Wall Street. Counting a 2BR lock-off as two separate units would bring down PRGS.
What you have to remember is that WDW averages over 5000 empty rooms per night. In addition, DVC members have been exchanging their points in increasing numbers for non-WDW uses. Offering high-priced exchanges for empty hotel rooms is one way to get these DVC members to stay at WDW.
It also frees up those DVC rooms for exchanges by non-DVC members (e.g. RCI). DVC is a very popular exchange in the timeshare community.
"Let's get DVC members to pay a lot for cash rooms and then let's get non-DVC members to pay a lot for DVC rooms."
DVC has them coming and going!
P.S. One more thing. The new program (which appears on the DVC home page and so is confirmed) also reveals where occupancy rates are weakest. DVC members can now book at all Deluxe Resorts and the 2-room "Family Suite" at Art Of Animation.
Interesting. I guess that rush of offsite guests that were supposed to flood WDW Resorts because of the allure of MagicBands hasn't materialized yet.
And it looks like AOA's almost $400/night "value" suite at AOA isn't particularly popular among value-conscious consumers. What a surprise!
