Why is There No Availability?!

[goalman43]

Ok, so my wife and I are going to the world January 5th thru the 9th. I am running in the half marathon, and just kind of decided to do it in the last couple weeks. So I went to make a reservation for a studio at bay lake tower and have been told there is no availability for that time period.

I found this very frustrating, when it is considered a slow time of year. But I am mostly irritated over the fact that I can go to the wdw website and as a regular joe schmo book a studio at bay lake tower for the same time period. Why is a regular guest without a DVC membership able to get priority on a DVC property? That is supposed to be a perk of being a member, to get first priority on DVC villas. Has anyone else had this experience or possibly shed some light on this.

 

[mousefan1972]

Didn't your guide explain when you bought DVC that there are 2 separate room inventories... rooms available to book w/cash and those available to book with points? I'm guessing no.... :lookaroun

So what has happened is the points inventory is booked up, but the cash inventory is not. Since your trip is less than 4 months away, I am not at all surprised you were shut out of BLT. Did you make a ressie elsewhere? Did you waitlist BLT? Also, I'm sure you realize that BLT owners have been able to book for those dates since early Feburary, and all other owners have been able to book since early June. Since BLT is new and has a great location, it books up quickly. I hope you are able to find something that works for you.

 

[MaxsDad]

Also, the marathon and the lowest possible point requirements make that time of year popular, especially at the newest resort.

As another has said, but perhaps think of it this way:
When the resort was built, Disney bought points too, and they rent those points out in the form of accomodations to the cash paying public at a profit. Imagine if I booked a room with points back in July at BLT, then put an ad out trying to rent that room. Then someone calls today and tries to book at the same resort on points with member services, but is unsuccessful. I wouldn't expect that someone to be upset at me because I am renting out a room I paid for.

 

[DisneyJoe]

I found this very frustrating, when it is considered a slow time of year. But I am mostly irritated over the fact that I can go to the wdw website and as a regular joe schmo book a studio at bay lake tower for the same time period. Why is a regular guest without a DVC membership able to get priority on a DVC property? That is supposed to be a perk of being a member, to get first priority on DVC villas. Has anyone else had this experience or possibly shed some light on this.

1 - there is really no such thing as a slow time at WDW anymore.

2 - marathon weekend fills the resorts, but not necessarily the parks

3 - DVC members get first priority - at your home resort at 11 months, at other DVC resorts at 7 months. Within 7 months there is no priority on rooms!

 

[tjkraz]

Ok, so my wife and I are going to the world January 5th thru the 9th. I am running in the half marathon, and just kind of decided to do it in the last couple weeks. So I went to make a reservation for a studio at bay lake tower and have been told there is no availability for that time period.

I found this very frustrating, when it is considered a slow time of year. But I am mostly irritated over the fact that I can go to the wdw website and as a regular joe schmo book a studio at bay lake tower for the same time period. Why is a regular guest without a DVC membership able to get priority on a DVC property? That is supposed to be a perk of being a member, to get first priority on DVC villas. Has anyone else had this experience or possibly shed some light on this.

As the others said, there are few slow times anymore. The purpose for the variable seasons on the DVC point charts is to drive up attendance during non-peak times and reduce demand during peak periods.

The foundation of any timeshare system is near 100% occupancy year round and the proverbial early bird gets the worm. For a popular event like marathon weekend, I'd be pretty surprised if you can get ANYTHING 4.5 months out. There are hundreds of members who make the trek annually and book their room 11 months out.

As for DVC villas being available to cash guests, there is nothing improper about that. Disney retains ownership at all of the DVC resorts and they use that ownership to set aside cash rooms. This is particularly true at resorts like the bay lake tower and animal kingdom villas where they have hundreds of thousands of unsold points.

Even after a resort is sold out, DVC reacquires points whenever members trade out of the system for something like a Disney cruise or non DVC resort stay. The net result is even more villas available to cash guests. In that case a member is technically using the room...it's just that he decided to trade it for another destination.

 

[Pioneer Hall]

Did you check the availbilty for the whole time or each night? My guess is that the DVC resorts will be fairly crowded for the Fri and Sat of marathon weeekend because a lot of DVC members make the trip to run. You might have to play with the system a bit and switch your resort or split your stay.

 

[Erin_Akey]

My hubby and I are running in the Half too and we had originally booked at Kidani and then realized that since the race starts in front of Old Key West and we need to be at the start line about 430 am, someplace closer was better!

Have you tried OKW? We have a 1br and it is so few points as well. I thought about BLT too but didn't like the idea of a long ride back to my resort after a 13 mile run!

 

[CatsMeow]

Have you checked SSR or any of the other DVC resorts?

Think of it like this: If a DVC member decides to use their points for a Disney Cruise instead of staying at their home resort, those points become unavailable for use by DVC members at that resort. They revert to cash inventory.

There are very few truly slow periods @WDW anymore.

 

[disneyrcks]

I understand the frustration.....we bought into Bay Lake and have not been able to get a studio or one bedroom both times we have been down since buying. Both trips were about 4-5 months ahead of time so we figured it was a long shot. We are planning a big family vacation for Christmas 2011 and this January I will be on the phone the day 11 months hits lol! Good luck with the marathon!

 

[golden redhead]

I hear ya, OP. In June, I booked BLT (not my home resort) and was only able to get a studio for Saturday night. I have 2 different waitlists for Friday night, but they have not come thru yet. I don't car what kind of studio I get, as long as I get one. I'm local, so if I don't get Friday night, I won't be cheering my uncle at the 1/2 from the MK....I will on Sunday for the full (he's doing Goofy's Challenge again this year - he's a Sr VP at CIGNA and they are the sponsor....)

OKW or SSR are good options. When Gary did the 1/2 in 2008, that is where they put all the VIPs. Good luck on all counts!

 

[PhilharMagician]

Booking DVC has really gotten harder over the years. I have been on a waitlist since 7 months out for a one bed in Kidani & WLV for the first week of December. I just called to check on possibly booking somewhere else and every one bedroom on property is booked for all the days of the week except one night only was available at SSR. Luckily we had already booked the room at SSR 11 months out. What is going to happen when BLT, AKLV, GCV and SSR sell out and more people are trying to book the same rooms?

 

[etpinge]

What is going to happen when BLT, AKLV, GCV and SSR sell out and more people are trying to book the same rooms?

DVC builds more resorts, Disney gets more green in their collective pockets, and the world gets busier.

Will I complain? not as long as I get my magic

 

[Phonedave]

It is a combination of a number of factors.

1) Marathon Weekend is NOT a slow time at all. People who are in the marathon (such as myself) want to stay on property because driving to the marathon start can be almost impossible. This serves to fill up the resorts.

2) For DVC units, this is during the 'cheap' time. The entire month of Jan (aside from Jan 1) is in the discount period. WDW boosts the rack rates of cash units during that weekend. Take a look at cash prices. They are $20 to $40 more per night for a given resort over that weekend. They go up Friday and come back down Tuesday. That means if people have the option to use DVC points or cash, they are more apt to take the DVC points route - further using up the DVC inventory.

3) As others have explained, a potion of the rooms are held for cash use. This is a law. If there are 100 rooms available in a time share, Disney can only sell 95 of them (that 95 is a swag, it may by 98 or 92 for all I know) as DVC contracts. They must hold the remainder for cash use. BLT tower is most likely open because it costs so much on cash.

However you do realize that there is a %40 discount in effect on deluxe cash units for that time period. Use code MM2. I am in PO:Riverside on cash right now, because my point total is uber-low. It is just me staying for Fri - Tues. I would rather spend the $520 (after the MM2 code - %30 at Moderates) or so at PO:R and have the points for my next trip with my kids in a DVC unit, then 'spend' my points right now.

-dave

 

[DVCOwner]

What is going to happen when BLT, AKLV, GCV and SSR sell out and more people are trying to book the same rooms?

The selling out of any given resort should not effect how hard it is to book a room at a given resort. Points that have not been sold remain in the Disney inventory and can not be used in booking of a DVC room using your points. As more inventory is sold, more is released to DVC for members to book rooms. It all comes down to DVC is not set up for last minute bookings, it was set up to book your home resort first (usally 8 - 11 months in advance) and than if available you can book other resorts.

DVC is a time share and the "point system" was set up to avoid having a given week rental every year on the same week. It is not a hotel where you can easily book a room at the last minute on a weekend that is going to be very busy at WDW.

 

[Pioneer Hall]

The selling out of any given resort should not effect how hard it is to book a room at a given resort. Points that have not been sold remain in the Disney inventory and can not be used in booking of a DVC room using your points. As more inventory is sold, more is released to DVC for members to book rooms. It all comes down to DVC is not set up for last minute bookings, it was set up to book your home resort first (usally 8 - 11 months in advance) and than if available you can book other resorts.

DVC is a time share and the "point system" was set up to avoid having a given week rental every year on the same week. It is not a hotel where you can easily book a room at the last minute on a weekend that is going to be very busy at WDW.

This is why you also find more availability on cash rooms at BLT right now. Since Disney is ultimately renting the points they still own to WDTC to sell the rooms.

 

[PhilharMagician]

This is why you also find more availability on cash rooms at BLT right now. Since Disney is ultimately renting the points they still own to WDTC to sell the rooms.

I booked 4 days in BLT and had no trouble booking with points at 7 months while WL, BCV and BWV were booked. That may also be because not many people have BLT as a home resort and I beat them to the punch (so to speak) on the first day of availability to me.

My understanding is that are a cumulative amount of points that are sold. These usage of the points can vary depending on the time of year and bookings. For example 90% of points need to be available each month, but in December DVC allows 80% in Nov 95% and Jan 95% which averages out to the required 90%. Also the amount of points available at each resort per season type (adventure, peak ect) have to always remain the same but season dates can vary slightly from year to year.

 

[DVCOwner]

Also the amount of points available at each resort per season type (adventure, peak ect) have to always remain the same but season dates can vary slightly from year to year.

I do not think that the same points per season is set in stone; the only requirement that I know of is the the total points per resort per year can not change unless additional rooms are added.

 

[PhilharMagician]

I do not think that the same points per season is set in stone; the only requirement that I know of is the the total points per resort per year can not change unless additional rooms are added.

I aked that questions many years ago when we bought. I was concerned that Disney could slowly eleiminate the amount of adventure season point and basically make you pay more points per year, But like you said the amount of points available per year cannot change. The actual dates of the year the catagorized season fall on however can be changed minimally.