loveglobe
Member
Of course I do. But that's extra work and once your schedule changes it would mean having to call every year to get those points converted.
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Would you purchase a "Guaranteed Week" from DVC?
- Thread starter DVC Mike
- Start date
That much is true. You pay a bit more for the convenience of NOT having to worry about reserving a room, since it is automatic every year, but, you have extra work if you don't wish to go that week. Trade-offs everywhere. Not worth it to some (like us), but obviously worth it to some people that have bought those weeks.
PartPixie
New Member
I could see this as a benefit for those who vacation at the same time every year during a PEAK time. However while my daughter and I do vacation on the same week every year (Halloween) because this is not a peak season we are always able to get a room we want. I do not feel the premium necessary would justify doing this. (Now if we were New years people, perhaps.)
loveglobe
Member
Here's the thing: even though you know you'll be coming for the same peak holiday that has the same date every year (e.g. Halloween on 10/31), the day of the week it falls on moves from year to year while GW's are set from Sunday-Sunday. So for instance if Halloween is on a Sunday, you may not want to be arriving or checking out that same day. Of if you're coming for Xmas and it falls on a Sunday, you may want to come out the Friday before to save a paid vacation day at work (since Xmas Eve would likely be observed as a day off on Friday). Personally speaking, I'd like more control over my vacationing, and these constraints just wouldn't work for me.
Chezman1399
Active Member
We have a guaranteed week at VGF, and I'm so happy we went ahead and did it as it's very difficult to get in to VGF for a full week with the limited capacity. So far we have yet to actually use the guaranteed week, though. We bought in a trip on December 2013 and our week is in January so we couldn't make it down there again for our week in 2014, managed to move it to October 2013 and our week in 2015 we went for the guaranteed week, but Lake View was available so we upgraded for less points than the guaranteed week in a Standard View, so we had some left over. For comparisons sake I thought about moving our 2016 reservation to October for the food and wine festival about the same time, but could not get the 10 nights I wanted at GF this year as opposed to last year, so we haven't moved it yet. Not sure if we're going to go for 2016 or not yet because we are thinking about heading to Aulani for 10 days (We have AKL points too).
It's a very easy system, for those who didn't read any of the links above or don't quite understand what people are saying, all the GW does is book that room for 10% (??, I forget how much more) more points for the week automatically. If you change your mind you get all your points by "opting" out of that week foir that year. I'm not sure how useful it would be at a bigger resort, but at a place like VGF where there are 100 DVC rooms it gets tough to stay there a full week. The front desk was surprised that we were there for a full week this past January because they said people struggle to get more than a few days there at a time using points.
It's a very easy system, for those who didn't read any of the links above or don't quite understand what people are saying, all the GW does is book that room for 10% (??, I forget how much more) more points for the week automatically. If you change your mind you get all your points by "opting" out of that week foir that year. I'm not sure how useful it would be at a bigger resort, but at a place like VGF where there are 100 DVC rooms it gets tough to stay there a full week. The front desk was surprised that we were there for a full week this past January because they said people struggle to get more than a few days there at a time using points.
slappy magoo
Well-Known Member
I just think it's funny that part of the pitch we rec'd when considering DVC was the flexibility that comes with not having a specific time-frame every year. Now they not only tout its virtues, they assign a premium to it.
Blairnicol
Well-Known Member
I think the only reason I would opt for that is if I ALWAYS went the week of Spring Break/Easter/Christmas/ect. For anyone who makes that trip every year or even every other year and has issues with availability, it might be worth it? That is not my jam, but I know it would be a great option for some.
Blairnicol
Well-Known Member
We were there for 11 days in August and the staff got SUPER confused with the cleaning schedule. They said it was because people hardly ever stay that long and we were shocked.
Huh?!?!? We always stay at least 7 and frequently more days, and have never had the "staff" get confused with the cleaning schedule. It's real simple. If you are staying for 7 days or less, you get trash and towel at 4 days. Nothing else unless you pay extra. If you are staying longer, you get a full cleaning (trash, towels, sheets, etc.) at 4 days, and trash and towel at 8. Rinse and repeat. What's so hard about that?
Blairnicol
Well-Known Member
I know-that's what we said. We were told that at the GFVs normally people do not stay past 3-4 days, and they were refusing to bring us towels/ect on day 8. We had to ask for a supervisor. They called back extremely embarrassed and apologized about 100 times. Apparently they weren't looking at our reservation when we called, they just assumed that we didn't know we didn't get house keeping everyday. I'm sure it's a call they get frequently (new owners not knowing about the cleaning schedule?), and apparently they don't have many 'long term' guests at GFVs, so the 8th day cleaning doesn't pop up often? They got it worked out and got us taken care of, it was just odd.
That was weird. We were just there at the VGF for 8 days on DVC points, and mousekeeping did it right.
Seanual757
Well-Known Member
No for me
freediverdude
Well-Known Member
I don't think most people would want a guaranteed week automatically, but there are some people who would want that. Some families who can only go during a peak week like week 51 or 52, and really want that week, or someone who prefers to have the same week of vacation every year and put in for it at work way in advance. I can see some circumstances where a guaranteed week would work better or be needed. It is definitely a niche option though and not for everyone.
harryk
Well-Known Member
Defeats the whole purpose of the points system. If I want a guaranteed week, I'm limiting my entire future, I'm locked into a schedule. The points system offers the flex which I'm looking for. Guaranteed week equals a timeshare in the classic sense. DVC's was a more acceptable option..
Harryk,
You didn't read the article in post #1 which explains how it works, as it's clearly not equal to a timeshare in the classic sense, nor are you locked into a schedule.
Well yes and no. If someone opts not to use their week, they had better be letting Disney know at either the 11 or 7 month windows. Otherwise, they won't have much use for their points, as there won't be anything available for them to use it on. They can't just wait until a few weeks prior. So if they have guaranteed week 50, they would have to decide somewhere between the middle of January, and the middle of April, if they wish to use their points at a different resort, or at a different time. That would still leave plenty of time for someone else to book that unit.
Chezman1399
Active Member
Actually you could always bank your points and the guaranteed week does not line up with use year. So if you're use year is August and you're week is in January you can cancel up to a month before the trip and then bank those points. You don't need to decide 7 or 11 months out.
Good point! But you would have to cancel more than 31 days out or else your points would go into holding.