Less and Less Availibility?

[tinkandme]

Is it me or does it seem harder to book a DVC resort? I am on 2 waitlists.
November 1-14 and January 16-30 for a studio at BWV. I've been a member since 1996 and have had trouble booking the dates I've wanted for the past few years...very upsetting!

Is it me, I can understand November due to F&W but January? what gives?

[vicki_c]

I believe it's because your trips are so long. A lack of availability for any one night in those 14 nights will cause it to show not available.

[bobbiwoz]

Originally Posted by vicki_c

I believe it's because your trips are so long. A lack of availability for any one night in those 14 nights will cause it to show not available.

Your January stay includes Martin Luther King jr. Weekend. Look at availability on line & see if you can piece something together.

I think you are booking rather late for such a long November vacation. Because of F&W, owners & then others at 7 months have been after the Epcot resorts with a vengence. Have you waited until August before and have gotten those November dates at BWV?

Bobbi

[drusba]

You are not imaging things. Though many things can still be open many times of year at 7 months out, the time you need to reserve something has become shorter and shorter beyond that 7 month window particularly if looking for anything more than a few days. The more members added to DVC the more you have that want something at 7 months out particularly at near park resorts. Moreover, SSR, which has about 30% of all DVC points, has become the big elephant in the room. At 7 months out, not many from other resorts want to reserve SSR (SSR is almost always available even at 2 months out). However, large numbers of SSR owners want a near park resort at 7 months out and most have learned that to assure getting what they want they need to reserve exactly 7 months out because waiting just hours or a day beyond the 7 month window can mean the difference in getting what you want and getting nothing. The January time you speak of was actually wide open at near park resorts at exactly 7 months out but it did not stay that way long.

[Chuck S]

Also remember there are more members than there were a few years ago. Many of the newest members do not own at WDW, but have their membership based in California or Hawaii. If some of those members are also trying to book WDW at 7 months, there will be less availability at 7 months.

[karrit2000]

The more members overall the harder it is getting to book anywhere in my opinion. It has become increasingly difficult to get anything more than a few days at a time unless you book at the 11 month window at your home resort. I have 3 home resorts & more often than not I can only book at SSR if I'm within the 7 month window and even then I end up having to waitlist some nights. And I don't even own there. Don't even get me started on GCV. I cringe every time I hear that they turnover unbooked rooms to CRO at 60 days out. If you can cancel with out penalty up to 30 days out the rooms should remain available to members until at least then.

[BWV Dreamin]

This is why we bought where we want to stay. If I could only get Wilderness lodge and OKW I would be happy.

[Deb & Bill]

Originally Posted by tinkandme

Is it me or does it seem harder to book a DVC resort? I am on 2 waitlists.
November 1-14 and January 16-30 for a studio at BWV. I've been a member since 1996 and have had trouble booking the dates I've wanted for the past few years...very upsetting!

Is it me, I can understand November due to F&W but January? what gives?

You didn't book your home resort?

Nov 1-14 includes end of F&W, Veterans Day, Jersey Week, start of Christmas parties.

Jan 16-30 includes the days after the marathon (some runners come right before the marathon starts and stay a few days afterwards) and MLK holiday.

What category did you waitlist for BWV? Hopefully it was the preferred, non-BW view. That would be about 60% of the total villas.

[vakamalua]

We have been members for 17 years and YES, it is much more difficult to book any availability--any time, any length--than it was for the first 10 or 12 years.

[Mississippian]

Originally Posted by drusba

You are not imaging things. Though many things can still be open many times of year at 7 months out, the time you need to reserve something has become shorter and shorter beyond that 7 month window particularly if looking for anything more than a few days. The more members added to DVC the more you have that want something at 7 months out particularly at near park resorts. Moreover, SSR, which has about 30% of all DVC points, has become the big elephant in the room. At 7 months out, not many from other resorts want to reserve SSR (SSR is almost always available even at 2 months out). However, large numbers of SSR owners want a near park resort at 7 months out and most have learned that to assure getting what they want they need to reserve exactly 7 months out because waiting just hours or a day beyond the 7 month window can mean the difference in getting what you want and getting nothing. The January time you speak of was actually wide open at near park resorts at exactly 7 months out but it did not stay that way long.

Back when SSR was being built and marketed, anyone who would say that they were diluting the product would of course be flamed and accused of having a bad attitude. But now it's the only place available because as a general rule members don't want to stay there.

Isn't it amazing that people who visit WDW want easy access to the theme parks and restaurants? (Or else a dirt-cheap gigantic unit at OKW?).

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Originally Posted by Mississippian

Back when SSR was being built and marketed, anyone who would say that they were diluting the product would of course be flamed and accused of having a bad attitude. But now it's the only place available because as a general rule members don't want to stay there.

Isn't it amazing that people who visit WDW want easy access to the theme parks and restaurants? (Or else a dirt-cheap gigantic unit at OKW?).

Please quit generalizing.

YOU don't want to stay there

As a general rule I will take SSR over BWV any day, but I am not rude enough to assume only MY view counts

BWV has no appeal. I do like BCV, but I much perfect SSR, OKW or AKL to BWV, BLT or VWL. And I can't imagine ever even bothering to stay at the upcoming Grand Floridian. If they have the same hotel management don't expect much

[vacationer1954]

Personal preferences do vary, of course, but the people who prefer BWV over SSR and the people who prefer SSR over BWV cancel each other out. What's left is the very common preference to stay at a resort closer to the parks rather than further from the parks, and that's going to matter more than any other preferences because it is held so widely and isn't canceled out by people preferring to stay at a resort further from the parks.

We always book our home resort, and then look to switch if possible. We look at each time we are able to switch is an unexpected bonus to stay at a resort we would otherwise not get a chance to enjoy.

[Pennyguy23]

Originally Posted by Mississippian

Back when SSR was being built and marketed, anyone who would say that they were diluting the product would of course be flamed and accused of having a bad attitude. But now it's the only place available because as a general rule members don't want to stay there.

Isn't it amazing that people who visit WDW want easy access to the theme parks and restaurants? (Or else a dirt-cheap gigantic unit at OKW?).

We LOVE SSR. We picked that over ever resort in oct. Almost everything was available when we booked. The new kids pool and close to DTD for us. PERFECT resort for us. Sorry you don't like it but alot of us do.

[disneynutz]

I think that the SSR opinions are a result of it always being available which means that many of it's owners are staying somewhere else. Put that together will the many posts on the DIS where people mention that they are buying there but they don't intend to stay there.

Bill

[DebbieB]

I know many people love SSR but I do think it's the cause of this issue. They built it too big to sell as many points as possible and used line "buy here, you can stay anywhere". At the time it was the only WDW DVC they were selling so they were aggressive. I remember a post where someone was taking a fit because their guide told them they would have no problem getting into BCV at 7 months and they didn't get it even on waitlist for October.

Another part of the issue is that Disney has a hard time selling the rooms for cash, they have frequently given free upgrades from value resorts during free dining because they can't fill the rooms. This has driven up the point costs of non-DVC resorts because they have a hard time getting a return on the cash rooms they have as a result of trades.

I'm not saying it's a quality issue, it's more location and size. The demand for the resort is not as high as the size.