"puzzled"

[tbickford]

I'M FAIRLY NEW TO DVC and have posted on this forum before that I on the wait list for Thanksgiving night. I was advised by a DVC member from this forum to make a cash ressie at any available resort in case Thanksgiving night never becomes available. So today I called the Disney central reservation line and asked what was available. I told her I was a DVC member and on the wait list for T-night. She asked which resort was I waiting-listing. I told her all, especially for my home OKW. As she was looking in the system, she said out loud (which I think was a oops) that she showed studios and 1BR available at OKW for T-night and doesn't understand why DVC told me otherwise. I was SHOCKED and asked if she could book it for me, however she could not book for a DVC member. She advised that I should contact DVC and request again. I did so and was still told that there was still no availability. I told her about my conversation with Disney central, but she had no comment and was no help. So, I called Disney central reservation back and booked a studio which is to be held with my credit card. I don't think that this is fair that studios and 1BR are available right now at OKW yet I can not book it thru DVC which says no availability. What's wrong with this picture?

 

[CarolMN]

The inventory of rooms that is available for point reservations is separate from the inventory that is available for cash. (It isn't surprising that the CM at CRO doesn't understand how this works).

DVC members own approximately 96% of the OKW resort (because it is considered sold out). Disney retains a 4% interest. The rooms/percentage retained by Disney can be rented out (by CRO) for cash. However, the majority of the rooms that are rented for cash come from DVC members who decided to use points for the non-DVC options such as the DCL, a non-DVC WDW resort, or one of the options in the Conceirge Collection or the Adventureer Collection. To "pay" for those non-DVC options, a room or rooms in the DVC resort must be rented out for cash.

Anyway, it is perfectly normal for there to be rooms available for cash and not for points (or the reverse) at any one point in time.

You might try calling MS and asking if there are any Member cash discounts available for Thanksgiving night.

Good luck with the waitlist - hope it comes through for you. There is still time!

 

[WebmasterDoc]

When an OKW member uses points for a non-DVC exchange, those points are "given" to CRO to use for cash reservations to pay for the non-DVC exchange.

In addition to the 2-4% of each resort held by the developer (most of that number is used when rooms are being rehabbed or maintained anyway), the largest number of cash reservations comes from rooms made available to CRO by members themselves. These rooms have already been made available using points, and thus are not available to members for a point reservation.

Good luck with the waitlist. I think it will still become available. I hope you have used the automatic feature.

Enjoy!

 

[tbickford]

Originally posted by WebmasterDoc
Good luck with the waitlist. I think it will still become available. I hope you have used the automatic feature.

Please fill me in on the automatic feature? I told DVC when making my reservation that I was a new member to please advise/recommend on how to handle the wait list. I was never told about any automatic feature.

Thanks for your advice.

 

[Dean]

We have discussed the cash vs points availability many times. Some don't believe it's fair (though I do) but the explanation you have been given is the correct one. Make sure you link your reservations for DVC and CRO if they're the same unit size. If not, consider booking the same unit size so you can link them and not have to move units if the wait list doesn't come through.

slightly OT for the automatic wait list. There are 2 ways you can have DVC search for you with the wait list. One is to search for each day independently and the other is to have the search for the entire block at one time. You can also have them confirm automatically or call you.

All should remember that the wait list cuts off at 31 days at which point one needs to call back to be put on the list again which runs until 7 days before checkin. After that, one just needs to call at least daily.

 

[AnnaS]

"When an OKW member uses points for a non-DVC exchange, those points are "given" to CRO to use for cash reservations to pay for the non-DVC exchange."''


Wow, I learn something new every day here even though I have been reading for a while. I thought that as members exchanged and/or used a major chunk of points on cruise that there would be more availability for other members to book.`

 

[Dean]

Originally posted by AnnaS
[BWow, I learn something new every day here even though I have been reading for a while. I thought that as members exchanged and/or used a major chunk of points on cruise that there would be more availability for other members to book.` [/B]

Anna, that's how DVC gets the money back to pay the cash for those other options. DVC has to pay a cash amount that's contracted. It's usually a discounted rack rate, much higher than discounts we might see discussed here or elsewhere.

 

[mouseclick1]

Though I have never done this, you can book a cash ressie through MS, can't you? If this is true, then I do find it odd that MS was not able to locate a room under the "cash" inventory and book it for tbickford, then link it with his "points" ressie. It seems like MS should have been able to explain this situation when it was questioned by tbickford.

 

[PamOKW]

you can book a cash ressie through MS, can't you?

Yes and no. You can only book rooms that are available for the member discount. I'm not exactly sure where these rooms come from, possibly they are member rooms that are not yet booked by members but are within the 60-day mark or for some other reason MS feels will go unused on a points basis. DVC cautions that these rooms become far less plentiful as the resorts sell-out. The "regular" cash rooms are a totally seperate inventory from what MS can book. I'm also not sure whether or not they can see availability on their screens.

 

[mouseclick1]

Thanks for clearing that up, Pam! I was under the impression that you could always book a cash ressie with MS if necessary.

 

[WebmasterDoc]

MS can book cash reservations. but only when they are reasonably sure that the room will not be needed for a points reservation.

It's unlikely that you could book a "member cash" reservation in a standard view room at BWV for early Dec 11 months ahead or even a room at OKW during that time. Once MS gets a feel for how the resort is booking for a given time period, they may release some rooms for cash ressies- but not necessarily at a discount.

Once within 6 months, cash reservations are more likely to open up for member reservations- based on availability.

Good Luck!