Wait list vs cash

[pks_domer]

Hi-- I've had a wait list for one night sitting at Kidani for a while, and noticed that you can book for cash the room I'm waiting on through the WDW web page. What's your take on odds Disney releases the room to DVC and/or the wait list comes through? Thanks for your thoughts.

Edit: it's a gap night on a trip in December, and I have to bank by October, so torn between how long to let it ride.

 

[drusba]

If you actually succeed in getting your waitlist, it will most likely not be for a room currently being shown as available for a cash reservation through Disney in general, but instead one that arises in the future as a result of a cancellation of a reservation made by a DVC member. The availalble for-cash reservations are not ones considered to be part of the DVC inventory for use by DVC members, but instead ones that are to be used for cash reservations through Disney in general.

DVD owns at least 2% of any resort that it can offer for cash reservations, and the percentage is generally larger, including because it acquires many points through the right of first refusal of member sales and via foreclosures, and DVCM gets many points it can use for such cash reservations through Disney in general via trade-outs by members to Disney resorts other than DVC. In other words, what you are seeing as available through Disney's central reservation system is not inventory available to DVC members to reserve using their points.

As to your chances for a waitlist otherwise, it is probably fairly low, particularly because the first two weeks of December and Christmas week are the three highest DVC demand weeks of the year at WDW, and the third week of Dec is not very far behind. The fact that you are seeking only one night likely means your chances are somewhat better.

 

[pks_domer]

Ahh that makes sense. Thanks!

 

[MyDogTink]

What is the cancellation policy for the cash room? Can you wait it out a bit longer? If the waitlist doesn't fill by your banking deadline, I personally would consider doing the cash room and cancelling the WL.

 

[pks_domer]

What is the cancellation policy for the cash room? Can you wait it out a bit longer? If the waitlist doesn't fill by your banking deadline, I personally would consider doing the cash room and cancelling the WL.

Good question, I'll have to go look. Thanks!

 

[DVC Deac]

Disney typically gives a full refund for cash reservations up to 5 days before check in. Makes sense to book cash since you should know whether you WL came through well before you have to make a cancellation decision on your cash booking.

 

[DonMacGregor]

Disney typically gives a full refund for cash reservations up to 5 days before check in. Makes sense to book cash since you should know whether you WL came through well before you have to make a cancellation decision on your cash booking.

This 100%. As stated above, they are different inventories so reserving the cash room now won't impact waitlist availability. Cash can be cancelled 5 days out, and you'll know if your waitlist came through at 7 days at the latest. Lock in that cash room and see what happens on the waitlist. Worst-case, you have to change rooms mid-stay.

 

[Sandisw]

Disney typically gives a full refund for cash reservations up to 5 days before check in. Makes sense to book cash since you should know whether you WL came through well before you have to make a cancellation decision on your cash booking.

Starting January 1st, 2025, cash only room reservations must be canceled 8 days or more in advance....it doesn't apply to the OP, but wanted others to have up to date info.

 

[pks_domer]

Thanks all for the intel, everybody-- I appreciate it!
Apparently all I had to do was ask your sage advice, and Disney came through with the wait list.

 

[Judique]

Thanks all for the intel, everybody-- I appreciate it!
Apparently all I had to do was ask your sage advice, and Disney came through with the wait list.

Glad to hear it! I also have a waitlist and I think I've made it impossible to fill. I need to remember to call MS soon and have them check it for me.

 

[DisTravels]

Thanks all for the intel, everybody-- I appreciate it!
Apparently all I had to do was ask your sage advice, and Disney came through with the wait list.

Sweet, great it came through

 

[houseofduck]

That's great that your waitlist came through.

In the past, when we have had a gap night, I have checked for a DVC cash room discount and held it until the waitlist came through. We haven't done it often, but in the few cases where we did, the waitlist came through.

Are the DVC discounted cash rooms the same inventory available through the regular Disney central reservations site or are they only a subset of those rooms?

 

[Mle8308]

Starting January 1st, 2025, cash only room reservations must be canceled 8 days or more in advance....it doesn't apply to the OP, but wanted others to have up to date info.

At first I thought 8 days was a strange timeline, but now with the new Genie+/LL process, it makes total sense. People, as of 1/1/25, can't book a room, make all their advance selections for their trip, then cancel the room at 5 days. The cancellation period is now outside the LL booking window.

 

[joyjoy]

Yeah, I'm in the same boat. We want to stay at DVB for Thanksgiving, so Wed - Sun. Fri - Sun was no prob so booked with points. Wed & Thur we waitlisted as separate days and paid cash for them, too. The waitlist for Wed came through, cancelled the cash stay for that day. Now we're still waiting on Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, so it's not likely to come through via waitlist but we've paid cash for it just in case. Now here's hoping they'll string all those separate ressies together as one so we don't have to move rooms. (They're all the same room cat). The guy on the phone said "Oh, believe me. They don't want to move you any more than you want to move you".

 

[DisTravels]

Starting January 1st, 2025, cash only room reservations must be canceled 8 days or more in advance....it doesn't apply to the OP, but wanted others to have up to date info.

Meaning bookings that are made after 1/1/25 or reservations that start after 1/1/2025?

 

[Sandisw]

Meaning bookings that are made after 1/1/25 or reservations that start after 1/1/2025?

The change happens on 1/1/25 so that means any check in day from that date forward will need to cancel 8 or more days ahead of time.