How difficult is it to get your home resort with DVC?

[tlwmkw]

Some of the Marriott resorts can be hard to get a desired week in your home resort because of long Platinum seasons (ie NCV where there is a long Platinum season and every one wants the school holidays)- is this true of Disney also? If you are on points and there are no seasons how can you be sure to get the week or days that you want at your home resort? I am trying to understand the points system and it seems with everyone on points then there will an even larger pool of people trying for the school vacations. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?

Thanks, tlwmkw

 

[dvc_john]

You can book your home resort at 11 months out, and the others at 7 months out. So, at 11 months, you are only competing with other owners of that resort.
I have never had difficulty booking any of my home resorts at 11 months out. I routinely get Boardwalk standard view for New Year's eve, arguably the most difficult reservation to make.
If you are looking for a particularly high demand time, you can always book using the day-by-day method. It's a bit of a bother, but you are virtually certain of getting what you want.

 

[tomandrobin]

I have never had a problem booking 11 months out. There is not a priority system, like Marriott, that allows owners to reserve rooms before others can book. The only room category that will be hard to book, even at 11 months, is the concierge level at AKV.

 

[EAM]

I have not had a problem booking my home resort at 11 months or another resort at 7 months.

 

[rhonda]

If you are on points and there are no seasons how can you be sure to get the week or days that you want at your home resort?

FWIW, there are seasons -- but your ownership is not tied to any seasonal booking advantages. Instead, DVC assigns higher point values to periods of high demand and lower point values to other weeks in the year. Owners who truly need/want the higher value weeks will compete against themselves for those reservations. Those who seek to stretch their ownership will seek out the lower valued weeks instead.

I'm on the "stretch" side of the equation ... typically only booking DVC stays in the least expensive periods.

 

[charford]

With DVC, there is no fixed checkin day. Nor are there restrictions on the number of days that you must book. As a previous poster mentioned, the more desirable dates also have a higher point value. Fridays and Saturdays have higher point values. So, some people on book Sunday through Thursday. Some people only book 2 or 3 or 4 or whatever nights. Some people book the smallest accommodation that will fit their needs, such as a studio for a family of 4.

I've only owned DVC for a short while, but it seems that DVC owners don't plan as far ahead in advance as other timeshare owners. Many do try to streeetch those points. The lower point times seem to go first. So, if you are booking within the 11 month or 7 month window and are not too fixed as to your dates, you are more likely to find something than if you were to do the same with a Marriott. Some people end up moving from one resort to another during their stay or from one unit to another if they want to stay 7 nights and that VWL 2 bedroom is booked on Thursday, for example.

 

[WelcomeHome]

You have to be prompt from Oct thru December!

Since you specifically mentioned your "Home Resort," you always have the advantage of booking your "home resort" with the 11 month window advantage - this means you can book your "home resort" 4 months earlier than all the DVC members who own at other resorts only!

So it's RARE that you will ever have a problem booking your "home resort" by simply calling before the rest of the DVC membership world gets to also make reservations at YOUR "home resort" beginning at 7 months out.

There are a couple of senarios where you have to be prompt and call as soon as the 11 month window opens in order to assure you can get any date you want. Here are the cases you need to call promptly on:

1) Between October 1st and January 1st especially for Beach Club, Boardwalk and Wilderness Lodge. The reasons are simple: MANY DVC members book then because points per night stay are very low at that time and DVC members LOVE to book their reservations for the "Food and Wine Festival" in October/November and the Christmas decorations and Festivities on November/December.

Beach Club, Boardwalk and Wilderness Lodge are the hardest to book at that time simply because they are the "smallest" resorts and obviously fill up the fastest. Also, many DVC member want Beach Club & Boardwalk during the "Food & Wine Festival" because they offer a private entrance into the International Gateway at Epcot (a 5-10 minute walk) and Wilderness Lodge is VERY coveted in December because many concider it to be the best decorated hotel in all Disneyworld.

2) Grand Villas (for 12 people) at Old Key West are always in high demand because they cost A LOT less points than ANY of the Grand Villas at the other DVC locations.

3) "Boardwalk View" rooms at Boardwalk also go quickly because they are limited in number. "Standard View" Rooms at Boardwalk also go quickly because they are less points because of a slightly less desirable balcony view.

Keep in mind that in the VAST MAJORITY OF TIMES, you'll NEVER have a problem booking your home resort if you call promptly when your 11 month window opens!

Best wishes,
Dave