What happens if our request week doesn't come through?

[FLDVCFamily]

We put an ongoing request through II a while back for a week that I doubt will come through (Thanksgiving in 3 specific Disney Vacation Club resorts). I thought that if it would come through any year, this year might be it (due to the economy/people cancelling vacations). I did the "deposit first" option and of course paid the $139 fee for the request. What happens if the week doesn't come through? Do we get our trade week back? What about the $139?

 

[littlestar]

If you still want to take the trip, I'd have a back-up plan in place, like one of the great Marriotts or Sheraton in Orlando. We enjoy DVC (of course - we own DVC points), but Orlando has some really wonderful resorts outside of DVC, too. You could try to grab one of the Marriotts for that week for a sure thing and then if DVC came up last minute, maybe pay another $139 for a retrade. Just an idea.

Marriott's Cypress Harbour reminds us of Old Key West on the theming. We always try to get Building 51 or 52 (to be reasonably close to the market place with the refillable mugs). If you have younger kids traveling with you, we also like Marriott Horizons because of the themed pools/slides that remind us of the Disney resorts. Sheraton Vistana Villages is a nice resort, too.

If you have your heart set on Disney, if you can't bear not to stay on property at least part of the time, what about a split stay. Stay part of the time at a nice II resort trade and then add a few days on cash at a Disney hotel.

Good luck.

 

[Lisa P]

A 2BR DVC will likely be impossible for Thanksgiving week though you may luck out with a studio or 1BR. If you've said that you'd accept a studio, it's probably worth still trying. With young kids, you may like to get a larger unit at Horizons or one of the other nice resorts.

If the request ultimately goes unfilled, II will leave the $139 exchange fee as a credit in your II account. You may also request a refund from them for it.

 

[FLDVCFamily]

We already have Thanksgiving weekend booked at the Boardwalk with our DVC points. I'm just hoping to extend the stay and save the crazy points that we need to spend to get that weekend.

I requested a 1 bedroom or a 2 bedroom at 3 of the 5 onsite resorts. I would have requested all 5, but DH doesn't want to stay at SSR or OKW at Thanksgiving. I think that we don't have a great chance of getting even a 1 bedroom with the request since the 3 resorts are the smallest ones. I was just wondering what happens to the week if the request doesn't come through. Does it end up back in our account as if we'd never made the request? This is the first time we've requested something through II.

We definitely don't want to stay offsite. We have 2 young kids and we're Disney passholders so we want to be able to walk to the parks, use Disney transportation, etc.

 

[bnoble]

Without being willing to take a studio, or a 1BR at SSR/OKW, I'd say your chances are very slim. 1BRs at those three are much less common, and certainly so during holiday weeks.

However, as you wouldn't accept anything else in the area, you may as well let the request go as long as possible---right up until you hit the 30-day window when cancelled points would go into holding. You'll get the exchange fee back, and have the use of your deposit for another exchange down the road---until its expiration date, of course.

You may want to consider either going down to a studio or broadening your search to include OKW/SSR. I probably wouldn't do both. Obviously, OKW/SSR are not within walking distance of any park, but it may be preferable to stay there and save your weekend points.

 

[Twinkstarr]

I'm a DVC member and book my home resort at 11months for Thanksgiving.

Just for a lark with the economy, I called at the 7month mark(4/28) and waitlisted BCV/BWV/VWL for 11/21-11/28 for a 2br.

7/27 and nothing as of yet. I still have my reservation at SSR though.

DVC books up pretty fast for Turkey time, get to see the holiday decorations and the bonus is the points are a lot less than going at Xmas/NYE. Plus with being a point system people will go for less than a week.

Let me guess that your 3 specific resorts don't include OKW or SSR which if anything shows up on II it will be those 2.

 

[FLDVCFamily]

Let me guess that your 3 specific resorts don't include OKW or SSR which if anything shows up on II it will be those 2.

Yep, you guessed correctly. We spend XMas week at SSR with my family every year, so DH doesn't want to stay there for Thanksgiving too. We also book Boardwalk standard at 11 months for Thanksgiving every year.

I would add OKW and SSR to the request, but DH isn't interested in doing that. That's why I'm like 99.9% sure that the request won't come through. I put it in on a lark, though, and I won't be disappointed if it doesn't come through. A studio won't work for us at this point. We need a kitchen and a washer/dryer to be comfortable for longer than 1 night away from home. It's impossible to eat out with our toddler

We're OK with the points going into holding since we live fairly close to Disney and will definitely use the points up before our next use year.

 

[bnoble]

Well, nothing is impossible, and 1BRs tend to be the last unit size to book because of the way the points charts break, but I don't think you'll need to find another use for those weekend BWV points....