DVC Room Availability Limited

[djtx]

Hello! I've been a member since 2004, but over the past couple of years have a harder time to find availability. 3-6 months out over the past several trips, I'm struggling to find availability. Is it becoming that I need to call the day of the home resort at the 7 month mark? I've enjoyed 15 years of scheduling any resort within 5 months, but now frustrated that there is zero (studio-3 bedroom) available at ANY resort 5 months in advance (not spring break) for 4 days. Can anyone give insight and guidance? Thanks!

 

[starry_solo]

Book at your home resort at 11 months out and then if you want to stay somewhere else, try modifying at the 7 months mark.

 

[djtx]

Book at your home resort at 11 months out and then if you want to stay somewhere else, try modifying at the 7 months mark.

I can do that - but something has changed over the past couple of years to drain the inventory. If I have to plan 11 months out at my home resort and hope for what I want, I'd rather plan a non-disney vacation and sell the points. Just curious if something changed that I wasn't aware of. I've enjoyed 15 years of Disney and watching the kids enjoy it, but am frustrated that for two years, I can't find ANY room 5 months out.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I can do that - but something has changed over the past couple of years to drain the inventory. If I have to plan 11 months out at my home resort and hope for what I want, I'd rather plan a non-disney vacation and sell the points. Just curious if something changed that I wasn't aware of.

It isn't really about draining the inventory so much as more users are booking earlier. Availability for small units (studios) tends to go fast year round at 7 months. Lots of new owners with small contracts sold at Poly and CCV against the bungalows and cabins also imbalance the system since there is not symmetric demand for the bungalows and cabins.

Timeshares have always been built for longer range planning. Disney is increasingly among them.

 

[djtx]

I understand - However, for 13 years, I had no problem booking within 5 months for a studio, 1B, 2B....and over the past two years there is ZERO inventory? In 2014,15,16 - I reserved 2B within a month and had multiple options. That tells me something changed that I must have missed. Over the past 18 months, I haven't been able to find ANYTHING within 5 months (studio, 1B, 2B). I guess my option is reserve at my resort in advance at 11months or sell the points?

 

[tjkraz]

You’re speaking in generalities which are just not true.

5 months from now is mid-May 2020. Plugging in a week-long stay, Saratoga and Old Key West have pretty much every room type available. Animal kingdom has 1 and 2 bedroom villas, Grand Floridian has 1B and 2B, Wilderness Lodge has 1B and 2B, Bay Lake has 1B.

You may be encountering issues during a specific time of year, but it is not universal. And as others said, your fellow members booking earlier and earlier is definitely impacting availability.

 

[djtx]

You’re speaking in generalities which are just not true.

5 months from now is mid-May 2020. Plugging in a week-long stay, Saratoga and Old Key West have pretty much every room type available. Animal kingdom has 1 and 2 bedroom villas, Grand Floridian has 1B and 2B, Wilderness Lodge has 1B and 2B, Bay Lake has 1B.

You may be encountering issues during a specific time of year, but it is not universal. And as others said, your fellow members booking earlier and earlier is definitely impacting availability.

Tim,
You are correct as of right now. Maybe it's the times of year that I'm hitting that are in more demand now? I guess I need to plan 11 months in advance or expect a 5 month plan should include times when I can/can't get my kids out of school (hmmm?). Actually, I'm going to start looking at all times and just pull my kids out of school, if needed. Heck, they probably learn more (planning, airport, fastpass, food budget, etc.) than they do that week in school.

Regardless - I USED to be able to find availability easily and I can't now. Something has changed, whether demand, more members after 15 years, etc. Really, I was just curious if there was something that I missed. This forum and members have provided so much good guidance, I thought I'd check.

 

[DebbieB]

I did the DVC tour with a friend a couple of weeks ago. The Guide said there are now 6,000,000 members. I think the rental market has grown, people are renting early, making last minute availability scarce, especially studios.

 

[Rafikisstaff]

A guide said there are 6 million dvc members? Sounds dubious...

 

[crvetter]

Not 6 million members, here is the count from late 2018.

 

[cep101]

It just depends. A Moonlight Magic event might be happening when you are thinking of going which messes with availability.

5 months is pretty short notice though to plan a DVC trip, in my opinion. But usually almost full weeks are available at Saratoga or Old Key West at that time.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

And if it's that you don't want to stay at Saratoga... well, that's your most likely option within 6 months.

 

[preemiemama]

It just depends. A Moonlight Magic event might be happening when you are thinking of going which messes with availability.

I agree on the Moonlight Madness. I have a scheduling issue that I am waiting to resolve to plan my June/July trip. If I look at the last week in June, I cannot find much available for that week because most of the resorts are booked for the night of 6/29 due to the Epcot Moonlight Madness event.

 

[crisi]

It isn't less inventory - it isn't like Disney can legally oversell. What has changed is the way members book. If you get shut out of your room reservation this year, you are more likely to book earlier next year. Twenty years of this - and us here on the internet telling people to do this - has changed the way members book their points. They plan ahead to try and get the room they want. They buy the resort they want to stay in most often. There IS less inventory per member at any of the old resorts. Twenty years ago, if you were trying for a BWV room at seven months, you were competing with OKW, VB, HHI and VWL owners - and any BWV owners who had decided late to try and get a room. Now you have Aulani, SSR, BLT, VAKL, Poly, BCV, VGF, etc. etc.....all competing for those rooms still available at seven months.

I've been a member almost 20 years - joined this board (or at least started reading it) when I was looking. Even back then we had posts like yours - "its four months out and NOTHING is available." But its become FAR more frequent in the past ten.

 

[Dean Marino]

Deleted

 

[SL6827]

Part of the reason is the rocking economy. Plain and simple.

 

[Sandisw]

As people have mentioned, what has changed is more members booking earlier for stays, I also think that having the ease of online booking also makes it easy for people to book stays for trips that are not always 100% confirmed. No need to call in anymore.

Disney also is selling smaller contracts..minimum is only 100 points..more members who are competing for rooms, especially during popular times like school breaks, and the fall through marathon in January.

So, planning more than 5 months out is becoming important due to all of those factors.

 

[GoingSince1990]

Use the waitlist. Waitlist at larger resorts like SSR and OKW. And keep trying, trying, trying. Leave a browser page constantly open on your phone on the DVC member site and check when you wake up and throughout the day whenever you have a spare minute. And be ready to grab anything that opens up.

 

[Minniesgal]

Home resort is now more important than it was which is why it is best to by where you want to stay.

I think more and more people can't be bothered switching so book home and stay home leaving less options to swap into.

 

[crisi]

Part of the reason is the rocking economy. Plain and simple.

That has little to do with booking a timeshare. With a timeshare and use em or lose em points, the economy has to be BAD for the points not to get used.