Why is Disney Vacation Club Availability So Limited?
When it comes to booking DVC resorts at Walt Disney World, members are asking two questions more and more: “why can’t I find any availability at the 7-month mark?” and “why can’t I use my points when the same room has availability with cash?” In this post, we’ll answer both questions, and explain some recent Disney Vacation Club trends.
We’ll start with the second of those common questions, the issue of points versus cash. Frequently, there is no availability when attempting to book via DVCMember.com, but ample availability on DisneyWorld.com, or when calling Walt Disney World and attempting to book a reservation.
Contrary to what some members think, this is not a “scam” or shady attempt by Disney in attempting to make more money off of the “same” room from cash-paying guests. While we never put it past Disney to find new and inventive ways to get people to pay more, that’s not what’s happening here. Rather, it comes down to the way room inventory is allocated by Disney…
Think of each Disney Vacation Club resort as two resorts. One is the timeshare resort and the other is the Deluxe Villa Resort. These pull from separate inventories, with timeshare members pulling from the points side of the inventory and the Deluxe Villa pulling from the cash side.
Rooms enter the Deluxe Villa side of the inventory in a number of ways. Some of these rooms are retained by the developer, some “undeclared inventory” that represents points that have not been sold, some are exchanges used for cruises, RCI, etc., some are points reclaimed by Disney via ROFR, and some are breakage–unused points inside the 60 day window.
Each and every way points end up in the Deluxe Villa inventory is on the up and up (and a couple of these are good for the membership as a whole since they keep dues down). There are a number of reasons for Walt Disney World wanting to rent out these points, but the simplest is guest demand.
As Disney Vacation Club demonstrates, there’s a huge market for villa style rooms, and many guests paying cash are willing to pay a premium for such accommodations.
In the past, this was never really an issue among members–at least not as big of an issue as today. That’s because bookings used to be a lot easier at the 7-month mark, so members tended to notice this less. However, as we’ll discuss below, non-home resort availability is becoming increasingly scarce.
This has led to members noticing the cash availability for their resort of choice even when it’s “fully booked” on DVCMember.com, leading them to believe Disney is running some sort of racket.
That should explain the why of there being cash availability when Disney Vacation Club doesn’t have rooms, but it doesn’t totally answer the questions some DVC members have had. Namely, why booking at the 7 month mark has become so much more difficult in the last few years. Our answer, in a word, is competition.
This competition has occurred in a few ways. The first and most noteworthy is Aulani. Originally, I had this further down the list…until I found some numbers about the total number of points at each Disney Vacation Club Resort. To my surprise, Aulani is the second-largest DVC resort, behind only Saratoga Springs. Aulani has a total of over 11 million points, which is more than Beach Club, Bay Lake Tower, and Grand Floridian combined.
Unlike Saratoga Springs, there are a huge number of Aulani points that are not being used consistently at Aulani. As with the other resorts built outside of Walt Disney World (except for the Grand Californian), owners are far less likely to stay at their home resort year after year.
Aulani has created a large pool of points that are infrequently used at Aulani, and the utilization rate of points from Walt Disney World DVC resorts at Aulani is likely lower than Aulani points utilized at Walt Disney World DVC resorts. This is a huge imbalance that means more competition for DVC resorts at Walt Disney World.
Unfortunately, this imbalance will only get worse, as Aulani still is not sold out, so we can expect its owners to increase over the course of the next couple of years, making bookings difficult elsewhere. (I remember the ‘good ole days’ when members complained that Saratoga was having same impact, but within Walt Disney World–now those days seem quaint!)
There are likely a number of other explanations, from refurbishments taking rooms–but not points–out of inventory to a more robust resale market with faster sales than ever before. All of those things play a role in the increased competition at the 7 month mark (and beyond), but I don’t think they are as significant of factors as rentals, the bungalows, and Aulani.
Then there’s the growth of renting out points. Renting Disney Vacation Club points has become increasingly popular, and word has gotten out about it. This is particularly noteworthy when it comes to Disney Vacation Club owners.
That’s something that’s not often considered, but more owners are now aware of Disney Vacation Club point rental options, and these points are less likely to be used at the last minute–or not at all. Likewise, Disney’s promotion of the RCI exchange, Member Cruises, and other ways to utilize points (remember “converted” points don’t just disappear–they become Disney’s to use for cash bookings), fewer points are going to waste.
All of this means more competition for bookings even before the 7-month mark, using points that previously might’ve gone to waste or been used on last-minute bookings, there’s more competition. The rental market has become increasingly sophisticated and savvy from its nascent message board days.
Next, the points allocated to the Polynesian Bora Bora Bungalows. Depending upon the season and view, the Bungalows account for 6 to 7 times the number of points of each Deluxe Studio at the Polynesian. Even though there aren’t nearly as many Bungalows (comparatively speaking) as Deluxe Studios at the Poly, in terms of points, there’s just over double the amount allocated to the Deluxe Studios as the Bungalows.
Unfortunately, we don’t have insight into the point utilization rate of the Bora Bora Bungalows (or even the occupancy rate, for that matter), but last we heard, it was pretty far below the resort-wide average. When we stayed in the Polynesian Bora Bora Bungalow, I’d hazard a guess that over half were sitting empty.
As of last year, the Polynesian was regularly offering tours of the Bungalows, meaning there were consistently empty Bungalows available for that purpose. While we’re not sure whether these tours are still offered, it doesn’t bode well for occupancy/utilization numbers.
Irrespective of whether the Bungalow is booked for a night, those points have been sold and can be used elsewhere. Each one of those that sits empty potentially represents ~7 studios that are filled elsewhere. Even with a supply of only 20 Bungalows, that’s a huge number of studios being filled with points allocated from the Bungalows.
The Cascade Cabins at Wilderness Lodge could have similar consequences, although the adjusted point chart there will hopefully mitigate that. Anecdotally, we’ve heard that the occupancy rate is already much better at the Cascade Cabins, but we’re not sure what that means in terms of point utilization.
Ironically, the best overall solution to all of this is the opposite of what many members assume–building more Disney Vacation Club resorts. Actually, it’s a bit more nuanced than that, as Disney needs to build more DVC resorts at Walt Disney World, with a focus on studios since those are the most in-demand units. In order for this to be effective, Walt Disney World needs another Saratoga Springs-sized resort, as offsetting those ~11 million Aulani points requires more than just add-ons at existing Magic Kingdom or Epcot area resorts (or even the standalone Riviera; it’s a start, but not nearly enough.)
One unintended side effect will be making fall bookings at Epcot resorts even more impossible, but that ship sailed long ago. Not building high-point units that are more likely to sit empty is another component to the solution, as is not building stand-alone properties outside of Walt Disney World. Obviously, Disneyland is the exception to this, and thankfully, it’ll be getting another Disney Vacation Club resort in 2021. Disney should have learned its lesson with Vero Beach and Hilton Head, or at least should’ve allocated more of Aulani to the hotel side, as it’s way too big and few Disney fans–even those who own at Aulani–want to vacation to Hawaii year after year.
With that said, the dearth of availability at the 7-month window really underscores the conventional wisdom to “buy where you want to stay.” I’ll be honest, this is advice we resisted when we first bought into Disney Vacation Club, and it’s why we ended up owning at Saratoga Springs, a resort we didn’t exactly love (although our opinion of it has improved with time–and Disney Springs upping its game). We still don’t fully embrace this wisdom, but disagreeing with it would require ignoring reality. This is why we’ve been saying for the last couple of the years that we’d buy Bay Lake Tower (which also isn’t my favorite resort) if we had to do it over again. For us, that’s a compromise decision and is not pure “buy where you want to stay.” Your mileage may vary if you’re considering buying into Disney Vacation Club and are currently debating a home resort.
If you’re thinking about joining DVC, be sure to read our Ultimate Guide to Disney Vacation Club. This covers the pros & cons, resale v. direct, how much money you’ll save, and other important things to know before taking the plunge. If you still can’t decide whether membership is right for you, “try before you buy” with the recommendations in How to Save BIG on Deluxe Disney Accommodations Renting DVC Points.
YOUR THOUGHTS
Have you had more difficulty in finding DVC availability in the last couple of years? Have you noticed certain resorts or times of the year getting more competitive? Any firsthand experiences you care to share? Any other thoughts or tips to share? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
I looked into the DVC but was very difficult to get the resort I wanted. Time shares are not a good investment. Why would I spend thousands of dollars and not get to stay where I want 11 months out.? Wasn’t good for me.
We sold our points at the Boardwalk about five years ago, after purchasing in 1999. The last few years of our membership, rooms were becoming more and more difficult to book. Also, the condition of the Villas just got more tired and worn looking. It didn’t seem that caring for the DVC properties was a priority in Disney’s mind. We wound up staying one visit at the Boardwalk Inn, and the difference was eye-opening. DVC is definitely a money maker for Disney, but, in my opinion, there is little effort to reinvest and make the experience pleasant or worthwhile for members anymore.
I don’t know if I agree that Disney needs to focus more on studios. As someone who routinely vacations in timeshare because it can offer something that many hotels can’t — separated sleeping spaces and control of the food budget via kitchen facilities — I would be wary that current trends driving studio desirability might not hold up long term.
Yes, there is a rental market that views Deluxe studios as a way to get into a Deluxe resort at a moderate price and with a slightly nicer room than at a moderate(*), but I think there is a core of families who buy specifically to have access to bedrooms and in-room laundry facilities, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see time move people from one category to the other. Similarly, I wonder about the demographics of long time owners who are booking studios now, and whether or not it includes a significant bubble of people whose kids are grown and no longer need a bedroom suite, but will in a few years when trips begin to include grandkids.
(*) In my experience, moderate rooms actually have significantly better storage than studio villas. It’s like they built the moderate room actually expecting a family of 5 to stay in it for a week, but they built the studio expecting that if you have more than 2-3 people for more than 2-3 days, you’ll be in a 1- or 2- bedroom instead.
I will confess upfront that I am not a DVC Owner and am also quite uninformed about the ins and outs of such a venture. What I do know is what I like in a rental when I’m on vacation with my family… and Disney seems EXTREMELY outdated and old fashioned in the way they build the rooms. The layouts and bed choices are poor for groups, large families or family groups with multiple adults. I would absolutely love some of the properties that sit vacant (aka: The Bungalows)…. if only their layout wasn’t so stupid and impossible for my unusual family.
My family travel group is always my mother (69), father (72), son (18) and myself (45). Often for summer vacations, my sister, her husband (40’s) and their 8yr old daughter are a part of that. It is next to impossible to find a 3 BR, 2-3 Bath where we can all stay together without some of the adults sleeping on bunk beds, twins, cots or a couch… something nobody wants to do while walking miles and miles in a park for 12-15 hours a day. Has Disney not actually thought about their room amenities more intelligently than their apparent assumption that all “families” consist of 2 parents and 1-2 kids? We fare much better staying off-site at a place that offers 2-3 BR suites so we can all stay together, but then we don’t get the benefit of being on-site. It’s a catch 22 and it seems that Disney hasn’t caught up with that mentality like other resorts have.
I can go to almost any beach and rent condo’s that allow us the rooms and proper bed combinations for less than the price of a new car… but not on a Disney property.
Another issue we have is that I own my own business and work from home, so I end up making all the vacation arrangements every year. The Disney website is also outdated and old fashioned in that I cannot book for a certain number of rooms on https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/ . Not only can I not find a suite with 3 bedrooms that have queen or double beds in them so that we can stay together, I end up having to book each room separately, making several purchases on my credit card in order to book one vacation for 7 people who just want to stay together.
Bottom line, DVC needs to talk to the actual humans who book these resorts and stay there and ask what the short comings are, what issues they run across and then progress into creating a system, a resort, a room layout, etc that would actually serve the people who have invested in them. Until they begin to do this, I would personally never consider becoming a DVC member, as much as I may wish to do so.
I’m not an owner but if I was it would be interesting to investigate how Disney sells a DVC property to make sure they haven’t sold 100% of the physical space in parcels and then allocate a portion of that same property to the hotel pool. If they sold 100% of the property as timeshares, as say Hilton does, then it should all be available for timeshare owners.
I think a big issue too is the minimum buy in amount has declined for first time owners. When I bought in the minimum was 160 points. That would get a full week in a studio. Now, new members can buy in for 75 points. That means you have more members who can only stay a few days in a studio….so more people are fighting for the same days.
I think with the huge jump in prices in the last 3 years if Disney Disney needs to skew it’s newer resorts to more studios and less 1BR and 2BR. They also definitely need to not add another Bungalow class room that takes up a huge percentage of points where very few members own enough points to actually pay for it.
The article was enlightening. I’ve had my DVC membership for about 15 years and typically travel off peak. For the past 3 years I’ve had difficulty first getting reservations at my home resort (Beach Club) and now any resort. It is approaching the point where I’m considering selling, which also means no more Disney trips as I’m not paying the retail prices. Although the article makes everything polite, Disney is still gaming DVC members through allocation, especially with the under 60 day dump to rental, which is something I have used several times in the past but lately without success. At “the end of the day”: the magic is getting thinner and that means Mickey will get less of the green from me.
I have been on the fence about buying into DVC and now after reading this and people’s experience getting rooms I’ll probably will not. And I think the renting of points shouldn’t be allowed to non dvc members. With them allowing this it doesn’t make sense to become a member.
I actually called and complained to DVC a few months ago regarding this subject: why can’t I book a studio villa anywhere. Personally, I can only get into my home resort (GF) at 8am 11 months out and 7 months at many resorts is never an option. After speaking with numerous people at the DVC Member Satisfaction Dept, they didn’t have much to say other than “we don’t hear that often from our members.” I feel you’re only fool-proof solution is buy more points, expand your options to 1 bedrooms, and therefore double your chances. Most resorts are a even mix of 1 bedrooms and studios. Disney makes so much money off DVC and they’re not slowing down. I anticipate every resort having a DVC portion in the long run. So you’ll always have to find ways to be competitive.
Scott,
You said: “I feel you’re only fool-proof solution is buy more points, expand your options to 1 bedrooms, and therefore double your chances.”
This is what we did. As our kids get older we needed more/bigger beds for them and had a hard time getting the studios. So we purchased more contracts and that helped us get the 1 and 2-Bedrooms much easier at 7-Months.
Our home resort is SSR. I agree with you Tom that it is not our favorite but, it is huge giving the availability a year out to go. We make two trips each year spring and fall. I book the year out at SSR and then waitlist if needs be or just suck it up at SSR. We scored this Fall and have a week at BW… WooHoo!
I have asked the same question to the DVC folks directly and your article, although more in-depth, gave the same information. Book early and often!
Timely article. In 10 years of membership, the last few months are the first time I’ve not gotten what I want at 7 months. One trip was scrapped entirely, the other I’m booked at OKW. Resale market is so strong, our potential solution of throwing more points at the problem isn’t appealing either.
I’m one of those renters who is causing problems. We go to WDW or DLR only once every 3-4 years or so, and we go to national parks in the intervening years (thanks, Tom, for the travelcaffeine advice on NPs!). Buying into DVC doesn’t make financial sense for us, but renting certainly does. And since we go so infrequently, we happily pay the premium for booking at 11 months. That premium, when compared to the overall cost of a WDW experience, is a practically a rounding error.
I have no idea what I am doing 7 months from now or even 11 months from now. They should offer rooms to current DVC members first before rentals (unless members are renting points?). If I run out of points, I just wait for my next use year, not rent points. I have had a very hard time booking anything at any resort no matter if 1 month or 10 from now. If cash paying rooms are open, they should offer to DVC members even though they are not getting cash for the room. DVC members still spend money when they are at disney and it did cost money to buy our points. A room booked is a room booked. I am tired of having so much trouble booking a room.
My home resort is Beach Club which is always booked no matter how far out you try due to location.
There is another factor: a selfulfilling profecy.
As booking at 7 months is more difficult, more people book their home resort just to secure something before switching. This decreases availability at 7 months, meaning less people can switch freeing inventory for people who would like to book their resort. It’s like a gridlock.
But people still move and stalking the website or using waitlists can help. I got VGF and BCV this year thanks to waitlists and last year I got BWV standard via a waitlist as well.
About a DVC at Disneyland: I’ve read there are constraints on how many timeshare units can be built in Anheim. To build a bigger DVC resorts at DL, Disney would need some special permission, which is unlikely to happen since they’re already getting tax relief on the new deluxe hotel they’re building.
For the new Riviera, there’s a rumor saying they might build some “2 people only” studios there. Not sure if that means a smaller footprint for less points or the same size but better amenities (kitcken and washer-dryer?). Either way we can hope this could increase the studios vs everything else ratio, it would be a good move for the system.
I guess so far I have been lucky with finding studios..even got 3 days a GC at 7 months out this past May. My home resorts are Saratoga and Old Key West
Disneyland is getting another DVC resort? I thought it was scrubbed from the announced plans.
Agreed we have Saratoga springs as a home resort. And can’t even get rooms I want do to higher point value. I have reached out to DVC. My home resort should be mine to choose. Every year harder to get what our family wants.
Yea that’s not right
It’s way harder now to book at 11 months now too. We used to not have to book at 8 a.m. at 11 months, but now we have to to get anything in the first couple weeks of December. It’s crazy now.
It’s even harder now to book at 11-months out. I used to not have to book at 8 am at 11 months, but now we have to to get anything in first couple weeks of December.
I wonder if part of the rental effect is also that people renting are more likely to stay in studios, while the points originally purchased might have been intended by the original owner for higher point-value rooms (like your Poly bungalow example).
We’ve rented points the past 2 years and definitely experienced the effect you are talking about. 2 years age we booked at 7 months and the pickings were slim for studios. this year, we payed the premium for 11-month booking.
Absolutely. I think that’s a trend that has been occurring for a while (and I’m a little surprised Disney hasn’t adjusted the inventory it’s building to a greater degree to reflect this) but it has probably been exacerbated in recent years as DVC has increased in cost, and more people have started renting for the express purpose of saving money.