How to waitlist a DVC reservation-Tips for getting the villa you want.
If the resort accommodation is not available, DVC offers a waitlist process to help you get the reservation you want. This is a valuable resource for members as a reservation may not be available at the time of booking but may come open before you need the reservation. I have had good results using a waitlist, but success could take some time.
The steps are very intuitive and can be done online or through Member Services. Members should make the request as quickly as possible as they are fulfilled based on when the request was made. If you successfully get a waitlist, you will be notified automatically. I would also suggest calling Member Services directly periodically to check on the wait list. On two occasions, my successful wait list wasn't showing in my account, but was confirmed by Member Services.
How To Wait List
Sometimes, when searching for a reservation online, all or only part of the requested days will not be available. If your reservation days are not available, then the reservation system will let you know that the only way to get these days is to put in a waitlist request.
The waitlist can be made for only one accommodation type. This includes the resort, the type of room, and the view or location of the room. DVC will allow members to have up to two waitlists per membership number per use year, at any time, but no more. You get a waitlist for each membership if you have numerous memberships due to multiple use years.
The waitlist process is described below.
Step 1- If you are booking a reservation and the days are not available, then the results will say “waitlist only.” This tells you all of the days you requested are not available, and the only way to get them is to put in a waitlist request.
Step 2- Click on the waitlist only, and the DVC system will show you the reservation days that the waitlist will be for and the number of points required. After confirming the days, hit continue.
Step 3- The next steps include choosing when you want the waitlist to expire. The choices are 31 days or seven days from when the reservation starts. This is an important distinction as there are penalties if you have to cancel a reservation within 30 days. Points associated with cancellations of any reservation within 30 days of check-in will be put in a holding account and will have to be used within 60 days from check-in. DVC will make the reservation immediately if the requested accommodation through the waitlist comes through. In this step, DVC asks if you want the waitlist to be in effect for up to 7 days when canceling the reservation. If so, and you have to cancel the booking, the points will be put in “holding” and have their use restricted.
Step 4- If you have an existing reservation, then DVC member services wants to know if your waitlist comes through, do you want to replace your existing reservation, or make a new one. For example, suppose you have Thanksgiving week booked at Animal Kingdom Villa but waitlisted a reservation at Boardwalk for the same time frame. In that case, DVC wants to know what happens to the Animal Kingdom Villa reservation if the waitlist days at Boardwalk become available.
Step 5- The point requirement may be higher on the new booking for some reservations. In this step, DVC wants to know if the new reservation is fulfilled where the points should come from. If you need points and own multiple contracts, then DVC wants the member to decide from which contract or combination of contracts the points will come.
Step 6-Confirm your choices, and you are all set waiting for the waitlist to go through.
Waitlist Rules
• Active waitlists are limited to two per membership per use year. If a member has two active waitlists, and one is fulfilled, the member can start a waitlist for another reservation.
• Waitlists need to be for the entire length of the stay. “Night-By-Night” reservations are prohibited. A waitlist for consecutive nights cannot be broken into individual nights.
• A waitlist can only be made for a resort accommodation for which a member is eligible. Only home resort owners can make a waitlist for that resort during the home resort priority period.
Successful Waitlist Strategy
Waitlisting to get a room reservation takes some patience. It may take a while to get the one you want, but it’s been my experience that I’ve been much more successful than not getting the reservation I wanted.
The data supplied on the following few pages can help you have a better chance of getting the reservation you want. It can take some time, but here are a few things to remember.
• Make the waitlist as soon as possible. Waitlists are prioritized based on the date the waitlist was made. The waitlist search will also have more opportunities to match up.
• If you have another waitlist available, use them to request other choices.
• Make sure you regularly look at the reservation you want. Sometimes you may find a booking before the waitlist search has taken effect.
• Shorter waitlists have a better chance of being successful. If you can split the reservation into two date ranges on the front and then waitlist both of them, you may have a better chance over time than trying to waitlist the entire vacation.
• Make the reservation at eleven-months at your home resort first. This guarantees a room for your stay. Then make your waitlist(s) to the location(s) that you prefer. If the accommodation is not at your home resort, you won’t be able to make the waitlist until eligible at the seven-month window.
• The best time to make sure that you have a waitlist for a preferred location is when people are making changes to their reservation. This usually happens around the seven-month window and can occur 30 days from a reservation as members will be making final decisions regarding their booking. Don’t lose hope your reservation may come in at the last minute.
Successful Waitlist Strategy-Using Data-Availability
Data for predicting successful waitlisting does not exist outside of DVC databases; however, known vital factors such as availability and room inventory can help members make their reservation waitlist decision.
First, look at the availability table below for Bay Lake Tower. Knowing availability can help you determine which accommodations are likely to have a vacancy. Locations that are not so much in demand can help determine the success of your waitlist.
The availability charts take each of the 141 DVC accommodations and track the availability of a one-week vacation is for every week of the year. The data is pulled from the DVC reservation website. A snapshot is taken at various times of the year—eleven months, seven months, five months, three months, and one month. A score of 7 is the highest rating. This score means that this accommodation was available every week of the year. On the flip side, a rating of 2 means that, on average, there were only two days consecutive days available for that week. That doesn’t mean that every week is that low, but there were only two days on average. Individual accommodation charts are in the back section of my Disney Vacation Club comprehensive book (DVC Field Guide). For a more detailed week-by-week evaluation by the 141 accommodations, be sure and review the data there.
In looking at the availability data, here are some observations:
• As expected, availability gets tighter as you get closer to the reservation date. However, there is not much difference between three-month and one-month availability for many accommodations. In fact, there may be a slight uptick in availability at one month.
• Some accommodations are in high demand, and snagging a waitlist reservation will be difficult. For example, Suppose you wanted to stay at Animal Kingdom Villas. In that case, the charts tell you that even as the 7-month window opens, the Value and Kilimanjaro Club rooms at Jambo House are filled up while the rooms at Kidani Village may have some availability. Knowing this information will help you determine which rooms may be available.
• If you prefer a specific room type (Studio, One-Bedroom, Two-Bedroom, and Grand Villa), look at the accommodations requiring more points. There is generally more availability in these units. For example, at Bay Lake Tower, Lake and Theme Park Views may be more available than Standard views.
• The room inventory also determines availability for rooms. If there are only a few total accommodations, then the odds of getting a waitlist will be lower than at a location where there are several rooms. Take two sites generally with good availability, Aulani and Old Key West. Two of the hardest accommodations to get in DVC are the 3BR Grand Villa-Standard Views at Aulani and the 3BR Grand Villa-Near the Hospitality House at Old Key West. There are only two of these units at each location. If you need a Grand Villa, the likelihood of getting one of these is much lower than if you chose one of the other Grand Villas types at these locations.
Successful Waitlist Strategy-Two-Bedrooms
If you are looking to book a Two-Bedroom, you’ll have a better chance to waitlist a Dedicated Two-Bedroom than a Lock-Off unit. For many resorts, there are two kinds of Two-Bedroom accommodations. The Lock-off units are named because they are made by adjoining Studios and One-Bedroom units, while the dedicated units are stand-alone Two-Bedrooms. For a Lock-off to be available, both the Studio and the One-Bedroom have to be available. Since Studios are the most in-demand accommodation, the Lock-off units will usually follow the studio availability.
For example, The Grand Floridian has the same number of Standard view Lock-offs and Dedicated (30), but the Dedicated units are much more available than the Lock-Off Units. The rooms are the same in size, but the Dedicated units have two beds in the second bedroom while the Lock-offs have a single bed and sleeper sofa or murphy bed.
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