How many rooms are available?

[JessLCH]

Is there a way to find out the number of rooms available in a particular room category at a particular resort for specific dates? If so, how? Thanks!

 

[drusba]

There is no way to determine the actual number of rooms still available at any particular resort in any room size or booking category. The system provided on the official DVC member site for checking availability will tell you only if a room category is open for any given date, not how many rooms in that category are open.

 

[MHDTS]

We have spoken to Member Services staff who have told us whether a particular room size is near selling out -- i.e. "there are more than 20 available on those dates," but they don't usually tell an exact amount. It makes sense that those units could go very quickly and there's no way for the DVC staff to know. But we have found MS staff helpful when they can be.

 

[jerseyduke]

Funny because I once had a situation, and for the life I can not remember it, but it involved holding points, and SSR. It boiled down to, for whatever reason, I would had to cancel and redo a reservation to prevent some of the holding points from expiring. CM told me, who knows that can happen in the time between her cancelling the ressie and making the new one (5 minutes or less)...availability could be gone.

Since it was like 5 holding points or some other small amount, i did not risk it.

But she sure did not tell me, there were 20+ rooms available, you will probably be fine. I even asked her. She offered nothing.

 

[blluefaerie]

I think that Member Services should be able to tell us about how many rooms are left at any given time, where we stand on the waiting lists, and they should be given an envelope of time where once they begin to initiate a reservation availability for the room remains until reservation is complete. Anything beyond that is seems is out of sync with the amount of money we spend on the real estate and maintenance fees. Sometimes I feel like a Mouse in a maize when it comes to using points and making a reservation The system could be improved and member services should be empowered to be more helpful.

 

[LisaS]

But she sure did not tell me, there were 20+ rooms available, you will probably be fine. I even asked her. She offered nothing.

If an MS CM told you "No problem, there are 5 rooms available" but they all disappeared while you were cancelling and rebooking, would you be upset? You might be understanding but I'm not sure every member would be. It wouldn't surprise me if MS CMs are told not to provide that information because they cannot guarantee that availability won't change while they are modifying your reservation, resulting in an angry member demanding to be accommodated.

I think that Member Services should be able to tell us about how many rooms are left at any given time, where we stand on the waiting lists...

Knowing where you are on the waiting list isn't enough information. You would need to know the number of people above and below you waiting for the same/overlapping dates and how many nights they need. You could be at the top of the list waiting for 4 nights and there could be people below you waiting for just 1 or 2 overlapping nights. If some of your nights become available but not all of them, they would go to people below you on the list who need just those nights. MS could tell you "You're at the top of the list with no one below you waiting for any of your nights." and then a new WL for a subset of your nights could be created just after you hang up the phone, changing your situation.

 

[n2mm]

Yep, I too have been told by member services that there are several rooms left....generally the CM would say, there are not many rooms left in that category. So I've always assumed they have some sort of chart or block they see to know how many rooms are left.

 

[blluefaerie]

Yep, I too have been told by member services that there are several rooms left....generally the CM would say, there are not many rooms left in that category. So I've always assumed they have some sort of chart or block they see to know how many rooms are left.

Right Ive been told by different CM s in Member Services that they do not know any more than we know. Maybe they just didn't feel like checking. It may not be consistent. However.. It would make a difference to me knowing where I stood on the list just so I could make a general decision on whether or not I should pursue another reservation. I need more facts to make my own decision and I think they should be able to help members with this. If I am for example 50 people down on my list then and my time is coming up in all probability I need to pursue a different reservation. For all of this money I could at least know where I stand . Being upset about rooms disappearing while I make my new res... I stated that I think Member Services should be able to hold the spot as soon as they initiate the process. That is fair.

 

[Debby7]

I don't understand that if the system can put a 20 minute hold on a room when we book online reservations , couldn't something similar be used by the CM's ? Similar to the 2 browser method available to all of us?

 

[supersnoop]

I don't understand that if the system can put a 20 minute hold on a room when we book online reservations , couldn't something similar be used by the CM's ? Similar to the 2 browser method available to all of us?

Yes, but the CM's don't have the ability to use two different browsers. At least not the front-line folks.

 

[blluefaerie]

I think they should be given the ability to do this. This system is very stressful. Why not? Why isn't it more user friendly? Lets keep the customers happy!LOL

 

[supersnoop]

I think they should be given the ability to do this. This system is very stressful. Why not? Why isn't it more user friendly? Lets keep the customers happy!LOL

Because we, as members, fund the IT budget. And it's pretty well fixed. Sure, it'd be a nice surprise if they could do it, but I don't see a whole lot of value.

 

[blluefaerie]

Overall it may mean CMs spend less time on each person. The IT change would be a one time update. More efficient in the long run.

 

[supersnoop]

Overall it may mean CMs spend less time on each person. The IT change would be a one time update. More efficient in the long run.

And ongoing training. We're dealing with a call center staff training issue. I suppose it depends how the change is implemented, but I don't see any easy way to do it, and I don't see the problem as a big enough issue to worry about.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

No IT change is a "one time update."

Every alleged "one time update" adds dependencies for the next update, and the one after that, and etc.

 

[LisaS]

DVC should spend their IT dollars on things that benefit the majority of members. New software to make it easier for people trying to switch to a hard-to-get reservation at 7 months out helps only the small percentage of members who do that on a regular basis. There are other ways people in that situation can help themselves. For example, you could arrange to transfer in points from the resort you want to book from someone who owns that resort. Then you can use those transferred points to make the reservation yourself 11 months out. Another option is to use supersnoop's technique to switch the reservation yourself online at 7 months out by using two browsers. Making the reservation switch online gives you a 1-hour head start over those who are calling MS to do it.