Allure going, going, gone...

[Jollymon]

I have been a DVC member for over 5 years and all this time I have held this to be one of the smartest decsions I have ever done. It helps that I live in South Florida and can travel to Orlando frequently; but this is also the problem.

It used to be that I could reserve BCV in the second week of September, a month out (we do a lot of our traveling at the spur of the moment). Now it is completely booked. Only chance of getting BCV is to book 11 months out (I own at BCV). There is however, plenty of space at Saratoga Springs.

Of course, having recently stayed at Saratoga Springs, I don't want to stay there again and I think this feeling is shared by most who own there and they are flocking to the other resorts filling them up even in the periods of low vacancy.

I think DVC made a strategic error with with SSR. The combination of a huge number of rooms and sub-par* facilities/location is driving huge amount of traffic to the other resorts effectively crowding them out and adversely affecting the availability. Unless SSR becomes a destination resort such as BCV or WLV, this will continue to be the case. Imagine the difference if SSR sported a pool such as Stormalong Bay or a location such as VWL (nature setting or proximity to MK) and families with kids actually flocked there.

There is another hotel in the area that is fully booked year around and commands stratospheric rates for its rooms. I am talking about Nick Hotel - everyone who stays there raves of the amenities and how much the kids love the place, the pool area, the diversions, etc. I am an ardent Disney fan, but I can tell you that my kids were not raving about SSR. Quite the contrary, they kept asking me if we were going to go to the swirly, sandy pool. I told them that yes, in September we would go. :>(

Andrew Medina


*I do not mean to offend anyone and my term of 'sub-par' reflect the needs and desires of a parent with 3 kids (namely close proximity to pools, an incredbile aquatic facility, and proximity to parks that does not require hopping in the car everyday). Being that Disney is centered around famlies with kids, I feel that this should be a priority and therefore cannot explain the lack of a spectacular pool or other amenity at SSR that would 'wow' families.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Come on, Jollymon, what's your really DIS name????

There are just as many (if not more) people who really like SSR and think it is a wonderful addition to the DVC resort family.

DVC isn't really a spur of the moment type of experience. If you can't plan much, maybe it's not really for you.

 

[CarolA]

I booked BCV about 20 days out for this July.

However, I think the OP has unrealistic expectations. As a last minute traveler the ONE thing SSR had done is given me a much better shot at getting anyplace on property at the last minute. More rooms equal more shots....

BCV is very popular and it's not just with DVC. People actually book those rooms via CRO so the other thing that is impacting the OP is the fact that Disney is SELLING out. A friend of mine from S. Florida called about two weeks ago for a quick Tues/Wed stay that coming week. NADA. Not ONE avaialble room, the CM couldn't even offer her some "Presidential Suite" at a $1,000 a night (she has had to turn that down for last minute bookings in the past LOL!) If you don't book early and DVC releases back to CRO, chances are this summer it was SOLD!

(And siorry, but the use of the "sub par" statment pretty much means "I am here just to stir up trouble")

 

[MikeyNS]

I guess I'm in the minority. I wasn't a huge fan of BCV and doubt we'll stay there again (still nice, just not for us) and am excited to head back to SSR again in September. I personally think the facilities are great at both resorts.

 

[disnutt]

I'm a parent w/ 3 kids and we love SSR and HATE Nick!

 

[bwvBound]

I voted, "Definitely - I have noticed a change sinsce SSR came on line" because prior to SSR, I didn't have a home resort. We had previously shied away from buying DVC due to the expiration issue. SSR's fresh 50-years was the right incentive to bring us on board.

 

[holcomb-mania]

I could swear that the original post looks identical to one I read at least a year ago.

 

[Coach Rick]

I think it has impacted being able to get into some of the other resorts, if for no other reason than the sheer numbers of new members. That said, I gotta say I do love SSR too. Is it for everyone, no. But then neither is any other resort. As Carol A noted, it has given us "someplace" to stay no matter what. I like that piece of mind knowing that I will have a place, and not just any place, but a very nice comfortable accommodation that most would love to have over a "hotel" room. I do understand the OP point, but again, from my perspective, I am thankful for having it.

 

[Granny]

I voted "maybe" but now that I read the question more closely, I should have said "no - still the same".

After all, DVC can build 100 more resorts and it won't make it harder to book my home resort because we plan more than 7 months ahead.


The reason I said "maybe" is because I do think that reservations that used to be easy at 7 months are now more challenging. SSR adds to that, but so does AKV, and any other resorts that Disney adds. Just more members with the 7 month booking option.

It used to be that I could reserve BCV in the second week of September, a month out (we do a lot of our traveling at the spur of the moment).

Why not book BCV the second week of September at 11 months if you think that's when you will be going? You can always cancel or change it later but why not book something while you have home resort ownership?

And it has been true even while they were selling your home resort BCV that spur of the moment trips and DVC are not a great long-term match. I'm glad you've been lucky for many years but as DVC grows, spur of the moment trips will become more and more challenging at the smaller resorts. Just a fact of the mathmatics...no reason to get upset with SSR per se.

 

[Snookies]

I agree with CarolA and Coach Rick on this one. I think the size of SSR, along with the size of OKW and AKLV (when complete), may increase the ability to get something on relatively short notice, despite the increase in membership. Time will tell. I, for one, regard the size of the place as advantageous since it increases the chance of securing something at particularly popular times. YMMV.

 

[kimberh]

I plan ahead... I have had very good luck so far with staying where I want to stay. Jollymon, I don't understand... If you knew at SSR that you were planning a Sept stay at BCV's, then why had you not booked it? I have only been a DVC owner for 1 1/2 years and I know that booking early will get me my desired resort, especially BCV's.

 

[Mtnman44]

LOL. There have been several discussions with this basic idea and I don't think it holds much water. People that think this are basically assuming everyone else feels the same way they do. This belief is further reinforced when they look and see no availablity at their resort and do see availability at SSR, overlooking the fact that SSR has many more units to fill than does BCV. Even if all owners only booked vacations at their home resort, BCV would still fill up much faster than SSR.

There are Many people that prefer the SSR type resort over the others. Also, I'm seeing more and more reports where SSR is sold out for a person's desired dates, but one of the smaller resorts has availability! Yes, this apprently can happen.

While it is no doubt that some people may have bought at SSR intending on it being a DVC "trader" there is no reason to think that these owners are a significant portion of SSR members. If I wanted to stay at BCV most of the time, I would have purchased points there.

Of course, having recently stayed at Saratoga Springs, I don't want to stay there again and I think this feeling is shared by most who own there and they are flocking to the other resorts filling them up even in the periods of low vacancy.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Jollymon, I'm suprised that after 5 years of ownership, you haven't gotten more astute about how and when to book the resort you want. You say Nick is much better? Well, then YOU go stay there and DRIVE to get to the parks. I'll stay onsite at my choice of 6 completely different and diverse DVC resorts and let someone else do the driving. I'll luxuriate in my personal Jacuzzi when I come back for my midday break, and I'll let the older kids or others choose their own schedule, since we wont all be depending on a car to get us back and forth. Then I'll sit back and count how much I saved over the course of the 50 years of ownership.

If it's not for you...sell. There's no need to convince others it isn't for them.

 

[camack7827]

Jollymon, while I can understand your frustration of being able to book short-notice trips in the past but no longer, I think you have misplaced the source of that.

5 years ago was *JUST* after 9/11. 9/11 directly impacted vacation destination all over the world. What you are experiencing is the economy picking up. People are now vacationing at will again, just look at the Parks numbers these last few years. SSR was built to provide additional rooms, that as someone else stated "gives us A place to stay". I would think that you'd be even more frustrated if you couldn't get in at your home resort, then find out there aren't ANY options available for short notice stays.

Just my 2 cents!

 

[Boss]

I'm newbie to this board and this is my first post. I'm glad it is here. We love SSR. Been to the BW and was not thrilled. The location and view was cool. But hands down SSR is our fav.

 

[dwelty]

It is funny that the OP called the SSR pool "Sub Par" The 2007 Unofficial Guide to WDW (Known as the best guide sold) reported that the SSR pool was ranked as number 3 out of all the pools at WDW. This post was just an opportunity for an SSR basher to get a Jab in. I will remember her when I am relaxing by the "sub par" SSR pool in 2043.

 

[Snookies]

...I will remember her when I am relaxing by the "sub par" SSR pool in 2043.

I'll be happy if I can just walk to the SSR pool in 2043, whether I'm relaxing or not!

 

[crisi]

I'm not an SSR fan, but when I visited the resort, I thought the pool area was pretty spectacular. Its not SAB - but I'm not an SAB fan either.

I think some people like to blame others for their own foolishness. Really, to expect that you will be able to book BCV consistantly only a month out is simply foolish - SSR or no SSR. That isn't the way a points based timeshare is going to work that opens up "non-home" resorts after a booking window - there are less than 200 rooms at BCV - and with SAB being such a popular draw, that resort is going to draw people from BWV, OKW, HHI, VB and VWL - all resorts that were in existance when BCV was built. And Disney never promised no additional resorts - the rumored resort when BCV was being sold was Eagle Pines - which would have likely been just as an unbalancing situation as SSR. If your expectations for availability at BCV were based on getting lucky in Septembers following 9/11 - it isn't surprising they aren't being met.

Other variables have been added as well. I'm SHOCKED at how many guidebooks I pick up now that direct people here for the bargain of a DVC rental - you aren't just competing with DVC members taking their own vacations - you are competing with every person willing to take the rental risk to get a great deal staying at the Beach Club (which is how most renters are going to look at it). And Disney has gotten busy year round - people now know that if they want to avoid lines, they need to avoid peak seasons - and if that means pulling the kids for a week in September, they do that more than ever. The explosion in people who homeschool and year round schools have increased the number of families that don't even need to pull kids from school.

Home resort only grants an advantage between 7 and 11 months. From that point on "points is points." That's the system we all signed up for - the OKW people who didn't know what was coming and they folks who joined yesterday with new VAK contracts. If you want the home resort advantage, you need to be able to plan ahead. If you can't plan ahead, DVC is not going to be nearly as flexible as paying cash. There is a cost associated with "great room/great price" - this is one of the costs.

 

[txo1474]

I have had several occasions over the years to take last minute vacations. When I call MS, I usually find my home isnt available ( BWV ) even during the slow seasons. However, there is always something, usually SSR, and I'm thankful for that. I also look forward to any and all new DVC places that are built in the future!!!

Just remember that if SSR is the only thing available, you can say no and stay in one of the many $45.00 a nite rooms on RT 192. But, I suggest you bring bug spray and a can of Lysol!

 

[tor]

I have been a DVC member for over 5 years and all this time I have held this to be one of the smartest decsions I have ever done. It helps that I live in South Florida and can travel to Orlando frequently; but this is also the problem.

It used to be that I could reserve BCV in the second week of September, a month out (we do a lot of our traveling at the spur of the moment). Now it is completely booked. Only chance of getting BCV is to book 11 months out (I own at BCV). There is however, plenty of space at Saratoga Springs.

Of course, having recently stayed at Saratoga Springs, I don't want to stay there again and I think this feeling is shared by most who own there and they are flocking to the other resorts filling them up even in the periods of low vacancy.

I think DVC made a strategic error with with SSR. The combination of a huge number of rooms and sub-par* facilities/location is driving huge amount of traffic to the other resorts effectively crowding them out and adversely affecting the availability. Unless SSR becomes a destination resort such as BCV or WLV, this will continue to be the case. Imagine the difference if SSR sported a pool such as Stormalong Bay or a location such as VWL (nature setting or proximity to MK) and families with kids actually flocked there.

There is another hotel in the area that is fully booked year around and commands stratospheric rates for its rooms. I am talking about Nick Hotel - everyone who stays there raves of the amenities and how much the kids love the place, the pool area, the diversions, etc. I am an ardent Disney fan, but I can tell you that my kids were not raving about SSR. Quite the contrary, they kept asking me if we were going to go to the swirly, sandy pool. I told them that yes, in September we would go. :>(

Andrew Medina


*I do not mean to offend anyone and my term of 'sub-par' reflect the needs and desires of a parent with 3 kids (namely close proximity to pools, an incredbile aquatic facility, and proximity to parks that does not require hopping in the car everyday). Being that Disney is centered around famlies with kids, I feel that this should be a priority and therefore cannot explain the lack of a spectacular pool or other amenity at SSR that would 'wow' families.

Wow we have really come a long way five years ago it used to be there was always something available at okw now its ssr.