Keys To A Last Minute Booking Using DVC Points

The longer you're a member of the Disney Vacation Club, the more it seems like a normal thing to plan and book your vacations a year in advance. After all - the member booking window for their home resorts opens at 11 months out. Members become conditioned to the fact that if they want their preferred room, especially during certain times of the year, they have got to jump in quick. But what if you don't want to plan that far in advance? Are there even rooms DVC rooms available at two months out? What if you are sitting on some extra points and you just want to get away? We've got the Keys To A Last Minute Booking Using DVC Points.


Keys To A Last Minute Booking Using DVC Points


DVC Resort Availability: Stays in the Next 60 Days

The DVC Member website has a special page that shows a few of the room nights available within a 60-day window. The list is updated weekly and offers an overview of current openings, but you need to dig deeper because it doesn't list everything. To find a detailed listing of what rooms are available use the "Book My Stay" button. This will take you to a page where you enter your party size, travel dates, preferred room size, and resorts. From there you click "check availability" and the website will display all of what is available for the dates you selected.

It's an easy tool to use, but be aware that you may need to repeat the process several times before finding your perfect stay. Flexibility is the most important thing to keep in mind when trying to book at the last minute.


Comfortable Rooms and Lovely Grounds of Saratoga Springs


Keys To Last Minute Booking

• Try different dates for travel. Often shifting your plans a few days to one side or another can open up more room options. By shifting my travel dates back one day on my next trip, I went from needing to do a split stay in two different room types to finding three nights in a studio at the same resort.




• Look for rooms at resorts you wouldn't normally consider. Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa and Old Key West may be a little off the beaten path, but they are both fantastic places to stay. With more rooms on offer than at other DVC resorts, Disney's Saratoga Springs can frequently be booked at the last minute.




• Go Big. Studios book up fast all year long and are the most difficult room category to find for a short term trip. It's not impossible, but you should be open to staying in a larger room even if you don't need that much space. In more than a decade of being a DVC Member, I've never had a problem booking a last minute 2 Bedroom Villa.




• Be open to a split stay. You may have better luck finding a room by looking to do a few nights at two or more hotels. Check out our previous article Split Stays Pro And Con At Walt Disney World Resorts for thoughts on split stays.




• Don't be cheap with your points. In my experience with booking last minute trips, fewer options has meant that I use more points. To get a last minute room you may have to pay a more points than you hoped to, either because you are booking at a different resort, or in a different room category than you are used to.




• You can use your DVC points at other Disney resorts as well. Consider staying at a Moderate Disney resort using points for last minute reservations. The caveat here is that when you book out of the Disney Collection you will be charged a $95 reservation fee.

AKL One Bedroom Villa Living Room


Are there even rooms DVC rooms available at two months out? The simple answer is yes, you just may have to do a little work to find them. Don't let a short advance time keep you from planning your next Walt Disney World vacation. Things may not be as straight forward as when you plan 11 months in advance, but DVC Members are Disney pros, and a great time will still be had by all.

What has your experience been when booking last minute rooms with DVC? Leave a comment below and share your best tips!