Most of the time, DVC works best when you can plan well in advance, and aim for the 11-month booking window. Last minute trips well under the 7-month mark are harder to book with DVC points, but they’re also not impossible. With some extra effort and a little faith, trust, and pixie dust, you can increase your odds of getting that last minute DVC reservation.
Waitlist as Soon as Possible
First off, set a waitlist as soon as possible. Waitlists for a couple of days or a few days are more likely to come through than waitlists for several days. Sometimes actively selling resorts (currently Riviera, Grand Floridian, Aulani, and The Villas at Disneyland Hotel) can be good to waitlist since more inventory becomes available as the resort sells and Disney Vacation Development declares more rooms. Remember that you can have up to two active waitlists per membership per Use Year. If you set two for the same dates, and one comes through, your other waitlist will be canceled.
Stalk the DVC Website
Even after setting a waitlist, keep checking the DVC website for availability. Persistence can pay off. I recently decided it was a good idea to book a trip for my son’s birthday. The problem was that I was only three months out, and his birthday happens to fall on a holiday. I knew my odds were slim, but after lots of searching, I was able to reserve a Garden/Pool View One Bedroom Villa at the BoardWalk!
Be Flexible
This goes for room type, resort, and dates. Studios are often the hardest rooms to come by since they require the lowest number of points. If you can widen your search to One Bedroom Villas, you may be more successful. Also, go for larger resorts like Saratoga Springs, Old Key West, and Kidani Village that have more room inventory. If you can be flexible with your arrival and departure dates, this can help too.
Watch for Banking and Borrowing Points
If you need to use banked or borrowed points for your last minute reservation, keep in mind that banking and borrowing are final transactions. For example, if you have your waitlist set to borrow points and it comes through, those points will not move back to their original Use Year should you need to cancel that trip.
Don’t Forget About One-Time-Use Points
If you are trying to broaden your search but are all out of points even after borrowing, you can purchase up to 24 one-time-use points. They currently cost $20 per point and are good for reservations made at 7 months out or less. To purchase them, you’ll have to call Member Services.
If you’ve been successful with last minute DVC reservations, what has worked best for you? Comment below!
My best hacks are 1) check what view has the largest number of rooms at your chosen resort(s) and waitlist that that/those views rather than waitlisting your favorite view. You’re more likely to get a garden/pool room at BWV than a Boardwalk view. 2) A more expensive view may be easier to get a reservation for, depending on the resort, as people often like to economize their points, so think about waitlisting the more expensive view, unless it’s a desirable view with just a few rooms – like Theme Park view at BLT. 3) If you surf around on the booking tool on the DVC website, you can make a good guess as to which views/room types tend to be more popular and which ones tend to be less popular, then waitlist the less popular view. As you said, flexibility is key!