tjkraz said:
While I think this is something to file under "never say never", I think you're vastly overrating such a proposal as being the "perfect solution" in the eyes of DVC membership. As you astutely pointed out, this small little DIS community is not representative of the bulk of the DVC membership. Most owners did not know about the resale market or the ability to buy sold out resorts direct from DVC.
Most owners didn't have much of a choice in the resort they bought--or perhaps only a choice between one on-site and one off-site resort. They bought on the basis of the 11/7 month windows that were promised to them. To change that window would be a disservice to all members, and could have an impact on future sales as well. As it stands, I don't think many people raise an eyebrow at a 11/7 window, but something like 12/3 would give potential members good reason to question their ability to book anything except their Home resort.
I'm also left to wonder how many people really want to be that limited in their resort selection. Are we to assume that BCV owners are willing to sacrifice their ability to book OKW, VWL, BWV or any other resort just to have a couple more months' advantage at their Home EVERY SINGLE TRIP for the next 40 years?
While we could list a dozen or more reasons why this suggestion is a good one, I suspect most owners would label it something other than the "perfect solution."
When you quoted me, you left out an important sentence, imo, backing up my opinion. That sentence is: "Considering the vast differences in resort sizes, this would even out the playing field, somewhat." And this is true. It is a lot harder to compete for a resort that has a lot less villas then one that is huge, compared to the others. Since the DVC members willingly and knowingly pay higher expenses for a membership at these home resorts, the large difference in available villas, is not realistic nor evenly applied to all DVC resorts, solely due to the size differences, with the existing home resort booking window. It is about supply and demand. Fewer available villas opened up to all members at the same time, greatly stacks the odds for home members being shut out of the smaller resorts without booking somewhere between 11 & 7 months out. Considering these home resorts also are the highest cost wise to members, makes the whole thing even more lop sided.
The 11/7 booking window has always been clearly stated in all DVC literature as something that could change at any time, in either direction. Nothing was ever promised to members regarding this. I also do not see where a change in the booking window would be a disservice to all DVC members. Actually the way it stands now, it is really a disservice to the members that own at the smaller resorts and pay the higher costs.
To say that by lengthing the home resort booking window would cause members to stay at their home resort "every single trip for the next 40 years", is absurb. Members would still be able to book at non home resorts, they would just have a shorter window to do so and the home members would have a longer window to get into their home resorts.
I also find it hard to believe, that just because someone does not read the Dis, they would not investigate all the ins and outs of a purchase, that requires the cash layout of a DVC membership. We owned DVC long before we ever heard of the Dis and we researched our purchase throughly.
I do not see the 12/4 month booking window as being that much of a problem for future sales. This still allows members to book at their home resort and waitlist for a non home resort for 1/4 of the year. It just would be a flip flop of the existing policy. A longer home resort window would not effect the larger DVC resort members, at their home resort, at all; and it would even out the playing field for members with home resorts at the smaller dvc resorts, for the hard to get booking times, for the GVs, the boardwalk views, etc.
I agree one can "never say never". Who knows what may happen if enough members complained or if getting into one's home resort becomes a major problem. The only promises made to members is that we would own x number of pts at our home resort, for x number of years; as long as the resorts are still operating. Other than that, DVC can do whatever they want.
