It is an option to stay outside the park - but that really is defeating the purpose imho. Curry Village is good, especially if you can get a wooden cabin but that is getting harder as they are closing off sections due to rockfalls and the wooden cabins are especially hit by that.
I did not like the tent cabins one bit, not because I don't like tents and I have stayed in far worse, but there are people in the tent cabins that really oughtn't be out in public as they have no camp etiquette. Yosemite Lodge does the job. Ahwahnee you are paying a lot for the name but I liked the bar and the restaurants.
If you have the patience then keep ringing the Yosemite line and checking online too. We have had a lot of success doing that especially when the phone line says "no" but online says "yes" so check both. It is also best to ring up about 7 days before you want to stay as I think that is the last day people can cancel and get a full refund, so they may be cancelling just as you ring - that has happened many times for us in the past and we are doing the same at the moment.