Blt availability

[poodleicious]

Looking at buying resale and pretty much decided on blt, but my desired uy is rarely available, so considering ssr since initial cost less and mf fairly equal. Will generally be staying in 1br or 2br so question is what's availability at 7 mos blt for those units. Travel mostly oct through march. Been reading threads and following resale sites for last 3 mos. thanks for any info/advice

 

[Missyrose]

Looking at buying resale and pretty much decided on blt, but my desired uy is rarely available, so considering ssr since initial cost less and mf fairly equal. Will generally be staying in 1br or 2br so question is what's availability at 7 mos blt for those units. Travel mostly oct through march. Been reading threads and following resale sites for last 3 mos. thanks for any info/advice

Lake view villas will always be the most available at seven months out. October through mid January will be very tough availability-wise. 1 bedrooms will also be easier to get than 2 bedrooms at popular times.

 

[RAD]

I've been on the waitlist at BLT for a 2BR MK view for 12/5->12/8 since the 7 month mark, no joy yet and when I look at the DVC site it shows nothing for any 2BR any view during those dates if that helps with your decision.

 

[poodleicious]

I've been on the waitlist at BLT for a 2BR MK view for 12/5->12/8 since the 7 month mark, no joy yet and when I look at the DVC site it shows nothing for any 2BR any view during those dates if that helps with your decision.

Sounds like I should keep shopping blt

 

[nalajms]

Sounds like I should keep shopping blt

Availability is not too bad if you're looking for 1-2 nights. Trying to get anything longer will be difficult even at 7mon.

You can also consider a different UY if you plan to use the BLT points for certain times of the year or if you'll only use these points at BLT. I flip-flop back and forth on this too. The many Feb UY are so tempting.

 

[drusba]

Between mid-Jan and the end of Sep, you can easily get BLT lake view at 7 months out and usually theme park view. Standard view is seldom open any time of year at 7 months out. From end of Sept to the end of Marathon weekend in Jan, anything at BLT can be difficult, although 1BRs are sometimes available when nothing else is, and first two weeks of Dec and Christmas week you can just write off as near impossible absent wait list. Thus, if you want BLT in that last quarter of the year, or you want standard view at any time, you should own there.

Not sure of your "desired" use year or why only one is desired. Use year does not determine when you can go (any time) or when you can call to reserve (always 11 months out at home resort, 7 at others). Many recommend a use year that begins shortly before you usually go but that has to do with the issue of possibly having to cancel a reservation and then being able to bank points that were in the reservation before the deadline -- by end of eighth month of your use year. Just note that you are easily saved from that problem by any use year that starts any month during the six month period before the time you usually go annually.

I am guessing most on sale are Feb use years. That is a quirk of how BLT was sold. It was on sale starting about 10 months before it opened in Aug 2009 and for almost 7 months the lead month being sold to new purchasers was Feb.

 

[dbs1228]

After we bought in to BLT direct I booked a 1 bedroom beginning Dec for a week - 2 weeks later our friends decided to join us so we wanted the 2 bedroom there were no 2 bedroom at all at 10 1/2 months out. I called my guide and used the 1 time booking courtesy they do for direct purchases.

 

[poodleicious]

Between mid-Jan and the end of Sep, you can easily get BLT lake view at 7 months out and usually theme park view. Standard view is seldom open any time of year at 7 months out. From end of Sept to the end of Marathon weekend in Jan, anything at BLT can be difficult, although 1BRs are sometimes available when nothing else is, and first two weeks of Dec and Christmas week you can just write off as near impossible absent wait list. Thus, if you want BLT in that last quarter of the year, or you want standard view at any time, you should own there.

Not sure of your "desired" use year or why only one is desired. Use year does not determine when you can go (any time) or when you can call to reserve (always 11 months out at home resort, 7 at others). Many recommend a use year that begins shortly before you usually go but that has to do with the issue of possibly having to cancel a reservation and then being able to bank points that were in the reservation before the deadline -- by end of eighth month of your use year. Just note that you are easily saved from that problem by any use year that starts any month during the six month period before the time you usually go annually.

I am guessing most on sale are Feb use years. That is a quirk of how BLT was sold. It was on sale starting about 10 months before it opened in Aug 2009 and for almost 7 months the lead month being sold to new purchasers was Feb.

Thanks for input, agree I probably need to buy blt. Not looking for one uy, but would ideally like aug-oct since my travel will generally be oct-march. Understand that usually it doesn't matter, but never know when plans might change and have to cancel a reservation and I'd hate to rush to rebook or lose points. Good info on reason for all the feb listings. Thanks

 

[greengeen]

Buy where you want to stay. It cannot be said enough. If you really want to stay at BLT at ANY time of year, buy at BLT.

(DVC owner for five years AKV and BWV)

 

[Minniesgal]

We have had good success in booking 4 or 5 nights in a 2 bedroom lake view at 7 months. We got 4 nights for presidents week and 5 nights in late August this year. It didn't book up any faster than other resorts for August in fact the AKV Savannah views went faster.

 

[Deb & Bill]

We have had good success in booking 4 or 5 nights in a 2 bedroom lake view at 7 months. We got 4 nights for presidents week and 5 nights in late August this year. It didn't book up any faster than other resorts for August in fact the AKV Savannah views went faster.

But the OP stated they would be looking at Oct through Mar for booking. Your August info doesn't help them in the least. And Oct through mid-Jan is hard at seven months out. Short stays are also easier than full weeks.

 

[Minniesgal]

We had good success at 6 months booking a 2 bedroom lake view for presidents week. However, i do wish we had bought some BLT points instead of all AKV points because we do so love staying there.

 

[FlipHipster]

Looking at buying resale and pretty much decided on blt, but my desired uy is rarely available, ..

We travel in the same time frame so I understand where you are coming from. Lots of Feb UY, Sept-Oct not so much. For BLT there are more points distributed to Feb than any other UY. I think Oct. has the fewest. Those UY's are harder to find resale and seem to quicker IMHO.

http://dvcnews.com/index.php/dvc-program/owning-dvc/1557-distribution-of-dvc-points-by-use-year

 

[Missyrose]

We had good success at 6 months booking a 2 bedroom lake view for presidents week. However, i do wish we had bought some BLT points instead of all AKV points because we do so love staying there.

Again, like Deb pointed out, February (even during the holiday week) isn't considered a high-priority DVC time. Plenty of people can chime in and say that had luck at a resort in (pick your month) 20XX, but if the OP is really looking to stay at BLT consistently from October through mid-January (which are as high-demand times as DVC gets), luck of the draw won't keep them very happy.

But late-January through March trips (outside of early spring break weeks) should be fairly easy to get BLT lake view villas.

I will post the same thing I've posted in other threads such as this one, why would you spend all this money on DVC and live your life hoping to get in where you want to stay? For me, and it may not apply to OP or anyone else, I'd rather buy where I want to stay and know I'll likely get to stay there whenever I want.

 

[Deb & Bill]

...I will post the same thing I've posted in other threads such as this one, why would you spend all this money on DVC and live your life hoping to get in where you want to stay? For me, and it may not apply to OP or anyone else, I'd rather buy where I want to stay and know I'll likely get to stay there whenever I want.

Kind of like buying at AKV and never using points for savanna, which to me is the reason to stay there.

 

[Song of the South]

Maybe this will help: I own at BLT and tried to reserve a 2 bedroom standard view at *11* months out for December 3-10 and have been on the waiting list for Dec 5th since the 11 month mark. Busy time of year!

Buy where you want to stay.


SotS

 

[FlipHipster]

Wow, quess that's just the way it is. Isn't that the week of the annual owners meeting? We originally wanted that rent points at any of the park resorts for that week but it was pretty limited at 10 months or so out. I thought a few people told me that the first week of Dec. is the annual meeting and a popular week for owners so we just moved our dates up.

 

[crisi]

I will post the same thing I've posted in other threads such as this one, why would you spend all this money on DVC and live your life hoping to get in where you want to stay? For me, and it may not apply to OP or anyone else, I'd rather buy where I want to stay and know I'll likely get to stay there whenever I want.

That is my take on it - as long as 1) you have that strong a preference (which the OP seems to) and 2) the opportunity cost in exercising that preference is worth it to you (i.e. I like VWL a lot, we own BWV - when we bought we bought BWV for $63 a point and VWL had just finished selling - resale points were near $80. I like VWL, I obviously didn't like it $17 more per point - and as it turns out, we love being close to Epcot and although when we travel VWL is usually open, we never bother to switch - we did once).

 

[BrerNashville]

Not looking for one uy, but would ideally like aug-oct since my travel will generally be oct-march. Understand that usually it doesn't matter, but never know when plans might change and have to cancel a reservation and I'd hate to rush to rebook or lose points. Good info on reason for all the feb listings. Thanks

June UY wouldn't be bad for you -- of your anticipated travel months, you would leave only March partially exposed. While your banking deadline would be January with the June UY, even if you had an August UY and cancelled a March vacation in February (the additional flexibility for your anticipated travel schedule you gain with the August UY rather than the June), those points may go into holding (depending on when in Feb you cancelled relative to when in march your trip was), which isn't quite as bad as losing them, but it could be.