Availability of resorts in June at 7 month window

Kaigler

Mouseketeer
Joined
Jul 8, 2009
Like the title says, I was hoping some of you good folks could help give me an idea of what it looks like to book resorts at the 7 month window for vacationing the second, third, or fourth week of June. We have no problem picking a home resort we want to stay at - but we also want to mix it up and have that flexibility. Unfortunately, because of my job, that is the only time we can travel for a week.

For instance, if my home resort was GF, but I wanted BLT Studio w/MK view during the third week of June. How difficult would that be to get?

Also curious about an extended weekend at Fort Wilderness sometime early December. How easily could I get that resort 7 months in advance?

Thank you all so much for your responses. This is really exciting, but also a lot to consider.
 
See this thread with lots of great information that skier_pete put together.
 
Like the title says, I was hoping some of you good folks could help give me an idea of what it looks like to book resorts at the 7 month window for vacationing the second, third, or fourth week of June. We have no problem picking a home resort we want to stay at - but we also want to mix it up and have that flexibility. Unfortunately, because of my job, that is the only time we can travel for a week.

For instance, if my home resort was GF, but I wanted BLT Studio w/MK view during the third week of June. How difficult would that be to get?

Also curious about an extended weekend at Fort Wilderness sometime early December. How easily could I get that resort 7 months in advance?

Thank you all so much for your responses. This is really exciting, but also a lot to consider.

Summer is not the most busy DVC time so you should have luck in staying elsewhere most times you want to. I wouldn't go into it expecting to get small room categories or popular categories though. If you do it's a plus but plan on the larger categories. Studios are the most popular so they can be more difficult to book at 7 months, but not impossible. BLT MK view studio? I wouldn't count on it. BLT Lakeview? More likely. Fort Wilderness is not part of DVC but if you mean Villas at Wilderness Lodge Dec is a very popular time at that resort and the most difficult to book at 7 months. Possibly you could get it, most likely via a waitlist or catching a cancellation, but not one I'd count on.
 


How many points do you have at that resort to have earn the right to book 11 months in advance?
 


So say you own 100 points at GFV and 100 points at AKV. Can you spend 200 points at AKV?

Thank you for all of the answers. Most appreciated.
 
So say you own 100 points at GFV and 100 points at AKV. Can you spend 200 points at AKV?

Thank you for all of the answers. Most appreciated.

At 11 months you can only use 100 points at AKV, unless you've banked points from the previous year or borrow points from the following year. At 7 months you can use 200 points at AKV or any other resort, depending on availability.
 
So say you own 100 points at GFV and 100 points at AKV. Can you spend 200 points at AKV?

Thank you for all of the answers. Most appreciated.
No. You could use 100 points at VGF at 11 months, and 100 points at at AKV. They points belong to the resort. The points have the 11 month advantage. The benefit is tied to the points, not conveyed to the owner.
 
BLT Theme Park and Standard Views can be hard to get at seven months out. Studios usually go first, one bedrooms last.

Early December is the most popular time for DVC members. You might not get anything at seven months out and most members recommend booking your home resort at 11 months out. I heard recently that FW can be hard to get anytime.
 
Those availability charts are a bit scary if you are buying into Grand Floridian. The holidays are either spotty or none at all, even at the 11 month mark. How is that possible? So if you book at 8am exactly 11 months in advance, you still might not get a reservation?
 
Those availability charts are a bit scary if you are buying into Grand Floridian. The holidays are either spotty or none at all, even at the 11 month mark. How is that possible? So if you book at 8am exactly 11 months in advance, you still might not get a reservation?
GFV is a small resort. Lots of members there bought to stay in the studios. So they go very quickly. And since guests arriving before you can book days before you, they can book up all the studios.
 
It almost makes DVC irrelevant during the holidays. Better off spending cash if you want to stay at GF.
 
Does it become easier to book at 7 months if you jump up to 1 bedroom? Like if you want BLT with a theme park view.
 
Does it become easier to book at 7 months if you jump up to 1 bedroom? Like if you want BLT with a theme park view.

it's easier *generally*. but DVC booking patterns are not completely consistent, as people's travel plans sometimes change from year to year...so you can never say for certain. the general rule for BLT is to plan to be willing to accept lake view villas at 7 months.

with VGF as something of an exception for nov/dec trips, if you buy DVC where you want to stay and book at 10-11 months out, DVC will be easy and fun. if you buy hoping to always get another resort at 7 months out, DVC can be stressful and frustrating (although sure, it can also work out sometimes).

(and as others have already said, if you own 50 VGF pts and 1000 SSR pts and want to book VGF at 11 months out, you would only have access to booking VGF with pts from the VGF contract - so the max available would be 50 banked VGF pts + 50 current VGF pts + 50 borrowed VGF pts = 150 VGF pts every third year. the SSR pts would remain on the sidelines for booking VGF until the 7 month window opened. there is no way to defeat the home resort window.)
 
At 7 months out for June 2015 at WDW and excluding GV's:

The following were open for all of June for all room sizes: AKV standard and savanna view, BLT lake view, BWV pool/garden view, OKW, SSR (including treehouse), and VWL.

BLT theme park view was also open the entire month except that June 30 in a studio or 2BR lock-off disappeared by Nov 28, 2014.

AKV value and club level were mostly gone throughout June in all room sizes.

BLT standard view was missing multiple days per week in all room sizes.

BWV boardwalk and standard view studios and 2BRs were missing at least a couple days per week first half of June and four to five days per week last half of June escept that you could have gotten a boardwalk view studio or 2BR for June 1-8 if you reserved the week on Nov 1, 2014 in the morning; however two days of that week disappeared fairly quickly on Nov 1. BWV boardwalk and standard view 1BRs were open the entire month.

BCV was also open for the entire month except for the 2BR with two queens which was missing multiple days per week and except for the studios and 2BR lock-offs which were missing a couple Star Wars weekend nights but were otherwise open.

VGF studios and 2BR lock-offs were missing multiple days every week but 1BRs and dedicated 2BRs were open the entire month.

Poly did not open until 2015 and thus had no 7 month out period for June.

Note if you want early December at VWL (which I assume you meant by Fort Wilderness) or elswhere then none of the above applies, First week of Dec is DVC's highest demand week of the year, second of week of Dec is third highest demand week. At 7 months out, SSR is usually open for that time other than treehouses, but the near park resorts are generally gone and even OKW and AKV savanna and standard view can have possible issues. Moreover, if you own at VGF you can even be blocked out at 11 months out for studios and 1BRs at that resort.

The VGF problem is this: it has only 46 studios which are all part of 2BR lock-offs. Most bought only enough points there to regularly get studios including because the price per point was very high as were the points needed per night. However, the points applicable both to the studios and to other room sizes could be sold to any purchaser; result: Disney significantly but legally oversold the studios with the result that you can have issues even at 11 months out a number times of year.
 
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Also VGF has fixed-week contracts that take from the pool of villas available at 11 months.
 
Great insight. Yeah, I think we've written GF off for now. We are going to your all of the properties next month. But I'm leaning towards 200ish points at AKV. We have a baby and it just seems more kid friendly. Plus we can afford more points there and use those to afford 1 bedrooms - which would hopefully open up some options. Just thinking out loud.
 
Great insight. Yeah, I think we've written GF off for now. We are going to your all of the properties next month. But I'm leaning towards 200ish points at AKV. We have a baby and it just seems more kid friendly. Plus we can afford more points there and use those to afford 1 bedrooms - which would hopefully open up some options. Just thinking out loud.

AKV is an amazing resort.

you may want to "test" the bus ride to MK before buying, though, as it can seem like a long trip for little ones...especially in the early years when you are spending more time at the MK.

AKV-kidani has 2 bathrooms in their 1BRs (which i assume is what you are referencing) and yes, that is a great thing.

if you are pricing value villas, there are not many of them but they are a great deal if you can book right at 11 months out.
 

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