Boardwalk is home resort but want to visit Bay lake Tower when should we book?

[Disneygirls4life]

1.Me and my friend want to go on a trip to Disney sometime between March-May 2016 for the flower festival and was wondering when should we book our trip? (what is the best time to go generally weather and crowd wise?)
2.From my understanding if my friends parent's dvc home is boardwalk but we want to book at bay lake tower we have to wait 7 months before our trip arrival to book the hotel with dvc at bay lake tower correct? If so, would it be possible to book at her home resort "to have a trip set in stone" but then try to check back 7 months before our trip to switch to baylake tower if they still have rooms available there? (So it's kinda like booking at boardwalk temporarily for hotel back up and trip security so we can make sure we can go to disney then whether or not bay lake tower is available

 

[DebbieB]

1.Me and my friend want to go on a trip to Disney sometime between March-May 2016 for the flower festival and was wondering when should we book our trip? (what is the best time to go generally weather and crowd wise?)
2.From my understanding if my friends parent's dvc home is boardwalk but we want to book at bay lake tower we have to wait 7 months before our trip arrival to book the hotel with dvc at bay lake tower correct? If so, would it be possible to book at her home resort "to have a trip set in stone" but then try to check back 7 months before our trip to switch to baylake tower if they still have rooms available there? (So it's kinda like booking at boardwalk temporarily for hotel back up and trip security so we can make sure we can go to disney then whether or not bay lake tower is available

That's correct. Home resort 11 months, other DVC resorts 7 months. You shouldn't have a problem for that time period getting a lake view.

 

[Disneygirls4life]

Oops I just noticed I didn't post this in the DVC resort area board sorry!... I did have afew more questions though...
1.Even though it shouldn't be a problem can we book a 1 bedroom Villa at the boardwalk and then 7 months later call disney and switch to a 1 bedroom villa at bay lake tower?
2.What time of year do you recommend going for the flower festival weather and crowd wise?

 

[calismic]

I've booked BLT several times using rental points at 7 months and have yet to be able to get a 1 bedroom. We always wind up with a Lake View Studio. It has been a few years though, so the popularity may have diminished a bit.

 

[sndral]

Oops I just noticed I didn't post this in the DVC resort area board sorry!... I did have afew more questions though...
1.Even though it shouldn't be a problem can we book a 1 bedroom Villa at the boardwalk and then 7 months later call disney and switch to a 1 bedroom villa at bay lake tower?
2.What time of year do you recommend going for the flower festival weather and crowd wise?

Yes, many DVC owners book their home resort at 11 months and then try to switch at 7 months. How possible it is to get BLT when you want to go at 7 months will depend on how popular that particular time is w/ DVC members and on how popular the unit you want is - studios being very popular, 1 br.s being less so (because they cost more points) also some view categories are easier to get than others.
In your favor is the fact that spring isn't as popular as food & wine, marathon weekend and December. Plus, BLT isn't one of the really hard to get DVC resorts like VGF or BCV. A lot of DVC owners maybe switching out at 7 months to try out the Poly so it may even be easier to grab someplace like BLT this year.
I can't help with which month is best in the spring as I travel during the holidays to WDW.

 

[bumbershoot]

I would look at past temperature patterns, and check out easywdw.com to see what he thinks about crowds for this year. I don't know how late it goes into May, but if it goes towards traditional school-year-end times, I wonder if this year will be lighter because many areas will be having snow makeup days?

 

[kaytieeldr]

Oops I just noticed I didn't post this in the DVC resort area board sorry!... I did have afew more questions though...
1.Even though it shouldn't be a problem can we book a 1 bedroom Villa at the boardwalk and then 7 months later call disney and switch to a 1 bedroom villa at bay lake tower?
2.What time of year do you recommend going for the flower festival weather and crowd wise?

Not seven months later. Seven months before your trip.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I had good luck booking a 2BR at BLT recently in the window you are speaking of.

For optimum chances, request at 7 months and wait list if necessary for any missing nights. Owners are limited in number of wait list requests per year. But that far out, if things are booked, it is worth the waitlist. As something comes available, the waitlist will to through. (We typically book what is a available and then waitlist the nights that are not. As the waitlist comes through, then we link everything together so that to becomes one reservation.)

I think avoiding the week before and after Easter will help your odds.

I like beginning of May, personally.