14 consecutive nights a year?!

[emiller]

Hi all, planning on joining DVC this summer, purchasing direct. We’re from the UK and our plan would be to visit once a year, for around 14 nights. How easy is this to book at the 11 month mark for a studio?
Home resort would be either GFV or RR.
I’ve seen some posts saying they struggle to get their home resort at 11 months

 

[JackosinDIS]

Hi, also from the UK, and plan similar length of stay each year. You should be aware that you can only book 7 consecutive nights at the 11 month mark. It’s a bit of a faff as you have to add on each additional night on a daily basis until you get to the full 14 nights.

It shouldn’t be too difficult to get a room though… depending on what type of room you need. We bought at SSR as that it pretty much guaranteed to have availability for 14 nights most times of the year.

 

[Sandisw]

Booking your home resort at 11 months is always possible. What can be difficult, at times, is the less expensive views or rooms that are in short supply.

I own both and have no problem booking at 11 months, including the SV rooms. Now, early December can be a bit tricky and is very popular, but for those resorts, the more expensive PV and LV are always still there.

It depends on rooms size too, but it should not be an issue.

 

[tjkraz]

I keep seeing people post saying they struggle to get their home resort at 11 months.

Who is saying that? Where, when and what room type are they trying to book?

Speaking about DVC availability in generalities is massively flawed.

 

[emiller]

Who is saying that? Where, when and what room type are they trying to book?

Speaking about DVC availability in generalities is massively flawed.

I’ve seen a few comments about not being able to get a Grand Floridian studio 11 months out. This would be our preferred room for the first few years, until we could build our points up. Comments tend to be on FB posts

 

[emiller]

Booking your home resort at 11 months is always possible. What can be difficult, at times, is the less expensive views or rooms that are in short supply.

I own both and have no problem booking at 11 months, including the SV rooms. Now, early December can be a bit tricky and is very popular, but for those resorts, the more expensive PV and LV are always still there.

It depends on rooms size too, but it should not be an issue.

Thank you! We would be hoping for studio rooms for the first few years to utilise our points. Luckily we wouldn’t be aiming for the start of December. Mainly around August, potentially Easter, very occasionally.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Hi all, planning on joining DVC this summer, purchasing direct. We’re from the UK and our plan would be to visit once a year, for around 14 nights. How easy is this to book at the 11 month mark? Home resort would be either GFV or RR.
I keep seeing people post saying they struggle to get their home resort at 11 months.

A struggle to book at 11 months? lol They are looking for things like the 5 concierge studios or very lowest point rooms - usually limited availability.

 

[emiller]

Hi, also from the UK, and plan similar length of stay each year. You should be aware that you can only book 7 consecutive nights at the 11 month mark. It’s a bit of a faff as you have to add on each additional night on a daily basis until you get to the full 14 nights.

It shouldn’t be too difficult to get a room though… depending on what type of room you need. We bought at SSR as that it pretty much guaranteed to have availability for 14 nights most times of the year.

Would be handy if you could book the full 14 nights in one go, but at least there is a way around it. Glad to see someone else from the UK can make it work thank you

 

[emiller]

A struggle to book at 11 months? lol They are looking for things like the 5 concierge studios or very lowest point rooms - usually limited availability.

This is a relief to know!! We wouldn’t be looking at concierge studios. Just thought I’d double check with the people who know all there is to know about DVC - thanks

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I’ve seen a few comments about not being able to get a Grand Floridian studio 11 months out. This would be our preferred room for the first few years, until we could build our points up. Comments tend to be on FB posts

Maybe the 1st week of December or during race weekends. With the addition of the resort studios you'll always be able to get a studio of some type at VGF at 11 months.

 

[DVCsloth]

Noticed when I booked for next year that VGF1 SV deluxe studios were gone right at 11 months. I noticed the same at Riviera for the week we like to go in the summer. 1 or 2 days gone, so you would need to waitlist to get the entire week. We book Saturday to Saturday and the entire week wasn't gone just 1 day. Early December has always been difficult at VGF, but you should be able to get BPK. The week we go is right before the point charts go up so that may have something to do with it as well. We don't bother with early December anymore, but it is a great time to be there.

 

[sndral]

We typically go in Dec. for 10+ nights up to 14 days. When you book at 11 months you can get your first 7 nights & once you’ve done so you’ve blocked anyone from taking your room so no need to add on daily, I usually hop online after a couple of days to extend the trip & then again a couple days after that to add my last couple of nights.
The VGF deluxe studios in the original VGF building have been tough to get, especially in early Dec. because there aren’t very many of them - there are 30 standard view deluxe studios & 17 lake view deluxe studios. There are a lot more of the new resort studios (202) in the newly converted Big Pine Key building, so there shouldn‘t be an 11 month problem w/ the resort studios.
Note we mostly stay in 1 br.s at VGF so I’m just reporting what I’ve read from others about availability. I’ve not had issues getting standard view 1 br.s for early Dec. at VGF.

 

[Epcot Forever Forever]

With what they’ve done to VGF, getting a Deluxe Standard Studio at 11 months may prove to be a challenge, or at least a spirited competition, moving forward. If you can get the first 7 days, however, getting the remaining 7 should be easy, because of the way the rooms open.

However getting *any* studio at VGF, including Lake View and Resort studios, should be very, very easy. So if you’re not picky you should have an easier time.

If you expect to have consistent travel schedules you can purchase a Fixed Week, where you’d be pre-booked for a room, for a premium.

Riviera should be easier for “Standard Deluxe” studios at 11 months but VGF again will be easier overall if any studio will do.

Lastly, ignore anything you learn on Facebook.

 

[Royal Consort]

If you're going to be travelling at the same time each year, look into fixed weeks (now called 'favorite weeks'). We have a fixed week at Riviera and Disney books our week automatically for the dates at 12 months out. We then book our VGF dates ourselves for the week after.

Both standard view deluxe villas are the first to go at both properties and may sometimes be tricky at 11 months depending on time of year. August shouldn't be too problematic.

 

[emiller]

We typically go in Dec. for 10+ nights up to 14 days. When you book at 11 months you can get your first 7 nights & once you’ve done so you’ve blocked anyone from taking your room so no need to add on daily, I usually hop online after a couple of days to extend the trip & then again a couple days after that to add my last couple of nights.
The VGF deluxe studios in the original VGF building have been tough to get, especially in early Dec. because there aren’t very many of them - there are 30 standard view deluxe studios & 17 lake view deluxe studios. There are a lot more of the new resort studios (202) in the newly converted Big Pine Key building, so there shouldn‘t be an 11 month problem w/ the resort studios.
Note we mostly stay in 1 br.s at VGF so I’m just reporting what I’ve read from others about availability. I’ve not had issues getting standard view 1 br.s for early Dec. at VGF

We typically go in Dec. for 10+ nights up to 14 days. When you book at 11 months you can get your first 7 nights & once you’ve done so you’ve blocked anyone from taking your room so no need to add on daily, I usually hop online after a couple of days to extend the trip & then again a couple days after that to add my last couple of nights.
The VGF deluxe studios in the original VGF building have been tough to get, especially in early Dec. because there aren’t very many of them - there are 30 standard view deluxe studios & 17 lake view deluxe studios. There are a lot more of the new resort studios (202) in the newly converted Big Pine Key building, so there shouldn‘t be an 11 month problem w/ the resort studios.
Note we mostly stay in 1 br.s at VGF so I’m just reporting what I’ve read from others about availability. I’ve not had issues getting standard view 1 br.s for early Dec. at VGF.

Thank you so much, this is very useful!

 

[emiller]

If you're going to be travelling at the same time each year, look into fixed weeks (now called 'favorite weeks'). We have a fixed week at Riviera and Disney books our week automatically for the dates at 12 months out. We then book our VGF dates ourselves for the week after.

Both standard view deluxe villas are the first to go at both properties and may sometimes be tricky at 11 months depending on time of year. August shouldn't be too problematic.

Thank you! Definitely something to look into, I’ll chat to our guide.

 

[emiller]

With what they’ve done to VGF, getting a Deluxe Standard Studio at 11 months may prove to be a challenge, or at least a spirited competition, moving forward. If you can get the first 7 days, however, getting the remaining 7 should be easy, because of the way the rooms open.

However getting *any* studio at VGF, including Lake View and Resort studios, should be very, very easy. So if you’re not picky you should have an easier time.

If you expect to have consistent travel schedules you can purchase a Fixed Week, where you’d be pre-booked for a room, for a premium.

Riviera should be easier for “Standard Deluxe” studios at 11 months but VGF again will be easier overall if any studio will do.

Lastly, ignore anything you learn on Facebook.

Thank you! It’s good to know about post the first 7 days.
Lesson learnt from Facebook! This page has been my go to recently

 

[zavandor]

Summer and Easter are actually slow times for DVC, it shouldn't be a problem.

When people say "nothing was available at 11 months", what they really should be saying is: "I wanted to book a category that is very difficult to get because there are just a few rooms and there is a lot of competition and I couldn't get it. There are plenty of other options but instead of booking them I'm here sulking".

Maybe the only resort where it could be difficult to get any studio at all is CCV at Christmas. I think that if you are ready to book right at 11 months, you should be able to get something at all other resorts. Maybe not your choice of view.

 

[theMoreDisneytheBetter]

I'd just add that 2 weeks in a studio seems like it could be challenging. This past trip I found myself missing a full kitchen (just to not have to fill up the water pitcher in the bathtub) and in-room laundry after just a few days. For my kids it is also EXTREMELY helpful to be able to separate them, even when they are getting along fine, and personally I like having a proper table/chairs (or sofa not being used as a bed). You may find after a few years that a 1BD just makes life a little easier if you can swing it points-wise.

 

[intamin]

Comments tend to be on FB posts

Lol sorry but the FB pages tend to have so many users on them and a lot of them are poorly informed about how the product works. The only time you may have difficulty booking right at 11 months is during the first and second week of December and marathon weekends or as others have said very limited room categories like AKV club/value none of which exist at VGF/RIV.