2-bedroom availability at 7 months

[Mary Ramos]

Hi there! I am in the research phase of purchasing our first contract and am having a hard time choosing a home resort. We are a family of 6 and will be staying primarily in 2 bedrooms. I'm wondering how difficult it is to book 2 bedrooms at any given resort at 7 months out. I'm thinking if it isn't difficult then the home resort may not matter as much and I should instead buy at a resort where the points are less expensive and/or dues are lower. Any insight or advice is welcome. Thanks!

 

[PalmettoPath]

It is generally very resort dependent. Resorts have different inventories of room types and also different popularity factors. For example, Saratoga Springs Resort and Old Key West Resort have the most inventory in that category (and most others as well), so you can pretty much always find a room there. But others will be more challenging. Also there are two types of two-bedroom villas (dedicated and lock-off, which is a 1BR + Studio) and there will be different inventories of those . So there are different inventories of those. Personally if it were me, I would buy at the resort I most want to stay at (if you have one). We have three home resorts, giving us more options at the 11-month window. Lots to consider!

 

[Nabas]

We are a family of six and, for many years, only booked 2-bedrooms. We've stayed at all the DVC resorts but had some flexibility with dates. We also didn't mind doing split stays.

Some resorts were much harder to get than others. But even then, we were able to (for example) snag 5 nights at BCV for Christmas.

The time of year is critical. If you go in August, you'll likely have your pick of 2-bedrooms at 7 months. If you want to go October or November, it will be tough.

 

[Stargazer65]

It's a different answer depending on which resort, what time of year, etc. We booked a lot of two bedrooms at SSR at 7 months or less. SSR will probably always give you the biggest window of time to book 2 bedroom places. Dues are low there and point costs are low too. If low cost SAP is the main goal, it's an easy pick. If you want to get a 2 bedroom at a small resort though, like BCV for example, you should buy there so you can book early.

 

[FoodieFriend]

As advised above, I think you should buy where you want to stay because you will want that 11-month booking window. If you've never stayed at a DVC property, I can understand it being difficult to choose your home resort. I bought Bay Lake Tower without ever staying there & while the location is great (right next to Magic Kingdom), it's not our favorite resort to stay at & costs a LOT of points, so I ended up buying a 2nd contract at Boardwalk Villas. One advantage to BLT 2 bedroom, 3rd bathroom!!!
DVC resorts near MK via monorail besides BLT include Polynesian & Grand Floridian, but I'm unsure if that's available direct or just resale.
Boulder Ridge & Copper Creek are considered "near MK" but currently, you may need to bus to MK if the boats are not running at this time.
Boardwalk & Beach Club are walking distance to Epcot which we love especially during Festival season but they book up very quickly at 11 months, so not a lot to choose from at 7 months. You can also boat or walk to Hollywood Studios from BWV & BCV.
Animal Kingdom Kidani & Animal Kingdom Jambo House are great BUT they require a bus to get anywhere. There are no walking paths to parks or other forms of transportation. While some people enjoy the savannahs, we did not like being so isolated. 2 bedroom availability varies for these two depending on season & it will usually be the Savannah View rooms because they cost the most points. Any Value rooms are gone at 11 months all year around. FYI, Kidani 2 bedrooms also have a 3rd bathroom like BLT!!! I wish more DVC resorts had this feature!!!
Old Key West & Saratoga Springs are near Disney Springs, but to get to theme parks, you will have to take Disney buses. From SSR, you can walk to DS & there's also a boat from OKW & SSR to DS when weather allows, otherwise it's buses. We have stayed at SSR & didn't find the walk to/from DS appealing to us because everywhere we enjoy in DS, is very far from SSR. We find the bus drop off closer to where we want to be in DS than the walking path. I have heard the OKW rooms are huge since they were the 1st DVC resort but I've never stayed there myself, so I can't speak on it.
Riviera Resort is connected to Epcot & Hollywood Studios via Skyliner BUT to get to those parks at rope drop, it can be crazy backed up where bus transportation, if available, would be faster. The issue is you have to transfer Skyliner lines at Caribbean Beach Resort to EP or HS & lines get SO SO long with CBR, AOA, POP & RIV guests all trying to use the Skyliner. I haven't been tracking availability of RIV at 7 months but I know it costs a LOT of points to stay in a 2 bedroom. That might mean it will be wide open at 7 months but may result in a shorter stay.
You can see the 2021 points charts for each resort on the DVC website or WDWinfo website where you can see how far your points will go at different parts of the year. We usually like to travel to WDW in March which is the 2nd highest points season, therefore we only use our DVC for WDW every other year.
Hope you choose well for your family!

 

[Mary Ramos]

Thanks everyone for the feedback! So my dilemma is I can see the pros and cons of all the resorts. Some appeal to me for transportation/accessibility to parks, some for theming, some for value of points. We tend to travel in May, late August or October. So I'm trying to get an idea of what I could book at 7-months and therefore wouldn't need to own at that resort to get a 2-bedroom, and where I would need to own because you can't get 2-beds at 7-months out. For reference, we like AKL, RIV & CCV for theming and BCV, BLT & RIV for park accessibility. I love the Poly, but I don't see how it could work with our family size, bungalos are just too many points. So I figure if I can get 2-beds at the 7-month window at some of these resorts then they don't need to be in the running for our home resort and maybe I should buy at SSR or OKW for the value. So I guess my question really is are 2-beds as popular as studios in general (outside of SSR and OKW) during May, Oct and late Aug?

 

[Nabas]

Thanks everyone for the feedback! So my dilemma is I can see the pros and cons of all the resorts. Some appeal to me for transportation/accessibility to parks, some for theming, some for value of points. We tend to travel in May, late August or October. So I'm trying to get an idea of what I could book at 7-months and therefore wouldn't need to own at that resort to get a 2-bedroom, and where I would need to own because you can't get 2-beds at 7-months out. For reference, we like AKL, RIV & CCV for theming and BCV, BLT & RIV for park accessibility. I love the Poly, but I don't see how it could work with our family size, bungalos are just too many points. So I figure if I can get 2-beds at the 7-month window at some of these resorts then they don't need to be in the running for our home resort and maybe I should buy at SSR or OKW for the value. So I guess my question really is are 2-beds as popular as studios in general (outside of SSR and OKW) during May, Oct and late Aug?

May and late August are some of the easier months to book a 2-bedroom villa.

October is perhaps the toughest month to book anything.

 

[FoodieFriend]

Thanks everyone for the feedback! So my dilemma is I can see the pros and cons of all the resorts. Some appeal to me for transportation/accessibility to parks, some for theming, some for value of points. We tend to travel in May, late August or October. So I'm trying to get an idea of what I could book at 7-months and therefore wouldn't need to own at that resort to get a 2-bedroom, and where I would need to own because you can't get 2-beds at 7-months out. For reference, we like AKL, RIV & CCV for theming and BCV, BLT & RIV for park accessibility. I love the Poly, but I don't see how it could work with our family size, bungalos are just too many points. So I figure if I can get 2-beds at the 7-month window at some of these resorts then they don't need to be in the running for our home resort and maybe I should buy at SSR or OKW for the value. So I guess my question really is are 2-beds as popular as studios in general (outside of SSR and OKW) during May, Oct and late Aug?

For BWV, ALL of their 2 bedrooms are lock-offs so if all the studios get booked, you will not have any 2 bedrooms available & standard studios go first because they're the cheapest/lowest points.
There is an old Disboards thread that showed predicted DVC booking patterns, but it hasn't been updated since 2019. Maybe if you google it, you may find a website that is tracking the current availability trend for 2 bedrooms at the different resorts. You don't need to own at SSR or OKW to get 2 bedrooms at almost any 7 month window, so I'd say to buy at a good location where you'd enjoy staying often. I like having the option of SSR, even though it's not our 1st choice. SOMETIMES, a waitlist can come thru but it's really difficult to count on it.

 

[cellomom]

Buy where you don’t mind staying if you cannot switch at seven months.🏝

This link provides DVC resort information- room layout, square footage size, etc.
https://www.disboards.com/threads/the-dvc-resource-center-updated-december-2020.3655476/

(edit- removed a link that was not allowed. Sorry)

This link provides information on booking patterns. Please note this chart is pre-Covid and as we all know, the glut of points in the DVC system has thrown things off. Should still give you a good idea of the difficulty or ease of getting into DVC resorts.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/p...-bd-charts-september-2019-2-bd-added.3689931/

 

[Stargazer65]

So I guess my question really is are 2-beds as popular as studios in general (outside of SSR and OKW) during May, Oct and late Aug?

May and late August are some of the easier months to book a 2-bedroom villa.

October is perhaps the toughest month to book anything.

Yes, my experience as well.

Oh...and late August is just so very incredibly nice from a weather perspective in central Florida. So crisp, cool and dry. Remember to pack a sweater in case the evening gets chilly lol!

 

[starry_solo]

Dedicated = ok
Lockoff = iffy because the studio portion may be gone

 

[Nabas]

Yes, my experience as well.

Oh...and late August is just so very incredibly nice from a weather perspective in central Florida. So crisp, cool and dry. Remember to pack a sweater in case the evening gets chilly lol!

The weather is one of several reasons why August is probably the easiest month to book!

 

[Sandisw]

DVC is too much money to buy at a resort and end up frustrated you can’t get something you want.

Over the course of owning, it doesn’t amount to that much more to choose one that fits your needs the best and you will be okay if you have to stay there.

Figure for October you will be at your home resort because trading out is difficult for more than a few nights. Your near park resorts are definitely going to be difficult during that time.

I think you will have lots of choices for August and a decent amount in May. As a RIV owner, I can say getting SV, even 2 bedrooms, will be tough at 7 months so stays there would more likely be PV, which carries a hefty point cost. But you have to buy direct to have that as an option anyway as resale points can not be used there, and RIV resale points can only be used there and no where else.

 

[brazzledazzler]

DVC is too much money to buy at a resort and end up frustrated you can’t get something you want.

Over the course of owning, it doesn’t amount to that much more to choose one that fits your needs the best and you will be okay if you have to stay there.

Figure for October you will be at your home resort because trading out is difficult for more than a few nights. Your near park resorts are definitely going to be difficult during that time.

I think you will have lots of choices for August and a decent amount in May. As a RIV owner, I can say getting SV, even 2 bedrooms, will be tough at 7 months so stays there would more likely be PV, which carries a hefty point cost. But you have to buy direct to have that as an option anyway as resale points can not be used there, and RIV resale points can only be used there and no where else.

I couldn't agree more.

I think that buying where you want to stay continues to be good advice. Right now, at the 7-month mark, some resorts have very little available. And nothing between September-January. I think for the next few years (and maybe after), the 11-month window is going to matter a lot.

When DH & I decided to buy at RIV we bought enough points to get us a certain amount of days specifically at Riviera. We love that resort. Sure, the point cost is higher than at some resorts, but as a RIV owner, I have priority to SV and Tower Studios and 50 years of enjoying RIV! And if I want, I can use those points and go for longer stays or bigger rooms elsewhere. The price and resort were right for us. We love RIV!

 

[rubybutt]

Thanks everyone for the feedback! So my dilemma is I can see the pros and cons of all the resorts. Some appeal to me for transportation/accessibility to parks, some for theming, some for value of points. We tend to travel in May, late August or October. So I'm trying to get an idea of what I could book at 7-months and therefore wouldn't need to own at that resort to get a 2-bedroom, and where I would need to own because you can't get 2-beds at 7-months out. For reference, we like AKL, RIV & CCV for theming and BCV, BLT & RIV for park accessibility. I love the Poly, but I don't see how it could work with our family size, bungalos are just too many points. So I figure if I can get 2-beds at the 7-month window at some of these resorts then they don't need to be in the running for our home resort and maybe I should buy at SSR or OKW for the value. So I guess my question really is are 2-beds as popular as studios in general (outside of SSR and OKW) during May, Oct and late Aug?

As a heads up RIV is on both your lists. But you will not be able to book there with a resale contract bought now. If you buy direct before end of month you get 2020 points and 2021 points MF are prorated. Not to add stress to your decision, just letting you know.

 

[sethschroeder]

What happens if you get stuck at the resort you buy the next 30 years? That is your answer to what you should do.

In reality do the math and look at the nightly/yearly cost difference if you use both points to book the same room. It is worth it saving $400 for the week to take a risk?

 

[Sandisw]

As a heads up RIV is on both your lists. But you will not be able to book there with a resale contract bought now. If you buy direct before end of month you get 2020 points and 2021 points MF are prorated. Not to add stress to your decision, just letting you know.

Just to clarify, getting 2020 points only applies if one is buying an Aug, Sept, Oct or Dec UY since those are all still in their 2020 UY. So, if someone wants an Aug UY, they have to buy by the end of July. However, if buying RIV, they will be eligible for those points with a September UY until the end of August, etc.

So, one only has to buy now if Aug UY is the UY of choice. If someone wants a Feb, March, April, or June UY...which are already in their 2021 UYs, a buyer will not get 2020 UY points buying direct.

 

[virk4]

as others have said, buy at your favorite location

 

[🍀TwinsMom]

As a heads up RIV is on both your lists. But you will not be able to book there with a resale contract bought now. If you buy direct before end of month you get 2020 points and 2021 points MF are prorated. Not to add stress to your decision, just letting you know.

We got both year’s points when we bought direct RR (Sep UY) and boy, it made a big splash in our early bookings, basically doubling our points for two years. We did two 1-bedroom week stays and now a dedicated 2-bedroom there this September. If you’re looking at 200 points direct at RR, incentives bring it close to some resales (CC, BLT, BWV, BC, GF,) and you’re going to get extra point. If RR appeals to you, direct has points in your account by the time you hang up the phone with DVC. We love it there.

 

[benedib99]

Hi there! I am in the research phase of purchasing our first contract and am having a hard time choosing a home resort. We are a family of 6 and will be staying primarily in 2 bedrooms. I'm wondering how difficult it is to book 2 bedrooms at any given resort at 7 months out. I'm thinking if it isn't difficult then the home resort may not matter as much and I should instead buy at a resort where the points are less expensive and/or dues are lower. Any insight or advice is welcome. Thanks!

The adage goes, "Buy where you want to stay". Strongly recommend it for your first contract.