3Bdrm Villa at OKW

[Joben]

My DW and I just made an offer on a resale for the first time at OKW, so naturally I start wondering what the possibilities of getting a 3Bdrm are.

How difficult is it to score a Villa when your home is OKW? (our U/Y will be in April.)

Are there any tips/secrets/strategies for getting the Villas?

We are quite excited to be making the plunge into DVC, and we absolutely love OKW, but we are thinking that in 2020 we will have a confluence of events that would make it nice to splurge on on a Villa during the December Adventure/Choice season.

Thanks for your help.

 

[spiceycat]

dec is hard to get - so be sure to do it at 11 months. probably more dvc members come in Dec than any other month.

otherwise OKW is fairly easy to get - think 3 bedrooms can be gotten even at 6 months - have looked - but I am too cheap - would get a 2-bedroom plus a studio first.

dec is great!!!

 

[southerngirl528]

Hi Joben,

I've owned at OKW over 20 years. And I've booked GV's there many times, usually for a week at a time. And very often in December. Spiceycat has some good advice for you. December is enormously popular with DVC members. The tip/secret to do what Spicey recommends: book at 11 months.

I find the GV's at OKW to be a tremendous bargain booking on my points. They are huge, they're gorgeous and truly feel like "home" to me and my brood. We love it! Check out the rack rates if you can find them. That will blow your socks off!

 

[Joben]

Thanks we were definitely planning on booking at the 11 month window. I agree with Spiceycat that it would probably make more sense financially to book a two bedroom and a studio, but this is going to be a splurge and we want to get the "grand effect". Looking at the pics of the Villa I think we will get that wow factor.

Southerngirl528 I did look at the 3Bdrm as kind of bargain. When you look at OKW point vs many of the other DVC's. My DW and I first rented points and stayed at a studio and were amazed that it was about the same price as staying at one of the most economical hotels. We her parents to join us on a trip to OKW and were blown away by the 1 bedroom. Then we went again with more family and rented points for a two bedroom and that pretty much was the bee's knees in everyone's book. We felt like high rollers.

Taking the plunge on buying into DVC for us was really not that scary of an idea so much as it was a feeling of I can't believe we're at this point in our lives. We have dreamed about this for many years. I think in 2020 we should have a lot of construction complete in WDW and in Dec. we can combine a few family celebrations that if they took place in a grand villa would really make the event one for the ages.

So happy to be joining this community and can't wait to be one of those "ole timers" I have always talked the ear off of down at the suitcase.

 

[southerngirl528]

Nice post, Joben. Sounds like OKW is a fabulous fit for your family! Our family loves it there and we have so many wonderful memories tied to OKW.

 

[Deb & Bill]

The one thing to know about the OKW GVs. One of the two bedrooms upstairs is smaller than the other. So it only has two double beds instead of queen beds. The bathroom is a bit tight, too, but still workable. The other bedroom upstairs is larger.

 

[shortypots]

I recently just got a grand villa for mid August this past year and I booked it at 7months. No problem. If you are buying OKW and have the 11mo priority, I would think you would be able to get it 9 out of 10 times. We loved the grand villa. Lower points than other resorts, golf course or lake views for the most part and lots of space. If you plan on using the kitchen, check the supplies when you get there. We found 1 small pasta pot and smaller pots for a grand villa that is supposed to sleep 12. We had to call to get more pots. Minor detail in our book, other than we found it out a little late, like when we were cooking dinner!

 

[drusba]

OKW has two booking categories: near Hospitality House (HH,which puts your near front desk, store, pool, restaurant, and other amenities) and everything else. The GVs in the HH booking category actually have major issues booking 11 months out year round and many fail in the attempt. For all the other GV's, you should be fine booking 11 months out. For that early December time period and for a number of times during DVC's high demand quarter, which runs from late Sep to marathon weekend in Jan, You should consider it important to book exactly 11 months out from arrival date to be safe. During DVC's "off-season," which runs from just after marathon weekend in Jan to late Sep, you can often find the OKW GV's open even at 7 months out, and though booking 11 months out is the safest even during that period, you will not need to fret if you miss that opportunity by a month or two.

 

[Joben]

Nice post, Joben.

Thanks. We have already started many memories at OKW and I think OKW is one of the big reasons we love WDW so much. I honestly could stay there for a week and not even go to the parks sometimes, which is why we wanted it to be our home resort.

Good tip about the pots Shortypots. We always cook in the room for lunch, breakfast tend to be quick or on the go as we head out. We will take advantage of the BBQ grills and cook a few meals through out the week for dinner too. With the amenities they offer it is foolish not to, plus we all love family meals. (we love to eat out too at Disney, but that is a treat) But I will make sure to asses the kitchen to see what me may need. it is good to know if they don't have what we need they can get it for us. (I wonder how far the request can go though?)

Drusba, we would probably go for building 53. We have stayed in that building and the South Point area has become my favorite. I like the quiet pool and we usually drive, so it suits our needs well. We tend to plan our stays more than a year out (eg. I thinking of 2020 for the GV trip) So it it is not a problem doing it at the 11 month window for us. I'm just now learning about the DVC high and low seasons and the coincide with our preferred times of travel.

 

[southerngirl528]

We like to be away from HH as well, Joben. I don't like being up near the busy-ness. JMHO. Drusba has a great tip though I have not ever run into this in all our stays. It certainly could happen. One tip that you may already know for those that really do cook in their condos is to take a good knife from home and I place mine inside the middle of a small roll of aluminum foil to take with me. It protects the knife (and knives are always pitiful in TS kitchens) and if I'm cooking much I always need foil but don't want to have to buy it while on vacation. I also take our favorite rubs/spices for grilling too. I don't like buying brand new containers of stuff like that I have at home.