7-month Availability is GREAT!

[gmi3804]

I know pre-Easter is typically slow(ish), but I just checked for six nights at 7 months, and everything is available right now except BCV studios (and VGC, of course). I've never seen 7-month availability so open. Is demand settling down?

In my case, I've been using my points at Aulani lately, generally avoiding the FL resorts. What are your thoughts?

 

[thanxfornoticin]

Might be a slight downturn in attendance due to kids returning to school after the Easter holiday week in late March? That does sound like reasonable availability, though!

 

[RoseGold]

I just booked everything I wanted for Feb. I was surprised, honestly.

 

[Genie+]

Hallelujah! Yesterday I was looking at 7 month Grand Villas and surprised how much availabilty for April. Early May is a little trickier with point costs dropping 20-33%. There’s already less at 8 months.

 

[PrincessNelly]

We are new members who were fine to stay where but have been surprised to see wide open availability at 7 months after hearing that it was hard to get other resorts.

 

[ML_LovesDisney]

Wow! That's really surprising, but nice to hear. It's been insane since 2019 it seems like. Everything is so expensive now, even for us with APs and as DVC members, we are hesitant to spend the extra money to add a trip. I imagine other people feel similarly.

 

[Smugpugmug]

Guess everyone is still off to Europe or Japan? /s I joke but I know at least 3 people planning a trip to Japan next year, myself included.

Hoping to get Polynesian for Memorial Day weekend, so I'm hoping availability isn't too bad. Back up will be BLT.

 

[tjkraz]

Early Easter is probably weighing heavily.

In 2024, travel is difficult for many families from end of Easter (say, 4/7) through the end of the school year which is late-May for many. Thanks to the recent point chart changes, visiting in early May is MUCH more economical than the last 3 weeks of April. A Grand Floridian lake view studio is 27/32 points per night for most of April vs 21/24 for early May. That's a 33% premium for visiting 2 weeks earlier. If you have the flexibility to travel during that period, much better to wait until May.

DVC should have priced the 2nd half of April same as early May. In years when Easter happens to fall very late, the higher holiday prices will simply override those low rates.

 

[Genie+]

We are new members who were fine to stay where but have been surprised to see wide open availability at 7 months after hearing that it was hard to get other resorts.

And April is a fantasic time to visit! Might my be favorite WDW month overall. Some get scared away trying to avoid spring break season. We were hesitant too and it turned out so much better than expected. Generally the weather is gorgeous and crowds are spread over more daylight and park hours. Almost everything is open (unlike off season). Flower & Garden is stunning and many resorts carry a similar vibe.

There’s an ebb and flow to 7 month availability. That also slowly changes through the years. Part of this is point chart redistribution, part is influence and trends. Summer seems to have gotten much easier, even 4th of July surprisingly. Fall keeps getting tighter lol.

 

[Disdreaming479]

I modified two trips late jan into feb and mid march spring break with no trouble at all. Wide open availability right at 7 m for both.

 

[pinkxray]

We are heading to Wdw for Easter. Our spring break follows Easter. I was very surprised how open everything was. We usually travel in Nov/Dec so it was a nice surprise. Not so nice was the amount of points I need for Good Friday- Easter. Oh well. Can‘t wait to see WDW for Easter. Looking forward to bunny treats and spring time. Haven’t been in March/April since I was in elementary school.

 

[drusba]

What you are seeing is really not that unusual for April for WDW DVC resorts. Easter week itself is usually not a real high DVC demand time (first week of December makes Easter look like a slow off-season), although usually higher than the more moderate demand April weeks that follow it. The highest post-Easter DVC demand time in April was previously the Star Wars race weekend (Thurs to Sun), which was done away with during the pandemic. Disney, in 2024, is replacing it with a new runDisney Springtime Surprise Weekend, April 18-21. You will notice that many of the rooms open now at 7-months out are already filling for time during that weekend before 7-months out.

In the past, usual suspects with year round issues at 7-months out, such as BWV standard and boardwalk view studios/2BRs, AKV value and club-level studios/2BRs, BLT standard view studios/2BRs, and Riviera Tower studios, have usually filled before 7-months out for multiple days in any given April week, which is true now. BCV studios/2BRs also usually filled for multiple days in any given April week, although sometimes one could get lucky. Riviera standard studios/2BRs were more 50/50, sometimes open for even a week, sometimes not. CCV studios/2BRs usually had at least one set open -- either with or without bath tub in the studio. VGF studios, pre the addition of the resort studios, were more a 50/50 chance. VGF's now having far more studios seems to be lowering somewhat the risk of the original VGF studios filling before 7-months out for that period.

April's "problem" for filling after Easter week before 7-months out is the same as it was before they started making point chart changes a few years ago, switching from a 5-season chart to a 7-season chart. Points needed were always high and were not lowered for that period as a result of the switch to the 7-season charts which mainly increased the fall season points while lowering the May to August time periods. In fact, the points needed for April dates after Easter week were actually increased in 2022 over 2021 in those 7-season charts.

 

[crisi]

And April is a fantasic time to visit! Might my be favorite WDW month overall. Some get scared away trying to avoid spring break season. We were hesitant too and it turned out so much better than expected. Generally the weather is gorgeous and crowds are spread over more daylight and park hours. Almost everything is open (unlike off season). Flower & Garden is stunning and many resorts carry a similar vibe.

There’s an ebb and flow to 7 month availability. That also slowly changes through the years. Part of this is point chart redistribution, part is influence and trends. Summer seems to have gotten much easier, even 4th of July surprisingly. Fall keeps getting tighter lol.

Going to Disney over Spring Break for college students looking for a vacation without the Spring Break madness is less of a thing than it was - its too expensive. You still get families traveling - but since Spring Break has been decoupled from Easter by school districts all over the country, its now spread over a much broader time. And the weather is great.

 

[kilik64]

Guess everyone is still off to Europe or Japan? /s I joke but I know at least 3 people planning a trip to Japan next year, myself included.

Hoping to get Polynesian for Memorial Day weekend, so I'm hoping availability isn't too bad. Back up will be BLT.

Hey us too, shooting for that week. It’s the week after school gets out here. Back up will be brv for us.

 

[Smugpugmug]

Hey us too, shooting for that week. It’s the week after school gets out here. Back up will be brv for us.

Memorial day is one of the only holidays I get off at work so I wanted to do a quick trip. Hopefully I'll see you there at the Poly

 

[drusba]

Memorial day is one of the only holidays I get off at work so I wanted to do a quick trip. Hopefully I'll see you there at the Poly

Poly studios, in the past, have usually been open at 7-months out for time during and around Memorial Day weekend, and that included for time in 2023.

 

[Dznypal]

This is interesting about so much bri g open at 7 months we’re going the end of Jan and just about everything is and has been booked up for quite some time. We’re staying at poly in a studio

 

[Genie+]

Yeah we going 3rd week december and much was alreqdy filled at 7 months. Poly was nearly gone and then quickly filled what was left. Even OKW booked up all the studios within a week after 7 months.

 

[RanDIZ]

I know pre-Easter is typically slow(ish), but I just checked for six nights at 7 months, and everything is available right now except BCV studios (and VGC, of course). I've never seen 7-month availability so open. Is demand settling down?

In my case, I've been using my points at Aulani lately, generally avoiding the FL resorts. What are your thoughts?

To your question: Is demand slowing down? Absolutely!

Wait until 2025 (Epic Universe). Disney will be wide open! You’ll be able to book anywhere. On the plus side, crowd levels will be down even further. Universal will make Disney look like a traveling carnival. While Disney is busy reimagining and refurbing, Universal is building new lands. Rather than capitalize off of Disneys biggest animated feature, Frozen, they settled for a hole in the wall Norway pavilion. Meanwhile, Hong Kong and Paris, are doing it right. Massive Arendelle land with stunning architecture and features.

Then there’s word of converting AK Dinoland to Zootopia, which I think is actually a smart move, but still not enough to keep up with Universal. Without a 5th gate, Disney will play second fiddle to Universal.

 

[mort1331]

To your question: Is demand slowing down? Absolutely!

Wait until 2025 (Epic Universe). Disney will be wide open! You’ll be able to book anywhere. On the plus side, crowd levels will be down even further. Universal will make Disney look like a traveling carnival. While Disney is busy reimagining and refurbing, Universal is building new lands. Rather than capitalize off of Disneys biggest animated feature, Frozen, they settled for a hole in the wall Norway pavilion. Meanwhile, Hong Kong and Paris, are doing it right. Massive Arendelle land with stunning architecture and features.

Then there’s word of converting AK Dinoland to Zootopia, which I think is actually a smart move, but still not enough to keep up with Universal. Without a 5th gate, Disney will play second fiddle to Universal.

I agree with most, but I can see many DVC booking still and drive to Universal. Room is still cheqper with points.