7 month availability

[stoudty]

I know the following is tough to answer based on many different scenarios such as time of year and resort, but are Studio DVC rooms typically available at the 7 month window to book?

I am assuming that there are more of these rooms allocated than the 1/2/3 bedrooms at each resort but wanted to ask you all as I am getting ready to purchase at AKL

 

[Sandisw]

It all depends on when you travel and where you want to stay. The near park resorts are always going to be more difficult to get at 7 months then the big three of AKV, SSR, and OKW.

DVC busy times are mid September to just after marathon weekend 2nd week of January so options at 7 months for studios outside home resort are not easy to get...

Spring into summer is much easier for getting a variety of different resorts. Of course, resale points purchased today lock you out of RIV and future resorts, but that still leaves a lot of choices at WDW to choose from.

 

[stoudty]

It all depends on when you travel and where you want to stay. The near park resorts are always going to be more difficult to get at 7 months then the big three of AKV, SSR, and OKW.

DVC busy times are mid September to just after marathon weekend 2nd week of January so options at 7 months for studios outside home resort are not easy to get...

Spring into summer is much easier for getting a variety of different resorts. Of course, resale points purchased today lock you out of RIV and future resorts, but that still leaves a lot of choices at WDW to choose from.

Thank you. Just the info I was looking for.

 

[DavidMagic]

One thing I would add is that I've generally been able to find some combination of split stays (staying at more than 1 resort during a vacation) pretty doable at the 7 month window if you know your exact dates and can book immediately at the 7 month window. (personally done this in September and December in the past). I've even done it where there was 1 night in a trip with zero availability and we just stayed a night at Pop Century. Obviously, many folks do not like split stays, but our family has always enjoyed the resort hopping and we make it intentionally part of our trips now!

 

[intamin]

I know the following is tough to answer based on many different scenarios such as time of year and resort, but are Studio DVC rooms typically available at the 7 month window to book?

I am assuming that there are more of these rooms allocated than the 1/2/3 bedrooms at each resort but wanted to ask you all as I am getting ready to purchase at AKL

In general studios are the first rooms to be booked. One thing you'll learn about all of us who are DVC owners is we're cheapskates (well most of us). The rooms with the worst views and are the cheapest go first so basically just imagine small room overlooking a parking lot. 2 bedrooms often have limited availability as well but not as bad as studios; however, they typically go fast as well because a 2BR is essentially a 1BR+ a studio. Some of the 2BRs are dedicated meaning it's always a 2BR and can only be booked as such or a lock off which means it can be booked as either a 2BR or a 1BR + a studio by 2 separate parties.

To answer your question though, 7 month availability depends on the time of the year you go and which resort you're aiming for. Basically anything in crescent lake area (Boardwalk, Beach Club) are impossible to get in the fall due to the Food and Wine festival. Where as in the summer it's definitely possible to get Boardwalk at 7 months. Another example is the Magic Kingdom resorts around New Years Eve/ July 4th, those Bay Lake Tower theme park view rooms will go fast and others they'll have a hard time getting everything to book until the last few months. If you're flexible, you'll be able to find rooms at any of the resorts. The hardest ones to book in general are Grand Californian and Beach Club, all the others will have some sort of availability at 7 months.

 

[beccasmom]

One thing I would add is that I've generally been able to find some combination of split stays (staying at more than 1 resort during a vacation) pretty doable at the 7 month window if you know your exact dates and can book immediately at the 7 month window.

I agree with this and we’ve done it a few times. Although a one-night stay is something I’d rather avoid if possible. Or we try to get a smaller unit for the one night in the same resort if that’s available and we meet the occupancy guidelines. For just the two of us, that has worked a few times (Staying in a studio for one night and then switching to a one-bedroom for the rest of the week). But studios are tougher to book, so it isn’t always doable. A split stay at the same resort is a bit easier IMHO.

 

[Ka-Chow95]

I found this DVC availability tool to be helpful. I don't think it's perfect but it will give you a good enough idea of what availability looks like at certain times.

tools.dvcvacations.com/

 

[stoudty]

I found this DVC availability tool to be helpful. I don't think it's perfect but it will give you a good enough idea of what availability looks like at certain times.

tools.dvcvacations.com/

Perfect. Thank you.

 

[dioxide45]

In general studios are the first rooms to be booked. One thing you'll learn about all of us who are DVC owners is we're cheapskates (well most of us). The rooms with the worst views and are the cheapest go first so basically just imagine small room overlooking a parking lot.

We don't own DVC, but we do own other timeshares. I was talking with someone who also owns other timeshares and this is a very different concept than we are used to. For most other timeshare owners, booking the biggest unit possible is the preferred option. Even in many point based systems people book larger units. Studio are almost treated like the plague. To be avoided at all costs.

The good think about how DVC owners prefer studios for us non DVC owners that are Interval International members is that it affords us the opportunity to trade into those less preferred DVC units. Mainly it will be one bedroom units at SSR, OKW or AKV. The AKV tend to be savannah view because, well, those are more expensive and DVCers are cheap and aren't willing to pay more points for a view they won't see very often because they are in the parks.

 

[gharter]

If you are going during a very popular time, it's not likely to happen. In the "off season", your odds are much better.

 

[crisi]

The other thing to be aware of is that there can be a huge difference between "right at seven months" and "six months and 25 days" - for a lot of the near park resorts - especially the point bargains that the 2042 resorts are, they can disappear quickly once the seven month window opens. Regardless of time of year.

(And if you think you can book a studio at VGC at seven months....well, are you feeling lucky? REALLY lucky?)

And success can mean different things to different people - some people define success as being able to call "sometime shortly after the seven month window opens, but don't want to be in a rush" and "want only BCV" and need "all seven days reserved with the first attempt" - those people are not going to be successful. Other people can define success as calling right at seven months - having two or three (or five) non-home resorts they'd be willing to switch to, be willing to waitlist or stalk the website to get an entire week, and are fine with moving mid-stay if it doesn't happen. Those people are likely to be very successful.

(I'm the first type, which is why I like booking eleven months out at home or booking a resort I know is likely to have seven month availability when I want it - I'm not interested in playing "lets try and catch a seven month studio reservation at VGF in December" It sounds lovely, but no, not playing that game.)

 

[Nursemanit]

The math for studios seems to work better by buying SSR vs AK. Almost $1 a point lower MF, slightly lower resale cost, and getting rooms at Kidani, or Poly is not that hard at 7 months. But that of course means nothing if you really want AK and don't like SSR.

I regret buying resale Poly when I could have bought SSR , paid less and rooms have been available at poly at 7 months for each trip so far.

 

[intamin]

The math for studios seems to work better by buying SSR vs AK. Almost $1 a point lower MF, slightly lower resale cost, and getting rooms at Kidani, or Poly is not that hard at 7 months. But that of course means nothing if you really want AK and don't like SSR.

I regret buying resale Poly when I could have bought SSR , paid less and rooms have been available at poly at 7 months for each trip so far.

It definitely is better math-wise to own SSR over AKV, cheaper MF and buy in price. I think the reason why I bought AKV over SSR was to guarantee Jambo whenever I'd like even though I also love staying at SSR preferred to walk to Disney Springs. After 2042 rolls around and BCV, BWV, BRV, HHI and VB go offline, I imagine at the very least BCV, BRV and BWV will have direct owners coming in and likely any resales from prior to that will not be able to go into those resorts at that point which will make it harder to stay anywhere that's not your home resort. For the little bit more I guess I just like the idea that at the very least I'll be able to stay at AKV.

 

[Nursemanit]

It definitely is better math-wise to own SSR over AKV, cheaper MF and buy in price. I think the reason why I bought AKV over SSR was to guarantee Jambo whenever I'd like even though I also love staying at SSR preferred to walk to Disney Springs. After 2042 rolls around and BCV, BWV, BRV, HHI and VB go offline, I imagine at the very least BCV, BRV and BWV will have direct owners coming in and likely any resales from prior to that will not be able to go into those resorts at that point which will make it harder to stay anywhere that's not your home resort. For the little bit more I guess I just like the idea that at the very least I'll be able to stay at AKV.

100% agree - I also think anyone who is in their 20s/30s now and snaps up cheap RR resale will have the last laugh if BW and BC get resold with much higher point charts at 300 plus a point with restrictions.

 

[intamin]

100% agree - I also think anyone who is in their 20s/30s now and snaps up cheap RR resale will have the last laugh if BW and BC get resold with much higher point charts at 300 plus a point with restrictions.

Being in that category I'm considering RIV resale to add onto my direct; however, I'm also considering adding another couple hundred direct when I have the means to do so just so that if RIV becomes extremely difficult to book at 11 month because of the amount of resale RIV that can only be used at RIV, at the very least I can switch to another resort at 7 months.

 

[CarolMN]

....think anyone who is in their 20s/30s now and snaps up cheap RR resale will have the last laugh if BW and BC get resold with much higher point charts at 300 plus a point with restrictions.

Maybe. But for the next 18 or so years, they'll be staying where they prefer to be - walking distance to EPCOT & DHS.