7 Month Booking

[jillmc40]

I am new to DVC and am curious about the 7 month window. I know I hear lots of people book their home at 11 months so they are not "homeless" then switch at 7 month for where they want to be. If your 7 month is not going to be a problem to get do you still do it just in case?

We are going next Memorial Day weekend and going to stay BWV. I was going to get a 1 bedroom, standard or preferred, I don't really care...I will take preferred if available since I *think* it is closer to DHS. I have point budgeted for preferred. I wouldn't mind if we had to stay at BCV. I just want to make sure that we can walk to SWW, since that is our focus on this trip.

Point being, would it still be wise for me to book my home, then switch, or is that only advisable when the 7 month might not be possible to get.

If I do have to switch, can I do it online or only by calling? It is a cancel and re-book? I wouldn't spend more points at my home than I would at BWV, so I won't need to bank/borrow.

Sorry for all the questions...I feel like I know what I am doing, but then when it comes time to actually doing it I get nervous I am going to screw it up

 

[DVC Owner in MA]

Hello!

I almost always book a backup, just in case what I really want isn't available at 7 months. I just don't like to take any chances, I prefer to control where I'm staying rather than leaving it up to what may (or may not) be available at the 7 month window.

Changing is a cancel and re-book, which in itself introduces some risk, in that what you want to book is grabbed and is no longer unavailable once the cancellation has been done. It's never happened to me, but it is something that could occur.

 

[hakepb]

With the online booking tool (showing at least 1 rooms availability). 7 month availability in general is a lot better than some believed. Considering 2BR and studio book before 1BR most times, just keep up with your 7mo booking day.

I think a BWV 1 BR preferred for any time (other than F&W or eàrly Dec) is very, very likely.

FYI standard and preferred rooms are on opposite sides of the hallway from each other. (Where standard rooms exist). Preferred rooms are also across the hallway from Boardwalk view rooms. Hopefully someone will show the nice map

 

[jillmc40]

Thank you both! I have the map somewhere, I will really take anything, as I am mostly there for the ease to SWW - and to try a new resort

 

[disneynutz]

With experience you will learn the ins and outs of DVC. Everyone has their own expectations, likes and dislikes, and if you really don't care where you stay, booking at 11 months may not be as important.

Once you end up staying at X when you and your family wanted to stay at Y, you will start booking at 11 months and buying additional home resorts to better guarantee your happiness.

Bill

 

[jillmc40]

With experience you will learn the ins and outs of DVC. Everyone has their own expectations, likes and dislikes, and if you really don't care where you stay, booking at 11 months may not be as important.

Once you end up staying at X when you and your family wanted to stay at Y, you will start booking at 11 months and buying additional home resorts to better guarantee your happiness.

Bill

I will almost always want to stay at home, and I will book 11 months out. I have one booked now. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't making a huge mistake by not booking home at 11, then switching to BWV at 7. It seems like I will be ok just booking BWV at 7 months. Thank You! I am scared of adding on...

Keeping track of points and upcoming vacations is a full time job

 

[disneynutz]

I will almost always want to stay at home, and I will book 11 months out. I have one booked now. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't making a huge mistake by not booking home at 11, then switching to BWV at 7. It seems like I will be ok just booking BWV at 7 months. Thank You! I am scared of adding on...

Keeping track of points and upcoming vacations is a full time job

Why not book at home and change at 7 months? Seems like easy insurance unless there is a reason not to.

I know that availability best guesses are popular here on the DIS but I would feel really bad if for some reason BWV wasn't available for your dates. Disney is adding new buyers and so is resale, all of those people are adding to the 7 month competition.

Bill

 

[jillmc40]

Why not book at home and change at 7 months? Seems like easy insurance unless there is a reason not to.

I know that availability best guesses are popular here on the DIS but I would feel really bad if for some reason BWV wasn't available for your dates. Disney is adding new buyers and so is resale, all of those people are adding to the 7 month competition.

Bill

I don't know...That's what I came on to ask I guess I will book home and then book 7 months, just to make sure. I guess it is better to be safe and not be homeless...After all, they ARE coming out with a new Star Wars with the best cast ever (or so I am told by DS and DH anyway )

Thanks!

 

[Sandisw]

I always book my home resort at 11 months, for any trip I might want to take.

But, I own at both BLT and BWV, which are really the only two resorts I want to stay at so changing out at 7 months isn't something I need to worry about too often.

Depending on home resort, though, it may or may not be necessary to do that. We typically go that weekend and have pretty much found SSR is available not only at 7 months but also as close as just a few months out.

 

[bwvBound]

Personally I don't bother with the booking/rebooking two-step. I simply wait for the 7 month window and then book the intended reservation. FWIW, most of my DVC reservations are booked 4-5 months from travel rather than 7- or 11-months out.

 

[drusba]

Booking at 11 months out assures you will have a room. That provides a high comfort level. Whether it is actually necessary depends on various factors. If for example, you own at SSR, you really don't need to book it at 11 months because SSR is usually available at 7 months out year round and thus you can get it if you cannot get your other choice at 7 months. Moreover, from about mid-Jan to last week of Sep, many things at near park resorts are usually open at 7 months out and thus something at those will be available. For example, you have a very high probability of getting a BWV pool/garden view 1BR at 7 months out for time around Memorial Day, a low to moderate DVC demand time, and some chance even for a 1BR standard or boardwalk view. Moreover, if booking 11 months out requires borrowing points, I would be prone to hold off and wait the additional four months during which things might happen to change trip plans and create the risk of losing borrowed points.

 

[Minniesgal]

I always book my home at 11 months because I need to book flights at 11 months to get the best prices. We fly transatlantic and it gets too expensive if we wait

 

[CarolMN]

In general, unless you have enough points (without borrowing) to hold your reservation at your home until after you book the BWV, my advice is NOT to book your home resort at 11 months.

It will take a few minutes to cancel that reservation so that you can use the points to book BWV. In those few minutes, someone else could book the BWV nights you want.

FWIW, I do not think you will have a problem getting a 1 bedroom at the BWV for Memorial weekend, especially if you are willing to take a Pool/Garden villa. But my advice is still to book online as soon as the window opens.

 

[supersnoop]

In general, unless you have enough points (without borrowing) to hold your reservation at your home until after you book the BWV, my advice is NOT to book your home resort at 11 months.

It will take a few minutes to cancel that reservation so that you can use the points to book BWV. In those few minutes, someone else could book the BWV nights you want.

I've seen this advice if you need to cancel and re-book the same room in order to extend or shorten your trip, but I don't think it's valid when booking a new reservation. You can search for a reservation even if you don't have enough points available. The website says it's holding the room for 20-60 minutes for you. You can then cancel in a different window, refresh the search, and book the room without losing it.

 

[jillmc40]

Ahh, yes. Good point about having to borrow. I don't think I am borrowing to make this reservation, my home (VGF) will be less than BWV since I would only reserve a studio at VGF, then change over to a 1 bd at BWV. I have enough points to do that, no problem.

Since we are there for SWW I probably wouldn't want to be at VGF anyway, so maybe I will just wing it. I will make sure I am up and booking right at 8:00 am est at 7 months.

I need a spread sheet and a crystal ball to start making vacation plans...Between these points and 2 other timeshares, I feel like I have more vacations than I know what to do with

Thank you everyone for your help

 

[drusba]

I've seen this advice if you need to cancel and re-book the same room in order to extend or shorten your trip, but I don't think it's valid when booking a new reservation. You can search for a reservation even if you don't have enough points available. The website says it's holding the room for 20-60 minutes for you. You can then cancel in a different window, refresh the search, and book the room without losing it.

Actually you cannot do that. If you try to lock in the new reservation for the 20 minute period before canceling the old one, the system will not let you use the points from the cancelled trip for the new one. Only way you can use points from initial reservation is cancel it before trying to lock in the new reservation. Thus, there is a risk the new reservation will no longer be available after you take the time to cancel the first one.

 

[supersnoop]

Actually you cannot do that. If you try to lock in the new reservation for the 20 minute period before canceling the old one, the system will not let you use the points from the cancelled trip for the new one. Only way you can use points from initial reservation is cancel it before trying to lock in the new reservation. Thus, there is a risk the new reservation will no longer be available after you take the time to cancel the first one.

It worked for me. Like I said, you have to refresh the page. The page won't recognized that you have points available from the cancelled reservation until you refresh the page, but since you have 20 minutes, you won't lose the new one.

 

[drusba]

I have attempted several test runs where I made a reservation, then set up another and get to the page where you are now on hold for 20 minutes for the second reservation and are required to choose points. Then I canceled the first reservation and then tried to refresh the point choosing page on the new reservation and it sends you back to a page before you lock in the reservation and you have to start over.

 

[Minniesgal]

I have attempted several test runs where I made a reservation, then set up another and get to the page where you are now on hold for 20 minutes for the second reservation and are required to choose points. Then I canceled the first reservation and then tried to refresh the point choosing page on the new reservation and it sends you back to a page before you lock in the reservation and you have to start over.

Yes me too, I'm fairly sure this isn't possible.