7 month DVC reservation difficulties

[HookdonWDW]

IMHO, you are planning your points WAY too tight. One of the negative things that happen is that people plan out EXACTLY the number of points they "think" that they need and then a point realignment happens or your vacation style changes and you find yourself without enough points.

 

[Dean]

Well, this may sound snobby but I wouldn't bother with DVC if all I wanted was a studio all the time. To me, the point is the space and amenities in the villas. At this point, we always travel in a pack with our large family and the occasional friend added in. But I've already decided that even when it's just me and DH, we will have a 1 bedroom!

As for SSR, it's lovely. The pros are parking right by your villa if you drive like we do and it's near DTD. Now that there's an additional pool and QS, I think that adds to the appeal. We've only stayed there once since becoming owners in 2007 and that was the year I broke my leg and arm on day 2 of the trip! I spent the rest of the week in FL Hospital in Orlando. So I have to admit my experience with SSR is very limited! But we anticipate lots of fun trips there in the future. Like you, we are spreading our trips around to as many resorts as we can.

While that may be true for you and is to a degree for me, it's not for everyone. From a value standpoint a studio is actually the best savings, followed by a 2 BR.

No, you don't sound snobby at all. I'm just looking at costs, needs, etc. I take my mother to Disney for her birthday once a year, so a studio would probably work just fine for my needs and budget. Now, if my wants and needs should happen to change along the way, then I'd probably purchase more points to be added to my contract. Actually, I've put pen to paper and 100 points at Boardwalk Villas would give me four nights in late April/Early May and four nights the first week of December! Both studios would be standard view, of course.

I agree that it unrealistic to expect to get BW standard view most of your time. It might happen for some but more likely a day or 2 here and there but not the entire time. Depending on your willingness to compromise, most studios wouldn't be ideal for taking your mother due to the queen plus pull out setup of all but OKW.

 

[MtlFire]

How difficult is it to make a 7 month reservation in your non-DVC home resort? I'm looking at purchasing a membership at SSR only because of reasonable dollar per point cost and maintenance fees. I wouldn't be traveling during holiday weeks or during peak summer months. Mainly it would be late April/early May or first week in December or October.

Thanks.

I bought at SSR for the same reasons. I tend to travel largely in the same months are you, avoiding the summer and the holidays. I never book at 7 months, often at 3-4 and never have a problem getting a studio yet. (knock on wood). I prefer AKV and had to waitlist once for a SSR reservation to be changed to AKV but it came through in about 1-2 weeks.

I did try to get a studio 2 months out for 1 night (post cruise) in january, but they only had one bedrooms left.

 

[albertotahiti]

While that may be true for you and is to a degree for me, it's not for everyone. From a value standpoint a studio is actually the best savings, followed by a 2 BR.

I agree that it unrealistic to expect to get BW standard view most of your time. It might happen for some but more likely a day or 2 here and there but not the entire time. Depending on your willingness to compromise, most studios wouldn't be ideal for taking your mother due to the queen plus pull out setup of all but OKW.

So, if my main travel time is late April/Early May, what "Use Year" contract should I pursue?

 

[Disneycouple99]

A Feb., March, or April UY would work.

 

[OKW Lover]

Those (all three) are dates that we regularly go. The early October dates are the hardest to book if you're trying for BWV or BCV (because of food & wine) but we've still had pretty good luck with that. In fact we are at BCV 10/1-6 this year which we booked at the 7 month window.

You should book your home resort at the 11 month window (or whenever you decide you are going) so you'll have someplace to stay, and wait-list for the resort you hope to stay at.

 

[albertotahiti]

A Feb., March, or April UY would work.

Okay, those look like good use year months. Would any months before those work too? Like Jan., Dec., Nov.?

 

[Dean]

So, if my main travel time is late April/Early May, what "Use Year" contract should I pursue?

April would be the best but anything Dec on should be fine (there isn't a Jan UY). If you buy retail you can pick but if you go resale, I wouldn't hold out for the perfect UY for the contract that was otherwise the right one, esp if the UY were Dec or later.

 

[albertotahiti]

April would be the best but anything Dec on should be fine (there isn't a Jan UY). If you buy retail you can pick but if you go resale, I wouldn't hold out for the perfect UY for the contract that was otherwise the right one, esp if the UY were Dec or later.

Okay. So, if it were 11 months out and I just used up all my points for an April trip, could I still call and make a reservation for the next April even though my next points wouldn't come in until Dec.?

 

[Dean]

Okay. So, if it were 11 months out and I just used up all my points for an April trip, could I still call and make a reservation for the next April even though my next points wouldn't come in until Dec.?

Yes, as long as the points would be there at the time of travel, you're OK on using them. They are counted as used at the time of the stay, not at the time of the reservation. I think the best way to think about it is as if you were reserving on the day of arrival.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Okay. So, if it were 11 months out and I just used up all my points for an April trip, could I still call and make a reservation for the next April even though my next points wouldn't come in until Dec.?

You need to look at the use year. Forget about calendar year. If you have a Dec use year, your year now runs from Dec 1 to Nov 30. So if you have points that you use in April 2012 that you got on Dec 1, 2011, and you used them all. You would get more points on Dec 1, 2012 for an April 2013 trip. And you can make that trip 11 months out.