7 Month Priority Window-Most Difficult to Get?

[dvcdisney]

Next August will be the first time I have decided to use my points to use for other resorts that I do not own. For those of you who have used the 7 mth window to reserve in August, which resorts are easier to get a studio? And which are the most difficult ones?

(By the way, I am going to book my home resort for that time, but would like to try something new if it's available.)

Thanks.

 

[crisi]

Next August will be the first time I have decided to use my points to use for other resorts that I do not own. For those of you who have used the 7 mth window to reserve in August, which resorts are easier to get a studio? And which are the most difficult ones?

(By the way, I am going to book my home resort for that time, but would like to try something new if it's available.)

Thanks.

August, particularly late August, is pretty easy for all the resorts if you book exactly at seven months - you may not have luck with speciality units (AKL Conceirge, Grand Villas - especially the bargin ones at OKW, Boardwalk Standard View or Boardwalk View).

I'd decide where you want to stay, what your second choice is, third choice, etc. I'd treat BWV as three resorts (Standard View, Boardwalk View and Preferred View) in this exercise and AKL similarly. I'd be shocked if you needed to go as far as your third choice.

 

[dvcdisney]

August, particularly late August, is pretty easy for all the resorts if you book exactly at seven months - you may not have luck with speciality units (AKL Conceirge, Grand Villas - especially the bargin ones at OKW, Boardwalk Standard View or Boardwalk View).

I'd decide where you want to stay, what your second choice is, third choice, etc. I'd treat BWV as three resorts (Standard View, Boardwalk View and Preferred View) in this exercise and AKL similarly. I'd be shocked if you needed to go as far as your third choice.

Thanks, I feel better.

Would you recommend going day by day at the 7 mth window?

I have to admit, the only times I booked a non-home resort is at OKW in October and BWV in May. Both were quite easy to get and I even waited until the last day to book it all at the same time. When I had booked OKW in October, I had actually had BCV (home resort) already and when I called, they asked me a few times if I really wanted to change it because, it was very difficult to get the Epcot resorts during the food and wine festival, (but we had to get a 2 bedroom (relative came) and the points for OKW was so much more economical.

I guess I'm wondering if day by day at the 7 mth window makes any sense since anyone who has that resort as a home resort can get it before I can.

 

[crisi]

Thanks, I feel better.

Would you recommend going day by day at the 7 mth window?

I have to admit, the only times I booked a non-home resort is at OKW in October and BWV in May. Both were quite easy to get and I even waited until the last day to book it all at the same time. When I had booked OKW in October, I had actually had BCV (home resort) already and when I called, they asked me a few times if I really wanted to change it because, it was very difficult to get the Epcot resorts during the food and wine festival, (but we had to get a 2 bedroom (relative came) and the points for OKW was so much more economical.

I guess I'm wondering if day by day at the 7 mth window makes any sense since anyone who has that resort as a home resort can get it before I can.

I don't know if I'd bother - unless you really wanted something specific. But I hate calling day by day and have only bothered once (and even then forgot and really only managed to call four our of seven days).

 

[dvcdisney]

Thanks again for your help. It sounds like it's not very busy. I guess I was just a little nervous because I thought it would be hard to get the whole trip (2 weeks) all in one resort. I am a little less nervous about the 7 mth mark.

 

[Dean]

Would you recommend going day by day at the 7 mth window?

It depends on what you want, how many points you'll have and if you want to chance changing resorts midstay. For the type of units crisi mentioned, I'd definitely do day by day (BCV 2 BR 2 Queen, any BWV standard or BW view, any 3 BR, AKV concierge or value (?)). If you have your heart set on it and can swing both reservations ongoing at the same time (or don't mind changing resorts mid trip), I'd book day by day. One thing you can do is call day 1 and ask how it looks the next few days, they can give you an idea and then you'll know whether to call each day or not.

 

[hellerjw]

You can also book at your home resort, just to have something reserved, and then try to change at the 7-month mark. We did this for our upcoming trip and made the switch from AKV to VWL at the 7-month mark without any problems.

 

[Dean]

You can also book at your home resort, just to have something reserved, and then try to change at the 7-month mark. We did this for our upcoming trip and made the switch from AKV to VWL at the 7-month mark without any problems.

That option is already planned per the OP.

 

[daisyduck123]

We have never had any trouble at 7 months getting a studio at BCV in August. (DH always calls day by day).

 

[dvcdisney]

One thing you can do is call day 1 and ask how it looks the next few days, they can give you an idea and then you'll know whether to call each day or not.

Thanks. That's a great idea. I know they will just tell me what is available at the time and I am still taking a risk, but at least I'll know my chances. At this point, I could possible carry both reservations for most of the days, but not all. So what I was thinking is going as far day by day and then waiting until the last day to complete my reservation and cancel the other reservation using those points. That way I don't have to change rooms. Although for 14 nights, I guess we could change rooms, but we've done it before and it's just too inconvenient.

By the way, I only want a studio or one bedroom so I'm hoping that means it'll be easier.

 

[dvcdisney]

We have never had any trouble at 7 months getting a studio at BCV in August. (DH always calls day by day).

That's great to hear. I hope the other resorts are just as easy. We own at BCV and we love it. To be honest, I wouldn't mind keeping my reservation at BCV. I just wanted to try the other resorts like VWL in August.

 

[sarcasticblonde]

Our home resort is SSR/OKW and we wanted to stay at BWV this October for F&W Festival. We knew it would be tricky due to the popularity of that resort during F&W. We called right we MS opened the day of our 7 month window and were able to get a preferred view room, no prob.

 

[dvcdisney]

Our home resort is SSR/OKW and we wanted to stay at BWV this October for F&W Festival. We knew it would be tricky due to the popularity of that resort during F&W. We called right we MS opened the day of our 7 month window and were able to get a preferred view room, no prob.

Were you able to get it for your entire stay? Did you do a day by day at the 7 mth window?

 

[sarcasticblonde]

Were you able to get it for your entire stay? Did you do a day by day at the 7 mth window?

We were able to get our entire stay, yes. Our trip is from October 1-8. We called on March 7 and booked the first 6 nights and then we called on March 8 to book the last night of our stay. We didn't really do the whole day by day thing that others do.

 

[ZekeKelso]

I just booked (at about the 4-month mark) for a long weekend (the first one) of August 2008.

There was studio availability at the BCV for the weekend nights, but none on weekdays.

At BWV: there was exactly one BW-view studio available for both weekend and weekdays There were no standard-views at all. And at least one prevered-view.

 

[Dean]

Thanks. That's a great idea. I know they will just tell me what is available at the time and I am still taking a risk, but at least I'll know my chances. At this point, I could possible carry both reservations for most of the days, but not all. So what I was thinking is going as far day by day and then waiting until the last day to complete my reservation and cancel the other reservation using those points. That way I don't have to change rooms. Although for 14 nights, I guess we could change rooms, but we've done it before and it's just too inconvenient.

By the way, I only want a studio or one bedroom so I'm hoping that means it'll be easier.

That's where I was going with "how many points you have". If you can carry most of the days for both, you will be in a much better situation and likely won't have to make the hard choices. If you have to leave days for later, I'd leave off weekend days both because they are easier to get and take a lot more points. For 14 nights I would not worry too much about changing rooms/resorts one time and actually I personally would want to do so (once) to get different options and a different feel.

 

[Simba's Mom]

I've had occassion to go to WDW twice in late August on about 6 weeks notice (a sudden sale by Southwest called my name!). Both times I was able to get a BWV boardwalk view studio, but not BCV (which I wanted). And the waitlist at BCV never came thru.