7 Month Window

[joelly2103]

I am newbie and I have a question, that I hope the more experieced DVC'rs can answer. How difficult have you found it to get a reservation at a non-home resort, at the 7 month window.

I was thinking that as more members join, the 7 month window may get more and more difficult to get rooms, expecially at the smaller or more popular resorts.

We would likely use our points for a studio, most of the time.

My concern is that Disney might keep building, so what you could end up with is - if you don't stay at your home resort you will always end up with the least popular resort. So, your options become limited.

What is everyone opinion about this?

 

[rinkwide]

I think you've summed up the situation rather succinctly.

 

[abbydancer]

I'm new here, but I'd think how hard it is might depend on what they build next. If they were to add a resort like OKW or SSR that would certainly be the case, but if they were to add to an existing resort, such as the oft mentioned Animal Kingdom Lodge or Contempory, that would take some of the pressure off the current most popular resorts.

I might be way wrong on this.

abby

 

[bobbiwoz]

At 7 months out, I doubt that you would ALWAYS END UP at the least popular resort. There always seems to be switching. If you read the other DVC boards here, you'll see that a fair number of people have just gotten rooms at BWV or BCV for short stays during October. Also, the least popular resort varies from person to person, and perhaps even from stay to stay for that person.

However, we were at VWL in August, and many times I heard customers ask the DVC sellers "If I buy at SSR, can I stay here?" We own at 3 resorts, VWL, BWV and VB because we do like having a choice at 11 months out, but we have also stayed at BCV, OKW and SSR, by CHOICE.

Bobbi

 

[CarolMN]

I also think that the competition to get into the smaller resorts iat 7 months is increasing as more members are added. For those who book the more popular times, it is pretty much already necessary to book day by day at the 7 month window to have a good chance at getting what you want.

It also appears to me that many are also booking their home resorts earlier than in the past - my theory is that many of the smaller add ons and resale contracts are being purchased by people specifically to get the home resort advantage. There are using it!

That said, there are still reports of members getting shorter notice reservations. Availability changes frequently. Reservations are not impossible to get at BCV, VWL & BWV if you know the system and are at least somewhat flexible. (I'm not very flexible so that's why we bought where we want to be).

IMHO, for those who care about the resort, DVC works best for those who can plan more than 7 months in advance and buy where they want to be most often.

For those who don't care so much (they are at WDW, after all), planning more than 7 months in advance really isn't all that important.

FWIW - "least popular" resort varies by individual. I think those who can't or won't book at least 7 months in advance will most often end up at the "largest" resort.

I'm kind of hoping DVC annonces & builds a California DVC - it's one that might tempt me away from my beloved BWV!

Best wishes -

 

[dianeschlicht]

Carol is exactly right. Another thing I wanted to point out is that the studio will likely always be the most difficult to get at 7 months or less. The easiest will likly always be the 2 bedroom.

 

[Granny]

My concern is that Disney might keep building, so what you could end up with is - if you don't stay at your home resort you will always end up with the least popular resort. So, your options become limited.

I don't think it's accurate that people will end up with the "least popular" resort. I think they'll end up at the largest ones (OWK and SSR) just because they will naturally have more availability.

Here's a thread that discusses this topic and others that newbies should really digest:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=778634&page=1&pp=15

 

[tedhowe]

Carol is exactly right. Another thing I wanted to point out is that the studio will likely always be the most difficult to get at 7 months or less. The easiest will likly always be the 2 bedroom.

I agree with Diane about this. I never really realized why people complained about availability, until it finally dawned on me that the rooms I wanted were not the rooms that were hard to come by.

We've been going to DVC since 1994 (my parents purchased in 1993). We purchased our own membership in 2000 when we were staying on a trip to Hilton Head.

We went against conventional wisdom and bought our membership at HHI, with the thought that we would be able to trade/share points with my parents if we wanted to get an early reservation at OKW.

We've never needed to do that, and I've wondered why, but it makes sense now. We LOVE the "least popular" resort - OKW (though now SSR might be "less popular" than OKW). Also, we always reserve a 2BR unit.

Put them together, and we've never gotten what we wanted at 7 months with no wait list.

Having said all that, my advice would still be to buy where you want to stay - you are more likely to get the room before 7 months out, rather than after.

 

[StacyPop]

I have always booked at 7 months, and always gotten what I wanted.
I go 4 times a year, and dont own at any of the Orlando properties

 

[dumbo71]

Carol is exactly right. Another thing I wanted to point out is that the studio will likely always be the most difficult to get at 7 months or less. The easiest will likly always be the 2 bedroom.

I also agree with Carol. The advent of message boards like these have led to a more informed traveler than ever before. People are planning in advance, calling day by day and booking there home resort at 11 months as a backup. All of these lead to a squeeze on availability at the smaller resorts at 7 months.

I also agree with an earlier sentiment that if the next DVC is either Contemporary or VAKL then this squeeze will ease temorarily until the "pool is too small", "long hallways, etc. complaints start.

My personal experience has been that I've always gotten what I've wanted at 7 months when I have chosen to stay at one of the opther resorts at 7 months. I do try to travel off peak DVC times, however.

The system works from where I'm typing.

 

[CPTJAK]

Carol is exactly right. Another thing I wanted to point out is that the studio will likely always be the most difficult to get at 7 months or less. The easiest will likly always be the 2 bedroom.

I called on Monday for ressie's end of March (6 month window) for a Wed/Thrs/Fri stay, My in laws decided they wanted to join us for spring break studio and every resort was available for all three nights with exception:

BCV was not available on Thursday and BWV standard view was not available but everything else was available and springbreak is busy, again this was a studio.

I own at BCV and am waitlist for BCV Thursday (booked BWV for this night just in case). So...maybe not as hard yet..to get ressie at 7 month window for studio rooms

 

[Sammie]

There is no factual way since DVC and Disney guards its statistics better than Fort Knox of knowing what the future will hold.

If you buy where you most want to stay you have covered yourself in the event it does become more difficult.

Most popular resort is strickly opinion. If all the resorts were the same size, we could determine the most popular by preference. However since that is not true, we will never know for sure if certain resorts stay booked due to their size.

Our favorites are SSR and then OKW. I have stayed at BCV, VWL and BW and do not have any need to repeat that experience.

We were able to get a 2 bedroom at any resort at 7 months in any of the months we tried, March, May, June, July, and August with no wait list and no day by day calling.

Certain resorts, certain room sizes, at certain times might be a problem.

So buy where you would be happy to always stay and you will be a happy customer.

 

[joelly2103]

I am glad to hear that few people have had problems getting the reservations they wanted! I am excited about the possibility of trying each resort, over time. So, today my favorite resort and my home resort, may not be the same as I visit all the others.

I really get a lot from this board and the members that are positive.

Thanks everyone!

 

[Sammie]

I am glad to hear that few people have had problems getting the reservations they wanted! I am excited about the possibility of trying each resort, over time. So, today my favorite resort and my home resort, may not be the same as I visit all the others.
I really get a lot from this board and the members that are positive.

Thanks everyone!

That is why we stayed at all of them "before" we purchased. Of course at the time SSR was not built, but of the ones available at the time we knew which one we wanted most of the time. I could honestly stay at any of them and be very happy, SSR just fits us best right now.