7 months out and no availability except OKW, SSR and Kidani?

[3 DD love princesses]

congrats on getting your room! I'm contemplating on canceling my BLT studio haven't decided yet

 

[Dean]

Managed to get a Boardwalk Standard view studio of all things. It was the only studio available besides OKW, SSR and Kidani. Still can't believe everything else was sold out at 7 months out.

When availability is limited sometimes it's the most difficult to get option that you find when you look. One might get VGF studio or AKV concierge as the only thing in some situations. This happens because you simply hit when someone canceled something.

 

[girli565]

My 7 month window opens this Friday and I'm hoping for a studio at BLT (we were going to splurge, lol. I'm OK with staying at OKW for the low point value) but it looks like this may not happen. I checked availability today for Oct. 11-14 and it's fully available at Poly, OKW, SSR (my home resort that I have booked as of 11 months), AKLV Jambo and Kidani, and WLV (I'm hesitant because of the construction).

 

[cloudnine2002]

Hi - I'm new to DVC. We are thinking about renting points for next spring break. Our spring break will be 2 weeks after Easter. We would be targeting BCV or BLT for a 2 bedroom. When do you think we would have to book in order to make sure we get a room. I initially thought it had to be 11 months, but I have been reading more and more on the boards that says there would probably be availability at the 7 months mark as well. Which would make things cheaper. What does everyone think?

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Hi - I'm new to DVC. We are thinking about renting points for next spring break. Our spring break will be 2 weeks after Easter. We would be targeting BCV or BLT for a 2 bedroom. When do you think we would have to book in order to make sure we get a room. I initially thought it had to be 11 months, but I have been reading more and more on the boards that says there would probably be availability at the 7 months mark as well. Which would make things cheaper. What does everyone think?

Because you want 2 weeks, I would still want to book in the 11-7 month window. If you wait until 7 months, the likelihood of missing dates in the 2 weeks grows significantly greater. DVC members can't book two weeks even at 11 months; the renting owner could reserve 7, then extend the stay 7 nights calling back each day.

 

[MommyMK]

It was there for a couple of days, a Friday night, you'd think some FL resident BWV owner would have grabbed it. Poly lake view was there last night, gone this AM.

 

[cloudnine2002]

Because you want 2 weeks, I would still want to book in the 11-7 month window. If you wait until 7 months, the likelihood of missing dates in the 2 weeks grows significantly greater. DVC members can't book two weeks even at 11 months; the renting owner could reserve 7, then extend the stay 7 nights calling back each day.

Thanks for the response. Sorry, I was not clear. We would only be going for 6 nights, but it would be the week 2 weeks following Easter. So it shouldn't have a part of the Easter bump in attendance. How likely would we be to get that

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Thanks for the response. Sorry, I was not clear. We would only be going for 6 nights, but it would be the week 2 weeks following Easter. So it shouldn't have a part of the Easter bump in attendance. How likely would we be to get that

What would you do if you couldn't get it because you waited? That's the real question.

If not getting it would be a significant issue, always try to book between 11-7 months, no matter the time of year.

 

[Sammie]

Thanks for the response. Sorry, I was not clear. We would only be going for 6 nights, but it would be the week 2 weeks following Easter. So it shouldn't have a part of the Easter bump in attendance. How likely would we be to get that

Many schools in the Southeast have Spring Break the week after Easter or the week you are off.

I wouldn't wait until 7 months, and not sure why booking at 7 months for the same time period would make it less expensive?

 

[crisi]

Hi - I'm new to DVC. We are thinking about renting points for next spring break. Our spring break will be 2 weeks after Easter. We would be targeting BCV or BLT for a 2 bedroom. When do you think we would have to book in order to make sure we get a room. I initially thought it had to be 11 months, but I have been reading more and more on the boards that says there would probably be availability at the 7 months mark as well. Which would make things cheaper. What does everyone think?

Here is the deal with availability at seven months. When you control the points - i.e. you are the owner - you can do what MommyMK did this morning - you get yourself out of bed and on the computer to make the reservation the moment your window opens. A lot of owners will even have a reservation at their home resort already made, just in case switching doesn't pan out.

When you rent, you are dependent on when the owner gets around to getting the reservation made. If you line up a seven month owner ahead of time, and they make reservations the moment the window opens, your chances at that time of year aren't bad - although you could end up not getting what you want even then. But once that seven month window opens availability at the resorts where demand exceeds supply disappears - sometimes very quickly.

 

[Dean]

Duplicates, computer issues.

 

[Dean]

It depends in part on when Easter is. If it's late like well into April, 2 weeks after is likely a safe bet. If Easter is fairly Early, that could put you the end of March to early April. Next year the second week after Easter would put you the very End of April and that's likely a safer bet. Generally the SE schools are before Easter, esp when it's that late. It won't be slow but not supper busy in all likelihood but worse on weekends than during the week.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Many schools in the Southeast have Spring Break the week after Easter or the week you are off.

I wouldn't wait until 7 months, and not sure why booking at 7 months for the same time period would make it less expensive?

OP is using a broker. David's as an example charges $2/point extra for a booking during home resort booking at the preferred resorts, which include BLT. So for a 2BR for a week, this can add up. But it is also the price to be paid to ensure you get what you want.

 

[cloudnine2002]

Thanks, All! I'm planning for a trip in 2018 (I know, crazy). We would be renting points and a lot of times renters charge less for points from SS or OKW. Sometimes as much as $3 per/pt (which adds up). In 2018, Easter is April 1st and our Spring Break would be April 16. It seems like there would be a chance we could get a 2 bedroom at BCV or BLT, but it would be a risk. And I would need to line up a friendly renter, who would be willing to go online early to secure the reservation.

 

[crisi]

Not only friendly, but dependable. What if the day your seven month window opens their kid is puking all over the couch. Or they have a big offsite meeting and can't get online to book until the next day? When I made my own reservation I missed my eleven month window by a week, I was busy with other things and forgot.

 

[jerseyduke]

Like many things in life it is all about value.

How much more is it to do it at 11 months? Split that between everyone. Is the guarantee worth that?

If you end up at OKW, or SS, are you going to be fuming? Or are you going to be "hey, we are still going to have a blast"?

If it is pretty important to you to be at one of those 2, I would pay the extra if I could.

Another thought...are 2 one bedrooms acceptable? Those are the easiest to get (but I would compare point costs vs 1 2 BRM), and if you would be ok with either a 2BR or 2 1BR, that opens up some options at 7 months. Again, check point totals

 

[crisi]

Oh, and if you are going through a broker, you take whatever owner the broker matches you with. If you are willing to work privately, you can try and find a cooperative owner - but I'd be cautious of anyone who will promise you that reservation - until you log in at seven months and book it, there is no guarantee it will be there. It might, but there might have been a single room that got snapped up in the seconds that the page was loading. An owner who makes promises is more naive than one I'd want to work with.

 

[cloudnine2002]

Oh, and if you are going through a broker, you take whatever owner the broker matches you with. If you are willing to work privately, you can try and find a cooperative owner - but I'd be cautious of anyone who will promise you that reservation - until you log in at seven months and book it, there is no guarantee it will be there. It might, but there might have been a single room that got snapped up in the seconds that the page was loading. An owner who makes promises is more naive than one I'd want to work with.

 

[cloudnine2002]

I would go through an individual not broker. I guess I would try to line up one who did not ask for payment until reservation was made, which I have seen on the boards. All your points are good and making me really consider just paying extra. Might not be worth rolling the dice. Definitely something to really think about n

 

[crisi]

I would go through an individual not broker. I guess I would try to line up one who did not ask for payment until reservation was made, which I have seen on the boards. All your points are good and making me really consider just paying extra. Might not be worth rolling the dice. Definitely something to really think about n

Think about it from the point of view of the person you are renting from. They are a private individual, not a business. You want them to wake up early and make a reservation that has no guarantee of success, not pay for it until the reservation is made, which may leave them holding the bag on points with no compensation if you say "nah, I decided not to" because you don't want to put anything down until the reservation is made - for the same amount of money they could get rid of the points for without the hassle of your reservation pretty much any time

There are some really sweet people out there who might do this, but you are asking a lot from a stranger so you can save money.