A question on length of stay

[Gomer]

I'm looking into possibly buying into DVC next month. I've noticed during my research (anecdotally only of course) that a great number of people on this board tend to go twice a year for shorter stays.

I generally prefer to go for one long stay (8-10 days). Will I have a problem finding availability for stays longer than a week? Should I prepare myself to be restricted to my home resort only for such vacations so I can book at the 11 month window?

In all of your experiences, have you had trouble with longer vacations?

Thank you all for your experience and insight!

 

[chalee94]

I generally prefer to go for one long stay (8-10 days). Will I have a problem finding availability for stays longer than a week? Should I prepare myself to be restricted to my home resort only for such vacations so I can book at the 11 month window?

the general rule is "buy where you want to stay."

if you do that and can book 10-11 months out, you will virtually never have an issue (except for certain crazy periods like new years or low supply villa types like concierge villas at jambo house).

if you routinely book at 5-6 months out or less, i wouldn't be surprised if you run into trouble trying to book 8-10 consecutive nights in the same villa type except at the larger resorts like SSR or OKW...

 

[carone0318]

We tend to take 1 trip once a yr for about 8-10 nights too. We own points at 2 resorts (BWV & HH), I obviously have no problems getting BWV at the 11 month window. We tend to bank & borrow and use HH pts one yr and BWV the other. I always call at exactly the 7 month window and have absolutely no problems getting what I want. We usually try for a BWV guaranteed boardwalk view. This year we decided we wanted to go back to AKL concierge level and I could only get it for 5 nights (1 bdrm), so we decided to split our stay between AKL (concierge) and BWV (guaranteed boardwalk view) both 1 bdrm - all done at the 7 month window.

 

[magicaldisney]

We LOVE ALL of the DVC resorts so for us it has not been an issue staying for more than 7 nights (only once have we stayed for a shorter period than 7 nights). So, for us if we make the reservations after the 7 month window we will be happy in whatever resort has availability.

If you are someone who really prefers a certain resort, you need to buy at that resort and call at the 11 month window.

 

[Gomer]

Yeah, I know I love VWL, because I've stayed there previously, but I doubt I'll be able to purchase there direct from Disney. I'll probably be buying at AKL, which I've never stayed at, but I did love the hotel itself when I went to Boma a few years ago. But, I would like to explore the rest of the DVC hotels as I go along in case I love one. I was just wondering if that would be feasible with my length of stay, but it doesn't sound like it should be too bad. Worse comes to worse, I gues I could always do split stays. Not ideal, but better than nothing.

I just won't count on anything, and I have to fall back on my 11 month AKL reservation, so be it.

Thanks for the help!

 

[crisi]

Why do you want to buy direct from Disney (and I don't think you'd have any issue buying any resort from Disney - just for a LOT more money than if you'd go resale)?

 

[dzorn]

We usually do a longer trip from 10-13 day and I usually do not have a problem booking. We do split stays because we like to try different resorts, but usually one of our choices is at least 7 days.

Denise in MI

 

[Gomer]

Why do you want to buy direct from Disney (and I don't think you'd have any issue buying any resort from Disney - just for a LOT more money than if you'd go resale)?

Mostly because of the lack of a fee for early payment through financing. I don't have enough to purchase up front, so I plan on financing for ten years to keep my monthly payments low, and then paying it off within the next two to three years using quarterly bonus payments that I receive from my employer.

Additionally, my wife likes the idea of someday trading in for a cruise and the option to "waste points" every once and a while staying at the Poly. ( I know this isn't cost effective but something we might want to do once or twice for a few days.)

 

[DenLo]

We usually stay 9 to 10 nights. We usually book at the 11 month mark at our home resort and then at 7 months switch to another resort. The only resorts so far that we had any problems was at BWV and BCV in October. We could only get part of trip dates at BWV and even less days at BCV. So we did a split stay with BLT (our home resort) and BWV. Which worked out for us because we did MNSSHP while we were at BLT.

So I think you can get into other resorts for a longer stay, but it would depend on the resort and dates you are trying to get. I feel much more comfortable knowing that I will have a definite reservation by booking at my home resort and then trying to do the switch. Also when doing a split stay, I think it's better to spend less days at the first resort and then have a longer stay at the second. Because if you move after a few nights you don't feel so settled in.

 

[Deb & Bill]

This year we had our two shortest trips - one for five days, the other for seven days. Last year we were there for 13 days. We like to move in and stay put.

When you go to book a longer stay than seven nights, you can only book the first seven nights, then add the next night the next day. Or you can wait until you are 11 months out from the last seven days of your trip so you can book all of them at once. If you are trying to get something difficult, you'll want to book the first seven first and then add the next nights.

 

[chalee94]

Yeah, I know I love VWL, because I've stayed there previously, but I doubt I'll be able to purchase there direct from Disney.

most likely DVC still has a supply of VWL available for direct purchase - acquired due to foreclosures and ROFR:

http://dvcnews.com/index.php/dvc-program/financial/pricing-a-promotions

Villas at Wilderness Lodge*
$102 base price; 160-point minimum purchase

if you make it clear that you are only interested in VWL, i'm sure DVC will be willing to work with you. just be aware that a VWL contract purchased directly still expires in 2042...

 

[Gomer]

most likely DVC still has a supply of VWL available for direct purchase - acquired due to foreclosures and ROFR:

Villas at Wilderness Lodge*
$102 base price; 160-point minimum purchase

if you make it clear that you are only interested in VWL, i'm sure DVC will be willing to work with you. just be aware that a VWL contract purchased directly still expires in 2042...

Oh...I thought availability for the older hotels was rare when going direct. Definitely something to consider then, although $102 per point doesn't seem like a proportional discount considering it is 2/3rds the length of the contract at AKL.

 

[Donna M]

We usually do the 8-10 day trip too. Our home resort is SSR but we haven't stayed there in a few years. We always go during school vacation week, but luckily for us in NH it tends to fall the week after the big eastcoast states have their vacations. We have had more luck in the last few years getting into BCV or VWL than we did maybe 5 or so years ago. At 11 months, I always reserve SSR then change at the 7 month mark to the day and at 9 am sharp! We have been very happy with our stays. Some of our stays have been one place the whole time, other times we wanted to do split stays.

Good luck!

 

[disneynutz]

I'm looking into possibly buying into DVC next month. I've noticed during my research (anecdotally only of course) that a great number of people on this board tend to go twice a year for shorter stays.

I generally prefer to go for one long stay (8-10 days). Will I have a problem finding availability for stays longer than a week? Should I prepare myself to be restricted to my home resort only for such vacations so I can book at the 11 month window?

In all of your experiences, have you had trouble with longer vacations?

Thank you all for your experience and insight!

The longer the stay, the more difficult the match. The earlier you book, the greater the chance of success.

Bill

 

[Dean]

I'm looking into possibly buying into DVC next month. I've noticed during my research (anecdotally only of course) that a great number of people on this board tend to go twice a year for shorter stays.

I generally prefer to go for one long stay (8-10 days). Will I have a problem finding availability for stays longer than a week? Should I prepare myself to be restricted to my home resort only for such vacations so I can book at the 11 month window?

In all of your experiences, have you had trouble with longer vacations?

Thank you all for your experience and insight!

As long as your fine with your home resort, call at opening 11 months out and don't need a specialty options (BW view, concierge, 3 BR); you really shouldn't have much difficulty. Once you get away from that equation, the risks and difficulty does increase. I will say that a stay over 10 days is a little more tricky than one exactly 7 days but it shouldn't be an issue with planning.

 

[DVC Grandpa]

In 2002 we purchased enough BCV points so that we could take all the kids and a friend or two once year. We always booked at the eleven month window, and add the extra days every one or two days, until we get all the days needed. We have never had a problem getting what we requested. Now that the house is empty, we have the luxury to take about a three week vacation each year…or two shorter vacations within one AP year. Reservations planning has worked out so far.