AKL split stay for November 2013 - how should I book?

[Disney52303]

Forgive me if this is long-winded as I think this out. We are planning on booking AKL from 11/9/13-11/13/2013, checking out the morning of the 14th (we are booked on the Dream from 11/14-11/17) and my booking window opens Sunday. We are also traveling with another DVC family and hope to match rooms.

We were hoping to each book a CL studio, but they will likely be sold out. Right now the studio is available from the 9th on (just checked) but I am not confident it still will be on Sunday, especially since we are hoping for two. Assuming I can't get the CL studio for all 5 nights....

I am thinking of a split stay at this point and hoping for a 1 bedroom CL for M-W (11/11-11/13) as they seem more readily available and a studio for 11/9-11/10 (as I am hoping to change to/WL BCV or BWV for those two nights to do the Food and Wine half on the 9th and hopefully be close to Epcot).

How would you book this? I have 306 points available (200 are my combined banked 2012 and 2013 AKL points), so I won't have to borrow. I am thinking my choices are:

-book the 1 bedroom on Sunday for the whole time and then call and switch the first two nights to a studio... then in 4 months try and switch those two nights again to another resort.

-book the studio only on Sunday and then on Tuesday book the one bedroom as a seperate reservation assuming it is available. Again then call at my 7 month mark to try and change the first two nights.

Can anyone offer some opinions or any options I may be missing? I am trying to be prepared for 8am Sunday morning!

 

[MouseMomx2]

There are 5 CL 1BRs and 5 CL Studios so your chances are the same either way. Those Studios and 1BRs join to form the 5 CL 2BRs so you will be competing with the folks that want those as well. I'm not trying to be a downer. I just wanted to give you the info.

I would book something for the full five nights as soon as you can and then try to switch later. Whether you try for the ST or 1BR really doesn't matter since your odds are the same with either.

 

[papamouse1]

Forgive me if this is long-winded as I think this out. We are planning on booking AKL from 11/9/13-11/13/2013, checking out the morning of the 14th (we are booked on the Dream from 11/14-11/17) and my booking window opens Sunday. We are also traveling with another DVC family and hope to match rooms.

We were hoping to each book a CL studio, but they will likely be sold out. Right now the studio is available from the 9th on (just checked) but I am not confident it still will be on Sunday, especially since we are hoping for two. Assuming I can't get the CL studio for all 5 nights....

I am thinking of a split stay at this point and hoping for a 1 bedroom CL for M-W (11/11-11/13) as they seem more readily available and a studio for 11/9-11/10 (as I am hoping to change to/WL BCV or BWV for those two nights to do the Food and Wine half on the 9th and hopefully be close to Epcot).

How would you book this? I have 306 points available (200 are my combined banked 2012 and 2013 AKL points), so I won't have to borrow. I am thinking my choices are:

-book the 1 bedroom on Sunday for the whole time and then call and switch the first two nights to a studio... then in 4 months try and switch those two nights again to another resort.

...

We love doing split stays so we do it pretty much every trip. I think the highlighted plan is the best... book it all as 1BR for sheer speed of reservation... then call and have the first 2 days switched to ST. At your 7-month window, you can make whatever adjustments you want...

p.s. While MouseMom2x is correct about the 1BR and ST being statistically the same, our experience in the past was the ST tended to book faster than the 1BR (maybe just because of the reduced points needed)

 

[Disney52303]

Yup I booked the 1 bedroom for all five nights. Will check tomorrow on the off chance I can get the studio m-w. instead. In four months I will try for a BWV or BCV studio... And hopefully free up that club level room for someone that weekend