AKV in October...Frustrated, need suggestions

[kristenrice]

Since my birthday is in October, I have been trying to make a trip each year to WDW. We've made some of these trips with the entire family but I have also made the trip with just adults. For 2017, my hope for a trip was dwindling because our scheduled family trip will be to HHI and I was unsuccessful in finding a friend to go with me. Then, out of the blue, one of my best friends (and fellow Disney freak!) told me that her trip to Europe fell through and she will be able to go with me! Here's where it gets a bit complicated so please bear with these boring details...

We own 100 points at AKV and DH has said that he has no intentions of returning to WDW for at least 5 years. Our girls are 13 and 11 and they are old enough now that I am perfectly comfortable taking them by myself. This means that I am free to use the points for my October vacations if it won't compromise trips that I could take with the girls. Ok...hang in there...this is what I am getting at... So, in 2017, since we are going to HHI, I have all 100 of my 2017 AKV points available for a trip in the fall. I don't have a definite plan yet for 2018, but I would like to do another October trip, either with the girls or with a friend, but a studio would be the room choice. Since 2017 is a definite trip, but without family, my plan was to use as few points as possible and book a value studio for 5 nights (45 points) which would be fine for two adults. This would leave me with 55 points to bank into 2018 and I would use those, plus 5 2018 points, to book a standard studio for 5 nights (60 points) which is larger and better suited for 3 people. Then, I would be able to bank 95 points into 2019 which is when we have a planned trip for 8 and we will need all 195 available points for that trip.

I know how hard it is to book a value studio at any time of year, particularly in October. I decided to try and walk the reservation. Yesterday, I was at work and I got into the website on my phone at 8:02am. I was so excited because the room was available for the whole week, including the night of the 15th, which is when I plan to start our trip! I knew that if I could secure that night, I would be good to go...so I booked it! I got all the way to the final confirmation page and...poof! I got the "We could not complete your request at this time" message. I had to go on a call so I was unable to get back online until 10am and of course, by then it was booked. I tried again this morning...8:02am...first night not available again. I'm so frustrated at this point because I have to work the next 4 days in a row...at 5am. That means that there is another good chance that I will not be able to get online right at 8am to try and snag that room.

Now, I am really not sure what to do. I can always book a standard studio at this point and at least make sure I have the room, but that means that in 2018, I will only have enough points for the value studio, which will be cramped with three of us. On top of that, I will be stuck with going through this same process again.

What is the chance that a standard studio will be available at 7 months for a Sun-Thur at AKV? I'd prefer Jambo, but I know that there is better availability at Kidani. My friend said that she will pay for the additional 15 OTU points to upgrade to the standard studio, but since I can't do that until 7 months out, it is useless if there will not be any availability. I could always secure a standard studio now and save the money in case I can use it next year.

I'm just so frustrated...what would you do? I am a constant planner and I knew the importance of walking the reservation. I think my frustration right now stems from yesterday when I thought I had the reservation and then the site crashed on me. That just broke my soul....

At this point, I am going to hope for the best this weekend and do everything I can to try and access the member site at 8am to get that value studio. It's difficult because I work on an ambulance and cannot be certain that I will be available in an area with internet access at any particular time. If I am unsuccessful, then I think I will just book the standard studio at Jambo and not worry about 2018 until next year. I'm sure everything will work out OK...

 

[kniquy]

Don't forget that you can get 24 one time use points per UY. You do have to wait until the 7 month mark to make the reservation with them, but this at least gives you the option to save some of your points. This won't work to get a value room because they won't be available at 7 months, but a standard studio might be. I think if you open up your options to different resorts then this will work.

The other option would be to look for a member to transfer points, but generally people will only transfer larger amounts of points, not just 5 or 10 points. So take a look at the rent/transfer board here. Those points won't show up on your online account unless they match your resort and UY.

 

[mort1331]

One time use points are great. The other option you have is to book OKW or BW std studios for only 50 points for the 5 days. Since it is October OKW might be easier to get at 7 months. One time use points are only good at the 7month mark as well.
Good Luck

 

[kristenrice]

Forgot about OKW....great option for 2018 with the girls...

 

[cvjw]

I would book what is available at the 7 month mark and purchase the OTU points as needed.

You know BWV standard view will not be an option, but OKW might be.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

At 7 months, it really depends on which October dates you're after. If it includes the Columbus Day holiday, that's harder than either earlier or later in the month.

 

[kristenrice]

After getting over my initial frustration, I think I am going to try as much as I can this weekend to get the value studio. If that falls through, I am going to go ahead and book the standard studio at AKV-Jambo. That will leave me 40 points to bank into 2018 and if I can get a value studio for 45, I will still be able to get it without buying OTU points. If not, then I have another year to save up and have the extra money needed for OKW or another standard at AKV.

 

[kristenrice]

At 7 months, it really depends on which October dates you're after. If it includes the Columbus Day holiday, that's harder than either earlier or later in the month.

In 2017, we are going October 15-20...In 2018, it would be October 21-26.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

In 2017, we are going October 15-20...In 2018, it would be October 21-26.

I know that for this year, I could get 15-20 in a Standard at 7 months, so long as I was online promptly.

 

[drusba]

Your post indicates you are looking for four nights that begin the Sunday after Columbus Day weekend, Oct 15-19 in 2017. The equivalent time in 2016 was Oct 16-20. At 7 months out from Sunday, October 16, the standard studio at Jambo was already filled for Oct. 17, 18, and 19, and at Kidani the standard studio was already gone for Oct 16, 17, 18 (all three days filled 7 months out from Saturday, Oct 15). Also be aware that problems for studios at 7 months out for that equivalent 2016 period were universal except for SSR which was open. Even OKW studios were gone Oct 16 and 19 (the ones in the near Hospitality House booking category were gone for all the nights). Also, you might even have problems at SSR next year because of the change to standard and preferred room categories; the risk would be that the standard studio could be missing days, and the preferred studio costs a lot more.

The standard studios at AKV are likely to remain open for some time past the 11 month window but you should likely plan on booking one before 7 months out -- you could do something like book three of the nights you want and then take the risk that the other will be open at 7 months out for which you could purchase one time use points. As to getting value, if you can keep checking daily, do so. It is possible you have walkers (what you were going to attempt) who may pass through and your time might open.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I suggest you still try for the value this weekend. And set up waitlists if you do not get it and at least give that a little bit of time. Also keep an eye to see if things open up with people walking past those dates. There isn't any hurry to book the standard view so I really recommend at least taking another week to see if availability opens up again in the values. If not then you can book the standard.

Then, at 7 months if there is availability for the standard studio I'm wondering if you couldn't buy the OTU points to use for one of the nights and free up points that you can bank for next years trip. ie - book all the nights you need and then at 7 months see what the availability is to try and rebook a night and get OTU points. It's a route I'd check out since you know you will be needing the points by 2018.

 

[kristenrice]

Drama! I started my shift at 5am and got sent out to post. We sat and sat....I logged in to the member website at 7:50 with everything ready to hit "search"...and then we got a call at 7:55...and it was literally across the street from where we were. Fortunately, my partner is awesome and since it was a non-emergency call, he told me to stay in the truck, finish what I needed to do and he would handle the call. At 8:00 sharp, I hit the button and I got the reservation. I am now booked from October 11-18 so I will call back on Tuesday morning and cancel the nights of the 11-14 and add them to the end so that I am checking in on Octob 15 and out on the 20th.

This means that I will now have 55 points to bank for 2018. I will need to bank 95 of my 2018 points for our big trip in 2019, but now I can combine my banked points with the remaining 5 from 2018 and stay in a standard studio at AKV in October with my girls.

 

[CarolMN]

Congrats! I love a happy ending.

 

[n2mm]

If you're thinking of BWV standard, that is not an option in October. I am getting ready to book my standard studio for October and have been watching to see how quickly the standard rooms are going. Last year I missed my first night at 8:01AM at the 11 month window. Looks to be the same pattern this year too. I've been doing a mock booking for the last few days and as soon as I hit the button at 8:00AM, the first night is going. Same for BLT standard rooms. It gets harder each year with this year no exception.

 

[kristenrice]

I'm now officially all set!

I called this morning and changed my dates to the 15th-20th so now it's official.