AKV value studio chances?

[MommybearFL]

Hi there! DVC newbie here thinking of buying. What are the odds of my getting the value studios at AKV 11 months out if I buy at AKV? I’m trying to decide whether to purchase a small 50 pt contract there but that would be the room type I would interested in to maximize my points. I’ve heard I would have to have a quick finger at 8am to get a room. Is that correct?

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

Hi there! DVC newbie here thinking of buying. What are the odds of my getting the value studios at AKV 11 months out if I buy at AKV? I’m trying to decide whether to purchase a small 50 pt contract there but that would be the room type I would interested in to maximize my points. I’ve heard I would have to have a quick finger at 8am to get a room. Is that correct?

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I would not recommend buying an AKV contract with the intentions of booking value rooms every time. It has become increasingly harder to book them, even at 11 months out. Maybe it's the time that I go each year, but I've had to walk them the last few years, and the last time I walked one, I got shut out twice and had to start all over again. I've been lucky and have eventually gotten one every time I've tried, but it was extremely stressful to the point that I've said I probably won't try for one in the future. I would try to get a fairly larger contract so that you can get a standard if needed, or else get the 50 points and plan on staying less nights with a standard when you can't get the value. Good luck with your decision!

 

[JETSDAD]

I would plan around Standard and then consider it a bonus if you get a value room. Even standard rooms are a good value though.

 

[MommybearFL]

Thank you!

 

[Lee Matthews]

Is it literally because everyone who wants a value will be at their computer for 8am (or whenever it goes live) and be first to click or is it a case of people doing this ‘walking’ I hear about?

 

[Marionnette]

Is it literally because everyone who wants a value will be at their computer for 8am (or whenever it goes live) and be first to click or is it a case of people doing this ‘walking’ I hear about?

Both. But mostly walking.

 

[Rick195275]

Is it literally because everyone who wants a value will be at their computer for 8am (or whenever it goes live) and be first to click or is it a case of people doing this ‘walking’ I hear about?

I would say it’s both. The value rooms are walked at all popular times of year and probably most of the less popular travel periods too. The times it is not walked it’s almost always gone right at 8am.

 

[Lee Matthews]

And can I clarify walking?

booking the room you want before you travel but keep changing the dates online which keeps the room type the same?

 

[Rick195275]

And can I clarify walking?

booking the room you want before you travel but keep changing the dates online which keeps the room type the same?

Yup exactly that. As long as you book at least 2 days and modify it daily nobody can block you from keeping the room. With that said you can run into issues if a room gets taken out of inventory to be serviced.

 

[Lee Matthews]

Bit of a bummer but do a lot of people do it?

 

[Ruttangel]

There are only 18 value studios.
You have to walk them at any time of year at 11 months, same goes for AKV Club level rooms but even less of them, only 5.
Remember that anyone booking a 2BR value will need a 1BR value and a Studio to be available. That’s even longer odds.

I just view these rooms as a bonus if you can get them.

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

Yup exactly that. As long as you book at least 2 days and modify it daily nobody can block you from keeping the room. With that said you can run into issues if a room gets taken out of inventory to be serviced.

Or for other reasons that are unknown. The two times last year I was blocked out and had to start over, the rooms suddenly appeared a few days later. There's a whole thread of this.

 

[drusba]

No one should purchase AKV with the plan to usually get value or club level studios. It will lead to disappointment.

Owners of a resort can start making reservations at that resort online at 8 a.m. Eastern, 11 months out from date of arrival. Almost year round the following occurs: (a) if there is actually an opening at 8 a.m. at 11 months out, the value studios (and 2BRs since all are lock-offs) are filled within less than a half second after 8 a.m., with the winners being those whose computers communicate fastest with Disney's computers at exactly at 8 a.m; (b) since members who book at 11-months out can reserve up to 7 nights when doing so, very often the value studios are not even open at all at 8 a.m.11 months out for many dates. Added to the frustration is that the mediocre DVC online reservation system too often just shuts down at 8 a.m. because of overload.

Savanna view and standard view studios at AKV are easy to get at 11-months out.

 

[Rick195275]

Or for other reasons that are unknown. The two times last year I was blocked out and had to start over, the rooms suddenly appeared a few days later. There's a whole thread of this.

Haha definitely have seen the thread but wasn’t going to bring that into it also. I don’t own akl so haven’t personally experienced it but I think it’s safe to say OP that value studios are extremely difficult to book and shouldn’t be your primary goal.

Bit of a bummer but do a lot of people do it?

It seems to be a pretty common practice based on the boards here. But I also think people here are the dedicated ones.... I mean we are here in a Disney forum right? I typically travel at less popular times and experience little trouble getting bay lake standard views. But when I tried to plan a December trip a couple years ago it was near impossible due to walking.

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

Haha definitely have seen the thread but wasn’t going to bring that into it also. I don’t own akl so haven’t personally experienced it but I think it’s safe to say OP that value studios are extremely difficult to book and shouldn’t be your primary goal.


It seems to be a pretty common practice based on the boards here. But I also think people here are the dedicated ones.... I mean we are here in a Disney forum right? I typically travel at less popular times and experience little trouble getting bay lake standard views. But when I tried to plan a December trip a couple years ago it was near impossible due to walking.

I did because I do think people who are thinking of buying solely to book AKV value should be aware of all the difficulties.

 

[JETSDAD]

The thing to remember about walkers is that they also had to actually get the room locked in at some point. Rooms are available to try to get into most days so it just comes down to the lucky few who get through first. There's just a lot of people in a very large resort competing for very few rooms.

 

[Drew729]

Hi there! DVC newbie here thinking of buying. What are the odds of my getting the value studios at AKV 11 months out if I buy at AKV? I’m trying to decide whether to purchase a small 50 pt contract there but that would be the room type I would interested in to maximize my points. I’ve heard I would have to have a quick finger at 8am to get a room. Is that correct?

I think the odds are slim if aiming for specific dates, from my experience the value studios are walked pretty much year round. However if people are walking to get to a certain date that means a couple nights get dropped and you may be able to pick up a few nights at a time if you can be flexible.

Sometimes you get lucky, I just was on this AM to modify a reservation (not a value studio) and 10 nights popped up in a value studio on 2/19-2/28. I promptly booked that and at some point will drop some nights depending on flights, school/work schedules which will open up that room.

 

[igrsod]

I agree with everything everyone is saying. Don't buy AKL with the goal of only staying at value studios. You will be disappointed and stressed. I would buy because you love the resort and if you should get a value room.... it's a points bonus.
Speaking of which.... I just booked a week long stay value studio in mid February by picking up the dropped days as people walked their reservation. I did it literally one day at a time.... felt a bit like a scavenger. There was no stress, as I wasn't committed to the actual dates and had points to split stay potentially if we couldn't complete the week at the value studio. So it can be done and it feels good when it comes together, but again I wouldn't bank on it as the reason to buy AKL.

 

[purrenh1]

I agree with everything everyone is saying. Don't buy AKL with the goal of only staying at value studios. You will be disappointed and stressed. I would buy because you love the resort and if you should get a value room.... it's a points bonus.
Speaking of which.... I just booked a week long stay value studio in mid February by picking up the dropped days as people walked their reservation. I did it literally one day at a time.... felt a bit like a scavenger. There was no stress, as I wasn't committed to the actual dates and had points to split stay potentially if we couldn't complete the week at the value studio. So it can be done and it feels good when it comes together, but again I wouldn't bank on it as the reason to buy AKL.

Did those dates you picked up get booked as separate reservations (if you did them one or 2 nights at a time)?

 

[Goldilocks07]

Is it literally because everyone who wants a value will be at their computer for 8am (or whenever it goes live) and be first to click or is it a case of people doing this ‘walking’ I hear about?

What is walking?