Any handy dandy charts outlining ease/difficulty for all resorts at 7-months out?

[snoopy352]

We are looking to buy resale and a lot of our decision will be based on whether we can own at SSR and book at 7 months at more preferred resorts like BCV, BWV, VWL, or even BLT. We typically would go in June or July. Does anyone know the likelihood of having availability at those resorts at the 7-month mark for June/July?

Also, is it frowned upon to book at your home resort (say SSR) at 11 months as insurance in case we don't get the others at the 7-month mark? (We would cancel the home resort at the 7-month mark if we were to get any of the others...)

TIA!

 

[broberts]

My thoughts would be (at least on the 2nd part of your post) would be to book at your home resort at 11 months and then at the 7 month mark, try to book at your preferred or try to wait list for that resort.

 

[chalee94]

We are looking to buy resale and a lot of our decision will be based on whether we can own at SSR and book at 7 months at more preferred resorts like BCV, BWV, VWL, or even BLT. We typically would go in June or July. Does anyone know the likelihood of having availability at those resorts at the 7-month mark for June/July?

something would typically be available if you were flexible, yes.

BLT-lake view and BWV-pool/garden view would typically be available. VWL is typically available at 7 months if you are not talking about nov/dec. BCV varies.

but you do need to be online first thing in the morning when the 7 month window opens for best availability.

Also, is it frowned upon to book at your home resort (say SSR) at 11 months as insurance in case we don't get the others at the 7-month mark? (We would cancel the home resort at the 7-month mark if we were to get any of the others...)

i do it to make sure i have something at the busier periods in nov/dec.

for summer, i wouldn't bother since it slows you down in having to cancel and rebook online, and SSR will likely have availability anyway.

 

[chalee94]

also, here's david's generalized handy-dandy chart:

https://www.dvcrequest.com/how-soon-should-i-reserve.asp

 

[HookdonWDW]

You should keep in mind that busy times within DVC are not always the same as busy times for the general population. Also, when you prefer to travel will probably change over the lifetime of your DVC ownership, so these are things to keep in mind. When we traveled when we had preschoolers v. now when we have college kids has changed, and we've had changes along the way to accommodate family, sports, school, work, etc...

Good luck making a decision that works for you!

 

[jerseyduke]

The link to the "observations" is excellent.

The question is are you ok staying at SSR? If yes, then go ahead, buy there, and try and switch at the 7 month mark. (So yes, always book your home at 11 months, and cancel if you can switch successfully).

If you want to stay somewhere else, you might want to consider buying where you want to stay. Boardwalk is an affordable option, but does expire in 2042, 15 years earlier that SSR.

I am a big fan of the "Buy where you would not mind staying".

 

[a742246]

The only things I am going to add if you are new to buying a DVC timeshare.

- understand use year.
- understand expiration dates of all the resorts.
- understand the point charts.

 

[snoopy352]

thanks for all the responses. i do feel like i have a handle on most of this (points, use year, etc.). but i still am looking for info regarding booking at 7 months for the specific time and resorts i mentioned. we know we will be going in june/july for the next 10 years so i am not going to worry about beyond then.

to be more explicit, do you think getting a studio at BWV or BCV or even BLT or VWL would be easy, moderately easy, or very difficult at the 7-month mark for a june or july 10-night stay?

thanks again!

 

[snoopy352]

The link to the "observations" is excellent.

The question is are you ok staying at SSR? If yes, then go ahead, buy there, and try and switch at the 7 month mark. (So yes, always book your home at 11 months, and cancel if you can switch successfully).

If you want to stay somewhere else, you might want to consider buying where you want to stay. Boardwalk is an affordable option, but does expire in 2042, 15 years earlier that SSR.

I am a big fan of the "Buy where you would not mind staying".

Great advice - it does lead me to another question. On the surface it looks like a 2057 exp is better than a 2042. But we are 50 and have an 8-year-old. I just wonder if saddling her with annual dues is the way to go. I guess she could always sell it, but is there even any argument that a 2042 is BETTER than a 2057?

 

[chalee94]

Great advice - it does lead me to another question. On the surface it looks like a 2057 exp is better than a 2042. But we are 50 and have an 8-year-old. I just wonder if saddling her with annual dues is the way to go. I guess she could always sell it, but is there even any argument that a 2042 is BETTER than a 2057?

i have another timeshare that does not have an end date. i like that OKW has an end date of 2042.

but in general, at 2043, SSR will most likely have value and OKW-2042 will be $0. at this point, selling SSR is easy. i wouldn't be that worried about saddling a child with DVC since it has historically been an asset. (which does not mean that it is impossible for disney to mess it up - there is some risk there.)

to be more explicit, do you think getting a studio at BWV or BCV or even BLT or VWL would be easy, moderately easy, or very difficult at the 7-month mark for a june or july 10-night stay?

at this point, if you are flexible as to the specific summer week and are online at 8am when the window opens, i think BLT-lake view, VWL, or BWV-pool/garden view should be at least moderately easy to get. (if you are close, don't be afraid to ride the waitlist.)

the thing is that DVC is always changing. new members may be more picky than old members about buying at BWV or BCV or BLT to stay at their home resort - so if a significant percentage of a resorts' owners start booking at 10-11 months out, then what is true last year may not be true going forward.

in 2008-2009, a bad economy meant a lot of layoffs and uncertainty - getting something at 7 months out in DVC was easier since a lot of DVC owners banked their pts and didn't travel. then that cycle ended and a lot of owners were using those banked pts and making booking more difficult.

right now, your plan should work but i agree with jerseyduke - don't buy SSR if you absolutely don't want to stay there. buy where you don't mind staying.

 

[disneynutz]

We are looking to buy resale and a lot of our decision will be based on whether we can own at SSR and book at 7 months at more preferred resorts like BCV, BWV, VWL, or even BLT. We typically would go in June or July. Does anyone know the likelihood of having availability at those resorts at the 7-month mark for June/July?

Also, is it frowned upon to book at your home resort (say SSR) at 11 months as insurance in case we don't get the others at the 7-month mark? (We would cancel the home resort at the 7-month mark if we were to get any of the others...)

TIA!

If booking at 7 months was a sure thing, people would only buy the least expensive resorts. The 11 month home resort priority is in place for a reason.

If everyone knew the future booking patterns, they would be buying lotto tickets, not hanging out here. Disney has in the past and will continue in the future to do things to increase attendance, push people to buy direct, and make home resort ownership more of a necessity.

Bill

 

[wdrl]

to be more explicit, do you think getting a studio at BWV or BCV or even BLT or VWL would be easy, moderately easy, or very difficult at the 7-month mark for a june or july 10-night stay?

thanks again!

There is no simple answer to your question. BWV and BLT each have multiple view categories and the supply and demand for studios in each category varies. The Standard View category at each resort requires fewer points than the other categories, so studios in that category tend to be booked much earlier than studios in other categories. BWV's Boardwalk View category and BLT's Theme Park View category are also very popular because of the attractiveness of their views, so they also get booked fairly quickly. BWV's Pool/Garden category and BLT's Lake View tend to remain available the longest partly because they account for the largest single category at each resort.

Length of stay also comes into play when looking at availability. Its far easier to find one or two nights still available when the 7-month window opens than it is to find 10 consecutive nights. This is one reason why people end up booking split stays; they might be able to get 5 nights in a BWV Pool/Garden studio and 5 nights in a BLT Lake View studio, but they can't get 10 consecutive nights in just one or the other. Would you be happy to change resorts once or twice during a 10-night stay? Or would you prefer staying in one villa the entire length of your stay?

As disneynutz posted, there is a reason why people buy points at specific resorts. If you really want to stay at a specific resort, it pays to have the Home Resort advantage at that resort. And, who knows what the booking patterns will be in the future? Disney's Polynesian Villas & Bungalows will open in a few months and it will have an effect on both supply and demand. Members who own at and normally book BWV or BLT might try using their points at PVB, thereby freeing up accommodations at their home resorts. Or, new members who bought at PVB might being trying to get into BWV or BLT at 7 months, increasing the demand for the limited number of studios at the older resorts.

The best you can count on is to book SSR at 11 months and then hope something else is available at the 7-month window. If another resort is open at 7 months, then consider yourself fortunate. If not, then at least you will have SSR to fall back on.

 

[dsnydaddy]

One thing that I would like to add from my observations. While you might be able to book at a resort other than your home resort, you will find that you'll probably also be paying top of the market for your freedom. When I first started looking into DVC, I would figure that buying X points in SSR will get me X number of days at BLT or Aulani, etc. However, what I was looking at were the point costs for a standard room not a room with a view. I have been told that in many of the resorts the standard views or value rooms book up long before the 7 month mark leaving me looking at much more expensive rooms for the same week. It brought forth a realization for me of the statement, "buy where you want to stay." Can I get a BLT room with SSR points? Probably. But I'll not pay the lowest point totals, more likely, I'll be paying for the lake view room. Consider that when figuring out how many points to buy.

 

[LSchrow]

One thing that I would like to add from my observations. While you might be able to book at a resort other than your home resort, you will find that you'll probably also be paying top of the market for your freedom. When I first started looking into DVC, I would figure that buying X points in SSR will get me X number of days at BLT or Aulani, etc. However, what I was looking at were the point costs for a standard room not a room with a view. I have been told that in many of the resorts the standard views or value rooms book up long before the 7 month mark leaving me looking at much more expensive rooms for the same week. It brought forth a realization for me of the statement, "buy where you want to stay." Can I get a BLT room with SSR points? Probably. But I'll not pay the lowest point totals, more likely, I'll be paying for the lake view room. Consider that when figuring out how many points to buy.

good point, that's often overlooked

 

[crisi]

The other thing that's happening is that David is putting differentiation in the rental market. Last year I could rent either SSR or BWV through David for $11 - he'd rent them back to me for $14 (which is what I did to get home resort advantage at HHI). Now I'd get $13 for my BWV points, but only $11 for SSR points. That makes it more attractive for me to rent out my BWV points. If that delta grows (and its supply and demand in the rental market that will change that) it may change booking dynamics at seven months even further.

If you'd be happy at SSR and if switching at seven months to any of those other resorts will delight you, this plan will work (i.e. we'd like to try BWV, BCV or VWL, but if we end up at SSR, we are at Disney). If you are going to go into each year with a definitely plan to switch to one of those resorts, and be disappointed if you end up anywhere else, this plan will end up disappointing you. (i.e. we've promised BCV and SAB to the kids THIS year and there is no availability at seven months - the kids are heartbroken, what do we do).

 

[newfangled]

Great advice - it does lead me to another question. On the surface it looks like a 2057 exp is better than a 2042. But we are 50 and have an 8-year-old. I just wonder if saddling her with annual dues is the way to go. I guess she could always sell it, but is there even any argument that a 2042 is BETTER than a 2057?

I can't imagine any argument that 2042 is better if you only consider expiration. But there are many cases where 2042 vs 2057 becomes a "non-factor" (at least it did for us). Here were a few key factors for me (your mileage my vary).

Factor 1: Stay where you like philosophy. Wilderness Lodge is our favorite resort, and it happens to expire in 2042. I want to avoid being told I "can't" stay there when I want to. I also like Beach Club so that was a consideration (also a 2042 resort). I also like the Grand Floridian (certainly newer, but the price was so much higher...and not my favorite).

Factor 2: We love our children, but gifting them a timeshare isn't on our radar (happy to share the fun while we have it - if they inherit some years then great)

Factor 3: We are a bit older. I am 43 and hubby is 57, so the last 20 years on the contract just won't be prime years for us....after 28 years of DVC, we'll find something different to do. I'm not sure I would feel any different if I were 30.

Factor 4: We aren't looking at this purchase as an investment. We plan to use our time until 2042 and call it a great time. If for some unforeseen reason we need to sell in 10 years it will still have some value. If our kids inherit it in 20 years I'm sure they could still either sell (maybe cheap but who cares), rent points to cover maintenance, or enjoy some DVC time.

If we were a very young couple, and liked a newer resort then the longer years would tug harder on my heart.

 

[mathgeek]

I am a big fan of the "Buy where you would not mind staying".

I bought at SSR for this exact reason. I'll stay there, but if someplace else is available then I often switch at 7 months.

I just booked my trip for August using SSR points and had a choice of BCV, BWV pool/garden view or BLT lake view. I haven't had much difficulty getting in at those resorts for my summer trips booking at 7 months. I think I waitlisted twice, once for BCV and once for one night BLT standard view (the other 4 nights were available) and both waitlists came through.

HTH!

 

[chainkid]

You should also take into account that your travel dates now may not be what you want in the future. I used to have to go during school vacations and during the hot summer months so finding availability at the 11 month window was fairly easy and changing to something else at 7 months was doable. Now fast forward a few years and I no longer ever go during the summer months. I love first two weeks of Dec, or Oct Columbus day weekend. I also like boardwalk view or for a splurge the grand villas. Even being an owner at BWV it is becoming much more difficult to expect to get what I want.

Each year it is harder and harder and more stressful as I am not happy using points for my second choice whether it be a resort or a room type. So if you go in happy to just get any room at any resort when you call then cheaper is better but if you think that to save money and then are disappointed at your lack of options later than its not always the wisest choice. DVC is mushrooming and WDW is adding more and more events year round that bring in more people during times of the year that were slow. Now the slow times are not as slow. What you pay today will seem like chump change is a few years, I know as I paid more for a small add on at BWV this year thru resale than I paid to buy in from Disney in 1999. Best money I ever spent though.

 

[disneynutz]

You should also take into account that your travel dates now may not be what you want in the future. I used to have to go during school vacations and during the hot summer months so finding availability at the 11 month window was fairly easy and changing to something else at 7 months was doable. Now fast forward a few years and I no longer ever go during the summer months. I love first two weeks of Dec, or Oct Columbus day weekend. I also like boardwalk view or for a splurge the grand villas. Even being an owner at BWV it is becoming much more difficult to expect to get what I want.

Each year it is harder and harder and more stressful as I am not happy using points for my second choice whether it be a resort or a room type. So if you go in happy to just get any room at any resort when you call then cheaper is better but if you think that to save money and then are disappointed at your lack of options later than its not always the wisest choice. DVC is mushrooming and WDW is adding more and more events year round that bring in more people during times of the year that were slow. Now the slow times are not as slow. What you pay today will seem like chump change is a few years, I know as I paid more for a small add on at BWV this year thru resale than I paid to buy in from Disney in 1999. Best money I ever spent though.

Great post, this is exactly what is happening at the popular travel times and those times are expanding due to Disney's effort to increase year round attendance.

This morning at 11 months, the first race for a studio standard at BLT, the website errored out and when I re-entered my reservation, the first day was booked. Same thing happened yesterday.

Bill

 

[drusba]

Snoopy352, see my post #3 in the following thread:http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=51506136#post51506136