Are OKW Grand Villa's available at 7 month window?

[thegortons]

I am needing to make some reservations at the Old Key West for Thanksgiving week to celebrate our 20-year anniversary. How likely is it that a 3-bedroom Grand Villa will be available when the 7-month window begins? Any strategies for getting the reservations I want before the 7-month window?

Thanks!

 

[RobDoc]

Thahnksgiving week is a popular time at the DVC resorts, so there is likely to be limited availability at 7 months. The waitlist does work, so you may find something if you're willing to wait.

To better improve your opportunity to secure a GV, you might want to rent from or trade with an OKW owner to take advantage of what's left of the 11 month priority. At this time, Thanksgiving week has already been available to OKW owners for about 10 weeks so you may want to see if MS can give you an idea of availability at this time.

Good luck!

 

[robinb]

You might want to make a back-up type of reservation of a 2 BR and a Studio if you can't book the GV.

 

[PamOKW]

Thanksgiving is a very popular time for DVC'ers to book a GV -- some do it every year.

The general question about availability -- I was pleasantly surprised to book a GV for March in January.

 

[tedhowe]

I'll agree with what PamOKW just said, both about Thanksgiving and about general availability.

First, Thanksgiving is probably going to be very tough. I would definitely go with 2BR and studio (or 1BR) and then wait list for the Grand Villa it I was trying to get a Thanksgiving reservation at 7 months.

As to general availability, I have to say that I had a pleasant surprise today.

We have a trip planned for the 2nd week in April and decided that we wanted to have some more room than the 2BR would give us. I called MS today at about 5 and found a GV was available - this less than 70 days out from our arrival date. I hopped right on the reservation and am now looking forward even more to our first trip in over 2 years!!

 

[mgrebenc]

We are OKW owners who tried to book a GV for this week at the 11 month window and couldn't get one. We ended up with a 2BR and studio and are on the waitlist. You can try but don't get your hopes up.

Mary

 

[robinb]

Bummer Mary .

I am currently booking a GV for the 1st week of January. Three days down, four to go . The key to getting the perfect reservation at a busy time like December is (1) to call at exactly 9:00 AM (ET) when Member Services opens and (2) to call day-by-day. Don't wait until the your end date to make your reservation since we day-by-dayer's will have already scooped up the unit.

I have 2 words of encouragement for you.

First of all, I was on the waitlist for a Boardwalk View Studio for NYE 2004/2005. I spaced out the date I needed to call and made my first call to MS 4 days late . There was no availability for the start of my trip, so I booked a regular preferred view studio for those dates and then called day-by-day for the Boardwalk View for the rest of the time. I put my self on the waitlist day-by-day (I would accept any day I needed, not just all the days that I needed) and I popped off the waitlist a couple days at a time and had my Boardwalk View studio by the end of February.

Of course, if you use the day-by-day waitlist, you run the risk of having a hole in your reservation that will never be filled. Since OKW fills up last (so far) I wouldn't worry too much about that. 2BR and Studios will be around for a long time and if you get nervous you can always call MS every couple of weeks and ask about availability. They will tell you when pickings are getting slim and switch back to a 2BR/S configuration. It does take a bit of effort on your part to keep up with your reservation, though.

Secondly, if you end up with a 2BR and a Studio it's not the end of the world. Just give your Studio guests non-charging room keys to the 2BR so they can hang out in the living area, cook in the kitchen and use the washer and dryer.

Good luck!

 

[dianeschlicht]

Secondly, if you end up with a 2BR and a Studio it's not the end of the world. Just give your Studio guests non-charging room keys to the 2BR so they can hang out in the living area, cook in the kitchen and use the washer and dryer.

I wonder how that will work with the new room key policy? They now require all guests to hve individual room keys with their names on them.