Availability when booking at 7 months?

[emilymad]

We are trying to decide between buying at SSR or BWV. We love the BWV but SSR is better on price. We never plan vacations very far in advance so I doubt we will be booking at 11 months. How hard is it to book at any of the resorts at 7 months? We don't travel over the holidays or high peak times. I would just hate to spend more for BWV if we will be ending up at SSR most of the time. Thanks!

 

[ChiSoxKeith]

Depends on the resort, what accomodation you are looking for, and if you're flexible with your travel dates - or which resort you want to stay at.

We tried to book a studio for 11/30/10 through 12/6/10 at the 6 month mark and finding someplace to stay anywhere was extremely difficult and we finally found one at AKV. But we booked two stays at VGC at the 7 month mark in a studio and it wasn't a problem at all.

We'll be booking a couple of nights at AKV at the 7 month window in a couple of weeks (for a friend's wedding) so I'm hoping everything works out ok.

What you have to ask yourself is.........if you buy SSR because of price......would you be happy if you couldn't switch over to BWV (or BLT, or AKV, or WL) because of no availability?

 

[jesschris]

Usually at the 7 months I have been able to book something. You just need to be flexible.

 

[emilymad]

We can be fairly flexable with dates and we would mostly just be looking for a studio and not a grand villa or anything.

Are you guaranteed to be able to book at your home resort or is subject to availability?

 

[cseca]

...
Are you guaranteed to be able to book at your home resort or is subject to availability?

Based on availability.

And remember that your contract only guarantees you a booking at your home resort based on availability.
What I'm trying to say is tomorrow they CAN say that you are only allowed to book at your home resort only.
If you're ok with SSR for the rest of your contract then you're good to go. But if the thought of staying at SSR for the next so many years do not appeal to you, you might have to reconsider.
But if you're not an early planner, SSR might just be a better option for you anyways.

 

[LSchrow]

DVC busy times are not neccessarily WDW busy times

are you good with any view (specifically pool/garden) at the BWV? there are a few times during the year that it will be next to impossible to get BW or standard view without booking before 7 months.
actually, we had booked about 10 months prior on our last oct BWV vaca, and still had to waitlist for a BW view - we had a p/g view, and the BW view never came through.
the F&WF and holidays are very popular at the EPCOT resorts. fyi, we own at BWV, BCV, and SSR.....we use every one of our BWV points (BW view is addictive), and try for extra BWV days at 7 months, or rent out the other resort points (btw, we love SSR, but are not fans of the BCV).

 

[Deb & Bill]

Tell us when you would probably go and we can tell you if that is a busy time for DVC.

Studios are usually the first to go, with two bedrooms next.

 

[The 6 J's]

DVC busy times are not neccessarily WDW busy times

Interesting - I guess I just assumed that the lower point value time periods are structured to try to entice people to go during slow times for the parks.

How would you categorize the three week stretch after Thanksgiving to mid-December? It's a low point value time period but is it crowded in the parks and does that tend to be a tough time to get a 2BR or GV at the 7 mo mark?

 

[crisi]

Interesting - I guess I just assumed that the lower point value time periods are structured to try to entice people to go during slow times for the parks.

How would you categorize the three week stretch after Thanksgiving to mid-December? It's a low point value time period but is it crowded in the parks and does that tend to be a tough time to get a 2BR or GV at the 7 mo mark?

Almost impossible for that Grand Villa. You've picked the DVC high season. A 2 bedroom - you'll be able to get something somewhere at seven months - but don't count on it being BWV or BCV.

You got why its low points - the deal is - its working for DVC.

 

[The 6 J's]

Almost impossible for that Grand Villa. You've picked the DVC high season. A 2 bedroom - you'll be able to get something somewhere at seven months - but don't count on it being BWV or BCV.

You got why its low points - the deal is - its working for DVC.

Where we stay is much less important to me than the park crowd levels because we have found it is a lot like Vegas - hardly any time in the rooms other than sleeping - so I'll be more than happy with accommodations at our home resort.

But what about the crowd levels during that time in the parks? Is it significantly less than what it is for the actual holidays or is crazy for that whole stretch of time?

 

[emilymad]

Thanks for all the information! I am trying to learn as much as I can to make an informed decision.

Our recent Disney trips have been all over the place but I think our usual times will be in early February, early March, early May, or September/October.

We love the BW. We have stayed on the Inn side in both standard and BW view rooms. We can go either way on view. We don't spend lots of time on our balcony.

On the other side we seem to always be at Downtown Disney so SSR location wise has a lot of appeal.

Lots to decide! At least I think we have it down to two resorts

 

[DisDad07]

Sept and Oct are hard to get into BWV because of the food and wine festival. it's a short walk to Epcot so people like to stay there and BCV.But if you like Downtown Disney , SSR is the place to be.

 

[bobbiwoz]

At 7 months for the last weekend in October, 3 nights, I thought getting a 2 bedroom at VWL would be a shoe in, but it wasn't available. Believe it or not, a pool/perferred view at BWV was available. We opted for a dedicated 2 bedroom at SSR for the 2 queen beds in the second bedroom, and the fact that the DGC intend to go Trick or Treating in DTD, so it's an easy boat ride away.

 

[CarolMN]

We are trying to decide between buying at SSR or BWV. We love the BWV but SSR is better on price. We never plan vacations very far in advance so I doubt we will be booking at 11 months. How hard is it to book at any of the resorts at 7 months? We don't travel over the holidays or high peak times. I would just hate to spend more for BWV if we will be ending up at SSR most of the time. Thanks!

If you can't or won't book more than 7 months in advance, your home resort doesn't matter. Buy the least expensive.

Don't buy BWV unless you can and will book 10-11 months in advance. No reason to pay the higher annual dues or accept the shorter contract expiration if you won't be taking advantage of the home resort booking period. Getting the home resort advantage is the only reason to buy the BWV over SSR.

 

[Deb & Bill]

If you can't or won't book more than 7 months in advance, your home resort doesn't matter. Buy the least expensive.

Don't buy BWV unless you can and will book 10-11 months in advance. No reason to pay the higher annual dues or accept the shorter contract expiration if you won't be taking advantage of the home resort booking period. Getting the home resort advantage is the only reason to buy the BWV over SSR.

But if you ever want to get a GV at BWV, you'll need to buy at BWV.

Where we stay is much less important to me than the park crowd levels because we have found it is a lot like Vegas - hardly any time in the rooms other than sleeping - so I'll be more than happy with accommodations at our home resort.

I bet as you stay at DVC resorts more, your attitude will change. There's really no point in buying DVC for the better accomodations if a value resort will do. Most DVC members really enjoy just being in the villas and enjoying the resort.

 

[CarolMN]

But if you ever want to get a GV at BWV, you'll need to buy at BWV. .........

True, but if you don't reserve the Grand Villa during the home resort booking period, you are very unlikely to get one.

As you probably know, there are only 7 GVs at the BWV and they are quite popular.

 

[Deb & Bill]

True, but if you don't reserve the Grand Villa during the home resort booking period, you are very unlikely to get one.

As you probably know, there are only 7 GVs at the BWV and they are quite popular.

Most assuredly.

 

[crisi]

I bet as you stay at DVC resorts more, your attitude will change. There's really no point in buying DVC for the better accomodations if a value resort will do. Most DVC members really enjoy just being in the villas and enjoying the resort.

Agree, if you don't care about your room, you aren't a good DVC candidate unless you just like throwing money around. Value rooms, Ft. Wilderness Cabins, and offsite are all WAY better deals than DVC.

(And if you care too much about your room, you also aren't a good DVC candidate - as, in the end, its a timeshare room with timeshare upkeep and timeshare service).