Availability?

[bimmertt]

As a prospective member, I have no insight into what availability looks like, but from what I’ve been reading, it sounds like it’s tough, even at the 11 month window at your home resort. I keep reading that things book up “fast.” Is fast within the day, week, or weeks the dates become available? How common is it to not find availability at the 11 month window? I’m planning on buying 200 points at VGF and I have two children, one entering grade school this year. We’ll be bound by the school calendar so we’ll most likely be traveling in fall or winter during breaks and I’m envisioning we’ll be in studios. I’d also like to stay at other resorts like Poly and AKL, but if 11 month availability is tough to come by, I’d imagine availability would be non-existent at 7 months

 

[tjkraz]

Zero availability at 11 months is a very rare phenomenon, mostly limited to periods of excessively high demand AND room types which are in very small supply. Lower cost rooms (Value rooms at animal kingdom, Standard View rooms at most resorts) will often be the first to book.

Specific to your request, you will have no problem booking VGF Resort Studios at 11 months year-round. VGF Deluxe Studios will book faster (small supply). Google if you don't know the difference between these two.

Poly will be available at 7 months at least 95% of the time. AKV Standard and Savanna views will be available at 7 months 100% of the time. (Value and Club level will rarely be available, and you have much better shot of booking Kidani village than Jambo House.)

 

[TTA Rider Matt]

For certain resorts, you need to be online at 7:59:59, ready to refresh. Boardwalk standard studios and Beach Club are among the hardest to get. Standard studios at Boardwalk can even be a challenge for owners at 11 months, which is the sole reason I bought a small contract there. Just this morning, I booked a standard view 2 bedroom at Boardwalk, and when I checked 2 minutes later, it was booked up. Poly and AKL though, you should be fine at 7 months unless you’re planning on Easter or Christmas.

 

[SleeplessInTO]

We also travel based on school calendar and availability is fine. Today is the 7 month mark for March break 2023 and there's decent availability at a number of resorts. I own VGF and lots of studios are available 7-11 months out.

There's tougher rooms and tougher times of year. You shouldn't expect to book Copper Creek at Christmastime in a studio at 7 months, but then again, some CCV owners don't even expect that at 11 months.

Poly and AKL studios should be fine at the 7 month mark most of the year, unless you're targeting club level or value rooms at AKL-J.

 

[DisneyRegulars]

I own at SSR and have been able to try all the resorts booking at the seventh month mark. I currently have reservations for Poly and Grand Floridian in my dashboard. Last year I had beach club for spring break. We’ve stayed at BWV a number of times. There is tons of 7th month mark availability in the summer months when school is out.

 

[DonMacGregor]

As has been said, it really depends on resort, room type, and calendar dates. I rented out points in May to a family, and I was able to get 2 studios at BWV (not one of my home resorts) for December 23-25 just inside the 7-month window. They are Garden View, but I still got Christmas Eve at a non home resort at 7 months. Granted, I'm not sure I'd like to be travelling on Christmas Day, but to each their own. There's zero chance I'd get those at 7 months (or even 11 months without walking) at BRV (one of my home resorts).

 

[BamaGuy44]

Going just off the 3 you mentioned, VGF studios should never be a problem at 11 months, now that they've opened up so many studios. Poly and AKL are 2 of the easiest to get at 7 months, not counting the value and club rooms at AKL.

 

[havoc315]

You'll always find some availability at 11 months, but very high demand booking categories can get filled up, especially at high demand times of year. For example, I wouldn't expect to be able to book a standard-view studio for Thanksgiving weekend at 11 months without "walking" the reservation.

And there certainly will be times of year where you will want to book right at 11 am.

If you have zero flexibility and always want to book the most-demanded-categories, that's where you could run into trouble. But for most people, booking at 11 months isn't bad.

For 7 months -- it really depends on your flexibility. If you are willing to upgrade to 1 bedrooms (which cost far more points), adjust your days a bit, do split stays, you can typically find a lot of options, flexible as to which resort..
If you're set at booking a standard studio for Thanksgiving weekend at CCV at 7 months, you can forget it.

7 months from today is mid-Spring break season. I searched for a weeklong stay in mid-March. Without getting specific, every resort had at least some availability except Beach Club. (could book 5 days but not the whole week). And many resorts were limited in terms of room type. For example, no studios at lots of the resorts. Limited available of standard view rooms, etc. If you were willing to book a preferred-view one bedroom, you could get almost any resort (except Beach Club.. and GFV ONLY has studios left at 7 months).

 

[Marionnette]

Going just off the 3 you mentioned, VGF resort studios should never be a problem at 11 months, now that they've opened up so many studios. Poly and AKL are 2 of the easiest to get at 7 months, not counting the value and club rooms at AKL.

There, I fixed it for you! I really believe that the deluxe resort studios will become a booking issue in the future.

 

[tjkraz]

There, I fixed it for you! I really believe that the deluxe resort studios will become a booking issue in the future.

Based upon numbers alone, sure the Deluxe Studios will be harder to book. I guess the question is how many people feel that’s a deal breaker. In the same way that I’d book a Preferred View if Standard isn’t available, I’d personally book a Resort Studio if Deluxe is full.

 

[RoseGold]

Fall or winter breaks are peak for DVC, so this can be tough. It matters if you're willing to pay more, for example savanna or theme park view. You can also help yourself by walking.

I think the VGF studios will help this, and availability should be possible at 7 months, but not easy.

 

[theMoreDisneytheBetter]

Just be aware that with 2 kids a studio may get old quickly, especially as they get bigger. If you ever happen to try a 1 or 2 BD it’s tough to go back.