Availability

[tom1944]

Any opinions or experience on which resort would be easier to book at 11 months either the last half of January or the last half of August?

2 bedroom standard view AKV-Jambo
or
1 bedroom standard view BLT

 

[Stargazer65]

At 11 months? Both should be easy at 11.
Do you mean 7?

 

[Sandisw]

Won’t have any problem at 11 months.

 

[tom1944]

At 11 months? Both should be easy at 11.
Do you mean 7?

No 11

I am considering buying a contract at either and if one was more difficult to get the standard room at 11 month I would buy the other.

I feel I can get in either location at 7 months but in higher point rooms so getting the standard room is an important factor in which location to buy.

 

[Stargazer65]

I feel I can get in either location at 7 months but in higher point rooms

I own at BLT. Standard rooms are hard to get at BLT at 7 months. There aren't many. Us owners snag them early.

You are right that you can get in the higher point rooms easy. Most rooms are Lake View at BLT.

 

[drusba]

No 11

I am considering buying a contract at either and if one was more difficult to get the standard room at 11 month I would buy the other.

I feel I can get in either location at 7 months but in higher point rooms so getting the standard room is an important factor in which location to buy.

At BLT, rooms that often disappear right at 8 a.m. eastern at 11-months out are the standard studios and 2BRs (including dedicated 2BRs), but standard 1BRs are usually open for the times you mention. Note, however that the standard 1BRs can have an 11-month issue some times of the year such as first two weeks of December, time around NYE, and Thanksgiving week. At AKV, the rooms that disappear right at 11-months out year round are the value and club level studios and 2BRs, and a number of times of year the 1BRs in those booking categories, but standard view and savanna view rooms have never had an 11-month issue, except for one time, Sep 29 through Oct 1, 2021, when just about everything at DVC had an 11-month issue -- Oct 1, 2021 was start of the 50th year anniversary celebration at WDW. If you are new to DVC, be aware, when searching for likely purchases, that DVC has generally had in the past two distinct demand seasons at WDW: (a) the high to extremely high demand season that runs from late Sep to marathon weekend in Jan when getting rooms at 7-months out can be difficult, particularly for any near park resorts; and (b) the rest of the year which is generally more moderate (the highest demand time between mid-Jan and mid-Sep is the Thurs to Sunday of the Princess half-marathon weekend in late Feb).

 

[tom1944]

At BLT, rooms that often disappear right at 8 a.m. eastern at 11-months out are the standard studios and 2BRs (including dedicated 2BRs), but standard 1BRs have always been open for the times you mention. Note, however that the standard 1BRs can have an 11-month issue some times of the year such as fist two weeks of December, time around NYE, and Thanksgiving week. At AKV, the rooms that disappear right at 11-months out year round are the value and club level studios and 2BRs, and a number of times of year the 1BRs in those booking categories, but standard view and savanna view rooms have never had an 11-month issue, except for one time, Sep 29 through Oct 1, 2021, when just about everything at DVC had an 11-month issue -- Oct 1, 2021 was start of the 50th year anniversary celebration at WDW. If you are new to DVC, be aware, when searching for likely purchases, that DVC has generally had two distinct demand seasons at WDW: (a) the high to extremely high demand season that runs from late Sep to marathon weekend in Jan when getting rooms at 7-months out can be difficult, particularly for any near park resorts; and (b) the rest of the year which is generally more moderate (the highest demand time between mid-Jan and mid-Sep is the Thurs to Sunday of the Princess half-marathon weekend in late Feb).

Thank you

Our plan is (subject to change) is a week at BLT in a 1 bedroom every other year. Alternate years would be 8 days with a split stay at AKV in either a 1 bedroom at Kidani or a 2 bedroom at Jambo. Kidani would sometimes be a Savanna View and sometimes a standard view. We would try to get standard view at Jambo. The second 4 days of this stay would be based on availability at BRV/CCV or BCV/BWV. We would be open to SSR or OKW if necessary.

In light of the are you overthinking it thread I am trying to do the calculation in which ownership gives us more value to own. I am still leaning towards BLT if I can get a price I like.

I was considering BWV, but I am concerned that even with the 11-month advantage the 2-bedroom standard room might be difficult to get.

I want to keep this cost down because ultimately, we will look to add restricted direct points at one of the new resorts they are building or have built.

Looking for enough points for 2 trips (January/August) or an extended trip in January

 

[drusba]

^I own at AKV and BWV and BLT is a resort I actually stay at quite a bit at 7-months out. You are right to doubt getting BWV -- besides that it has only 19 years left, standard view studios and 2BRs fill almost instantly at 8 a.m. at 11 months out year round, and 1BRs also often fill at 11-months out. Moreover, boardwalk view has the same 11-month issue for studios and 2BRs during the high demand late Sep to marathon weekend in Jan. A good fact about BLT is that lake view rooms are generally always open at 11-months out, and many times at 7-months out during that mid-Jan to mid-Sep season.

As to AKV Jambo, an additional fact to be aware of is that more than 50% of the standard view rooms at Jambo have a savanna view. You cannot ask for a savanna view room when booking standard, but you can make a location request through MS (not guaranteed) for your room, and an ideal request to make is for a room on the Kudo Trail side of the building (the left side of the the u-shaped Jambo building) because all standards on that side of the building have Sunset Savanna view. Kidani also has some standard view rooms that have a direct Pembe savanna view, and the request to make there is for a room near the Pumbaa elevator (be aware, however, that getting that request puts you a very far walk to the lobby and bus station (those rooms are toward the end of the north wing and the Kidani building is about 2/3 of a mile long). Also, be aware that I originally bought AKV to stay at Jambo every time, but now almost exclusively stay at Kidani because its 1BRs and 2BRs are better rooms -- more closet space, better master bathrooms, extra bathroom, and the rooms are signicantly larger than those at Jambo (studios are about the same size).

 

[tom1944]

^I own at AKV and BWV and BLT is a resort I actually stay at quite a bit at 7-months out. You are right to doubt getting BWV -- besides that it has only 19 years left, standard view studios and 2BRs fill almost instantly at 8 a.m. at 11 months out year round, and 1BRs also often fill at 11-months out. Moreover, boardwalk view has the same 11-month issue for studios and 2BRs during the high demand late Sep to marathon weekend in Jan. A good fact about BLT is that lake view rooms are generally always open at 11-months out, and many times at 7-months out during that mid-Jan to mid-Sep season.

As to AKV Jambo, an additional fact to be aware of is that more than 50% of the standard view rooms at Jambo have a savanna view. You cannot ask for a savanna view room when booking standard, but you can make a location request through MS (not guaranteed) for your room, and an ideal request to make is for a room on the Kudo Trail side of the building (the left side of the the u-shaped Jambo building) because all standards on that side of the building have Sunset Savanna view. Kidani also has some standard view rooms that have a direct Pembe savanna view, and the request to make there is for a room near the Pumbaa elevator (be aware , however, that getting that request puts you a very far walk to the lobby and bus station (those rooms are toward the end of the north wing and the Kidani building is about 2/3 of a mile long). Also, be aware that I originally bought AKV to stay at Jambo every time, but now almost exclusively stay at Kidani because its 1BRs and 2BRs are better rooms -- more closet space, better master bathrooms, and the rooms are signicantly larger than those at Jambo (studios are about the same size).

Thank you this is very helpful.

We favor Kidani but believe occasionally we would like to be in Jambo because of access to the lobby and everything included with that.

Same at BRV and CCV.

 

[Epcot Forever Forever]

In light of the are you overthinking it thread I am trying to do the calculation in which ownership gives us more value to own

I guess that really depends on how you value, um, value. If you’re going off of savings vs Disney list price it’s clearly BLT Standard. But I don’t think about value that way because I need to save way more to make the Monorail resorts “worth it” to me personally than I do say AKV or one of the WL DVCs. Because I don’t value proximity to MK anywhere near as much as the average Disney guest.

So for me BLT is actually kind of a poor value, as I don’t really care about the thing that drives its price up. AKV for my family is the better value with its animals and lower overall point chart.

So how do you value value?

 

[HIRyeDVC]

Another thing to consider is the annual dues. BLT might cost a little more upfront but will be cheaper in the long run

 

[RoseGold]

1BR BLT standard is often walked. It has an extra bathroom and is excellent point value, and there aren't a ton of them. You could get lucky, but that's a difficult room to book, maybe the most difficult 1BR in the system. (My other one would be BW view.) BLT Lake view should be no problem.

 

[tom1944]

Here is the data for my calculation using the data from August which is higher point totals than January.

1 bedroom BLT standard is 233 points.
1 bedroom BLT LV is 268 points.

Standard saves 35 points.

2 bedroom AKV standard is 255 points.
2 bedroom AKV SV is 319 points.

Standard saves 64 points.
But I am only using 4 days not 7.

If I got extremely lucky and every so often got a value room, it goes down to 213 points for a week.

If I get the 1 bedroom at Kidani standard that is 195 points where the SV room is 242 points.

It also appears that AKV has a larger selection of resale contracts with between 100 and 150 points. My expectation is I would have to buy a BLT contract with 150 points where I might be able to purchase an AKV 125-point contract.

25 less points offset the dues somewhat while still allowing me to book the resorts on the rotation I would like.

I am lucky I like this overthinking craziness.

 

[tom1944]

1BR BLT standard is often walked. It has an extra bathroom and is excellent point value, and there aren't a ton of them. You could get lucky, but that's a difficult room to book, maybe the most difficult 1BR in the system. (My other one would be BW view.) BLT Lake view should be no problem.

This is exactly the information I am looking for.

 

[RoseGold]

In your shoes, I'd buy BLT. It is much harder to get AKL (except club and value). I think BLT points are better value, and will hold value better. If you want any shot at standard BLT, you have to have BLT points.

In my shoes, I'd buy AKL because I don't like BLT and would book the Jambo 1BR club, which isn't impossible and sometimes lasts until 8 or 9 months.

 

[tom1944]

I am leaning BLT but feel I have 2 valid options that would both work.

When I go back to the resale market, I will likely bid on both at prices I like.