Booking 11 months out 8:00 EST

[Suzabella]

I'm watching and learning. I've got a few weeks yet before I need to start trying to book for next Sept. Our dates are flexible but the number of points we have isn't. I'm trying for BWV in a 1 bedroom so I think the odds are in my favor but this is the first time we've booked a stay there as owners so biting my fingernails a bit. Ideally, we'd like to go toward the end of the month but I'm going to start trying earlier - a bird in the hand and all that. It doesn't hurt to practice.

Exactly why we're thinking September. And the points are less per night for that month. Then I wouldn't have to borrow.

Fingers crossed that you get your room, igrsod!!

 

[igrsod]

I'm watching and learning. I've got a few weeks yet before I need to start trying to book for next Sept. Our dates are flexible but the number of points we have isn't. I'm trying for BWV in a 1 bedroom so I think the odds are in my favor but this is the first time we've booked a stay there as owners so biting my fingernails a bit. Ideally, we'd like to go toward the end of the month but I'm going to start trying earlier - a bird in the hand and all that. It doesn't hurt to practice.

Exactly why we're thinking September. And the points are less per night for that month. Then I wouldn't have to borrow.

Fingers crossed that you get your room, igrsod!!

You know what they say... Practice makes perfect. I bet you will get your room no problem. I'm pretty confident in my approach. So far it's been successful. Now I just want to figure out how to be a front of the line walker, as that would mean I don't have to be on here every morning walking, hoping for someone to drop a day.
AND congratulations on being new owners. That's so exciting. We don't regret buying into DVC one bit. I suppose only one regret, we wish we did it earlier... all those dollars spent on cash reservations before could have been saved.

 

[Suzabella]

You know what they say... Practice makes perfect. I bet you will get your room no problem. I'm pretty confident in my approach. So far it's been successful. Now I just want to figure out how to be a front of the line walker, as that would mean I don't have to be on here every morning walking, hoping for someone to drop a day.
AND congratulations on being new owners. That's so exciting. We don't regret buying into DVC one bit. I suppose only one regret, we wish we did it earlier... all those dollars spent on cash reservations before could have been saved.

I am too, sorta. We decided the odds were better with a 1 bedroom so downsized our plans from a 2 bedroom. I'm just prepared to have to be strategic since the points are so low and it's F&W.

Thanks! We've owned DVC since 2006. Started with HHI points then added BRV a few years ago. Since we always seem to find our way to BWV, we decided to add a small contract there and start doing split stays. This will be the first trip using that plan. Kinda excited!!

 

[RoseGold]

Maybe the availability before 8AM isn't accurate? Or does it sometimes show sold out before 8AM?

 

[igrsod]

Maybe the availability before 8AM isn't accurate? Or does it sometimes show sold out before 8AM?

It sometimes shows no availability before 8am. I think my timing is just off. There are so few rooms, so it's possible that there is only 1 room available at 8am, and I'm not the quickest one to book.

 

[igrsod]

Want to know something really weird??? So I checked again, as I'm still two days behind my walking to see if the next day popped up as available, and low and behold, today's date was available. I quickly clicked and moved the reservation a whole week forward. I was shocked and was prepared for something to be a glitch and it not work out. BUT, it did work. I am now a full week ahead. After a very strange week, (things happening here at home, too many weird and not nice occurrences), what a nice sprinkling of pixie dust.

 

[JETSDAD]

Want to know something really weird??? So I checked again, as I'm still two days behind my walking to see if the next day popped up as available, and low and behold, today's date was available. I quickly clicked and moved the reservation a whole week forward. I was shocked and was prepared for something to be a glitch and it not work out. BUT, it did work. I am now a full week ahead. After a very strange week, (things happening here at home, too many weird and not nice occurrences), what a nice sprinkling of pixie dust.

I've had that happen before as well.....you really just never know. Someone could have selected it and then not gone through with the reservation (or the site crashed on them lol). Or they changed their mind or whatever. Now you can walk it to whatever you want! Congrats.

 

[Suzabella]

Want to know something really weird??? So I checked again, as I'm still two days behind my walking to see if the next day popped up as available, and low and behold, today's date was available. I quickly clicked and moved the reservation a whole week forward. I was shocked and was prepared for something to be a glitch and it not work out. BUT, it did work. I am now a full week ahead. After a very strange week, (things happening here at home, too many weird and not nice occurrences), what a nice sprinkling of pixie dust.

Great news!!!

 

[igrsod]

I've had that happen before as well.....you really just never know. Someone could have selected it and then not gone through with the reservation (or the site crashed on them lol). Or they changed their mind or whatever. Now you can walk it to whatever you want! Congrats.

Ahhh thank you. That's the lesson I have learned from my research. What works???? Being a creepy stalker of the DVC booking site. LOL
It was fun though. I still don't know how to time getting in at 8am on the nose though. Next vacation I will test this out.

 

[igrsod]

Great news!!!

I love the happy dance. That's how I feel right now. It's the little things in life that keep us happy.

 

[Sandisw]

Ahhh thank you. That's the lesson I have learned from my research. What works???? Being a creepy stalker of the DVC booking site. LOL
It was fun though. I still don't know how to time getting in at 8am on the nose though. Next vacation I will test this out.

That has happened to me at the 7 month as well. Did not get it at 8 am but around 10 am, tried again and got it!

Congrats!

 

[JETSDAD]

Ahhh thank you. That's the lesson I have learned from my research. What works???? Being a creepy stalker of the DVC booking site. LOL
It was fun though. I still don't know how to time getting in at 8am on the nose though. Next vacation I will test this out.

So, for 8AM, 11 months out, this is what I do....sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

I go through like I'm making the reservation ahead of 8AM and leave it at the screen that says you're early (ok, I practice a few times to make sure I know where the links I will need to press will show up on my phone, then leave it there). Right at 8AM I hit the close and refresh button (I think that's what it's called). Then click the room I want and Continue as quickly as possible. Today I also tried just booking the first day thinking that maybe it would refresh quicker but I really have no idea if that's the case lol. I did manage to book a Club Level Studio 11 months out this morning so I'm taking that as a huge win.

 

[igrsod]

So, for 8AM, 11 months out, this is what I do....sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

I go through like I'm making the reservation ahead of 8AM and leave it at the screen that says you're early (ok, I practice a few times to make sure I know where the links I will need to press will show up on my phone, then leave it there). Right at 8AM I hit the close and refresh button (I think that's what it's called). Then click the room I want and Continue as quickly as possible. Today I also tried just booking the first day thinking that maybe it would refresh quicker but I really have no idea if that's the case lol. I did manage to book a Club Level Studio 11 months out this morning so I'm taking that as a huge win.

That's awesome. I will try that next time. I have loved not having to be on the computer every morning at 8am. lol
I'm still walking forward a bit, as our favourite week is the week after labour day. So quiet, less hot weather, and less lining up.

 

[Suzabella]

So standard studio wasn't showing up at all for me at 8am at BWV. This morning I entered dates a week earlier and ta-da! I've only looked a couple days earlier previously. Still going 1 bedroom for next trip but wanting standard studio typically. Now I've got a strategy thanks to your stalking the walkers technique. No idea why it never occurred to me before.

 

[DisneyMountainWoman]

It has been nice following you, at want to use your strategy to get club level studio for AKL. I have only managed 1 bedroom.

 

[igrsod]

It has been nice following you, at want to use your strategy to get club level studio for AKL. I have only managed 1 bedroom.

Thank you for following along. I hope you get your room. Let me know if you are able to get it.

 

[js]

OMG, I was one of your original supporters LOL

So happy for you!

We will be at Disney in November, again sometime during 2022 but certainly will also
be there for week after Labor Day, it also is our favorite time to go. We couldn't go this year since
my daughter had a baby and was due in September (although born in August) but plan on going again
during that time!

See you on Main Street! Good luck with your stalking!

 

[igrsod]

OMG, I was one of your original supporters LOL

So happy for you!

We will be at Disney in November, again sometime during 2022 but certainly will also
be there for week after Labor Day, it also is our favorite time to go. We couldn't go this year since
my daughter had a baby and was due in September (although born in August) but plan on going again
during that time!

See you on Main Street! Good luck with your stalking!

Thank you... it's so sweet of everyone giving their love and support. We currently have a trip planned for mid December, mid February and then the week after Labour day next year. We may end up on Main Street together. Congrats on the Grand baby. That's such great news.

 

[js]

Thank you... it's so sweet of everyone giving their love and support. We currently have a trip planned for mid December, mid February and then the week after Labour day next year. We may end up on Main Street together. Congrats on the Grand baby. That's such great news.

Thank you!

 

[Suzabella]

So...we're now within the 11 month booking window of when we plan to go back to WDW. We added on BWV points specifically because we always go to EP during our trips and in order to get a room there during F&W, you pretty much need to own there. This will be our first booking and I've heard how difficult it can be.

So, I sat down with my atomic clock going started the search and waited....gave it 2 seconds...and badda bing! I could have booked that standard studio! We're going with a 1 bedroom this time traveling with friends so I booked that but I'm just really happy to know that I could have gotten that studio.

Thanks igrsod for posting and for all the advice!! So happy to know that I could be successful and have a fall back to stalking the walkers if needed.

Now I'll move it forward weekly (a 1 bedroom doesn't appear to be a problem) until we get what we ideally want but we could go on dates currently reserved if the wheels fall off the bus.