Booking Advice Needed (Several Questions)

[Laura's Dad]

My wife and I have been planning a weeklong Disney vacation toward the end of next year and have several questions that some of you DIS veterans may be able to help us with. We have never booked very far in advance, but with the new Star Wars Galaxy's Edge land opening up, we are a little concerned about how to go about booking our stay.

We will have 8 people in our party. Our family (myself, my wife, and our son, and daughter), my son's family (wife and two kids), plus a young lady from Chile who stayed with us as a foreign exchange student a couple of years ago. We are really going to celebrate her graduation from college and also my wife's retirement. We were looking at getting a 2 bedroom villa at the Beach Club Villas around the second week of December. We have stayed there before and loved the proximity to Epcot. However, my wife just threw couple of screwballs at us that may affect our plans.

We have two little dogs (a chihuahua and a chiweenie) that we love dearly and that my wife is desiring to take with us. We know that Disney is testing dog-friendly areas in certain hotels until October. If we took the dogs we would probably have two options: get two rooms at the Yacht Club or get three rooms at PO-Riverside. The Yacht Club would give us Stormalong Bay/Epcot/Crescent Lake, while Riverside would give us much more room. We do not know, however, if Disney will continue the dog experiment past this October.

We have also noticed that the opening of Star Wars Galaxy's Edge is listed as "Late Fall 2019" and are concerned that our early December plans may need to be changed. We are Star Wars fans and love to do Star Wars and Disney together (we have attended several Star Wars weekends and just returned from Galactic Nights) but we are worried about the deluge of fans that will be there and the lack of hotel availability during our planned stay. We have considered moving our trip to early January 2020 in order to let a little of this die down, but we would also possibly like to do MVMCP for the holiday season.

I know that this is a lot of variables, but we also know that rooms and packages open up around mid-June for booking next year. If someone could answer the following I would be appreciative:

1. Do you think the dog friendly resorts will continue after their coming October? If not, we would like to secure a 2BDRM villa at the BCV. If so, would you recommend 2 rooms at the Yacht Club or 3 rooms at PO-Riverside?

2. Would you put off booking from early December to easy January to let the SWGE mania ease a little bit or do you think December 2019 would be better with the Christmas experiences available and just take our chances with Galaxy's Edge.

3. Would you book a Room Only reservation vs. a Package? How far in advance can you book Room Only reservations compared to booking Packages?


Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Marionnette]

My wife and I have been planning a weeklong Disney vacation toward the end of next year and have several questions that some of you DIS veterans may be able to help us with. We have never booked very far in advance, but with the new Star Wars Galaxy's Edge land opening up, we are a little concerned about how to go about booking our stay.

We will have 8 people in our party. Our family (myself, my wife, and our son, and daughter), my son's family (wife and two kids), plus a young lady from Chile who stayed with us as a foreign exchange student a couple of years ago. We are really going to celebrate her graduation from college and also my wife's retirement. We were looking at getting a 2 bedroom villa at the Beach Club Villas around the second week of December. We have stayed there before and loved the proximity to Epcot. However, my wife just threw couple of screwballs at us that may affect our plans.

We have two little dogs (a chihuahua and a chiweenie) that we love dearly and that my wife is desiring to take with us. We know that Disney is testing dog-friendly areas in certain hotels until October. If we took the dogs we would probably have two options: get two rooms at the Yacht Club or get three rooms at PO-Riverside. The Yacht Club would give us Stormalong Bay/Epcot/Crescent Lake, while Riverside would give us much more room. We do not know, however, if Disney will continue the dog experiment past this October.

We have also noticed that the opening of Star Wars Galaxy's Edge is listed as "Late Fall 2019" and are concerned that our early December plans may need to be changed. We are Star Wars fans and love to do Star Wars and Disney together (we have attended several Star Wars weekends and just returned from Galactic Nights) but we are worried about the deluge of fans that will be there and the lack of hotel availability during our planned stay. We have considered moving our trip to early January 2020 in order to let a little of this die down, but we would also possibly like to do MVMCP for the holiday season.

I know that this is a lot of variables, but we also know that rooms and packages open up around mid-June for booking next year. If someone could answer the following I would be appreciative:

1. Do you think the dog friendly resorts will continue after their coming October? If not, we would like to secure a 2BDRM villa at the BCV. If so, would you recommend 2 rooms at the Yacht Club or 3 rooms at PO-Riverside?

2. Would you put off booking from early December to easy January to let the SWGE mania ease a little bit or do you think December 2019 would be better with the Christmas experiences available and just take our chances with Galaxy's Edge.

3. Would you book a Room Only reservation vs. a Package? How far in advance can you book Room Only reservations compared to booking Packages?


Any help would be appreciated.

No crystal ball here. I will say that SW mania will not die down until Disney opens new attractions in Epcot and even then, the IP draws a lot of the faithful. Expect Galaxy's Edge to be in high demand for a long time to come (just look at Avatar's effect on AK, and it isn't the mega hit that the SW is).

As to the dogs being welcome at select resorts, well that will depend on whether Disney is making money or losing money over it. A lot of people are not happy about the increased presence of canines at the resorts and there are a lot of owners who are ignoring the limits that Disney has set but, in true Disney fashion, fails to enforce. As a dog owner myself, I say leave them at home. Being taken on a trip where they will end up being left alone for hours on end in a strange environment is not in the best interest of these social creatures.

So, I really have not given you any more info than you have now. However, you have some time to find out what's what. The booking window for DVC rentals for early December 2019 won't open until January. You could book a room or package with Disney at YC or POR when the rates are announced and cancel at any time without penalty as long as you do it 31 days or more prior to arrival (even more lenient for RO). But early December is a busy time for DVC and if you want BCV, you will have to be ready to rent when that 11-month window opens.

 

[winnieofpooh]

I think I've been reading that people anticipate Star Wars Land to open in November. I can't imagine the crowds being any more manageable only a month after opening, especially around the holiday season (depending on when in Dec you plan to go).I'm not sure booking a Dec trip vs. January will have much, if any, of a difference on the crowds. I'd anticipate crowds becoming 'manageable' within 6 months - a year, where you could go and experience the area but still have to wait hours to ride the rides. So if those are the only two options for you to go, I'd just take my chances with December and at least get the holidays, but just bear in mind the crowds (especially in HS) will be insane. I can't imagine delaying on month will have much of a difference in crowds.

I also recommend not taking the dogs. No idea on what Disney will or will not do in regards to the policy, but unless you plan on spending a lot of time in your resort room, the dogs are going to be left alone in a strange place for hours, so I'm not sure it'd be worth the hassle getting them there and making sure someone stops back to the room to take them for walks, potty breaks, etc. multiple times a day when you'll be out and about.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I would not expect a 2BR at BCV to be available the first two weeks of December on cash. On points, booking promptly at 11 months is a must-do in those weeks, which are the highest DVC demand weeks of the year. Add in probable Galaxy's Edge, and they will be booked by 10AM of 11 months, and on points as a rental they will be a final transaction.

If by some chance a BCV 2BR is available cash one of those weeks, it won't be bookable until January 2019 or so, not 499 days. DVC unit release to cash booking does not occur 499 days out. The 2BR $uites at BC are bookable at 499, but aren't the villas.

(Dogs are not permitted at DVC resorts. The condo association rules would need to be changed. I know you didn't ask this or expect it.)

 

[Laura's Dad]

I would not expect a 2BR at BCV to be available the first two weeks of December on cash. On points, booking promptly at 11 months is a must-do in those weeks, which are the highest DVC demand weeks of the year. Add in probable Galaxy's Edge, and they will be booked by 10AM of 11 months, and on points as a rental they will be a final transaction.

If by some chance a BCV 2BR is available cash one of those weeks, it won't be bookable until January 2019 or so, not 499 days. DVC unit release to cash booking does not occur 499 days out. The 2BR $uites at BC are bookable at 499, but aren't the villas.

(Dogs are not permitted at DVC resorts. The condo association rules would need to be changed. I know you didn't ask this or expect it.)

Thanks for the information on booking the BCV. I can see now why they are only bookable in January. Maybe I can convince my wife to leave the dogs at home and get two rooms at the Beach Club, That is my preference.

 

[Nancyg56]

Thanks for the information on booking the BCV. I can see now why they are only bookable in January. Maybe I can convince my wife to leave the dogs at home and get two rooms at the Beach Club, That is my preference.

The issue with taking them is having a back up plan in place in the event they are upset. I have no idea if your dogs bark or not, but I imagine in a strange place they might. You are paying a lot of money to be called back to your resort in the event they pups are barking too much. Good luck!