Booking chances at the 7 month window

[tomv]

What has everyone's experiences been booking WDW DVC resorts at the 7 month window? I mainly would be looking at booking 1 bedrooms, and love BCV and BWV, but are open to other resorts. I imagine it is very difficult at prime times, but relatively easy for the off seasons. Am I correct? I ask because I am looking at buying at HHI, but want to take some trips to WDW also. Thanks for any insight you can provide!

 

[dpuck1998]

If you are flexible with resorts choices you will have no problem at the 7 month window.

 

[Sandisw]

Off times at the parks are not necessarily off times for DVC. For example, getting reservations at the resorts you mention during F & W (October) is difficult and so is December.

Buying in at HH to stay at WDW is not necessarily a good thing. While the buy in will be less, the more expensive MF's will eliminate that in a very short time.

Plus, you will be limited to only booking WDW at the 7 month time. DVC is a lot of money and I believe that you should buy where you want to stay. At the very least, if your plan is to travel to WDW, then I would look into SSR. You could make your reservations at 11 months and at least if the trade does not happen, you would still have something at WDW.

I just read another thread where a person owned a different DVC resort and sold it because they could not trade in to BWV or BCV at the 7 month window for what they wanted.

 

[dpuck1998]

I have yet to not get the resort I wanted during any time at the 7 month window. I've wait listed once and came through a month later. This is my experience and we stay for 2 weeks at xmas time usually at the Beach Club.

 

[tomv]

Thanks for the replies! I wonder then which is harder to snag, HHI at peak times or WDW during off seasons? I anticipate splitting vacations between the two, with May thru September trips to HHI and January thru March trips to WDW.

 

[disneynutz]

If you read through all of the DVC contract info (which nobody does), you are only guaranteed a reservation at your home resort. I doubt that Disney would ever enforce the clause, but you have to ask yourself, why did they bother to include the wording.

Bill

 

[Sandisw]

Thanks for the replies! I wonder then which is harder to snag, HHI at peak times or WDW during off seasons? I anticipate splitting vacations between the two, with May thru September trips to HHI and January thru March trips to WDW.

If you plan to use HH points at HH then starting with those is not a bad thing. What you might consider is buying in at two separate resorts so you have the points for HH and somewhere on property.

For example, buying 100 HH and 100 BCV points. This way, you could take advantage of the 11 month window for both WDW and HH trips. This would give you 100 points to use at HH at 11 months and 100 points to use at BCV at 11 months. At 7, obviously, they could then be combined. At least it would give you some of what you need in terms of the reservation. And, if you use banking/borrowing, you could end up with up to 300 points for one trip.

Good luck!

 

[tomv]

I think purchasing at two resorts is a good suggestion. Perhaps I'll start at HHI to see how it goes, then purchase at BWV in the future. Wow I haven't even had my first stay and I'm already thinking of adding on!