Booking GFV at 7 Months in December

[MountainMouse]

Just wondering what success folks had in getting a reservation at GFV in December at 7 months this year. Anyone have success getting a consecutive week without splitting the stay? What class of room was most available? I'm sure some folks were stalking the RAT.

 

[Sparrow624]

Pretty much impossible. I own at VGF, but we did not get our points until late April. When we checked December....nothing.

 

[MountainMouse]

Pretty much impossible. I own at VGF, but we did not get our points until late April. When we checked December....nothing.

Thanks for the reply, I thought it may have been possible to get a one bedroom as those seem the least popular. What month are you going for your 2016 stay?

 

[Sparrow624]

June and October (hopefully)

 

[DebbieB]

Some people posted that they couldn't get early December at 11 months.

 

[Sparrow624]

Staying at VGF during Oct, Nov, and Dec is pretty much impossible unless you own at VGF and book at the 11 month mark. Then it is still not a garuntee.

 

[MountainMouse]

Some people posted that they couldn't get early December at 11 months.

I would have figured that for the studios but not the 1BRs. Just seemed like the points on those have been deterring folks. I guess it doesn't surprise me given the challenge I had booking BLT at 11 months in December. To get a std view 1BR I had to not only be on right at 8am but time the refresh on my browser perfectly. I tried for two days without success (759-800 immediately goes to unavailable) before I timed it correctly. After all that I ended up needing to cancel that trip. The availability of 1BR lake view at BLT was much better which is what I was also hoping for VGF.

 

[drusba]

1BRs are actually the second size of rooms to fill before others at VGF behind studios, and studios and 1BRs were filled for the month of Dec long before 7 months out. The 1BRs have the same problem as the studios: there are only 46 of them and, because points per night and price per point were so high, the vast majority of VGF owners purchased only enough points to get studios (or flip to 1BRs for stays shorter than desired when the studios disappear at 11 months out).

 

[MountainMouse]

Staying at VGF during Oct, Nov, and Dec is pretty much impossible unless you own at VGF and book at the 11 month mark. Then it is still not a garuntee.

October and November as well? That's somewhat surprising, I didn't know F&W had that impact on VGF.

 

[MountainMouse]

1BRs are actually the second size of rooms to fill before others at VGF behind studios, and studios and 1BRs were filled for the month of Dec long before 7 months out. The 1BRs have the same problem as the studios: there are only 46 of them and, because points per night and price per point were so high, the vast majority of VGF owners purchased only enough points to get studios (or flip to 1BRs for stays shorter than desired when the studios disappear at 11 months out).

Someone did a very extensive analysis of room availability throughout the year at different DVC resorts a while back and posted on these boards. Was it you? Anyone have a link for it or just remember it? I can't find it.

 

[drusba]

Quilty as charged on the yearly analysis. Late Sep to marathon weekend in Jan is by far DVC's high demand quarter at WDW. It makes the rest of the year look like the slowest of off seasons when it comes to what is avaialble at 7 months out. It is far easier to get a room at a near park resort at 7 months out during Presidents Week, Easter, and July 4 time than it is for any time during that last quarter. Studios and 1BRs at VGF are usually gone at 7 months out during the last quarter except you may be able to find 1BRs sometimes for two to three consecutive nights. BLT lake view 1BRs and BWV pool/garden view 1BRs are open at 7 months out more often during that quarter but even those can be difficult at 7 months out during the extemely high demand times of that last quarter which are: the thursday before Columbus Day weekend through the Sunday of the weekend after Columbus Day: the weekend starting with the Thursday when Disney has the Food & Wine half marathon in November; the Tuesday through Friday of Thanksgiving week; first and second week of Dec; Dec 23 to Jan 2; and marathon weekend in Jan beginning with Thursday. It is during those times that there is some risk that AKV value studios and 2BRs, BLT standard view (all room sizes), BWV boardwalk and standard view studios and 2BRs, and VGF studios and possibly at times even VGF 1BRs could disappear for some days even before 11 months out. (AKV club level studios and 2BRs disappear often year round before 11 months out and 1BRs often go not long adfter 11 months out.)

 

[cbnsoul]

Some people posted that they couldn't get early December at 11 months.

I only got a studio form Dec 19-23 by walking at 11 months and it was tough to even get a night to start the walking process. I got 3 nights in October but only after someone walking canceled a night, thus opening up the reservation later in the day at 11 months. Spring break (Easter week) and early June 2016 have been wide open thus far.

 

[MountainMouse]

Quilty as charged on the yearly analysis. Late Sep to marathon weekend in Jan is by far DVC's high demand quarter at WDW. It makes the rest of the year look like the slowest of off seasons when it comes to what is avaialble at 7 months out. It is far easier to get a room at a near park resort at 7 months out during Presidents Week, Easter, and July 4 time than it is for any time during that last quarter. Studios and 1BRs at VGF are usually gone at 7 months out during the last quarter except you may be able to find 1BRs sometimes for two to three consecutive nights. BLT lake view 1BRs and BWV pool/garden view 1BRs are open at 7 months out more often during that quarter but even those can be difficult at 7 months out during the extemely high demand times of that last quarter which are: the thursday before Columbus Day weekend through the Sunday of the weekend after Columbus Day: the weekend starting with the Thursday when Disney has the Food & Wine half marathon in November; the Tuesday through Friday of Thanksgiving week; first and second week of Dec; Dec 23 to Jan 2; and marathon weekend in Jan beginning with Thursday. It is during those times that there is some risk that AKV value studios and 2BRs, BLT standard view (all room sizes), BWV boardwalk and standard view studios and 2BRs, and VGF studios and possibly at times even VGF 1BRs could disappear for some days even before 11 months out. (AKV club level studios and 2BRs disappear often year round before 11 months out and 1BRs often go not long adfter 11 months out.)

Awesome, appreciate the information. Do you have a link to the old thread?

 

[MountainMouse]

I only got a studio form Dec 19-23 by walking at 11 months and it was tough to even get a night to start the walking process. I got 3 nights in October but only after someone walking canceled a night, thus opening up the reservation later in the day at 11 months. Spring break (Easter week) and early June 2016 have been wide open thus far.

Yea, I've been looking at the spring and summer now. If I wanted to book a 1BR at GFV in the spring it would be pretty open to me, studios not so much. If I owned there I'd have a very good selection up to the 11 month window of 1BR's, studios more scarce but still available. I'm going to keep an eye on it for the June timeframe and see if something remains open at the 7 month window.

 

[kmermaid]

I was able to get a 2bd ded GFV for Dec 30th & 31st with my BCV points as a waitlist. I know its not a 1 bd or studio but I am very happy that I don't have to move from 2 nights at BCV to GFV for the other 5 days.

 

[GrumpyInPhilly]

I was able to piece together a 1BR std. view @ VGF for 11/30/15 - 12/5/15. Initially, I couldn't get it at 7 months. Waitlisted 3 of the days and it came through within a week. Kept checking availability and added a 4th & 5th night when I saw them. Kept checking some more and added the 6th night when I saw it. Maybe just lucky.

 

[MountainMouse]

I was able to piece together a 1BR std. view @ VGF for 11/30/15 - 12/5/15. Initially, I couldn't get it at 7 months. Waitlisted 3 of the days and it came through within a week. Kept checking availability and added a 4th & 5th night when I saw them. Kept checking some more and added the 6th night when I saw it. Maybe just lucky.

Lucky and persistent. That's basically how I've pieced together a week in January at BLT. My wife had a job change (good thing) but now follows a college schedule and our existing BLT reservation was during finals.

 

[drusba]

Awesome, appreciate the information. Do you have a link to the old thread?

Here http://www.disboards.com/threads/an...vailability-for-days-7-11-months-out.3281173/

 

[MountainMouse]

Here http://www.disboards.com/threads/an...vailability-for-days-7-11-months-out.3281173/

That's it! Thank you for the work you put into it and for documenting it.