Booking last minute = limited availability?

[tjlamphere]

My DW and I usually plan our trips months in advance...for a March trip, we usually get a timeshare for a week a good 5 - 6 months in advance. But for our upcoming trip this March, we are doing it differently. If we have a mild Winter and have used up much vacation time and our cash is low, we won't go. If we get lots of snow, it is real cold, we do have vacation time and we have some excess $$, we will go. But that decision won't be made until early February - about 5 weeks before we'd be traveling. So - have any of you made ressies 5 weeks out and gotten a decent place, a resort you've stayed at before, at a decent price? Will waiting a bit more than a month before we want to go put us behind the 8 ball?

Any and all feedback is welcome, especially those of you that have booked a month or so in advance of your trip - again, this will be offsite, not on Disney property...but WBC would be an option if availability was there and the price was right.

Thanks !!!

 

[ParkHopperFan]

I'm sure that you will find something available, just not something awesome and the late booking will put you geographically further from the action. I know that many Northerners look to escape the winter and the best places get booked up quite a bit in advance.

I do know that late booking for airfare is where you will really take it on the chin!

Southwest just released their schedule for early March. The "Wanna Get Away" fares will be long since booked by the time you decide that you want to travel.

Good luck!

 

[Ametista]

March is such a busy month in WDW. I would be worried about being left the bottom of the barrel for availability. A couple times we had to pick from the bottom of the barrel and we still had a great trip...that was before we started booking vacation rentals though. I think if you are willing to search Homeaway/VRBO/Tripadvisor there is always something decent at a good price, in fact ask for a last minute discount and you just might get it.

 

[dioxide45]

As long as you don't need a 1BR or a 2BR and can stay in a studio unit, you will probably be okay. The larger units are what usually go first leaving the small studio units as the left overs.

 

[Kemorr]

I got a 4 bed presidential at WBC at about 6 weeks out, when I decided to cancel my BLT reservation and try off site. I tried all the "usual" suspects for a reservation and only VS had availability. The price is reasonable (compared to what I was prepared to pay for BLT it felt like pennies) but probably a bit higher than if I had booked months in advance. We are going early October, but the week we are going to blacked out for all Disney discounts, so it must be a fairly busy time.

 

[HopperFan]

WBC is often on SkyAuction. Sometimes there are some good prices for short notice trips. Worth watching.

PS I have used them to stay there and all went smooth.