booking question

[kedkin]

I have two contracts, one at AKL and one at SSR, I want to book a full week at AKL club level at 11 months out but only have enough points for 6 nights. Should I book 5 nights in a row, skip a night, then book the 7th night and hope that at 7 months I can pick up the 6th night with my SSR contact? Does that make sense?

 

[supersnoop]

There are only five club level rooms. I would almost guarantee you will not be able to pick up any nights at 7 months. If you need to stay a full week, I'd plan a split-stay.

 

[com_op_2000]

IMHO, book what you can when you can. Since the rooms you are trying to book are so limited, you might want to think about walking the reservation. You might not get your last night in the AKL-CL, transfer to another room within the resort, and you will still have access to the CL lounge until mid-night of the checkout day of the AKL-CL room.

 

[Outonarun]

Have you considered a points transfer from your SSR contract to your AKL contract? I am not a DVC expert, and I may misunderstand this option so please check DVC rules/member services, but I believe a member is allowed one such transfer per year, and that points transfered take on the receiving contract's 11-month booking advantage.

 

[com_op_2000]

Have you considered a points transfer from your SSR contract to your AKL contract? I am not a DVC expert, and I may misunderstand this option so please check DVC rules/member services, but I believe a member is allowed one such transfer per year, and that points transfered take on the receiving contract's 11-month booking advantage.

This is incorrect!
Transferred points maintain their HR and UY when transferred.

 

[Outonarun]

Thank you for the correction!

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I have two contracts, one at AKL and one at SSR, I want to book a full week at AKL club level at 11 months out but only have enough points for 6 nights. Should I book 5 nights in a row, skip a night, then book the 7th night and hope that at 7 months I can pick up the 6th night with my SSR contact? Does that make sense?

I'm guessing that you believe by only leaving a stranded night that it could then be more likely to be available at 7 months but I don't believe that has very good odds of happening with Concierge studio. And if it doesn't work then you've got a gap in your stay for the second to last night.

We're generally ok with staying our first night in a different room or resort before settling in for the rest of the stay and I'd plan on the same in your case. Try to book the final 6 nights in the concierge and then try and book the first night concierge at 7 months if it is available or else book elsewhere and waitlist concierge for that night.

 

[com_op_2000]

...We're generally ok with staying our first night in a different room or resort before settling in for the rest of the stay and I'd plan on the same in your case. Try to book the final 6 nights in the concierge and then try and book the first night concierge at 7 months if it is available or else book elsewhere and waitlist concierge for that night.

I can agree with you about making the first night a single night then moving into your main stay after that, except for the AKL-CL stays. By making the last night a single night stay at the resort you will have access to the AKL-CL lounge all day up till mid-night, therefor you have access to all the CL benefits through the last night of the vacation.

 

[kedkin]

Thanks for the great advice. I will most likely try to book the first 6 nights in CL then transfer to another room the 7th night. My only thought is that if there is only a few one bedroom CL rooms that if I left one night open in the middle, how would they be able to fill that one day?

 

[com_op_2000]

... My only thought is that if there is only a few one bedroom CL rooms that if I left one night open in the middle, how would they be able to fill that one day?

Multiple different scenarios:
Someone with the 11 month booking option, will likely jump in and take that one night.
Someone going a DCL and just wants one night before the DCL.
Someone local that has always wanted to try/experience AKL-CL and has the ability to stay for one night.
Someone that is at the start of the vacation, has multiple HRs, and can book that one night.
I am sure there are others but can not think of any at this moment.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Thanks for the great advice. I will most likely try to book the first 6 nights in CL then transfer to another room the 7th night. My only thought is that if there is only a few one bedroom CL rooms that if I left one night open in the middle, how would they be able to fill that one day?

Lots of people will book one or two nights to try out Concierge. And a single night gives 2 days worth of lounge access. Also consider that even if it's different people moving in because of the points system there are lots of people with varying lengths of stay and won't match up exactly to one person moving out and another moving in so there can be stranded nights all over the place which do still fill.

As I mentioned we often do it the opposite of what you are planning because by the end we want to just enjoy and not spend time moving and waiting for rooms whereas on the first night we are arriving in the afternoon so moving the next day does not impact us as much. However I do think that a 1BR will give you a great chance of getting that extra night at 7 months or for a waitlist to fill. Those do book up more slowly because of the additional point cost.

 

[Splashboat]

AKV CL 1 bedroom uses a lot of points. Maybe you want to spend the first couple of nights in a CL studio and then switch the the CL 1 bedroom? We spent 2 nights in a CL studio and switched to a 1 bedroom Savannah when we wanted to try CL. Personally, we much preferred the 1 bedroom Savannah over the CL room.

 

[kedkin]

Thanks for the great advice splashboat. Sounds like my best approach would be to try and get the first couple days CL studio, then the rest of the stay as a CL 1 bedroom which then would give me enough points to book at the 11 month mark, and also lets us settle in at the end of our stay in the 1bdrm. Now lets hope it's all available exactly as planned when it comes time to book!

 

[Donna M]

Good luck. This thread gave a lot of good ideas!