Difficulty getting selected resort for entire stay

[JoniJynx]

Our family has planned our Annual Trip in January for the past 4 years. Last year, we had difficulty getting a resort for our entire stay because of the marathon which is growing in interest. We had to change resorts half way through (going from Beach Club to SSR)
Again in November when I tried to book a trip for May, we could not get a resort for the entire stay (Boardwalk to SSR).

What makes me frustrated, is that if I go on the public Disney booking website, these locations/rooms are available.

I want to begin booking our January trip at the Boardwalk Villas, and my elderly mother is joining us, so I really do not want to change resorts mid-way.

I thought about adding day by day....literally.

Does anyone have any suggestions?
THANK YOU °O°

 

[CarolMN]

Are you booking online exactly at 8 am Eastern as soon as the 7 month window opens? It sounds like you may not be doing that - the 7 month window for May reservations opened in October, not November.

If you don't book exactly at 7 months, your chances of getting a near park resort (BCV, BWV, BLT) are greatly diminished.

The rooms you see on the public site either do not belong to DVC members or they are there because a DVC member traded his/her points to cruise or stay at a non-DVC resort.

 

[gdrj]

Are you booking online exactly at 8 am Eastern as soon as the 7 month window opens? It sounds like you may not be doing that - the 7 month window for May reservations opened in October, not November.

If you don't book exactly at 7 months, your chances of getting a near park resort (BCV, BWV, BLT) are greatly diminished.

The rooms you see on the public site either do not belong to DVC members or they are there because a DVC member traded his/her points to cruise or stay at a non-DVC resort.

I have been able to book at various resorts BCV, and BLT within 7 months. My home resort is BWV so I usually book that sooner. Depending on room type and special events it can be challenging. On the boards and various websites I would look to see how many rooms of specific types the resort has. From reading this board I understand Standard studios during Food and WIne can be difficult at BWV, so I probably would go with pool/garden which has the most studio rooms.

This may not work for you but I would do the following if you want those resorts.
1- I would book a split resv so I have the number of days I want (if avail)
2- if for example you are doing 4 days and 3 days. I would waitlist the 3 days at resort 2 (so I could be at resort 1 the whole time), I would also waitlist the the first day at resort 2 (so it would go 5days 2 days) and contine doing so by updating. I would also monitor availability for both resorts to see what comes up.

It may not be ideal but it is one of many options. Realize this strategy could leave you with a split stay.

In regards to a split stay with a elderly family member. I would plan something on that transition day that will keep you guys occupied, Character breakfast, shopping, visit various hotels on the monorail (she can sit and relax in lobbys while you shop the stores). If you don't have a car have luggage transferred (carry meds), if I have a car I would have 1 member of party deal with checking in so Mom doesn't need to worry.

Last thing I would do is make special note on my 2nd reservation letting them know I am doing a split stay and traveling with an elderly person and request early check-in as a priority over room location.

 

[Missyrose]

Our family has planned our Annual Trip in January for the past 4 years. Last year, we had difficulty getting a resort for our entire stay because of the marathon which is growing in interest. We had to change resorts half way through (going from Beach Club to SSR)
Again in November when I tried to book a trip for May, we could not get a resort for the entire stay (Boardwalk to SSR).

What makes me frustrated, is that if I go on the public Disney booking website, these locations/rooms are available.

I want to begin booking our January trip at the Boardwalk Villas, and my elderly mother is joining us, so I really do not want to change resorts mid-way.

I thought about adding day by day....literally.

Does anyone have any suggestions?
THANK YOU °O°

You are quite right, the times when there are events ( marathon in January or the Flower and Garden Festival or Star Wars weekends in May) it can be difficult to get more than just a few days at a resort close to the event, in these cases, the Epcot resorts. As DVC continues to add new members, availability will only get tougher. So while you may have been able to miss your seven-month window in years' past and still find what you want, now you've learned to reserve right when that window opens or risk not getting the vacation you want.

 

[drusba]

As for May, if you actually attempt to reserve exactly 7 months out from date of arrival you should be able to get BWV pool/garden view for 7 nits and then could add daily additional nights if you want more than 7. If trying for January for time that includes the Wednesday to Monday of Marathon weekend, you may still be able to get BWV pool/garden view at exactly 7 months out but a risk exists one or more of those nights may be gone before 7 months out. You should make the first attempt on-line at 8 a.m. Eastern exactly 7 months out from date of arrival. If you can ultimately get some consecutive nights but not all, get the ones you can and waitlist the other while also reserving a second resort for the nights you waitlist .

 

[nkosiek]

Wouldn't the logical thing be to book 11-8 months out so that way the home resort is sorted for the entire stay and then at 7 months try for something different or am I missing something?

 

[vicki_c]

Wouldn't the logical thing be to book 11-8 months out so that way the home resort is sorted for the entire stay and then at 7 months try for something different or am I missing something?

Yes, unless one isn't willing to stay at their home resort. That's what we always do, though, if we plan on trying to switch from our home resort. That way, we have some reservation for our dates.

 

[Pirate Granny]

Buy where you don't mind staying....this may be getting harder and harder to book busy times at 7 months. You should book at 11 months, and don't expect to find standard (value) rooms available at BWV, BLT and AKL...

 

[yitbos96bb]

Yes, unless one isn't willing to stay at their home resort. That's what we always do, though, if we plan on trying to switch from our home resort. That way, we have some reservation for our dates.

Given the trouble one was having, one may want to rethink that policy... home resort better than no resort to most people. But yeah, love to hear OP's reason for not doing so.

 

[Minniesgal]

If staying at one resort is important the only way to be sure is to book your home resort at 11 months.

 

[LisaS]

I thought about adding day by day....literally.

This comment (and the one about booking a May trip in November) made me wonder, are you aware you can now book starting 11/7 months from your check IN day, not your check OUT day? When booking with non-home points, you can book your stay at 8am eastern time, 7 months prior to your check-in day. You can book up to 7 nights when booking exactly at the 11 or 7-month window. If you need to book more than 7 nights you will have to call Member Services to add on those additional nights because currently you cannot modify a reservation online.

 

[JWG]

This comment (and the one about booking a May trip in November) made me wonder, are you aware you can now book starting 11/7 months from your check IN day, not your check OUT day? When booking with non-home points, you can book your stay at 8am eastern time, 7 months prior to your check-in day. You can book up to 7 nights when booking exactly at the 11 or 7-month window. If you need to book more than 7 nights you will have to call Member Services to add on those additional nights because currently you cannot modify a reservation online.

This works until a day isn't available. So, if at 7 months you call to book a 7 night stay but night 3 isn't available, you cannot book nights 4-7 either (even if available).

It's also true for a waitlist if there's a gap in days. So, in the example above, if day 3 and 5 aren't available, you can't book day 4 or waitlist day 5 becaue it's not part of a consecutive stay request.

We've been through this with Aulani coming up this Christmas.

 

[LisaS]

This works until a day isn't available. So, if at 7 months you call to book a 7 night stay but night 3 isn't available, you cannot book nights 4-7 either (even if available).

It's also true for a waitlist if there's a gap in days. So, in the example above, if day 3 and 5 aren't available, you can't book day 4 or waitlist day 5 becaue it's not part of a consecutive stay request.

We've been through this with Aulani coming up this Christmas.

The change to allow booking 7/11 months from check-in has fixed some issues but created some new ones, especially coupled with the change to the wait list policy to restrict members to two active wait lists per UY. But I am curious if the OP was unaware of the change and was waiting until 7 months from check OUT to book her stay. That can make a big difference for some combinations of resorts and room types at certain times of the year.

 

[JoniJynx]

To all that replied......Thank you for your input. I really appreciate it.