GFV 2 bedroom-Lake View *How hard to book?

[PinkPixel]

I've been interested in purchasing DVC but only for this room type when they start selling them again. How hard is it for owners at GFV to book this room type? Also, this might be a silly question, but how many points of a reservation do you need to own at a resort to get the 11 month window? Can you use a combination of home resort and points for another resort? Or only after the home resort window is over?

 

[Nabas]

In the past, 2 bedroom VGF villas were relatively easy to book at 11 months.

However, VGF2 adds 200 Studios and there are posters on other threads worried that the ratio change of Studio-to-2BR will make 2-bedrooms much harder to book at VGF.

But nobody knows. Presumably, people buying at VGF2 are buying there exactly for the new Studios. Is it possible they will occasionally book 2-bedrooms? Sure. But it’s also possible some current VGF members are booking a 1-bedroom because they could not get a Studio, and others are booking a 2-bedroom because they could not get a 1-bedroom.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Can you use a combination of home resort and points for another resort? Or only after the home resort window is over?

You can only use VGF points at 11 months. You can only combine with other points at 7 months.

 

[PinkPixel]

You can only use VGF points at 11 months. You can only combine with other points at 7 months.

Is there way to monitor this availability without being a member? I don’t like the idea of purchasing without doing mock searches.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Is there way to monitor this availability without being a member? I don’t like the idea of purchasing without doing mock searches.

If you book at 11 months there really shouldn't be issues with 2BRs even after they start selling VGF2.

 

[Sandisw]

Points are assigned to the resort and,so if you want to book VGF during home resort period, you will need that many points every year.

As mentioned, we don’t know how these new rooms will impact. What we know is the number of 2 bedrooms is remaining the same but the condo association will have a lot more owners.

There is no way to know exactly what is available unless you are an owner. And, to be honest, the booking trends this year, may change in a few years and be better or worse.

It also depend on when you want yo travel. Summer will be easier but fall in January, especially December will be harder for sure.

 

[RoseGold]

Is there way to monitor this availability without being a member? I don’t like the idea of purchasing without doing mock searches.

The website is barely functional if you are a member. There’s no tracker and even if there were it wouldn’t help. No one knows how this room mix will go when the new building opens. Maybe it will take pressure off the old studios, and thus the 2BR lock offs?

 

[CarolMN]

I do not recall any reports of owners who were unable to get a 2 bedroom at VGF (either view) at 11 months. The only time of the year for which it COULD be an issue is the month of December.

Like many others, I doubt very many of the VGF2 buyers will be interested in a 2 bedroom, so I do not see that changing going forward.

Just plan to book when your 11-month window opens, and you will be fine nearly every time. A waitlist should work for the rare times it doesn't.

 

[miTnosnhoJ]

There are 30 dedicated standard view 2BR and 17 dedicated Lake View 2BR. The Standard views go first because they still have great views but are fewer points, so if you book at 11 months ( or within that month) you should have very good success.

Just be aware that with covid, a lot of people were not able to use points, and Disney allowed then to use those in the following year. So there is more competition for rooms than usual right now, but at 11 months I have not had any problem.

The real problem at VGF is getting a studio in December. That should get easier when the new units open up.

 

[PinkPixel]

I do not recall any reports of owners who were unable to get a 2 bedroom at VGF (either view) at 11 months. The only time of the year for which it COULD be an issue is the month of December.

Like many others, I doubt very many of the VGF2 buyers will be interested in a 2 bedroom, so I do not see that changing going forward.

Just plan to book when your 11-month window opens, and you will be fine nearly every time. A waitlist should work for the rare times it doesn't.

Thank you, is this room type sometimes available 7 months out as well? Does Disney facilitate renting points at all on years you can't visit? Also, the Grand Villa is there only one and hard to book 11 months? thanks

There are 30 dedicated standard view 2BR and 17 dedicated Lake View 2BR. The Standard views go first because they still have great views but are fewer points, so if you book at 11 months ( or within that month) you should have very good success.

Just be aware that with covid, a lot of people were not able to use points, and Disney allowed then to use those in the following year. So there is more competition for rooms than usual right now, but at 11 months I have not had any problem.

The real problem at VGF is getting a studio in December. That should get easier when the new units open up.

I appreciate your knowledge on this. Is this a room you like to book? If so how many points did you buy? Is it better to over buy points or to pay difference in cash? I'm confused with the granular aspect of calibrating the exact amount to buy if the amount changes for every booking period. I don't have a use year in mind. I guess that doesn't help. Sorry if there's nothing worth adding.

 

[miTnosnhoJ]

Thank you, is this room type sometimes available 7 months out as well? Does Disney facilitate renting points at all on years you can't visit? Also, the Grand Villa is there only one and hard to book 11 months? thanks

I appreciate your knowledge on this. Is this a room you like to book? If so how many points did you buy? Is it better to over buy points or to pay difference in cash? I'm confused with the granular aspect of calibrating the exact amount to buy if the amount changes for every booking period. I don't have a use year in mind. I guess that doesn't help. Sorry if there's nothing worth adding.

It is rare to get availability at 7 months, but when it happens, they go fast.

There are 6 Grand Villas at VGF - One on each floor.

I usually book either 2BR Standard or Studio Standard to save the points. I have booked Lake View studios twice because the Standards were not available on my dates.

I started out with 250 points, which I figured would be enough for 5 nights in a 1BR or 10 nights in a studio. As it turned out, our adult kids (and now grandkids) really enjoyed it, so we ended up preferring 2 BR. I bought an additional 186 points.

The way to think about points is to figure out how many points you think you would need in a year, and get an extra 5 to 10%.

The way to think about Use Year is to think when you plan to go. If you might go all 12 months, then Use Year doesn't matter. If you always go in December, then with an October or December Use Year, if you had to cancel your trip, you still have the rest of the year to either reschedule or bank.

But consider if you had a December Use Year and you had booked a trip in November. If you had to cancel a month out, you would have no time to reschedule before your points expired, and the banking deadline has already passed.

 

[dvc lover 1970]

VGF lake view two bedroom units are point hogs and as such are usually available in the 7 month window. I think even with VGF2 those rooms will still be available. Because of the high point chart there studio rooms go very quickly. I think the possibility of connecting studios in the new building may shift some to that to save on points instead of the two bedroom unit

 

[Shivanair]

Is it better to over buy points or to pay difference in cash? I'm confused with the granular aspect of calibrating the exact amount to buy if the amount changes for every booking period. I don't have a use year in mind. I guess that doesn't help. Sorry if there's nothing worth adding.

What I found is that whatever amount of points I initially thought was good enough for our visits (based on previous visit duration/time of the year) was not good enough once I bought into DVC because the way we visit changed after buying into it. For subsequent contracts I calculated how much I thought I needed and then added a small buffer.

 

[PinkPixel]

It is rare to get availability at 7 months, but when it happens, they go fast.

There are 6 Grand Villas at VGF - One on each floor.

I usually book either 2BR Standard or Studio Standard to save the points. I have booked Lake View studios twice because the Standards were not available on my dates.

I started out with 250 points, which I figured would be enough for 5 nights in a 1BR or 10 nights in a studio. As it turned out, our adult kids (and now grandkids) really enjoyed it, so we ended up preferring 2 BR. I bought an additional 186 points.

The way to think about points is to figure out how many points you think you would need in a year, and get an extra 5 to 10%.

The way to think about Use Year is to think when you plan to go. If you might go all 12 months, then Use Year doesn't matter. If you always go in December, then with an October or December Use Year, if you had to cancel your trip, you still have the rest of the year to either reschedule or bank.

But consider if you had a December Use Year and you had booked a trip in November. If you had to cancel a month out, you would have no time to reschedule before your points expired, and the banking deadline has already passed.

I really appreciate your answer! Thank you!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Does Disney facilitate renting points at all on years you can't visit?

No. Disney will not involve themselves in any way in a rental transaction of your points.

 

[CarolMN]

Does Disney facilitate renting points at all on years you can't visit?

No, but there are many reputable brokers out there who would be happy to help. Among them is our DVC Boards sponsor, The DVC Rental Store.

 

[RoseGold]

I'm not so sure about these predictions of the 2BR being available. This expansion adds about 1.8M points to VGF. It's at about 2.5M now. That's a big change in the total points available, and I think it could pressure the larger rooms.

Half of the VGF1 2BR are lockoffs. Demand for the old studios could make these rooms impossible, like they are right now. Demand for the new rooms could open these up some. We don't know whether demand will still be there for the old studios. There's a whole thread about how people need some of the VGF1 amenities I don't care about.

The question is whether VGF buyers -- old or new -- planned to book larger rooms. Who knows? Right now, it's pretty clear they didn't. 1BR and 2BR aren't impossible. But they really could be in the future with all the new points in VGF.

It's even trickier because now there's a new solution of 2 or 3 studios. This costs a little bit more than a 1BR, and was tricky in VGF1 because there were so few studios. That's a great solution for a lot of larger parties, with increased privacy and tradeoff of the kitchen and the laundry, which I assume will still be next door -- and it sleeps way more people than a 1BR on real beds. Heck, it's a great solution for me. No one is cooking, and I don't want to put grandma on the sleeper sofa in the living room with junior. For a few points more, we'll get her her own room with two beds and swap junior back and forth.

We just don't know how this will shake out, except additional pressure on all rooms at peak times, which is obvious.

All this to say, if you know you must have a 2BR, and 2-3 studios isn't going to work instead, I'd be buying BLT instead.

 

[PinkPixel]

I'm not so sure about these predictions of the 2BR being available. This expansion adds about 1.8M points to VGF. It's at about 2.5M now. That's a big change in the total points available, and I think it could pressure the larger rooms.

Half of the VGF1 2BR are lockoffs. Demand for the old studios could make these rooms impossible, like they are right now. Demand for the new rooms could open these up some. We don't know whether demand will still be there for the old studios. There's a whole thread about how people need some of the VGF1 amenities I don't care about.

The question is whether VGF buyers -- old or new -- planned to book larger rooms. Who knows? Right now, it's pretty clear they didn't. 1BR and 2BR aren't impossible. But they really could be in the future with all the new points in VGF.

It's even trickier because now there's a new solution of 2 or 3 studios. This costs a little bit more than a 1BR, and was tricky in VGF1 because there were so few studios. That's a great solution for a lot of larger parties, with increased privacy and tradeoff of the kitchen and the laundry, which I assume will still be next door -- and it sleeps way more people than a 1BR on real beds. Heck, it's a great solution for me. No one is cooking, and I don't want to put grandma on the sleeper sofa in the living room with junior. For a few points more, we'll get her her own room with two beds and swap junior back and forth.

We just don't know how this will shake out, except additional pressure on all rooms at peak times, which is obvious.

All this to say, if you know you must have a 2BR, and 2-3 studios isn't going to work instead, I'd be buying BLT instead.

With minor children you can’t guarantee 2 studios right? That would be pretty doable if you could.

 

[RoseGold]

With minor children you can’t guarantee 2 studios right? That would be pretty doable if you could.

DVC doesn't promise this, even when it would be generally easy to pull off, like Poly.

 

[Sandisw]

With minor children you can’t guarantee 2 studios right? That would be pretty doable if you could.

They will not guarantee that the two studios will be near each other. We do not yet know if VGF2 will have connecting ones. At Poly, it is just a request, but there are been very few (if any) reports that people were not given them there.

I am hoping we do see the connected studios!