Grand Villa at BW-How to improve my chances

[disney junky]

This is quite a way off, but I love planning. We are hoping to book a GV at BW November 27-December 3, 2016 (the week after Thanksgiving). Any advice would be appreciated. When does the window open to book? The backup plan would be two-2br, but we'd really love the experience of a GV for our family.

 

[crazywig]

Ifyou're an owner you'd need to book online at 8am right at the 11 month window. So that would be this Dec. 27th. There are only 7 grand villas, I have not had any trouble getting one the week before Thanksgiving in the past so I'd assume the week after would be same.

 

[DenLo]

I think crazywig means if you are a BWV owner. If the owner who will be booking the reservation owns another DVC property it is at the 7 month mark from check in that they can book. But with only 7 grand villas at BWV it will be very difficult for anyone other than a BWV owner to get one for Thanksgiving. So the best way to get a BWV GV for that period is to own enough BWV points to reserve it for that period.

 

[drusba]

Your vacation dates happen to be during an extremely high DVC demand time of the year. If an owner, you better be booking a BWV GV exactly 11 months out at 8 a.m. If not an owner and booking at 7 months out, you have no chance. You should also be aware that for the time you want, you even have some risk of being blocked out at exactly 11 months out if seeking a 2BR standard or boardwalk view because those reserving a day before you could fill your arrival date. (Note mentioned above is not having trouble getting something for the week before Thanksgiving; the difference in DVC demand for the time you are seeking and the week before Thanksgiving is an order of magnitude.)

 

[DebbieB]

Their signature picture has BWV on it so I assume that's his/her home resort. I think you have a good chance at exactly 11 months, I've seen those rooms open, most likely because they are so many points. Another plus is November 27 is in choice season, rather than the next week which is in adventure.

 

[disney junky]

BW is our home resort. I am planning to book as early as possible. I just was wondering at what time I should book. Seems like 8am is the time. Call or on-line?

 

[chainkid]

As an owner at BWV who often books this time in a grand villa , you should probably walk the reservation if you want any chance of getting it. Contrary to what others have said about the high points (meaning it will stay open longer)..simply not true at this time of year. There are not many instances when walking is necessary but this is one of them. I waited one year to book right at 11 months and missed out . If you don't mind getting two -two bedroom studios with boardwalk view then its not that crucial and you may luck out.

 

[disney junky]

As an owner at BWV who often books this time in a grand villa , you should probably walk the reservation if you want any chance of getting it. Contrary to what others have said about the high points (meaning it will stay open longer)..simply not true at this time of year. There are not many instances when walking is necessary but this is one of them. I waited one year to book right at 11 months and missed out . If you don't mind getting two -two bedroom studios with boardwalk view then its not that crucial and you may luck out.

Never walked a reservation before. Can you explain how this would work? I thought you didn't have to do this any more because of the way reservations were structured.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

BW is our home resort. I am planning to book as early as possible. I just was wondering at what time I should book. Seems like 8am is the time. Call or on-line?

You can book at 8 am online and would want to do that. Otherwise you would have to wait until 9 am to call in which is an hour that others could/would be booking.

 

[drusba]

Never walked a reservation before. Can you explain how this would work? I thought you didn't have to do this any more because of the way reservations were structured.

Walking example: you want Nov 27 to December 3, 6 nights. You can book 7 nights at 11 months out from date of arrival. Walking is designed to allow you start booking before 11 months out. On Dec 21, you reserve Nov 21-28 (Monday to Monday). That captures the first night you actually want, Nov 27 (a Sunday). Then you call the next day (you cannot do this online so you must call) and drop the first night and add a night at the end. Next day you call and drop another night at the beginnong and add to the end. Do that daily until you actually have the dates you want. In essence you are locking in your room before those who have the same arrival date as you make a reservation.

Nevertheless. it may not work for the time you want. The reason is that Thanksgiving week is also a very high DVC demand time so that if you try to start walking by booking the Monday before Thanksgiving to the Monday after at 11 months out, you could find you cannot get that Monday to Monday time because those wanting Thanskgiving week with arrival dates on the Friday, Saturday or Sunday before Thanksgiving will have already filled the GVs for Thanskgiving week before you try to start your walk. What might have a better chance of working is trying to book Nov 26 (a Saturday) to Dec 2 on Dec 26, and then calling the next day and dropping the first night and adding the last.

 

[DebbieB]

I was just looking at the availability tool and right now the entire month of April has availability and the first 3 weeks of May. Also most of February and March. I don't think they go as fast with the high points required. The week you want is 77 to 81 points per night weekdays and 88 weekend. I think you also have a good chance checking in the Sunday after Thanksgiving, when most people are checking out after the weekend.

 

[drusba]

I was just looking at the availability tool and right now the entire month of April has availability and the first 3 weeks of May. Also most of February and March. I don't think they go as fast with the high points required. The week you want is 77 to 81 points per night weekdays and 88 weekend. I think you also have a good chance checking in the Sunday after Thanksgiving, when most people are checking out after the weekend.

Mid-Jan to late Sep is DVC's low to moderate demand season; late Sep to marathon weekend in Jan is DVC's high demand season; the difference is like night and day. Feb (other than Presidents week and Princess half-marathon weekend) and first half of March are actually two of the lowest DVC demand times of the year and April and May are moderate demand times at most with last week of April also being one the lowest DVC demand times of the year. It is a lot easier to get rooms at near park resorts for holiday times in that mid-Jan to late Sep period than it is at any time in the last quarter of the year. It is during the time that the OP wants when there are real risks of not getting some things at 11 months out.

 

[chainkid]

This year I wanted a BW Grand villa from Dec 4 thru dec 12th. I started walking end of Nov for first open day I could get thanksgiving week and then added on until I had my whole vacation. I later dropped days I didn't want. If you don't have a lot of points it isn't as easy to do as you don't want to have to borrow to do this. BW Grand villas are the hardest to book as they are in great demand and there are so few of them. I have booked grand villas else where at 7 months or even sooner when my schedule was flexible. You pick a time when they are available and then you adjust your vacation plans to fit. Grand villas are a lot of points but when you have a big crowd it makes a wonderful gathering spot for evening get togethers.

 

[jekjones1558]

Since the week you want to book is one of the most popular for DVC, I think that it will book fast and "walking" the reservation would be a good idea. Others who are experts at walking may correct me, but I don't see why you would need to call every day. As long as your "temporary walking" reservation includes your checkin day (Nov. 27), then you know that the room cannot be booked past that date by anyone else. When Dec. 27, your 11 month window for your "permanent" reservation arrives, you can call MS and drop earlier dates and add whatever following dates you need.

 

[drusba]

Since the week you want to book is one of the most popular for DVC, I think that it will book fast and "walking" the reservation would be a good idea. Others who are experts at walking may correct me, but I don't see why you would need to call every day. As long as your "temporary walking" reservation includes your checkin day (Nov. 27), then you know that the room cannot be booked past that date by anyone else. When Dec. 27, your 11 month window for your "permanent" reservation arrives, you can call MS and drop earlier dates and add whatever following dates you need.

I am one in the category that says if you are going to walk, you should call daily. The theory that all others are locked out of your room and thus you really can wait some days to call to drop and add nights has a flaw. If there is any planned renovation or other reason that will take a room out of service for the first extra night you need when walking, then it is possible for others making reservations after you to block you out from that time after the 7 nights you have reserved

 

[disney junky]

I don't have enough points to book six days that would include the high Thanksgiving totals. I've calculated the points I need for these particular six days, and I'm counting on using that many points. If I'm understanding the walking of the reservations, I couldn't do this as it has been explained.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

I don't have enough points to book six days that would include the high Thanksgiving totals. I've calculated the points I need for these particular six days, and I'm counting on using that many points. If I'm understanding the walking of the reservations, I couldn't do this as it has been explained.

As long as you can book 2 nights , you can walk a reservation, but you will have to call daily to drop a day and add another. I've never had a problem when I did not call daily, so calling only once or twice is my preference. -- Suzanne