Grand villas - easy to reserve?

[ncurley]

I am interested in buying points at a DVC resort with grand villas, just curious about availability at 7 and 11 months out. We have enjoyed Disney in early May, October & November at generally non peak times (prefer avoiding crowds but weather warm enough for swimming is ideal). Sadly, our kids (2 and 5) get older we may need to travel during more busy times of the year. Which grand villa is easiest to book? I could make do with a smaller unit, just want to be sure a villa is possible if family comes every couple of years or so.

 

[nalajms]

We haven't book at grand villa yet, but I'm guessing it's a numbers game as well. That means AKV and SSR will likely have more availability at the 7m mark.

We own at BWV, with 7 GV, the times that I've looked they've been booked before 7m.

I also noticed that the GV at VGF was wide open several times that I've checked after 11m but before 7m.

When I looked today for a possible late July trip, AKV & SSR was still available. A few nights even at BLT.

 

[hakepb]

FYI, October and November are actually very popular DVC times, especially at EPCOT area resorts because of Food and Wine. So don't be suprised when you find limited availability then. (1st week of December might actually be the most popular DVC week)

With the online booking tool, there has been a poster checking 7 mo availability and, overall there has been good GV availability right at 7 months (which was contrary to the popular opinion OKW ownership was absolutely necessary to getting an OKW GV)

 

[crisi]

Yeah, watch your assumptions on non-peak times - DVC will have you standing on your head.

Also, some of us find that when family comes along, we are WAY better off a room for them and our normal one or two bedroom for us. I love my brother in law, but sharing a room with him for a week will probably result in him seeing the bottom of Bay Lake with an anchor tied around his neck. Its one of those things that for some families sounds better in theory (lets book a Grand Villa) than in practice (different bed times, different coffee schedules - Grand Villas are big, but they aren't that big.)

As to availability, it depends on which resort and when - you can often get SOMETHING at seven months in a Grand Villa (although October through early January might be tough) - but you might not end up at your first choice in resorts.

 

[ncurley]

Thanks for the replies. I am curious if anyone has stayed in different grand villas and can compare? I have seen some videos on YouTube but am curious if anyone can comment on which they likes best and why, also things like room locations/proximity to the buses, etc. Looking at point charts Old Key West seems a great value. VGF seems amazing but I am not sure I could justify the point cost!

 

[ncurley]

Yeah, watch your assumptions on non-peak times - DVC will have you standing on your head.

Also, some of us find that when family comes along, we are WAY better off a room for them and our normal one or two bedroom for us. I love my brother in law, but sharing a room with him for a week will probably result in him seeing the bottom of Bay Lake with an anchor tied around his neck. Its one of those things that for some families sounds better in theory (lets book a Grand Villa) than in practice (different bed times, different coffee schedules - Grand Villas are big, but they aren't that big.)

As to availability, it depends on which resort and when - you can often get SOMETHING at seven months in a Grand Villa (although October through early January might be tough) - but you might not end up at your first choice in resorts.

I have considered staying in 2 bedroom and a studio or 1 bed for lower point value than a grand villa. I am interested in the size of a grand villa for the common/living area mostly. Is the common area of a 2 bedroom big enough for a large extended family to spend time together? I know the villas sleep 12 and have bigger living areas.

 

[jekjones1558]

I have considered staying in 2 bedroom and a studio or 1 bed for lower point value than a grand villa. I am interested in the size of a grand villa for the common/living area mostly. Is the common area of a 2 bedroom big enough for a large extended family to spend time together? I know the villas sleep 12 and have bigger living areas.

We have only stayed in OKW and BWV grand villas. The big advantage of any of the grand villas is the large living area for eating and spending time together. We also found the grand villas useful in having the little kids sleeping in one big unit for babysitting purposes, so the gray heads could give the kids' parents a night out. But there is always the risk that too much togetherness can get overwhelming. You really have to know your group and whether one large or several smaller rooms would work better for you.

 

[crisi]

I have considered staying in 2 bedroom and a studio or 1 bed for lower point value than a grand villa. I am interested in the size of a grand villa for the common/living area mostly. Is the common area of a 2 bedroom big enough for a large extended family to spend time together? I know the villas sleep 12 and have bigger living areas.

We've only stayed in a BWV Grand Villa - and it was four of us - plenty of room.

There is a master bedroom that is the same as master bedrooms in the one and two bedrooms (connected to the bath with a tub. There are two bedrooms with queen beds and their own bathrooms (the main area bathroom would be the master bath). And then there are three "units" (if one bedroom is one unit) worth of living space - a dining room and a large living room that includes a pull out couch. Lots of room for a lot of people to hang - but honestly, I still wouldn't want to share a coffee maker with my brother in law. Or the little galley kitchen. And no one wants to sleep in the living room on the pull out. When we went with my family, we ended up with two two bedrooms rather than a Grand Villa (for ten people). For us, we spent our together time at the pool or at restaurants - we really weren't interested in spending our together time in the room. We have different sleep schedules and different morning timelines.

As jekjones says, you have to know your group - and it helps to be honest with yourself on whether you really like your mother in law well enough to for the togetherness experience of sharing a unit. Plenty of people do....

 

[crisi]

Oh, another thing - a lot of us have discovered that buying points for our families and then dreaming of these big family trips doesn't live up to expectations. In my case, the family trip got moved twice (my sister got pregnant, then had breast cancer), and happened with two less people (my baby sister broke up with her partner, then decided not to come along herself during the three years of reschedule). Other people have found their family backs out, or can't afford park tickets and airfare even if the room is free, or is just a pain in the back end - wanting different resorts, or to switch reservations - or even inviting extra guests (really, we've had some "you won't believe" stories). Again, know your group and be realistic. These dreams you have during the the purchase phase are great fun - but they don't always pan out and if they aren't realistic, you don't want to be basing purchase decisions off two family reunion trips you don't end up actually taking.

 

[Nanajo1]

We've stay in GVs at BWVs and OKW. OKW was a two story GV I believe there was a fourth bathroom off the kitchen. Two Bedrooms upstairs with their own baths,Master on first floor. There was a large common area with two couches one a sleeper, two upholstered chairs,large coffee table and area lamps. The dining area accommodated twelve people easily. The kitchen was a good size. The balcony was huge with table and chairs. The BWV GV was one story. Same Master set up. Between the Master and the other two bedrooms is a large common area. Visually divided into a TV area and conversationally area. There was a small table and two ladder back chairs, a sleeper , a love seat, other upholstered chairs. The dining area had a large table with 8 chairs. The kitchen is a little tight for more than one cook. The balcony ran along the common room area just above the Boardwalk. Also had balconies off the bedrooms. I am sure I forgot something. We like the large common areas. We usually have one big breakfast in the GV. All twenty two of us fit! We even cooked Thanksgiving Dinner in OKW.

 

[Muhlenberg]

We've stayed in a GV at SSR. Very generally speaking, SSR GV are fairly easy to get at 7 months out. I would think that is mostly because there are 36 of them, and people go for the "close to park" resorts. We were able to book that GV for the 1st week of Dec. at 7 months out.

Unlike others, our group is ok in a GV. So far. We were just really glad to be in ANY GV, and really enjoyed all being together.

OKW has 27 GV, I think. Which makes it #2 in most GV available. That said, they are the CHEAPEST GV by far, and will book up before SSR.

Availability is dependent upon number of units available, among other factors. If you really want a GV, book at your home resort, and keep an open mind if you decide to switch resorts at 7 months.

 

[cedricandsophie]

Have stayed in ocean front cottage at vero beach. Three bedrooms on lower level and three bathrooms plus laundry down there. Upper level has living area, kitchen and two balconies. Two of the bedrooms have two queen beds and one bedroom has king bed. Have toured the ones at aulani which are lovely too. But they all assume 4 people in two of the bedrooms, two people in the master and 2 people on the couch. If you have a few adults, I don't think any of them would be willing to share a bedroom. Get awkward. Unless it was just kids with us I would prefer a two bedroom and a one bedroom of even a couple of studios using the biggest suite as a meeting place.

 

[Sarabi's Cubs]

There was plenty of availability for Christmas week at BLT. That surprised me!

Laurie

 

[dbs1228]

I have only stayed in the GV at BLT and I have to say I LOVED it! My DD's are in their late teens/early 20's so it was really nice - they each brought a friend/boy friend and my niece came along. It was a perfect set up. All the kids upstairs with the 5 beds (2 bdrms, and alcove area had pullout couch w/ TV across which was perfect) there were 2 baths upstairs and one at the bottom of the stairs. master was on main level. We booked GV again for 8 nights over NYE this year so excited!

 

[drusba]

If you own at a resort, you will be able to reserve the GV at that resort if it has them at 11 months out. As to getting them at 7 months out at another DVC resort at WDW: (a) from Tues after marathon weekend in Jan to the beginning of food and wine near end of Sep, it is fairly easy to get a GV at any WDW DVC resort except BWV where they are often gone year round before 7 months out, and except OKW in the middle of June and BLT the few days around July 4; (b) from late Sep through marathon weekend in Jan, there can be difficulty many times getting one for except at SSR, although even it has a risk of unavailability the first week of Dec and Christmas week particularly around NYE, and AKV, particularly Kidani, even though it can have problems for some days first two weeks of Dec, Christmas week, Thanksgiving time, Veterans Day weekend in Nov, and middle of Oct, and thus far VGF except Thanksgiving time, and some days in middle of Oct, first week of Dec, and Veterans Day weekend (VGF is a new resort still developing its patterns).

As to personal preferences, I am very partial toward the single story GVs at BWV and AKV Jambo; none of the other WDW. resorts have single story GVs. Both Jambo and BWV single story give you significantly more living room space than the two stories elsewhere and at BWV you essentially have one huge room that is a combination living room, Kitchen, and dining room. Also the Jambo GV has huge balconies, a pool table room, and a master bath with a centrally located tub overlooked by a wide screen TV. Though I have not stayed in them, I have been inside the BLT two story GVs and would put them at the top of the two stories particularly because the two story living room has floor to ceiling windows to look through.

 

[JoeA]

We've stayed at the GV at AKVJ and loved it. The pool table in the room got a lot if use, too! It was nice having all the room, extra bathrooms, and large patios.

I liked having everything and everyone on one floor and the "common area" offered a lot of space for our large group.

 

[JoeA]

Forgot to add...we booked at 11 months so it was pretty easy.