Has anyone booked an entire month?

[oswald1]

I have never tried it, but am getting to the age of retirement and wondering if it is possible for a month like Jan or Feb?

(I'm sorry that I don't have an avatar on my profile. I have no idea how it was removed and I cannot figure out how to replace it. When I try to start a thread, there is an angry, all caps, post telling me to add an avatar. I'd love to, but cannot)

 

[drusba]

You can book as many days as your points may allow. On the computer system, you can only do 30 at one time but you can call and add more. The main issue you will have is ultimately booking the entire trip if trying to get a room category that can have issues of availability. You still cannot book more than 7 nights at exactly 11 or 7 nights out. Particularly for the seven night window for another resort, that means if you achieve a reservation right at 7 months out, you could lose all or part of the rest because owners of the resort could get the days after you make that first reservation.

At 11 months out, you should be able to do it as long as you get your initial 7 night reservation at 11 months out; you just need to continuously add days daily, or at least every six days, until you have what you want. However, that still has some risk, e.g., unknown to members beforehand was that the AKV value rooms were to be taken out of service for about December 4, 2019 to January 26, 2020, and thus if you wanted an extended trip beginning in late November, you would have found yourself blocked out from reserving the entire trip even if you started to reserve 11 months out.

As to your avatar, it is a three-click process to get to the box you need to do changes. Click on your empty picture frame until a box comes up, then click on the empty picture frame again until a page comes up, and then click on the empty picture frame again and you should get a box called Avatar Editor and there you can add an avatar photo.

 

[oswald1]

Right, that why I am wondering if anyone has ever done it and how it went? Was it even possible? Thinking that maybe a slow month like Jan or Feb might be possible, but I don't know.

 

[drusba]

Right, that why I am wondering if anyone has ever done it and how it went? Was it even possible? Thinking that maybe a slow month like Jan or Feb might be possible, but I don't know.

The most I have ever done is three weeks (back when the computer system only allowed two weeks total). It should be possible as long as you get your first reservation for 7 nights at exactly 11 months out. Once you have that all you need to do is add days thereafter (at least every six days), because unless rooms are going out service for some of the time you want, there is no way anyone can get the room you reserved at 11 months out for any the days you want as long as you keep adding days, i.e., they cannot get any open arrival date at 11 months out for the room you have. Thus, whether it is a slow or high demand month makes no difference as long as you get that first 7 night reservation at 11 months out.

 

[oswald1]

Thanks for the input. How was your experience with the 3 weeks, was it worth the points? I was also wondering about the competition between all the other DVC/Boulder Ridge folks, all at 11 months out, aging population, snow birds, and since the winter of 2019.....more of us trying to get out of here

 

[Simba's Mom]

I have never tried it, but am getting to the age of retirement and wondering if it is possible for a month like Jan or Feb?

(I'm sorry that I don't have an avatar on my profile. I have no idea how it was removed and I cannot figure out how to replace it. When I try to start a thread, there is an angry, all caps, post telling me to add an avatar. I'd love to, but cannot)

Although we haven't, I know there are several people who did it at HHI, have the resort as their winter home. They spend a month at HHI, then check out and go to WDW for a few days, then back to HHI for another month or so.

 

[kniquy]

wondering if it is possible for a month like Jan or Feb?

If I were to do this, I would want to book the first 7 nights and keep adding on until the month is booked. After that i would look at the 7 month mark and see what other resorts were open. That would be the ultimate time to do a split stay or work in some 1BR time so that you would have cooking and laundry ability. I think those would be the 2 things i would miss the most. You can only do so much in your studio with the microwave and I guess you could bring a slow cooker or instant pot to use. Food would get pretty expensive if you had to have the majority of your meals out.

 

[beccasmom]

We’ve never done so, but we met a guy - not retired at the time if memory serves - at OKW who booked a month in a studio. Said he did so every February, but I can’t remember if he always stayed at OKW. A studio would drive me a little crazy for a month, but he was alone and the OKW studios are a good size.

 

[cruisin5]

Although we haven't, I know there are several people who did it at HHI, have the resort as their winter home. They spend a month at HHI, then check out and go to WDW for a few days, then back to HHI for another month or so.

Adding this to my bucket list. Thank you for the idea! (perhaps goal is a better word!)

 

[Donna M]

Our plan is to stay at WDW for about 4 weeks mid Jan to mid Feb once I stop babysitting the grandkids fulltime. I can't wait!

 

[ABCanada]

I have never tried it, but am getting to the age of retirement and wondering if it is possible for a month like Jan or Feb?

We do 3+ weeks in January and enjoy it. We spend 5 days to a week in each of a variety of resorts. Moving between resorts is a bit of a nuisance but Disney makes it reasonably easy. The advantages are:
- different restaurant choices
- different walking trails
- proximity to parks (we do not always do the parks but when we do we tend to visit the park(s) we do not need to take a bus to from the resort we are currently at)

Friends usually join us for a week or so which is nice.

We both have fairly flexible work, sort of semiretired, so do work part-time remotely while there.

 

[miTnosnhoJ]

You might enjoy this post about a couple who lived a year in their timeshares. https://www.disboards.com/threads/one-year-living-in-our-timeshares-2-1-2-year-update.3121140/

 

[giovanni2231]

I currently have a reservation for 21 days set up for June. Takes a lot of planning, but i am also going in the summer, want to book things like specials events, spa treatments, dessert party and of course dining. I am buying the deluxe dining plan. Seems like you have gotten some really great insight so far, just keep in mind are you planning to make dining reservations and things for all 30 days? If so, you can make up to the first 10 days at once from your check in date, then you will need to call back everyday and add for the next day. If you start breaking up the resorts or stays with multiple reservation numbers, that can become overwhelming as well, especially in the planning stages. It is a great idea and I think doable if you have the points, just will matter how much planning you will want to do in advance. BTW January is not as slow as you think. They have the Intl Festival of the Arts in January at Epcot, that draws crowds. We were just there in January, it was crowded, one thing to think about in January, it most likely wont be pool weather. I think if your thinking a month, think about a time where you can maximize your point value, but also think about what your plans will be in that month. If there a month, you will most likely want the pool. The crowds seem to be there 365 these days, so if something like relaxing by the pool isn't important, then yes January - March is probably the obvious time to go.

 

[jo-jo]

If I were to do this, I would want to book the first 7 nights and keep adding on until the month is booked. After that i would look at the 7 month mark and see what other resorts were open. That would be the ultimate time to do a split stay or work in some 1BR time so that you would have cooking and laundry ability. I think those would be the 2 things i would miss the most. You can only do so much in your studio with the microwave and I guess you could bring a slow cooker or instant pot to use. Food would get pretty expensive if you had to have the majority of your meals out.

I remember reading somewhere about a couple that did this for about 6 weeks. Every week they switched from a studio to a one bedroom. Studio ate more meals out, went to parks more. One bedroom, cooked, stayed in more.

I think my last night in the one bedroom I'd be cooking to have leftovers for a couple of days in the studio, while doing all the laundry.

I would love do be able to do this.....if it wasn't for those pesky lack of points.

 

[quandrea]

For fun, I’ve done dummy reservations to see what availability might be like. No trouble booking two months at OKW in a studio at 11m. My plan is to winter at DVC once my family is grown and responsibilities allow for it.

 

[RipperSB]

Longest we've done was 21 nights, at our home resort (BLT), back in Jan 2016. I called and booked the first 7 nights and then called each day to add on the extra night until all 21 were booked.

 

[E2ME2]

Well hello all my "Snow"Birds of a feather
The 1-to2 months at a time in Jan/Feb is also my endgame with DVC.
There are only 2 obstacles in place right now:
1) Need more points!
2) Not yet retired, but counting down to year-end 2020
I'm really nervous in considering how & when to add on, given the meteoric rise in costs & in points required.
I may have to seriously consider resale for the first time.
Anyone think the debacle on future use will be clarified any time soon??

Any more tips on snow-birding? I'm an anxious learner, and can't wait to spend winters in a warmer climate