help me please

[jtheodore]

how tough is it booking bay lake tower if I boight points at saratoga springs? Is 7 months out to short to attempt year after year

 

[jtheodore]

Also besides booking an extra 4 months in advance what if any benefits are there at your home resort

 

[mdinme]

It'll depend on time of year, room type and view type. Holidays at BLT are tough esp MK view, if you're doing off peak (dvc off-peak) you'll get something I figure.

 

[jtheodore]

I usually got the week after thanksgiving

 

[mdinme]

You'll be ok. Get on the phone the day 7th month window opens

 

[jtheodore]

Thanks

 

[Deb & Bill]

I usually got the week after thanksgiving

If that is the first week of December (like Dec 3 or thereabouts), you may be disappointed a lot. The first week of December is hard to get at seven months out for nearly every resort.

 

[Magic3forme]

Christmas and NYE are tough to get too. (at 11mos I got one of the last rooms.)

Standard view rooms are harder to book - lake view are the easiest.

 

[chalee94]

how tough is it booking bay lake tower if I boight points at saratoga springs? Is 7 months out to short to attempt year after year

the period between thanksgiving and new years is THE busiest period for DVC bookings. here's a thread discussing actual availability at 7 months out during the 1st week of december:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2919467

lots of people bought at SSR thinking they would never have to stay there. those people were really bad at math. a few have been lucky, many have either learned to love SSR or been disappointed.

 

[Lynne M]

If you're going to be disappointed if you can't stay in BLT that week, then buy BLT.

Many people assume that slow times at the parks are also slow times at the DVC resorts, but that's most definitely not the case. The period from Thanksgiving to New Year's Day is by far the busiest season for DVC bookings. People are on the phones the morning that their 11-month window opens. All of the holiday stuff is in full swing, and DVC members take the opportunity to see it without the heavy crowds and high point costs of Christmas week.

BLT is new, and it's popular because of its proximity to the MK. That's why it costs more. If you want to be able to consistently book it when you want to, then you need to pay that extra cost.

 

[jtheodore]

Thanks everyone. This is all so usefull.

 

[CarolMN]

Just chiming in to say you are not going to be able to book BLT for that time on a consistent basis. We go at that time every other year and I always book my BWV standard view as soon as the 11 month window opens. Only once was I able to waitlist into BLT for that time ( a 1 bedroom) and I got on the waitlist at 9 am on the very day my 7 month window opened. (I love BWV and prefer to stay there most of the time, but I wanted to give BLT a try at least once).

Plan on waitlisting most years and staying in a lake view room. Standard and MK view rooms will be booked before the 7 month window opens. Studios and 2 bedrooms will be much more difficult to get than a 1 bedroom.

If you can't book more than 7 months in advance or if you don't mind staying at your home resort of SSR if BLT isn't available, SSR will be a good choice for you.

If you will be disappointed if you can't book BLT, then buy BLT. BLT dues are less than SSR and trust me, the extra up front cost to get BLT points will not seem like such a good deal if you are unhappy when you can't stay there.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[Disneypapa]

I'm going to agree with Carol. If any resort were easy to book at seven months, then everyone would buy the cheapest points they could get and book anywhere they wanted, year after year. As the DVC membership increases, there will be more demand for rooms and more and more people will have to settle for their home resort.

Just chiming in to say you are not going to be able to book BLT for that time on a consistent basis. We go at that time every other year and I always book my BWV standard view as soon as the 11 month window opens. Only once was I able to waitlist into BLT for that time ( a 1 bedroom) and I got on the waitlist at 9 am on the very day my 7 month window opened. (I love BWV and prefer to stay there most of the time, but I wanted to give BLT a try at least once).

Plan on waitlisting most years and staying in a lake view room. Standard and MK view rooms will be booked before the 7 month window opens. Studios and 2 bedrooms will be much more difficult to get than a 1 bedroom.

If you can't book more than 7 months in advance or if you don't mind staying at your home resort of SSR if BLT isn't available, SSR will be a good choice for you.

If you will be disappointed if you can't book BLT, then buy BLT. BLT dues are less than SSR and trust me, the extra up front cost to get BLT points will not seem like such a good deal if you are unhappy when you can't stay there.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

Also besides booking an extra 4 months in advance what if any benefits are there at your home resort

It doesn't look like this second part of your question got answered.

The priority booking period is the only "benefit" of owning at a specific resort.

Of course, the other considerations for picking a specific home resort are the purchase price, the maintenance fees, and the end date of the contract.

 

[dvcterry]

if it is any help to you, i have been able to book blt at 7 months out. with my job, i do have to change vacation requests 6 months or less, so it is possible. at times i have to waitlist a day here or there, and this is reality. but often the waitlist is matched and a all i can recommend is a little patience when you put in a waitlist, because people do change their plans. although we do not own at ssr, we do love staying there. in fact, we are so excited because our next trip after nye will be at ssr and we can not wait to just relax and enjoy it!