HH Seven Months Prior to November 5

[vacationer1954]

Please pardon another "what are the chances seven months prior" thread. We own at BWV. We've had a lot of success in the past switching our BWV reservation (made eleven months prior) to BCV, VWL, AKL and BLT whenever we were so inclined, with only a recent exception of this coming early December trip, during which we were unable to swap.

After our upcoming March 2017 trip, we're talking a couple of years off from WDW. We could bank our (June Use Year) points from UY 2017 into UY 2018, aiming for some larger family trip in winter or spring 2019, but quite frankly I'm not sure family members are going to be keen for a trip to WDW in that time frame given where they all will be in their lives at the time.

So we are hoping to use our DVC points for a week visiting Savannah (1 hour away) and Charleston (a bit more than 2 hours away), based at the Villas at Hilton Head. (We also have friends who occasionally are resident at Beaufort, halfway to Charleston, so that may work out really well.)

I can imagine our chances of success are pretty low trying to get a 1BR or even a studio at HH for the last week in March (typically the last week of Choice Season) seven months prior to the trip. However, the division between Choice and Dream Season is typically April 1. We have enough points to incur the larger point cost. Does anyone know if there is generally some 1BR or studio availability left at HH at the seven month point prior to the first week in April?​

UPDATED: We're now asking about the chances we'll have getting a 1BR at HH for the first full week of November (November 5-8, 2017) seven months prior to the trip. I imagine that, compared to the beginning of Spring, mid-Autumn is relatively easy to book at HH at the seven month point - correct?

 

[drusba]

If you intend to take the trip in 2018, Easter will be April 1, 2018, making last week of March and first week of April the two Easter weeks and, for those, you can potentially face issues getting any size room, although you still have some chance. If 2019, you will likely be able to get anything you want other than possibly GVs since that time of year is typically open at 7 months out when they are not part of the Easter weeks.

 

[vacationer1954]

Good point!

And now my spouse says that we should target the week of November 5, 2017 instead. I'm going to try to change the title of this thread.

 

[drusba]

You should not have a problem. For all of fall except a couple days around Thanskgiving and except for GVs once in a while, Hilton Head has been open at 7 months out for the last three years.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I hope it works out! It should.

 

[vacationer1954]

I'm actually a little disappointed at my spouses change of direction. FWIR, Savannah is beautiful in the Spring and a major reason for our trip to HH is to visit Savannah. However, my spouse's point is well-taken. That Spring 2018 vacation would be far too close to a Summer 2018 Alaska cruise, and would leave too much of a gap between our March 2017 WDW vacation and the trip to HH. March, April (a year later), July. This way, we have trips in March, November and then July - more evenly spaced out (though that November to July wait will be agonizing).

Thanks!

 

[Dean]

I'm actually a little disappointed at my spouses change of direction. FWIR, Savannah is beautiful in the Spring and a major reason for our trip to HH is to visit Savannah. However, my spouse's point is well-taken. That Spring 2018 vacation would be far too close to a Summer 2018 Alaska cruise, and would leave too much of a gap between our March 2017 WDW vacation and the trip to HH. March, April (a year later), July. This way, we have trips in March, November and then July - more evenly spaced out (though that November to July wait will be agonizing).

Thanks!

You might consider other alternatives. You should have no problem for Nov at 7 months but there are other alternatives besides DVC. You might consider renting your points and doing something with cash. IF so for HH, I'd suggest the newer Marriott's, esp Grande Ocean. An alternative given your planned day trips would be to get with a bluegreen owner and rent Ellis square for Savannah and Lodge Alley Inn for Charleston. Or you could even do all 3 with a couple of nights each. You could likely rent Grande Ocean for a 2 BR (no smaller villas) for $1200-1400 or so.

 

[vacationer1954]

Thanks for the suggestion but I burned out on the "rent the points; do something else" thing years ago. I think the next time I involve myself in a business transaction related to my DVC points it'll be to sell the contract entirely. We still go back and forth on selling the contract, at times, but so far we've used it as a signal that we need to take two or three years off. That's why we are planning no visits to WDW between March 2017 and probably April 2019 or perhaps even April 2020 (the latter accomplished by using the UY 2017 points for the HH trip and banking the UY 2018 points into UY 2019). By then, we'll probably be ready to "go home", and for that matter WDW will offer us a number of "new" things that we missed in the interim, i.e., Rivers of Light, Avatar, and by 2020 probably even Cars Land or Star Wars Land.

I'm intrigued about the "get with a bluegreen owner" idea. It sounds like perhaps you feel there's a way to exchange a week at the BoardWalk Villas for (let's say) three nights in Savannah and two nights in Charleston. Is there a "For Dummies" guide to making something like that happen, somewhere?

 

[Dean]

Thanks for the suggestion but I burned out on the "rent the points; do something else" thing years ago. I think the next time I involve myself in a business transaction related to my DVC points it'll be to sell the contract entirely. We still go back and forth on selling the contract, at times, but so far we've used it as a signal that we need to take two or three years off. That's why we are planning no visits to WDW between March 2017 and probably April 2019 or perhaps even April 2020 (the latter accomplished by using the UY 2017 points for the HH trip and banking the UY 2018 points into UY 2019). By then, we'll probably be ready to "go home", and for that matter WDW will offer us a number of "new" things that we missed in the interim, i.e., Rivers of Light, Avatar, and by 2020 probably even Cars Land or Star Wars Land.

I'm intrigued about the "get with a bluegreen owner" idea. It sounds like perhaps you feel there's a way to exchange a week at the BoardWalk Villas for (let's say) three nights in Savannah and two nights in Charleston. Is there a "For Dummies" guide to making something like that happen, somewhere?

One could either rent or do a direct exchange. BG has the only timeshare in Savannah and one of 2 in Charleston. Both are very nice resorts in great areas. I could see a direct exchange being advantageous for both sides and I could see a BG owner being interested in trading a 1 BR or 2 BR for a week between those 2 for BG resorts for the same at a DVC resort. I doubt one would be able to get the presidential at Ellis Square in that deal even but there are ways to adjust accordingly. Ellis square in the heart of the historic district in Savannah and LAI is the same in Charleston. Both are great resorts, Ellis square is a little quirky. Both can be reserved as little as 2 days. If you do decide to try to stay there, get with me privately and I can give you the lowdown on parking and finding the resort. Another alternative since you don't want to rent is this. Pay cash for say Grande Ocean on HH or similar since this is a slower time and use the DVC points for something else like a cruise assuming they're qualified points. You may still come out ahead or get more for the same $$$.

 

[vacationer1954]

Thanks. The spouse has spoken and wants to spend the week at HH, specifically.

I. Obey.

 

[Dean]

Thanks. The spouse has spoken and wants to spend the week at HH, specifically.

I. Obey.

Personally then I wouldn't do the day trips in all likelihood, esp not to Charleston. Just realize you could get a villa on the beach at what I consider both nicer resorts and better locations for less than the value of the DVC points and close to just the dues on those points.

 

[vacationer1954]

Personally then I wouldn't do the day trips in all likelihood, esp not to Charleston.

I suspect this will be another "I. Obey." situation.

 

[lovin'fl]

I may have a solution...looking something up and will get back to you. HHI owner here. We're going for NYE this year, when it's cold. My DH has also spoken...and we're doing a Savannah day too.

So Nov 4-7, 2017 is 70 pts in HH 1BR
April 13-16, 2017 stand studio at SSR is 70 pts

OP, Can't IM you...can you message me?

 

[Simba's Mom]

UPDATED: We're now asking about the chances we'll have getting a 1BR at HH for the first full week of November (November 5-8, 2017) seven months prior to the trip. I imagine that, compared to the beginning of Spring, mid-Autumn is relatively easy to book at HH at the seven month point - correct?

You should be fine. In November, the only week that you might not be able to get a 1 BR at 7 months is Thanksgiving week. Otherwise you'll be fine. And just an FYI, we had no trouble getting a studio at 7 months for late April. However, in my opinion, 1 BRs are far superior to studios-well worth the extra points. That's why we've spent the last 11 Thanksgivings in a 1 BR there.

 

[maloned]

Sorry to ask in this thread.. but it's about Hilton Head.

We wanted to stay in a studio at Hilton Head from August 12, 2017 - August 20, 2017. My Non-Home Resort booking window opened two weeks ago. I miscalculated and waited till today. Now there's nothing available. I book Vero Beach as a backup and waitlisted a Hilton Head. I hope we get it. Does anyone think that I have a chance of getting it since the waitlist is so many months out?

 

[lovin'fl]

I would suggest you break it up into two 4 night waitlists but then you may have one come through but not the other and then would you want to do Vero and HH??? Also stalk the availability tracker and maybe grab days as they come up. I'd think you have a good chance but you are ask wanting a studio and they are more in demand than a 1BR.

 

[vacationer1954]

Okay, my spouse has had a change of heart. We're back to looking at Spring 2018, but aiming now at the week prior: March 18. So this is a full two weeks prior to Easter.