home resort

[Boopuff]

Considering a DVC purchase in the future. Need a little help regarding home resorts. Obviously I'd pick a home resort based on what I like about the place. But does ownership at a specific resort give extra "perks" when you actually stay there? (better room location if you actually own at the resort?, room requests granted, abilty to get a grand villa better at your home resort etc.) I'm just wondering (is a point a point no matter where you stay?)

 

[skippytx]

A point is a point. The only home resort benefit is the advance booking windows of 11 months instead of 7. Direct, Resale, Home Resort, renter, doesn't matter. A point is a point.

 

[erionm]

But does ownership at a specific resort give extra "perks" when you actually stay there?

No.

You have a better chance of booking a GV at your home resort if you book when your home resort booking priority period opens (11 months from check in date). The booking window for non-home resorts doesn't open until 7 months from the check in date.

 

[Boopuff]

Very helpful thanks!

 

[kanerf]

The best advice is to buy where you want to stay. Don't purchase a resort that you don't really like in order to have points to book elsewhere. I love Poly, but don't own there. I do manage to book it at 7 months sometimes. I own at OKW, AKL, BRV, BWV and RIV.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Considering a DVC purchase in the future. Need a little help regarding home resorts. Obviously I'd pick a home resort based on what I like about the place. But does ownership at a specific resort give extra "perks" when you actually stay there? (better room location if you actually own at the resort?, room requests granted, abilty to get a grand villa better at your home resort etc.) I'm just wondering (is a point a point no matter where you stay?)

There are some booking categories that need the 11 month booking advantage or else you can't get them. BW view at BWV. Theme park view at BLT. Value villas and Concierge villas at AKV. Most all of GCV at DLR. Tower Studios at RIV. But your underlined questions? Nope.

If you want to go for Food & Wine, you want an Epcot resort so you can walk to Epcot. At seven months out, that booking might not be possible.

 

[crisi]

Do NOT underestimate the value of the home resort booking window. Especially if you want studios. Grand Villas at BWV are seldom available at seven months. BWV and BCV are difficult to get any room at during Food and Wine. Any value room (standard view for instance) or premium room (BW View for instance) are much harder at seven months. Once you are booked, your home resort and any other resort in the system will treat you the same. But booking - if you can plan more than seven months out - is a huge perk. Do not buy DVC and assume you will always be able to book the room in the resort you want when you want it. In fact, buy DVC believing you will plan ahead and book your home resort, then, if you wish, see what is available at seven months and switch.

 

[Boopuff]

Do NOT underestimate the value of the home resort booking window. Especially if you want studios. Grand Villas at BWV are seldom available at seven months. BWV and BCV are difficult to get any room at during Food and Wine. Any value room (standard view for instance) or premium room (BW View for instance) are much harder at seven months. Once you are booked, your home resort and any other resort in the system will treat you the same. But booking - if you can plan more than seven months out - is a huge perk. Do not buy DVC and assume you will always be able to book the room in the resort you want when you want it. In fact, buy DVC believing you will plan ahead and book your home resort, then, if you wish, see what is available at seven months and switch.

Wow! very informative!!! Thanks so much

 

[DisneyOutsider]

Only perk I can think of that fits your query is that Top of the World lounge access for uber-popular nights like New Year's Eve has been limited only to owners staying at Bay Lake Tower in the past. You don't have to be a BLT owner to book BLT, but during times like NYE/Xmas/July4 you will likely need to have the 11 month booking window.

BUT... I believe that as of last year they made Top of the World pay-to-play for New Year's Eve. This pissed off a lot of BLT owners, but I would expect for them to continue and even expand this practice if/when the Lounge opens up again.

 

[havoc315]

Considering a DVC purchase in the future. Need a little help regarding home resorts. Obviously I'd pick a home resort based on what I like about the place. But does ownership at a specific resort give extra "perks" when you actually stay there? (better room location if you actually own at the resort?, room requests granted, abilty to get a grand villa better at your home resort etc.) I'm just wondering (is a point a point no matter where you stay?)

There are no automatic perks from home ownership beyond the booking window.

But the earlier booking window implicitly brings certain perks, as there are room types you may only be able to get at the 11 month window.
For example, Animal Kingdom is a big one -- Concierge rooms and value rooms -- It's almost impossible to get those rooms unless it's your home resort and you book at 11 months.
Studios at CCV... hard to get if it's not your home resort.
Hilton Head in the summer months -- very difficult if it's not your home resort.
Christmas week, Thanksgiving week, etc -- Very hard to get anywhere, unless it's your home resort.

 

[gharter]

The best advice is to buy where you want to stay.

Before we ever purchased, I saw that piece of advice over and over. I completely believe it. It is getting very difficult to find a resort to stay at at the 7 month window. I love the 2 resorts where we own and have the ability at 11 months to reserve what we wish. We stayed at almost every resort before we purchased and have not regretted our choices.
I understand that for some, reserving at 11 months, they don't know what their schedule will be.

 

[Stargazer65]

Someone should mention the 11 month booking window advantage.

As you might gather, it's kind of a big deal.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Only perk I can think of that fits your query is that Top of the World lounge access for uber-popular nights like New Year's Eve has been limited only to owners staying at Bay Lake Tower in the past. You don't have to be a BLT owner to book BLT, but during times like NYE/Xmas/July4 you will likely need to have the 11 month booking window.

BUT... I believe that as of last year they made Top of the World pay-to-play for New Year's Eve. This pissed off a lot of BLT owners, but I would expect for them to continue and even expand this practice if/when the Lounge opens up again.

As a BLT owner, I have traditionally booked July 3 and December 30 at BLT, because the MK had the holiday fireworks on those dates as well. So far, those dates have remained opened for people staying at BLT to use the lounge. Although traditionally, the lounge has reached the numbers limit, so, go early!

 

[Policehorse1]

How hard is it to book Polynesian at the 7 month window for studios?

 

[Rick195275]

How hard is it to book Polynesian at the 7 month window for studios?

Usually not very difficult. Might be a little harder during dvc high demand periods, someone else would need to comment on that. I always find it pretty easy and usually split part of our stay there. It’s my daughters favorite. 11 month window is definitely important! But we love split stays and are usually able to get what we want eventually. Again I have to say we aren’t traveling during what are considered peak DVC periods. We typically go February or April which seem to be low demand periods.

 

[DSLRuser]

I agree somewhat that you should get a contract where you want to stay, BUT.....in almost 4 years and 7 trips on points, we have only stayed at our home resort 1 time.

We are 5-2 month out bookers. Meaning we are flexible. 3 x boardwalk (1br), 1 x contemp tower (2br), 1 x poly (studio), 1 x riviera (studio), 1 x Copper creek (1 bedroom home).

i will say the only time we could actually get into our home resort was at 11 months. It is always full when we look less then 6 month out.

 

[DSLRuser]

How hard is it to book Polynesian at the 7 month window for studios?

got one at 3 weeks for mid december ...... but covid times are not normal

 

[BruinEd03]

got one at 3 weeks for mid december ...... but covid times are not normal

Poly is also under construction.

 

[DSLRuser]

Poly is also under construction.

And?

 

[DaveNan]

And?

Overall availability is better than normal because of COVID and folks cancelling or not traveling. Additionally, Poly is under construction so some folks might be choosing to book/transfer to a different resort. Ohana is not open, Trader Sam's is not open, resort is pretty empty. Some folks my like the empty resort, others might like having more people around. My DD was just there and said the monorail was not running from TTC to Epcot. I also believe the monorail is not stopping at poly. So you either walk to GF to get on the monorail to MK, or you bus everywhere. So Poly availability may be even better if some folks are moving reservations to other resorts that have more services available because they are not under construction.