How Best to Book a Non-Home Resort?

[bluedoggy]

We have OKW as our home resort, and have always stayed there. But, for 2010, we'd like to try one of the other DVC resorts at DW. So- here's my question- given that we'd like to maybe go sometime in Dec 2010, and we would have to wait for the 7 month window- would it make sense to see if we could transfer all the necessary points to another DVC member that owns at a resort we'd like to stay at, have them book it under their 11 month window? Or, should we rent out our points, then rent points from another DVC member for our stay? Or.... just take our chances and see if we can get in under the 7 month window...
Hope this isn't a too confusing scenario. I'm sure you DVC Pros will have a great answer.

(we haven't even finished this years visit and I'm already working on 2010... I am truly Disney obsessed)

 

[Kmango]

Transferred points retain their original home resort. Transferring them to someone who, say, owns at BCV won't make them eligible for 11 month booking at BCV -- they'll always be OKW points.

Now, in theory, you could swap 11-month reservations with someone who owns at the place you want to stay, but unfortunately, you're at a disadvantage, because OKW is easy to book at at 7 months, so very few owners-at-hard-to-get-resort-who-want-to-stay-at-OKW are going to go through the hassle of trading reservations with you (unless maybe you found someone who wants one of the cheap grand villas?)

If you absolutely have your heart set on one of the small DVCs (BCV, VWL), it might be worth renting from another member and trying to rent your points, but that can lead to hassle and heartache, and there's a decent chance that won't be necessary.

Your simplest, most elegant option, really, is to book at 11 months at OKW and then to call 9am on the morning of 7 months and change. Waitlist if necessary. And have a backup plan. If you want BCV and that's not available, maybe BWV is. Book that, then waitlist BCV. Or just try it. If not VWL, maybe BLT. Etc.

 

[DebbieB]

If you want to stay at any of the other WDW DVC resorts, I'm sure you will find something at 7 months. What part of December? What you may want to do is book OKW at 11 months and then see what you can get at 7 months, waitlisting if necessary.

 

[disneynutz]

Depends on the resort and size of room.

 

[JimMIA]

Depends on the resort and size of room.

I agree; I sure would not consider it a given that you'll be able to get something at seven months for December. That's the busiest time of the year for DVC and most make their ressies at 11 months. In particular, I think you'll find the smaller resorts like VWL and BCV difficult, and if you have specific villa types or views that you want, that will be tough too.

We've had good luck at seven months (and somewhat less), but it has usually been during slower periods like May or early November.

 

[bluedoggy]

I probably would just book OKW as our "back-up" plan - but we've always ended up having to stay there (even though we LOVE it) because there wasn't space at another resort for the whole week. We would need 2 studios- probably going mid-Dec (coming home a few days before Christmas to avoid the crush)
We'll just go with the flow- being at WDW is better than being anywhere else....

 

[Lost in Neverland]

The one thing you might consider is a split stay. If you could get part of your trip at OKW and then maybe mid week change resorts.You could get a flavor of another resort but in the same turn if it you did not particularly care for it then you would only be there a few days.We are doing the same thing in January.A split between OKW and BLT. We are not sure about BLT since because of the new factor but still wanted to try it. This way we are not locked into a resort we do not like for a full 7 days. Just a thought...

 

[SuzanneSLO]

I probably would just book OKW as our "back-up" plan - but we've always ended up having to stay there (even though we LOVE it) because there wasn't space at another resort for the whole week. We would need 2 studios- probably going mid-Dec (coming home a few days before Christmas to avoid the crush)
We'll just go with the flow- being at WDW is better than being anywhere else....

Anither thing to consider is booking a 2 BR instead of 2 studios (yes, it will be more points). It is much harder to move 2 reservations at the 7 month window than just a single reservation and much harder to successfully waitlist. When you WL for 2 rooms each is a spearate WL and each can be confirmed separately, so you may get a your WL for 1 studio at VWL but not the other, so one half of you group is at OKW and the other half is at VWL. Best of luck -- Suzanne