How difficult to get reservations 7 months out.

[igomezhnl]

My wife and I have just purchased AKL with use year for the month of December. However we frequent DL and CA more often than WDW. Now i'm very nervous that we bought the wrong one, since I have read numerous times on the board that GC is difficult to obtaina room 7 months prior. Does anybody have any suggestions.

1. How difficult is it to get reservations 7 months out?
2. How difficult is it to get reservations at GC Standard?

My wife and I aren't concerened about Summer, Winter Breaks. Since we only go on vacation in the offseason.

 

[supersnoop]

My wife and I have just purchased AKL with use year for the month of December. However we frequent DL and CA more often than WDW. Now i'm very nervous that we bought the wrong one, since I have read numerous times on the board that GC is difficult to obtaina room 7 months prior. Does anybody have any suggestions.

1. How difficult is it to get reservations 7 months out?
2. How difficult is it to get reservations at GC Standard?

My wife and I aren't concerened about Summer, Winter Breaks. Since we only go on vacation in the offseason.

DVC's off season isn't the same as WDW off season. It's actually easier to get a DVC reservation in the summer than the first week of December.

 

[bobbiwoz]

It may be that you should have bought VGC, but see how it goes having to book at 7 months.
I was nervous, but did get 3 nights in a studio at VGC for this past June...I got Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, what I wanted.

 

[Geomom]

If you don't have a specific time of year that you have to travel, I think you'll be fine booking at 7 mths out. I already booked BWV for April vacation next year, but for fun, I looked at resort availability at both VGC and Aulani--I could get a studio at both with no problem for the 3rd week in April, and it was a cheaper season than at WDW.

 

[TheDisneyFour]

You'll probably find that it's hit and miss. I've been able to book VGC more often than not. Even if you can't, you can always book hotel side, Disneyland Hotel or Paradise Pier Hotel. Not a great use of points but you can get a room.

 

[igomezhnl]

If you don't have a specific time of year that you have to travel, I think you'll be fine booking at 7 mths out. I already booked BWV for April vacation next year, but for fun, I looked at resort availability at both VGC and Aulani--I could get a studio at both with no problem for the 3rd week in April, and it was a cheaper season than at WDW.

Aloha,

Thx for the info. Yeah i'm worried because the reason why I bought AKL because it was half the price of GC. It's just my wife and I so theirs no need to purchase a 1 bedroom. So we are planning to use studios. We can pretty much go any time as long as it's not during winter break or summer.

Also I'm a little confused about the 7 month period. So let's say my "7 months" start in December 14 that means I can book up to May 15th? If I want to book in November 15 I just need to wait till May 15 to reserve?

 

[igomezhnl]

It may be that you should have bought VGC, but see how it goes having to book at 7 months.
I was nervous, but did get 3 nights in a studio at VGC for this past June...I got Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, what I wanted.

I purchased resale because it was 1/2 the price per point. But now i guess you get what you pay for

 

[drusba]

Aloha,

Thx for the info. Yeah i'm worried because the reason why I bought AKL because it was half the price of GC. It's just my wife and I so theirs no need to purchase a 1 bedroom. So we are planning to use studios. We can pretty much go any time as long as it's not during winter break or summer.

Also I'm a little confused about the 7 month period. So let's say my "7 months" start in December 14 that means I can book up to May 15th? If I want to book in November 15 I just need to wait till May 15 to reserve?

You can book up to 7 nights at 11 months from date of arrival at your home resort and 7 months from date of arrival at another DVC resort. So if using 7 month window, on December 14, 2014, you can book July 14 to 21, 2015 or anytime before that if still open.

Also, your use year determines points applicable to a trip but is irrelevant to when you can call to reserve, which is always up to 11 months out at home resort or 7 at others. Thus, with Dec use year, you could today, Sep 24, reserve a trip starting Aug 24, 2015 or before at home resort or April 24, 2015 or before at other DVC resorts and use those points that would be in your Dec 2014-2015 use year which would be your "current" use year points for that trip.

VGC can often be found available at 7 months out between second week of Jan and the Friday before Memorial Day weekend in May, except for holiday periods during that time. From Sep to before Christmas it can be hit or miss at 7 months out, except holiday times are usually quite difficult. Unlike WDW, first half of Dec is actually one of the periods you can usually get VGC

At WDW, you have basically two seasons:

(a) low to moderate demand season when it is easy to find many things even at near park resorts at 7 months out, which runs from the Monday after Marathon weekend in Jan through the third week of Sep (and that includes holidays, e.g., you can get BLT lake view and BWV pool/garden view during Easter and July 4 time); the main exception during that time is the Princess half marathon weekend in the third week of Feb when near park resorts have a real risk of filling before 7 months out;

(b) high to extremely high demand season, when it can be difficult to impossible to get near park resorts at 7 months out, which runs from late Sep through marathon weekend in Jan; during the extremely high demand times -- first two weeks of Dec, Christmas week, Thanksgiving time, second weekend in Nov, and the Thurs before Columbus Day through the Monday, a week after Columbus Day-- even AKV and OKW face some risk of being unavailable at 7 months out for some days during those times; there are three moderate times during that quarter when chances are very good even for near park resorts: mid-Nov to Friday before Thanksgiving, third week of Dec, and time between Jan 3 and the Thurs before Marathon weekend.

 

[igomezhnl]

You can book up to 7 nights at 11 months from date of arrival at your home resort and 7 months from date of arrival at another DVC resort. So if using 7 month window, on December 14, 2014, you can book July 14 to 21, 2015 or anytime before that if still open.

Also, your use year determines points applicable to a trip but is irrelevant to when you can call to reserve, which is always up to 11 months out at home resort or 7 at others. Thus, with Dec use year, you could today, Sep 24, reserve a trip starting Aug 24, 2015 or before at home resort or April 24, 2015 or before at other DVC resorts and use those points that would be in your Dec 2014-2015 use year which would be your "current" use year points for that trip.

VGC can often be found available at 7 months out between second week of Jan and the Friday before Memorial Day weekend in May, except for holiday periods during that time. From Sep to before Christmas it can be hit or miss at 7 months out, except holiday times are usually quite difficult. Unlike WDW, first half of Dec is actually one of the periods you can usually get VGC

At WDW, you have basically two seasons:

(a) low to moderate demand season when it is easy to find many things even at near park resorts at 7 months out, which runs from the Monday after Marathon weekend in Jan through the third week of Sep (and that includes holidays, e.g., you can get BLT lake view and BWV pool/garden view during Easter and July 4 time); the main exception during that time is the Princess half marathon weekend in the third week of Feb when near park resorts have a real risk of filling before 7 months out;

(b) high to extremely high demand season, when it can be difficult to impossible to get near park resorts at 7 months out, which runs from late Sep through marathon weekend in Jan; during the extremely high demand times -- first two weeks of Dec, Christmas week, Thanksgiving time, second weekend in Nov, and the Thurs before Columbus Day through the Monday, a week after Columbus Day-- even AKV and OKW face some risk of being unavailable at 7 months out for some days during those times; there are three moderate times during that quarter when chances are very good even for near park resorts: mid-Nov to Friday before Thanksgiving, third week of Dec, and time between Jan 3 and the Thurs before Marathon weekend.

Thanks Drusba for being specific, I was reading some of your other posts and the come in handy. thanks for taking the time to do this for us noobs