How easy is it to book other resorts at 7 months?

[westie55]

I am considering buying DVC. My favorite resort is Grand Floridian and I would like to stay there most often, but I do enjoy changing up resorts to give our vacations some variety. My question is, how essential is it to buy the resort you want to be at most? If we often travel in the summer, is there much availability at 7 months for other resorts or is it nearly impossible to get VGF, for example, at 7 months if I owned somewhere else?

 

[han22735]

The summer isn't really a busy time for DVC except around the 4th of July. We travel every August and this year had studios available at 7 months at all resorts except BC and CCV.

 

[crvetter]

I would always caution that if you must have or want a particular resort most times, especially one of the smallest WDW resort (might be the smallest) I would consider buying resale directly there. VGF is one of the most desired resorts (behind BCV, and maybe BWV depending on the time of year) at all times of the year. Just cause there is availability at 7 months doesn't mean you aren't competing for as little as 1 room against everyone else at 7 months. Owning there gives you the best chance of having what you want and provides some insurance if you decide to change your travel season. Currently summer is the easiest to move at 7 months all around but with the recent 2021 point reallocation (and the suspected future moves) DVC is making summer cheaper than years past, perhaps increasing its popularity, so the past might not always be a good prediction of the future. If you own VGF you have some powerful points to rent out so you can pay to rent another resort. VGF are extremely easy to rent and command a premium (especially certain times of the year when 7 month points can't get in). So that is another insurance that you can rent them out and use that cash to rent another resort prior to 7 months.

I will add that VGF is hard for studios at 11 months from October through January (especially beginning of December) but some other DVC resorts are also difficult during that time.

 

[disneynutz]

There is a reason why Disney created the home resort 11 month advantage. If booking everywhere at 7 months was possible, everyone would only own the least expensive resort.

Bill

 

[_auroraborealis_]

VGF is the smallest WDW resort.

 

[Sandisw]

I have had luck getting nights in studios at VGF at 7 months for June July and August.

I have been flexible with dates though so I could watch the ability and choose which week to try and get my 4 nights...so it’s not impossible.

However, if I knew for sure that is where I wanted to be, and didn’t want to chance 7 months, I would buy there for sure,

It is one of my favorites but if I get a trip there once a year out of all my trips i would be happy.

 

[DisneyTravelers2008]

Studios seem to book up first at all locations so consider getting enough points to book one bedrooms or larger....

Over the years, we have had great luck when it comes to booking at 7 months. It helps if you are online and ready to book asap when the 8 am eastern time window opens. And, set up wait lists right away. I would say that 97 percent of the time, we can book what we want at 7 months or end up getting it on a wait list...

 

[Arthur2990]

Check out these Room Prediction tables.
https://www.disboards.com/threads/p...tember-2019-2-bd-added.3689931/#post-59393062

 

[Geomom]

We got VGF standard studio at 7 mths out for the end of July with no problems. (Staying there this summer.) We've been able to stay at other resorts at 7 mths out during February, April, and summer vacations. Columbus Day weekend, we've gotten what we wanted through the waitlist. Thanksgiving, we were just lucky to get a room. Our home resort was already booked up when I was ready to book at 8 mths, so we ended up at SSR at 7 mths...waitlisted at a couple other places, but they never came through. So, it's very season dependent...

 

[westie55]

Thanks everyone! This is all very helpful. Given that staying at the VGF isn't essential to me and is only something I want to be able to do sometimes, I think it makes the most financial sense for me to spend my limited budget elsewhere. I do love all the resorts and have stayed at most. Someday if money ever becomes less of an object I can always buy more points at VGF

 

[paults]

with more and more DVC resorts at DW being built, I think booking at 7 months is just going to get harder, IMO. I would buy where you want to stay.