How easy to you think BLT will be to book at 7 months?

[VTNuke]

We are looking to get a two bedroom on our trip in Jan 2010 and I'm thinking we may try to book at home for our 11 month and try to transfer over to BLT at the 7 month.

I'm worried BLT will fill up quickly. What do you guys think?

 

[jbrowna]

We are looking to get a two bedroom on our trip in Jan 2010 and I'm thinking we may try to book at home for our 11 month and try to transfer over to BLT at the 7 month.

I'm worried BLT will fill up quickly. What do you guys think?

I think that depends on how many of the units have been declared into DVC inventory. You see, just because the whole building is open, doesn't mean that all the rooms are part of the DVC inventory. Until they need the points to sell, they could hold some of the rooms back, to book for cash. That could keep DVC availability limited.

That being said, I don't think January will be an issue. December, or school holidays, I suspect will always be tight. In any case, your plan to book elsewhere as a fallback is a wise decision.

 

[msabol01]

Take it with a grain of salt, but the guides on my cruise were pretty convinced that BLT will the the one resort that will be near impossible to book unless you own their. I think this may be true for the first few years but think it will eventually be similar to BCV or VWL.

 

[ccigliano]

I think the first couple years will be possible at the 7 month mark. But just like the WLV, 2005 was the first year I was waitlisted at the 7 month mark for a trip for the first week of December. The waitlist never came in before we left and so I stayed at SSR to try something different and fortunately halfway through my vacation WLV opened up and we switched. I came home and sold OKW to purchase the WLV to have the 11 month window. I book most of my vacations at the 11 month mark so I know we'll be at the WLV. I plan on doing a split stay between the BLT and WLV in 2010.

 

[simzac]

Will BLT be hard to book at 7 months? Looking into my crystal ball the answer is yes, no, maybe. Sorry, but no way to answer that question at this point. Any answer is only a guess. Good luck with you future plans.

 

[Blahnde]

My opinion lies somewhere between "jbrowna" and "msabol01." I think, in general, that while it will not necessarily be a cinch to get into BLT at 7 months (especially during certain times of year), it will not be impossible.

Now, having said that, I do think you will have a problem getting a reservation for January 2010. The resort will have only been open 4 months at that point and the new owners will keep it very full in the beginning. And as "jbrowna" mentioned, there are also questions about how much will be "open" for points use. By January 2012 or 2013 it will probably be easier since some of the newness will have rubbed off, but in the first year or two I think getting a reservation during most of the year without ownership will be close to impossible.

I definitely think making a back up reservation at your home resort is a good plan, and you should be ready to call at the 7 month mark to have any chance, but I would also come up with a Plan B if you do not want to stay at "home."

Blahnde

 

[bobbiwoz]

A lot of the owners have BLT add ons, not as their exclusive home resort. So, I think that, like at the other resorts, there will be some openings for us non BLT owners. I see no specific reason why it will be impossible to get in in May or September for instance.

Bobbi

 

[TLSnell1981]

Any guesses... on the possiblity of booking a MK studio for Oct '09 if you don't own BLT?

 

[Nikisha421]

Any guesses... on the possiblity of a non member booking a MK studio for Oct '09?

wild guess...

 

[Donna M]

Isn't the beginning of Jan. a slow time?

You might be lucky because all the owners won't have their vacation at the same time you want.

Definately book your home resort and call at 9:00 am on the 7 month mark.

Good luck

 

[Darthmerideth]

I was thinking that there would be a large amount of 50 point add ons as stated above, bad economy will slow overall sales growth, especially new contracts, I was assuming all the units would be available, good point I did not think about by jbrowna above, so I was hoping to sneak in during the Christmas/New Year's holiday in 2010 at the 7 month window.

Go ahead and throw some pixe dust my way, I need to start saving now.

 

[OneMoreTry]

If DVC has correctly estimated supply/demand, I would think the point differential will help keep some BLT availability open.

 

[Goofy's apprentice]

If we only could know the future !!!

Certainly BLT has a strong pull being on the monorail and within walking distance to MK. As a resort the theming hasn't every appealed to me, but I will definitely try to stay there eventually. I find that the resorts that didn't stand out initially are some of my favourites. SSR isn't that strongly Disney-themed...once we stayed we loved it. Being from Canada the VWL theme is something we see all the time and it felt 'dark'....once we stayed we loved it.

I think that BLT will be the same for us. Hopefully, it's owners will see the possibilities in all the other DVC's and that will open up rooms for the rest of us !!

Contrary to the opinions I stated in the thread asking the similar question for THVs...

I think BLT purchasers are buying because that is where they want to stay the majority of their vacations....I think purchasers who buy SSR for the chance to stay at THV are not planning that THV's will form the majority of their vacations.

 

[eyeheartgoofy]

I think there will be availability at the 7 month mark as long as you are flexible with view. I think it might be tough to get the "cheaper" standard view rooms and the "pricier" MK view rooms (similar to boardwalk view and standard view at BWV) without the home resort priority ... but still not impossible.

 

[TiffanyW1]

Any guesses... on the possiblity of booking a MK studio for Oct '09 if you don't own BLT?

IMO, I don't think there is a chance at all ... especially the MK view.

We did an add-on specifically for travel in October & December.

 

[crisi]

Take it with a grain of salt, but the guides on my cruise were pretty convinced that BLT will the the one resort that will be near impossible to book unless you own their. I think this may be true for the first few years but think it will eventually be similar to BCV or VWL.

That grain of salt had better be huge. The only way no one but BLT owners would be able to stay at BLT is if ALL BLT owners booked before the seven month window, ALL BLT owners only stayed at BLT, and ALL BLT owners always used every single one of their points. None of those scenarios is likely.

That doesn't mean it will be easy to get low points rooms in early December, or that you'll find a ton of availability four months out for even September - and early in its opening rooms will be harder to get as owners will use their BLT points to stay at BLT and book at eleven months....but I think 'nearly impossible' is really hyping the situation. Just life will mean that some BLT owners need to cancel their reservations after holding them five months, or won't be able to plan ahead.

 

[childsplay]

Difficult, yes. Impossible, no.
I agree with Crisis, it is unrealistic to think that all year round, every room at BLT would be booked before the 7 month mark. Pile on top of that the track record that not all units types are in equal demand, and I think that getting something there at 7 months could be as high as 50/50 depending on season and ones flexibility.