How good are the chances of getting the dates you really want?

[debbiebones]

We're still mulling this whole thing over and one of my husband's concerns is, how easy is it to get what you really want. I know you can book 11 months out in your chosen resort and 7 months out anywhere else. Is that doable and realistic or do you still run into problems getting the dates and rooms you want?

Any tips to keep in mind in regards to this?

Also, while I'm here....is the basic package (150 points) a worthwhile investment or do you really need to go beyond that to get a good vacation?

We're a family of 4...I'm 42, my husband is 52 and we have a 3 and 4 year old. I'm just wondering if this would indeed be a good investment for us given the ages of us and our children.

Thanks for any help.

Deb

 

[TIdoublegaER]

We have always gotten in when and where we wanted. Most of the time it was at the 11th month window. But we just added a studio at WLV for 7/4 (Fri) and BWV for 7/11 (Fri) and a studio for a Fri and Sat at HH in June. Granted these were for weekends, but I was a little surprised that all resorts were available for July 4th weekend. Many others have also had success getting in at short notice (OKW usually is available). The standard views at BWV go very quickly due to the lower points and I would strongly recommend calling day by day at the 11 month window for Spring Break and Christmas due to the popularity of that time.

As far as whether 150 is enough for your family, that is really difficult to say. We started with 150 at HH and planned to always stay in a studio. Since then we have add another 50 at HH, 150 at OKW and 150 at BCV. I would look at the types of accomodations you want to stay in the most and the times of year you will be going the most and figure out how many points that would require and go from there.

 

[CarolMN]

If you are able to plan/reserve 11 months in advance, you will not have a problem getting the dates and room size you prefer. I have NEVER had a problem getting what I want (and it's usually a standard view room for early December at BWV) when I call 11 months in advance.

Getting something on site at 7 months is usually not a problem, especially if you are flexible with your vacation dates and/or are willing to use the waitlist. However, there are certain times of the year and certain units that are very hard to get if you do not have the 11 month booking window. Examples of that are Grand Villas (anytime) standard view rooms at the BWV (anytime), studios and one bedrooms at HHI in the summer, the week of Christmas to New Year's Day(all rooms, all WDW resorts), and the first two weeks of December (all rooms, all WDW resorts).

Only you can decide (based on room size, usual travel season and number of trips per year) whether 150 points is enough for your family. Take a look at the 2003 point charts on the MousePalnet website:

DVC Point Charts

The point charts don't change much from year to year, but you do have to adjust for Easter and Christmas.

As an example, 150 points would get you 8 consecutive nights in a studio (at BCV or VWL or BWV preferred view) and 5 weeknights in a one bedroom during Magic season (which covers spring break and most of the summer). 150 points will go even farther than that during other times of the year. A studio and a 1 bedroom each accomodate 4 people plus a child under 3 years of age.

Good luck with your decision making.

 

[mickey7861]

We've never had a problem getting the resort we want for the dates we want. We always book at 7 months or less time period. We have booked in July, Audust, September and April without problem. Only the April trip was at our home resort but we still booked only 6 months in advance. We've booked studios, 2 bedrooms and 1 bedrooms without even a waitlilst.

This year we have VWL 7/1-7/5, BWV for 7/6-7/10 and OKW for 7/13-7/17. All were booked at the 7 month window.

 

[Tiggery]

We booked a 1 bedroom over Christmas including Christmas day at the 11 month window with no problems

 

[mikesmom]

You won't have a problem. You might consider more points, though. With 2 children, the 2 bedroom is going to look awfully good when they are teens. If they are different sexes, it may be a necessity!

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

We have never had a problem booking rooms. However we have always booked at 11 months. This year we had a standard view studio and a standard view 2 BR at the BWV's over New Year's. That is proof that if you plan at 11 months you can get what you want. We have always gone at busy times of the year due to school vacations but always got the room we wanted.

I have never tried booking at the 7 month window but did trade with someone so I could stay at a resort that was not my home.

HBC

 

[crusoemom]

I have always booked standards at BWV at the 11-month window, and never had a problem. I added a Sat. night to the booking at 4 months out (std. room) and had no problem. This is for the last week in Feb, our school vacation week but hardly anyone else's.

If you buy where you stay and plan 11 months ahead, you'll be fine.

With regard to points: we have 2 small kids and are 40 years old. We started with 150 points. If you're willing to stay in a studio, 150 points will be plenty. We started bringing relatives with us, and had to do a 50-point add-on. We are now limiting the number of relatives to the number of points that we have, and not doing any more add-ons. We also have a boy and a girl, who won't be wanting to sleep together in a few years, so that will cost us 160 points for a 2BR for 5 nights at BWV.

If you're a careful planner, 150-200 points will be enough. You will always manage to find a use for however many points you buy!

 

[Disney Doll]

The best way to get the dates you want is to book at the 11 month window, which you can do in your home resort. That's why DVC repeats the mantra "buy where you want to stay".

That being said, DH and I have been members since 1997. We have stayed in 3 of the 4 WDW properties(OKW,BCV,BWV) and had no problems making reservations in any of them. We generally go in October and Janaury, but have also gone in June. We just made a reservation for VWL for May(4 months out), and it is not our home resort.Our home resort is OKW.

I cannot say a bad thing about reservations, as I have always been able to get what I wanted when I wanted it.

 

[Cruelladeville]

I am a teacher, so all my vacations are high demand times, but I have never had a problem booking, except for last Christmas when I tried to book 4 months out (it was wishful thinking, I know). I usually take advantage of the 11 month booking window, and always get what I want. I have my vacations planned for 2003--Easter, 4th of July, and Christmas. I have a one bedroom each time, and I didn't both calling day-by-day, but called a couple of weeks into the 11 month window. I haven't been able to get a grand villa at the 7 month window yet.

We started with 170 points, which was plenty for a studio with one vacation per year. We now have 700 points because we have begun to take 3 vacations per year and book larger accommodations. Our goal is to have enough points paid for by retirement so that we can stay at Disney for a month in January in a 1 bedroom.

 

[crisi]

By the time you get to the need-a-two-bedroom stage (assuming you ever get there, there are plenty of two children of different sex families that vacation with teenage kids in a studio) your vacation habits may have changed. Teenagers may be too busy for a full week or not interested in Disney EVERY year, and you may do fine with the same number of points, but alternate year trips. Or the same number of points, but shorter stays -- or weekends at a Universal resort. Cross that bridge when you come to it.

 

[dianeschlicht]

We have never had a problem in 7 years. I have even been able to change a ressie the day before departure and it included changing size of unit and different days. My home is OKW, so that makes it a bit easier (more units), but we have not had a problem.