How Hard is it to Book Non-Home Resort for President's Week?

[KSL]

Hi all!

With President's Week fast approaching, I'm hoping some of you who have booked trips for President's Week this year can give some advice as I begin planning for President's Week next year. I am guessing this is probably not as popular a week for DVC owners (high points), but lots of families travel that week due to school being off in many parts of the country. So, my question: is it so popular that I need to book home resort at 11 months out (next month!), or can I feel relatively safe in waiting for the 7-month booking window for a non-home resort?

The details: Party of 3 (2 adults and 1 teen), so we're looking for a studio. Sun-Thurs -- 5 nights. We have 79 banked points to use up, and are willing to supplement with current year points up to a total of about 100 points. I think that gives me these options (not including BWV or BLT as those are our home resorts & we'd look to try something new if we can):

• AKV Standard 80 points
• Beach Club 90 points
• Boulder Ridge/Copper Creek 85 points
• AKV Savannah 95 points
• SSR Preferred 85 points

Can anyone speculate on the chances of getting any of these at 7 months out during President's Week?
Thanks in advance for any replies!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

President's Week also often includes the Princess Half Marathon. So keep that in mind.

I think OKW or SSR Preferred are near-certainties, but I wouldn't count on Beach Club. Copper Creek is still hard to predict, as they will be declaring more units by April or May by my math, and that may add studios.

 

[drusba]

If seeking only Sun to a Thurs departure, you will not have a Princess half marathon issue because the huge reservations for that do not start until the Thurs night of the Princess weekend, which is always the weekend after Presidents' Day. Nevertheless, three of your possible choices have a risk of having issues for the period you want, particularly for a studio: BCV, CCV and AKV standard. The others, AKV savanna view and SSR preferred are almost certainly to be open.

 

[WALTSAGOD]

And when Presidents week coincides with the week of Mardi Gras,........ouch

 

[DenLo]

And when Presidents week coincides with the week of Mardi Gras,........ouch

For sure, I think half of Louisiana shows up at WDW.

 

[lovin'fl]

Still should book your home resort at 11 months and then switch to best option available at 7 months.

 

[DizBub]

Still should book your home resort at 11 months and then switch to best option available at 7 months.

This is absolutely the best advice. Then with your dates secured you can see what opens up at 7 months and possibly use your waitlists. At 7 months you then have the option to buy the (up to) 24 One Time Use Points for $17 per points to fill in your reservation without borrowing.

 

[southerngirl528]

Still should book your home resort at 11 months and then switch to best option available at 7 months.

This is absolutely the best advice. Then with your dates secured you can see what opens up at 7 months and possibly use your waitlists. At 7 months you then have the option to buy the (up to) 24 One Time Use Points for $17 per points to fill in your reservation without borrowing.

Agreed!

 

[KSL]

Thanks, everyone, for the replies!!

 

[Geomom]

We have been able to book at 8AM online exactly 7mths out without a problem for Presidents week. As long as you have multiple options, you should be good. If you don't get what you want, book something and waitlist what you want immediately. (Note that we own at OKW, which is usually easily available at 7mths out, so we don't book it at 11 mths out. The only thing we book at 11 mths out are Columbus Day weekend or Thanksgiving with our BWV points as we want to stay at BWV then.)

 

[CarolynFH]

And when Presidents week coincides with the week of Mardi Gras,........ouch

For sure, I think half of Louisiana shows up at WDW.

I admit this is OT, but should Louisiana get a week named for them, like Jersey does?

 

[jimmytammy]

I would book home resort at 11 then switch over to any available at 7. SSR should definitely be no problem

 

[Judique]

Good luck with whatever you decide!

 

[KSL]

Thanks again for the responses!
I've never booked and then switched; does that require a call to MS?
If I could get BLT Standard View (always nervous that we'll get it -- even right at 11 months!), that's 95 points. So I could book that and then try to switch at 7 months to AKV Savannah view for the same number of points. The only thing that makes me hesitate is that if we can't get AKV Savannah view, we'll have borrowed some points that we wouldn't need if we swapped for one of the others. But we could just keep the BLT booking if we didn't want to waste them. Well, I'll have to think about it.
I'm lucky to have such dilemmas!

 

[KSL]

...you can see what opens up at 7 months and possibly use your waitlists. At 7 months you then have the option to buy the (up to) 24 One Time Use Points for $17 per points to fill in your reservation without borrowing.

I think I skimmed by this the first time I read through. Interesting idea about the OTUPoints. Thanks!

 

[DizBub]

I've never booked and then switched; does that require a call to MS?
If I could get BLT Standard View (always nervous that we'll get it -- even right at 11 months!), that's 95 points. So I could book that and then try to switch at 7 months to AKV Savannah view for the same number of points.

I would definitely call MS. I think this comes under the heading of modifying a reservation which always requires a call. They seem to have the ability to make the switch without losing the original reservation just in case something goes wrong. I've heard of people cancelling their reservation online in preparation to make the switch and the new one disappears and they are left with no availability.

 

[WALTSAGOD]

I admit this is OT, but should Louisiana get a week named for them, like Jersey does?

You get outside of Greater New Orleans and it’s just another week, most don’t even get Fat Tuesday off.

Greater NO, Tuesday is a day off, and the schools are closed for the entire week!

 

[DebbieB]

And when Presidents week coincides with the week of Mardi Gras,........ouch

Next year Ash Wednesday will be March 6th, so OP will be OK with President's week.

 

[CarolynFH]

You get outside of Greater New Orleans and it’s just another week, most don’t even get Fat Tuesday off.

Greater NO, Tuesday is a day off, and the schools are closed for the entire week!

A lot of southern Louisiana celebrates & is off too, like Lafayette. But the main reason for my comment was that I’ve seen more than one post about so many people from Louisiana being at WDW this week, so I was kidding about needing to name it to “warn” people much as Jersey Week serves as a “warning.”

 

[DenLo]

You get outside of Greater New Orleans and it’s just another week, most don’t even get Fat Tuesday off.

Greater NO, Tuesday is a day off, and the schools are closed for the entire week!

Maybe it should be called NOLA week instead or Southern Louisiana Mardi Gras week.