How hard is it to get a reservation outside of "home"

[champs96ws]

Hi group,

My first post here, I'm in the process of deciding which Resort to choose as my Home. AKV or BLT and was wondering how difficult it is to get a reservation at a different resort other than your "home". I know you have to wait for the 7 month window. Just would like to get an idea from current members.


Thanks,
Peter

 

[bama106]

I can only speak of my brief experience, but I made a ressie at the 3 month mark at SSR for January 12-18 and got 1 br.with no problem at all. We also made ressie for May 6-10 at SSR (Studio) at the 6 mo mark with no problem.

 

[Buckeye Fan]

We mostly reserve 1-BR units, and travel in the summer and during spring break (always tied to the week before or after Easter, which is premier). We have not had any trouble booking at other resorts. Our home is SSR, but we've stayed at BWV, OKW, and VWL. Spring Break, we'll be staying at AKV.

With that said, certain times of year and certain size units are difficult to get without owning. For example, it really difficult to get a grand villa at OKW unless you own there. It's difficult to book VWL during the Christmas season, or BWV/BCV during the Food & Wine Festival. SSR and OKW are the largest resorts and easier to book. AKV will be right behind them when finished.

I'll stick with the advice on the boards...buy where you want to stay.

Congratulations on your upcoming purchase, and to the Disboards!

 

[DebbieB]

If you want BLT standard or MK view, you probably need to own there.

 

[twinklebug]

AKV concierge is looking pretty tight too.

 

[dianeschlicht]

As mentioned, getting those low inventory things like AKV concierge or value and BLT MK view or standard will be difficult without home resort advantage.

The other factor is time of year. If you are wanting a specific resort and room type over holiday times, first two weeks of Dec., or most of October, you will have difficulty at certain resorts. For example: VWL is difficult all of December and BCV is especially difficult during the food and wine festival. BWV standard view will be impossible at 7 months most of the time too, and GVs at any resort other than your home will be difficult.

 

[DVCPal]

I own at BWV and at 5 months out have only been able to get my home resort for 3 of the 5 nights I want. I have booked BCV for the other nights and would have also been able to book at SSR or OKW had I wanted to. This is for mid-February '09.

 

[Coach81]

We own at SSR (staying there for the first time in a few months), and we have booked with no problems at OKW, AKV, and BWV all at the seventh month windows.

My goal is to visit all the different DVC resorts!

I would think that BLT will be very popular, so I would suggest if you plan to be there during the popular times of the year, you may want to buy there.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[plc001]

How is the BCV for July?

 

[jblrn2b]

I own at BWV and at 5 months out have only been able to get my home resort for 3 of the 5 nights I want. I have booked BCV for the other nights and would have also been able to book at SSR or OKW had I wanted to. This is for mid-February '09.

That is probably due to those who live in the NE have a Feb. Vacation that week. - so d/t being a relatively high demand time.

 

[perpetualplanner]

I just booked 2 rooms (a 1 bdr, and a 2 bdr) at BCV for next July 2-6 at the 7 month mark. I was on the phone when MS opened but had no problem getting what I wanted. I was truly surprised but I had already made a back-up ressie at SSR and had would have been very happy staying there. We're going with family and their kids will LOVE SAB.

 

[ricthemic]

Just bk from SSR (home) booked two bedroom unit in May 08 with wait list for BWV and BCV for any combination of studio and one/two BR including split time.
Called MS almost everyday for six months to check inventory. Sometimes twice to no avail. I understand from all the boards that the first two weeks of December are very popular but... we visited BW three times during our stay and the place seemed deserted. One afternoon around 5:30 PM with one check in rep at BWV registration, lobby empty, pratically all the rooms front and back no lights on, pool empty, boardwalk empty, back pool deserted.
6:00 PM, Big River, Spoodles and ESPN no wait, walk in plenty of tables available.
I inquired to the one check in rep on duty about the availabitly of a studio and or one BR for the villas any view. Her first response was to ask me if I was a DVC member. She then told me I had to call MS to see if the villas was full. I politely asked again... Are there available rooms or not. She politely said she could not discuss availability and I had to call MS in the morning. BWV, BCV & SSR were availabe if we wanted to pay by credit card. We confirmed this prior and during our stay by calling 407-wdisney a non DVC reservation service.
We love Disney World, our DVC timeshare and SSR but at the same time we are very perlexed about the wait list operation. This experience did not diminish our great family vacation. I guess my question is what is up with the MS waith list? If the wait list thing is not going to happen I wish they would be upfront about it so I did not waste my time and cell minutes everyday for seven months.
Has anyone else experienced this?
Thanks

 

[DVC Grammy]

Just MHO: If you are equally drawn to both, I'd suggest BLT, strictly because of location (MK and monorail). That could possibly make it more difficult for non-BLT owners to get their first choice of dates, especially during the most popular WDW times.
Also, IIRC, AKV will be larger, which would create more availability, as long as you're not trying for the very limited categories (concierge or value rooms).
I don't think either would ever be impossible, but if you're looking for "special" dates/categories, go with the resort that best meets your particular wants.

Again, just MHO....................

 

[Sammie]

Depends on when you want to go, where you want to stay and what type of accommidation. The hard part is heavy booking for DVC does not correlate to busy times for the parks, etc. So you have to really just call exactly at 7 months and hope for the best.

I do know that early Dec is about next to impossible unless you call the day of 7 months and are willing to take whatever is available, which won't be BWV or VWL or BCV.

 

[Sammie]

Just bk from SSR (home) booked two bedroom unit in May 08 with wait list for BWV and BCV for any combination of studio and one/two BR including split time.
Called MS almost everyday for six months to check inventory. Sometimes twice to no avail. I understand from all the boards that the first two weeks of December are very popular but... we visited BW three times during our stay and the place seemed deserted. One afternoon around 5:30 PM with one check in rep at BWV registration, lobby empty, pratically all the rooms front and back no lights on, pool empty, boardwalk empty, back pool deserted.
6:00 PM, Big River, Spoodles and ESPN no wait, walk in plenty of tables available.
I inquired to the one check in rep on duty about the availabitly of a studio and or one BR for the villas any view. Her first response was to ask me if I was a DVC member. She then told me I had to call MS to see if the villas was full. I politely asked again... Are there available rooms or not. She politely said she could not discuss availability and I had to call MS in the morning. BWV, BCV & SSR were availabe if we wanted to pay by credit card. We confirmed this prior and during our stay by calling 407-wdisney a non DVC reservation service.
We love Disney World, our DVC timeshare and SSR but at the same time we are very perlexed about the wait list operation. This experience did not diminish our great family vacation. I guess my question is what is up with the MS waith list? If the wait list thing is not going to happen I wish they would be upfront about it so I did not waste my time and cell minutes everyday for seven months.
Has anyone else experienced this?
Thanks

BWV and BCV have been sold out for DVC inventory for early December pretty much sense the 7 month time period. Wait list does work but the thing is if someone calls in and asks for that particular date you are wait listed for, before the wait list request is filled, then yes someone could get what you have been waiting for. Not sure exactly how often during the day and at what time the wait list is activated.

As to paying cash, that is a completely different inventory and does not affect DVC inventory. Frustrating when you really want a room in a busy time, but something we all knew when we signed on.

 

[florep1]

The only place I've had problems with availability is AKV concierge. I tried to get it last year for 7 nights and I was only able to get 3 in concierge, the rest had to be in a Savannah view. I've booked BC and AKV Kidani at 7 months for next summer succesfully.

 

[dgaston]

SSR and AKV owner here. I could get BWV preferred view studio for F & W, mid October, but not BCV or waitlisted BW view. (Did not waitlist BCV. I did call right at 7 months). But who am I to complain? We ended up in a dedicated studio on the 5th floor close to the elevator (but not the noise; we were actoss the little lobby). I am able to plan ahead, and obviously that helps.

 

[starbox]

7 month studio reservations that we've gotten in 3 years of ownership:
BCV first of June
BCV mid-July
OKW - first of June, late July
VWL - NYD
BWV (boardwalk view) - first of June (2x)
AKV Savanna-View Studio - first of June
VB - Ocean View Inn Room (first of June 3x, late July 2x)
HHI - Spring Break
HHI - NYD
SSR - Spring Break
AKV Value Studio - Spring Break


The only reservation I have not gotten is HHI 2nd week of July.

 

[rkwier]

We recently purchased at BLT. We chose BLT simply for the "location, location, location." We felt like it would be a high demand property and wanted the home resort advantage there. Thanks to the wonderful people on this board, we were also able to receive developer points equal to our purchase points. I called on 12/3 to use those points to make a reservation at SSR for 1/21 - 1/25/09. We were able to reserve a one bedroom no problem, but as the others have said, it is could just depend on the time of year. I am guessing that it will also differ depending on the specific resort.

 

[IndyClown]

Hi group,

My first post here, I'm in the process of deciding which Resort to choose as my Home. AKV or BLT and was wondering how difficult it is to get a reservation at a different resort other than your "home". I know you have to wait for the 7 month window. Just would like to get an idea from current members.


Thanks,
Peter

My gut feeling is that BLT will be a harder ressie to get than pretty much any other DVC given it's proximity to the MK. If I was like you and had to pick between the two, I would make BLT home just because I think AKV will be easier to reserve.