How hard to book at non-home resorts?

[simba51104]

Have you found it to be very difficult to book at other resorts besides your home resort? We would mostly be looking at booking during either late August or during Christmas/New Years. I am currently debating a small (30 point) resale contract at SSR but I'm not sure about SSR. I've never actually seen the resort so all of my concerns are based on reviews and photos. My biggest concern is how big the resort seems and how far it is from the parks. I know that small contracts like this one are very hard to find, but should I hold off and wait for a similar contract at either VWL or BCV? Do these even come up? These two resorts just seem to be better situated than SSR. Or, the other option would be to save/wait for a small AKV contract. Sorry for all the questions!

 

[bobbiwoz]

Late August shouldn't be a problem if you book exactly at 7 months. However, what you book in your home resort priority time for Christmas, NYE is PROBABLY where you will be staying. I, and others, booked the BWV for the days leading up to NYE on a day by day basis!

Bobbi

 

[RLRDA]

In order to book at a non-home resort you would have to wait for the 7 month window to open up. While I'm sure there are exceptions, I would think that trying to get a reservation at VWL or BCV for Christmas/New Year would be extremely tough. VWL is the smallest DVC and very popular at Christmastime, BCV is larger but still small when compared to SSR and OKW. You could always book at your home resort at 11 months and try to switch at 7 months but I'm not sure how successful you will be. December is (proabably) the most popular time for DVC (low points, Holiday, New Year).

If you book right at the 7 month mark for an August trip, you won't have as much difficulty booking at BCV or VWL.

If staying at either resort is important to you for a December vacation, I'd wait for a resale to pop up at one of those.

Good luck!

 

[ldo]

If you think you would like to stay someplace other than SSR at Christmas, spend the extra $ and get a resort that you want to stay at. For a 50 point or under contract, $5 more a point is really nothing. Christmas is peak time and difficult to book the smaller DVC unless it is your home resort. We bought resale at VWL SOLEY b/c if I go at Christmas, we want VWL.

I never intend to stay there during summer--my kids like other resorts and pools better---but I want the 11 mth advantage for peak times.

Also, I would consider waiting for a 50 point contract. THe closing costs are about the same and 30 points is not a lot to work with for Christmas, which takes more points.

 

[5forDiz]

1 bedroom (standard view) 4 nights. Took a shot and got lucky (very! IMHO) given the popularity of BWV and less than 5 months away.

We're very flexible & would have been happy with a different dvc resort had this not been available. We've found much to like at the resorts we've stayed at so far & look forward to some day booking BCV, AKV & SSR too.

At 7 month & under window in past years we've been able to get VWL and OKW in late August and BWV during week leading up to Easter. A backup plan (cash resi's) is always a good idea however.

Best wishes & hope your plans work out magically too .

 

[iloveokw]

I always believe "buy where you want to stay". This is especially important at the holidays (including Easter). Also you should go to the point calculator and see how many points you would need for a stay - even if you used three years worth of points (banking and borrowing) a 30 point contract wouldn't go very far at the holidays. Just my two cents worth.

 

[LeCras]

We booked a week in a 1BR Standard view at BWV without any problems about six months out for our upcoming stay in May. Even added on an extra night about a month later. That said, if I was particular about where I wanted to stay during high demand seasons, I would definitely buy there, to get the 11 month advantage.

Our home resorts are SSR and AKV, and while we are happy to try other resorts occasionally this is where we plan to stay most of the time. We bought these resorts because we love them for what (and where) they are, not as a way of trading into other resorts. As a matter of fact, we first looked at DVC when BWV was selling, but it just didn't do it for us at the time. There is nothing at all wrong with the resort (obviously, since we're staying there soon ), but we just weren't sure we wanted to call it 'home'. When SSR came along, it felt like a perfect fit for us, with the proximity to Downtown Disney etc. We bought sight unseen and never looked back. The only other resort we were ever interested in was AKV, so naturally when the time came we did our second addon there...

I guess what I'm trying to say is, you need to figure out what your priorities are. If you would be gutted if you couldn't get that BWV reservation at New Year's, or during F&WF, then that's probably where you need to buy.

Charlotte

 

[solgent]

We own at SSR & 2008 will be our 3rd year in a row for late Aug.

First year we stayed at SSR & were very happy with this resort. We like the pool, the rooms, the proximity to DTD.

Next year we booked at BCV with no problem. Really loved SAB and being able to walk to/from Epcot.

This year wanted to try AKV but were not able to. I called a few days after the 7 month window opened. We are on the waiting list. But it is not a big deal. Definitely want to stay at AKV someday but I am sure it is popular right now having just opened.

We are relatively new to DVC and want to explore resorts at the outset but would be content to stay at SSR whenever, so it works well for us.

 

[gmboy95]

Never been a problem as long as you are flexible about where you stay, and trust in the waitlist which has always come through for me.....you have to make a worst case scenario ressie, and go from there

 

[Anjelica]

I always believe "buy where you want to stay". This is especially important at the holidays (including Easter). Also you should go to the point calculator and see how many points you would need for a stay - even if you used three years worth of points (banking and borrowing) a 30 point contract wouldn't go very far at the holidays. Just my two cents worth.

I'd have to say this was the #1 on our list when looking at purchasing. After reading from quite a few on the boards we knew it was very important, for us, to buy where we want to stay. I say everyone should heed this as one of the top priorities.

 

[PinkTink63]

I haven't had any problems booking at 7 months, but we always go at the end of July or Aug. We have booked 3 months out at BWV, but again, it was for Aug. I would imagine it is much harder to book during the holiday season.

 

[lagunn]

We got a 2bed standard view @BWV 7 months out for Sept..

 

[crisi]

We didn't get a standard view eight months out for March. Its the only trip booked without the eleven month window.

 

[tink4ever]

It is so true- BUY WHERE YOU WANT TO STAY!! You may get lucky once or twice getting the resort you want but with allllll of the new DVC that they are adding your chances are going to get slimmer and slimmer. With the 11 month advantage you would not have the stress of hoping to get a certain resort. JMHO!! Good luck!

 

[simba51104]

Thanks everyone for your responses. The other thing that the SSR contract has going for it right now is the 12 extra years on the contract. Besides location relative to the parks, I don't know if the other resorts are necessarily that much better than SSR. But then again, I've never actually stayed at any of these villas and can't speak from personal experience. Is SSR really as unpopular as some reports make it seem?

 

[Inkmahm]

SSR isn't unpopular with everyone, some people love it! I think it is much easier for someone who owns at a smaller resort to book into SSR if they want to than the other way around. Buy where you want to stay and you'll always be happy. (I personally don't want anything to do with SSR so I bought BWV and VWL first, then added AKV as my dream home when it bacame available.)

 

[Conan the Librarian]

Our home is SSR.

I just made a 5 day at the BWV with no problems, other than not getting a Boardwalk view (we're on the list). I got in first call and only took about 5 minutes to do the whole task.

 

[TisBit]

There is a lot of people that LOVE SSR, but it is a large resort, so you have a lot of people that don't care and even some people that will bash it. It might not be that close to a park, but is right near DTD, which is a great thing. Plus, for NYE you have the PI fireworks that you can enjoy from your resort! It is all relative, every resort has its fans and distractors. I was worried because of many of the responses from these boards, but I have found that there are a number of people and complaints about most of the DVC's (although not all...lol).

 

[MERMAIDLOVE]

I am among those who Love Saratoga the convenience of having Downtown Disney so close is treat. You can wine and dine, catch a movie, shop and then party till you can't party no more! Oh and let us not forget the elegance of Saratoga---Oh Lord the Spa and Golf , I can go on and on. But you all get the point, I LOVE SARATOGA SPRINGS!
...ahhh Saratoga can't wait to see you again I Love Saratoga!!!!

 

[pearlieq]

I own SSR and I've never stayed there--does that answer your question?

I should add some caveats to that, though. We're not terribly fussy about where we stay, we usually book well in advance, and we don't usually travel is super busy seasons like Christmas/Spring Break.