How hard to book?

[cfw213]

Hi all - I am very new to DVC, just starting to consider a membership.

If I buy in at SSR how difficult would it be to get a studio at Beach Club or BLT for mid-September (before F&W).

Thanks in advance if you can help - I am a dvc newbie

 

[Deb & Bill]

Hi all - I am very new to DVC, just starting to consider a membership.

If I buy in at SSR how difficult would it be to get a studio at Beach Club or BLT for mid-September (before F&W).

Thanks in advance if you can help - I am a dvc newbie

You'd probably get it if you booked at 7 months out. Unless Disney puts something on at the parks during that time. But once you get into F&W Festival, it is tough. I know I wanted BCV one bedroom for mid-Oct this year and couldn't get it at exactly 7 months out.

 

[cfw213]

You'd probably get it if you booked at 7 months out. Unless Disney puts something on at the parks during that time. But once you get into F&W Festival, it is tough. I know I wanted BCV one bedroom for mid-Oct this year and couldn't get it at exactly 7 months out.

Ok thanks! Obviously I'd like to pay less for the initial buy-in/dues, and SSR seems to be about our price point and is expries later than OKW - I just don't want to be limited to SSR

 

[crisi]

Things to be aware of...

Over the life of your membership, your travel plans are likely to change. Our original plans were mid-October - now that the kids are in middle school, we can't miss school any longer - so now its the end of August.

Disney can switch events around, when we first bought our mid-October trip was scheduled for a break in the kids school schedule (remove them for two or three days, get a whole week off. They had Thursday and Friday off, sometimes Wednesday too)! And F&W did not start until the next week, so the parks were pretty empty. The year of our first trip, F&W was extended to include "our" week.

As DVC expands, the smaller popular resorts (BCV topping that list) are going to be harder to book at ANY time of year. More members simply means more demand for the smaller resorts.

There is always a difference between "seven months" and "six and a half months" - there are simply a LOT of members waiting for that seven month window to open.

If you have mid- September in mind for "free dining" - it isn't offered to DVC members staying on points.

But to answer the question you asked, you should have no problem as it stands booking BCV for mid-September at seven months.

 

[jekjones1558]

Just for the nuts of it I checked Sep. 13 - 18 and some of those dates are already gone at both BCV and BLT. Other dates may be available and other resorts have availability for those dates. But that is now. Are you buying from Disney or resale? Resales take longer and you may be pretty limited on choices by the time you have your points. If you are buying from Disney, ask your guide to help you get this reservation. They can sometimes make it happen in order to get a sale. Good luck!

 

[DizBub]

Honestly, my advice to you is to buy BCV and or BLT if that's where you want to stay. Especially anywhere near F&W.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Things to be aware of...

Over the life of your membership, your travel plans are likely to change. Our original plans were mid-October - now that the kids are in middle school, we can't miss school any longer - so now its the end of August.

Disney can switch events around, when we first bought our mid-October trip was scheduled for a break in the kids school schedule (remove them for two or three days, get a whole week off. They had Thursday and Friday off, sometimes Wednesday too)! And F&W did not start until the next week, so the parks were pretty empty. The year of our first trip, F&W was extended to include "our" week.

As DVC expands, the smaller popular resorts (BCV topping that list) are going to be harder to book at ANY time of year. More members simply means more demand for the smaller resorts.

There is always a difference between "seven months" and "six and a half months" - there are simply a LOT of members waiting for that seven month window to open.

If you have mid- September in mind for "free dining" - it isn't offered to DVC members staying on points.

But to answer the question you asked, you should have no problem as it stands booking BCV for mid-September at seven months.

I'll have to agree with crisi about Disney moving event around. We took our first trip in 1997, the end of October and into early November. They had one Halloween party on Oct 30 and one on Oct 31. That was all. And there was no F&W Festival (at least that we saw and we went to Epcot a lot). October was considered a slow time. Now you can't say that at all. For DVC or the rest of WDW.

 

[disneynutz]

Hi all - I am very new to DVC, just starting to consider a membership.

If I buy in at SSR how difficult would it be to get a studio at Beach Club or BLT for mid-September (before F&W).

Thanks in advance if you can help - I am a dvc newbie

If booking at 7 months always got you what you wanted, everyone would buy at the cheapest resort. It doesn't always work that way and IMO as additional owners are added, booking at 7 months will only get more competitive.

Bill

 

[kendzee94]

We own at SSR, and have also stayed at all DVC on Disney except BLT (BCV 1st stay will be next month). We got all at the 7 month mark. I have not been able to get BCV at 6+ months, but have been able to get BWV standard when not able to get BCV. I think you really need to try them all. We thought that we would like BWV, but found that it wasn't our cup of tea. We have friends that love it.

You never know if Disney will take away the right to stay elsewhere, so buy where you don't mind staying. We could stay at AKV and the THV for every trip for the foreseeable furture; that's where we own!

 

[cfw213]

Wow thanks for all of the very helpful replies! It looks like I have a lot of thinking to do!!

Things to be aware of...

Over the life of your membership, your travel plans are likely to change. Our original plans were mid-October - now that the kids are in middle school, we can't miss school any longer - so now its the end of August.

Disney can switch events around, when we first bought our mid-October trip was scheduled for a break in the kids school schedule (remove them for two or three days, get a whole week off. They had Thursday and Friday off, sometimes Wednesday too)! And F&W did not start until the next week, so the parks were pretty empty. The year of our first trip, F&W was extended to include "our" week.

As DVC expands, the smaller popular resorts (BCV topping that list) are going to be harder to book at ANY time of year. More members simply means more demand for the smaller resorts.

There is always a difference between "seven months" and "six and a half months" - there are simply a LOT of members waiting for that seven month window to open.

If you have mid- September in mind for "free dining" - it isn't offered to DVC members staying on points.

But to answer the question you asked, you should have no problem as it stands booking BCV for mid-September at seven months.

We are more interested in Sept for the low crowds with warm weather - I am aware that DVC isn't available for FD. Right now, the only limit on when we can't go is Jan 1 - Apr 15th, as my sister and I are both CPAs. Obviously into the future this may change, so that's something to think about.

Just for the nuts of it I checked Sep. 13 - 18 and some of those dates are already gone at both BCV and BLT. Other dates may be available and other resorts have availability for those dates. But that is now. Are you buying from Disney or resale? Resales take longer and you may be pretty limited on choices by the time you have your points. If you are buying from Disney, ask your guide to help you get this reservation. They can sometimes make it happen in order to get a sale. Good luck!

Thank you for checking! I am probably going to buy resale, but I am not looking to buy until 2013 - my current trip we are staying at AoA

We own at SSR, and have also stayed at all DVC on Disney except BLT (BCV 1st stay will be next month). We got all at the 7 month mark. I have not been able to get BCV at 6+ months, but have been able to get BWV standard when not able to get BCV. I think you really need to try them all. We thought that we would like BWV, but found that it wasn't our cup of tea. We have friends that love it.

You never know if Disney will take away the right to stay elsewhere, so buy where you don't mind staying. We could stay at AKV and the THV for every trip for the foreseeable furture; that's where we own!

Thank you! One of the main reasons I am interested in DVC is to be able to try the different resorts, not be limited to one. According to my little cost comparison (factoring in a lot of different things) BLT & BCV were the more expensive ones, which was why I was inquiring about them specifically.

Thanks for all the responses - any more will be appreciated

 

[chalee94]

One of the main reasons I am interested in DVC is to be able to try the different resorts, not be limited to one. According to my little cost comparison (factoring in a lot of different things) BLT & BCV were the more expensive ones, which was why I was inquiring about them specifically.

you never really know what will be available at the 7 month window. here's a link to one guideline for when to reserve certain resorts and room types. you will often be able to try different resorts, but you won't know for sure how things will shake out till you get to the 7 month window.

most owners at BCV or VWL don't think in terms of being "limited" to those resorts, but they love staying at a specific resort and so long as they book 10-11 months in advance, they can easily get what they want.

i own at OKW because i am happy to stay at OKW. i like to try the other resorts (and have stayed at BLT and AKV, in addition to OKW) - so i book OKW at 11 months and try for something else at 7 months out - but if i fail to get the other resort at 7 months, i'm happy at OKW.

sometimes at 7 months out, the larger resorts like OKW and SSR are all that have available rooms left over. so if you hate the condo-style resorts like that and will feel frustrated to be "stuck" at SSR, then you really should think in terms of "if i can't try a new resort each year, where would i not mind staying on a regular basis" (assuming you can book over 7 months in advance.)

 

[cfw213]

you never really know what will be available at the 7 month window. here's a link to one guideline for when to reserve certain resorts and room types. you will often be able to try different resorts, but you won't know for sure how things will shake out till you get to the 7 month window.

most owners at BCV or VWL don't think in terms of being "limited" to those resorts, but they love staying at a specific resort and so long as they book 10-11 months in advance, they can easily get what they want.

i own at OKW because i am happy to stay at OKW. i like to try the other resorts (and have stayed at BLT and AKV, in addition to OKW) - so i book OKW at 11 months and try for something else at 7 months out - but if i fail to get the other resort at 7 months, i'm happy at OKW.

sometimes at 7 months out, the larger resorts like OKW and SSR are all that have available rooms left over. so if you hate the condo-style resorts like that and will feel frustrated to be "stuck" at SSR, then you really should think in terms of "if i can't try a new resort each year, where would i not mind staying on a regular basis" (assuming you can book over 7 months in advance.)

Thanks for your response! I think based on all these responses I will buy in at AK (if I decide 100% to do it) and try out as many as I can.

 

[DizDays]

Thanks for your response! I think based on all these responses I will buy in at AK (if I decide 100% to do it) and try out as many as I can.

You'll love AK. That's where we bought. We loved it so much, we stay there 50% of the time (which wasn't our original plan). Be sure to take advantage of the early booking for Concierge rooms as well as the Value rooms - there aren't many and they go fast. Just another benefit of being an AKV owner.

Good Luck!

 

[Luv2PixieDust]

I am currently trying to get one week at BLT for a time that I thought was a slower time of the year since the kids are in school. Unfortunately, I have points for a different home resort so I had to use the 7 month window. When I tried to book, every day was available except the second day of our trip. Although the rest of the week was available, we could not book those days because of the gap in the reservation. So, we were forced to call back the next day to stay within the 7 month window. We call back, and now only a different view is available for the next day but not the following (another gap). So, we book the second day just to have something on hold and then call again the next day. Now only another view is available. So now, we have three different views booked with two different waiting lists (the maximum) and still don't have the entire trip booked. It is a nightmare!

I too thought about buying SSR or OKW at a cheaper rate since we only travel to WDW when it is "slow". So glad I am renting these points to try it out first! I will definitely make sure I buy where I want to stay!

 

[Missyrose]

I am currently trying to get one week at BLT for a time that I thought was a slower time of the year since the kids are in school. Unfortunately, I have points for a different home resort so I had to use the 7 month window. When I tried to book, every day was available except the second day of our trip. Although the rest of the week was available, we could not book those days because of the gap in the reservation. So, we were forced to call back the next day to stay within the 7 month window. We call back, and now only a different view is available for the next day but not the following (another gap). So, we book the second day just to have something on hold and then call again the next day. Now only another view is available. So now, we have three different views booked with two different waiting lists (the maximum) and still don't have the entire trip booked. It is a nightmare!

I too thought about buying SSR or OKW at a cheaper rate since we only travel to WDW when it is "slow". So glad I am renting these points to try it out first! I will definitely make sure I buy where I want to stay!

But what people have told you in the other threads you've posted your story in, is that you are trying to book just after Thanksgiving. Despite your correct assertion that kids will be back in school, it happens to be among the busiest times at DVC. Between the Christmas parties and decorations and Osbourn Lights, going in late November or early December appeals to DVC members because of the low crowds and low point costs.

 

[drusba]

If all you are ever going to do is go mid-Sep then your chances of getting what you want at 7 months out are very high. That is a low DVC demand time (likely the lowest DVC demand time of the year) for various reasons including the invasion of the lovebugs. At 7 months out for this year, everthing was open for that time in Sep except BLT standard, AKV concierge, and for some days AKV value, and most things stayed open for at least two weeks into that 7 month window.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Plus September is prime hurricane season. Most of the hurricanes come late August to early October.

 

[Joey7295]

I am currently trying to get one week at BLT for a time that I thought was a slower time of the year since the kids are in school. Unfortunately, I have points for a different home resort so I had to use the 7 month window. When I tried to book, every day was available except the second day of our trip. Although the rest of the week was available, we could not book those days because of the gap in the reservation. So, we were forced to call back the next day to stay within the 7 month window. We call back, and now only a different view is available for the next day but not the following (another gap). So, we book the second day just to have something on hold and then call again the next day. Now only another view is available. So now, we have three different views booked with two different waiting lists (the maximum) and still don't have the entire trip booked. It is a nightmare!

I too thought about buying SSR or OKW at a cheaper rate since we only travel to WDW when it is "slow". So glad I am renting these points to try it out first! I will definitely make sure I buy where I want to stay!

What is considered a slow time at Disney may not also be consdered a slow time for DVC. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas is actually one of the busiest times for DVC.

 

[Deb & Bill]

What is considered a slow time at Disney may not also be consdered a slow time for DVC. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas is actually one of the busiest times for DVC.

I think that has been mentioned to Luv2PixieDust a few times today on different threads.

 

[disneynutz]

Disney's business model for the DVC requires that the rooms stay booked. They open the DVC units up for cash bookings, Disney upgrades cash guests to the DVC resorts, and members have to use their points or lose them. Members who bought at VB, Aulani, HHI, and VGC, book at WDW so there is a shortage of rooms. People also bought at a cheaper resort without intending to stay there so there is competition at 7 months for most of the resorts.

My best advice is buy where you love to stay or take your chance.

Bill