how have peoples 7th month booking been working out?

[Anal Annie]

Oh, I bet you are feeling antsy with that situation.
If the GF Villas studios were totally booked up (and that was pretty tenuous there for a while) then we were equally happy with the Poly studios and they had tons of availability for months.
Would you consider the Poly with the ticket and transfer exchange so close to take you to Epcot? Since you already bought plane tickets and all?

We loved the Poly the 1 time we stayed there but it's even more points & we're already borrowing as it is so trying to keep the points in check. The more we borrow for this trip the fewer points we'll have left for summer 2018. I'm not worried about the flights I booked going down. There's still openings - we'll get something somewhere - it just may not be our 1st (BWV) or 2nd (Jambo std.) choices. As of right now BRV is still showing as open too - for the same amount of points as BWV garden/pool view...construction may be winding down over there by late Sept so that's another thought. The problem with me trying to walk these last couple of days (I'm mostly worried about the FRi-Sat still being there) is that if I borrow to do this res then we're stuck with trying to use all the points I borrow - so I don't want to over-borrow if we don't get BWV. Tricky business this borrowing for a res really late in your UY (ours is Dec so the points have to be used by Nov 30th). I don't know what to do. I wish there was a way to see how much inventory there really is. BWV is not quite to the bottom of the availability list (OKW & BRV are still lower on the list) but it would be nice to know how many units are still available.

 

[Perelandra]

We loved the Poly the 1 time we stayed there but it's even more points & we're already borrowing as it is so trying to keep the points in check. The more we borrow for this trip the fewer points we'll have left for summer 2018. I'm not worried about the flights I booked going down. There's still openings - we'll get something somewhere - it just may not be our 1st (BWV) or 2nd (Jambo std.) choices. As of right now BRV is still showing as open too - for the same amount of points as BWV garden/pool view...construction may be winding down over there by late Sept so that's another thought. The problem with me trying to walk these last couple of days (I'm mostly worried about the FRi-Sat still being there) is that if I borrow to do this res then we're stuck with trying to use all the points I borrow - so I don't want to over-borrow if we don't get BWV. Tricky business this borrowing for a res really late in your UY (ours is Dec so the points have to be used by Nov 30th). I don't know what to do. I wish there was a way to see how much inventory there really is. BWV is not quite to the bottom of the availability list (OKW & BRV are still lower on the list) but it would be nice to know how many units are still available.

Yeah, personally I would not over borrow. I would hope that BWV opens back up soon as people cancel, and if not be happy with Boulder Ridge. I'm dying to try Geyser Point Bar & Grill. From what I've seen on some podcasts, it looks awesome. I really hope BWV opens up for you though. That would be super fun during F&W.
We will be doing F & W and Not So Scary again this year. Love September.

 

[SpaceMountain77]

Right now, booking a studio, which sleeps 5 guests, is a challenge for the third weekend of September.

 

[Perelandra]

Right now, booking a studio for the third week of September is an impossibility.

That is not an accurate statement. There is full availability for the following resorts: SSR, OKW, BLT Lake View, Kidani Savannah, and Wilderness Lodge. Poly is 1 night short of full availability that could be wait listed.
Those resorts may not be the ones you were looking for, but that's a far cry from booking a studio for the third week of September being an impossibility.

 

[Anal Annie]

Right now, booking a studio for the third week of September is an impossibility.

Agree with Perelandra - there's still availability at the resorts she mentioned (although I now see BLT & BRV as only partial). As of last weekend there was still a full week available at the Poly but that was a week ago so now it's only partial. But the booking window opened last week and it's F&W. Both AKV Jambo std. and Kidani std. were both also available in full last weekend but that has also dropped to only partial over the course of this week. I have been tracking studio availability for a couple of weeks now - watching while we debated on our dates for F&W. This is the time of year that you have to book your home resort early or book EXACTLY at 7 months if you're trying to switch out to someplace else. But as of right now SSR std. and preferred and OKW (although not HH) are WIDE OPEN for studios that week. So it's not an impossibility.

 

[Perelandra]

Agree with Perelandra - there's still availability at the resorts she mentioned (although I now see BLT & BRV as only partial). As of last weekend there was still a full week available at the Poly but that was a week ago so now it's only partial. But the booking window opened last week and it's F&W. Both AKV Jambo std. and Kidani std. were both also available in full last weekend but that has also dropped to only partial over the course of this week. I have been tracking studio availability for a couple of weeks now - watching while we debated on our dates for F&W. This is the time of year that you have to book your home resort early or book EXACTLY at 7 months if you're trying to switch out to someplace else. But as of right now SSR std. and preferred and OKW (although not HH) are WIDE OPEN for studios that week. So it's not an impossibility.

Lol, I apologize, I was thrown off by the first couple of days of September being at the end of the week, so I was actually looking at the week before availability. So yes, that week is worse, and yes I agree with everything you said. If you want the heart of F&W for DVC, then you better be on first thing in the morning of the exact start of your 7 month window, unless you want to stay at SSR or OKW.
Oh, and even though Perelandra may sound a little girly, I'm a dude . It's a CS Lewis reference, as well as a plaque in Columbia Harbor House.

 

[Anal Annie]

Lol, I apologize, I was thrown off by the first couple of days of September being at the end of the week, so I was actually looking at the week before availability. So yes, that week is worse, and yes I agree with everything you said. If you want the heart of F&W for DVC, then you better be on first thing in the morning of the exact start of your 7 month window, unless you want to stay at SSR or OKW.
Oh, and even though Perelandra may sound a little girly, I'm a dude . It's a CS Lewis reference, as well as a plaque in Columbia Harbor House.

Sorry for the gender confusion.

 

[Perelandra]

Don't be. I can't figure out how to change my Avatar. All my I phone pictures are too large according to the tool, so my persona on here is pretty gender neutral.

 

[Anal Annie]

Don't be. I can't figure out how to change my Avatar. All my I phone pictures are too large according to the tool, so my persona on here is pretty gender neutral.

I use Photoshop to reduce picture sizes for avatars & such but I realize not everyone has Photoshop. You could try paint.net or any other photo editing software you may have. Just a thought.

 

[SpaceMountain77]

That is not an accurate statement. There is full availability for the following resorts: SSR, OKW, BLT Lake View, Kidani Savannah, and Wilderness Lodge. Poly is 1 night short of full availability that could be wait listed.
Those resorts may not be the ones you were looking for, but that's a far cry from booking a studio for the third week of September being an impossibility.

I kindly request that you check availability for Wednesday, September 20th through Monday, September 25th. I have been checking availability regularly since Monday, February 20th, and availability has been limited to Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa; both standard and preferred view studios are available for booking. Booking may not be impossible, but it is quite limited less than a week from the 7-month window for resorts that can accommodate 5 guests in a studio.

 

[SpaceMountain77]

Agree with Perelandra - there's still availability at the resorts she mentioned (although I now see BLT & BRV as only partial). As of last weekend there was still a full week available at the Poly but that was a week ago so now it's only partial. But the booking window opened last week and it's F&W. Both AKV Jambo std. and Kidani std. were both also available in full last weekend but that has also dropped to only partial over the course of this week. I have been tracking studio availability for a couple of weeks now - watching while we debated on our dates for F&W. This is the time of year that you have to book your home resort early or book EXACTLY at 7 months if you're trying to switch out to someplace else. But as of right now SSR std. and preferred and OKW (although not HH) are WIDE OPEN for studios that week. So it's not an impossibility.

I tried to book 5 consecutive nights at Disney's Polynesian Villas and Bungalows on Monday, February 20th. That morning, 2-nights were available for a lake view studio and 3-nights were available for a standard view studio.

We are in need of a studio that sleeps 5 guests, so booking is a challenge for us.

 

[Perelandra]

I kindly request that you check availability for Wednesday, September 20th through Monday, September 25th. I have been checking availability regularly since Monday, February 20th, and availability has been limited to Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa; both standard and preferred view studios are available for booking. Booking may not be impossible, but it is quite limited less than a week from the 7-month window for resorts that can accommodate 5 guests in a studio.

I kindly request that you check availability for Wednesday, September 20th through Monday, September 25th. I have been checking availability regularly since Monday, February 20th, and availability has been limited to Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa; both standard and preferred view studios are available for booking. Booking may not be impossible, but it is quite limited less than a week from the 7-month window for resorts that can accommodate 5 guests in a studio.

I responded to the forum a few posts up and acknowledged my error. I was looking at week off.
That is a tough one. Aren't there just a couple of studios that accommodate 5?
We're a family of 6 so we always have to get 2 or preferably a 2 bedroom suite.

 

[MrPTato]

Able to get our 1 bedroom at Kidani for the second week of September. Mother in law is coming to help with kids and it is more or less free for her. She will watch them so we can get out late night without the kids. She will like the bedroom to herself. Going to miss the Poly

 

[Anal Annie]

I tried to book 5 consecutive nights at Disney's Polynesian Villas and Bungalows on Monday, February 20th. That morning, 2-nights were available for a lake view studio and 3-nights were available for a standard view studio.

We are in need of a studio that sleeps 5 guests, so booking is a challenge for us.

Sorry, but your original post didn't mention anything about needing a studio to sleep 5. You said there was no studio availability - which was incorrect.

Given the higher point cost for the Poly why not just consider booking an OKW or AKV 1-bedroom???? They sleep 5 and cost a whole lot less points AND you'd have more space!? There is a 1-bedroom available there for 5 nights from Sun. 9/17 - Fri. 9/22 for only 105 points (both booking categories are open). In fact A Poly studio for the same nights would be 100 points. That's only 5 different. That's a no-brainer to me if you need to sleep 5. If you don't have the extra 5 points you could buy the 1-time use points for the rest of the reservation. If you don't want OKW there are std. view 1-bedrooms open at both Kidani Village and Jambo House for only 110 points.... All 3 of these 1-bedrooms would sleep 5 people - more comfortably for only a handful of points more.

And FWIW the Poly std. view was indeed completely available for those dates last weekend. If you had only looked a day before...

 

[SpaceMountain77]

I responded to the forum a few posts up and acknowledged my error. I was looking at week off.
That is a tough one. Aren't there just a couple of studios that accommodate 5?
We're a family of 6 so we always have to get 2 or preferably a 2 bedroom suite.

Right now, it is BCV, BRV, BWV, PVB, and VGF. I suspect that when CCVC opens and general reservations are accepted, studios will come available at these other resorts. When PVB general reservations began, many dates became available for studios at BLT, even standard view.

 

[SpaceMountain77]

Sorry, but your original post didn't mention anything about needing a studio to sleep 5. You said there was no studio availability - which was incorrect.

Given the higher point cost for the Poly why not just consider booking an OKW or AKV 1-bedroom???? They sleep 5 and cost a whole lot less points AND you'd have more space!? There is a 1-bedroom available there for 5 nights from Sun. 9/17 - Fri. 9/22 for only 105 points (both booking categories are open). In fact A Poly studio for the same nights would be 100 points. That's only 5 different. That's a no-brainer to me if you need to sleep 5. If you don't have the extra 5 points you could buy the 1-time use points for the rest of the reservation. If you don't want OKW there are std. view 1-bedrooms open at both Kidani Village and Jambo House for only 110 points.... All 3 of these 1-bedrooms would sleep 5 people - more comfortably for only a handful of points more.

And FWIW the Poly std. view was indeed completely available for those dates last weekend. If you had only looked a day before...

I considered a 1-bedroom villa, at Old Key West, but need to conserve the points to complete a booking for May. For our September booking, a standard studio at PVB is 86 points and 1-bedroom villa at OKW is 115 points. Twenty-nine vacation points is enough for two nights at AKV, OKW, and SSR in May.

 

[Anal Annie]

I considered a 1-bedroom villa, at Old Key West, but need to conserve the points to complete a booking for May. For our September booking, a standard studio at PVB is 86 points and 1-bedroom villa at OKW is 115 points. Twenty-nine vacation points is enough for two nights at AKV, OKW, and SSR in May.

Sorry. Guess you will have to piece together a split stay?! I don't know exactly what dates you're working with....but if you're serious about going that week you should work on getting a split figured out. Maybe 1 night in a 1-bedroom if you have to? (And make sure you're online promptly at 8:00 on your 7 mo. window to book your May trip!!)

 

[SpaceMountain77]

Sorry. Guess you will have to piece together a split stay?! I don't know exactly what dates you're working with....but if you're serious about going that week you should work on getting a split figured out. Maybe 1 night in a 1-bedroom if you have to? (And make sure you're online promptly at 8:00 on your 7 mo. window to book your May trip!!)

Based on what I currently have secured and pending waitlist requests, I believe that we will be staying at BRV. We should be good to go

 

[Perelandra]

Based on what I currently have secured and pending waitlist requests, I believe that we will be staying at BRV. We should be good to go

Great! I would love to stay there some day. Still trying to figure out how to fit in Geyser Point Bar & Grill in September. Looks really relaxing.

 

[Perelandra]

Sorry. Guess you will have to piece together a split stay?! I don't know exactly what dates you're working with....but if you're serious about going that week you should work on getting a split figured out. Maybe 1 night in a 1-bedroom if you have to? (And make sure you're online promptly at 8:00 on your 7 mo. window to book your May trip!!)

How is it looking for you in the morning?