I Hate how the 7 mos window works.

[antree]

OK so let's say I buy at BWV, what happens when I want to stay at AKL. Do I keep on buying at all the DVC's. I'm sure all you BWV owners have stayed somewhere else. I know by staying outside your home resort there is a penalty, I accept that, but I don't have to like all the rules. If I book at my home resort at the 11 mo window I could still only book 7 plus days and if my first day isn't available, don't I have to still play by the rules and wait until my first day is available? All I was doing is ranting like everyone else does here. If we are allowed to book at the 7 month or 11 month window I just want to be able to wait list that first night and still be able to book the rest of my nights. We are not allowed I get that, but I can still complain if I want to, and not be told over and over to buy there.

 

[bwvBound]

Do I keep on buying at all the DVC's.

I know. Insane, right?
- bwvBound, who only DVC is at SSR and yet enjoys staying at lots of different DVC locations

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

I own at BCV for ONE reason. I want a week at BCV during Food & Wine.

For most of my stays I am fine staying anywhere (Having done a check all the WDW resorts are on property LOL!)

But for that one week I REALLY want BCV so I bought there.

I think there are times where "buy where you want to stay" is true (like Epcot resorts at Food & Wine) and other times where it doesn't really matter. (My stay in April I could have stayed at almost any resort.)

So you don't buy at all the resorts, but you have to make some "priority" decisions when you do buy.

When I was selling off 'extra' points, financially the ones to have sold were BCV. Those were bringing in the most money. But I knew that the week I wanted would be VERY hard a t 7 months so I sold some OKW points because while I like staying there, there is no time i HAVE to stay there so if I can't get it for a week it won't be disappointing!

 

[LILJAN59]

We have stayed at SSR 4 or 5 times, and have done split stays of 3 or 4 nites at VWL and AKL 2 times. We have done split stays with OKW and AKL. we just saw BLT last Wednesday, and booked a 2 nite LVS, for 3/31-4/2. That was a last minute, saw it on line decision!!! We have also stayed at HH and VB.
We like different things at each of the resorts. We will spend 11 nites at SSR from 12/22-1/2/14, in a 2 BR. We Wil have 2 cars, so we will be just fine.
I do not mind split stays to get some of my time at the resort I want.
We love AKL JAMBO and KIDANI, but the halls are way to long for us.
For convenience we like VWL. For peace and quiet we like OKW and SSR.
I do not know if we will like BLT, but we will try it!!!!
I am not planning a split stay from a 2 BR, too much stuff to move. It is easy to do split stays with studios!!!
If you can only get a few nites at your favorite, think about a split stay. At least you will have some of your time where you want to be.

Also, one time at AKK, I was able to get another nite the day we were supposed to check out, so one more day at AKK with our two grandsons.

Be flexible, it is a vacation, not rocket science!!!

 

[LisaS]

OK so let's say I buy at BWV, what happens when I want to stay at AKL. Do I keep on buying at all the DVC's.

Of course not but if you wanted Club Level or Value rooms at AKV on a regular basis then you would want to own so that you could book your stays 11 months out. If you want a Savanna View or Standard View at AKV you will be OK for much of the year so there would be no need to buy there.

Lots of people are happy just to be at WDW and if they can switch resorts 7 months out that's great and if not, no problem. I'm not one of those people so, yes, I did take the advice here and bought where I wanted to stay and don't regret it. I like being able to stretch my points by staying in a Standard View room at BWV or splurge on a great view and book a Boardwalk View room there. Both of those require owning at BWV since we like to stay there during F&W.

If I book at my home resort at the 11 mo window I could still only book 7 plus days and if my first day isn't available, don't I have to still play by the rules and wait until my first day is available?

Yes, the same rules apply 11 months from your check-in day. If that first night isn't available, you can create a wait list for the nights you want and try again the next morning. Allowing you to book the rest of your stay would be the same as allowing you to book more than 11 months from check-in.

 

[Dean]

OK so let's say I buy at BWV, what happens when I want to stay at AKL. Do I keep on buying at all the DVC's. I'm sure all you BWV owners have stayed somewhere else. I know by staying outside your home resort there is a penalty, I accept that, but I don't have to like all the rules. If I book at my home resort at the 11 mo window I could still only book 7 plus days and if my first day isn't available, don't I have to still play by the rules and wait until my first day is available? All I was doing is ranting like everyone else does here. If we are allowed to book at the 7 month or 11 month window I just want to be able to wait list that first night and still be able to book the rest of my nights. We are not allowed I get that, but I can still complain if I want to, and not be told over and over to buy there.

The reality is that there is a risk you'll only be able to get your home resort and even then, you may not. IMO DVC has had far greater than expected availability at 7 months out, expect it to cont to get tighter in that regard.

 

[antree]

We are always flexible with our time, we don't have to worry about the months or dates we go. This year is different. Our dog didn't do good with us on vacation last year so, this year she is staying with family and the only time we can work around them is Oct/Nov. We really didn't want to go then with the worry of getting a room.

We stayed at SSR last Dec and we really didn't like it. The kids ask if we could try and get BWV. I knew it would be hard because the time of yr. I just wish booking was a little different, but it worked out I got my week and hopefully we can add a few more days. After this yr I will not be back in Nov...LOL..

We usually go when seasons are low. I can't wait to get back to that time again

 

[TifffanyD]

Oct/Nov is low just not for Boardwalk or Beach Club due to Food & Wine. I'm sure you could've found something tho!

 

[E2ME2]

honestly, if there's availability around that time, you'll probably get the reservation by waitlisting.

but there is a reason so many of us try to tell new buyers that things are easier if you just "buy where you want to stay" and book early...

"buy where you want to stay" - Really?
I did buy where I want to stay: I want to stay at DISNEY!
I love having the option to stay at different places; that's what we did before we were DVC members, and we want to continue that.
& NO, I will not be buying points at every resort. I will book at my home resort at 11 months, and move to a different resort at 7 months, if & when I can. & that's exactly what you are encouraged to do; it was explained thoroughly by our guide when we purchased.

 

[Deb & Bill]

....When I was selling off 'extra' points, financially the ones to have sold were BCV. Those were bringing in the most money. But I knew that the week I wanted would be VERY hard a t 7 months so I sold some OKW points because while I like staying there, there is no time i HAVE to stay there so if I can't get it for a week it won't be disappointing!

I sold off a 100 point contract at BCV in about 2006 or so and got $94 a point for that contract. I'd love to stay at BCV again, but if I can't, no big deal. But it is convenient for F&W.

...We usually go when seasons are low. I can't wait to get back to that time again

So what do you consider low seasons? Since DVC is expected to be at least 95% occupied all of the time, you might not get your low season.

 

[elgerber]

OK so let's say I buy at BWV, what happens when I want to stay at AKL. Do I keep on buying at all the DVC's. I'm sure all you BWV owners have stayed somewhere else..

Actually I own BWV and I haven't stayed anywhere else since I bought. And that was before I knew the wonders of F&W. I love the area and don't want to stay anywhere else.

I'm not saying the system is perfect I am just answering that part of your question.

 

[Dean]

"buy where you want to stay" - Really?
I did buy where I want to stay: I want to stay at DISNEY!
I love having the option to stay at different places; that's what we did before we were DVC members, and we want to continue that.
& NO, I will not be buying points at every resort. I will book at my home resort at 11 months, and move to a different resort at 7 months, if & when I can. & that's exactly what you are encouraged to do; it was explained thoroughly by our guide when we purchased.

If you're happy staying at your home resort most of the time and trying for other options at times, you should be OK. However, you don't own at all the resorts, only certain ones and therefore there are limitations. Exchangers, renters and CRO guests will often come ahead of you for access, as they should when using home resort points. What the guide said or encouraged has absolutely no meaning in this discussion.

 

[Goldilocks07]

We are always flexible with our time, we don't have to worry about the months or dates we go. This year is different. Our dog didn't do good with us on vacation last year so, this year she is staying with family and the only time we can work around them is Oct/Nov. We really didn't want to go then with the worry of getting a room.

We stayed at SSR last Dec and we really didn't like it. The kids ask if we could try and get BWV. I knew it would be hard because the time of yr. I just wish booking was a little different, but it worked out I got my week and hopefully we can add a few more days. After this yr I will not be back in Nov...LOL..

We usually go when seasons are low. I can't wait to get back to that time again

When exactly IS the low season? We also try to avoid the crowds, but in the past few trips found the parks very busy.

 

[Brian Noble]

OK so let's say I buy at BWV, what happens when I want to stay at AKL. Do I keep on buying at all the DVC's. I'm sure all you BWV owners have stayed somewhere else.

No, not really. But, it's hard to know when you do/don't need to own at a particular resort until you've spent quite a lot of time learning the system.

For example, some room types are hard to get almost year round, notably AKV Value and Concierge (all sizes), BLT Standard (all sizes), and the Grand Villas at OKW-HH or BWV. BWV Standard/Boardwalk View units in any size are also tricky. They aren't necessarily gone before 7 months year-round, but there will be many times when they are not available.

There are also times of year that are hard just about everywhere, because they are super popular. The first full week or two of December and New Years Eve are both in this category. Marathon Weekend can be tricky as well. For these periods, you want to make a reservation at your home resort at 11 months; switching is a bonus.

Then there are specific times of year at specific resorts that are hard. BWV and BCV during Food & Wine. VWL during the period between Thanksgiving and New Years (it's considered by many to be "the Christmas resort.")

There are probably other times at other resorts that I am not thinking of, but you get the idea. These "hard to get" reservations aren't impossible, of course, but you have to be flexible about dates, unit sizes, and more than a little bit lucky. You can't count on getting them, for sure.

Finally, things can and do change. For example, the Treehouses used to be hard to get year-round. But, as DVC has declared more inventory and rebalanced SSR's chart to raise THV point requirements, they've gotten easier.

The "buy where you want to stay" advice is really most appropriate if, like a few prior posters, you have one specific vacation at one specific resort that you want to take most years. If you really want to stay in the Epcot area for Food & Wine, and do that regularly, you probably need to own at BCV or BWV. If you want access to the AKV concierge floor most stays, you must own at AKV---and that one is hard even at 11 months.

Conversely, if you don't need to be at any one *particular* resort on a regular basis, I think the better advice is: "Don't buy where you would not be happy to stay." That way, if you are coming during one of those hard-across-the-board periods, you'll be satisfied with your home resort. You can still explore other places when they are available, and have a good chance at sampling all the resorts over time if you are flexible about when you do it. But, any non-home resort stay is one of those "Let's see if that works out" situations, not a "We are definitely going to stay there" deal. So, if you are "stuck" with your home resort, you want to be happy with it.

 

[crisi]

Buy where you won't be disappointed to end up.

Make your plans to switch with the ultimate in flexibility. When you ask the kids "where do you want to stay" ask them for first, second, third and forth choices, explaining that they might not get their first, second or third choice (we own Boardwalk, so far, its always been at least our second choice - and we make that reservation at eleven months and switch if we want).

Be open to doing odd things when its important. My girl scout troop wants to use my points (I told them they could) to go to Hilton Head in the Summer. I'm not going to depend on getting that reservation at seven months - its a hard one to get - I'm renting it from Dave and will rent an equivalent amount of BWV points to him to cover most of the costs - I'll be down a few bucks per point in the transaction for Dave to get a cut, but I won't be looking at a bunch of Scouts and telling them to pick something else.

 

[loveswdw]

I went on line yesterday to book and the first day wasn't available, but the rest of the week was. So I go on today at 8 am to book again starting today, the whole is available, GREAT, by the time I click select, the first night is gone again.

Right there with you. I went through this except the first night wasn't available but the rest of the week was. Logged on the next morning to book what I could and the whole rest of the week was gone too. I'm using both of my waitlists. 1st waitlist for Sun, Mon, Tues & 2nd one for Wed & Thurs. I did get Fri booked already. If it doesn't come through, we have a BCV reservation already. I just wanted to save the points by staying std at BWV. Figured breaking up the WL may be easier to match a couple of nights at a time vs the entire week.

 

[AmyB2006]

If we are allowed to book at the 7 month or 11 month window I just want to be able to wait list that first night and still be able to book the rest of my nights. We are not allowed I get that, but I can still complain if I want to, and not be told over and over to buy there.

I hear ya. You just want someone to commisserate with you.

 

[Deb & Bill]

When exactly IS the low season? We also try to avoid the crowds, but in the past few trips found the parks very busy.

That's the problem. When it is easier to get a DVC villa, it might be busy in the parks. And when the parks are not busy, it can be hard to get a DVC villa. For example, early Dec is not busy in the parks except for the cheerleaders/football players (Pop Warner) and they don't hit the parks as much as a guest who is staying there and not there for a competition. But you have to book DVC 11 months out to get early Dec.

The somewhat easier times to get DVC villas might be later in January, but not MKL weekend/week, February (but not President's holiday), early May, late August, September after Labor Day holiday.

I'd like for DVC to go back to reservations being made 11 months or seven months from the day of your departure. So you can book a day at a time if you really want that time frame, but you don't have to worry about the people who book six days ago and took your first night as their last night. And you can't book at all.

 

[Minniesgal]

I would book the resort you can book today then immediately wait list what you want. If the rest is still available tomorrow you can change the booking and the waitlist but waitlisting today gets you at the front of the line when availability opens up as it often does. So far we have always had our waitlists filled.

 

[AmyB2006]

I'd like for DVC to go back to reservations being made 11 months or seven months from the day of your departure. So you can book a day at a time if you really want that time frame, but you don't have to worry about the people who book six days ago and took your first night as their last night. And you can't book at all.

Wouldn't there still be an issue with this method? You'd only be able to book one day at a time this way?