Is 9-10 months enough time to reserve?

[kbeam]

We're planning on buying our DVC in February 2010 (probably closing in March) and going the week before Christmas. We'll need to borrow our points for the 2011 year, because we'll need a large enough unit to sleep 8 people. My question is is 9-10 enough time to reserve such a large unit? Doesn't matter what resort we end up with... Thanks!

 

[dianeschlicht]

First of all, how do you know which use year you will have if you haven't yet purchased? Whether or not you can borrow from 2011 depends on which use year you end up with. For your original question, it really depends on which resort you buy as your home resort. If you are buying SSR, OKW or AKV, there should be 2 bedrooms still available at 10 months out, but if you are buying VWL, you probably wont find anything of any size available.

FYI, a 2 bedroom unit is not a particularily large unit. The "large" units would be the Grand villas, and those are not likely to be available for your dates at less than 11 months out.

 

[ldo]

Even though you say it doesn't matter where you stay, you can only book where you own at 9-10 months, and smaller place might be gone. Ex. at BCV, VWL, there are not a lot of units, so at 9-10 months, it is very likely that the 2 BRs would be booked. The week before Christmas is very crowded. At 7 months, you can book everywhere. However, this year, MANY people were "shut out" of booking for Christmas at 7 months, according to disboards.
So, if you are planning to buy SSR, OKW, AKV, which have many units, then you are probably OK, the others, maybe not.

 

[kbeam]

We're only looking to purchase specific use year months. So if we wanted to go in December 2010 and we purchased for example August use year, we'd have August 2010 (the year we purchased, assuming the original owners didn't use the points that year...again, we're planning on buying in February 2010) AND can borrow 2011 points, correct?

 

[dianeschlicht]

We're only looking to purchase specific use year months. So if we wanted to go in December 2010 and we purchased for example August use year, we'd have August 2010 (the year we purchased, assuming the original owners didn't use the points that year...again, we're planning on buying in February 2010) AND can borrow 2011 points, correct?

If you are staying in December of 2010 and have an August use year, you would be able to book with all 2010 August points plus borrow all of 2011 August points for that stay. It can be booked 11 months from the day of check in at your HOME RESORT ONLY. Which resort are you thinking of?

 

[kbeam]

Thank you for that info. That's what I thought, but I just wanted to confirm with an expert! We're going to buy at Wilderness Lodge, but the 12/10 trip (our first using DVC and with a big group), we don't care where we have to settle...as long as we're onsite, we'll all be happy!

 

[wildernessDad]

When one buys into DVC, one buys at a particular resort. This resort becomes one's home resort. One can make reservations at one's home resort from 11 months to 7 months prior to one's vacation. After that, one can make a reservation at ANY DVC resort.

Thus, if you wish to book your vacation between 9 and 10 months out, then you have to book at your home resort. If you purchased at the Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge (VWL), then your chances of obtaining a room there at Christmas time, given that you did not book exactly at 11 months, will be slim to none.

 

[kbeam]

The week BEFORE Christmas is difficult to get into? What about 2 weeks before?

 

[wildernessDad]

The week BEFORE Christmas is difficult to get into? What about 2 weeks before?

VWL is the smallest DVC resort on WDW property and is extremely popular at Christmas time. The time after Thanksgiving until Christmas is extremely popular with DVC'ers. Even Christmas and beyond until just after New Years is popular with DVC'ers, although the points required to stay are much higher.

If you were to try to book VWL at 10 months out, you would probably go on a wait list (WL) for the villa. Your best chances might be, in order, a 1 bedroom, then a 2 bedroom, then a studio. Cancellations do happen, so your WL could come through.

 

[drusba]

If you buy from Disney in Feb 2010, it will likely be selling a use year that begins before then, such as October and thus you could buy, get Oct 2009 points, and then you would actually bank those for a Dec 2010 trip and use those and could use any points coming in Oct 2010 (which would be the "current" use year points for a Dec 2010 trip) and probably not need to borrow any from 2011.

All of December is a very high demand time for DVC and at 10 months out you may find some things unavailable regardless of the time of month you want in Dec. Likely if you bought at BLT you could still get lake view and if you bought at AKV you could still get savanna and probably standard view. 2BRs can sleep 8 and the 2BRs at AKV Kidani building and at BLT have a third bathroom and are larger than the 2BRs at other WDW resorts except OKW which has the largest.

 

[kbeam]

We'll only need the large unit for the 12/10 trip. OKW has the largest units, bathrooms?

 

[bobbiwoz]

We'll only need the large unit for the 12/10 trip. OKW has the largest units, bathrooms?

OKW's 2 bedrooms have 2 full baths.

Bobbi

 

[dgaston]

And AKV, Kidani only, has the extra bath (total of 3) in a 2 br. 2br at Kidani, Jambo, and BLT all sleep 9 due to the presence of a sleeper chair in the living room.

 

[Deb & Bill]

The week BEFORE Christmas is difficult to get into? What about 2 weeks before?

At VWL, from Thanksgiving to early January is difficult to get other than right at 11 months out.

If you buy VWL points, you won't be able to make a reservation at OKW for a two bedroom for Dec 2010 until June 2010 (seven months out from your check in day).

 

[bobbiwoz]

7 months from December is May...so if you want to change resorts at 7 months for December, you can do it in May.

Bobbi

 

[wildernessDad]

So, if you purchased points at VWL and tried to book VWL at 10 months out, you will likely have a problem. You could go on a wait list for something at VWL and then when May rolls around, ask about OKW availibility. If it's available, get the OKW villa and continue on the VWL wait list.