Is it hard to trade into resorts other than your Home Resort

[ScooterB]

Hi. I recently purchased 240 points at Saratoga and am thinking of adding an additional 120. I was wondering how tough it is to trade into a 2br at resorts other than your home resort? I really want to accumulate enough to stay at OKW, Fort Wilderness and Boardwalk from time to time. Thanks

 

[dznyacct]

We are DVC members with VWL as our home resort. Over the last 5 years we have stayed at VWL, BWV, BCW, OKW and VB staying in everything from a studio to a 2 BR. I have never had a problem making a reservation at the 7 month window at my non-home resort. To be safe, I have called and added on each day exactly at the 7 month window. Enjoy DVC. It's the best decision we ever made!

 

[WDWDennis]

We own at Vero, but have never stayed there. That puts us in the 11 7 month window for WDW resorts. So far, we've never had any problems getting a place. Then again, we always travel in the off season.

Good luck!!

 

[3kidz4dis]

To be safe, I have called and added on each day exactly at the 7 month window.

Can you explain what that means?

 

[dianeschlicht]

That's a loaded question. It really depends on what time of year you are trying to trade, and what size unit. Since you will need to make the reservations for other resorts after the 7 month booking window opens, there could be less available than you might like. The times that are busy vary by resort and time of year. For example: VWL is a small DVC resort, and WL has wonderful holiday decor. Hence, early December is very difficult to get ANY reservation there at the 7 month mark. That means that if you are looking for a studio or 2 bedroom, you probably have to reserve it day by day. That means you call each day that is possible for exactly 7 months out and reserve that day until your entire reservation is done.

 

[Dean]

If you want to stay at a specific resort most times, you should buy there. But to try them all over time if you're flexible, that should work out if you act at the 7 month window and do day by day (call each day to reserve that day at exactly 7 months). It will get harder though for BWV, BCV, VWL and HH summer as well as certain unit types at any resort.

 

[3kidz4dis]

Tha That means you call each day that is possible for exactly 7 months out and reserve that day until your entire reservation is done.

But it is possible at the 7 month window, they could say that the whole week is available? You are just talking about if only bits and pieces are available at once?

 

[dianeschlicht]

But it is possible at the 7 month window, they could say that the whole week is available? You are just talking about if only bits and pieces are available at once?

You would call on the first day of availability and when you make the ressie for that stay, you would ask if it looks like you need to call day by day or if you can wait until 7 months from your expected check out date. If MS tells you there is plenty of available rooms, you can just call back 7 months from the check out date and make the whole ressie at once. If you end up calling day by day, you have the ressies linked. MS will ask what your end date is, and they will automatically keep adding each day you call.

 

[wtpclc]

Can I ask a really basic question? I think I should know, but here it goies...

If I want to get in @7 mo to non-home resort and don't want to call day by day, I cal 7 months from the day of check out. If I call day by day, do I call 7 mo from arrival or 7 mo from check out? So, if I'm call ing day by day for the 7th to the 13th, will the first day I call be on the 7th or th 8th? It seems like I can't call until the 8th, but that seems contradictory to what I've heard before. I'd put it in Caskbill's planner, but I don't have it on this computer. TIA!

 

[spiceycat]

you first call would be on the 8th - ask MS what the period you are looking for looks like.

if MS tells you busy call each day - then DO IT.

if they say plenty not a problem - then you can wait until the last day to make your entire reservations.

If it is a busy time and you need to make by reservation day by day - tell the first CM you talk too how many dates you are planning on getting.

then when the reservation is completely filled within 10 days after you will get your reservation confirmation.

there is no reason for MS to link on reservation. This is taken a big chance on your part. Days can easily be added to an exisiting reservation.

if you are linking your reservation - you have a different reservation number - at the DVC resort you can be forced to leave and check back in each time the reservation number changes. Not in my opinion a good plan.

the ones times I have noticed a problem are Thanksgiving, the first weeks of Dec. For BCV and BWV the wine and food festavial in Oct/Nov.

spring break varies alot. Some weeks are busy, other times you can call a few days before you leave. Same with most of the summer. Most DVC don't like to go to Orlando when it is as hot as it gets in the summer. Parents with school age children generally can only on in the summer or spring break - however many have discovered Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is a great time to go. The weather generally is very nice. One big problem each and every year Thanksgiving week at WDW has become more and more crowded. It is still better by far than Easter or Christmas to NY. but each year it is getting more crowded.

Thanksgiving week also is one of the few holidays that you can get away with most of the week on less points. (Labor day is the only other US holiday that works this way).

So if you are flexibility say you want the first week of June it is not availability but the last week of June is and you agreed to take that one. You can definitely stay in all the DVC resorts with little or no problems.

 

[wtpclc]

Thanks Spiceycat!