Is the 11-month booking window really that important????

[clkelley]

I'm looking at some prices at The Timeshare Store. The prices available at Vero Beach and Hilton Head "really" look attractive.

However, honestly, I would probably stay mostly at Boardwalk, Beach Club, Saratoga Springs, or Wilderness Lodge Villas.

So, is the 11-month booking window of your home resort really a necessary feature, or are plenty of reservations available at 5 months out??

Thanks,

Carol

 

[crisi]

No, but the seven month window can be.

If you will be happy with any DVC resort, can be flexible and call at six or seven months out, you'll do fine.

If what you really really want is to use your points for a BW Standard View over Food and Wine, or VWL over Christmas, OKW Grand Villas - particularly over holidays -, or.....then you will need to call at seven months out, perhaps risk the wait list, AND be willing to be content at a different resort if that doesn't work out.

 

[reedycreek]

i wondered this same thing when i purchased into DVC last week. i decided that the 11 month window makes no sense to my situation since i cant really book travel until 4-6 months out because of my work schedule. as soon as i get my trimester leave assigned, i can make ressies, and that is never 11 months prior. so i just bought into SSR and hope to stay elsewhere if available. if not, i am at disney either way, so i dont care.

 

[Granny]

This topic has come up with a few times lately. Check out this thread currently on the front page of this forum.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=842829

If you do pursue this strategy, and those are your choices, then HH dues are much lower than VB dues. In the long run (37 years), your dues will be a much higher part of your ownership cost than the original point purchase price.

 

[JimMIA]

Here's another thread with some good info. It starts with a discussion of the 11 month window
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=778634

 

[JimC]

On another note, make sure you evaluate the total cost of ownership and not just the price per point. The most significant variable is annual dues. For example, VB is priced low but has very high annual dues. The initial price advantage is offset in less than 20 years.

The other variable that I look at is the number of points remaining on the contract. The price per point varies a great deal depending on this factor. For example a contract with points banked and current points is generally priced higher than a contract with points borrowed and no current points. The important number is the cost per point for all remaining points on the contract.

Good luck.

 

[Dean]

IMO, it is important and will become increasingly so over the next few years. Still, if you can plan a full 7 months out, use the wait list DAY by DAY and take any resort, you will be successful most of the time.

 

[CharlesTD]

We own at VB HHI and SSR we have not gone to either HHI or VB and always book at 7 months and have never had any issues so for us the 11 month window has been a non issue.

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

For the standard view and GV's at the BWV it's important. The time between 11 and 7 months will become more important as more members join DVC.

HBC

 

[robinb]

I think the 11 month window is important for busy times like Christmas, Spring Break and Food and Wine. Also if you ever want to book a Standard View at BWV or a Grand Villa anywhere.

 

[kathleena]

I'm agreeing with the folks saying it depends on when you want to go, where you will want to stay and what accomodations you want (which is pretty much everything?).

If you don't mind that you may not have your pick of places to stay or be able to get the size room you want, then you should be fine. But for my money, if I only have enough points for a studio and there are only 1 or 2 brs available when I call, I would pretty much wish I had bought at an onsite resort.

If they ever stopped the multi-resort booking options - and made it so that you could only book at your home resort - are VB and HH where you would want to be on all your vacations? Or maybe if they changed the booking window so home resort had 7 months, then only 4 for non-home resort window?

I am of the "buy where you want to stay" opinion.

Good luck!

 

[TammyNC]

I too value the buy where you will want to stay option. Over time as a DVC owner we have found ourselves vacationing in times we didnt think we would ever be in WDW. For us, the 1st two weeks in Dec are great but its a hard ressie to get at VWL, so the 11 mos window is great! F&W is also a little tougher to book, but the 11 mos paid off. For us, its peace of mind. Just something to consider.

Jimmy

 

[Scoootch]

So, is the 11-month booking window of your home resort really a necessary feature, or are plenty of reservations available at 5 months out??

It depends on if your asking 5 months out from when? At 5mos out as you must be aware, all pts are created equal and people from every resort have been booking the resorts for a good 2mos already...5mos out from a Sept. stay you would probably have no problem unless you wanted a GV at OKW or standard view at BW but 5 mos out from F&W fest or from early Dec. Stays or Christmas/Easter/Presidents day weeks maybe not so much If you cannot book until 5 mos out regardless though as someone else posted they can't because of work schedules, then it really won't matter you'd still have to take your chances I suppose But if you have the ability to book more then 7mos out and are picky or cannot be flexible about dates,villa size or resort then home resort IS indeed important. I'm one who agrees with the "buy where you want to stay" mindset but only if you have the ability to book at more than 7mos out. FWIW, I think also that as membership is growing, it IS getting harder and harder to get ressie's at the 7mos or less mark. I read a thread this week from someone who said they had to waitlist for some of the days for a January stay....in the past Jan. hasn't really been a problem but I guess it's now starting to be one?!

Best of luck to you

 

[CarolMN]

IMHO, you will almost certainly be able to get something at SSR at the 7 month mark for virtually all times of the year. When completed, SSR will be the largest DVC resort.

If you would be happy staying at SSR if your other choices are not available, then it won't matter if you buy HH or VB. OTOH, if you really want BCV, BWV or VWL, I think you will be disappointed more often than not if you have to use the 7 month window.

Read these threads before you decide:

Hard to make reservations this year

I always have trouble booking at other DVCs except SSR

Based on your personal vacation habits/needs, it could work for you to buy VB or HH. Before you pull the trigger, be sure you understand the limitations of that decision if you mostly want to stay at WDW.

Best wishes-

 

[jpmom]

. For us, its peace of mind. Just something to consider.

Jimmy

We too just went through this.

I went back and forth for a couple of weeks trying to decide what to do.

We wanted to add points to our current contract at VWL.

After searching this board and talking to my Disney sales rep, we realized that purchasing in the same use year was our first priority.

Since we really love being over at the Epcot resorts, we decided that Beach Club was where we wanted to be. Prior to coming to that conclusion, we put offers in at OKW and HH -- both were accepted, but something didn't feel "right".

Although we have been able to travel at off-peak times in recent years, that may become difficult as our children get older and we have to travel when they have their school breaks -- ie. Easter, Christmas, Thanksgiving etc.

And so, the 11 month window was indeed a factor for us.

And so, we just added 100 points at the Beach Club. We are thrilled.

 

[whithouston]

For the standard view and GV's at the BWV it's important. The time between 11 and 7 months will become more important as more members join DVC.

HBC

I agree with this. We own at BWV and was unable to get a Standard View 9 months out. I wish I would have used the 11 month window.

 

[CharlesTD]

Intersting info on here as we own at a few resorts and have never had a problem booking rooms. We got VWL 4 months ahead for the marathon. We got BWV prefered 3 weeks prior to the Ironman race thing they have and also 2 weeks before food and wine for another couple in a standard view so we have never had to worry about the 11 month mark and we have never waitlisted any of our reservations at all. We go in early Dec and have never waitlisted or not gotten exactly what we wanted at any of the resorts we have stayed at. But then I am also the kind of person that can drive into the mall parking lot on any saturday even near christmas and find a spor right outside the mall doors as soon as I get there.