Is the 7 month window a problem?

[theguda]

I'm considering buying a resale SSR since it has the lowest buyin and maintenance fees... but probably will not stay at SSR often, if at all. I'm wondering how hard it is for other DVC members to get the resort they want at the 7 month window. We're pretty flexible with dates so I'm hoping that will help a lot. I'd hate to buy into SSR but never be able to stay at Akl, BC, VWL, BLT, etc

Thoughts???

 

[tink'smom2B]

I currently own two contracts (BCV and VWL) and I have been checking availability at other resorts at the 7 month window for a while. I want to make sure I can book my VWL next May, but also wanted to use some of the BCV points to make the ressie. So far, I have not been able to get anything at either resort for a whole week at anytime at 7 months out. Every week I've checked would have a waitlist. I'm thinking of adding on points because of this. My advice to you is buy where you want to stay.

 

[nkosiek]

Your last thread said you weren't going to do so, and now a few hours later you're back in. Confused? I've spent the last 2-3 months reading this board and not responding much but in this case I can tell you that you'll find your answer if you do a search of the threads because this comes up practically every week. The general consensus being that it all depends on the time of the year.

 

[PCMama]

Your last thread said you weren't going to do so, and now a few hours later you're back in. Confused? I've spent the last 2-3 months reading this board and not responding much but in this case I can tell you that you'll find your answer if you do a search of the threads because this comes up practically every week. The general consensus being that it all depends on the time of the year.

We probably convinced the Op of the inconveniences of renting. It's cheaper in the short term but someone else controls your reservation

 

[crisi]

Look at resales, know that Disney sells enough points to completely book the resort on "home" points and then ask yourself - "why would anyone pay 30% more for BCV or BWV - more for BLT, and then not book 'home' during their window more often than not."

If you think that DVC members are by and large dumber than you, give it a try. If you think that maybe someone paying $70 a point instead of $50 might know something you don't - you are probably on the right track.

 

[Sandisw]

I would not buy at a resort that I didn't want to stay. At the very least, I'd choose somewhere that I wouldn't mind staying if I couldn't trade out at 7 months. While there are going to be times when its not a problem, other times it will be, and you want to be sure you at least like where you own. Plus, while it is very unlikely, Disney could remove a resort from the club and owners would be forced to stay there. And, given that there are now more DVC options not located at WDW, there is more competition for those resorts.

Good luck!

 

[k3chantal]

I'm considering buying a resale SSR since it has the lowest buyin and maintenance fees... but probably will not stay at SSR often, if at all. I'm wondering how hard it is for other DVC members to get the resort they want at the 7 month window. We're pretty flexible with dates so I'm hoping that will help a lot. I'd hate to buy into SSR but never be able to stay at Akl, BC, VWL, BLT, etc

Thoughts???

The short answer is yes you will be able to stay at other resorts.

The long answer is that it will probably require not only flexibility of when but how long and where you stay. Split stays will be more common. For instance, we have done two split stay trips. The first trip went VWL, Vero Beach, VWL. We had such a great trip that we wanted to repeat it. However a year or so later, we were able to secure AKL, Vero Beach, and OKW.

So if you hate split stays, have a strong opinion of exactly where you are willing to stay, and have little flexibility of dates, a 7 month window may challenge you.

 

[DougEMG]

If your plan is to never stay at SSR then you better own somewhere else and make sure you always book well in advance of the 7 month booking window.

Daddio has a suggested time for how far in advance to book certain rooms

http://www.dvcrequest.com/how_soon_should_i_reserve.htm

That should give you an idea of what you can get at 7 months.

I would only buy at a resort that I wouldn't mind staying at if I could not switch at the 7 month mark.

 

[nabi]

Wow, a split stay with offsite Vero in the middle.... never considered that!

 

[Lynne M]

The answer is....it depends. On what you're trying to book, and the time of year. Booking at 7 months, you'll likely never see an AKV club level villa, or a BWV standard villa, or a BWV grand villa.

You'll only very rarely be able to get BCV or BWV from Oct 1 - New Years, because of Food & Wine and then the holiday season. Don't count on ever getting into VWL from Thanksgiving - New Years. In fact if you do plan to visit from Thanksgiving to New Years, be sure to book SSR at 11 months out, because that's where you'll probably be staying.

If you're primarily going to be visiting from May - Sept, you'll probably have a decent choice of resorts. January - April can be tough because of the marathon and spring break, and DVC's busy season is from the beginning of F&W through New Years.

Will you be 'stuck' with SSR all the time if your visits are during the busier seasons? Maybe not, but you'll primarily be looking at SSR, OKW and maybe AKV at 7 months during the busy times.

 

[bwvBound]

We own SSR and use the points all across DVC: WDW, HI, CA and VB. Our WDW visits are most often at BWV (late Jan each year; mid-June last year) and we've been successful in booking specific room types including BWV Standard Studio, AKV Concierge, etc.

FWIW, I'm not afraid to use the waitlist and I'm not afraid to stalk inventory online. (I'm also not afraid of booking a room larger than our needs if it comes available.)

 

[k3chantal]

Wow, a split stay with offsite Vero in the middle.... never considered that!

It was a deliberate decision. Vero Beach costs less points on the weekends than most of the WDW resorts (or did; been a few years) and we find WDW exhausting so a little break in between the fun can increase our 'endurance' in the parks.

 

[Dean]

I'm considering buying a resale SSR since it has the lowest buyin and maintenance fees... but probably will not stay at SSR often, if at all. I'm wondering how hard it is for other DVC members to get the resort they want at the 7 month window. We're pretty flexible with dates so I'm hoping that will help a lot. I'd hate to buy into SSR but never be able to stay at Akl, BC, VWL, BLT, etc

Thoughts???

7 months can be an issue but if you're comfortable staying at SSR and want to get something else from time to time, you should be OK esp if you learn to use the wait list and you change over day one 7 months out. Even if you buy a single higher demand option, you'll still have the same issue for other resorts at 7 months out. I think the online reservation system helps some and owning more points than you need a single trip can help with the WL options as well. I would not buy at a resort you'd be unhappy to be limited to most trips.

 

[Minniesgal]

We made sure we chose a resort we would be happy with if we were locked in. So far we have been lucky but that is because I love split stays so am usually looking for 3 or 4 nights at my non home resort. I wouldn't have liked my chances of booking a full week at 7 months. We bought at AKV and will stay there is nowhere else is open and be happy to. That said I'm kinda wishing we had done what our guide suggested and buy half AKV points half BLT as those are the two resorts we love.

So if you can live with most of your WDW time being at SSR then go ahead otherwise buy where you really want to stay. Why spend thousands to get almost the thing you really want when for a little more you could get exactly what you want.

 

[zavandor]

The answer is....it depends. On what you're trying to book, and the time of year. Booking at 7 months, you'll likely never see an AKV club level villa, or a BWV standard villa, or a BWV grand villa.

I got two consecutive week in a value studio @ AKV. But it's for September.
I like slow periods at WDW, I don't like crowds and I'm very flexible about when I can travel.
Before buying it's better to research a lot to have reasonable expectations about what can be booked or not. I haven't bought hoping to get AKV value, I was lucky to score it, but I don't count on getting it again (as the resort will be sold out, values will be more difficult to get).
If I knew I could travel only in peak periods or if I would like to book early december or Easter, I would have purchased a different resort.

 

[twoj]

You really need to buy at the resort you like the best. The reservation system is unpredictable and even those who own at the resorts they like are walking reservations to make sure they still get them especially at peak times.

I would only buy SSR if I would be happy staying there every time ...

 

[crisi]

No matter which resort you buy into, how happy you will be about the ability to switch depends on several factors.

Are you thinking about popular resorts at popular times,note that DVC busy season is not Wdw busy season.
Are you thinking about low supply rooms. Grand villas at OKW might be wonderful, but there aren't many of them. And even fewer VAKL concierge rooms.
How much of your vacation satisfaction is getting what you want when you want it. Some years, you could get a bwv room for food and wine. But it might not be the year you want.
Are you flexible. If you need to move mid trip, or get a larger or smaller room, is that success?
How willing are you to book the moment you can for your seven month window and use wait lists?

Some people are very disappointed with seven month availabity, they tend to be people who want what they want when they want it. Other people are just frankly lucky. And still others are successful, but their success criteria involves a lot of flexibility.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Waitlisting may work for short stays. I finally got my very first waitlist and I waitlisted it at seven months out. One night at BWV in a studio to be close to DHS for the ToT10 Miler. But my other waitlists have not been successful (and they were before on line booking so I couldn't watch availability all day long). One was for a week in October in a two bedroom at SSR and the other was four nights at BLT in a one bedroom for the marathon.

So if you plan on waitlisting stays, you need to make them short in order to have better odds of getting them.

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

Wow, a split stay with offsite Vero in the middle.... never considered that!

It was a deliberate decision. Vero Beach costs less points on the weekends than most of the WDW resorts (or did; been a few years) and we find WDW exhausting so a little break in between the fun can increase our 'endurance' in the parks.

We did the same thing, spending 3 nights in VB, then back to WDW for an additional night. We didn't want to leave for MCO directly from Vero. First, I needed a convenient way to turn in our Owner's Locker, and second, I didn't want to wake up that much earlier to be on time for our morning flight.

In the future, we'll book with more WDW nights on either side, rather than putting the Vero nights so near the end of the trip. I really love the beach, and it was a great way to combine that with the WDW vacation.

 

[Missyrose]

Before you buy your first points you really need to be honest with yourself. If you're going to buy at SSR because it's cheaper, you need to honestly decide if you'd be okay staying there more than a handful of times.

As Disney continues to add DVC resorts (and thus DVC members), it becomes harder to book at the more-desirable resorts (the ones closest to the parks -- BLT, VWL, BCV and BWV). Think about it this way, if everyone at SSR and OKW (and even some at AKV) bought at those resorts with then intention of always moving to BLT, VWL, BCV or BWV, does it seem like everyone is going to get what they want in that scenario? Nope.

When do you typically travel to WDW? What size villa will you usually be interested in? And finally, you have to honestly answer one question: Is it worth spending a little bit more per point now to be happy where you stay all the time, vs. spending less per point and spend the life of the contract hoping you'll end up where you want to stay?