Is there a "high demand" resource?

[itsreally4mommy]

I know time of year plays a big part, but in general is there some sort of spreadsheet or anything that gives a rough idea of what accommodations are in more demand than others at the resorts?

For example, if you want a studio they are harder to get at XXX resorts
1BR are harder to get @ XXXX.

 

[Chuck S]

I'm pretty sure studios book up first at all resorts.

 

[ChelleinNC]

From what I've seen, 1 BR's are the easiest to get at any of the resorts. Since they have the same occupancy limits of a studio but are more points, a lot of people don't choose them. I like the extra space myself

 

[crisi]

Grand Villas are impossible to get (literally) at BCV and VWL. They are not easy to get anywhere.

This will vary by year and is basically my take on "DISer institutional knowledge" Also is subject to change as other factors change

Hardest to Easiest: Rooms

Grand Villa
(Two Bedroom Dedicated with 2Q at BCV)
Studio
Two Bedroom
One Bedroom

Hardest to Easiest Resorts (BWV treated as three resorts, AKL as two)

AKL Conceriege
BWV Standard
BWV Boardwalk
BCV
AKL Value?
VWL
BWV Preferred
AKL
OKW (because the points are low, OKW GVs are difficult to get)
SSR

Hardest to Easiest Times:

New Years Eve
Christmas
Early December
Food and Wine (October)
Thanksgiving
Rest of Fall
Easter
Early January
Spring
Summer
September

 

[ZekeKelso]

AKL Conceriege
BWV Standard
BWV Boardwalk
BCV
AKL Value?
VWL
BWV Preferred
AKL
OKW (because the points are low, OKW GVs are difficult to get)
SSR

Overall, a very helpful post. I would put BWV Boardwalk farther down on the list. Certainlly below BCV. You might want to point out the interation of resort demand and time-of-year demand. The relative demand for BCV goes down a bit in winter; VWL goes way up around Christmas, etc.

 

[crisi]

Overall, a very helpful post. I would put BWV Boardwalk farther down on the list. Certainlly below BCV. You might want to point out the interation of resort demand and time-of-year demand. The relative demand for BCV goes down a bit in winter; VWL goes way up around Christmas, etc.

Yeah, without real numbers it will be far less than perfect - and I think some of these are close enough that they are the same, list order creates what is functionally an artificial ranking in some cases - and yes, time of year and difficulty to book has a correlation:

VWL: November through Christmas is more difficult to book than other times of year - Summer is actually pretty easy at this SMALL resort, but Winter is hard even if its the relatively low demand early Feburary. The theming of the resort is particularly appropriate during the Winter months.

BWV/BCV - Both Epcot resorts have peak demand periods during December and over Food and Wine.

 

[Dean]

From hardest to easiest.

All tough and relatively close but in the order my info suggests.

• AKV concierge.
• BWV 3 BR
• AKV 3 BR
• BWV Boardwalk View about half the year.
• BWV standard view about half the year
• BCV 2 Queen Beds same time frame as BWV.
• HH 3 BR summer (mid June to mid August)
• HH 1 BR summer.
• VB Beach Cottage Xmas to Easter (possibly excluding Jan).
• VB 1 & 2 BR units same time frame.
• HH 2 BR summer
• VWL 1 & 2 BR XMAS Time.
• BCV most any choice for busier times.

Others that can be tough include 3 BR at OKW & SSR, AKV value units of any type. I'll point out that being able to reserve any of these during slower times (such as Jan, Feb, May, Sept, early Oct for WDW) means NOTHING as to the demand during higher times.

 

[JudyS]

Great thread! Very helpful info; thanks to all who have posted!

.....
Hardest to Easiest Resorts (BWV treated as three resorts, AKL as two)

AKL Conceriege
BWV Standard
BWV Boardwalk
BCV
AKL Value?
VWL
BWV Preferred
AKL
OKW (because the points are low, OKW GVs are difficult to get)
SSR....

I recently had a DVC reservation clerk tell me that Savanna rooms usually book up before Value rooms at AKL. I don't know if this is true or not. Don't some of the Value rooms actually have a Savanna view?

SSR is definitely the easiest resort to get, by far. I think the problem is that SSR costs more points than OKW, but has smaller rooms and less theming. I actually prefer SSR to OKW because I can walk from SSR to Downtown Disney and catch a bus from there to Typhoon Lagoon or to the other resorts. But, when I've stayed at OKW or SSR, I've usually traded in using another timeshare, where the "cost" is the same regardless of which DVC resort I get, rather than using my DVC points. If I were staying on points, I'd probably prefer OKW for the lower point cost.

 

[crisi]

Great thread! Very helpful info; thanks to all who have posted!

I recently had a DVC reservation clerk tell me that Savanna rooms usually book up before Value rooms at AKL. I don't know if this is true or not. Don't some of the Value rooms actually have a Savanna view?

SSR is definitely the easiest resort to get, by far. I think the problem is that SSR costs more points than OKW, but has smaller rooms and less theming. I actually prefer SSR to OKW because I can walk from SSR to Downtown Disney and catch a bus from there to Typhoon Lagoon or to the other resorts. But, when I've stayed at OKW or SSR, I've usually traded in using another timeshare, where the "cost" is the same regardless of which DVC resort I get, rather than using my DVC points. If I were staying on points, I'd probably prefer OKW for the lower point cost.

Possibly, while Jambo is the only open resort. Around here we expect the Value rooms - of which there are fewer and they cost less points - to book faster once both buildings are open because that is the pattern we are used to. We could be wrong.

 

[nickspace]

Is a 1 Bedroom hard to get in HH in early August?

 

[kgc07]

From hardest to easiest.

All tough and relatively close but in the order my info suggests.

• AKV concierge.
  I'll point out that being able to reserve any of these during slower times (such as Jan, Feb, May, Sept, early Oct for WDW) means NOTHING as to the demand during higher times.

• 
  
  So, are you saying you think it is easier to book the harder to get reservations in the slower DVC times?

 

[Dean]

So, are you saying you think it is easier to book the harder to get reservations in the slower DVC times?

The largest single item in availability is the demand for the areas in question during that time. So yes it will be easier to book the more difficult options during slower times. Likely as easy or easier to book those options during slow times than the easier options during peak times.

 

[JudyS]

Possibly, while Jambo is the only open resort. Around here we expect the Value rooms - of which there are fewer and they cost less points - to book faster once both buildings are open because that is the pattern we are used to. We could be wrong.

Yeah, I don't know what will happen once the new AKL building is open. There won't be any Value rooms there; is that correct? So, at the 11 month window, there will be a larger number of AKL owners (compared to now) competing for the same small number of AKL Value rooms as today.

At Boardwalk, those standard rooms go fast due to their low points cost, no question.

 

[mikesmom]

Is a 1 Bedroom hard to get in HH in early August?

Darn near impossible unless you want weekend nights which have a really high point cost. Even then it would be really difficult.

HHI is very hard to get any time June through August - off season way more likely to be successful.

 

[tjkraz]

I'm pretty sure studios book up first at all resorts.

It is interesting to note that DVC is building MORE studios than they used to. Here are the numbers for three of the resorts, counting all lockoffs separately:

OKW: 30% of all rooms are Studios
SSR: 32%
AKV: 40%

Particularly at AKV, that should help extend the availability of Studio villas.

 

[crisi]

The largest single item in availability is the demand for the areas in question during that time. So yes it will be easier to book the more difficult options during slower times. Likely as easy or easier to book those options during slow times than the easier options during peak times.

Often there are threads around here that go like this:

Q: I want to get a Boardwalk Villa Standard View Studio the first two weeks in December at seven months, what are my chances?

(Note, hard room, hard resort (view), hard time)

A: You won't have any problem, I managed to book a standard view one bedroom seven months out for early Feburary last year.

(note, less popular room, same resort, slower time. Occationally, the post will even come back that they got a preferred view - which is easier to get)

I think what Dean is saying is that response to that question is pretty meaningless.

Likewise, the following exchange will happen:

Q: I want to book a BCV one bedroom at eleven months for late January, should I call day by day.

And someone is sure to answer:

A: BCV is a very popular resort, I'd call day by day for sure!

(Chances are really good you could call seven months out and a one bedroom at the BCV would be available in late January).

And even the "easy to book" SSR doesn't have rooms available for nights in October and December already - but you can probably find something for late August at the "little three."

 

[Dean]

It is interesting to note that DVC is building MORE studios than they used to. Here are the numbers for three of the resorts, counting all lockoffs separately:

OKW: 30% of all rooms are Studios
SSR: 32%
AKV: 40%

Particularly at AKV, that should help extend the availability of Studio villas.

I don't think it represents a purposeful change, only the fact that the conversion is all lockoff's. I suspect that the new building at AKV will be in line with the rest ignoring the converted units. Certainly 30-32% is not a change and well within the margin of variation for building architecture.

 

[Dean]

I think what Dean is saying is that response to that question is pretty meaningless.

In one sense. The experience of a single member in reservations means nothing, it's the aggregate that's the issue. Funny that so many people said things wouldn't get any harder (they have), that some of use were simply being pessimistic (more realistic) and some even took the stance that this was somehow bashing of a given resort. And yes the affects of SSR have been the largest single and latest trigger for these changes INCLUDING affecting behavior of owners at other resorts during the home resort window all the way up to the 11 month window. But I'm also saying that what one can get in a slower time has NO meaning to the demand or availability during other times.

 

[JudyS]

... Funny that so many people said things wouldn't get any harder (they have), that some of use were simply being pessimistic (more realistic) and some even took the stance that this was somehow bashing of a given resort. And yes the affects of SSR have been the largest single and latest trigger for these changes INCLUDING affecting behavior of owners at other resorts during the home resort window all the way up to the 11 month window. But I'm also saying that what one can get in a slower time has NO meaning to the demand or availability during other times.

Yeah, I was just think about this issue in regards to SSR before reading your post, Dean. And yes, I remember the discussions about this when SSR opened. Disney didn't do a very good job of balancing demand for SSR with the demand for the other resorts. The problem, as I see it, is SSR's points cost, which is higher than OKW's for smaller rooms. (Also, despite the fact that I like SSR a lot, I have to say that it could use more theming.)

Is there a way of fixing this problem? I actually think there is. The theming or amenities at SSR could be upgraded, for starters. (This has been done a bit by opening a table service restaurant.) That would probably only help a little, but I'd bet that something like free dining (maybe two people per bedroom) at SSR during slower times of the year would go a long way towards relieving the booking problems at other resorts. Given that annual dues are lower at SSR than at most of the other DVC resorts, I think it would be fair to raise the dues to cover such a SSR-specific perk. I don't really expect anything like this to happen, though.

 

[Dean]

Yeah, I was just think about this issue in regards to SSR before reading your post, Dean. And yes, I remember the discussions about this when SSR opened. Disney didn't do a very good job of balancing demand for SSR with the demand for the other resorts. The problem, as I see it, is SSR's points cost, which is higher than OKW's for smaller rooms. (Also, despite the fact that I like SSR a lot, I have to say that it could use more theming.)

Is there a way of fixing this problem? I actually think there is. The theming or amenities at SSR could be upgraded, for starters. (This has been done a bit by opening a table service restaurant.) That would probably only help a little, but I'd bet that something like free dining (maybe two people per bedroom) at SSR during slower times of the year would go a long way towards relieving the booking problems at other resorts. Given that annual dues are lower at SSR than at most of the other DVC resorts, I think it would be fair to raise the dues to cover such a SSR-specific perk. I don't really expect anything like this to happen, though.

To be clear, and as I've said before, this is not an issue unique to SSR. Percentage wise it's likely actually more at HH and VB and while less of an issue at OKW comparatively, OKW still adds to the issue somewhat, at least more than the more in demand resorts. The issue is that SSR is such a large resort with a lot of points floating around and they are additive to the points that were floating around prior to SSR. My estimate is that SSR more than doubled the points that were looking for units at the 7 month window when adding up such points from all the other resorts at the time including OKW, HH, VB and the relative few from the more destination resorts and likely increased the number to closer to triple. It remains to be seen whether AKV will help a little or add to the problem, I think it will help or be neutral, others disagree. A new destination resort like CRV (or whatever it'll be called) will only help a little due to the fact that the majority of owners will buy to stay there most of the time. I'd estimate it would take about 2000-3000 2 BR units of a similar demand as BWV, BCV & VWL to even start to even out the demand, even then I think the horse is out of the barn. By that I mean that so many people that were cavalier about booking their home resort after the 7 month window have been forced to plan better and their habits are changed forever.