Marathon Weekend 2017 - BWV Availability

[Anal Annie]

Ive booked DVC for marathon weekend now for five years, for the week wednesday-sunday (marathon) you really can either book your home resort at 11 months, or get AKV, OKW or SSR. I learned this when I tried to book somewhere else with my OKW points, didn't happen. That was part of the reason we bought at POLY, so now we can rotate between BLT, Poly and WLV. (we own enough at each to book a 1 bedroom for a week during January, every 3 years). Now AFTER Marathon weekend availability really opens up, I was able to get a BWV standard view studio Mon-Thur after marathon weekend two years ago without a problem.

Jennifer

I think the studios are the hard thing to book for both F&W and the marathon weekend - 1-bedrooms not quite so much. I'm not sure exactly WHEN I booked our January trip at SSR - maybe at about 10 months out? But within just a few days of me booking it the "standard" category was booked up and by now (still 7 1/2 months to go) there is no full availability for studios anywhere except I think in the SSR "preferred" category. I had thought about trying to switch to AKV at 7 months but the 5-7th are booked up pretty much everywhere and would have to waitlist. It's not worth the hassle to me. We like SSR and the points for the new "standard" category are almost as reasonable as AKV standard so we'll just stick with it.

Funny thing is we're not even going for the marathon - we're just going because DS will still be home on winter break from college and we'll have the time to go AND the closer we go to the holidays the more likely we'll catch some holiday decorations before they're turned off or taken down. This year we went on Jan. 2nd but now that date's blacked out on the new tiered AP so we're going on the 3rd. DS's college is changing their school calendar after this next year so his break will be shorter - unsure if we'll continue going then or not....but I really like the "choice" points chart season so maybe. Will have to see what DS's school calendar ends up looking like and how much time we really have with him.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

We booked the first week of January in a studio. I can tell you there is NO studio availability at all. This week is just about as hard to book as the first week of December. My advice book what you can then waitlist.

 

[Tardisblue]

I don't like "marathon + car" personally. Ouch.

I've reserved a room at All Star Sports as backup. Not fancy, but it's a bed and has transportation. I stayed at AS Movies when I ran Dopey in 2014 and it worked out fine.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I've reserved a room at All Star Sports as backup. Not fancy, but it's a bed and has transportation. I stayed at AS Movies when I ran Dopey in 2014 and it worked out fine.

Having slept in my car at various times (hey, when there's a white-out blizzard while you're driving across a state, sleeping in your car at a rest area is prime!), I wouldn't want to do it after a running event. I might never be able to extend all body parts again!

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

All the 2 bedrooms are lockoffs but many of the studios & 1 bedrooms are dedicated. When someone books a studio or 1 bedroom, they take it from dedicated inventory first, then start splitting the lockoffs.

http://www.disboards.com/threads/dvc-resource-center.3501925/

BWV - 97 Dedicated Studios - 130 Dedicated 1Bdrm - 0 Dedicated 2Bdrm - 149 Lockoffs - 7 Grand Villas = 383 Villas / 532 Max. Available

That is true but if all studios or all 1BR's are booked there won't be any 2BR's left at BWV either.

 

[jlovesee]

Maybe I should clarify my previous post, we OWN enough for a 1 bedroom, but don't always have that many points available for booking (especially at POLY where there ARE no 1 bedrooms). Going back over my last 5 Marathon weekend bookings using DVC points.

2017: Booked 5 nights in a BLT 1 bedroom standard view at exactly 11 months. (Wed-Sun)
2016: Booked 7 nights in a POLY standard studio when the booking window opened for owners (it wasn't at 11 months because it was brand new), wednesday-monday.
2015: Booked 6 nights in a studio at OKW at 7 months for Marathon weekend and the monday afterwards (wednesday-Monday), booked 5 more nights following this at a BWV standard view studio (Tue-Sat). During the 7 month time period AKV did become available sporadically, but it was never all 5-6 nights so I never changed, if I remember right it was also not all available at 7 months exactly either which surprised me then, but not anymore, marathon weekend is HARD to get anything at 7 months.
2014: Booked 9 nights in a BLT standard view studio, at 11 months, I did walk this reservation as it was over marathon weekend (good choice!). I added two nights on at the beginning of the trip in a BCV studio (wednesday and thursday night), which I got through waitlist.
2013: Booked 7 nights in a WLV 1 bedroom (partial marathon weekend), at 11 months.

AND THIS is why I own small contracts at four resorts.

Jennifer