Never staying @ home

[Simba's Mom]

Wow, isn't this ironic-we never stay where we own. Where do we own? VWL! But DH spent one night at OKW right after we bought, and since then he's become one of those "fanatical" OKW people. We're not in a position to sell our VWL points, but it sounds like when we are, lots of people might want them! Thanks for all the good press on VWL!

 

[paulh]

weve never had any problems and we even got xmas rooms off wait list
Paulh

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) To quote P.T. Barnum . . .
2) Buy at SSR, and use any resort, at anytime!

 

[tjkraz]

I do think the DVC guides are setting us all up for some big disappointments down the road with that sales tactic...............
I mean how many potential SSR buyers are they saying that to???

Probably a similar number of people as come to these boards and are given the impression they will never be able to book anywhere but their Home resort.

 

[Caskbill]

Probably a similar number of people as come to these boards and are given the impression they will never be able to book anywhere but their Home resort.

I hope that's not the impression people are getting. We probably should restate that probably 90% of the time, booking a non-home resort at 7-months is not an issue.

The emphasis is that home resort is extremely important for those exceedingly busy times, and especially if you want a very popular resort or room type.

For example, getting a standard view studio at BWV for NYE is basically impossible at 7-months. (They're probably all reserved within the first hour that DVC is open right at the 11-month window) But keep it in perspective - that's one night out of the year.

Getting into VWL the 1st few weeks in December also falls in the very popular category. If that's the OP's real desire, then I highly suggest they buy there. Yes, it's possible at 7 months, and waitlists do come through. But if they're looking at doing it year after year, then I wouldn't count on the 7-month window as being always available. This will become even more true as thousands of new members purchase into SSR and they begin looking to compete for those hard to get times/rooms.

But keep in mind these examples are the exceptions. If you're looking for non-home resort reservations the 7-month window is fine. The exceptions are major holidays and such.

Short term works very well during other times of the year. January for example. I'd bet if you called today and wanted a 1-B/R next week (late January), you'd find one available. Maybe not at every resort, but definitely one somewhere.

 

[crisi]

It also depends on how much value you place on stress and ditzing.

i.e. if its REALLY important and you will stress about it, you are better off choosing your home resort.

I'm a worrier. And a planner. If I really, really wanted VWL in early December, I'd buy there. Because I KNOW I won't have any problems 11 months out, but I MIGHT have issues seven months out and the wait list isn't good for worriers like me.

Someone who isn't a worrier and who doesn't REALLY care (hey, as long as its WDW!) might do fine owning points and switching at seven.

 

[JimFitz]

Wow, isn't this ironic-we never stay where we own. Where do we own? VWL! But DH spent one night at OKW right after we bought, and since then he's become one of those "fanatical" OKW people. We're not in a position to sell our VWL points, but it sounds like when we are, lots of people might want them! Thanks for all the good press on VWL!

I own 250 points at OKW, want to trade contracts?

 

[Good Ol Gal]

Welcome Home, and Welcome to the Dis!

I like the suggestion that you book at 11 months at SSR and then try day by day at 7 months for VWL.

This thread is great for us too! I have booked our SSR for the first week of Dec, but our parents are driving their RV down and staying at the campgrounds. We were thinking of trying for VWL at the 7 month mark to be only a boat ride away.

How do you do the day by day at the 7 month mark? Do you cancel on day at SSR and add the VWL? Then call the next and do the same thing? Do you then risk having a day here, day there kind of thing? You know, where you get one day at VWL, but not the next?

We stayed at SSR last Dec 4-11 and LOVED it, so we won't be disappointed if we don't get the VWL, but we figured it would be nice to be so much closer to our family.

 

[Granny]

Probably a similar number of people as come to these boards and are given the impression they will never be able to book anywhere but their Home resort.

Like Caskbill, I also hope this is not the impression that people get here. I don't think anyone has claimed that you can't get other resorts at the 7 month mark.

For us, it was important to be able to stay at VWL at whatever time of the year we wanted to. We don't like waitlists, and don't even like waiting until the 7 month mark and "crossing our fingers". So for us, buying at VWL was important.

For others, who might be okay with waitlists from time to time, and not disappointed whereever they end up, then home resort might not be so important.

 

[tjkraz]

Like Caskbill, I also hope this is not the impression that people get here. I don't think anyone has claimed that you can't get other resorts at the 7 month mark.

I don't disagree with anything that you said. But let's just say that I think there's an awful lot lost in translation.

People claim that Guides are basically telling them every resort will always have availability at the 7 month window. Frankly, I believe that's true--I bet you could count on one hand the number of times per year where any given resort is 100% booked before the phone lines open at exactly seven months.

The problem is that people either aren't asking the right questions or they are adding their own interpretation to the response. If there is a single room unbooked at 7 months, year round, at all of the resorts, then the responses provided are factually correct. And, frankly, it’s silly to think that any Disney representative would even be able to address the subtleties of BWV availability (Std View vs. Pref View, popular times of year, etc.) in a factual manner.

Then you've got the other side of the coin. How many times is this Home resort question answered with "buy where you want to stay." To the uninformed, the implication of this statement is pretty simple--if you don't buy where you want to stay, you won't be able to stay there.

IMO, pointing out to people that they won't have sweat-out the reservations until the 7 month window at their Home is very valuable, factual information.

Many of the other comments made are not only confusing to potential members, they are speculative and have little basis in fact.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Good Ol Gal, Yes, if you do it day by day, you could be put on a waitlist for a day or two. So, if you don't want to take that chance, call at the 7 month point from your check out day and try to get the whole ressie. You can also call MS 7 months from the first day's checkout and ask for an opinion.

I only have one teeny experience with a waitlist. After booking 5 rooms for BWV at the 11 month mark for last December, I had to make changes about 2 months out. One person was going to have to move twice for a 4 day stay. In the end, it worked out and he had the same room.

Bobbi

 

[LarryK]

We own an add-on a BCY and have yet to stay there. Our home resort OKW keeps pulling us back (and usually takes less of our points) we are now considering an add-on at SSR, not that we will ever sleep there!