new members very scared we made a mistake

[scungil99]

hey guys just wanted to ask some questions to eaither reassure me that buying into the club was a good idea or if we just made a huge mistake. we just bought thru disney at BLT a regular 160 point plan. the thing that worries me is i went home saturday and tried to make a reservation for BLT from dec 1-5. and was told by the cast member that there was nothing in BLT for those dates. then we tried o be flexible for the week after from dec 8-15 and was told the same thing, nothing available from a studio straight up to a 3 br villa for any of those dates. so now my fear is when i call during the 7 month window for the other resorts, even if i call exactly 7 months out will i get something in AKV with a savvanah view? anything at BCV OR BWV? or will we be totally shut out there too? will we get anything at all?? the time we are going is the cheapest time so i figured it would also be the easiest too book. i guess i just need to know if this is for us or if we made a huge mistake. thanks for any insight anyone can lend.
ps forgive me if i messed up the abbreviations im way new to these boards!

 

[Daddio]

Welcom Home and congratulation on your purchase. We own at BLT and LOVE the ressort. You have a great advantage over the many who do not own there, in that you will be able to reserve outside the 7 month open window.

Early December is a very popular time for DVC resorts. The lowest point season, the Christmas decorations, Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party and the annual member's meeting are just a few of the happenings that are causing the resort to be sold out already. However, because new inventory is being added (as new sales happen) be sure to waitlist as there is a good possibility that a room will become available.

Beach Club is one of the most difficult resorts to get into if you are not an owner there, but not impossible if you are not going at peak times (food and wine festival, for instance). You can usually get into any other DVC resort at the 7 month mark, but once the 7 month window opens, the chances reduce as time progresses.

I am sure you are going to love your ownership. It will take a bit to get used to preplanning but once you have that mastered, you'll be on your way to many years of happy vacations.

Enjoy!!


David

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[penlanspice]

I really wouldn't worry to much.
The trouble is at the moment because BLT is so new everyone wants to stay there and it's quite popular. You will find at the 7 month window a lot of reservations at BLT will open up when members switch to other resorts.

There will be thousands of new DVC'ers that have bought at BTL and have made reservations just to make sure they get in, ressies are cancelled all the time and as I said at 7 months you will definitely be able to get in all the other dvc resorts (as you said this is a pretty quite time).

Please don't worry that you haven't made the right decision.

 

[TDC Nala]

The first week of December is not quiet at DVC. They fill up fast for this time.

 

[hakepb]

Did you waitlist? BLT members can only book the percentage of ther resort that has been sold. As more members buy in, there is a good chance that you will get a room. If you are more concerned about gettin a room, I would waitlist Lake View as that is the greatest % of rooms at BLT.

If you are close enough to the signing of your contract, Especially if you can still theoretically cancel, you may want to ask your guide if he can pull out a favor and get the booking for you (as they might be able to get something out of the developer's inventory that is not visible to members)

As you are finding out, December is actually the most popular month with DVC members because of the low points and Christmas decorations. You can check the availability forum here to see if there are other dates posted from other resorts (since it is only reports of "not availables" , it is not an indicator of what is available) There are many members that call at exactly 11 months to book December, and if you can do the same in future years you should have a better experience.

I truely believe your chance of getting something, somewhere on property is very good if you patient through the waitlist process. Hopefully some pixy dist will be headed your way, soon.

 

[Greatfalls]

Another suggestion is to try the weekend before Christmas, which would be the weekend of the 18th this year, still almost a full week before Christmas. I did that weekend for 3 nights last year and 4 nights in 2007 at BCV right at the 7 month window (I am an SSR member). I've never tried the first two weekends of December, but from reading these boards, it looks like there's a drop off between the first two weekends of December and the weekend before Christmas (maybe people are finishing their shopping). Both times I went, the parks were only moderately crowded. Everything goes crazy beginning on the 24th.

 

[Natterjack9]

Congratulations, and welcome home! I agree with the others, I wouldn't worry too much. Early December is popular for the DVC resorts, just before the most expensive point season of the year starts. You made a wise purchase, the DVC is the best investment my wife and I have ever made! I made my reservations for the Treehouse Villas the DAY of the 11 month window at my home resort of SSR to make sure that I got what I wanted. I would call the very day of the 7 month window opening and try to get into the resort you want, you should find some openings.

Congrats and welcome!

 

[ThePecks]

Congrats and Welcome Home!

We are BLT owners, and for my vacation last week we originally planned on staying at Animal Kingdom in a 2 Bedroom. Called at 7 month mark, no problem getting the room. One of my wife's sisters decided not to go due to some issues with school and the such with about 2 week left before we checked in. I was going to keep the reservation, but other things happened and I called Member Services.

I changed my 4 night 2 Bedroom reservation over to a 1 Bedroom at Saratoga Springs staying 6 nights with no issue. I even had to talk about it with the wife over night and the reservation was still there the next day.

Don't worry about things too much, enjoy the DVC membership and Disney experience.

 

[RescueRanger]

Is this your first reservation? If it is, call your guide. I think he will be able to help you get BLT. Be sure to tell them him/her it is your first ressie.

 

[dmoore22]

Is this your first reservation? If it is, call your guide. I think he will be able to help you get BLT. Be sure to tell them him/her it is your first ressie.

And, if that doesn't work, follow the advice of the previous posters: WAITLIST!!!! And, in the meantime, make a ressie at one of the other DVC properties just in case the waitlist doesn't come through. Christmas is a wonderful time to be at WDW no matter which DVC resort you stay. We're so spoiled for Christmas that the other times of year we visit, though nice, seem to be anticlimactic. You definitely did not make a mistake. Your just on a newbie learning curve.

 

[Sandisw]

Dec is a very busy time and as others said, BLT is still in sales so a wait list there might work in your favor.

When you are going at those busy times, booking 11 months out is always a good idea. From everything that I have read, trading around to other resorts, in that early December at 7 months is not that easy.

However, I don't think that you will find other times of the year that difficult. We booked BLT at 11 months for our late July, early August trip. At 7 months, I called and switched two BLT nights to two at BCV. At 6 months, I called to change one more night from BLT to BCV. I had no problem getting that BCV studio at the 6 month mark.

Last year, when I bought, I was able to change my Aug trip in June and found availability at the other resorts.

But, it really is important to buy at the resort you want to be at so that if there is an issue getting the reservation somewhere else, you will at least be okay. We bought BLT because we knew that this was where we wanted to be unless we purposely choose to try someplace else.

If BLT is not really your first choice resort, then you may want to reconsider your purchase, especially for those Dec trips.

Good luck!

 

[dbs1228]

If you are looking to stay at BLT I do recommend booking at 11 month window if possible when travelling around the holiday/peak seasons goinf forward. We just bought into BLT called at the 11 month window for Feb break next year and all catagory 2 bedroom villas were available. I decided I wanted to use 2009 points for a 5 - 6 night stay in May (going with 2 friends) and called the 1st week in March and they had 1 bedroom at VWL, SSR 1 and 2 bedroom and 1 and 2 bedroom at OKW available. We decided to try 2 bedroom at OKW since it was the same point value as a 1 bedroom at Wilderness Lodge. I waitlisted BCV and BWV but decided to cancel the waitlist and stay the full 6 nights without going over what I wanted to use for points.

It was painless and I cannot wait to stay at all the resorts just to check them all out!

 

[bumbershoot]

You and I are looking at the same timeframe at BLT. In my case, I didn't book at 11 months b/c no one seemed to want to stay there at that time...then DH suddenly realized that communicating what he wants is a good way to get what he wants (it took a work trip with a coworker who didn't communicate what he wanted, and then sulked when they didn't do what the guy wanted to do, and the lightbulb went off in DH's head, LOL), and it turns out, he felt that BLT was a GREAT way to start off this, our first, WDW vacation.

So I ended up behind all my fellow owners, trying to book at a popular (and "cheap") DVC time. Got two nights that you're looking at...am on two waitlists one of them being the first weekend you're looking at.

I fully expect that we'll end up somewhere else (this part of the stay is with family and we don't want to have to move with all of them).

Anyway, THIS experience might not be indicative of future trips, b/c in the future you can book at 11 months out for your home resort. It won't be this sudden *nothing's available* b/c everyone booked it before you (and me), because you will already be a member. you won't be coming late to the party, so to speak.

Good luck to both of us!

 

[Deb & Bill]

The first weeks of December are one of the hardest time to book a villa - point requirements are low, the parks are decorated and people often take their kids out of school to do this.

Call your guide and see if they can help. Otherwise, you may be wise in cancelling your membership while you still can.

 

[stefanospops]

We just got back from our first time at BLT (we bought last June) and had a great time. You didn't make a mistake. I am booked for the first week of December as well and had a studio but after we got back from our trip in a 1 bedroom I decided we couldn't do a studio after all. I was only able to get the first 5 days in a 1 bed. The last two days were all booked, so I am waitlisted.

As others have said, don't worry. Guides have this uncanny ability to assist in getting that first room booked. Since all the inventory is not released until it is sold, I suspect guides are able to move a new ressie to the front of the queue from that unassigned inventory.

Also, I am still contemplating trying a different resort at the 7 month window, so if I am then I am sure others are too. The first week of December is one of the busiest DVC weeks. My Feb ressie was booked with ease. Hopefully you are reassured by everyone's posts and Welcome Home!

 

[Crystal_27]

The first of December (although considered a slow season by Disney) is actually quite a popular time for DVC owners to visit the parks. Unfortunately, you bought in after the 11 month window for December was opened, so it's not surprising that there is nothing available. Keep in mind with DVC that your best bet is always to call as soon as your 11 month window opens up (if booking at your home resort). In terms of availability at AKV, BWV, and BCV, there's really no good way to predict it. Those resorts are likely going to be booked as well, but you may get lucky when the 7 month window opens up for rooms to be shifted as people change their reservations from home resort to non-home resort. Your best bet is probably going to be getting into AKV as it's a larger resort *but* you may not get the preferred view that you want and will have to make a tough call about your accommodations for this one particular vacation (you may find yourself having to change resorts mid-stay or you may find that there is only availability at SSR or OKW). Make sure to also get on the waitlist for your top resort choices. Going forward, though, as long as you can call right when your 11 month window opens up, I think that you'll be fine getting what you want at BLT (although for some years you may have to settle on a lake view versus a standard or MK view).

 

[Nancy F]

We were there in Dec. and signed the same day we took the tour.The next day my guide Linda helped me change my April 23RD trip ( we had already booked a stay at CR) over to a BLT MKV studio. That was only 5 months out and I didn't have a problem. I would call your guide and see what they can do for you. If they think you may back out... I'll bet they'll pull someting out of Mickey's magic for you. If not, I would try the waitlist route.
I wish you luck .
Nancy

 

[ClemTig]

OK, I've got to weigh-in here. Several people here are moaning about having to "change resorts mid stay". We almost always TRY to change resorts mid-stay. It is fun to see something different. It really is no trouble at all. Disney will move your luggage while you are at the park. You get a nice, clean place after the move. The kids get a different pool to swim in. We actually think this is A GOOD THING!

 

[huskies90]

As others have said, don't worry. Guides have this uncanny ability to assist in getting that first room booked. Since all the inventory is not released until it is sold, I suspect guides are able to move a new ressie to the front of the queue from that unassigned inventory.

Yep, this was true for me...When I bought a few weeks ago my guide asked to help out with our first trip in August. I asked for a one bedroom at BCV. BAM!! No problem. Booked. Then after talking with my family over the following weekend, we decided we would rather do two trips instead of one so I tried on my own to switch to a studio. When I called nothing was available in a studio at BCV in August. I called my guide and asked for help. She put me on hold and 3 minutes later, we were booked in a studio at BCV...

 

[SFD998]

You have not made a mistake. Like everyone else is saying it is just a very popular time of year. Make sure you wait list. This past December we were fortunate enough to attend the Magic and Merriment event (12/11-12/14). This was booked probably within a month of going. We started out with a 1 bdr at OKW. We wait listed for a studio that came through and then wait listed for a studio with a savannah view at Kidani in AKV. That too came through. Last Feb we decided 3 weeks before Feb/Winter break that we wanted to go. We waitlisted and once again it came through. Now I realize I am not talking about a BLT waitlist, however I have successfully booked BLT 3times at the 7 month mark. Twice for a LV studio and once for a MK view studio. At this point I still don't own there. Once you figure DVC out you will be fine.