PLEASE help! How hard is it to get ressie 7 months out at non-home resort?

[Dean]

We are thinking of buying DVC at a resort that would not be our first choice (for monetary reasons). Anyways, we rarely would ever book 11 months out...the questions is, how hard is it to get rooms at more popular locations (Bay lake Towers for example) at the 7 month mark during low seasons? We typically travel Sept-November and Jan-Feb (not on school breaks).

Sorry for the urgency but we are looking to buy soon. We dont know if the home resort is THAT important if we usually dont book 11 months out.

Any of your thoughts would be SO appreciated!! Thank you!!

If you plan ahead and book right at 7 months, you should not have any trouble getting non home resort reservations. You should generally be able to get BWV, BCV, VWL and BLT over time but maybe not every time. The others should be routinely available. You will also not be able to get the cheaper or more desirable options. Obviously part of the times you mentioned the EPCOT resorts are not going to be available due to special events. And the Jan holiday will be an issue. For the times you listed and if you truly are flexible, you should have no issues planning 7 months out. You should plan and you should book the home resort at 11 months out as a back up. There are some specialty approaches that may give you further options but they tend to be individual to a specific trip and depend on how many points you have available at the time.

 

[TisBit]

As people have said...there are so many factors it is impossible to tell if/when you can get a different resort at 7 months (or less). If you know where you want to stay, buy there. Even if you don't book at 11 months but you can book before 7 months you greatly improve your chances. But some resorts during certain time might book up certain rooms the very day they become available. There is no guarantee, so you have to accept that as part of the deal.

I own at SSR and BLT, we have used our 11 month window twice at BLT....but this last reservation we changed over to Wilderness Lodge...the last resort that we haven't stayed at with the exception of Grand Floridian.

Best advice is if you know what you want, wait a little longer, save a little more and buy there. This is the same as wanting to buy a large camper and settling a pop up. I am sure you will enjoy it, but in the end you will regret not getting what you wanted from the start.

 

[davedmaine]

We are thinking of buying DVC at a resort that would not be our first choice (for monetary reasons). Anyways, we rarely would ever book 11 months out...the questions is, how hard is it to get rooms at more popular locations (Bay lake Towers for example) at the 7 month mark during low seasons? We typically travel Sept-November and Jan-Feb (not on school breaks).

Sorry for the urgency but we are looking to buy soon. We dont know if the home resort is THAT important if we usually dont book 11 months out.

Any of your thoughts would be SO appreciated!! Thank you!!

Buy where you want to stay ..

 

[skier_pete]

If I shouldnt count on getting other resorts at 7 months out, how do people stay at different resorts as a DVC member?
If we are not a family to book at 11 months out, would that mean that DVC isnt right for us?
I guess the question is on availability of rooms. We are only a family of 3 so we wont need a big room at this time, probably only studios. We actually dont care too much about the views either.
Is the DVC only good for those who plan very far in advance??

See my post, no. 3, on this page: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3281173&highlight=availability

thank you SO MUCH...exactly what we needed!! thank yoiu!!!!

drusba's summary is very nice. But to boil it down even further:

From 11-months to 7-months+1 day you can only book at your home resort. How full any resort gets can vary greatly based on time of year. Sometimes lots of resorts still open at the end of this period. Other more popular times ALL resort are booked. (An example of this I observed recently is the Princess Marathon weekend in mid-Feb - Thursday of that week was gone at every resort except SS for a studio BEFORE the 7-month booking opened. Certain resorts are almost completely booked before that 7-month window opens (the VGF comes to mind.)

Right at the 7-month mark, many DVC owners use that point to book/switch resorts to get their favorites. If you book first thing in the morning, you may have lots of choices, but as the day goes on some may disappear. Again, it depends on the time of year and the popularity of the date. Less than 7-months the resorts continue to fill up. The shorter the time window, the lower the selection available.

However, if as you say you cannot normally book at more than 7-months out, it doesn't matter where you own. Everyone point becomes the same at 7-months. Owning at the Grand Floridian doesn't help that owner if he waits until 7-months to book. The resort is still full.

The point of all this, if you plan on owning and not booking before 7-months, you need to be satisfied with getting in wherever you can. This may be your home resort, but it may not. AKV, OKW and SSR are generally the easiest to get into past the 7-month mark, which is why they are usually the cheapest on resale. Of the 3, AKV fills up first, then OKW, and finally SSR. Even so, studios are SSR can be gone at the 3-5 month mark, again depending on the time of year. (Studios were still available for early September in August, for example, but were gone for October back in May.)

 

[dwight16]

i bought 160 SSR resale in nov 2010 then added 30 at BWV and 30 VWL. i got 2 studios 6 nights each for may 2011. then in 2012 i got a 2 bedroom at BCV in october and my last trip was may 2014 BCV again 2 bed room. i had had good luck at my 7th month window. my next plan is last week in AUG 2015 i am going for a studio in either VGF, BLT, BWV....or a combo of each.....i think it all depends on the season and when schools are in session. i have been lucky but going for a 2 bedroom is different that a studio i know....so maybe that is why i had good luck!

 

[Dean]

Buy where you want to stay ..

Not to pick on you as clearly there are many who say this, however, here is my take on this oft posted recommendation.

The problem with this statement as a blanket statement is it can carry quite a price tag and that many don't or can't plan more than about 7 months out anyway. I prefer the approach of buying the resort that is the lowest you'd be happy if you stayed at routinely and couldn't get anything else which for that subset that it really matters is often the same anyway. I'm increasingly convinced that even many that have higher expectation are still better off buying at a cheaper option such as SSR even if they don't ever plan to stay there. Obviously the devil's in the details and one must judge their own risk tolerance if they were stuck at say SSR. One who wants VGF every trip should buy there if DVC makes sense and they can afford it as should those looking at specialty options (BWV standard for example), one that simply wants to try everything over time should be fine no matter where they own and/or could be just as disappointed if they own at VGF trying to try everything as they would owning at SSR. The other aspect is that this approach can carry quite a price tag both up front and yearly in many cases. The difference between SSR and VGF up front is VGF is basically double with significantly higher dues (and likely to outpace SSR).

The bottom line is that I've come to believe that the "buy where you want to stay" as a top level mantra is simply wrong and that it appropriately applies to a much smaller subset of DVC buyers. I also believe that it can create quite a dilemma for those that have champaign taste and beer budget so to speak.

 

[dwight16]

I got some confusing advice when I bought resale I was asked "do you like to plan vacations at 6 months or 1 year out. I was like I guess 6 months. So I was directed at SSR for the value and dues. Now looking back I might have wanted bwv since I did not realize the scope of all the people booking at 7 months and 6 months 29 days it's slim pickings.

 

[robinb]

Another thing to consider is the way your family will change over time. We did not have children when we bought DVC so we could visit at any time. Once our DD entered school we were restricted to going only when school was not in session. Many people choose to take their kids out of school but we did not. Resorts that are readily available at 4-7 months for the first week of September are not available over Spring or Christmas breaks in the time timeframe.

 

[crisi]

The bottom line is that I've come to believe that the "buy where you want to stay" as a top level mantra is simply wrong and that it appropriately applies to a much smaller subset of DVC buyers. I also believe that it can create quite a dilemma for those that have champaign taste and beer budget so to speak.

Buy where you won't be disappointed to end up (assuming you can book more than seven months out).

If your heart is really set on a certain resort - and its affordable for you - you should probably own there and plan ahead in your booking. This is especially true if your thought patterns are along the lines of "I want to go to F&W every other year and stay at BCV and if I can't get a room at BCV (or perhaps BWV) my trip will be RUINED and I will be MISERABLE." (or anything else very specific and popular).

(This includes anyone who romantically stayed at the Grand Floridian for their honeymoon and now wants to do an anniversary trip EVERY YEAR at the Grand Floridian, no matter when they got married. Small resort, you'll probably get lucky most years depending on the time of year, but if its that important....)

But if you are more of a "one of these years we will get to Disney for New Years Eve and book a Bay Lake Towers theme park view room, but if it doesn't happen, we got a lot of trips to Disney, how could it be bad" sort of person, buy SSR.

 

[skier_pete]

Not to pick on you as clearly there are many who say this, however, here is my take on this oft posted recommendation.

The problem with this statement as a blanket statement is it can carry quite a price tag and that many don't or can't plan more than about 7 months out anyway. I prefer the approach of buying the resort that is the lowest you'd be happy if you stayed at routinely and couldn't get anything else which for that subset that it really matters is often the same anyway.

Buy where you won't be disappointed to end up (assuming you can book more than seven months out).

I think crisi says it best here - the "Buy where you want to stay" mantra really is meant to be "Buy where you are happy to stay". If we could all afford it, we would all likely want to buy at Beach Club or a monorail resort. This is why these resorts remain the highest values for resale.

We bought at AKV, not because it was necessarily the cheapest nor the ideal location, but because we really, really like the resort, and yet we couldn't have afforded something like BLT. I wouldn't have bought at SSR because I've never been there, and I don't know that I'll like it. Once I try all the resorts, I may get more points at a resort I like even better.

If you are happy just to be at Disney, buy at SSR. If you would be unhappy with being at SSR, then you shouldn't buy there.

 

[Dean]

If you are happy just to be at Disney, buy at SSR. If you would be unhappy with being at SSR, then you shouldn't buy there.

This is where I disagree for many situations. I think it's easily possible to own at SSR and never have to stay there. Obviously there are factors to consider but I've come to believe that for many (and a growing number as the resorts expand) the ownership and usage are separate issues. Obviously for others it isn't. It really depends on the specifics but I've come to believe that far too often people pick home resort on emotion grounds in a way it really doesn't help them long term with their DVC usage. And if one does make the wrong choice for what their usage and preferences end up being long term, it's far better to own a cheaper resort than a more expensive one. I suspect the % of new owners that end up with a long term specific preference for their home resort is VERY small comparatively speaking.

 

[Nennie]

I own at SSR, and have only stayed there one time in the past 9 years! Not that I don't like SSR, but with young kids and a double stroller, I prefer to avoid the buses as much as possible, and like being near MK or EPCOT.

We travel at off-peak times though (mostly Sept and Jan trips), so that probably helps us in always getting our first choice!

We are branching out, and trying OKW for out next trip, and looking forward to it!!

 

[chainkid]

I look forward to when I retire and can decide to go when availability exists. I have stayed in just about every DVC resort when I check and just go when its open, not when I have a set date in mind. Unfortunately when relying on 7 month window during set time I've had bad luck with trying hard to get resorts. Luckily I usually back up my plans at BWV my home resort so I'm never sad. I would be very unhappy if I bought at the cheapest resort and was forced to stay there so I always buy where i want to stay most. I just bought another resale contract at BWV so I'll have enough points to stay for an extended time during the harsh winter months. My plan is to mix it up depending on what i can get . Flexible travel times will usually get you the resort you want

 

[MakiraMarlena]

If I shouldnt count on getting other resorts at 7 months out, how do people stay at different resorts as a DVC member?

Honestly, you can't go into purchasing DVC saying (as an example) "I am going to buy SSR because it's the cheapest but I never want to have to stay there, I want to stay at BLT or GFV to be on the monorail." Well, you may be able to get BLT or GFV at 7 months, but you may not (especially GFV because it's so small). That is why they say you shouldn't count on it. If you're going to wait past 7 months to do the booking you can count on it even less.

Sometimes when I am booking DVC, if it's not at 11 months I have to take what is available for the full stay. Sometimes that is SSR. So if you buy SSR, at some time you may have to acknowledge that you will need to consider staying there.

 

[disprincess2213]

Honestly, you can't go into purchasing DVC saying (as an example) "I am going to buy SSR because it's the cheapest but I never want to have to stay there, I want to stay at BLT or GFV to be on the monorail." Well, you may be able to get BLT or GFV at 7 months, but you may not (especially GFV because it's so small). That is why they say you shouldn't count on it. If you're going to wait past 7 months to do the booking you can count on it even less. Sometimes when I am booking DVC, if it's not at 11 months I have to take what is available for the full stay. Sometimes that is SSR. So if you buy SSR, at some time you may have to acknowledge that you will need to consider staying there.

Never have I ever said any of these things! I was just trying to get an idea of how it works and what others experiences have been!
There is not one resort that we would mind staying at. They are all wonderful. We hope to stay at every resort in the next 30 years!! To us, disney is disney and we are so happy to be ANYWHERE! We are travelers who have the luxury of traveling at any time of year. Very rarely would we book 11 months out but if we do, we will be delighted to stay at our home resort! We typically do disney 2 times a year so joining DVC is going to make sense for us and our family. If we are on the site and see something pop up 5 months later, we will go. If not, no biggie. Very flexible. And very happy to be anywhere on property.

 

[disprincess2213]

Also thank you to all that answered. We decided to do it! In the process of waiting to hear now! We are happy and confident with our decision to join!!

 

[bobbiwoz]

Also thank you to all that answered. We decided to do it! In the process of waiting to hear now! We are happy and confident with our decision to join!!

Good for you!

Bobbi

 

[Dean]

Honestly, you can't go into purchasing DVC saying (as an example) "I am going to buy SSR because it's the cheapest but I never want to have to stay there, I want to stay at BLT or GFV to be on the monorail." Well, you may be able to get BLT or GFV at 7 months, but you may not (especially GFV because it's so small). That is why they say you shouldn't count on it. If you're going to wait past 7 months to do the booking you can count on it even less.

Sometimes when I am booking DVC, if it's not at 11 months I have to take what is available for the full stay. Sometimes that is SSR. So if you buy SSR, at some time you may have to acknowledge that you will need to consider staying there.

Also thank you to all that answered. We decided to do it! In the process of waiting to hear now! We are happy and confident with our decision to join!!

Welcome home! SSR resale? Maybe in a couple of years you can give your experiences and help others.

 

[disprincess2213]

Hahah nope! OKW as we love the feel/atmosphere/room sizes /parking! Can't have a bad stay there... Or anywhere in disney for that matter!! Super excited!! Thank you!!

 

[Dean]

Hahah nope! OKW as we love the feel/atmosphere/room sizes /parking! Can't have a bad stay there... Or anywhere in disney for that matter!! Super excited!! Thank you!!

2042 or 2057?