Please help me decide where to buy (aka availability at less than 7 months mark)

[Milesjamie]

I am thinking of buying into DVC. For budget reasons, likely a smaller allocation at one of the resorts with smaller per-unit cost (like SSR). I would be happy with staying at SSR, especially as I get older, but while the kids are young and nap, I'd prefer to stay at BLT or VGF. I've read a ton on this board and other boards with various suggestions and am grateful. I do see advice like "buy where you want to stay" and "use waitlists" but want to get a rough idea of DVC availability at BLT and VGF < 7 months out. I've seen threads on that too, but mostly it's hard to gather data on my particular question, and usually focused on hot holiday times.

Can anyone help me get an anecdotal data point on how difficult it would be buy elsewhere and book a studio (any kind of studio) at BLT or VGF?

I wonder if any current DVC members would be willing to log in and see if there are any studios available for 4-5 days in mid-late January 2015 (e.g., Adventure season) which is when I vacation.

(I already have a BLT reservation using rented points for January 2015, but I want to get an idea of availability < 7 months out for a studio, to see how it might be in the future.)

If folks can help, I'd be grateful.

 

[disneynutz]

I believe that you should buy where you love to stay but if you haven't tried all of the resorts out, how do you know?

I also believe that availability will continue to decrease at non home resorts and today you might want a studio but many owners have decided that a 1 bedroom is the way to stay.

Bill

 

[nerderella]

I'm going to echo the idea of buy where you enjoy staying. We thought we'd LOVE BWV and want to stay there all the time since we were close to all our favorite drinking establishments (Epcot, S&D, BW area), but we just weren't thrilled enough with it to want to book it all the time. On the other hand, AKL, which we both thought would be kitschy and we'd hate, is hands down one of our favorites.

My inlaws (who graciously allow us to use their DVC points to test different resorts out before we buy) have BLT as one of their home resorts, and we have not yet been able to secure a room there around 5 months out without having to do a split stay. This could be due to the majority of our travel dates being a bit busier than other times of year and the rooms being full at the 11 month mark. Given DH's job, we can't always plan 11 months out without tons of changes to the itinerary, so we wait rather than have my MIL constantly change things (which pisses her off because we're not 'sticking to a plan'). We've never gone without a place to stay when reserving at the last minute, but we don't always stay where we want, if that makes sense.

 

[supersnoop]

I am thinking of buying into DVC. For budget reasons, likely a smaller allocation at one of the resorts with smaller per-unit cost (like SSR). I would be happy with staying at SSR, especially as I get older, but while the kids are young and nap, I'd prefer to stay at BLT or VGF. I've read a ton on this board and other boards with various suggestions and am grateful. I do see advice like "buy where you want to stay" and "use waitlists" but want to get a rough idea of DVC availability at BLT and VGF < 7 months out. I've seen threads on that too, but mostly it's hard to gather data on my particular question, and usually focused on hot holiday times.

Can anyone help me get an anecdotal data point on how difficult it would be buy elsewhere and book a studio (any kind of studio) at BLT or VGF?

I wonder if any current DVC members would be willing to log in and see if there are any studios available for 4-5 days in mid-late January 2015 (e.g., Adventure season) which is when I vacation.

(I already have a BLT reservation using rented points for January 2015, but I want to get an idea of availability < 7 months out for a studio, to see how it might be in the future.)

If folks can help, I'd be grateful.

It's against board policy to check specific availability. Generally, January is a slow time and you should be able to get a BLT lake view studio at 7 months, other than during marathon weekend.

With the lower maintenance fees and more years, I personally think BLT is the best value in the program. Being the only resort that has walking access to the Magic Kingdom, I expect it to hold it's value better than SSR. If you just want the cheapest and are willing to stay anywhere, buy SSR. If you want the best value, but BLT.

Of course, I own both, because I'm both cheap and love a great value.

 

[sndral]

Although the kids are young now, they will age out of naps and presumably into a school schedule so there will be many years of ownership where you may be tied to school break times and normally mid to late Jan. isn't one of those breaks, so if it were me I'd think long term.
Additionally, I've read that Disney is always coming up w/ new events to drive attendance - so what used to be easy to get might change going forward.
I've noticed when checking on a wait list for early to mid Jan. that things around marathon weekend (1/11 - 1/13) are booked pretty solid (I wasn't checking BLT, tho') not sure about MLK weekend, but would guess it's pretty full too.
I'm new to DVC, but this was my experience checking daily this year hoping to switch resorts for a couple of days @ 7 months for early-mid Jan. 2015. I'm glad I bought where I wanted to stay as I had that already reserved and was just hoping to try out a second resort as I'm considering an add on there.

 

[AddieAidey]

The only thing available right now is a lake view studio the 19th through the 24th. I am an SSR owner and have not had trouble booking what I want BUT I wake up early on the 7 month window to do so. If you can't plan that far in advance I would suggest buying where you like the best. Good luck!

 

[DizBub]

January is one of the lowest point times for DVC and it tends to be busier mid into later in the month.

You may have some decent luck booking lake view villas at BLT at 7 months but don't bank on standard views as they usually book up at 11 months as do MK views. 1 bedrooms are the last to be booked.

It appears VGF may be difficult period, especially the standard views.

SSR is a great value and a wonderful resort but if you don't want to stay there at least part of the time don't buy there.

 

[drusba]

VGF has been open only since the latter part of 2013 and is still developing patterns. However, one of the patterns developing is that studios have a sdignificant risk of being gone at 7 months out year round unless you are looking for minimal stays (like only two nights) and are flexible with arrival date when you attempt to reserve) Earlier, before there were a lot of sales at VGF, studios were open many times at 7 months out but that has been disappearing rapidly and I saw studios being gone for multiple nights of each week at 7 months out for late Jan and first two weeks of Feb 2014 which are among the lowest DVC overall demand times of the year, i.e., if studios are gone then at 7 months out that is a pretty good indication problems will likely exist for the rest of the year.

BLT's studio history in the last 2 1/2 years is that standard view studios are usually filled before 7 months out (except possibly for those variable one or two nights on occasion), all studios have a signficant risk of being filled before 7 months out from the latter part of Sep to the Monday after Marathon weekend in Jan (DVC's highest demand quarter by far), theme park studios have a real risk of being gone near holiday and special event (like races) times between mid- Jan and late Sep, and lake view studios are usually open at 7 months out from mid-Jan to late Sep but you often do need to grab them quickly at 7 months out although they may last a little (but don't expect much) longer past 7 months out during low DVC demand times like late Jan and first two weeks of Feb, late Feb after the Princess half marathon weekend through mid-March, last week of April, last half of July, and much of Sep.