Poly and AKV in October

[czmom]

what are the chances of getting a studio for a week at both resorts in mid October? They would be booked at 7 months as we own at BLT. Standard view for both if that matters.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

This year, it was pretty fierce. Even if you were online at exactly 8AM, there were holes occurring pretty quickly, and waitlisting was often required.

I swapped a reservation at 7 months in October, and by 10AM there were even availability holes for my week at SSR. My week did NOT include Columbus Day or Halloween.

Poly also has the continuing question mark of if/when Disney declare more units. The resort is 62% declared and eligible for points bookings, but maybe 35-40% sold right now.

 

[czmom]

This year, it was pretty fierce. Even if you were online at exactly 8AM, there were holes occurring pretty quickly, and waitlisting was often required.

I swapped a reservation at 7 months in October, and by 10AM there were even availability holes for my week at SSR. My week did NOT include Columbus Day or Halloween.

Poly also has the continuing question mark of if/when Disney declare more units. The resort is 62% declared and eligible for points bookings, but maybe 35-40% sold right now.

Oh wow! That's crazy. Our week will not include holidays either.

I'm confused on the Poly- will 7 month bookings get easier or harder when Disney declares more units?

 

[lovin'fl]

Yup. We booked BWV at 11 months out for this Oct. I booked online day 2 in the 11 month window and could not get a standard view or boardwalk view studio. I did get pool/garden view. SIL booked her home resort of SSR for the same trip. She was wanting to switch over to BWV or BCV at 7 month mark but it was gone before the 7 month mark opened. F&W time and studios are very very tough (as are the lesser point costing options like standard view).

Though if you waitlist right at the 7 month mark...and waitlist just 2-3 nights on each waitlist...then you could have good luck. I have gotten BCV, VWL and BLT for F&W with a waitlist.

 

[amandalynne621]

We booked exactly at the 7 month window for October and weren't able to get BLT, Poly. We ended up with Kidani Village studio savvanah view which was the only room available. Jamba House was booked for our dates as well. I was told October is high due to Food and Wine, but this was our first time booking for october so we don't have another year to compare it to!

 

[czmom]

What about last week of September? Or the week before thanksgiving? Are either of those easier to get poly or AKV standard at 7 months?

 

[lovin'fl]

We booked exactly at the 7 month window for October and weren't able to get BLT, Poly. We ended up with Kidani Village studio savvanah view which was the only room available. Jamba House was booked for our dates as well. I was told October is high due to Food and Wine, but this was our first time booking for october so we don't have another year to compare it to!

This year will be our 4th F&W.

1st year- we booked for mid Oct. We booked around @5 months out and got SSR 1BR...waitlisted a studio at BWV-pool/garden view and BLT-lake view studio for just a 3 night trip. Got BLT waitlist 2 weeks later. We waitlisted lake view as they have more 1BRs available so our odds would be better.

2nd year- we booked at @5 months out again and booked 2 nights in a 1BR at VWL and 1 night at SSR but had a waitlist for the 3rd night. It came through after a few weeks but then I saw our last 2 nights open in a 1BR at BCV so I grabbed that but waitlisted, pretty last minute- like 3 months out, BCV for that first night but never got it. I was bummed about the split but it turned out to be nice. We enjoy VWL so much. And then it was so nice to be SO SO SO close to Epcot for F&W. We had friends visit one night and we had a BLAST at F&W.

3rd year- 6 months out we booked a 1BR at SSR for 3 nights over Halloween weekend. We were supposed to be there for DDs to play softball so we didn't want to be so close to Epcot and not have any time for F&W (we didn't want to see, smell, hear F&W but not able to enjoy). But then the coach cancelled rather last minute so I waitlisted then, about 2 months out, and no luck. I stalked the availability too and never anything good came up, except a 2BR at BCV for 2/3 nights so I almost switched to that but MS had a snafu, when I called to switch, and lost the room. I really didn't want to blow through the points for a 2BR though, so it was okay.

Meanwhile we added on BWV points for F&W and booked for this Oct at the 11 month window (well 2 days into the window...next time I will go exactly at 11 months window online 8am).

 

[lovin'fl]

What about last week of September? Or the week before thanksgiving? Are either of those easier to get poly or AKV standard at 7 months?

Week before Thanksgiving should be easier. Last week of Sept is F&W and tough. But the rest of Sept isn't too bad.

 

[czmom]

Week before Thanksgiving should be easier. Last week of Sept is F&W and tough. But the rest of Sept isn't too bad.

Weather is better in November too! Problem is we were hoping to finally check out the water parks, and being from Texas it may be too cold to enjoy them.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Frankly, based on timing of declaration, this year should have been easier to get Poly at 7 months in October. It was not. I would assume that after the next declaration it might be slightly easier depending on timing, but if they don't declare more before booking starts for next year, 7 months will be a challenge again. It is convenient to do a trip including both F&W and MNSSHP.

When I did my booking, SSR and AKV Savannah had holes by 10AM. I was doing a split stay anyway based on points available, and split with a cash booking.

 

[Vader-was-framed]

Seems to me that dvc members like late September to early January as their preferred time to go. So during that time of year you pretty much can only bank on staying at your home resort.

 

[dizfan]

We booked PVB and AKV for October 2016. We used PVB points to book two PVB studios. For AKV, we had to waitlist for a 2BR. The AKV (Kidani) waitlist came through within a couple weeks. (We also had a waitlist for AKV Jambo, but that never came through).

Personal guess the PVB will be the harder one to get next year. We bought PVB points for easy access to MNSSHP and F&W (late Sept-early November). A few other people indicated they bought PVB points planning on the same months.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Honestly, I'd almost put a few weeks of October into the "buy a fixed week" group moving forward at Poly, for the conservative.

 

[momberry]

I was able to snag a room at Poly for 4 nights at 7 months and had a 5th night waitlist come through shortly after that.