Possible hard to get reservations - easiest way to try and book??

[amystevekai&bump]

Hi all, I’m currently thinking ahead to a long planned extended family trip over Christmas 2020. I have a plan of how I’d like to use our points, including treating our relatives to a couple of nights as it’s my uncles special 60th birthday on New Year’s Eve, and the main reason for the trip.

However, I am sure most of my hopes for reservations are going to be hard to get and I wondered if you could talk me through ways to give me the best chances of securing the reservations please?

We ideally want the following:

Dec 26th-Dec 29th (4 nights) in an AKV concierge studio

Dec 30th-Jan 1st (3 nights) in a Theme park view BLT studio

Plus Dec 31st-jan 1st (2 nights) in a theme park view BLT 2 bed for our relatives

And then back to AKV for 2 nights (jan 2nd and 3rd) in another concierge studio.

I know this time of year is tricky anyway, and I know concierge at AKV is virtually impossible any time - so I’m just wondering if there is any strategy I should adopt (we own at both AKV and BLT so have the 11 month advantage for both)?

I know walking reservations is probably one option - but this feels extra complicated with me needing two different resorts and at points two different rooms!! Has anyone else managed to juggle and walk more than one reservation? Did MS get cross??!!

Also I was wondering if it would be a possibility of booking all six nights at AKV concierge and then when we got to the appropriate 11 month date, split off the last two nights and walk them a couple of days to the 2nd jan - that seemed in my head to be the easiest way to get and keep the concierge room, but I don’t know if that is even possible to break up a reservation like that??!!

Sorry if this post makes no sense -in my own head it all seems quite straight forward, but I’m wondering whether it will be harder to organise than I’m hoping??

 

[disneynutz]

I wouldn't want to spend my vacation checking in, checking out and moving so many times. Walking is the only hope that you have to getting your rooms. Due to the complexity of your plan, hope for the best but plan for the worse.

Bill

 

[drusba]

The problem with AKV club level studios is that they often disappear for any given day either shortly before any 11 month out start date or within nanoseconds after 8 a.m. eastern at 11 months out, and for the time you want they are highly likely to be gone before 11 months out from your two start dates. Also, you cannot make one AKV reservation for six nights and then split it into two later and dropping the middle nights. You need to make two separate AKV reservations.

Personally, I would drop any idea of getting AKV concierge now and start planning for something else. For any real chance to get the times you want, you will need to walk two separate reservations. That means you need to find a date when AKV is open at 11 months out before the times you want, do that twice for the two separate reservations (and there are only five studios), and then modify those reservations daily until you have the dates you want. So when should you begin that walk? Here is what I have learned some others do for the times you want: they start looking for a date to start a walk 11 months out from the start date of the use year they intend to use for the reservation. In other words, for the time you want, if you have a February use year, you would try to start your walk with a date in Feb 2020 and keep trying daily to get a walking start date for one or both reservations until you actually get a three night and a two night reservation, and then walk them all the way to the times you want. You should note that if you have an Oct or Dec use year, your chances are greatly reduced because you cannot start the walk until Oct 1, 2020 or Dec 1, 2020, respectively, and AKV club level is almost always gone before or instantly at 8 a.m. at 11 months out for any start dates in Oct through early Jan. Note, MS does not get cross with walking, and that now it is not even an issue since you can modify reservations on line.

Your other option to avoid the stress is simply try to get reservations for the dates you want at 11 months out, and then when you do not get them, wait list and pray you get lucky while reserving AKV savanna view.

As to BLT theme park view, your chances are much higher of getting the times you want even without walking as long as you are ready to book at 8 a.m. at 11 months out, but still some risk because of the particular dates. If you are going to walk those reservations, you would have a good chance of finding a start date to begin walking with a date between Dec 15 and Dec 21, 2020.

 

[kniquy]

I agree that is a lot of moving around that other people may not want to do. I would do a split stay but do your first portion at AK and then the end of vacation at BLT. Thankfully you do have the 11 month advantage at each resort. Book a savanna view and if you want to splurge then just book a signature restaurant for a special event. Concierge might be a long shot, but you could certainly try walking a reservation if you are lucky enough to get one even walking.

 

[amystevekai&bump]

Thank you all for your great replies, that’s been really helpful.

Sadly I do have a Dec use year so that could possibly be a hindrance from what you say Drusba. I would prefer to just do a split stay (4 nights at AKV and 5 nights at BLT) but I sadly do not have enough points at BLT once I’ve treated my relatives.

I think from what you’ve said, that I’ll try to walk the concierge if I do find an opening and then for the second stay at AKV I’ll just book whatever I can get and then hope to switch to BLT at the 7 month mark.

I’m glad to hear that the BLT rooms should be easier, I was worried that as I want to check in so close to New Years, that others will have already booked out the whole of the Christmas week? But maybe not then, so that’s a positive!

 

[amystevekai&bump]

Just a follow on question about the Dec UY if I may?

We aren’t visiting WDW next year and so we would be planning to bank those Dec 2019 points for this Christmas trip. Is that the reason I can’t then walk a reservation prior to December? Because if I booked say 26-30 Nov that would be current 2019 points and then moving it forward into Dec, they would then need to be banked 2019 ones?

Not sure if I’ve explained myself very well, just trying to get my head around the points and renewal months!!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

If you bank those points, they cannot be used against any booking prior to 12/1. If you use them for a walk before 12/1, you miss the banking deadline.

 

[amystevekai&bump]

Aah thank you, that makes sense

 

[Deb & Bill]

Just book as much as your home resort has available for the points you have. It will be so much easier.

 

[kniquy]

If you are in need of more BLT points then maybe look at just a standard room or LV to save some points (not sure if that helps you much) or maybe see if you can get a transfer of BLT points from another member. The only issue with that is that you would have to call to make the reservation. The transferred points retain their UY so you would have to figure out what works with the reservation you want. It sounds like you have some time to figure it all out.

 

[amystevekai&bump]

If you are in need of more BLT points then maybe look at just a standard room or LV to save some points (not sure if that helps you much) or maybe see if you can get a transfer of BLT points from another member. The only issue with that is that you would have to call to make the reservation. The transferred points retain their UY so you would have to figure out what works with the reservation you want. It sounds like you have some time to figure it all out.

Thank you - the reason we are staying at BLT for 30/31 is to watch the fireworks from our room in one of those two nights, otherwise ordinarily ‘downgrading rooms’ would of been a great suggestion for us, as points are certainly scarce for us on this trip, hence the chopping and changing.

Can I ask, with transferred points - could I get a different UY than my own? Would the transferred points keep their own UY, thus allowing me to start walking a reservation earlier than Dec 1st?

Just thinking I could, say transfer in enough points for two nights in a concierge studio with an early use year, walk the booking and then once it gets to Dec 1st, add my points for the extra nights - does that plan work?

That would definitely be an option and relieve the stress somewhat!

 

[CarolMN]

You have to call MS to use transferred points. They do not show in your online account. Since MS opens 1 hour later than online, it could be very difficult to get the first reservation to start a walk.

 

[BcIcemen]

Thank you - the reason we are staying at BLT for 30/31 is to watch the fireworks from our room in one of those two nights, otherwise ordinarily ‘downgrading rooms’ would of been a great suggestion for us, as points are certainly scarce for us on this trip, hence the chopping and changing.

Can I ask, with transferred points - could I get a different UY than my own? Would the transferred points keep their own UY, thus allowing me to start walking a reservation earlier than Dec 1st?

Just thinking I could, say transfer in enough points for two nights in a concierge studio with an early use year, walk the booking and then once it gets to Dec 1st, add my points for the extra nights - does that plan work?

That would definitely be an option and relieve the stress somewhat!

If you downgrade at BLT just go to Top of the World for the fireworks.

 

[amystevekai&bump]

If you downgrade at BLT just go to Top of the World for the fireworks.

I didn’t think of that!! That actually might be a really great idea! Thank you

 

[amystevekai&bump]

You have to call MS to use transferred points. They do not show in your online account. Since MS opens 1 hour later than online, it could be very difficult to get the first reservation to start a walk.

Aah ok, then that wouldn’t work for concierge - back to the drawing board! Lol!

 

[mort1331]

As much as others say that it too much moving, we never have a problem with it. We do not pack a lot, we take our bags in the am to bell services, they have them at our new hotel when we check back in at the new resort.
As for walking at that time of year, I would start at least 2 weeks out. Remember that you dont have to call each day to change, but every other if you are only staying for 2 days. Good luck

 

[kniquy]

Can I ask, with transferred points - could I get a different UY than my own? Would the transferred points keep their own UY, thus allowing me to start walking a reservation earlier than Dec 1st?

Just thinking I could, say transfer in enough points for two nights in a concierge studio with an early use year, walk the booking and then once it gets to Dec 1st, add my points for the extra nights - does that plan work?

I think with having to call MS you would not get that hard to get club level room and i think even if you were able to book it w/ MS I am not sure if you are able to walk a reservation w/ transferred points. Someone else here might able able to answer to that. I do think getting an earlier UY would help with being able to start your walk earlier.

I do think going to TOWL would be a great option for fireworks. Are you able to get the fireworks music in your rooms at BLT? Never stayed there so I don't know. But I feel half of the enjoyment to the fireworks is the music along with the visual -- this you can at least get at TOWL.

 

[CarolMN]

If you downgrade at BLT just go to Top of the World for the fireworks.

I didn’t think of that!! That actually might be a really great idea! Thank you

Go for Lake View and request top (16th) floor. If you get it, then you'll just have a few steps to get to the deck for fireworks viewing. It's very convenient PLUS no waiting for the elevators with the crowd that leaves right after the fireworks. Won't be as hard to get that first reservation for the lake view walk as it will be for theme park or standard view, either.

Be sure to have MS add the "traveling with" note on both of your BLT reservations if you want the room assigner to know you'd like the rooms to be close together.

 

[zavandor]

People are already walking concierge for early December 2019, for those weeks it's already too late.
But this means they'll stop walking once they get to their dates, so you have a chance to get a date to start your walk. Be sure to try sharp at 8:00am every day at 11 months and as soon as you get a reservation continue walking. Getting the second leg after NYE will be much more difficult. I'd stay put at BLT after the switch.

 

[amystevekai&bump]

Thank you everyone - these posts have all been very helpful.

Sounds like I might need to rethink my whole plan and come up with something more realistically achieveable!

Perhaps I’ll have a plan A and a back up plan B - then if getting the concierge room proves problematic then at least I won’t be too gutted! But definitely considering the lake view option - that would help pointwise without a doubt!

Thanks again everyone