Purchasing Monorail Resort or SSR - 7 Mo Booking Question

[crisi]

Here is the thing to know about being an OCD planner - there are different kinds - and if you are one kind, switching at seven months will drive you nuts - and if you are the other kind, it will be a game. If you decide what you want a year or more in advance, then have to wait until seven months out to get it, then are missing some days so you waitlist, then have to manually check to see if you can jump into a room - and that is a game, then you are fine. If you are the type of planner where when plans go awry, you freak out, then wondering six weeks out if your waitlist will come through or if you'll be moving midtrip will drive you nuts.

Me, if I were going to buy the points for a one bedroom, I'd buy the points for the place I wanted to stay at a studio. My guess is that you'll eventually want the points for a two bedroom (the kids sleeping in the living room is not the best arrangement when they get to be teens - or even tweens) - then you'll be back into availability issues.

 

[zavandor]

When looking at resorts, you should consider both the buy in price, Maintenance fees, time left on contract and points charts. SSR is the cheapest, followed by BLT. This may surprise because BLT contracts are much more expensive, but it has lower MF and it expires later (ie: it will keep its value for longer). Also, BLT has the standard category, that is (nearly) impossible to book at 7 months and allows owners sometimes (as it is difficult to book even at 11 months) to save points. So my suggestion is to have a hard look at BLT, it would be more expensive upfront but not by much on the long term and it is a monorail resort, giving you the peace of mind of booking it at 11 months and try to switch to the other monorail resorts for novelty from time to time.

 

[CraigInPA]

If you're looking for a studio on a monorail resort, you'll likely need to buy where you want to stay. While I've been able to snag Lake View at BLT at 6 months, I also had to wait list the weekend days (thankfully, the wait list came through). I expect monorail resort studios to become even more difficult to obtain at 7 months and under as DVD continues to develop new properties.

If you're looking for 1 bedrooms, you will have much greater success at 7 months an under. However, the number of points are about 65% more than you'd need for a studio. So, your annual maintenance fees will be greater (e.g., 260 for 1BR versus 160 for studio).

 

[FireflyTrance]

Of the monorail resorts, BLT is the cheapest for resale. Buying only 100 points at VGF is not the option I would pick. 200 points is way more workable than 100 points. 100 points doesn’t get you that much. We own 175 points and we never have as many points as we need, and we often stay in studios.

My opinion though is that while staying in a monorail resort with young kids is nice, it’s not a deal breaker to stay in a non-monorail resort with little kids. My daughter went to WDW at age 2, 3 and 4, and we never stayed at a monorail resort. She either napped in her stroller, or we took the bus back to our resort for a nap. A lot of time was lost in the middle of the day, but the middle of the day is often the busiest anyway so sometimes it is nice to leave for a while. The buses aren’t always that much slower than the monorail, and that monorail doesn’t go to AK or HS so that’s two days you potentially still need to take a bus either way.

 

[FireflyTrance]

Here is the thing to know about being an OCD planner - there are different kinds - and if you are one kind, switching at seven months will drive you nuts - and if you are the other kind, it will be a game. If you decide what you want a year or more in advance, then have to wait until seven months out to get it, then are missing some days so you waitlist, then have to manually check to see if you can jump into a room - and that is a game, then you are fine. If you are the type of planner where when plans go awry, you freak out, then wondering six weeks out if your waitlist will come through or if you'll be moving midtrip will drive you nuts.

I totally agree with this. Also once you make your 6 month dining reservations it becomes more annoying to try and switch resorts. Some resort restaurants are booked at 6 months, so if you are try to switch that is another guessing game, and you can't make two different dining reservations at the same time.

 

[Wakey]

Depends when you go and room type. There's another post with same question the other day. I did a quick check for 7 months hence, and there was a lot of 1 week studio availibility. 1 beds off peak you can easily get anywhere 7 months. Again, same check showed every single resort and every single room category for 7 months hence for a full week for 1 bed, save for a BLT standard. Even VGC was open for a 1 bed.
I cannot see 1 bedsl bookers been unable to get bookings at 7 months off peak anytime soon. It' not hit or miss, its wide open. There would have to be huge changes in patterns. There's nothing on the cards that would cause this.
As to they will build more resorts it will get more difficult, I can see that potentially this applies to monorail resorts but it very much depends.
For example - Riviera, if its gondola is fantastic and it is a great resort, people may prefer it over BLT. Who know? Particularly with Star Wars and proximity to HS and the points per night are not too high (last one maybe wishful thinking).
If they build Bay Lake 2, you will always have owners who book late and get whatever they can- opening up Bay Lake 2 as more monorail availibility.
I think a few things contributed to it getting more difficult to book at 7 months. First generally people getting more savvy. It' a self reducing cycle of behaviour - I couldn't get my room last time, will book earlier.. and the next person thus books earlier etc. Renting was another. Now people don't let points expire. SSR did add in 888 rooms in what some perceive as a less desirable location. Points cost per night going up in newer resorts, people gravitated to the cheaper but perceived as better resorts. However that affects BWV more than Poly.
As to the dues issue of buying to get a 1 bed, dues at SSR are much cheaper than Copper Creek for example so it's not 100% more by any stretch. If you would be happy staying in a studio, the extra points could be looked at as insurance. Get the studio at 7 month, great - rent out the 50% extra points and basically cover all your dues. Don't get it, then enjoy your 1 bed at Grand Floridian with your resale points that cost less than the guy who bought enough for only a studio at Grand Floridian and couldn't actually get his studio at 11 months (it can happen).
Overall if you travel off peak and are buying to book at 7 months and to use different resorts every time (the attraction of DVC for me) then the buy enough points for a 1 bed I believe is an excellent strategy. If like me you only stay in a 1 bed anyway, and your pattern is off peak travel, paying more is a waste of money IMO.
And because 1 beds are wide open at 7 when I go, I don't book at 11 and switch. I just book at 7- no issue.
Cheers.

 

[Wakey]

I don' know why I'm advocating this BTW because for selfish reasons I wouldn't want to see wide adoption of this strategy!

 

[Wakey]

See this, still seems pretty accurate but it was 2015 data. The percentage chances are on page 2. Note how late September the chances plummet.

 

[Wakey]

Agree the monorail resort is often over worshipped. Sometimes with kids it can be easier jumping on an air conditioned bus. It often breaks down. Often there is only 1 track running one way and it takes a long time and is packed. MK is the only park where it is potentially advantageous, I'd rather be at BCV / BWV for Epcot.