Purchasing Question

[softballmom3]

Hi all! I am in the hunt again and have a question for everyone that is already DVC. Have you found it difficult to go to other WDW resorts? I know Covid points really changes things right now but here's my dilemma. I found an SSR contract I'm ok to bid on and ok to stay there. I've also found a BCV contract with less points, costs more per point and expires sooner but the boardwalk resorts are where I actually like to stay the most. If I decide to purchase SSR has anyone been successful for booking stays at other resorts? If it helps our most travelled time is October. Thanks for any advice!

 

[PalmettoPath]

Not sure about any restrictions about where you can stay under the new rules and all that, but all that aside, we can usually find rooms at just about any DVC resort at the 7 month window. Not always, of course, but usually. The hardest ones we've found are the Grand Californian, Hilton Head Island and Aulani -- which can be challenging in the summer (especially because we we like to get two weeks straight at Aulani, so that adds to the challenge). Sometimes we'll have to waitlist a night or two, but even then we have been very lucky.

Having said that, we do stay at just about every DVC resort (to keep it fun and different) and can almost always find space. But the trick is that in the summer we can be flexible, so we will book our trip around the availability they a resort has and not try to find the hotel for a specific week (that approach can be much harder for these hard-to-get properties). So any flexibility on your end will help. For spring break and high season times we use our home resorts. Our home resorts are Grand Floridian, Bay Lake Tower and Animal Kingdom Kidani (which we never stay at any more). But we stay at all WDW DVC properties sort of on rotation. In a worst case situation you can almost always get SSR and OKW, so if you're okay with those then it's unlikely in most situations that you would be shut out completely.

 

[vicarrieous]

I am in the boat, buy where you want to stay. We KNEW we wanted to stay at BCV and bought there.

 

[dvc lover 1970]

Depends when you are looking to go. Christmas NYE you need home resort priority and even then it's difficult. BCV and VGF are both small resorts so they are difficult but not impossible right in the 7 month window, but you will need the extra points available to wait list. In today's market I would buy the most affordable contract. I would also go for the larger contract for more points and the chance for larger rooms. One bedrooms are usually available a ross all resorts for many times of the year

 

[Suzabella]

If you want BCV in October, I'd buy there. Food & Wine is a prime draw and BCV and BWV book up fast. We own 2 resorts but bought where we want to stay. We've been able to stay at many of the resorts by booking at 7 months or less but never BCV.

 

[PalmettoPath]

If you want BCV in October, I'd buy there. Food & Wine is a prime draw and BCV and BWV book up fast. We own 2 resorts but bought where we want to stay. We've been able to stay at many of the resorts by booking at 7 months or less but never BCV.

We can usually get BCV in the summer at the seven month window (we've done it several times), but I can definitely see your point about October in the Crescent Lake area when F&W is under full swing

For summer, however, we allow ourselves the flexibility of planning our trip around when we can get the DVC reservation and not trying to fit the resort into a specific summer week. That would be more challenging and we may not have had the same luck with BCV doing it that way.

 

[Suzabella]

Yeah...we try not to go in summer as kids are grown and out of the house. Now we have a grandchild, though, so that is likely to change in the future. We did go to WDW last July not long after reopening to use or lose points. We really enjoyed the trip - we both rated it as our best trip ever even in masks- but it was so blasted hot.

 

[Marionnette]

Hi all! I am in the hunt again and have a question for everyone that is already DVC. Have you found it difficult to go to other WDW resorts? I know Covid points really changes things right now but here's my dilemma. I found an SSR contract I'm ok to bid on and ok to stay there. I've also found a BCV contract with less points, costs more per point and expires sooner but the boardwalk resorts are where I actually like to stay the most. If I decide to purchase SSR has anyone been successful for booking stays at other resorts? If it helps our most travelled time is October. Thanks for any advice!

If you purchase the SSR contract, will you be happy staying there in October? If not, then buy one of the Crescent Lake resorts. Maybe BWV instead of BCV? October is very difficult to book at BCV at 7 months most of the year if you want a studio. If you want something larger, you have a better chance of success but even 1BRs at BCV can be scarce 7 months away from October.

 

[JETSDAD]

Here's some info pre-pandemic about availability. Right now things are more difficult than they were then but this gives a general idea.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/p...-bd-charts-september-2019-2-bd-added.3689931/

 

[krybandt]

We haven't had trouble booking at 7 months, but don't travel during peak times and have a few options in case our first choice isn't available. We usually go for one-bedrooms, which seem easier to get. Studios are hardest. If you're looking to go in October and want to stay at BCV, definitely consider buying there because of F&W.

 

[softballmom3]

Thank you all. It's definitely something to consider. I liked the pre-pandemic availability charts too. It basically lets me know what I need to do.

 

[softballmom3]

Well I decided to chance buying SSR again. My last one was ROFR'd. If this doesn't work I'm going to just pay more and grab a BWV or BCV when possible. Thanks all!

 

[Sunnyore]

It looks like you made your decision already but I just wanted to add majority of my points are at SSR and so far this past year I’ve managed to book studios including at BWV and BCV and even scored Riviera Tower rooms. I did, however buy some points at BWV because I want to stay there during food and wine.

 

[Deb & Bill]

We were able to swap around our home resort booking to non-home booking during covid months. But that's pretty much over now. If you would be disappointed if you could only book SSR and not change at seven months out, don't buy SSR. Buy the resort you'd rather stay at every time if you couldn't change at seven months out.