Reservation ?

[plymouthmom]

Good Evening!
My family and I will be purchasing DVC points in the new year. Just need to get that Xmas shopping done first!

I have two questions: First off, I have heard on many boards that it is difficult to make reservations, even at the 11 month window at your home resort. What experiences have you all had and if there have been issues, how have you dealt with them.

Secondly, I am thinking about two contracts, 150 points at Saratoga (DH wants a on site golf course) and 150 points at Beach Club ( me and 4 kids want that pool!). Does anyone have a set up like this, if so, how is it working out?

Thanks!

Ann
Mom of 4 in Minnesota and Near Future DVC owner!

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

You can almost always get a reservation at your home resort at 11 months. It is only a problem for a very few types of rooms on a VERY limited number of days per year. For example a BWV Grand Villa on New Year's eve may be hard to get at 11 months due to there being so few of them. Difficulty reserving at 11 months is way overblown. For the BCV or SSR you won't have any problems at 11 months.

It's probably a good idea to have two smaller contracts instead of one larger one. Whether you want to plit it between two resorts depends on your family's needs. We have points at the BWV and BCV. It works well for us.

HBC

 

[disneynutz]

You can almost always get a reservation at your home resort at 11 months. It is only a problem for a very few types of rooms on a VERY limited number of days per year. For example a BWV Grand Villa on New Year's eve may be hard to get at 11 months due to there being so few of them. Difficulty reserving at 11 months is way overblown. For the BCV or SSR you won't have any problems at 11 months.

It's probably a good idea to have two smaller contracts instead of one larger one. Whether you want to plit it between two resorts depends on your family's needs. We have points at the BWV and BCV. It works well for us.

HBC

I tend to disagree with overblown. What's popular changes with the tide and who knows what tomorrow will bring. I am in the process of booking a 1 bedroom BWV Boardwalk view at 11 months. The Member Services Adviser recommended that I book day by day due to limited availability. That means that I need to call every day for 11 days hoping to get all of my days. The beginning of December used to be dead. Now the word is out and it's not dead anymore. You must be flexible or run the risk of being disappointed.

 

[Dean]

I'd agree you can get something at most resort 11 months out and get something somewhere most anytime of the year 7 months out. But certain resorts and certain room types will be difficult even at 11 months for much of the year. I'd say HH for Summer, any 3 BR most of the year, any special room type (BCV 2 queens, standard or BW view at BWV, AKV for value or concierge) will be some of the more difficult. If one wants to vary their resort or doesn't know, I'd say go for price and don't get too worked up over which resort though I think it's foolish to buy VB or HH with the idea mainly of WDW stays. The exception would be for one who plans to resell prior to the end, in that situations I would not buy VB, HH, OKW at all and likely not SSR.

 

[plymouthmom]

Thank you all for your thoughts. We would most likely travel during late January or mid October. Our kids are all in sports the majority of the year so finding a time when there isn't something going on is tough.

Does anyone have experience with Thanksgiving Weekend reservations?

 

[crisi]

We do MEA weekend and I've started to do day by day booking at eleven months - but only because I want a standard view or boardwalk view at BWV - past years I've been fine getting these just calling right at eleven months. The pool of owners at eleven months is stable - however, every year someone who got frozen out at ten months last year calls a little earlier for those rooms. So popular rooms/popular times do book early - though only a few need day by day booking, and only at certain times (October is unfortunately one of them at BWV - because of Food and Wine).

If you only want to manage one contract, SSR is the largest resort and should be fairly easy to get at seven months at either of those times. You'll pay BCV dues, but you won't have to worry about dual contracts.

 

[plymouthmom]

You must be from Minnesota too?? MEA is when we went last year, Oct 14-21st. It is a good time of year for us to travel but the food and wine festival thing I am sure makes it harder to book. I really like BVW but that pool at BCV is a bigger draw for my kids. We are thinking of doing two contracts also because we will most likely downsize when the kids get older.

 

[Granny]

Secondly, I am thinking about two contracts, 150 points at Saratoga (DH wants a on site golf course) and 150 points at Beach Club ( me and 4 kids want that pool!). Does anyone have a set up like this, if so, how is it working out?

Ann...we have a set up very similar to that with two similarly sized contracts at VWL and BWV. It works out great! We bank one contract and borrow on the other and alternate resorts each year. That way, we can book the entire stay at the 11 month window each year.

For your situation, a different approach might be in order. SSR will probably not be a problem to book at the 7 month window for almost all times of the year. Unless you think you will want to stay there at very heavy reservation times, you might want to put all your points in BCV which is harder to book at 7 months. If you do have all your points at BCV, I'd still break the purchase up into two 150 point contracts to make it easier to sell one contract without having to give up all your points if your needs change.

I also agree with HBC's comments about the 11 month booking being widely available except for a few select villa types at select times of the year.

Good luck!

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

I tend to disagree with overblown. What's popular changes with the tide and who knows what tomorrow will bring.

It doesn't matter what becomes popular under the current system. As long as there is a reservation window that favors those who own points at the resort, you will have an equal chance with many DVC owners and a better chance than most. Your room (a 1BR Boardwalk view) is the type of speicalty room that I was referring to when I said that a few rooms could be a problem at 11 months. Even though that room may be hard to book, there will still be plenty of preferred view rooms available for a while after your last day of reserving day by day.

HBC

 

[jimmacmn]

Ann, the LBV clubhouse is at SSR, but if DH wants golf course views, OKW is the best for those. We were in a GV at OKW over MEA this year. We had a perfect view of the Island hole on LBV. As far as getting to the golf courses, Disney provides taxi service from the hotels and DVC complexes to all of the golf courses free of charge. They call a taxi and the trip fare and tip are included. At SSR and OKW the taxis are ordered and leave from the bell stand so you have to get there with your clubs. Disney will store clubs at the golf course for guests and move them to the location of the next tee time as needed.

Also, DH will need to get the DVC golf membership. It costs $50.00 for a year. With that he can play after 10AM for a reduced green fee. During MEA that rate if $50.00 per person for up to 4 people. Our last DVC golf membership was purchased in Dec '06 and we used it for 3 trips. I think we had about 32 rounds on it, so the $50.00 membership fee was more than paid for.

 

[plymouthmom]

Thanks for the info on the golf courses. I thought LBV was actually on SSR property. Is it spread out over a few resorts? OKW would certainly be cheaper than Saratoga as far as resale to buy. My friends stayed there over MEA too!

The golf course info was great too! Thank you! One question though, DH is an early morning player, is that not an option?

How often do you travel from MN to Disney?

 

[DisneyKidds]

We have two contracts....one at VWL and one at BWV. Works great for us. We have taken to splitting our stays the last few years. An 'Epcot/Studios Vacation' and a 'MK Vacation', if you will. We have the 11 month window to use at either resort so we get what we want. We go the week after Thanksgiving, arriving the day after and staying through the following weekend. We have never had trouble getting reservations for that very busy time for DVC.

 

[jimmacmn]

Thanks for the info on the golf courses. I thought LBV was actually on SSR property. Is it spread out over a few resorts? OKW would certainly be cheaper than Saratoga as far as resale to buy. My friends stayed there over MEA too!

The LBV Pro Shop is located at SSR, but there are only a couple of buildings in the Grand Stand section of SSR that actually over look golf holes on the second 9 of LBV. OKW units are along the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th holes of the LBV course. We like OKW because of the size of the units and SSR because of the decor of the units.

The golf course info was great too! Thank you! One question though, DH is an early morning player, is that not an option?

Play as early as 7AM is available at any of the courses, however, the Vacation Club membership rates don't kick in until 10AM. Normal rates are $135.00 for Osprey Ridge and the Magnolia. LBV and Palm are less. With an annual pass, tee times can be booked at 7AM, and the discount brings the green fees to just over $100.00 for OR and Mag. I can wait until 10 to play for the difference in $ and DW prefers playing after 10 anyway.

How often do you travel from MN to Disney?

We typically go once or twice a year. We always try to plan at least two trips in a 12 month period so we can use annual passes and DVC golf membership for two or more trips. We like going in the early winter time frame, so we usually go either December or October. Our last trips were Dec '06 in a GV at SSR with two other couples and Oct '07 in a 2br at OKW for a week (DW and girlfriends) and MEA 'O7 in an OKW GV with two other couples. We just started talking about our '08 trip and DW may have to go with some friends without me because I'm taking a 10 day Scotland golf trip in October

 

[plymouthmom]

You are so helpful! One more thing, and please forgive me if this is too nosy! How many points do you have? We are going to do 300 as we are a large family and will need a 2 BR for each trip. So....probably only once a year for us, which is fine. Just wondering how other folks budget points.

 

[coasterbob]

You are so helpful! One more thing, and please forgive me if this is too nosy! How many points do you have? We are going to do 300 as we are a large family and will need a 2 BR for each trip. So....probably only once a year for us, which is fine. Just wondering how other folks budget points.

yer not being nosy at all! We have 200 points at SSR. We are empty nesters, "a "young-at-heart" couple! We figured with grandkids coming (1 so far), that was a good #for us.

By the way,did you get our PM?

 

[plymouthmom]

Thanks for the info! Yes I did get your PM but was having trouble responding. I am assuming you do a 1BR or Studio now? I wish we could squeeze into one but with six people that would not be fun!

I am still set on BCV for our first set of points, still up in the air on the other!

 

[dianeschlicht]

You must be from Minnesota too?? MEA is when we went last year, Oct 14-21st. It is a good time of year for us to travel but the food and wine festival thing I am sure makes it harder to book. I really like BVW but that pool at BCV is a bigger draw for my kids. We are thinking of doing two contracts also because we will most likely downsize when the kids get older.

Yes, MEA is a good time to go. The weather is great, and the points are low. We actually DID book day by day the last time we went for MEA, but that was because we were doing a GV. As long as you aren't trying for those low inventory, hard to book things like GVs, Boardwalk view, BWV standard view, AKV Concierge or AKV value, you should be always able to get SOMETHING at your home resort at the 11 month window.

We were down for an 11 night Thanksgiving trip this year, and while it was more crowded than October, it wasn't as bad as we expected, and we would do it again.

 

[jimmacmn]

You are so helpful! One more thing, and please forgive me if this is too nosy! How many points do you have? We are going to do 300 as we are a large family and will need a 2 BR for each trip. So....probably only once a year for us, which is fine. Just wondering how other folks budget points.

We started with 210 at OKW in 1994, added on 100 at OKW a couple of years later and three years ago were there with some friends who took the tour at SSR and the rep doubled down by selling them 160 points and us 160 points. That brings us to 470 and we are discussing a 50 point add on at BCV rather than the OKW 15 year extension. We'll be in our 90s by 2042 and the extension makes no sense to us. 470 points for just the two of us is probably excessive, but we like to bring friends or family with us (Gotta fill out the foursome).

 

[kerrik]

We have 501 pts at SSR (3 contracts for 167, 1 for each child) (We didn't know about splitting up points between resorts when we bought ) We are a family of 4 and sometimes 5 (daughter in college sometimes joins us) and we take 2 to 4 trips a year. We usually use all our points, but we like 2 bdrm so we can spread out! I have never had a problem booking a resort at 7 months except for BCV and I just waitlist us for that and we have always gotten what we wanted including the week before Christmas- we leave Wednesday and stay until Sunday! If you aren't to picky and have patience, you can usually get what you want!