Resorts with flexible 7 month availability during Christmas

[LifeDeathAnnualDues]

Context:
I'm planning my first WDW stay with kids for Christmas 2024 and I'm trying to book a large stay with the grandparents.

• While my home resort will be VGF (will be purchasing soon), I'm considering a split stay at another resort.
• I have non-WDW points that will be made available at the 7 month window, I'll have a budget of 200 - 275 7 month points. More available if I need to borrow from next use year.
• I would like to book a 2 bedroom at minimum during my stay, but want to have the flexibility to add on a studio - one set of grandparents can be flaky.
• Depending on how low it goes, we could opt for Magical Beginnings and save a bit for our VGF (150pt Sept UY) purchase.

I'm debating a couple of scenarios:
Scenario 1
Book at home resort (VGF) for the whole stay (12/21 - 12/26)

Scenario 2
Book at home resort from 12/21 - 12/24
Book at non-home resort from 12/24 - 12/26 (would have to wait for 7 month window)

Scenario 3
Book at non-home resort from 12/21 - 12/24 (would have to wait for 7 month window)
Book at home resort from 12/24 - 12/26

Specific questions:

1. Is a single split stay too ambitious for this group of grandparents and under 4 kids for their first time? Parents have been before, but not necessarily experts.
2. Looking at availability charts, it looks like there seems to be generally more availability during the peak season (last week of December) - I assume this is because the points charts tend to get very expensive during this time?
3. Which resorts are generally available at the 7 month mark during Christmas time that I can rely on to book? My fear in waiting until the 7 month mark will lock me out of many of the resorts.
4. One resort I was particularly interested in were the AKL Savannah rooms - I was surprised to see how available they were at the 7 month mark for the last week of December, given how popular they seem to be. Is this primarily because the number of points required to stay here?

Thank you in advance for your help on this, it's a complicated situation that I know only the most diehard DVC fans (aka DisBoard members) would be able to appreciate.

 

[kilik64]

I dont have an answer to all of it, but IF you are planning to try for the split stay, go ahead and book it split up at vgf during your home resort window (11-7 months).

Makes it much easier to then try for whatever split you want to attempt at 7 months. When you go to book you'd modify the portion you are switching out.

If you don't end up doing the split, you can just contact MS to merge the two res into one at VGF.

 

[lilsonicfan]

I agree, book your stay at VGF in two parts - then you can modify your second reservation into another resort if you really want to. I do think availability right around Christmas doesn't seem too bad at 7 months, I was able to find quite a lot when I took a quick look in June - of course that changes all the time. check out DVC availability charts at www.dvcfieldguide.com

 

[CarolMN]

Personally, I would not split stay during a busy time like Christmas unless it was absolutely necessary, especially if we would be at a resort only 2 or 3 nights.

The parks and Staff (including Bell Services & Housekeeping) will be very busy. Busy times are when you most might want to have a room to chill out in. I can't imagine being without a room for a busy day or moving with small children and 4 adults would be much fun.

 

[lilsonicfan]

In a very general sense, I wouldn't be super keen on splitting a stay if the total duration of the stay is about 6 nights. To me that is a lot of hassle to be moving, and to be room-less for 6+ hours on the transition day. I would definitely consider for something like a 10 day stay, to be able to experience another resort for the latter half of the stay.

 

[Her Dotness]

Personally, I would not split stay during a busy time like Christmas unless it was absolutely necessary, especially if we would be at a resort only 2 or 3 nights.

I heartily agree, even though it'd be just DH and me who're accustomed to lolling about in either VGF1's lobby or the GF's for a few hours till our room is ready.

At Christmas, forget that plan. We've stayed at the GF at Christmas. Way too hectic even for people able to amuse ourselves easily.

Having Disney transfer your luggage could get more exciting than you'd want, particularly if you find you didn't put something necessary in the moving-day pack. Not saying that delays in getting your bags at a reasonable time happen often, but that'd be the time of year for it to happen.

 

[kes601]

Personally, I would not split stay during a busy time like Christmas unless it was absolutely necessary, especially if we would be at a resort only 2 or 3 nights.

100% agree.

 

[LifeDeathAnnualDues]

Thanks to everyone who gave me the dose of reality I needed. Based on your feedback, we should book a 2bd VGF Standard View from 12/21 - 12/27, equaling 428 points. This depletes 3 years worth of points, but I don't want to be the ire of 3 generations worth of angry family members.

Looking at the DVC Field Guide availability, it looks like the Resort Studio Lake View seems to be the most likely studio to have availability during my dates. My plan, if I still need to be flexible with a possible Studio, is to book the Studio at the 7 month mark with my non-VGF points right at 8am ET.

I'm hoping that locking in a 2bd at 11 months for 12/21 - 12/27 would be a smarter strategy than using my 11 month window to book a 2bd and studio for a shorter time (e.g. 12/21 - 12/24) and then booking another 2bd and studio when my 7 month window opens up for the remaining time period (e.g. 12.24 - 12/27). Any holes to this plan?

 

[lilsonicfan]

I don't know about the plan specifically as to what is best, but I will say the danger of using up 3 years worth of points is the whole issue with banking deadlines and the fact that borrowing and banking are both final transactions, so if anything goes sideways with this trip, you could have a potential issue. I mention this since you said one set of grandparents can be flaky, I don't know if non-disney people know what it really means to use DVC points.

 

[CarolynFH]

Thanks to everyone who gave me the dose of reality I needed. Based on your feedback, we should book a 2bd VGF Standard View from 12/21 - 12/27, equaling 428 points. This depletes 3 years worth of points, but I don't want to be the ire of 3 generations worth of angry family members.

Looking at the DVC Field Guide availability, it looks like the Resort Studio Lake View seems to be the most likely studio to have availability during my dates. My plan, if I still need to be flexible with a possible Studio, is to book the Studio at the 7 month mark with my non-VGF points right at 8am ET.

I'm hoping that locking in a 2bd at 11 months for 12/21 - 12/27 would be a smarter strategy than using my 11 month window to book a 2bd and studio for a shorter time (e.g. 12/21 - 12/24) and then booking another 2bd and studio when my 7 month window opens up for the remaining time period (e.g. 12.24 - 12/27). Any holes to this plan?

I’m with the folks above who recommend avoiding a split stay at Christmastime. Book the 2BR at your home resort at 11 months for the full trip. A trip that time of year can be stressful just with crowds in the parks. You don’t need to add the likelihood of being homeless for a day in the middle.

 

[tidefan]

Thanks to everyone who gave me the dose of reality I needed. Based on your feedback, we should book a 2bd VGF Standard View from 12/21 - 12/27, equaling 428 points. This depletes 3 years worth of points, but I don't want to be the ire of 3 generations worth of angry family members.

Looking at the DVC Field Guide availability, it looks like the Resort Studio Lake View seems to be the most likely studio to have availability during my dates. My plan, if I still need to be flexible with a possible Studio, is to book the Studio at the 7 month mark with my non-VGF points right at 8am ET.

I'm hoping that locking in a 2bd at 11 months for 12/21 - 12/27 would be a smarter strategy than using my 11 month window to book a 2bd and studio for a shorter time (e.g. 12/21 - 12/24) and then booking another 2bd and studio when my 7 month window opens up for the remaining time period (e.g. 12.24 - 12/27). Any holes to this plan?

Just an FYI, with all the additional points they've added into the association with lumping BPK in with VGF1, I would think that you may need to walk a 2-Bdrm Standard View for Christmas. We were looking at DLX Studios in that timeframe this year and they were going right at the 11 month window.

There are only 30 Dedicated 2-Bedroom Villas in VGF1 and those tend to go first. I would also perhaps have a backup plan to book Lake View if necessary.

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

Piggybacking on this thread. I am also planning on using DVC points for a week from Christmas to New Years 2024. We own at SSR and Poly. What do you think my odds are of grabbing any of the following for a week at the 7 month mark?:

1. 1 Bedroom lakeview at Bay Lake Tower (standard view would be great but I assume that's going to be impossible);
2. 1 Bedroom Garden View at Boardwalk (Again, standard view would be great, but assume that is impossible);
3. 1 Bedroom at Beach Club;
4. 1 Bedroom Savannah view at AKL;
5. 1 Bedroom Standard view at AKL;
4. Standard Studio at Poly (my backup plan if i can't get any of the above, I would need to use my ssr points in addition to my poly points to have enough for this).

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I'll quickly note that a 2Br and a Resort Studio will be in separate buildings, in the event that is something that would be problematic. That said, they would still be closer together than you might end up at Kidani.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Piggybacking on this thread. I am also planning on using DVC points for a week from Christmas to New Years 2024. We own at SSR and Poly. What do you think my odds are of grabbing any of the following for a week at the 7 month mark?:

1. 1 Bedroom lakeview at Bay Lake Tower (standard view would be great but I assume that's going to be impossible);
2. 1 Bedroom Garden View at Boardwalk (Again, standard view would be great, but assume that is impossible);
3. 1 Bedroom at Beach Club;
4. 1 Bedroom Savannah view at AKL;
5. 1 Bedroom Standard view at AKL;
4. Standard Studio at Poly (my backup plan if i can't get any of the above, I would need to use my ssr points in addition to my poly points to have enough for this).

1. Good chance.
2. Ok chance for Garden, bad odds of Standard.
3. OK chance
4-5. Easiest chance of the lot, at Kidani.
6. Humorously, this would be the hardest to get, as studios dry up in seconds at 7 months. The other options you are helped by wanting 1BRs.

 

[tidefan]

Piggybacking on this thread. I am also planning on using DVC points for a week from Christmas to New Years 2024. We own at SSR and Poly. What do you think my odds are of grabbing any of the following for a week at the 7 month mark?:

1. 1 Bedroom lakeview at Bay Lake Tower (standard view would be great but I assume that's going to be impossible);
2. 1 Bedroom Garden View at Boardwalk (Again, standard view would be great, but assume that is impossible);
3. 1 Bedroom at Beach Club;
4. 1 Bedroom Savannah view at AKL;
5. 1 Bedroom Standard view at AKL;
4. Standard Studio at Poly (my backup plan if i can't get any of the above, I would need to use my ssr points in addition to my poly points to have enough for this).

1 - Maybe, but it very well may be gone at 7 months
2 - This most likely will not be available at 7 months
3 - This will not be available at 7 months
4 - May be available at 7 months
5 - Out of what you have listed, this is the highest probability of being available at 7 months
6 - I think that even with all of the studios, you'll need to book Poly with your 11 month priority, so you may have to borrow.

 

[LifeDeathAnnualDues]

I don't know about the plan specifically as to what is best, but I will say the danger of using up 3 years worth of points is the whole issue with banking deadlines and the fact that borrowing and banking are both final transactions, so if anything goes sideways with this trip, you could have a potential issue. I mention this since you said one set of grandparents can be flaky, I don't know if non-disney people know what it really means to use DVC points.

@lilsonicfan Totally agree that its risky and would not prefer to do it. However, is there any other way to do it when you only have one home resort in WDW and I have to book during a peak season? Genuinely asking because I still consider myself a DVC newbie and would like to learn the ways of the masters.

Just an FYI, with all the additional points they've added into the association with lumping BPK in with VGF1, I would think that you may need to walk a 2-Bdrm Standard View for Christmas. We were looking at DLX Studios in that timeframe this year and they were going right at the 11 month window.

There are only 30 Dedicated 2-Bedroom Villas in VGF1 and those tend to go first. I would also perhaps have a backup plan to book Lake View if necessary.

@tidefan this is useful information. When walking a reservation, how far in advance do you do it?

I'll quickly note that a 2Br and a Resort Studio will be in separate buildings, in the event that is something that would be problematic. That said, they would still be closer together than you might end up at Kidani.

@_auroraborealis_ some space from the inlaws? don't try to sell me more on this idea

6. Humorously, this would be the hardest to get, as studios dry up in seconds at 7 months. The other options you are helped by wanting 1BRs.

@_auroraborealis_ I'm not sure if you were being literal here, but are we really talking actual seconds from 8am ET? I'm in the West Coast so I can be ready by 5am, but this makes me want to get more prepared. Any tips or guides you can share that makes me ready to get it right at 8am? I feel like I'm still fumbling with the dvc portal on getting to a page where I make a reservation.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I'm not sure if you were being literal here, but are we really talking actual seconds from 8am ET? I'm in the West Coast so I can be ready by 5am, but this makes me want to get more prepared. Any tips or guides you can share that makes me ready to get it right at 8am? I feel like I'm still fumbling with the dvc portal on getting to a page where I make a reservation.

I was being literal about Poly studios. I think anh 1BR will be easier. When you are talking that week after Christmas, studios go quicker than 1BRs at 7 months year round, and dates that overlap December 31 at Poly ho extremely fast because of beach access for the fireworks.

 

[AwfulWaffle]

If you are an early riser like I am then guest services really isn’t too big of an issue. They usually open by 5 so just drop everything off right when they open with tags already on all pieces while the rest of the world is sleeping then hit up the parks until they notify you that your room is ready. Then and only then do you need to deal with guest services but you can be very persistent about taking your own luggage and they will eventually allow it.
With that being said, I agree with others. If you have the points to book the entire stay at your home resort then book it as a split stay just in case you can’t get a resort you want at the 7 month mark. The real downside to split stays beyond the slight inconvenience is booking your dining plan. Unfortunately these are two separate reservations so your early booking day window gets broken up. That stings a little bit during the holidays but just save Epcot for the second half of your stay so you can still get that impossible to get Space 220 reservation .
Luckily we already knew going into DVC that we will continue the split stay with AKV every year so we bought a small contract to cover those 3 Savanna nights a year and another contract for our “main” home resort to give us home resort booking at both .
Either way good luck and welcome home!

 

[CarolynFH]

If you are an early riser like I am then guest services really isn’t too big of an issue. They usually open by 5 so just drop everything off right when they open

Bell Services at the deluxe resorts (including DVC) is open 24/7/365. Luggage Assistance at the values and moderates might not be - I’m not sure. But since guests arrive and depart at all hours, Bell Services is available for them.

 

[AwfulWaffle]

Bell Services at the deluxe resorts (including DVC) is open 24/7/365. Luggage Assistance at the values and moderates might not be - I’m not sure. But since guests arrive and depart at all hours, Bell Services is available for them.

Well someone needs to inform AKV that because they posted a sign last time we were there that they don’t open until 6. Maybe 5 I can’t recall off the top of my head.