Safer Bet in September or Risk December?

[scrabblegirl]

We're waiting to close on a BWV contract any day now. Here is an example plan of something I would like to book:

At 11 months, book 2 studios at BWV for Tue-Sat in early December 2024.
At 7 months, book or waitlist the Sat-Tue before at Poly for couple #1
and book or waitlist a savanna studio at Jambo or Kidani for couple #2

1. I realize none of these rooms are guaranteed. My problem is, if this is completely unrealistic, I would rather book September or October and get the rooms we really want more easily. BUT if it is realistic, I want to go for the dream vacation. What would you do?

2. Is it possible for my husband and I to be logged into our own accounts and book one room each at the same time? (We're on the same contract)

3. Is there going to be a problem waitlisting 2 rooms at once? If we got the Poly room via a waitlist, will it cancel the AK waitlist?

 

[CarolMN]

Unless you want Boardwalk View or Standard View at BWV, you shouldn't have a problem booking 2 studios for early December. Chances of getting 2 SV or BV studios in early December are virtually zero. (You might be successful if you walk the reservations). I'll let the others address your other questions.

 

[sndral]

We're waiting to close on a BWV contract any day now. Here is an example plan of something I would like to book:

At 11 months, book 2 studios at BWV for Tue-Sat in early December 2024.
At 7 months, book or waitlist the Sat-Tue before at Poly for couple #1
and book or waitlist a savanna studio at Jambo or Kidani for couple #2

1. I realize none of these rooms are guaranteed. My problem is, if this is completely unrealistic, I would rather book September or October and get the rooms we really want more easily. BUT if it is realistic, I want to go for the dream vacation. What would you do?

2. Is it possible for my husband and I to be logged into our own accounts and book one room each at the same time? (We're on the same contract)

3. Is there going to be a problem waitlisting 2 rooms at once? If we got the Poly room via a waitlist, will it cancel the AK waitlist?

If I understand your scenario correctly - you want to end up w/ a split stay w/ 4 nights at your soon to be home resort BWVs followed by 3 nights at another non home resort. For your early Dec. trip in Jan. at 11 months you book your reservations separately, book studio A as a 4 night stay at BWV & studio B as a 4 night stay. 4 days later, when the 11 month window opens for the last 3 days you book 3 nights at BWV for studios A&B. At 7 months you switch your studio A BWV 3 night stay to Poly (if there’s availability) & your studio B 3 night stay to AKV.
The issues w/ this approach are that early Dec. is popular, so there may be limited availability at 7 months at the Poly/AKV - although both have a lot of studios, & you don‘t want MS to merge your reservations - so you alter one of the guest names slightly on the 3 night stay (maybe add a middle name to a guest.)
The advantage is if you run into availability problems you can waitlist those last 3 nights & if you don’t get the Poly/AKV you’ve still got BWV & you call & ask MS to merge your reservations.

 

[drusba]

Here are possible issues for time during late Nov and first two weeks of Dec:

(a) BWV standard and boardwalk view studios can disappear right at 8 a.m. at 11-months out. Winners are simply those whose computers communicate fastest with Disney's when trying right at 8 a.m. Pool/Garden view studios usually remain open for some time after 8 a.m. and you are likely to be able to get two at 11-months out, although there have been times, not often, in the past when even those have lost a few days right at 8 arm, at 11-months out during the first two weeks of Dec.

(b) Poly studios and AKV studios (both buildings) are likely to be filled for time in late Nov and early Dec before 7-months out.

You can waitlist for any of the above, but you could be betting on more than one waitlist coming through, making chances significantly lower than getting one waitlist. You can do up to two waitlists at a time and one will not cancel out the other as long as the lead name of the second reservation is someone other than the lead name on the first reservation. You and your spouse cannot do two reservations at the same time using two computers.

You mention going Sep or Oct. You could have some problems for even those times. The high DVC demand season at WDW runs from last week of Sep through marathon weekend in Jan. For last week of Sep and any time in Oct, the BWV standard and boardwalk view studios usually fill right at 8 a.m. at 11-months out, although pool/garden view are usually open for enough time to reserve them, (Be aware that for anytime of the year, BWV standard view studios can disappear right at 8 a.m. at 11-months out.) Before 7-months out, (a) Poly studios could disappear for last week of Sep and Oct; (b) Jambo standard and savanna view studios, and Kidani standard view studios have some risk of disappearing for anytime in Sep, and significantly higher risk last week in Sep and Oct. Kidani savanna view are usually open in Sep except some risk otherwise in last week of Sep., and are hit-or-miss in Oct. (If you are thinking of reserving Jambo value or club level studios be aware that those usually fill within nanoseconds after 8 a.m. at 11-months out year round.)

You should note that, for whatever you decide to try for in relation to a split stay, you should make four reservations at 11-months out at BWV for the two couples -- one for each couple for the time you actually want to keep at BWV, and one for each couple for the time that you want to try to switch to another resort at 7-months out. That way you have the time reserved if you cannot do a switch at 7-months out and you only need to modify the reservations for the time you want to switch at 7-months out. (If you make one reservation at 11-months out for the entire time at WDW and then try to switch part of it to another resort at 7-months out. you would have to first modify the existing reservation to drop days, and thereafter try to reserve the new other-resort reservation, and result could be that between the time of dropping part of your reservation and going into to make a new reservation, the room you wanted to switch to could fill, and the time you dropped from your original reservation could fill, leaving you with only half your original reservation left.)

 

[scrabblegirl]

Thanks so much to everyone for taking the time with such great responses!