Seven Month Availability Expirience

[shellybaxter]

Hi,

Dh and I are newbie DVCers. Our first trip home will be Jan 2 - 14, not a terribly busy time. We bought at SSR like most people who are buying now. We weren't aware of the "buy where you want to stay" philosophy when we purchased but it probably wouldn't have changed our minds about SSR. We like SSR a lot, but we like to try different resorts. We've stayed at ten different resorts in just five trips.

Anyway, I have been reading these board since we bought and began to realize that switching at the seven month mark isn't always easy or even possible.

We knew our first trip "home" would be in January. I reserved day by day at SSR for the entire time at the 11 month window. Then our seven month window came around. After reading here I was afraid that nothing would be available and that the waitlist would be our best bet.

I called on the seven month date with a list of resorts in order that we wanted to try. There was no need for all my worrying. Since we'd not ever stayed at the Beach or Yacht club the Beach Club Villas were our first choice. Not only were they available for the last of our week of our two week trip, they were available for our whole trip.

I kept our first week at SSR and then we will transfer to BCV for the second week. I am very excited!! The Beach Club is a resort my husband always wanted to try so I am stoked for him. My niece is excited about the sand pool so everybody cross your fingers it will be warm enough for swimming at least one of our days.

Anyway, I just wanted to share so others can hear a positive expirience about the seven month mark and know that sometimes it is possible to move.

 

[CarolMN]

Glad you got your first choice at 7 months.

FWIW, January is one of the easier months to book at the 7 month window. You shouldn't ever have to reserve day by day at the 11 month mark for SSR . Since it is so large, SSR is usually available - even at short notice. I would be totally shocked if you couldn't reserve your whole January SSR vacation with one call.

Have a wonderful time!

 

[Dean]

I know that some see this as doom and gloom and I suppose one could get that feeling from my posts as well. The reality is that some unit types and times that were easy no longer are and some that are easy now will not be in the future. But there will still be a significant amount of the year that will never be difficult. And those of us willing to play the game by calling day by day, wait listing day by day while holding our home resort reservation will be successful a large part of the time.

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

Dean mentions day by day calling and this is going to be the key IMHO in the future to making reservations at the 7 month window.

With so many new members planning trips at resorts other than their home resort, booking (and therefore planning) before the 7 month window opens is going to be very important. There will never be more points at the BCV competing for the 11 through 8 month home resort reservation window but there will be a lot more once it hits 7 months. Those who are prepared will usually do well.

HBC

 

[disneykid4ever]

Shelly,

My husband and I have a very similar situation to yours! We are new owners at SSR also and January will be our first trip "home" as well. We will be there from the 1st-13th but are starting out at VWL with our last week at SSR. We will just be missing eachother! I had the same worries you did and was pleasantly surprised when I called at the 7 month mark. Are you guys doing the marathon too?

 

[DisneyKidds]

I know that some see this as doom and gloom and I suppose one could get that feeling from my posts as well. The reality is that some unit types and times that were easy no longer are and some that are easy now will not be in the future. But there will still be a significant amount of the year that will never be difficult. And those of us willing to play the game by calling day by day, wait listing day by day while holding our home resort reservation will be successful a large part of the time.

Agreed. In general, the more memberships that DVC sells, the harder it will be to get reservations outside your home resort at the 7 month window. It will be much more of a problem at BCV, BWV, and VWL than elsewhere. Not that OKW and SSR aren't beautiful resorts with a lot to offer.......boy, am I about to get myself in trouble.......but I'd put them in the second tier of DVC resorts. Now, before all you OKW and SSR owners flame me, DVC seems to agree, given that the point requirement per night is lower. In all honesty, more OKW and SSR owners are likely to be looking for BCV, BWV and VWL ressies at the 7 month mark than the other way around. So, as DVC builds more of these "second tier" DVC resorts, if will become more and more difficult to get a 7 month ressie at the "first tier" locations. Just an increasing number of people vying for a fixed number of units.

We have seen that it is getting more difficult to get 7 month ressies at BCV, BWV, and VWL, at least during the more popular times of the year. Last year for our Post Turkey Day vacation we had no problem making 7 month ressies at BCV for a portion of our trip. This year we had to waitlist........and it just came thru, woohoo!!!!

That said, those flexible on dates or well prepared to call ASAP and waitlist as needed shouldn't have a huge problem, for a while at least, booking at other resorts once the 7 month window opens. Will that change in the future, once SSR is sold out............? Hope not, but we all have the same shot once 7 months arrives.

I, for one, would be happier to see DVC set their sights on a couple of smaller "first tier" DVC resorts after SSR. DVC at the Contemporary would be a good start. Give all those people trying to book BCV, BWV, and VWL at the 7 month mark someplace else to target.

 

[mackeyapp]

Hi Disneykidforever

We will also be there for our first trip home from Dec. 31-Jan 11. We are spending our first week at SSR and then moving to BCV from 6th-11th. DH is running the marathon on Sunday so I thought it would be more convenient to be staying at BCV. Last year we were staying at WL and it was tricky getting from there to Epcot with two DS. Will this be your first Disney Marathon? DH ran the half last year and throughly enjoyed it. Maybe we will see you at Home.

 

[disgirl]

We have booked the BCV both last year (end of Aug.) and this year (4th of July) week at exactly the 7th month window without any trouble. Oh, we did not do day by day either. I am glad you got your first choice for your trip at 7 months. Will it get more difficult for all of us to book at the 7 month mark, perhaps. I guess we will just have to wait and see.

Have a GREAT trip!!

 

[byoung]

Glad you got it.

 

[disneykid4ever]

Hi Disneykidforever

We will also be there for our first trip home from Dec. 31-Jan 11. We are spending our first week at SSR and then moving to BCV from 6th-11th. DH is running the marathon on Sunday so I thought it would be more convenient to be staying at BCV. Last year we were staying at WL and it was tricky getting from there to Epcot with two DS. Will this be your first Disney Marathon? DH ran the half last year and throughly enjoyed it. Maybe we will see you at Home.

Mackeyapp,

My husband is so excited to run his 1st Disney Marathon! I haven't the courage to do it myself, but I will be cheering him on. It is so exciting to know we'll all be going "home" for the first time, at the same time . . . see you there!

 

[shellybaxter]

Shelly,

My husband and I have a very similar situation to yours! We are new owners at SSR also and January will be our first trip "home" as well. We will be there from the 1st-13th but are starting out at VWL with our last week at SSR. We will just be missing eachother! I had the same worries you did and was pleasantly surprised when I called at the 7 month mark. Are you guys doing the marathon too?

Maybe you'll get our room as we vacate it - LOL

Nope we are not marathon people. We just like visiting in January. Its not too warm and there seem to be less people. It is also a great time for me to be gone from my job as the Director of a child care center at a college because we are in between semesters.

I thought about WL because it is so pretty with the Christmas decorations but we've already stayed in the regular lodge rooms and my DH wanted to try something completly new. Have a great trip!!!

Shelly

 

[jmatias]

Have a great trip! Nothing like the first trip home as DVC members

 

[rigsby25]

FWIW, January is one of the easier months to book at the 7 month window.

I hope you're right. We have our air fare for January 20 - 26. We are taking one last trip before our AP's expire on 1/26. We are waiting for the 26th so we can try booking BWV or BCV just because we've never been at either one yet. BTW, when is MLK day?

 

[CarolMN]

I hope you're right. We have our air fare for January 20 - 26. We are taking one last trip before our AP's expire on 1/26. We are waiting for the 26th so we can try booking BWV or BCV just because we've never been at either one yet. BTW, when is MLK day?

In 2007, MLK Day will be January 15. It's always the third Monday in January.

Unless you have your heart set on a standard view or a guaranteed Boardwalk view (or a Grand Villa) at the BWV, I predict that you will not have a problem getting into either BCV or the BWV when you call on the 26th. In fact, your dates even give you a pretty good shot at the standard view and Boardwalk view rooms.

Best wishes -

P.S. If I turn out to be wrong, be sure and post! (And don't worry, it won't be the first time my prognostication skills were less than perfect. I can take the feedback, LOL).

 

[disneybride96]

I hope you're right. We have our air fare for January 20 - 26. We are taking one last trip before our AP's expire on 1/26. We are waiting for the 26th so we can try booking BWV or BCV just because we've never been at either one yet. BTW, when is MLK day?

We are going the 21st-26th for my birthday! We are going to try OKW to save on points as we are planning a big trip in the fall. I'm dying for Monday to make my ressies. I can't believe you already have airfare for then. I still haven't done that for my September trip.

 

[Sammie]

The way I look at booking at 7 months is sometimes it will be easy and some times it won't. Right now we have gotten everything we wanted at 7 months and never booked day by day or waitlisted.

I know that can change, but I figure any time you book any type of reservation be it DVC, or Disney resorts or any hotel; there will be times you might not get what you want even at 11 months.

And some people, us included simply can not book reservations any earlier than 7 months due to work.

 

[dgaston]

I had no trouble booking a 1 bedroom at OKW for January (7 thru 12) to celebrate DD's College Graduation. I was on a waitlist for 3 months, but also was granted a studio at BCV during F&W. At seven months I was able to book a preferred studio (not Boardwalk view, which I probably would have kept) at BWV, which we cancelled when the BCV came through.