Split stay availability for potential new buyer :)

[michael730]

Hey all!! Just was wondering what people’s experience is/was in regards to booking split stays for dvc? The big turn off for dvc for me is booking so so far out, but whenever we go to Disney I tend to like to do split stays (3 nights or so at two resorts). Are you able to book split stays at say 5/6/7 months out? If not, how is luck with the wait list ordeal? I have a friend who owns who swears by the waitlist! I would not have a specific time during the year I need to travel so that helps I’m sure. But alas I would love to split stay say at Boardwalk, boardwalk view and like Poly or bay lake or AKL for example. Thanks in advance for everyone’s time!!!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Are you able to book split stays at say 5/6/7 months out?

Depends on season and if you have thee points for 1BR units or Cabins/Bungalows. I would not count on being able to do it with studios most of the year. The resorts you list (BWV, Poly, BLT) you are especially unlikely to get much in the way of studios after 7 months year-round.

You can only have 2 waitlists at a time, as well.

 

[ocdb8r1]

....not to hijack, but since we're talking about split stays. I know they'll move all your luggage and dry goods. Will they also move the contents of your refrigerator as well?

 

[Isabelle12345]

Following (Also I hope I am not highjacking your thread!)
I am also wondering about the 5-6-7 month mark...

We should get our points for our first DVC contract (if everything goes well ) past the 7 month booking window (around 6 months); it has 68 points that will expire in June. Since we had already planned an off site trip in the first week of March, we are hoping to get one (maybe two) nights in a studio at the Poly or Bay Lake (or maybe both, doing a split stay 1-1!)
We will have extra points so we might be able to do a 1BR too... (or even a 2BR for one night)
How likely is it that it would work?

 

[ocdb8r1]

I think this is the best intelligence (very comprehensive, but a bit stale, especially since COVID)

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

 

[crisi]

You might get a night or two sometimes for BWV Boardwalk View in a studio at seven months or using the waitlist at seven months - but it won't happen often. BWView and Standard View are about 20% EACH of Boardwalk Villas - with Preferred View being the remaining 60%. Since owners will usually book standard first, than Boardwalk (with some owners booking Boardwalk first, then standard), those rooms tend to book early - often well before the seven month window, and your chance of getting one at seven months is almost completely dependent on cancellations. With waitlisting, keep in mind that the Boardwalk owners who missed out when they booked at eight months and booked a preferred view are likely in line ahead of you on the waitlist queue. (Preferred View if you are flexible and don't have your heart set on it will work out sometimes - shorter stays are easier to get than longer ones).

 

[Deano45m]

Hey all!! Just was wondering what people’s experience is/was in regards to booking split stays for dvc? The big turn off for dvc for me is booking so so far out, but whenever we go to Disney I tend to like to do split stays (3 nights or so at two resorts). Are you able to book split stays at say 5/6/7 months out? If not, how is luck with the wait list ordeal? I have a friend who owns who swears by the waitlist! I would not have a specific time during the year I need to travel so that helps I’m sure. But alas I would love to split stay say at Boardwalk, boardwalk view and like Poly or bay lake or AKL for example. Thanks in advance for everyone’s time!!!

So we are first year owners and besides this craziness of the Coronavirus these are the things I have learned. It is totally different than just booking through Disney directly. I am glad we bought more points than what we needed so when a room appears that we want we can book it then adjust our existing reservation which greatly helps to get that split stay. You will have a decent shot at 7 months to grab Poly, SSR and AK. If you want Boardwalk View or stay at Copper Creek in a studio better by points there. If you have an idea on when you are wanting to travel book a room at your home resort and keep an eye on where you might want to switch to as the 7 month window approaches. Also need to be flexible and I love the idea of being able to try out different resorts without breaking the bank. SSR is my home resort and only cost me 3 extra points a night to bounce over to Poly for our next trip. If we were paying that would be quite a bit more. We always do 10 or more days with a split stay even before we became DVC Members.

 

[michael730]

Thank you ALL so much for your feedback! We would be staying in a studio only for sure.. so is it a lost cause even at AKL and Copper Creek and Boulder Ridge as well to get a studio for 2 or 3 nights after 7 months? I don’t necessary care if I can only get like say Saratoga for half of the trip.. as long as I could get into another for the other half.. i was thinking of buying 150 points perhaps to start. Can someone explain to me how the cancellation policy works in terms of getting your points back if you need to switch stuff around? Thanks again everyone for your insight!!

 

[eMoneyBug]

I believe in your split stay strategy will work for studios because you sound flexible. In terms of making changes/date/resort modifications vs outright cancellation, this is where Use Year/month becomes key. Example: AUG use year means that we can bank before 3/31, if we don't bank our risk period is 4/1-7/31. Our free flowing non risk is 8/1-3/31. Btw, since you are flexible, I would recommend buying at SSR, OKW 2057 or AKL to get the lower costs points! Back to example: You own at AKL, It's Jan, you decide I might goto WDW for Labor Day weekend, you book 6 nights in an AKL Studio as 2 separate reservations 1st 3 nights and back end 3 nights, when Feb rolls around the 7month mark. You would try to modify your dates to Resort #1 and Resort #2. Even if you don't get it, you can waitlist. If you have enough points and only 2 of the 3 nights available, you can book both resort same dates and figure it out later so to speak. Now say we are all the way into end of July now, still 30+ days out and you are like no way we can go Labor Day weekend, you cancel it all...no issue/no fee/no penalty/nothing as you are 30+ days out. If within 30days, "Holding penalty", makes the points unbankable and can only look for resys within 60days, you don't want to be in holding unless if you're already in your risk period of 4/1-7/31 than it doesn't matter too much. Hopefully this gave you a glimpse of how it works!

 

[Rob Huff]

It's anecdotal and only one year of evidence, but this January, we were able to do a split stay with four nights at AKV-JH (standard) and two nights at BLT (standard), both in studios. I didn't check regularly for open dates. My wife and I discussed what we'd like to do about the eight-month mark, then I checked the options seven months out and we scored those two spots. We own at PVB, so neither of those spots utilized a home resort window.

That trip was insanely cheap (76 points total for six nights!), but for a more desirable time of year, I'd probably follow eMoneyBug by booking the stay at my home resort with a couple of different reservations, then try to change one (or both) of them at the seven-month mark.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Also, keep in mind October through the Marathon is called Fall Frenzy for a reason. 7-month availability those months in a normal year is stank.

 

[crisi]

Thank you ALL so much for your feedback! We would be staying in a studio only for sure.. so is it a lost cause even at AKL and Copper Creek and Boulder Ridge as well to get a studio for 2 or 3 nights after 7 months? I don’t necessary care if I can only get like say Saratoga for half of the trip.. as long as I could get into another for the other half.. i was thinking of buying 150 points perhaps to start. Can someone explain to me how the cancellation policy works in terms of getting your points back if you need to switch stuff around? Thanks again everyone for your insight!!

If you are flexible and don't have your heart set on something specific, and aren't traveling - as Aurora said - during Fall Frenzy, and you are willing to waitlist and stalk the RAT (i.e. look for availability on the web site yourself regularly) - AND presuming booking patterns don't change significantly, over your years of ownership you should be able to book pretty much everything - just not anything specific in any given year. The problem comes when you decide that you NEED two nights at BCV in a Studio THIS July because you've promised your kids/nephews/grandchildren SAB.......So keep any promises on hold, and see what you get, and be willing to take a second, third or fourth choice and over time, you'll stay at pretty much all the resorts - just possibly never VAKL Value/concierge, BLT Value, BWV standard/Boardwalk or other small supply/high demand categories at those resorts.

 

[karen4546]

....not to hijack, but since we're talking about split stays. I know they'll move all your luggage and dry goods. Will they also move the contents of your refrigerator as well?

If you put it together and bring to bell services and specify there are refrigerated items-maybe.
Maybe you could throw out the old and buy new for your next resort. Buy only enough food for each stay.

 

[michael730]

I believe in your split stay strategy will work for studios because you sound flexible. In terms of making changes/date/resort modifications vs outright cancellation, this is where Use Year/month becomes key. Example: AUG use year means that we can bank before 3/31, if we don't bank our risk period is 4/1-7/31. Our free flowing non risk is 8/1-3/31. Btw, since you are flexible, I would recommend buying at SSR, OKW 2057 or AKL to get the lower costs points! Back to example: You own at AKL, It's Jan, you decide I might goto WDW for Labor Day weekend, you book 6 nights in an AKL Studio as 2 separate reservations 1st 3 nights and back end 3 nights, when Feb rolls around the 7month mark. You would try to modify your dates to Resort #1 and Resort #2. Even if you don't get it, you can waitlist. If you have enough points and only 2 of the 3 nights available, you can book both resort same dates and figure it out later so to speak. Now say we are all the way into end of July now, still 30+ days out and you are like no way we can go Labor Day weekend, you cancel it all...no issue/no fee/no penalty/nothing as you are 30+ days out. If within 30days, "Holding penalty", makes the points unbankable and can only look for resys within 60days, you don't want to be in holding unless if you're already in your risk period of 4/1-7/31 than it doesn't matter too much. Hopefully this gave you a glimpse of how it works!

Thank you SO much for this! So if I’m understanding correctly as long as you cancel 30 days out you can get your points back and bank them for the next year if need be?! Or you can’t be in the “risk period” and bank the points? Sorry it’s so confusing! Just trying to understand the “risk period” thing you spoke of haha Thanks again! I really am tempted to buy at boardwalk since it’s my favorite resort and I love the boardwalk view rooms but seems so silly w the much shorter contract compared to the ones ending in 2057 or later !

 

[michael730]

If you are flexible and don't have your heart set on something specific, and aren't traveling - as Aurora said - during Fall Frenzy, and you are willing to waitlist and stalk the RAT (i.e. look for availability on the web site yourself regularly) - AND presuming booking patterns don't change significantly, over your years of ownership you should be able to book pretty much everything - just not anything specific in any given year. The problem comes when you decide that you NEED two nights at BCV in a Studio THIS July because you've promised your kids/nephews/grandchildren SAB.......So keep any promises on hold, and see what you get, and be willing to take a second, third or fourth choice and over time, you'll stay at pretty much all the resorts - just possibly never VAKL Value/concierge, BLT Value, BWV standard/Boardwalk or other small supply/high demand categories at those resorts.

Thank you so much!! Your SAB point definitely made me laugh out loud! It’s so true!

 

[Deano45m]

Thank you SO much for this! So if I’m understanding correctly as long as you cancel 30 days out you can get your points back and bank them for the next year if need be?! Or you can’t be in the “risk period” and bank the points? Sorry it’s so confusing! Just trying to understand the “risk period” thing you spoke of haha Thanks again! I really am tempted to buy at boardwalk since it’s my favorite resort and I love the boardwalk view rooms but seems so silly w the much shorter contract compared to the ones ending in 2057 or later !

If you like Boardwalk and truly want to Sam stay there buy there. I know it is a shorter contract but it is hard to impossible to get boardwalk View at 7 months

 

[Rob Huff]

If you put it together and bring to bell services and specify there are refrigerated items-maybe.
Maybe you could throw out the old and buy new for your next resort. Buy only enough food for each stay.

We've done a couple of moves and given bell services a bag of cold food each time. They're great about it and keep it refrigerated all day.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I believe in your split stay strategy will work for studios because you sound flexible. In terms of making changes/date/resort modifications vs outright cancellation, this is where Use Year/month becomes key. Example: AUG use year means that we can bank before 3/31, if we don't bank our risk period is 4/1-7/31. Our free flowing non risk is 8/1-3/31. Btw, since you are flexible, I would recommend buying at SSR, OKW 2057 or AKL to get the lower costs points! Back to example: You own at AKL, It's Jan, you decide I might goto WDW for Labor Day weekend, you book 6 nights in an AKL Studio as 2 separate reservations 1st 3 nights and back end 3 nights, when Feb rolls around the 7month mark. You would try to modify your dates to Resort #1 and Resort #2. Even if you don't get it, you can waitlist. If you have enough points and only 2 of the 3 nights available, you can book both resort same dates and figure it out later so to speak. Now say we are all the way into end of July now, still 30+ days out and you are like no way we can go Labor Day weekend, you cancel it all...no issue/no fee/no penalty/nothing as you are 30+ days out. If within 30days, "Holding penalty", makes the points unbankable and can only look for resys within 60days, you don't want to be in holding unless if you're already in your risk period of 4/1-7/31 than it doesn't matter too much. Hopefully this gave you a glimpse of how it works!

If you never plan on staying at SSR, OKW or AKV, don't buy there. Buy the resort that you won't mind staying if you can't change your reservation at seven months out. Booking at less than seven months out will be difficult at all the smaller resorts like BCV, CCV, GFV, You really need to book your home resort at 11 months out if at all possible. This year is a real quirky year with the virus, cancellations, people afraid to go. Finding a place to stay for Fall Frenzy five months out only happens when someone else cancels the trip they booked at 11 months out and you stalking the website found it before the wait list got it. Run Disney events are also hard to find at seven months out.

 

[karen4546]

We've done a couple of moves and given bell services a bag of cold food each time. They're great about it and keep it refrigerated all day.

Great! That is what’s I posted.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

So if I’m understanding correctly as long as you cancel 30 days out you can get your points back and bank them for the next year if need be?! Or you can’t be in the “risk period” and bank the points?

The points have to be within their banking window. So, if you have an August Use Year, have a trip scheduled for July, and cancel the trip in May, you cannot bank the points and they still expire July 31.