If there is a decent chance that I would be able to get a studio at AKL in early December at 7 months, it would ease my mind about CCV. I love AKL at Christmastime almost as much as WL. AKL is probably where we will buy if not at CCV. That being said, I do look forward to trying out OKW and SSR on our spring trips.
To give an example, here is what you would have found at 8 a.m. eastern, on May 5, 2021, if you you were looking for a studio at 7-months out for Sunday, Dec 5, to Sunday, Dec 12, 2021, at a WDW DVC resort:
-- VGF, Poly, BLT, BWV, BCV, CCV: all studios already filled for all seven nights.
-- BRV: studios filled for six of the seven nights
-- AKV Jambo: value, club level and standard view studios filled for all seven nights, savanna view six nights gone.
-- AKV Kidani: standard view studios gone seven nights, savanna view five nights.
-- Riviera (which you could not reserve with resale points purchased now for any resort other than Riviera): standard view and Tower studios gone all 7 nights, preferred view 5 nights.
-- SSR: standard area studios 5 nights gone, preferred area four nights gone.
-- OKW: near Hospitality House studios gone for 7 nights, all other studios gone for 5 nights.
Since you are considering CCV, you should also be aware that studios at CCV have an 11-month issue some times of the year, early December being one of them. At the resort a member owns, the member can reserve a room for up to 7-nights beginning online at 8 a.m. eastern, 11-months out from date of arrival. For time during first two weeks of December, the CCV studios can fill within moments after 8 a.m. eastern at 11-months out. The winners are simply those CCV owners whose computers communicate with Disney's faster than others at 8 a.m.
First two weeks of May used to have more moderate demand and thus a number of studios at various DVC resorts could be found at 7-months out, and one could usually get a studio right at 11-months at CCV. I say "used to" because in the last few years, due to annual changes made in points per night needed at the resorts for different times of year, the first two weeks of May has moved from a high point season to the second lowest point season. A change in demand is starting to be reflected for that fist part of May as a result, in that more is becoming difficult to get at 7-months out. The full impact of such point changes will likely take a few more years to become settled, and there is some likelihood early May will become more difficult to get than it is now for studios at 7-months out, and there is some risk that even an 11-month issue for CCV studios could develop for that time.
