Surprised with trouble booking at 7 month window...

[kamik86]

My DH are planning a second trip in January and today was our 7 month window. We had already booked a studio at AKV for the trip but wanted to try getting into BWV or OKW since we eventually want to try all the DVCs on property. Unfortunately neither had any studios when we called at 9:00.

Are studios really hard to get at 7 months? it just seems that if nothing is available right at the 7 month window in mid January that we will never be able to stay at all the resorts!!

 

[dianeschlicht]

You are talking about Martin Luther King weekend....That's a difficult time to book. Most of that area has school holiday for that, so it is a busy time for the more locals, and that would probably mean the studios would go quickly. We are coming in on the 21st and were able to book a GV at OKW just before the 7 month window opened.

 

[rlovew]

You may want to try calling even later in the day on the seventh month if the 9am call doesn't work- if people are able to move then their rooms may open up.

 

[robert@dvcstore]

I agree with the previous post, don't give up. Members are always calling and canceling or moving reservations around. You may get that studio yet.

Robert

 

[disneynutz]

My DH are planning a second trip in January and today was our 7 month window. We had already booked a studio at AKV for the trip but wanted to try getting into BWV or OKW since we eventually want to try all the DVCs on property. Unfortunately neither had any studios when we called at 9:00.

Are studios really hard to get at 7 months? it just seems that if nothing is available right at the 7 month window in mid January that we will never be able to stay at all the resorts!!

There are a lot of factors that can affect availability. Adding more and more members having the most impact IMHO.

Buy where you love to stay continues to be my best advice.

Keep trying or put in a wait list request. Good luck.

Bill

 

[Starr W.]

You are talking about Martin Luther King weekend....That's a difficult time to book. Most of that area has school holiday for that, so it is a busy time for the more locals, and that would probably mean the studios would go quickly. We are coming in on the 21st and were able to book a GV at OKW just before the 7 month window opened.

I book 2brs and have had great luck for MLK weekend, but we usually come in the Thursday before since the kids also have Friday off and we take a late afternoon flight. I've booked BCV/BWV Boardwalk view and for this January MK view at BLT.

 

[LouisianaDisneyFan]

We also had no problem booking a 2br at Bay Lake Tower over MLK. Though it's one of our home resorts, we didn't make the booking until our daughter and her hubby asked about going on those dates over this past weekend. It seems like lots of folks are buying cheap SSR and OKW points these days with the intention of always staying somewhere else, so that 11-month window is becoming more and more important. Smaller SSR contracts loaded with points at $52 and $55 are even passing ROFR now, so that doesn't bode well for any BWV and BCV owners who had hoped to book their home resort for last minute travel.

 

[Starr W.]

We also had no problem booking a 2br at Bay Lake Tower over MLK. Though it's one of our home resorts, we didn't make the booking until our daughter and her hubby asked about going on those dates over this past weekend. It seems like lots of folks are buying cheap SSR and OKW points these days with the intention of always staying somewhere else, so that 11-month window is becoming more and more important. Smaller SSR contracts loaded with points at $52 and $55 are even passing ROFR now, so that doesn't bode well for any BWV and BCV owners who had hoped to book their home resort for last minute travel.

Our MLK weekend trip is when we usually play the 7 month window, we stay at "home" for Thanksgiving at SSR because we book Grand Villas there, and spring break is Vero Beach!

Once you get inside 7 months all bets are off on home resort priority, if you absolutely have to stay at your home resort call sooner. When we bought 5 yrs ago, our guide told us DVC isn't a good fit if you can't plan at least 7 months out.

Was totally shocked, last July when I called looking for a studio for a Food & Wine trip for October. Had my pick of every resort including BCV and BWV, the holy of holies for October travel, only thing that I couldn't get for my timeframe was AKV.

 

[n2mm]

My DH are planning a second trip in January and today was our 7 month window. We had already booked a studio at AKV for the trip but wanted to try getting into BWV or OKW since we eventually want to try all the DVCs on property. Unfortunately neither had any studios when we called at 9:00.

Are studios really hard to get at 7 months? it just seems that if nothing is available right at the 7 month window in mid January that we will never be able to stay at all the resorts!!

that's amazing that OKW didn't have a studio available mid-Jan. Most likely due to the refurb. We are going mid-January and I have to call this week. I stayed away from the MLK weekend and have opted to come in on Tuesday Jan. 17th, so will be calling this week. I'm pretty flexible. OP, I can't believe BWV also didn't have anything. Were you looking for a specific view? I know I check the studio standard a few weeks ago and it was not available for the MLK weekend. Hopefully you waitlisted.

 

[kamik86]

Is MLK weekend really that much more crowded? We don't care about that and could move slightly if it would help. We want to be there for my Husbands birthday (Jan 20th) but we could come in on Tuesday or Wednesday... but then would it just be the weekend that is busy or the entire week?

I didn't call DH did and said the lady was really rude. He tried to waitlist our first choice but he said the lady was so rude from the start of the call he almost doubts she did it (he had to specifically ask to waitlist it)

 

[dianeschlicht]

We also had no problem booking a 2br at Bay Lake Tower over MLK.

Operative there is "2 bedroom". The OP was looking at a studio, and that is going to be difficult at the 7 month mark.

 

[crisi]

Studios and Grand Villas tend to go first, followed by two bedrooms, with one bedrooms often being available - especially at BWV - when everything else is gone (at BWV because all the two bedrooms are lockoffs, which means if they get booked as studios, a lot of one bedrooms remain.

There can be some odd chances with DVC bookings. There was a time someone reported availablity everywhere EXCEPT SSR - since SSR is big, it usually has rooms available when everything else is full. This was just one of those moments in time where enough members wanted SSR to fill it - and there was availability at BCVs..... Its like when the UAG and TourGuide Mike both indicate the Magic Kingdom will be lightly attended the day you choose, and you show up to 3 hour lines by 11 am and are thinking "what the" - park hop over to another park and find it deserted. Some days all the lemmings move in an unanticipated direction.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Is MLK weekend really that much more crowded? We don't care about that and could move slightly if it would help. We want to be there for my Husbands birthday (Jan 20th) but we could come in on Tuesday or Wednesday... but then would it just be the weekend that is busy or the entire week?

I didn't call DH did and said the lady was really rude. He tried to waitlist our first choice but he said the lady was so rude from the start of the call he almost doubts she did it (he had to specifically ask to waitlist it)

Be sure you check your account online. I had no trouble booking Jan.21-29 a couple weeks ago. I was especially surprised to find a GV available yet. The MS rep I spoke with said there was nothing available much a few days before that though, so I contributed that to the MLK weekend being the previous one. Don't worry about crowds...they wont be bad as long as you stay away from MK on Sat. and Sun of MLK weekend.

 

[Checkers]

[QUOTE Was totally shocked, last July when I called looking for a studio for a Food & Wine trip for October. Had my pick of every resort including BCV and BWV, the holy of holies for October travel, only thing that I couldn't get for my timeframe was AKV.[/QUOTE]

 

[kamik86]

Well now I think my husband just got a CM that didnt want to do her job. I called again yesterday and not only were there studios available at BWV (none standard view but my husband didn't specify which kind when he called) and at OKW too. We booked OKW to try that one out.

Now I would give the benefit of the doubt that maybe others switched at 7 months and opened the slots up however there was no way she put in a waitlist on BWV like she claimed she did since she never even asked him which view to waitlist!

 

[Steamboat Girlie]

I had January 22-29 booked in a 2 bedroom value at Jambo. Yesterday I called to see if I could add on 2 more nights. They were available. Granted, the 7 month window is not officially open on my time frame, ( think it is next week), I was surprised and happy to be able to book them. I know there are very few value rooms available. I think the last week in Jan. must be a slow time.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Yes, last week of January is slow. The problem is that it can also be COLD! January of 2009 we were there for the last week, and it was below freezing 5 mornings in a row! Of course, that didn't bother us much, since at home it was -20!

 

[kamik86]

Yes, last week of January is slow. The problem is that it can also be COLD! January of 2009 we were there for the last week, and it was below freezing 5 mornings in a row! Of course, that didn't bother us much, since at home it was -20!

That is how we feel about it!!

I have spent my whole life in either the mountains to the west of MA or Rochester NY so I'm plenty used to snow and cold... thus being less cold at WDW is still a huge improvment.

 

[kamik86]

Yes, last week of January is slow. The problem is that it can also be COLD! January of 2009 we were there for the last week, and it was below freezing 5 mornings in a row! Of course, that didn't bother us much, since at home it was -20!

That is how we feel about it!!

I have spent my whole life in either the mountains to the west of MA or Rochester NY so I'm plenty used to snow and cold... thus being less cold at WDW is still a huge improvment.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I know that people like to be upbeat and say how great it is to be in WDW when it's cold in January, but this year's January was pretty cold, damp...even the boardwalk at the Contemporary was icy when we went on Peter Pan's firework cruise.