switching rooms vs. dates....about the crowds

[jerseyduke]

So as of June 19th, I am the happy owner of 150 points at the Grand Floridian.

My intent was to book a studio for 12/1 thru 12/11. From another thread I found out that it is unavailable for the Friday and Saturday night. My guide confirmed this.

So now, i am being totally indecisive. I can...

1. Just book 12/8-12/18 (which as of Wed night was available, still have to wait to the 19th to see) I could also possibly book the 2 short stays at the GF (12/1-12/6 and 12/8-12/11) and wait list the two missing dates..if they ever come available, book my original dates altogether and cancel the 12/8-12/18 trip.

I get a little worried about the crowds with changing my dates. The week of the 8th is pop warner week, and it is that much closer to Christmas. The fear of it being more crowded is really the only thing stopping me from going to my second choice of dates.


2. Keep my original dates and just stay somewhere else the whole trip. Kind of stinks, cause I was really looking forward to the Grand Floridian, particularly since it will be so new.


3. Stay the first 5 days at the GF and the second five days somewhere else. My girl friend won't be fond of moving, but... With this I can still book the 12/8-12/11 at the GF and wait list the 12/6-12/8 section...if it becomes available, stay the whole time at the GF (assuming I can combine what is really 3 different ressies)

If there are studios in the cash pool, I could pay for those 2 missing nights in cash...

Any thoughts or opinions. Crowd differences in December, since that is my concern. I was in WDW 12/2/12-12/12/12 and it seemed the second week was noticeably more crowded.

 

[drusba]

First, be aware that as to any idea that you could just book another DVC resort for that 12/1 to 12/11 period, you will need to rethink it. Rooms at other resorts are already gone and even SSR which is always the last to go has four of the nights missing. That also means you are not going to be able to stay first five nights at GF and second five nights at another DVC resort. For your future reference be aware that the first week of Dec is the highest DVC demand week of the year, the second week of Dec is the third highest (Christmas week is second).

Personal view is that if in fact you can get Dec 8 to 18, you better get it and get it at 8 a.m. the first day you can make a reservation because even as you speak now I am guessing other dates for GFV are filling in Dec. Delaying any reservation while contemplating maneuvering around possible crowd sizes when trying to get any time in Dec this close to it can be fatal to being able to get anything. In fact if you can find any 10 consecutive nights in Dec on June 19, you better take them if you have the points for them.

 

[Docmom]

I wouldn't stay at a different resort since you bought GFV to stay there. Pop Warner week is a bit more crowded than the week before and the week after but not horrible....meaning it's not like in the summer or major holidays. Check out easywdw.com for good crowd projections. We went during PW week in 2011 and we only noticed because of all the girls either in cheer uniforms or wearing cheer shirts.

 

[jerseyduke]

Interesting. I spoke to my guide on the wed. night 6/12 at 7pm eastern....I tried to 'suggest' to him that I would only be buying if i can get in (as per a recommendation from someone else here...trying to get him to pull a room out of the cash pool rooms if any were available) which he did not offer to do. He told me (as of that time) he could get me into a lake view studio at BLT for 170ish points.

I am excited to be buying into GF, but it will kill my December vacation funds, and from what ppl are saying, its like I will not get anything in December.

 

[drusba]

It is possible he could get you into BLT lake view. What can happen with a new purchaser is that the sales rep can sometimes get inventory that actually belongs to Disney for its use as rental rather than that which the members can reserve and thus a room might be available even though shown full for members. However, that is something that usually happens for the resort you are buying not another.