The first 2 weeks of December, 7 months out?

[rkold]

I do know that these two weeks are among the most popular time to stay at a DVC resort and I did pick a home resort I really like but....

We like to travel to WDW a lot, but we also are interested in staying at some resorts other than our home resort sometimes, particularly since our home resort, VGF, has some of the highest points per room per night. I was sort of hoping for our December trip we could manage to book someplace else. We'd be looking at 4 nights, prob a Sun-Thurs or Mon-Fri in a studio and would want to do either of those 2 weeks.

If we book at 7 months out exactly, what are the chances we could actually get somewhere else? (Our first choice would be a standard view in either Kidani or Jambo I think.) Or should we just abandon hope of that being a possibility? With our current vacation plans, we would need to borrow from the next UY, which I am sort of loathe to do since it cuts down on trips in 2015.

Any advice would be appreciated. We're currently booked for 5 nights at the VGF in October and plan to book 5-6 nights in Jan 2015 in VGF for the Disney 1/2 marathon.

Thanks!

 

[DVC Dude]

Well the good news is that you own in the hardest to book WDW resort DVC.

I think you will easily be able to book Animal Kingdom, but may not always get the standard room. Not to worry, the price of the rooms are cheap compared to VGF

 

[drusba]

First week of Dec is the highest and second week the third highest DVC demand weeks of the year (Dec 23 to Jan 2 is second). Nevertheless, at exactly 7 months out, you should have a decent chance for at least AKV Kidani standard view if seeking only 4 nights.

 

[Dean]

I do know that these two weeks are among the most popular time to stay at a DVC resort and I did pick a home resort I really like but....

We like to travel to WDW a lot, but we also are interested in staying at some resorts other than our home resort sometimes, particularly since our home resort, VGF, has some of the highest points per room per night. I was sort of hoping for our December trip we could manage to book someplace else. We'd be looking at 4 nights, prob a Sun-Thurs or Mon-Fri in a studio and would want to do either of those 2 weeks.

If we book at 7 months out exactly, what are the chances we could actually get somewhere else? (Our first choice would be a standard view in either Kidani or Jambo I think.) Or should we just abandon hope of that being a possibility? With our current vacation plans, we would need to borrow from the next UY, which I am sort of loathe to do since it cuts down on trips in 2015.

Any advice would be appreciated. We're currently booked for 5 nights at the VGF in October and plan to book 5-6 nights in Jan 2015 in VGF for the Disney 1/2 marathon.

Thanks!

With VGF you might not get that time even owning there are reserving day 1. Generally the best approach to WDW is to make an 11 month reservation and then try at 7 months wait listing as needed. If you do this, pay attention to lead times and are diligent, you'll be able to try all the resorts over time. This strategy does work better if you have enough points to hold your home resort reservation and book the other options when only part of the days are available while waiting on the WL for any remaining days.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Was able to get this past week for my cousins at Jambo, savannah view studio at a bit less than 7 months. I could have had standard view, but I wanted the savannah view.

 

[Sandisw]

The fact that you are looking for AKV at this point increases your chances of getting something at the 7 month mark, given the size of the resort.

Good luck!

 

[DMKEDM]

Just this year (as in 3 weeks ago) I had planned a trip to Disney the second week of December...booked a 1-BR at around 9 months out at BCV; then plans changed around 5 months out...we wound up moving the trip to the week before T-giving, but there was availability at SSR for the entire second week of Dec, and lots of 3 and 4 night stretches at other resorts (what I was looking for when we were dealing with the DS work conflict that caused us to change the trip)...

So, bottom line: chances are pretty decent you'll be able to book somewhere other than VGF at 7 months out for 4 nights...SSR, OKW and AKV are big and probably will have availability the longest...but if you check the website frequently you will likely find other choices, too, as people move their 11-month reservations at 7 months...

Good luck

 

[rkold]

Well the good news is that you own in the hardest to book WDW resort DVC.

I think you will easily be able to book Animal Kingdom, but may not always get the standard room. Not to worry, the price of the rooms are cheap compared to VGF

Everywhere the rooms are cheaper, but overall we really like VGF and want to be there. We just didn't want to buy more than 200 points there, as it gets pricey.

We are super excited to stay there in October and I had no problem booking the exact dates I wanted.

Thank you for your vote of confidence. We really like AKV. We stayed in Kidani in 2011 and were really impressed with the pools and dinning options on site.

First week of Dec is the highest and second week the third highest DVC demand weeks of the year (Dec 23 to Jan 2 is second). Nevertheless, at exactly 7 months out, you should have a decent chance for at least AKV Kidani standard view if seeking only 4 nights.

Yes, I know those are among the two most popular weeks to stay at DVCs, which is why I wanted to know if we had any chance of getting anything at 7 months out. We really like AKV, not enough that we necessarily want it as a home resort, but enough that we would like to stay there again. Thank you for your advice.

With VGF you might not get that time even owning there are reserving day 1. Generally the best approach to WDW is to make an 11 month reservation and then try at 7 months wait listing as needed. If you do this, pay attention to lead times and are diligent, you'll be able to try all the resorts over time. This strategy does work better if you have enough points to hold your home resort reservation and book the other options when only part of the days are available while waiting on the WL for any remaining days.

Yes, we might not be able to get the dates we want in December at the VGF, but the reality is I don't want to stay there this year during that time period, so it's moot.

We have 200 points, but this particular year is a tough one because I sort of want to do the Disney Marathon in Jan (and at least try to stay and VGF for it) and that means our trip will include a week end and be longer than what we normally take. We really didn't want to buy more points than we were going to necessarily need on average. Our UY is not ideal for us, but we didn't get a choice of UYs.

We can't waitlist without borrowing points from 2015 and I really would prefer not to do that since I am not sure if we would then be able to bank them again should the WL come through. Thank you for your advice.

Was able to get this past week for my cousins at Jambo, savannah view studio at a bit less than 7 months. I could have had standard view, but I wanted the savannah view.

Oh thanks! That is great info to have and very encouraging for us!

The fact that you are looking for AKV at this point increases your chances of getting something at the 7 month mark, given the size of the resort.

Good luck!

Yeah, that is what I figured, which is why I decided it was my first choice of where to try at 7 months out. We do like AKV a lot, and it works well for our particular group. Thank you, I appreciate the vote of confidence.

Just this year (as in 3 weeks ago) I had planned a trip to Disney the second week of December...booked a 1-BR at around 9 months out at BCV; then plans changed around 5 months out...we wound up moving the trip to the week before T-giving, but there was availability at SSR for the entire second week of Dec, and lots of 3 and 4 night stretches at other resorts (what I was looking for when we were dealing with the DS work conflict that caused us to change the trip)...

So, bottom line: chances are pretty decent you'll be able to book somewhere other than VGF at 7 months out for 4 nights...SSR, OKW and AKV are big and probably will have availability the longest...but if you check the website frequently you will likely find other choices, too, as people move their 11-month reservations at 7 months...

Good luck

Thank you so much for the positive news. I truly appreciate it. We're probably going to just want to do a shorter trip in December since we will go for longer in January. I really just want to take DD to MVMCP so we can get the new Sorcer's Card and meet characters. We also like to go then because it is my Bday.

I admit, we're thinking about buying a second smaller contract at another resort, but by the time we get the points it will be past the 11 month mark for our Dec and Jan 2015 trips.

 

[Dean]

Yes, we might not be able to get the dates we want in December at the VGF, but the reality is I don't want to stay there this year during that time period, so it's moot.

Not really because you still need somewhere to stay. While availability is likely, OKW and SSR are the ones most likely to be available. The best approach to the 7 month window is to make a home resort reservation when possible then try to change at 7 months out. That way you know you have a place to stay. That's one of the reasons that buying elsewhere (HH, VB, etc) for WDW access is usually a poor choice.

 

[rkold]

Not really because you still need somewhere to stay. While availability is likely, OKW and SSR are the ones most likely to be available. The best approach to the 7 month window is to make a home resort reservation when possible then try to change at 7 months out. That way you know you have a place to stay. That's one of the reasons that buying elsewhere (HH, VB, etc) for WDW access is usually a poor choice.

Honestly, if I am borrowing points from my next UY so I can book my Jan trip to WDW, why should I borrow more points so I can waitlist at 7 months? At that point, I'd rather just stay at VGF. It makes very little sense and unless I can rebank all those borrowed points it means I have no points for trips in 2015 other than in Jan. since I had to borrow to get enough nights at VGF in Jan then as well as enough to cover my waitlist.

While I'd like to go to MVMCP, if I can't get AKV at 7 months, I'm likely to just look into staying off property and renting a car. OKW is not an option for us. My mother has enough mobility issues to make all the stairs at OKW a challenge, but not enough issues we would feel right taking a HA room away from people who truly need it. SSR has very limited dining options unless you walk/take the boat to DTD and my mother tends to not visit the parks and wants to eat at our resort.

 

[Dean]

Honestly, if I am borrowing points from my next UY so I can book my Jan trip to WDW, why should I borrow more points so I can waitlist at 7 months? At that point, I'd rather just stay at VGF. It makes very little sense and unless I can rebank all those borrowed points it means I have no points for trips in 2015 other than in Jan. since I had to borrow to get enough nights at VGF in Jan then as well as enough to cover my waitlist.

While I'd like to go to MVMCP, if I can't get AKV at 7 months, I'm likely to just look into staying off property and renting a car. OKW is not an option for us. My mother has enough mobility issues to make all the stairs at OKW a challenge, but not enough issues we would feel right taking a HA room away from people who truly need it. SSR has very limited dining options unless you walk/take the boat to DTD and my mother tends to not visit the parks and wants to eat at our resort.

Your choice of course and I agree, I wouldn't borrow points you won't need otherwise. However, it comes down to how set you are on that time. Waiting until 7 months without a reservation is risky for this time of year. One option when going from more expensive to else expensive is to book a day or 2 less so you only have a day or 2 to deal with if you need to scramble rather than the entire thing. Look at it as if there were no availability at 7 months out at a place you want to stay. In reality SSR and OKW and possibly AKV are likely to have some availability but likely not the rest for WDW at 7 months out. This is one of the issues of owning a more expensive resort in terms of number of points, esp if you don't have some surplus. Having an existing reservation is insurance but you certainly have the right to take your chances.

 

[rkold]

Your choice of course and I agree, I wouldn't borrow points you won't need otherwise. However, it comes down to how set you are on that time. Waiting until 7 months without a reservation is risky for this time of year. One option when going from more expensive to else expensive is to book a day or 2 less so you only have a day or 2 to deal with if you need to scramble rather than the entire thing. Look at it as if there were no availability at 7 months out at a place you want to stay. In reality SSR and OKW and possibly AKV are likely to have some availability but likely not the rest for WDW at 7 months out. This is one of the issues of owning a more expensive resort in terms of number of points, esp if you don't have some surplus. Having an existing reservation is insurance but you certainly have the right to take your chances.

Hmmmm I might also skip the race in Jan, book VGF for Dec and in Jan-post the race book somewhere else at 7 months. I believe post-race January is relatively quiet for DVC. That way we could try BWV to compare it to AKV since we're considering getting a smaller resale at one of them which would also give us more points in the future as well as a different home resort.

 

[Dean]

Hmmmm I might also skip the race in Jan, book VGF for Dec and in Jan-post the race book somewhere else at 7 months. I believe post-race January is relatively quiet for DVC. That way we could try BWV to compare it to AKV since we're considering getting a smaller resale at one of them which would also give us more points in the future as well as a different home resort.

That would likely be prudent since not only is Jan likely to be less in demand than early Dec, it's also a month or more later giving you more time. For Dec and Jan, I'd agree with booking VGF for Dec and trying for somewhere else for Jan. I would still book Jan with any remaining points. Another option would be to even try for say BWV for Oct at 7 months out. This is the beauty of booking home resort then trying for something else at the 7 month window, you can book then try for other things when desired. That way you always have a fall back plan and a place to stay as long as we're talking WDW. It gets a little more tricky when you only own points other than WDW OR you're trying for non WDW reservations.

 

[rkold]

That would likely be prudent since not only is Jan likely to be less in demand than early Dec, it's also a month or more later giving you more time. For Dec and Jan, I'd agree with booking VGF for Dec and trying for somewhere else for Jan. I would still book Jan with any remaining points. Another option would be to even try for say BWV for Oct at 7 months out. This is the beauty of booking home resort then trying for something else at the 7 month window, you can book then try for other things when desired. That way you always have a fall back plan and a place to stay as long as we're talking WDW. It gets a little more tricky when you only own points other than WDW OR you're trying for non WDW reservations.

Yeah, we already have the Oct reservation so we could at 7 try elsewhere, but I think I would prefer to do VGF then. We're planning to do MNSSHP and with a little one, it's just a lot easier when going home to just need to hop on a boat or monorail to get back. I think the only other place I would consider is BLT. Heck, if the monorails are up, we can even hop on the Express to the TTC and walk back to the VGF. I find the walk very pleasant and a lot less stressful than standing around waiting for a bus or trying to handle a stroller and a cranky preschooler on a super full bus.

And if DD still loves Aurora, we might splurge on the Disney Tea Party in GF as her big birthday gift.

I admit, despite it being blasphemy, I don't actually like Food and Wine all that much. The World Showcase gets unpleasantly crowded and full of tipsy adults. I'd rather be near MK than Epcot in the Fall (unless I am running ToT again, in which case that is the best area to be!)

I liked ToT a lot but the dates for 2014 definitely don't work for me. But mid to late Jan is a time we love to travel to WDW (cold here, warmer there) and the parks tend to be quieter. It would be nice to try BWV. I know I can get AKV for the time period in question as I booked our current Jan 2014 trip at AKV at under 3 months out. Around 4 months if we had wanted later in Jan we could have gotten VWL. So I'm not terribly worried about 7 month availability in Jan, if I am not trying to book for the race.

I'm not opposed to borrowing a little from our next UY, I just want to be intelligent about borrowing and get the most for my money. We prob would have been better off with 220 points instead of 200, but it seemed smarter to buy less than more since I wasn't 100% sure what our use would be like and it is always easier to add on, than to subtract.

 

[Pirate Granny]

I really would rent out my VGF points and find a rental to purchase AKL points at 11 months...I bet your VGF points would be snapped up in a heartbeat

 

[rkold]

I really would rent out my VGF points and find a rental to purchase AKL points at 11 months...I bet your VGF points would be snapped up in a heartbeat

Quite honestly, I don't think either my mother or I want to deal with trying to rent out points. If anything goes wrong it's a big responsibility.

Thanks to Dean's posts, I've started to really rethink my trip plans and we are probably better off planning to stay in VGF in December. With the points we have, we could stay 5 nights in VGF in December and 4-5 nights somewhere else in January. I think I really would want to try out BWV since we've not actually stayed there, just walked around it and eaten at Cat Cora and Flying Fish (one of my favorites!) Even if we have to borrow points from 2015, it won't be more than 10, and this is all assuming we do 5 nights in December. We might change our minds before we need to book and do 4.

 

[Dean]

Quite honestly, I don't think either my mother or I want to deal with trying to rent out points. If anything goes wrong it's a big responsibility.

Thanks to Dean's posts, I've started to really rethink my trip plans and we are probably better off planning to stay in VGF in December. With the points we have, we could stay 5 nights in VGF in December and 4-5 nights somewhere else in January. I think I really would want to try out BWV since we've not actually stayed there, just walked around it and eaten at Cat Cora and Flying Fish (one of my favorites!) Even if we have to borrow points from 2015, it won't be more than 10, and this is all assuming we do 5 nights in December. We might change our minds before we need to book and do 4.

Even if you have to borrow a few then have a few left over as you change around, you can get back points that you can bank which should make you essentially whole assuming you'd go again the next UY. I'm glad I made you think, that's almost always my goal in such thread's. Timeshares are essentially a game where you're playing against the other members. The more options and outs you have the better. I would suggest that for many, owning VGF AND some points from a much lower resort can be the best option.

 

[rkold]

Even if you have to borrow a few then have a few left over as you change around, you can get back points that you can bank which should make you essentially whole assuming you'd go again the next UY. I'm glad I made you think, that's almost always my goal in such thread's. Timeshares are essentially a game where you're playing against the other members. The more options and outs you have the better. I would suggest that for many, owning VGF AND some points from a much lower resort can be the best option.

I think we would like to eventually buy a smaller contract at a lower point resort, it's just a matter of which one. We're not that interested in SSR or OKW, because even though they're cheap, they're not where we want to stay and I prefer to buy somewhere we want. We've so far stayed at BLT and AKV (and many times at YC, and while not the same thing, it gives you a good sense of BCV pools and transportation issues.) We're doing AKV and BLT again in Jan and Feb. I think my Mom would like an Epcot resort and BWV is priced much better than BCV, so I think we ought to check it out.

We're usually a 3 generation group, of 3 people (DH usually stays home) and only 2 of us go to the parks. So we have very specific needs and desires in a DVC property.

I think your posts helped me to think about whether I really needed to do the Jan Disney 1/2 and once that was decided it was easier to realize VGF would be nice in Dec for the same reason it is nice in Oct. We plan to go to both parties and getting home from them is a pain. At least with VGF, we can always go to the TTC and walk back. I admit I am in the minority that thinks VGF/GF needs a walking path to MK. It's my favorite thing about the CA parks, walkability!

So thank you again!

 

[Dean]

I think we would like to eventually buy a smaller contract at a lower point resort, it's just a matter of which one. We're not that interested in SSR or OKW, because even though they're cheap, they're not where we want to stay and I prefer to buy somewhere we want. We've so far stayed at BLT and AKV (and many times at YC, and while not the same thing, it gives you a good sense of BCV pools and transportation issues.) We're doing AKV and BLT again in Jan and Feb. I think my Mom would like an Epcot resort and BWV is priced much better than BCV, so I think we ought to check it out.

We're usually a 3 generation group, of 3 people (DH usually stays home) and only 2 of us go to the parks. So we have very specific needs and desires in a DVC property.

I think your posts helped me to think about whether I really needed to do the Jan Disney 1/2 and once that was decided it was easier to realize VGF would be nice in Dec for the same reason it is nice in Oct. We plan to go to both parties and getting home from them is a pain. At least with VGF, we can always go to the TTC and walk back. I admit I am in the minority that thinks VGF/GF needs a walking path to MK. It's my favorite thing about the CA parks, walkability!

So thank you again!

Timeshares are often a mix of risk vs cost. As a rule the cheaper things offer more risk and AT TIMES, the more expensive offers nicer/better options. These generally hold with DVC. Often it's worth taking risk to save money. Esp when you combine a low cost resort with a high cost/high demand one for DVC. Simply buying another high cost/high demand resort really leaves you in the same place assuming you'll hit multiple resorts over time. While SSR may not be your favorite, the question in my mind is whether you'd be upset if you had to stay there some of your trips. Lets say you add BLT to VGF, unless those are the only resorts you'll stay at almost all the time, you're still paying more for less (at times). The only way around this is to buy at essentially all resorts you're planning to use. The advantage of SSR is that it's likely the cheapest (accounting for RTU) and has lower dues. Of course this is a situation where looking at non WDW options comes into play as well. There's no one perfect options unless you plan to buy enough points at all resorts that interest you. Some have done that but you're talking major dollars both up front and yearly. There's no right or wrong choice in general, it simply depends on your risk tolerance, how/when you'll book and your personal preferences. Good luck.

 

[rkold]

Timeshares are often a mix of risk vs cost. As a rule the cheaper things offer more risk and AT TIMES, the more expensive offers nicer/better options. These generally hold with DVC. Often it's worth taking risk to save money. Esp when you combine a low cost resort with a high cost/high demand one for DVC. Simply buying another high cost/high demand resort really leaves you in the same place assuming you'll hit multiple resorts over time. While SSR may not be your favorite, the question in my mind is whether you'd be upset if you had to stay there some of your trips. Lets say you add BLT to VGF, unless those are the only resorts you'll stay at almost all the time, you're still paying more for less (at times). The only way around this is to buy at essentially all resorts you're planning to use. The advantage of SSR is that it's likely the cheapest (accounting for RTU) and has lower dues. Of course this is a situation where looking at non WDW options comes into play as well. There's no one perfect options unless you plan to buy enough points at all resorts that interest you. Some have done that but you're talking major dollars both up front and yearly. There's no right or wrong choice in general, it simply depends on your risk tolerance, how/when you'll book and your personal preferences. Good luck.

True, two high cost, like VGF and BLT don't make sense or even really VGF+BCV with current prices, but I think a compromise of AKV or BWV would work well for us. No, they're not as cheap as SSR, but they're $20+ cheaper than BCV and BLT. (and we're not planning a Poly add-on. We stayed there in 2011 and hated it. It has no hot tub!) The reality is yeah, I don't really ever want to stay at SSR. I just don't think we would do as well there. I think BWV or AKV is a better compromise property for us. We really like AKV, even though it is far from things because the theming is wonderful and the food is wonderful. I'm curious what BWV is like and what the buses are like. The buses to MK always seem better than YC+BC/BCV, but I'd like to know the reality. It's a beautiful area and I like walking to DHS and Epcot.