What was your shortest time between booking a trip and taking it?

[Princess Jasmine]

Has anyone been able to book a quick trip without a lot of notice?
Just wondering if we would ever be able to go without the 7-11 month window.

Thanks.

 

[MissMet]

I booked a 2bedroom for the 2nd week of December in August- so 4 months in advanced. Can you guess where my options were?? OKW or SSR- I chose OKW.

I don't recommend doing it unless you plan to stay at one of these.

 

[bwvBound]

Ours was either same day or next day -- I don't quite remember. We were on vacation in Pompano Beach and decided, on the whim, to visit Vero Beach. We were able to book 2 nights in a studio.

Had a great time, enjoyed Vero, returned to our place in Pompano and were immediately evicted. (Asked to pack up and leave - courtesy of Hurricane Frances.) The excitement of the "pack up and flee!" seems to have clouded my memory of exact events (was it, "same day, next day, whatever??).

 

[dianeschlicht]

Next day here. We added Labor Day to a 1 bedroom a few years back by calling the day before.

 

[Doctor P]

Checked in 8 hours after making the reservation one time, and one hour after making the reservation another time. I wouldn't recommend trying to do that, but under extreme circumstances (one of which was getting stranded in Orlando during a hurricane) it was worth a try and did work for us twice.

 

[DVC Grammy]

Due to a snowstorm, we were lucky enough to extend a BWV stay for 2 extra days (as soon as they announced airport shutdowns), but this was in early Dec. '05 (IIRC).
Since then, the only last-minute trip we've taken was an impulsive F & G one last May. I called three weeks before. We did have to change rooms (once), but it was worth it to be in WDW!

 

[bobbiwoz]

A few years back we were thrilled to get OKW, a studio for the first October weekend, when we called around the middle of August. It was our very first "spur of the moment" trip. Now for some, that's not "spur of the moment" but for us, it was. We had watched airfares, and thought, if it just went to $___ we would go, and sure enough, the price was right and we went!

Bobbi

 

[DMKEDM]

We added two nights (the Fri & Sat of the Marathon weekend no less) this past January...called for the nights 10 days before we left...had to call several days in a row, but got the extra nights (one at OKW, on cash, and one at SSR, on points) about 7 days before we left...

 

[dopey2]

We did a spur of the moment week long trip last August and booked 3 weeks prior to the trip. Wanted to stay at OKW but had to stay at SSR and liked it so much we added on there.

 

[DebbieB]

I booked a Thursday night at BCV (studio) about a week before in February 2006. I was in Orlando for business and decided to add a night and spend the next day at WDW. I would have stayed the weekend but that was Super Bowl weekend for the Steelers!

 

[Princess Jasmine]

Thanks for all the information. You guys rock.

 

[Disney Doll]

3 weeks. Wanted to go in early June, booked in mid-May.

 

[helenabear]

Let's see, we've done studios at OKW on a few weeks notice in May several times.

I've switched from OKW in Dec to BWV in October on about a 4 or 5 month notice (1 bedroom). Then changed the dates again a few months prior.

I've booked a standard view studio at BWV on about a 3 or 4 month notice in February.

I admit I don't always like booking a year in advance and never had trouble finding *a room* when I wanted it. On the last two I mentioned I had a lot of choices with the rooms I could have picked when I did call. Not everyone has to book at 11 months out and get the vacation they want

 

[bz8bls]

Last Wednesday, 7/18, booked SSR for 7/20 - 7/23, a studio. Didn't have it when I called the evening before, but Wednesday more the studio was available.

Those impromptu trips are great when you get into a rut at work.

 

[DeeCee735]

1 month! But.....we did not get our home resort, and knowing it was a long shot we were more than flexible with the resort - it just had to be certain dates. We wound up in Old Key West Resort and loved it! Everyone had a great time. Good luck, have fun planning.

 

[CarolA]

I have booked from the airport while waiting to board the plane to Orlando so... an hour???

 

[jenelope]

Technically, about twenty minutes. On my last trip, we checked in on Sunday and discovered that the DDP had not been added to the reservation as requested at booking. DDP cannot be added by resort staff, only by Member Services (for DVC, anyway, I have no idea if this is true at non-DVC resorts). Since MS is not open on Sundays, I had to call on Monday morning and they cancelled the remainder of the vacation, rebooked it with the dining plan, and I had to go to the front desk to check out and re-check in to our room. MS told me to give the system 15 minutes to reflect the change. The remaining 5 was spent walking from our building to the desk.

In terms of really booking a from-scratch fresh vacation, I planned a May 2006 trip in February, the day after I became a brand new, reservations-making member.

 

[TMB1203]

I made Spring Break reservations 2 weeks beforehand last year. It was a split stay..1/2 OKW and 1/2 SSR. It was awesome!!

 

[jdvm]

I can say with complete honesty that since we bought our interest in DVC in 1992, we have NEVER booked at the 11 or 7 month window. I think the farthest out I ever booked was 3 months--and that was only once. My shortest was on a cell phone on the way in from the airport--which I've done several times.
John

 

[tinker925]

2 1/2 hours! We got stuck in Florida due to snow in Boston this past March, called from West Palm airport, got back in car, drove to WDW and checked in at OKW - thank God for those points!