What's your experience with the 7 month booking window?

[MustHaveMickey]

Hi all...

I'd like to know what experiences all of you have had booking outside of your home resort at the 7-month booking window.

We're about to purchase resale and are weighing our home resort options. We could save some $$$ and buy HH or VB, but we want to stay at WDW for most of our vacations. We will always travel in off-peak times such as Sept, Oct, or Jan. And we'll probably always stay in a studio...

What are our chances of getting a studio during these months if we're only able to book 7 months in advance? I'd love to hear how this has gone for some of you. Do share!

 

[5forDiz]

OKW (home) - 2 studios & 2 br villa for late August/5 nights booked 3 mos in advance, VWL 2 studios/1 night late August 2 mos advance, BWV studio 1 mos in advance during weekdays (2 nights, preferred view) leading up to Easter weekend and most recently a month ago booked BWV for second week in July for 1 br villa/4nights. I really think it comes down to how flexible you are. We are extremely flexible - willing to stay at any DVC resort on property, don't mind switching resorts during stay if we can't get all nights at one, can often change our dates from what we first may have had in mind and if we REALLY ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY want to/have to make a trip at a particular time when a points reservation is not available we are willing to book some nights cash or go with an all cash reservation.

I am sure you will read up on other members experiences here and it is wise to do so. There have been many successes and many not.

Also, keep in mind that what may be considered a non-peak time at other travel destinations may not hold true for WDW; for examplel, in recent years WDW has been promoting September as a travel time for families with non-school age kids and I believe there is also Nights of Joy event, also October brings Mickey's Halloween Party and I believe a major golf tournament.

Honestly, I don't know if I'd be comfortable with a home resort that isn't on property (HHI, VB) because that totally eliminates having 11 month booking advantage - even if you dont think you would book more than 7 months out now that can very well change. And imho if WDW is where you want to book most often then definitely have your home at a DVC resort there.

Happy planning & best wishes to you !

 

[disneynutz]

Please buy where you want to stay.

 

[bmalonef45]

We have had good luck but the last time was a little tougher. I've actually only stayed at my home resort once out of the handful of times we have been since we joined. I am going to be testing the 7 month window again next month by changing a reservation over to VWL from SSR. Wish me luck. It seems to be getting harder to book and we've been wait listed but they've came through with some help from us checking back in and moving MS along. Hopefully as they open some new rooms up at AKL and (keeping fingers crossed) CRV (or whatever they are calling it now) that will help as I've read many post that people are having trouble booking. Just contacting MS can be a pain also.

IMO DVC is worth it so don't worry about this. I do agree that you should buy on property if that is where you are planing on staying. We were able to get a room at VB at 7 mo during the summer but haven't had such luck with HH.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[crisi]

We usually book eleven months out for Boardwalk (our home). This year we decided post booking to add a day and take our chances. I called exactly seven months out for October - I was only looking for a single night and it was an "expensive" weekend night (a lot of DVCers will stay somewhere else on weekends). Boardwalk Villas was booked (studios or one bedroons) as was Beach Club Villas. I got what I was looking for - a VWL one bedroom - but there was "single digit availability" there and and VAKL. SSR and OKW were pretty bookable.

Note two things about your assumptions - first is that dues out at HHI or VB will probably quickly eat what savings you manage - if you are looking for a bargain, your best bet is a OKW resale - fairly low purchase price AND low dues. The second is that October and early January are some of DVCs high demand times - DVC doesn't necessarily follow traditional WDW booking patterns - October through mid January - which with the exception of Thanksgiving and Christmas are pretty dead at WDW - are high time for DVC.

If you'd be happy anywhere on property, buy OKW, its not much more resale and its dues are low. If you wait until seven months to book, you'll generally get something, and often get what you want - but there will be times you'll be shut out of getting what you want.

 

[tomandrobin]

Buy where you want to stay!

Crisi is pretty much dead on. We have had very good success booking at the 7 month window and less, but none of those stays were for high demand room or weeks. When we go at Christmas/NYE we call at the 11 month window, not going to gamble that something might be available 7 months out.

 

[sssteele]

We own at VWL and BCV, but have booked studios at OKW (no surprise) once, and BWV twice at 7 months. I was surprised by BWV - 4nights in a 2 BR Boardwalk view. The only time we ever waitlisted was for VWL studio in June before we owned there.

 

[MustHaveMickey]

Thanks for the advice, everyone! Our favorite is VWL, so I'm sure we'll end up buying there. I hope you'll be "welcoming me home" soon!

 

[lagunn]

We booked a 2br standard view at BWV @ 7 months out. For Sept...

 

[Kathi OD]

We've never had problems booking at the 7month window and sometimes even closer, but DH and I aren't usually looking for a ressie that is in high demand. It really all depends what you are looking for. If you are flexible, you shouldn't have too much trouble. OTOH, if you have to stay in a certain resort, then you should plan to buy where you need to stay.

 

[PinkTink63]

You will be told many times over on these boards "Buy where you want to stay!" I would only do this if there is only one resort that you want to stay at and need that 11 month booking window.

It really depends on what is important to you. We got in on the "friends and family" deal a few years back and couldn't be happier! We bought SSR sight unseen, except for photos. We love being on property and all the resorts are great! We have booked 3 -7 months out with great success, but we are always traveling in the summer (Late July-Aug.) so I don't know if that makes a difference. If we could only get our home resort, that would be fine, but we do love trying the different resorts.

If you really plan on buying DVC to be at WDW, I would probably buy into an on-site property.

I would take Crisi and 5fordiz posts into consideration. They made some very valid points.

Good Luck!

 

[PinkTink63]

Please buy where you want to stay.

It looks like you buy every where that you "do" stay! I wish that I could do that!

 

[Sammie]

Truly it depends on your ability to book further out than 7 months as to whether it matters. If for any reason you are not going to be able to take advantage of booking 11-8 months out, then it truly does not matter where you buy.

As to booking 7 months out, we have not problems in the past, but no one can predict the future in this situation.

You do need to realize that the nonbusy times for DVC do not correlate to the nonbusy times for Disney resorts or parks.

For example you listed October and that is a busy month for DVC. September and January could be busy at certain locations if something special is going on.

 

[kam0202]

Thanks for the advice, everyone! Our favorite is VWL, so I'm sure we'll end up buying there. I hope you'll be "welcoming me home" soon!

Own SSR, booked 2 bd for 6 nights in VWL no problem - only 2 months notice.

 

[starbox]

I've had 100% success booking at 7 months (or less) everywhere but HHI in June and July! Had to waitlist twice - but both times it came through.

BUT - I travel in June/July which are higher points and thus not peak DVC seasons.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Please buy where you want to stay.

Please learn from our initial mistake. We ended up selling our initial purchase and buying at the home resort we loved. We weren't having problems getting reservations there, but owning where you love is priceless (and it makes sending that dues payment in less painful if you know it's going to "your" resort).
In answer to your question about booking outside home within 7 months, I recently tried to add 2 nights at BWV in a standard view studio, non-home, at 7 months less a couple days, for during the food and wine festival. Although, not surprisingly, it wasn't available and I'm on the waitlist, a 1 BR was available. So you could get a 1 BR standard view at BWV during the hard-to-book Food and Wine festival. I was able to get 2 nights at BCV for the same time period at 7 months the other day.