When and what is 'Jersey Week'?

[PrincessDez]

Hi all!
Just planned a last minute trip (and our first trip being DVC members) to WDW the first week of November. Nov 1-6 to be exact. There were not ANY rooms available anywhere except SSR. We are disappointed since we paid so much to buy into BLT, but know it is last minute. Can you all let me know your opinions about SSR? We usually stay in the Epcot area and love it there.
Also someone mentioned this may be Jersey Week. I have no idea what that is.
Thanks for any help you can offer!

 

[DisneyWalker44]

Hi all!
Just planned a last minute trip (and our first trip being DVC members) to WDW the first week of November. Nov 1-6 to be exact. There were not ANY rooms available anywhere except SSR. We are disappointed since we paid so much to buy into BLT, but know it is last minute. Can you all let me know your opinions about SSR? We usually stay in the Epcot area and love it there.
Also someone mentioned this may be Jersey Week. I have no idea what that is.
Thanks for any help you can offer!

Most public school in New Jersey have time off in early November, around the time of the annual teacher convention. This year the convention is Nov 5-7. A lot of families (and teachers!) from NJ come down to Disney that week. It makes the week more crowded than you would expect for early November, but it's still nowhere near summer-or-holiday-busy.

But I don't think the near-sellout is due to Jersey week. DVC works best when you plan far in advance. There's never going to be a lot of choice 2 months out. You should even feel a bit lucky to get anything this close for Jersey Week.

SSR is a great resort. Beautiful and well laid out. However, since it's the biggest DVC resort (by far) and isn't next to a theme park, it tends to be the last to fill up. As with every DVC resort, there are some haters/bashers out there... but most people who stay there really like it.

You'd find many (many!) threads here about SSR, what people like and don't. The one thing I'd strongly suggest is to put in a request for which section of SSR you want. I love the Grandstand (best quiet pool and is the first bus stop) but there are fans of other sections as well.

Enjoy!

 

[BlakeNJ]

I am not surprised you were not able to get anything other than SSR. We tried two years ago, last minute, to go down for Jersey week. We were on a wait list for any resort. Nothing came through.

SSR is a lovely resort. Beautiful grounds, newer rooms, great staff. I think if you do a little research and pick which area is best for your family, you will be pleasantly surprised. SSR's proximity to DTD is great. Can't beat those late night runs to Goofy's Candy Shop or Ghihardelli's!

 

[PrincessDez]

Thank you both for the info. We seem to do a lot of vacations last minute due to my husbands job, so maybe we shouldn't have bought into DVC? Oh well! It gives us an 'excuse' to go every year.
Anyhow, do either of you know if the 'Jersey Week' is the whole week or is it just from the 5th on? If so, it shouldn't effect us too much since we check out on the 6th.
Any suggestions for the perfect area at SSR would be helpful. We do like DTD, and like a quiet part of a resort. I am a very light sleeper (big reason we bought into DVC so I can get up without waking my family). My boys are 13 and 15. We spend a decent amount of time at the parks (Epcot and DHS are our favorites), but are not 8am-midnight people. We hate crowded pools. Prefer adult pools. And my children have traveled a lot and are very well mannered while traveling. (Now if I can get them to be that good at home. )
Thank you for any advice you are willing to give!

 

[ToddyLu]

We Mississippians will be there for Jersey week!!

 

[Tara]

Hi all!
Just planned a last minute trip (and our first trip being DVC members) to WDW the first week of November. Nov 1-6 to be exact. There were not ANY rooms available anywhere except SSR. We are disappointed since we paid so much to buy into BLT, but know it is last minute. Can you all let me know your opinions about SSR? We usually stay in the Epcot area and love it there.
Also someone mentioned this may be Jersey Week. I have no idea what that is.
Thanks for any help you can offer!

In June I ended up rescheduling my early-planned December BLT stay for a Nov 6-11 stay and could only get BLT for 9-11. We're at SSR the rest of the days. If it makes you feel any better, I called every day for a solid two months and never found availability at BLT outside of the 7th - the 6th was never available in a 2br. I would also check other resorts and the 6th was only available here and there, but on my last call a couple of weeks ago, there was NOTHING except SSR and OKW for any of those dates.

SSR is a nice resort. I bought BLT for very specific reasons (MK proximity, monorail or walking access to lots of great resorts, extra bathroom, more in keeping with my sense of style , hotel not condo feel), so SSR doesn't really do it for me. It's a beautiful resort and we did enjoy our stay there in May, but I sure do wish I were at BLT the whole stay! Oh well, at least we check in to BLT on my birthday (and my baby sister's birthday)!!

Enjoy SSR - just think of the points you are saving for when you do finally stay in your new BLT home!!

 

[GrumpyBa*D]

It is often the whole week. Some school districts also have election day off and many who don't have half days for parent teacher conferences. so I would say it's the whole week therefore making parents less guilty about pulling the kids out of school for a lot of days.

 

[Anthony1971]

Jersey Week as stated is the 5-6 (Thursday, Friday) some parenst may go that whole week Monday 2 through??
Election day is the Wedensday the 11 some parts of Jersey may have off but I know it is very limited and most of Jersey the schools are open. I did read that the locals may be off however???
We will be there 8-12 after a Disney cruise I can tell you the plane tickets were $$$$$$ in the NY area to fly home on the 8 as some of my family with kids in school wanted to do so I would think most NJ people are leaving Nov 8

 

[GrumpyBa*D]

Election day is the 2nd and Veterans Day is the 11th the following Wednesday so any of those combo are possible.

 

[PrincessDez]

Holy cow! We thought we would be hitting a slow time. Guess not. Oh well! Can't complain too much! We will be at WDW after all!
Good news is, airfare is not too bad from California! Not to mention we have 2 free flights. So other than park admission, we are all taken care of.
Now, the big decision is what request (if any) we want for our room and do we want DDP or not? Oh, and should we get a car? I am so used to staying at the Epcot area that I don't know if I have the patience to wait for the buses.
Keep up the great advice please! Especially about SSR! Thanks guys!

 

[JasonDVC]

Does anyone know if they bring the Jersey Smell with them?










lol j/k

 

[castleri]

With boys the ages of yours you may find the proximity to DTD a plus also if they like Disney Quest or want to go to a movie.

 

[PrincessDez]

With boys the ages of yours you may find the proximity to DTD a plus also if they like Disney Quest or want to go to a movie.

So, what area should I ask for?

 

[disfanforlife]

Hi, we were at SSR last November (not Jersey week, but the week before Thanksgiving). We stayed there on DP and there was no choice we could only use the points at SSR although we had bought in at AKV. It was great! I would stay there again anytime. It wasn't crowded and the buses came quickly except one time during our stay. We are at the Grandstand area and it had a nice pool, and it was the first bus stop. It was also still close enough to walk to the main building with the restaurants and shop. This year, we reserved at 11 months for AKV, but then called at 7 months and booked for BLT. To be honest, I probably would have bought there instead, but at the time we bought they were not admitting that it would be a DVC resort! Anyway, I was happy to be able to book it and figured it may get harder and harder as the resort sells out. We had stayed there before as regular guests in the Contemporary. The kids favorite park is Magic Kingdom even though I have two teenagers. But honestly, we all want to try all of the DVC resorts and hope to go to a different one every year. I am not worrying about the Jersey week too much although we are coming in at the tail end of it arriving on the 7th and leaving on the 14th.

 

[wishicouldgomoreofte]

Below is a link to the resort map for SSR.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/maps/SSMap.pdf

I like Grandstand, but many want Congress Park for the quick and easy walk to DTD. Grandstand is closer to the main bldg, and has a pool bar you can refill mugs at if you buy them. (I always do, they used to be resort specific, so a nice keepsake)

I like the golf course view in Grandstand---so quiet and peaceful out on the balcony overlooking the golf course.

I agree with PP, DVC works best with planning far ahead, at the 11 and 7 month windows, and even then, you frequently can't get what you want. If your husband's job really does necessitate not being able to plan ahead, you may be sorely disappointed in your purchase, not being able to use it as you all expected.

Enjoy. And congratulations on having such well-behaved traveling kids. You will see many who are not, and many adults behavior is beyond comprehension!

 

[pickles]

dont let folks discourage you. you may not always get where you want, but at the last minute with some patience you will get somewhere(usually SSR)
I just booked my last minute trip 3 weeks ago. I have about 10 days and will see every resort at least once except BLT(and that was offered to me for a couple nights) I was tracking 1 and 2 bedrooms. So, while resort hopping is not what i had wanted to do , as a last minute trip I will have a roof over my head and a bed and I will be able to really compare resorts well!!
I am still waitlisting and while my waitlist hasnt come thru. I have been calling once a day and have been surprised at the rooms that have come available(they siply didnt match what i have or I already had that room)

you will enjoy your purchase. SSR not my favorite resort, but it could be a nice couples resort to go walking around in

 

[castleri]

So, what area should I ask for?

I like the Grandstand area near the pool - it is a short walk to the carriage house, arcade, main pool , community hall and boat dock to DTD. There is a walkway that starts down behind the golf shop that goes over to DTD west side which is where DQ and the movie theater are. The Springs area is also convenient to all the above. GS is the first bus stop and Springs the last. I think you will find you have a great time at SSR.

 

[funcinderella]

It's the whole week. We are leaving the 31st and returning the 6th. Our school is off the whole week this year (used to be Tues, Thurs, Fri, but we'd take the kids out the other two days). We ran into my next door neighbor on the monorail, and several other families that we knew at the pool, etc. And that is just my small town! So yes, there a lot of Jerseyans there, but come on, we're not all that bad! Busier than normal, but like they said, no where near summer and the weather is much nicer...

 

[PrincessDez]

It's the whole week. We are leaving the 31st and returning the 6th. Our school is off the whole week this year (used to be Tues, Thurs, Fri, but we'd take the kids out the other two days). We ran into my next door neighbor on the monorail, and several other families that we knew at the pool, etc. And that is just my small town! So yes, there a lot of Jerseyans there, but come on, we're not all that bad! Busier than normal, but like they said, no where near summer and the weather is much nicer...

Thanks for the info! We prefer the lesser crowded times (of course ) but the way I look at it is, does it really matter? I will be at WDW. Someone told me we may want to change our week due to Jersey week, and I just had no idea what that was. I thought it was some convention or some big event. I love the east coast accents so I am not worried about it! Hopefully I will run into you somewhere during the stay. We will be there the 31st-6th as well! And now it looks like my sister and 6 year old niece may be coming along as well for their 1st trip to WDW!
Not to mention after our trip last Jan during 'a slow period' and being cut in front of in line and ran over daily by groups of teenagers from Brazil, nothing can faze us.
Go Jersey!

 

[Topo Bella]

We have gone Jersey Week nearly everytime we've been to WDW. The crowds are little heavier, but not too bad since not all schools have off that whole week. Most have off only on Thurs/Friday. Definately manageable.

As for SSR, don't be disappointed that you may be staying at this resort. It is lovely in its own way, although different than some of the more intensely themed DVC resorts. We enjoyed our stay there even though there are other resorts that generally suit our tastes better. We liked the Springs because it was close to the pool and main building. Also, Turf Club was one of our favorite meals last trip.