Where do you have trouble booking at 7 months?

[mintwax]

I'm trying to decide what resort to purchase as my home resort. I'm leaning towards AKV, BWV, and BCV. (I'd love BLT, but I'd prefer to buy resale). While I undertsand it depends on the time of year, I'd be really interested in hearing where you have had trouble booking at the 7 month window.

Thanks! I love this board.

 

[CarolMN]

Heavily depends on time of the year, and type of villa. It might be fun to see what people say, but if they weren't trying for the same thing you want, it will not be relevant. Just so you know.

My contribution to your question:

For the BWV: Boardwalk views and standard views (all room sizes) will be tough to get at 7 months all times of the year. Possible (esp if you are willing to waitlist), but not likely. You'll have best luck getting those if your trip is mid-January to mid-February, May or September. 1 bedrooms are easier to get than the other sizes. October - December are nearly impossible. It's been a bit easier this year, since BLT is absorbing some of the 7 month demand.

 

[JWG]

This is a bit off your question, but the past two years we've booked 3 trips between 4-5 months out. Our stays were 2/17-2/23, 1/25-2/2 and coming up 12/13-12/19.

On all of those, the only resorts available were: SSR, OKW or AKV. Now, that's well after the 7-month window has opened, so we were post the free-for-all. However, this is why we haven't purchased SSR, OKW or AKV. I understand they $ per point savings associated with them, but they've been available at about the latest point we make a reservation.

 

[lilpooh108]

For this year, mid December dates, I had trouble booking 2 bedroom Savannah view at AKV (in both kidani and jambo, in the same type of 2 BR unit) all in a row for dates leading up to Dec 22. I called a week after the 7 month mark b/c my resale points weren't loaded until that time.

I was waitlisted since May, and only 1 night came through. I cancelled the waitlist and the non-continuous nights in order to make other plans.

 

[SanDeeKath]

Beach Club! Always. I am always on a waitlist right away for a 1br or 2br for peak times, like President's Week this year and food and wine last year.

Get BCV as your home resort! It's the only resort that consistently sells in the $90s on resale too, even when others have plummeted! Your resale value will be better in the long run because it holds it's value better than any other DVC resort.

Katherine

 

[kendzee94]

I called on the 7 month mark at 9am for our Oct 6-13 trip this year. I was not able to get a 1BR at BCV, but was able to get a 1bR standard BWV. I have also read that sav. views at AKV and THV have been tough to get into. We love the THV, so we just added on at SSR specifically to be able to stay at the THV and have the 11 month booking priority. We have 2 children and will probably start bringing friends with us soon, thus needing the bigger amenities for everyone.

 

[Anal Annie]

We have been lucky so far. I have not really planned beyond 7 months yet. The only time we had to waitlist was for a week in a studio in August at BCV. There was 1 day in the middle of the week not available (I didn't call right at 9:00 am but more like 9:30 am). We always call with our Plan A and Plan B so we went ahead & booked Plan B which was a studio at BWV. The waitlist came thru within about 3 or 4 days. If we call under 6 months out we just ask what IS available and then pick something from what they tell us is open. I agree that the larger resorts of SSR, OKW & AKV usually have SOME SORT of availability. We don't burn points to book SV rooms at AKV tho so I can't speak to that type of view specifically. So far we have used points for stays booked right at 7 months at OKW, Vero, BCV and in 2 weeks will be at HHI booked at 7 months. We have stayed at SSR & AKV by calling between 3-6.5 months out and have stayed on DVC cash discounts at VWL & AKV. In the future we hope to try Aulani, BLT, BWV & VGC at 7 months. But as others have said, BCV is probably one of the hardest to get.

 

[JimMIA]

I would say the following probably need to be booked right at the opening of your 11-month windows:

• Grand Villas anywhere, anytime.
• Anywhere from Thanksgiving week through New Years.

BCV and BWV during Food & Wine will be very difficult at 7 months, as will BLT MK views.

We book the vast majority of our stays <7 months and have no problems traveling in late April/early May or early November.

 

[Crystal_27]

For what it's worth, in our experience (we're fairly new members, though in that we bought in 2009), we've been able to get exactly what we've wanted (by either calling at the 11 month or 7 month mark or going on a waitlist). I don't know if our experience is atypical or not, but on the whole, I've been very pleased with availability.

 

[mintwax]

Thank you all for the very informative responses. It's a tough choice. While we have a preference forstaying at AKV, we would like to ocassionally stay at BCV, BWV, and BLT. From these responses, it seems as if it will be tought to stay at BCV at certain times of the year when booking at 7 months. What about 7 months at BLT? Will this be tough at peek times (and non-peek for that matter)?

 

[twinboysmom]

Have never been able to stay at BCV no matter what time of year.

 

[JimMIA]

We booked a May BCV trip a couple of years ago at 4 1/2 months -- on the first call, no waitlist. It was just a hit or miss thing -- if we'd failed we would have been happy to stay elsewhere.

BCV and VWL are small resorts, so they are more difficult to get...but not impossible if you plan well.

 

[JimMIA]

Thank you all for the very informative responses. It's a tough choice. While we have a preference forstaying at AKV, we would like to ocassionally stay at BCV, BWV, and BLT. From these responses, it seems as if it will be tought to stay at BCV at certain times of the year when booking at 7 months. What about 7 months at BLT? Will this be tough at peek times (and non-peek for that matter)?

After the initial excitement wears off, I think BLT and AKV will be about like BWV to book...which is to say, pretty doable most times of the year unless you are looking for a special type of unit or view. All three resorts are fairly large and have plenty of units, but they'll be tough for special times like holidays, F&W for BWV, and special units like MK or Boardwalk view (or standard view at BWV), AKV concierge, etc.

 

[jlwhitney]

For what it's worth, in our experience (we're fairly new members, though in that we bought in 2009), we've been able to get exactly what we've wanted (by either calling at the 11 month or 7 month mark or going on a waitlist). I don't know if our experience is atypical or not, but on the whole, I've been very pleased with availability.

THis is how it has been for us. We own BLT but have been able to get other stuff no problem. Was able to get a 2 bedroom BCV for july at 7 months and waitlisted for THV at that time and that came through in a month. Booked dec 17-19 around 7 months (not on the dot) for a studio and could stay at any of them (not sure about BLT since we said that was the only one we didn't want). We are trying to stay at them all once before we duplicate...lol. So we VWL for that trip.

 

[cseca]

From our experience
AKV concierge
BWV standard or boardwalk view not many of them
BLT standard view (but this might be because it's new)

I haven't tried staying at BCV in awhile so I can't say.
But as you already know there are almost impossible locations in general for specific time of the year.
F&W festival
Xmas and NY

 

[DiznyDi]

From our experience:
AKV Concierge - called the 1st day of our 7 month window and waitlisted for a May stay. Never did come through.

SSR - THV - called the 1st day of our 11 month window for early December. No Availability! Ultimately cancelled the WL rather than risk changing resorts/rooms mid-stay.

 

[BitsnBearsMom]

We've been members since 2004 and haven't really ever had issues booking at less then 7 months out. BUT we also aren't fussy where we stay - so far I've enjoyed all the dvc resorts. One year we managed to wait list for a long weekend 2 weeks before Cmas and it came through. This year we booked in April for Oct 9-13 and managed to get an AKLV SV in Jambo. We had BWV studio as an option also but chose AKL since we haven't stayed there yet.

Only DVC resorts we haven't stayed at yet/would be difficult IMO to book are THV unless you are a member at SSR, BLT - but I'm sure will die down eventually, AKLV concierege, and BCV - always seems like such a busy resort so we haven't even tried to get in there!

 

[walkdmc]

BLT is available on the resale market, for $98-$105/per point, based on the listings I've seen. I just paid $100/per point for 100 points with 67 left over 2010 points and a full contract from 2011 on. Prior to that, I paid $102/pp for 160 points, plus a $500 closing cost.

Just letting you know your options.

 

[weaver9710]

I'm new here and trying to decide on a dvc purchase. I'm currently looking at BLT and trying to determine if it would be best to just buy from Disney. I'm looking to buy 160 points. The points are currently selling for $120 minus $10 incentive plus any other incentives that they might offer. I would also be getting 100% of the 09 points which I could rent for $9 or 10 per point, which most resales don't offer. That would drop my cost down to around $100 pp. Would I have to pay closing costs to Disney? Am I correct in the way I'm thinking this through? I understand that renting is a little work but aren't there rental sites that are currently paying $10 and doing all the work for you? Am I missing something?

 

[missycj96]

At 7 months I can't get a blt ml studio. I can sometimes find standard but not for all my nights. I can generally get lake view. Pres week blt required some waitlisting last year. For 2011 I got my pres week dates but not standard view or ml view avail for all dates. I bought ssr resale and can always get something I like at 7 months.