Where to stay for a few nights in November

[lovetotraveltx]

We have a week long CL trip for our family and dd's significant others already booked at our 11mos window at AKV.

My husband and I would like to get a studio for a few nights in November, before the family joins us. It will be during food and wine. I have to wait until April, my 7mos window to book as I don't want to stay at AKV or Old Key West, the other points I own.

Where would be good to stay--probably no parks or just one epcot day for F & W? And, easy to move to AKV on Saturday.

Thank you!

 

[ParrotBill]

"Easy to move" is hard to define... do you have a car? A lot of luggage? You are going to have to pack out and back in and I don't see the location as giving any real difference unless you want to avoid using bell services or want the car to be close. If you don't have a car, You can request that bell services transfer the luggage to the next resort and you are free to head off to a park or spend the day by the pool.

That said, I would use this as an opportunity to check out another DVC resort that you have not been to and might want to for a future longer stay. Been to Beach Club Villas and Stormalong Bay? try it for a day! Avoid Wilderness Lodge Villas as it's under major construction. Boardwalk is my home and I love the spacious quiet pool area there. If I had a one day stay I would try to get in to Bay Lake as I love the Contemporary but have not stayed in Bay Lake Villas yet. And finally, I thought I would not like AKV being so far away from all the parks, but, I loved sitting on my balcony and watching the animals more than I expected!

You could also decide based on a restaurant you want to try out. Boma? Citrico's?

Hope this helps.

 

[lovetotraveltx]

"Easy to move" is hard to define... do you have a car? A lot of luggage? You are going to have to pack out and back in and I don't see the location as giving any real difference unless you want to avoid using bell services or want the car to be close. If you don't have a car, You can request that bell services transfer the luggage to the next resort and you are free to head off to a park or spend the day by the pool.

That said, I would use this as an opportunity to check out another DVC resort that you have not been to and might want to for a future longer stay. Been to Beach Club Villas and Stormalong Bay? try it for a day! Avoid Wilderness Lodge Villas as it's under major construction. Boardwalk is my home and I love the spacious quiet pool area there. If I had a one day stay I would try to get in to Bay Lake as I love the Contemporary but have not stayed in Bay Lake Villas yet. And finally, I thought I would not like AKV being so far away from all the parks, but, I loved sitting on my balcony and watching the animals more than I expected!

You could also decide based on a restaurant you want to try out. Boma? Citrico's?

Hope this helps.

Thank you! AKV is our first home resort and we love, love it. My husband would just add on the days there and not move. We've already done Bay Lake, Old Key West, and Boardwalk. Might try Beach Club that was a good suggestion and close to Epcot. Can you still take a boat to DHS? Always wanted to stay at Poly but thinking that's a lot of points and hard to get at 7 months??

 

[ParrotBill]

Yes, Boat dock goes to EPCOT, Studios and the other resorts. Easier to walk to EPCOT. Poly only has studios and bungalows and yes I bet it is hard to get if not an owner right now. And I agree too expensive in points! Be sure to consider all the restaurants nearby. Yachtsman is a good splurge place for steak. Cape May Cafe is a seafood (and more) buffet and one of our favorites. Boardwalk: Flying Fish is closed for refurb I think. Trattoria al Forno is new, I have not tried it yet. Big River or ESPN are good for pub food.

 

[MPS516]

Epcot resorts are pretty tough to get at 7 months, we are waitlisted for our first night at our home resort for end of October, first of November. Last year we did get last of food and wine right at the 11 month window but this year waited a couple weeks and lost out. Have not tried other locations during this time but I think BWV and BCV could be difficult.

 

[CMNJ]

Poly will likely be easier at the 7 month window than BWV or BCV during F&W especially since you are looking to book a studio. Since Poly isn't full sold and a lot of inventory has already been declared there are more rooms avail to non owners at the 7 month window (vs other near park resorts). Plus it has a lot of studios to book. That said you will likely need to book at exactly 8 am to have the best chance of booking any of them.

 

[Dean]

We have a week long CL trip for our family and dd's significant others already booked at our 11mos window at AKV.

My husband and I would like to get a studio for a few nights in November, before the family joins us. It will be during food and wine. I have to wait until April, my 7mos window to book as I don't want to stay at AKV or Old Key West, the other points I own.

Where would be good to stay--probably no parks or just one epcot day for F & W? And, easy to move to AKV on Saturday.

Thank you!

My first vote would be not to move but if you have to move anyway (different room type, I'd say VWL, VGF, Poly and BCV given your past history). Or possibly SSR and relax/explore Disney Springs. Go ahead and reserve something now even if not where you want to stay then when the 7 month window opens, reserve choices you'd rather have that are available then wait list your top 2 choices if still applicable.

 

[keishashadow]

We have a week long CL trip for our family and dd's significant others already booked at our 11mos window at AKV.

My husband and I would like to get a studio for a few nights in November, before the family joins us. It will be during food and wine. I have to wait until April, my 7mos window to book as I don't want to stay at AKV or Old Key West, the other points I own.

Where would be good to stay--probably no parks or just one epcot day for F & W? And, easy to move to AKV on Saturday.

Thank you!

'when' in November? Race is first weekend & not sure when 'jersey week' will fall this year (1st or 1st full week).

Consider myself lucky to have pieced together a studio via waitlist that week last year @ SSR several months out.

i'd book something now & try and to flip it @ 7 month window.

 

[drusba]

Based on your post, the possible times you will be seeking are the Wednesday through Friday, either Nov 2 through 4 or 9 through 11. Nov 2-4 leads into the Wine & Dine Race Weekend, one of the highest DVC demand weekends of the year (and when I refer to weekend I include the Thursday and Friday). Nov 9-11, as the last weekend of Food & Wine, is also a high demand weekend and this year it will have the added factor of a holiday, Veteran's Day, on the Friday. As to the Wine & Dine race weekend be aware that in 2014 and 2015, no studios at any WDW resort were available for all three nights that you want at 7 months out, i.e., SSR lost the Friday of that weekend before 7 months out, AKV and OKW the Thursday and Fri and Poly likewise in 2015, and the rest of the resorts lost all three nights Wednesday through Friday before 7 months out. If you are talking about the second weekend, SSR and Poly (in 2015) were open (the latter for only few minutes after the 7 month window opened online) but AKV and OKW were each missing the Friday and the others the Wednesday through Friday or Thursday and Friday, and I suspect this year may be tighter because of the weekend also having the Friday holiday

In essence, if having a room is most important to you, you should reserve one of your home resorts now and then try to switch at 7 months out. Poly has a decent chance of being open because of the large number of studios and because it now has more rooms devoted to DVC than owners that can fill them. SSR likely should be open that second week but even that has some risk, and for others you will need luck or be prepared to wait list and hope it comes through.

 

[lovetotraveltx]

Thank you all. I'm looking for November 10 or 11 to 13. Have 13 to 19 booked already. If I book OKW now, how do I swap it out. Will need to use more points to book and then what do I do with the cancelled points or am I missing something?

 

[Dean]

Thank you all. I'm looking for November 10 or 11 to 13. Have 13 to 19 booked already. If I book OKW now, how do I swap it out. Will need to use more points to book and then what do I do with the cancelled points or am I missing something?

I'd book OKW now if you're committed on the dates but do so under a different name so they won't combine it to your present reservations. I'd then look 7 months out at 8 to see if something you want is available. Then cancel the OKW and book something else. In reality I'd be looking a couple of days ahead to see how limited availability might be. That way you use the same point for OKW and anything else will likely be more expensive for the same villa size or higher. Using this method you shouldn't have any stranded points based on the reservation process. Then you could wait list something even better if you wanted simply telling them to cancel that corresponding reservation. This can be done as an automatic part of the WL. If you have enough points such that you can hold one while working on the other you're better off but if you have to borrow of you'll be too late to bank, I wouldn't strand those points.