Will booking ever get easier?

[ustasmom]

I just made my first reservation and it is in pieces. Lots of moves. Is this just a learning curve? Will it get easier to book a week in one shot?

 

[supersnoop]

I just made my first reservation and it is in pieces. Lots of moves. Is this just a learning curve? Will it get easier to book a week in one shot?

Hard to say without any details. Was that all that was available? Or were there options available that you didn't like? Did you book at 11 months out? 6-8 months out? Or fewer?

The longer you plan, the easier it is. Being flexible helps, too.

 

[wdrl]

For the vast majority of members, booking is a piece of cake. They get the dates and the accommodations they want with no problems or issues.

For others, any and every part of the booking process can turn into a nightmare. A lot depends on how far in advance you book, what dates you are trying to get, and sometimes what type of accommodation you are looking for.

Our home resorts are BLT, AKV, and Aulani and we almost always book as soon as the 11 month window opens, and we have never had difficulty getting exactly what we want. However, if I were to wait until August to book a 10-day trip for November for a BLT Standard View or Theme Park View, or Aulani Standard View, or AKV Value, I would probably end up with a patchwork of split stays, some in accommodations I didn't really want and/or at resorts that weren't my second or even third choice.

Like supersnoop says, the earlier you can plan helps, and staying flexible helps, too.

 

[automaticsoap]

Agree with the OPs -- the earlier you book, the easier it is. But also, there are just some times of year that are hard to book if you want a limited category (October-early January). I've had a lot of luck booking a little bit later but at less busy DVC times (February, May, September).

 

[_auroraborealis_]

It sounds like it was 7 months or later as a booking, unless your first purchase was multiple small contracts?

 

[paults]

I just made my first reservation and it is in pieces. Lots of moves. Is this just a learning curve? Will it get easier to book a week in one shot?

can't help unless you give more info

 

[ustasmom]

I own at AKV and BLT. I thought that we would be considered off-peak people. No holidays, no school breaks, etc. We fly for free so I'm not tied to booked flights.

I got my points loaded a couple of weeks after my window opened for 11 month booking. That was my first problem. So I am trying to book the week before Thanksgiving. My AP runs out on December 1st so my initial thinking is to make 3 or 4 more visits this year and then let it drop for a year. But my three youngest will be 15, 13, and 9 by the end of the year so I might not have time to let the AP run out as my entire goal is to spend time and make memories with the kids before they grow up.

So since I am traveling with three kids, I don't mind a studio. So right now I have 3 value nights, 1 standard night, and 1 club level (birthday night.) I need to pick up the first 3 days of the trip and then fix our number of moves. But those first three days coincide with the close of Food and Wine thus adding to my problem.

So my option is to just switch from Value to Standard and then request my standard room (hoping that it comes through correctly.) The extra room would be nice for an extra 3 points per night.

I also have a September trip planned. I ended up with 2 value nights and I guess that I have to wait for the 7 month window. Gosh! 11 months reservations are hard enough but 7?

And then I will also head down late April and my choices were pretty much shut down at this late date.

Maybe this is just the growing pains of the new DVC-er.

 

[supersnoop]

There are five (5) club rooms, and 18 value studios. Those book up very, very quickly year-round.

 

[DenLo]

Yes booking will get easier when you get the hang of it. The problem appears that you thought you were booking off season whereas October through the first week of January is prime DVC season and the rooms are often booked by the 11 month mark.

You can keep looking for the nights you need. The dates you need before your current reservations will be the hardest to get like you said because of F&W. I would consider changing your reservation to a standard view and just stay less nights. If you haven't told the birthday boy about the club level room I would drop it too. Maybe even consider a 1BR for the stay, the 1BRs have a sleeper chair in the living room which means that all three kids could sleep in the living room in beds. Lots of times 1BRs are available when studios are not.

I think that the value rooms are great to stretch points but you cannot depend on getting them.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

The least expensive rooms in any category at any resort are the first to book. When looking at Value at AKL, these are a very limited inventory to start. The CL, as stated, has a total of 5 lock-off 2BRs, which means at most at any time there can be 10 reservations for AKL CL DVC (5 studios + 5 1BRs; in practice, it's usually some mix if someone snatches one as a 2BR).

So both of those categories are absolute needs to be online on your 11-month mark, and even then they may not be available for your dates due to people having booked them for a stay starting on an earlier date. I don't know that booking AKL CL ever gets easier.

 

[n2mm]

No, it doesn't get easier. Actually since we bought 11 years ago, it's gotten harder and harder to book even at the 11 month window. Of course being a BWV and BLT owner, I bought at both for the standard rooms. By 8:01AM on the 11 month window my dates are generally gone. I actually missed by a second or two, but grabbed my room the next day and finally got the first day a few days later.

 

[DenLo]

I think a lot more member are walking reservations as they book a date and then release it a day or two later when they add on more dates in the future. So I would keep checking for your missed dates. Plus do a wait list for the dates you still want.

 

[disneynutz]

Low point rooms always book early, certain resorts like VGF book early. That being said, IMO booking today is more of a challenge and it will only get worse as more people buy and members compete for certain resorts and rooms.

Bill

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

When I run across people talking about purchasing with the plans that they will always book room categories such as the value studios at AKV, Concierge at AKV or BLT standard view I caution against that as the number of rooms in those categories is very small. They are rooms that it's great if you can get them and save the points but if you are 100% counting on them you are likely to be disappointed from time to time. The hope is that you won't be frequently disappointed but you'll need to be booking right at 8am at 11 months if those rooms types are the ones you have planned on.

 

[ktmo]

I had the opposite experience, but I am booking 1 bedrooms. We got our points around the same time and I was able to get a 1 bedroom for a long weekend in May at BWV (boardwalk view) and then a long weekend in November at BCV. I was surprised that I got the BWV reservation because I was booking less than 6 months.

 

[TisBit]

There are a lot of factors. if you have a certain resort you want, then it is always more difficult, if you are open to other resorts, you can usually find what you want at 11 or 7 months. Many of the categories you are mentioning are desired because of reduced points costs. So that is another factor. Usually, the value rooms go very quickly at 11 months.

I think there is a learning curve and it will get easier. For last minute reservations (such as April) you really just have to be flexible with resorts. I can almost guarantee you can find something available at the larger resorts or the more expensive view categories (unless it is prime spring break times, then maybe not).

 

[ustasmom]

I actually had my two waitlists come through yesterday so now I have a block of six days in November in the value studio. I would like to be able to pick up a few days earlier (as I'd rather go into F&W and Jersey week rather than Thanksgiving. I think that I may dump my CL reservation. By day 10 the birthday boy will be ready to go home.

My next task is to book at 7 months around Labor Day. I told the kids that we could go for the member event as we can't go to MK as that is when our grandbaby is due. I'm hoping that Labor Day is a slower time. Last year we went during the last week of September. We homeschool and it was still really difficult to bounce back from that timing.

 

[bumbershoot]

I would not consider Labor Day to be slower. Our schools in my area go back after the holiday so the holiday is still going on. (We homeschool too but ds dances at the Y and therefore follows the achool schedules anyway)

I think that I may dump my CL reservation.

I know you feel that you had a hard time, but I'm a person who usually books several different reservations (aka a split stay) purposely. And I think you did well to get the Value and also to get CL when you weren't booking at exactly 11 months. AK isn't my fave but even I recognize the awesomeness of that night's booking.

 

[drusba]

My next task is to book at 7 months around Labor Day. I told the kids that we could go for the member event as we can't go to MK as that is when our grandbaby is due. I'm hoping that Labor Day is a slower time. Last year we went during the last week of September. We homeschool and it was still really difficult to bounce back from that timing.

If your wondering whether time around Labor Day is a slower DVC demand time then be aware that it is a low to moderate DVC demand time. However, getting something at 7 months out for that tome depends on what you want to get. As you are discovering with AKV value and club level, there are certain categories of rooms, with limited numbers and high demand, that can be difficult to get year round at 7 months out and sometimes even at 11 months out, particularly when seeking a studio: AKV value and club level, BWV standard and boardwalk view, BLT standard view, and both standard and lake view studios at VGF. If you are going to be seeking one of those then you face a significant risk of having difficulty at 7 months out for Labor Day time. If, instead, you will be seeking AKV standard or savanna view, BWV pool/garden view, VWL, BLT lake view, Poly, SSR, or OKW, your chances of getting a studio for Labor Day time 7 months out are about 100%. There will also be a decent chance of getting BLT Theme Park view and possibly BCV (but BCV may be very difficult this year because a number of rooms will be out service weekly due to refurbishment)

 

[Lorilais_mommie]

Low point rooms always book early, certain resorts like VGF book early. That being said, IMO booking today is more of a challenge and it will only get worse as more people buy and members compete for certain resorts and rooms.

Bill

I completely agree with this..
The biggest problem I see right now is polly..Most People are buying in expecting to get a studio, and once it's sold out there are going to be a lot of the owners shut out of studios at the 11mo. And With no other choice but to look at other DVC resorts

This is going to make the 7mo. Window even crazier then it already is.


The best advice I ever recived was to buy where you want to stay and buy 15-20 more points then you think you need..