Availability for Christmas time at 7 & 11 months?

[sarajoy]

Hi all! Husband and I have been researching buying into DVC. We're debating on home resort and are considering AKV, BLT, Poly, or Riviera.

-We'd do a standard studio for the 2 of us (no kids) and go the 1st or 2nd week of December. If no availability we'd go in November (avoiding Thanksgiving week). This is our ideal time to go because we love the Christmas decorations and cooler weather.

Few questions:
1. I understand it's difficult to book studios during November and December, but how difficult are we talking? Seems like this year everything booked up fast (is it because of Star Wars opening or is this normal?)

2. Would I only be able to book my home resort for Nov/Dec and need to book online asap at opening at 11 months? Is there any chance of booking at 7 months?

3. Other years we'd do a 2 bedroom or 2 studios when we bring parents and other family. Are 2 bedrooms hard to book at 7 months?

4. Is it possible to book 2 studios online at the same time? If not, is it risky to book one right after the other because it may get booked up in the process? (We're thinking of doing 2 studios instead of 2-bedroom if our home resort is Riviera).

Thanks for any input!

 

[Minniesgal]

The first two weeks of December are the busiest DVC weeks of the year and a studio can be a challenge then even at 11 months. The rest of the year you should be fine at 11 months. Fed to end of August 7 months isn't too bad.

 

[jerseyduke]

How difficult depends on resort.
SWGE is not a factor in December resort availability, its always hard
Small resort like Grand Floridian, all but impossible at 11 months 8 AM, you almost have to walk the reservation.
I would say there is very little change at booking at 7 months, except at maybe SSR and OKW.
2 bed Rooms are also tough. 1 bed rooms are the lowest demand.

IF you buy at Riviera (or anywhere directly from Disney) I would buy a fixed week (48 or 49). I bought VGF directly from Disney for early December and it was a huge mistake not to buy a fixed week - I had to buy a contract at Boulder Ridge to use that week and use my VGF elsewhere.

 

[Philsfan77]

Everything was pretty much gone at 7 months this year except a few 1 bedrooms at Saratoga for the first week of December (we booked the 5th to the 9th.) 2nd week of December you might have been able to piece together a stay for a week at a few resorts (but it seemed like slim pickings and most dates available were on the weekends.) I'd say if you are planning to come strictly during those times to buy where you want to stay and book at 11 months or buy the guaranteed week as someone else mentioned earlier.

I'm new to this, but I don't think you can book 2 studios online at the same time, I believe you'd have to book one, and then book the 2nd one (and then call member services to try and get the rooms together if thats what you wanted). Someone with more experience would have to verify that as I have not tried to book more than 1 room without calling member services directly.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

The first two weeks of December are pure "buy where you want to stay" territory, because you won't be switching at 7 months. This has been true for years, not just SWGE.

I'm new to this, but I don't think you can book 2 studios online at the same time, I believe you'd have to book one, and then book the 2nd one (and then call member services to try and get the rooms together if thats what you wanted).

This is correct. And "together" can vary considerably, since the only resort with connecting studios is Poly.

If not, is it risky to book one right after the other because it may get booked up in the process? (We're thinking of doing 2 studios instead of 2-bedroom if our home resort is Riviera).

In short, yes, this is possible. And the corollary is that if you had to waitlist, one might come through but not the other.

 

[sarajoy]

IF you buy at Riviera (or anywhere directly from Disney) I would buy a fixed week (48 or 49). I bought VGF directly from Disney for early December and it was a huge mistake not to buy a fixed week - I had to buy a contract at Boulder Ridge to use that week and use my VGF elsewhere.

Great idea about buying a fixed week! I forgot that is a possibility with buying direct. That would definitely save some stress. If I do so, am I limited to booking the same room type every year? Some years we'd want a studio and other years 2 bedroom (or 2 studios)

 

[sarajoy]

Thanks so much everyone for your input! For staying in December do I need to plan on booking online right when it opens at 11 months? (I'm thinking for AKL, BLT, Poly) I'm concerned if studios or 2 bedrooms book up within minutes.

 

[The Jackal]

No, it would be booked for you at 11 months, you could cancel the reservation and get 10% more points then the fixed week Fixed weeks use 10% more points.

 

[skippytx]

BLT Standard studio is going to be difficult to book even right at 11 months for that timeframe. Most people will be walking that reservation, some will have been walking for weeks or even months. If BLT is where you want to stay, buy enough points for lakeview. There are not many Standard rooms at BLT, they're difficult to book during peak DVC times. It can be done, but I wouldn't feel comfortable telling someone new to DVC that it's gonna happen and then your plans get ruined. Plan for lakeview and if you can get standard consider it a bonus and stay an extra day.

 

[Deb & Bill]

We booked a studio at OKW at 11 months out for the second week of Dec. I had to cancel it in February because we had an issue come up where we thought we might need to use those points. Solved the issue and tried to book that same studio in March and could only get one night. Waitlisted the other two nights that bookended the night I could book. I got the first night last week and got the third night yesterday. I was lucky I could waitlist each night separately (you can only have two waitlists and villa type and category are a single waitlist - you can't waitlist both standard and preferred for one waitlist). A single night is so much easier than multiple nights on the waitlist.

And this was OKW which is always the one other members say you should be able to book at seven months out. Don't plan on staying anywhere else but your home resort for the first two weeks of Dec.

 

[GoingSince1990]

We booked a studio at OKW at 11 months out for the second week of Dec. I had to cancel it in February because we had an issue come up where we thought we might need to use those points. Solved the issue and tried to book that same studio in March and could only get one night. Waitlisted the other two nights that bookended the night I could book. I got the first night last week and got the third night yesterday. I was lucky I could waitlist each night separately (you can only have two waitlists and villa type and category are a single waitlist - you can't waitlist both standard and preferred for one waitlist). A single night is so much easier than multiple nights on the waitlist.

And this was OKW which is always the one other members say you should be able to book at seven months out. Don't plan on staying anywhere else but your home resort for the first two weeks of Dec.

Question on waitlisting as you did: when the waitlist comes through on the separate nights, are those nights combined into the original reservation, or do they get booked as new reservations? Is there ever a possibility of having to move rooms during your stay in this scenario?

 

[Deb & Bill]

Question on waitlisting as you did: when the waitlist comes through on the separate nights, are those nights combined into the original reservation, or do they get booked as new reservations? Is there ever a possibility of having to move rooms during your stay in this scenario?

They were all the same booking category and each time a night was added, it was added to my reservation to make one new reservation. Now I have a three night single reservation at OKW.

 

[sarajoy]

BLT Standard studio is going to be difficult to book even right at 11 months for that timeframe. Most people will be walking that reservation, some will have been walking for weeks or even months. If BLT is where you want to stay, buy enough points for lakeview.

Good to know and I appreciate the advice! I didn't know people would be walking to be able to book then. Sounds challenging for a newbie. I'll look into points for lakeview, but might end up crossing BLT off the list.

And this was OKW which is always the one other members say you should be able to book at seven months out. Don't plan on staying anywhere else but your home resort for the first two weeks of Dec.

Oh wow! Yeah, I've heard people say OKW should be available at 7 months, so that puts things into perspective at how busy it is for those two weeks. Is November any better? (besides Thanksgiving week)

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Oh wow! Yeah, I've heard people say OKW should be available at 7 months, so that puts things into perspective at how busy it is for those two weeks. Is November any better? (besides Thanksgiving week)

November has Jersey Week, the Wine & Dine Half, and the end of Food and Wine. It is not as bad as the first two weeks of December, but that's not saying "oh, it's great!" You're comparing a time that is busy and high demand and is frequently booked before 7 months with a time that is almost always booked before 9 months.

 

[jerseyduke]

Great idea about buying a fixed week! I forgot that is a possibility with buying direct. That would definitely save some stress. If I do so, am I limited to booking the same room type every year? Some years we'd want a studio and other years 2 bedroom (or 2 studios)

You can always cancel the fixed week and get the points plus the premium you paid.
The SMALL

Great idea about buying a fixed week! I forgot that is a possibility with buying direct. That would definitely save some stress. If I do so, am I limited to booking the same room type every year? Some years we'd want a studio and other years 2 bedroom (or 2 studios)

Fixed week seems to be a no brainer for you if buying direct. It guarantees you that week in that room type and view. It locks you into nothing really, outside of having to see a fixed week on the resale market.
Beauty is if it comes to light that you did not need the fixed week, maybe its easy to book at 11 months, you can cancel every year and get the extra points (the rebook it right away). Might be enough to give you a weekend every other year should you desire. This of course assumes no reallocation of points. If your week is 150 and you buy 165 (the 10% premium) and they add a point to every night, making your week 157, if you cancel and rebook, you only get 8 points, not 15.

If you dont use one year, cancel, bank, and use the points next year.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Worth noting: The only resort OP can buy a fixed week at in her list is RIviera. It is not an option with Disney for BLT or AKV. Disney Direct cannot sell a new fixed week for Poly, and getting one would require finding it on the resale market (hard).

 

[drusba]

Late Sep to marathon weekend in Jan is DVC's high to extremely high demand time. During that time switching to a studio in a near park resort at 7 months out can be difficult to impossible. AKV Kidani, OKW and SSR studios tend to have more open dates but even those have disappeared before 7 months out, particularly for some dates in the extremely high demand times, which are: the Thurs before to the second weekend after Columbus Day in Oct; the Wine & Dine race weekend, the last weekend of Food & Wine, and the Tues through Fri of Thanksgiving week in Nov: the first two weeks of Dec, Dec 23 to Jan 1, and marathon weekend in Jan (for any weekend I mentioned, that means the Thurs to Sun)

As to the 11-month window during that period, you can have difficulty reserving any of the following studios exactly at 11 months out because a risk exists that they can be gone within seconds after the 11 month window opens at 8 a.m. at 11-months out: AKV club level and value, BWV standard and boardwalk view, BLT standard view, CCV, and VGF. The risk among those varies. AKV club level and value, BLT standard view, and BWV standard view have the risk throughout that high demand period, CCV seems to be approaching that level of difficulty. The risk for VGF and BWV boardwalk view seem to be limited to some extremely high demand times, particularly those in Nov and Dec.

Other studios, including AKV standard and savanna view, Poly, and BLT lake and theme park views have not had that 11-month problem where rooms disappear very quickly at 8 a.m., although you should plan to still reserve at 11 months out to avoid problems, particularly for those extremely high demand times in Nov and Dec. Riviera has not opened yet and has no known patterns. However, based on number of rooms and lower point cost, and the fact that the high purchase price and high points needed per night indicates most will likely buy to get studios, my guess is that the Tower studios will most likely develop an 11-month issue similar to AKV value, for which the problem exists much of the year, or AKV club level for which the 11-month issues exists for every night of the year), and other studios at Riviera may also develop some risk of getting them at exactly 11 months out during parts of that high demand season.

 

[jo-jo]

I'm no expert in the ins and out of booking, but just to mention use year. We tend to go the same time as you. We have a Dec. use year and at times that has caused us issues. You can't book online crossing use years. The year we have a trip starting on Nov 30. I couldn't book a whole week. I was in a panic trying to get a standard studio at 11 months. But I did get it, going day by day and stalking.

 

[drusba]

I'm no expert in the ins and out of booking, but just to mention use year. We tend to go the same time as you. We have a Dec. use year and at times that has caused us issues. You can't book online crossing use years. The year we have a trip starting on Nov 30. I couldn't book a whole week. I was in a panic trying to get a standard studio at 11 months. But I did get it, going day by day and stalking.

Yes, that is definitely another consideration. If your intent is to go mostly during the high demand season in Oct, Nov or Dec, the best use year is Sep or Aug

 

[sarajoy]

If we were to do AKV we'd do either standard or savannah studio (not value), so it seems like AKV would be a good option (we'd still book at 11 months). Love the lower points as well. The only thing holding me back is the transportation to parks and the room locations to bus stops and lobby- I've been doing some research and it seems like the buses are great and the resort isn't as far out as it seems. We use a combination of Disney's transportation and Uber/Lyft. We haven't stayed at AKV before, but are planning on it soon to check it out.

BLT seems too risky for the time period we want to go. I don't think I want to deal with the stress each year. Poly seems like the best option if we want to be on the monorail, so we'll have to do more research on that resort.

Riviera with a fixed year is an excellent option. Thanks for more info on that! We're thinking we'd go 2 out of 3 years, so on the year we skip we could cancel our fixed week and then for the following year use the banked points to get a second studio for when we bring family. Would this work?