Availability of 2BR units across DVC

Wine & Dine race weekend (Thurs to Sun) in early Nov is the highest DVC demand weekend of the year. Second highest is Marathon weekend in Jan. The Princess half marathon weekend in Feb is the highest DVC demand time during the otherwise low to moderate DVC demand season that runs from mid-Jan to late Sep, and the Star Wars race weekend in April is also high demand. Nevertheless, dedicated 2BRs for all those weekends have thus far been safe at 11-months out except for BLT standard view, which can have a 11-month issue any time of year.

As to 7 months out, you should assume that getting anything anywhere for the Wine & Dine race weekend can be difficult, when even SSR may disappear before 7 months out, although an SSR dedicated 2BR has a chance. SSR 2BRs are usually open for Marathon weekend in Jan and a decent chance for OKW or Kidani savanna view. Princess weekend and Star Wars (with a caveat) are better weekends with dedicated 2BRs at SSR, OKW, Kidani (at least savanna view), VGF(at least preferred view), BRV, and BLT lake view usually open, CCV possible, with some chance for BLT theme park, but BLT stand and BCV are usually gone. The caveat for Star Wars weekend is that some of those dedicated 2BRs usually open may be gone, at least for Thurs, when the race weekend is right after Easter.
I agree with this, at least for a full week. We were able to get a BCV dedicated 2BR at 7-months starting the Sunday of Princess weekend, but the Saturday was not available. I debated trying for CCV, but I think that was only available for 5 nights.
 


I thought they started offering the same incentives for fixed weeks as non fixed at Riviera a few weeks ago.
I thought so too, I know Webmaster Pete was talking about this. One of the reasons people believe RIV is not selling as well as they (DVC) thought it would.
 
I thought they started offering the same incentives for fixed weeks as non fixed at Riviera a few weeks ago.
I believe they did. When we bought FW at CCV, the point requirement was so low (118) we wouldn't have qualified for the incentive threshold anyway, so it didn't factor in to my decision making. Since RIV requires more points, I can see how it could be a sticking point. The way the FW are set up, there are really no downsides except the 10% premium IF you elect to use your guarantee that year. Still full of that DVC flexibility we love.
 


I've been putting some dates into the DVC availability tool https://tools.************.com/points-calculator on DVC Vacations . Keeping in mind all the obvious caveats (this isn't real-time, "availability" is only polled twice a day, probably non-useful at the 11-month and 7-month windows), is this tool generally accurate in broad strokes? It seems a useful counterpart to Skier Pete's charts and does seem accurate insomuch as dates that seem like they should be fully booked (Christmas, NYE) are fully booked, and other dates seem to match Skier Pete's charts with a few surprises.

I'm also wondering whether the official DVC booking tool is more or less friendly (UI, perf, stability) to use than the normal mydisney resort booking tool, but that's really just a minor question...

Continued apologies if these are FAQ - I've found many posts referencing the "availability tool" but most seem to be of the form "Why was this unit gone if it showed available in the tool?" for which the answer already seems pretty obvious to me, and is not the question I am asking...
 
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other dates seem to match Skier Pete's charts with a few surprises.
Pete's charts are a moment in time snapshot and I would be careful taking them as wholly accurate for a present or future view across all units and resorts, as there will always be variability.
 
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The key to availability is that until you are ready to book, everything else is a snapshot, that could be different a minute later,

The charts are definitely a good guide to an idea, and when you are a DVC member and can look at things, you begin to get a sense of things,

But, I have had luck getting things that show hard to get, with a little work. I can also tell you that at the 7 month window for my March trip, within a day, I was able to switch things up 3 times when what I wanted was not available in the morning, but by the end of the day, I got it. I booked what I could around 8:30 am, but the. Checked through the day. Got my 2nd choice around 3 and by night, got my first choice,

Its one of the reasons that booking at 11 months give you the best chance of what you want...if that is tough to do, it makes owning DVC a little less likely to work without some frustration.
 
The key to availability is that until you are ready to book, everything else is a snapshot, that could be different a minute later,

The charts are definitely a good guide to an idea, and when you are a DVC member and can look at things, you begin to get a sense of things,

But, I have had luck getting things that show hard to get, with a little work. I can also tell you that at the 7 month window for my March trip, within a day, I was able to switch things up 3 times when what I wanted was not available in the morning, but by the end of the day, I got it. I booked what I could around 8:30 am, but the. Checked through the day. Got my 2nd choice around 3 and by night, got my first choice,

Its one of the reasons that booking at 11 months give you the best chance of what you want...if that is tough to do, it makes owning DVC a little less likely to work without some frustration.

This is a really good illustration of what DVC booking can be like. At seven months you might say "I'll switch if I can move to BCV,BWV or BLT - I want BCV most, but I'd take BWV and BLT would be preferred over home for this trip." You long in and BCV isn't available, but BLT is. You book it. Maybe at the end of the day, maybe a week later, you check again - maybe BWV or BCV have become available, maybe not. Maybe a few nights are available and you grab them, hoping to fill in for a full stay and if not, you'll move. Maybe you are like me, and are willing to deal with this whole thing only twice - once to book home, once to see if what I want is available at seven months and if not I keep my home reservation.

People who want to stay at a lot of different resorts have the most luck when they are flexible with each trip - they have two or three or four other choices - and don't mind if they end up at home. You have more luck if you are willing to risk (or enjoy having) split stays. And more luck if you are willing to check to see if something more preferable opens up. And there are lots of DVC owners who do all of these things. DVC is less likely to be satisfactory if you have one resort other than your home resort you want to stay at for each trip, its a trip breaker if you can't get the reservation, you won't do a split stay, you won't check multiple times to see if availability frees up.
 
So, as I continue to absorb as much material on DVC as I can, I continue to gravitate to either BCV or BWV for their proximity to Epcot. While BWV seems to have more upside (and seems to be one of the more popular destinations on here), lack of dedicated 2 bedroom units seems like a real sticking point. I want to have some comfortability in landing 2BR at home (at least). And ideally I won't get shut out on my next trip, where I'll be booking between 11 and 9 months once the sale goes through... (unless there is a way for the old contract owner to book a trip on my behalf, which seems problematic to say the least...)

Is this a real concern? Are the dedicated 2BR units enough of an advantage to go with BCV over BWV?
 
So, as I continue to absorb as much material on DVC as I can, I continue to gravitate to either BCV or BWV for their proximity to Epcot. While BWV seems to have more upside (and seems to be one of the more popular destinations on here), lack of dedicated 2 bedroom units seems like a real sticking point. I want to have some comfortability in landing 2BR at home (at least). And ideally I won't get shut out on my next trip, where I'll be booking between 11 and 9 months once the sale goes through... (unless there is a way for the old contract owner to book a trip on my behalf, which seems problematic to say the least...)

Is this a real concern? Are the dedicated 2BR units enough of an advantage to go with BCV over BWV?
Because the studios are so popular, it is quite different to get a SV 2 bedroom at BWV in December. I have been a member since 2003, it has not always been as difficult, but recently it has been. Pool view could be doable. I’m hoping for one next December, and honestly, I am worried.
 
So, as I continue to absorb as much material on DVC as I can, I continue to gravitate to either BCV or BWV for their proximity to Epcot. While BWV seems to have more upside (and seems to be one of the more popular destinations on here), lack of dedicated 2 bedroom units seems like a real sticking point. I want to have some comfortability in landing 2BR at home (at least). And ideally I won't get shut out on my next trip, where I'll be booking between 11 and 9 months once the sale goes through... (unless there is a way for the old contract owner to book a trip on my behalf, which seems problematic to say the least...)

Is this a real concern? Are the dedicated 2BR units enough of an advantage to go with BCV over BWV?

A contract can’t be sold with a reservation so there is no way for an owner to do that.

Since all 2 bedrooms at BWV are lock offs, if studios are gone, then so are the 2 bedrooms. But BWV is much bigger and if you are okay with pool and gardens view then you should be okay around 10 to 11 months fpr The fall time frame and prosbly still okay the rest of the year if you book during home resort,
 
But BWV is much bigger and if you are okay with pool and gardens view then you should be okay around 10 to 11 months fpr The fall time frame and prosbly still okay the rest of the year if you book during home resort,
Sandisw is right - it's because BWV has relatively few standard view villas (and Boardwalk view, for that matter) that they're hard to book in early December and other popular DVC times (race weekends, for instance). There are a lot more pool/garden view villas, and they're usually not as difficult to book.
 
Pete's charts are a moment in time snapshot and I would be careful taking them as wholly accurate for a present or future view across all units and resorts, as there will always be variability.

Correct, my charts are really just to use as trends, they are not up to the minute accurate. I am looking at options to automate them to be morr.accurate, but this is a ways off.
 
So, as I continue to absorb as much material on DVC as I can, I continue to gravitate to either BCV or BWV for their proximity to Epcot. While BWV seems to have more upside (and seems to be one of the more popular destinations on here), lack of dedicated 2 bedroom units seems like a real sticking point. I want to have some comfortability in landing 2BR at home (at least). And ideally I won't get shut out on my next trip, where I'll be booking between 11 and 9 months once the sale goes through... (unless there is a way for the old contract owner to book a trip on my behalf, which seems problematic to say the least...)

Is this a real concern? Are the dedicated 2BR units enough of an advantage to go with BCV over BWV?
You'll likely have a hard time getting a standard view 2 bedroom anytime after 11 months. Boardwalk views will go pretty fast as well in the fall, but shouldn't be a problem January - September just after 11 months. Pool/garden view rooms are usually available to 9 months most of the year. (See the studio charts for BWV.)
 
You'll likely have a hard time getting a standard view 2 bedroom anytime after 11 months. Boardwalk views will go pretty fast as well in the fall, but shouldn't be a problem January - September just after 11 months. Pool/garden view rooms are usually available to 9 months most of the year. (See the studio charts for BWV.)
Thanks! I really appreciate the work you've done on the charts. They are super useful complement to the tool and the booking process.
 

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