BLT attempt at 11 months... should I have a backup?

[KarmaCat]

I’m set to try to book a BLT studio standard DVC rental the week of Thanksgiving. Already put down my deposit, broker is ready to go the morning the 11 month window opens.

I know BLT can be hard to get... Has anyone had trouble snagging a studio right at 11 months? Should I have a backup ready? Would GF or Poly studios be easier to book than BLT?

I’m a first time renter and I’m nervous about being unprepared and missing the opportunity to snag a monorail resort that week.

Thanks!!

 

[LittleFishy101]

If the renter is on there right when booking opens at 11 months, you should be ok. Grand Floridian will definitely not be easier because those rooms typically fill up faster. Poly could be open longer becuase they have more studios, but I don’t think you will have a problem with BLT. Good luck!

 

[kboo]

Especially if you have some flexibility to get a lake view, rather than either standard or TPV room. Good luck! We were at BLT in a 2BR this past Thanksgiving and it was great to be within walking distance of MK.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I’m set to try to book a BLT studio standard DVC rental the week of Thanksgiving. Already put down my deposit, broker is ready to go the morning the 11 month window opens.

I know BLT can be hard to get... Has anyone had trouble snagging a studio right at 11 months? Should I have a backup ready? Would GF or Poly studios be easier to book than BLT?

I’m a first time renter and I’m nervous about being unprepared and missing the opportunity to snag a monorail resort that week.

Thanks!!

The backup should be one of the other categories of studios at BLT. Lakeview or MK view. Standard will likely be gone but it doesn't hurt to try. However you don't need to look at other resorts for backup, just other views. Any and all talk about difficulties booking BLT have to do with standard view studios and 2BR's. BLT itself is not difficult to book at 11 months.

 

[drusba]

BLT standard view studios have some risk of disappearing at, and sometimes even before, 8 a.m. at exactly 11 months out for the time you want. And that is regardless of whether your owner is online at 8 a.m. -- the winner can be the one whose computer communicates faster with Disney's computer at 8 a.m. Your arrival date might make a difference. If it is the Saturday before Thanksgiving chances of being blocked at 11 months out is lower than if it is the Tuesday before Thanksgiving (e.g., for 2018, the Monday to Friday of Thanksgiving week in a BLT standard studio disappeared 11 months out from the Monday). Also, you mention the "broker" is ready to go at exactly 11 months out, but understand that it is not the broker who has to make the reservation, but the DVC member providing the rental through the broker and I do not know what assurances that person has given to try to reserve exactly at 8 a.m.

The same issue can exist for VGF studios although less a risk there. Poly is likely to be open beyond the 11 month window for that week. That is also true of BLT lake view and theme park view. I agree with the above that your best back-up plan would be BLT lake view because the owner you are dealing with could get that as soon as he learns standard is not open. He cannot get any other resort at 11 months out unless he also owns at the other resort.

 

[Frederic Civish]

I’m set to try to book a BLT studio standard DVC rental the week of Thanksgiving. Already put down my deposit, broker is ready to go the morning the 11 month window opens.

I know BLT can be hard to get... Has anyone had trouble snagging a studio right at 11 months? Should I have a backup ready? Would GF or Poly studios be easier to book than BLT?

Yes. In November, I made BLT reservations for Mid October. I wanted a Standard Studio and a Standard 2-Bedroom Lock-Off. I started trying to get them right at 8 AM Eastern time, FIVE DAYS IN ADVANCE of the days when I really wanted them. I couldn't snag either one on the first 2 days that I tried. They were gone in seconds. I got the Standard Studio on the 3rd day, and I never did get the Lock-Off. Instead, I ended up switching to a Standard 2-Bedroom on the 5th day.

Some of the reservation places are saying that October and November are booking out TWO MONTHS EARLIER THAN LAST YEAR. I would be very careful, and have alternative plans. Also, do they have an Owner who would be willing to try it a day or two early, and 'walk' it? This gives you MORE CHANCES.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Also, do they have an Owner who would be willing to try it a day or two early, and 'walk' it? This gives you MORE CHANCES.

Agencies don't facilitate walks.

 

[Frederic Civish]

I kind of hate to say it, but, with the changes to the reservation program, Walking is becoming a standard tool, rather than an aberration that some people engage in. If they didn't want people to walk it, then they would have written their program differently. What this will mean for the future, is that it really will make it harder to get the reservations we want. Every morning, I watched as the days I wanted disappeared faster than I could click my own mouse. And then, a few minutes later, the previous day would suddenly appear, as people walked, and thus freed it up, because it really wasn't what they wanted.

Perhaps it might be possible to start making a reservation, every day, from the days that suddenly appear, from walking, and if someone did it every morning, they might be able to string enough days together for their whole vacation.

 

[Frederic Civish]

Perhaps it might be possible to start making a reservation, every day, from the days that suddenly appear, from walking, and if someone did it every morning, they might be able to string enough days together for their whole vacation.

Let's call it 'Stamp Collecting' and you are hoping to get a new 'stamp' every day, until you have them all. Or maybe we could call it 'Collecting Trading Cards.'

 

[CraigInPA]

Attempting to get a standard studio at BLT for Thanksgiving week is going to be a hit or miss proposition if the owner is ready to book at 8am. If the owner doesn't get online until after that, you're likely not going to get a standard studio. Your backup plan would be to spend the extra points needed to get a lake view studio.

 

[KarmaCat]

Thanks for everyone’s feedback. It sounds like I shouldn’t have a problem getting *something* but should remain flexible about the booking category if I want that to happen. I’ll tell my agent that it’s fine to use one of the Poly studios as a backup if the standard and lake view studios at BLT disappear too quickly.

Thank you!!!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

LAke View rarely disappears quickly. It is a big category at BLT?

 

[stuartsong]

Thanks for everyone’s feedback. It sounds like I shouldn’t have a problem getting *something* but should remain flexible about the booking category if I want that to happen. I’ll tell my agent that it’s fine to use one of the Poly studios as a backup if the standard and lake view studios at BLT disappear too quickly.

Thank you!!!

If you are ok with the lake view studio, you should not have a problem getting that booking.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Agree on the lakeview and I'd keep it simple and just select categories at BLT. If you don't want to include Theme park view into the mix you'll almost certainly get lakeview. It's just the standard view that is a toss up.

 

[CraigInPA]

LAke View rarely disappears quickly. It is a big category at BLT?

Lake view studios are a huge category. Theme park and standard view combined aren't as large as lake view.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Lake view studios are a huge category. Theme park and standard view combined aren't as large as lake view.

Yeah. That ? Is a result of bad mobile typing. LV is huge. I think people do not understand the balance of units at BLT (or BWV, or AKV, both of which also have an outsized category in their set).

 

[KarmaCat]

Thanks to everyone for your help. I’m happy to report that my broker was able to secure a BLT standard studio for us, as we’d hoped! We also got an ocean view unit at Vero Beach for three nights after we leave WDW. I am SO excited!!!!!

 

[jennyq87]

Thanks to everyone for your help. I’m happy to report that my broker was able to secure a BLT standard studio for us, as we’d hoped! We also got an ocean view unit at Vero Beach for three nights after we leave WDW. I am SO excited!!!!!

Although I still feel nervous since it's my first time and I'm not totally sure what to expect availability-wise - this post made me feel better! I'm glad I searched around. I go to Disney about once a year, but this will be my first time trying to rent DVC points. I already have my request in for late January 2020 (been in for about a month) to try and get a week in either a Poly Lake View Studio or a Lake View Studio at the Grand. The 11 month window opens up on 2/24 - does anyone have any tips for me on setting my expectations? Since I'm requesting a Lake View does that help my chances? It seems like people are suggesting the Standard views are more difficult to get? Or tips for choosing one over the other in the case that they're both available? Or are those two popular enough that I should have a third option in mind? I appreciate any advice!!!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Although I still feel nervous since it's my first time and I'm not totally sure what to expect availability-wise - this post made me feel better! I'm glad I searched around. I go to Disney about once a year, but this will be my first time trying to rent DVC points. I already have my request in for late January 2020 (been in for about a month) to try and get a week in either a Poly Lake View Studio or a Lake View Studio at the Grand. The 11 month window opens up on 2/24 - does anyone have any tips for me on setting my expectations? Since I'm requesting a Lake View does that help my chances? It seems like people are suggesting the Standard views are more difficult to get? Or tips for choosing one over the other in the case that they're both available? Or are those two popular enough that I should have a third option in mind? I appreciate any advice!!!

There is no real relationship between what is Standard at BLT and Standard at Poly or VGF. Late January is also a lower season for demand at WDW, although Galaxy's Edge is going to influence crowds a lot. The key for either will be an owner with points who is willing to make the booking. Poly should be quite achievable, VGF less so since there are so few of them.

 

[lawboy2001]

Every morning, I watched as the days I wanted disappeared faster than I could click my own mouse. And then, a few minutes later, the previous day would suddenly appear, as people walked, and thus freed it up, because it really wasn't what they wanted..

It's annoying for sure, but doesn't this scenario you set out, just mean that there are opportunities to book if you attempt to book at a few minutes AFTER 8am, the day AFTER your desired 11 month window opens up? So if you are looking for March 1, you would be out of luck at 8am on April 1, but on April 2, at a few minutes after 8, the walkers would drop their unneeded days, and March 1 would open up for you? I understand this means you have to be on there every day grabbing your desired reservation day by day.

Or maybe I have this wrong. I have never walked and really have no interest in investing the energy into trying to out manoeuvre people who have that kind of energy!!