kristenrice
NOT just an ambulance driver
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2006
We're at it again! My sister wants to take her girls with me and my girls to WDW in October 2019. The husbands don't want to go since they are "Disney'd" out and we don't want any party poopers with us anyways. When we started talking about it, we mentioned it to Dad, the only Disney-loving male left in the family, and he said that he (and mom) would like to come too. As of now, we know we are going the third week of October 2019 and everyone already has their park tickets.
We are planning to use my DVC points since I offered, but now, I'm not sure how we are going to accomplish what we'd like to do. Here is my thoughts and I would really appreciate input. I have gone in October several times and I know how hard it can be to book and so I have already taken that into consideration. I own at AKV so that is where the bulk of the points will be coming from. I will have 92 banked points and 100 current points. I would rather transfer in additional points instead of borrowing from 2020 since we may really need those points. Here's the breakdown....
My sister and her kids, and our parents are planning to arrive on Friday. My girls and I will not be arriving until Saturday. We will be a party of 8 so I would like to book (2) standard studios at AKV for Friday and Saturday night. My parents will take one and my sister and kids will take the other on Friday. Then, on Saturday, my girls and I will "fill in the blanks" and split up into the two rooms. For Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights, we would move to a standard 2BR at Kidani, which was actually the original plan for 6 of the 7/8 nights. My sister and I started talking about it, and since this may very well be my parents' final trip to WDW, we'd like to do something that my dad has always wanted....to stay at the Contemporary. I'd like to move to a LV 2BR at BLT for the last three nights of the trip. We are all fine with the split stays and we really want to make it happen.
Here's how the points break down...
(2) Standard Studios at AKV for Fri-Sat: 56 points
Standard 2BR at AKV for Sun-Tue: 93 points
Lake View 2BR at BLT for Wed: 43 points
Lake View 2BR at BLT for Thu-Fri: 93 points
Here is my plan...
First, our number one goal is to make sure we have rooms for the entire week. This is where I will need some input. I would like to book the first 5 nights at AKV at their respective 11-month windows. I can use up 149 of my 192 available AKV points to secure those nights. I will need to transfer in the remaining 93 points. Ideally, I would like to find BLT points. If I am able to do that, I would book the LAST 2 nights with those points, leaving just one night (Wednesday) that would need to wait until the 7 month mark. If I couldn't get BLT points, then I would simply have to book the last three nights at the 7-month window.
What makes me the most nervous is trying to book in October at 7 months out using transferred points, thereby giving up an hour to those who can book online. I am planning everything I can to maximize our chances (shorter stay starting on a Wednesday, Lake View, home resort points), but I still don't know how good my chances will be. We had amazing luck the last time we tried this...used transferred points and managed a 2BR standard at BWV for 7 days in October...so I know it can be done. We would also consider renting points for the last two nights, but since this will already be a three-way split, adding another reservation to the mix with another potential move is not something we want to do. I just don't know how many owners are OK with transferring under 100 points.
OK you master strategists...help me out. Give me a plan of attack. Do I *need* BLT points? Will I have a chance for those 3 nights at 7 months? If we can't get BLT, we'd simply stay at AKV...or even OKW, since Dad loves that resort too.
We are planning to use my DVC points since I offered, but now, I'm not sure how we are going to accomplish what we'd like to do. Here is my thoughts and I would really appreciate input. I have gone in October several times and I know how hard it can be to book and so I have already taken that into consideration. I own at AKV so that is where the bulk of the points will be coming from. I will have 92 banked points and 100 current points. I would rather transfer in additional points instead of borrowing from 2020 since we may really need those points. Here's the breakdown....
My sister and her kids, and our parents are planning to arrive on Friday. My girls and I will not be arriving until Saturday. We will be a party of 8 so I would like to book (2) standard studios at AKV for Friday and Saturday night. My parents will take one and my sister and kids will take the other on Friday. Then, on Saturday, my girls and I will "fill in the blanks" and split up into the two rooms. For Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights, we would move to a standard 2BR at Kidani, which was actually the original plan for 6 of the 7/8 nights. My sister and I started talking about it, and since this may very well be my parents' final trip to WDW, we'd like to do something that my dad has always wanted....to stay at the Contemporary. I'd like to move to a LV 2BR at BLT for the last three nights of the trip. We are all fine with the split stays and we really want to make it happen.
Here's how the points break down...
(2) Standard Studios at AKV for Fri-Sat: 56 points
Standard 2BR at AKV for Sun-Tue: 93 points
Lake View 2BR at BLT for Wed: 43 points
Lake View 2BR at BLT for Thu-Fri: 93 points
Here is my plan...
First, our number one goal is to make sure we have rooms for the entire week. This is where I will need some input. I would like to book the first 5 nights at AKV at their respective 11-month windows. I can use up 149 of my 192 available AKV points to secure those nights. I will need to transfer in the remaining 93 points. Ideally, I would like to find BLT points. If I am able to do that, I would book the LAST 2 nights with those points, leaving just one night (Wednesday) that would need to wait until the 7 month mark. If I couldn't get BLT points, then I would simply have to book the last three nights at the 7-month window.
What makes me the most nervous is trying to book in October at 7 months out using transferred points, thereby giving up an hour to those who can book online. I am planning everything I can to maximize our chances (shorter stay starting on a Wednesday, Lake View, home resort points), but I still don't know how good my chances will be. We had amazing luck the last time we tried this...used transferred points and managed a 2BR standard at BWV for 7 days in October...so I know it can be done. We would also consider renting points for the last two nights, but since this will already be a three-way split, adding another reservation to the mix with another potential move is not something we want to do. I just don't know how many owners are OK with transferring under 100 points.
OK you master strategists...help me out. Give me a plan of attack. Do I *need* BLT points? Will I have a chance for those 3 nights at 7 months? If we can't get BLT, we'd simply stay at AKV...or even OKW, since Dad loves that resort too.