I have just booked my September 2019 stay at 7 months in a studio.
I got 4 nights at BLT standard, 4 nights at BWV standard and 4 nights at AKV Jambo standard.
Those are difficult categories to get, above all the first two. BLT standard was open at 7 months, I got BWV standard via a waitlist, 3 days after creating it.
The split stay is by design (so I can always stay at a resort near the parks I plan to visit each day), but it helped to find availability.
The difficulty of switching at 7 months is a bit overstated here on the DISboards. While it is true that you cannot always get what you want, with the right amount of flexibility it is possible to book all other resorts. This is one of the things I like the most about my ownership and I'm not sure I would buy if I had to always stay at one resort.
September is Adventure season for a reson. While demand picks up hugely on the 4th week, the rest of the month is really low demand for DVC, even with the lowest points requirement. The aborted 2020 reallocation on average increased the cost of Adventure season. I do not really agree with the principle, September and late January see really good availability at 7 months even with the low point costs.
Adventure season is not priced too low, the problem is that there are periods that really shouldn't be in Adventure season anymore: marathon week end, the last week of September and the first two weeks of December.
Important: when resort hopping, better to have a Plan B and C.
I didn't really hope to get standard rooms at all three resorts. I had the points to book BLT Lake and BWV garden and I was planning for Kidani standard which is easier than Jambo. Getting all three is a really welcome bonus, but I didn't count on it at all. And some resorts can be much more difficult than others anytime: CCV, VGC, VGF
I'll save a total of 33 points thanks to the standard views, which is equivalent to $495. I'm thinking about booking as a treat a Wild Africa Trek tour with the savings. Is it worth it?
I got 4 nights at BLT standard, 4 nights at BWV standard and 4 nights at AKV Jambo standard.
Those are difficult categories to get, above all the first two. BLT standard was open at 7 months, I got BWV standard via a waitlist, 3 days after creating it.
The split stay is by design (so I can always stay at a resort near the parks I plan to visit each day), but it helped to find availability.
The difficulty of switching at 7 months is a bit overstated here on the DISboards. While it is true that you cannot always get what you want, with the right amount of flexibility it is possible to book all other resorts. This is one of the things I like the most about my ownership and I'm not sure I would buy if I had to always stay at one resort.
September is Adventure season for a reson. While demand picks up hugely on the 4th week, the rest of the month is really low demand for DVC, even with the lowest points requirement. The aborted 2020 reallocation on average increased the cost of Adventure season. I do not really agree with the principle, September and late January see really good availability at 7 months even with the low point costs.
Adventure season is not priced too low, the problem is that there are periods that really shouldn't be in Adventure season anymore: marathon week end, the last week of September and the first two weeks of December.
Important: when resort hopping, better to have a Plan B and C.
I didn't really hope to get standard rooms at all three resorts. I had the points to book BLT Lake and BWV garden and I was planning for Kidani standard which is easier than Jambo. Getting all three is a really welcome bonus, but I didn't count on it at all. And some resorts can be much more difficult than others anytime: CCV, VGC, VGF
I'll save a total of 33 points thanks to the standard views, which is equivalent to $495. I'm thinking about booking as a treat a Wild Africa Trek tour with the savings. Is it worth it?
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