Booking other resorts at 7 months...

[correcaminos]

Great, thank you for all of this! That really helps. Our home resort is Copper Creek- and we also want to do a few nights at AKL and either Beach Club or Boardwalk. AKL & Boardwalk are much less than CC per night at the time we want to go (December 2019 Adventure Season) so I’m trying to work out how to play it as we’ll have more nights at those two with points than at CC & BC.

I personally would not count on getting Boardwalk or Beach Club at all especially if you were doing Studios. That time of year is just super busy for DVC and Beach Club it's a small Resort and Boardwalk is quite popular. If I were you I would book your stay is two separate stays meaning but the first days you would want at Copper Creek, and then a couple days later but the second part. Then you can easily modify your half at 7 months to see what's available. Animal Kingdom Lodge should not be a problem as a whole to get.

 

[Ariel1986]

I personally would not count on getting Boardwalk or Beach Club at all especially if you were doing Studios. That time of year is just super busy for DVC and Beach Club it's a small Resort and Boardwalk is quite popular. If I were you I would book your stay is two separate stays meaning but the first days you would want at Copper Creek, and then a couple days later but the second part. Then you can easily modify your half at 7 months to see what's available. Animal Kingdom Lodge should not be a problem as a whole to get.

Thanks this is what I’m planning to do now. We’ll be happy whatever’s available- we’d just wanted to stretch out some of our points a little further for the second part if possible, and try out some other deluxe resorts- but it doesn’t matter if we can’t.

 

[correcaminos]

Thanks this is what I’m planning to do now. We’ll be happy whatever’s available- we’d just wanted to stretch out some of our points a little further for the second part if possible, and try out some other deluxe resorts- but it doesn’t matter if we can’t.

That is a good attitude. We enjoy staying all over really and are happy with many locations. OKW and SSR are good for low points too. SSR is almost always open.

 

[Ariel1986]

Ok another newbie question... when I book my home resort- I assume I can book 11 months out for the duration of my stay? As long as the first night is within my booking window?

 

[lostpro9het]

Ok another newbie question... when I book my home resort- I assume I can book 11 months out for the duration of my stay? As long as the first night is within my booking window?

I think the limit is around 7-8 nights out from the 11-month mark but ive never booked anything longer than that, personally.

 

[MotherofaPrincessLover]

Ok another newbie question... when I book my home resort- I assume I can book 11 months out for the duration of my stay? As long as the first night is within my booking window?

You can book for 7 nights when the 11 month window opens.

 

[Ariel1986]

I think the limit is around 7-8 nights out from the 11-month mark but ive never booked anything longer than that, personally.

You can book for 7 nights when the 11 month window opens.

Thanks!

 

[correcaminos]

I think the limit is around 7-8 nights out from the 11-month mark but ive never booked anything longer than that, personally.

7 nights is the limit. Anything beyond that will have to be added day by day. Same with immediately at the 7 month mark too. Once inside the window you can add more.

 

[YorkshireT]

Best way to grab other resorts at 7 months?

Simply book 1 beds, I can usually get any resort and most views in 1 beds at 7 months.

 

[GoofGoof]

If you book at your home resort at the 11 month window and want to change at the 7 month window it is not problem to do.

Just beware that if you borrowed points for your stay from your next use year, and the new 7 month resort or room type wind up being less total points than your original 11 month selection, those points are returned to the the use year of your original reservation's stay. Those points then must be used during that use year would then be unable to be banked.

SS is our home resort, but we have never stayed there. We always like to alternate our stays between BLT and VGF. Usually go in August and have rarely found difficulties in booking at the 7 month window.

This is pretty much everything I was going to say

Best way to grab other resorts at 7 months?

Simply book 1 beds, I can usually get any resort and most views in 1 beds at 7 months.

1 BR seems to be the easiest to get. I’ve never had any problems getting what I want at 7 month mark but it’s usually a 1BR and later in Aug or Nov before thanksgiving so probably not the most popular times of year either.

 

[correcaminos]

This is pretty much everything I was going to say

1 BR seems to be the easiest to get. I’ve never had any problems getting what I want at 7 month mark but it’s usually a 1BR and later in Aug or Nov before thanksgiving so probably not the most popular times of year either.

November is super popular for DVC bookings. Aug, not so much.

 

[GoofGoof]

November is super popular for DVC bookings. Aug, not so much.

I’ve never personally had an issue with booking in November. I avoid NJ weekend and Thanksgiving week itself. We usually did the week before Thanksgiving which is right after F&W ends. It’s a really nice time to go. Lower crowds, nice weather and they have most or all of the Christmas stuff going. I did notice last year that the crowds were much higher in Nov so maybe other people are on to it too. In the past there were regularly 1 and 2 crowd days per touring plans some of the days. It was much more crowded last year.

 

[correcaminos]

I’ve never personally had an issue with booking in November. I avoid NJ weekend and Thanksgiving week itself. We usually did the week before Thanksgiving which is right after F&W ends. It’s a really nice time to go. Lower crowds, nice weather and they have most or all of the Christmas stuff going. I did notice last year that the crowds were much higher in Nov so maybe other people are on to it too. In the past there were regularly 1 and 2 crowd days per touring plans some of the days. It was much more crowded last year.

We used to do November and December. We stopped when we noticed crowds were getting higher and temps weren't always warm enough for me.

November is traditionally a busier time for DVC. Of course if you aren't doing a studio or not at Epcot or MK areas it's not as hard.

 

[GoofGoof]

We used to do November and December. We stopped when we noticed crowds were getting higher and temps weren't always warm enough for me.

November is traditionally a busier time for DVC. Of course if you aren't doing a studio or not at Epcot or MK areas it's not as hard.

November is tricky. You have Thanksgiving week which is now probably second only to Christmas week in crowds. It was many years ago a hidden gem. In the beginning of Nov you have the last weekend or 2 of food and wine which draws huge crowds and I think they usually do a half marathon then too. You also have Jersey school weekend which is usually around Veterans Day. If Thanksgiving is late (last week of Nov instead 3rd full week) you get a week that’s really quite nice. In 2019 Thanksgiving is late so you could do Sat 11/16 to Sat 11/23 and completely avoid F&W, Jersey schools, Veterans Day and Thanksgiving week.

 

[YorkshireT]

Look at Skier Pete's charts on the DVC thread of the 'other board'. Make sure you get the 2018 one. I find them very accurate.

 

[Janir]

Yes that's true- I just thought I'd come here first as usually people know the answer from experience. Sometimes people here know more!

True! I'm begining to find that out myself.

 

[huey578]

That's what I plan to when my Home Resort window opens soon- I just didn't know with DVC if it is hard to do with part of the stay (say I booked 10 nights at CC, but I actually wanted 4 of those nights at other resorts)?

With the new FastPass changes, would this cause FPs to be canceled if you change resorts now?

 

[nickys]

With the new FastPass changes, would this cause FPs to be canceled if you change resorts now?

Most switching occurs at 7 months out.

Waitlists often fill within the 60 days, but as long as your waitlist is replacing the back-up room, then the FPs will be fine.

Say you want CCV for a week, Mon-Sun. But Thurs isn’t available, so you book a cash room at WL for the Thurs night (rather than having to switch resorts), and waitlist the Thurs night at CCV. You book your FPs, and the waitlist then fills 4 weeks out and you cancel the WL room. The room at CCV replaces the same date as the WL cash room, so no issue.

Now if you have to change plans within the 60 day mark, and arrive two days later, then you’d be in the same position as everyone else with a cancellation. But that’s not a DVC switching room issue.

 

[GoofGoof]

With the new FastPass changes, would this cause FPs to be canceled if you change resorts now?

I would assume there is a way to make the change without impacting FP. I took the change in rules to mean cancelling and not having another reservation. I would say if you try to change your reservation within 60 days (rare for DVC due to lack of availability) do it over the phone instead of trying to do it online yourself. I would think this could be a much bigger issue for guests with hotel reservations who decide to upgrade last minute.