What's your experience been booking at the 7 month window?

[eliza61nyc]

With the discussion on the new policy concerning resale and the new Riveria resort, a few owners mentioned that it's been hard for them to book a stay at the 7 month mark. I truthfully have never had an issue BUT let me say that I am really, really flexible, lol translation: while I do like some resort better than others, I can honestly say there isn't one that I hate so I'll take whatever is open.
Also I know that if I want to stay at an Epcot resort during food and wine, I'd better book at the 11th month mark. Outside of that, how has your experience been resort switching and booking at month 7.

Next, Do you feel that the sellers (either disney direct or resale markets) do a good job truthfully explaining the possible headaches.

 

[Janir]

Being a new DVC member I tries booking for 7 months out to find thT its 7 months to the Day. Not a big deal, but already, Copper Creek home resort is not available, but I can live with it for ny upcoming trip plans as we always wanted to do a AKL Savanah room so we're going to do that with our first allotment of points.
I did tour Copper Creek a few weeks ago when I happened to be in the area and I was impressed and am looking forward to the day we can stay there.
Seems to me 7 month booking window for WDW can be a catch what you can for availability. But personally I think all the DVC properties are still nice to stay at haveing been to OKW and SS as the oldest properties but they were still nice to stay in.

 

[correcaminos]

I voted what is the driving force for why it is easy peasy for us, not that it is easy peasy as a whole. For us we do 2 bedrooms mostly (an occasional 1 bedroom now and then) and go during not so buys DVC times of year (early June and spring break) mostly. So at 7 months getting a 2 bedroom is pretty easy. We've done great with 1 bedrooms too inside 7 months (even a standard BW 1 bedroom during spring break).

So if you aren't needing studios, it should be easier. Though depending on the resort 7 months can be hard during F&WF through marathon weekend.

Seems to me 7 month booking window for WDW can be a catch what you can for availability. But personally I think all the DVC properties are still nice to stay at haveing been to OKW and SS as the oldest properties but they were still nice to stay in.

SSR isn't one of the oldest properties. That goes to OKW of course. BWV is older as is BCV and BRV. Parts of AKL are older than parts of SSR too. SSR is just the single largest resort for DVC at this time.

 

[Phonedave]

The only time I have trouble at 7 months is during F&W when looking for a EPCOT studio.

Most of the time when we go, we are using 1 or 2 BR units, and we are going the last week of June. We usually get where we want.

Our F&W trips are long weekends in a studio - those are harder. Especially since we go during "Jersey Week" - that makes it than much more harder. Case in point, I booked SSR at 11 months for this year's "Jersey Weekend". Just for fun, I checked availability the next day for BCV and BWV studios - only a few partials, even at 10 months and 30 days out.

Last I checked, Animal Kingdom still had studios (that may be different now), we are debating switching at 7 months if they are still available. Of course we are going to wait list EPCOT resorts, just on the off chance one comes available.

 

[eliza61nyc]

I voted what is the driving force for why it is easy peasy for us, not that it is easy peasy as a whole. For us we do 2 bedrooms mostly (an occasional 1 bedroom now and then) and go during not so buys DVC times of year (early June and spring break) mostly. So at 7 months getting a 2 bedroom is pretty easy. We've done great with 1 bedrooms too inside 7 months (even a standard BW 1 bedroom during spring break).

So if you aren't needing studios, it should be easier. Though depending on the resort 7 months can be hard during F&WF through marathon weekend.

e.

that's us also Helena, we purchased our points based on a 1 bedroom, lol our first two trips to the world we stayed at the Ft. Wilderness lodge cabins which is a 1 bedroom, we could never go back. lol the picture in my avatar was just 4 women and we got a 2 bedroom. I admit I'm a space hog, 2 bedrooms always seem to be open.

 

[Nottamus]

I voted Easy Peasy, but this April will be the first trip that we booked at the 7th month window.

Our home is AKL, but on the last two trips, we visited CCV and decided on a split stay this spring. It was easy actually, and I monitored it for weeks after, and the availability lasted awhile. I'm sure its based on time of year and week we booked.

Still, glad it was easy!

 

[Janir]

I voted Easy Peasy, but this April will be the first trip that we booked at the 7th month window.

Our home is AKL, but on the last two trips, we visited CCV and decided on a split stay this spring. It was easy actually, and I monitored it for weeks after, and the availability lasted awhile. I'm sure its based on time of year and week we booked.

Still, glad it was easy!

LOL, my home is CCV and staying at AKL. Only visited FW and CCV rooms but our first stay will be in AKL. We'll hit CCV in the next trip once the 11 month window opens.

 

[Nottamus]

AKL and CCV are similar in a lot of ways, yet very unique. We fell in love with AKL after the first visit to that lobby! (doesn't hurt that my wife runs a zoo here in NJ----so anything animal related..)

CCV we visited quite a bit...really like the bar on the lake thing...super relaxing.

I know we are looking forward to April...split 2 days at AKL, 4 at CCV.

 

[slappy magoo]

We don't tend to have problems, but our resorts of choice have been BLT and Kidani, so their sheer size tends to work in our favor. We did spend one night last trip at Beach Club (the resort, not the DVC section), and the kids really liked it so if they decide that's where they want to stay next time, I anticipate we'll have issues booking at the 7 month window.

 

[Club Cooloholic]

I did not get the exact room setup I wanted but yeah flexible will help

 

[reptar77]

We ended up having to split our trip btw Kidani and Beach Club to get our dates.

 

[LuvtheGoof]

We've changed at the 7 month mark many times with success. We usually travel during the slightly slower times, though. We've been able to get both BWV and BCV during F&W, but we are also booking 1-bedroom units for the 2 of us. We love the extra space. We own at SSR, and have stayed there many times, but we also like to try new resorts. We only have CCV, BRV, and BLT left that we haven't stayed at. We'll stay at Riviera eventually.

 

[LAKid53]

I don't have a problem at the 7 month window. May not be a preferred resort.

 

[YorkshireT]

Normally no problems, but I go for 1 beds which are significantly easier to get than studios.
Copper Creek has massive issues though. Already no 1 beds at Xmas. Way too many points loaded into cabins.

 

[correcaminos]

Normally no problems, but I go for 1 beds which are significantly easier to get than studios.
Copper Creek has massive issues though. Already no 1 beds at Xmas. Way too many points loaded into cabins.

Also WL is super popular at Xmas.

 

[DuckTalesWooHoo1987]

We always book BLT 11 months out but sometimes we will see a cheaper flight on the day before our vacation was supposed to start and I would book a little studio at OKW or AK or something like that and I never had a problem with it. We've also used the 7 month booking just to experience a few days at VGF and it worked fine there too. I think the only time it really can become a problem is if you're trying to get like BW or BC and it's during the festivals at Epcot. Then it can definitely be harder to get what you're looking for because staying at BW and BC makes it much easier for the people doing the beer festival to just crawl home at the end of the night. LOL!

 

[LuvtheGoof]

We always book BLT 11 months out but sometimes we will see a cheaper flight on the day before our vacation was supposed to start and I would book a little studio at OKW or AK or something like that and I never had a problem with it. We've also used the 7 month booking just to experience a few days at VGF and it worked fine there too. I think the only time it really can become a problem is if you're trying to get like BW or BC and it's during the festivals at Epcot. Then it can definitely be harder to get what you're looking for because staying at BW and BC makes it much easier for the people doing the beer festival to just crawl home at the end of the night. LOL!

Actually, for BCV and BWV it depends. We’ve gotten 1 bedroom units at both resorts during F&W in September (twice), and a 1 bedroom at BWV once in October. Studios would be next to impossible, but not the 1 bedrooms.

 

[Da Bird is Da Word]

I’m trying to book a Animal Kingdom or Polynesian studio right now at the 7 month window, but DVC Rental Store says the only availability is Saratoga Springs. Am I SOL? Does anyone have advice on how I should proceed, or if there is a better way to check availability? I was trying for last week of September into first week of October, but I can be flexible with my travel dates.

 

[correcaminos]

I’m trying to book a Animal Kingdom or Polynesian studio right now at the 7 month window, but DVC Rental Store says the only availability is Saratoga Springs. Am I SOL? Does anyone have advice on how I should proceed, or if there is a better way to check availability? I was trying for last week of September into first week of October, but I can be flexible with my travel dates.

Unfortunately you're trying for F&WF and I assume a studio, right? Depends on the dates you are going for but there are other options if you are flexible. Really it is booking up since this is F&WF and a super popular time to book for DVC. Fall through early winter is tough due to low points (save the holidays) and events going on at the time. If you want DVC in the fall either do it at 11 months or don't go for a studio.

 

[DuckTalesWooHoo1987]

I’m trying to book a Animal Kingdom or Polynesian studio right now at the 7 month window, but DVC Rental Store says the only availability is Saratoga Springs. Am I SOL? Does anyone have advice on how I should proceed, or if there is a better way to check availability? I was trying for last week of September into first week of October, but I can be flexible with my travel dates.

I don't think the last week of September is eligible yet at this exact time. Wait until it is exactly 7 months from your first travel date and try it then. Although it could be that the members there have already exhausted those rooms with their 11 month window. I always use our 11 month window at BLT for sure but have gotten plenty of studios for a couple of days use at AK within seven though. Try every resort because surely something is available at this stage. Although the Halloween Parties have gotten inSANELY popular now and that does complicate matters a little more. Also schools seem to be getting longer fall breaks these days and we found that out the hard way back in October. Our kids go to a private school so we don't really ever know the schedule of the public schools. Well our kids get 2 weeks of fall break where the public schools only get one week aaaaaaand as it turns out I booked our October trip last year for the week when most public schools in TN were on fall break and that is a mistake I won't be making again. LOL! We actually ran in to multiple people that we know and it was like for once, we didn't really have an accent at Disneyworld because it sounded like EVERYbody was from TN that week.