Advice on when to call MS for 4th of July

[disgirl]

Hi! I was just wondering if any of you call MS to check on availability for a particular size villa room at one or more resorts BEFORE you can actually book the reservation, just to get an idea what your chances might be. We just decided a week or so ago, that we would like to go to WDW July 4th week, which I know is a very busy week(we usually go end of August, but for this summer 06, July 4th is the only week we can go.) DH has to take the vacation weeks that his work gives him and that is the only one for the summer, other than a week when DS will be at Boy Scout camp.

We are interested in trying BCV for that week and I know they will be very crowded, if not already booked. I only have enough (BCV) points for 3 nights in a 1 bedroom, booking NOW before our 7 month window. I do, however, have enough OKW points to book that for 8 nights, which is the length of stay we want. OKW would be our 2nd choice, I believe. However, since we are pretty close to our 7 month point, about 3 weeks away, I feel it would be silly to book OKW now and then try for BCV in 3 weeks, when it will be our 7 month window. If I had known we were going away at this time months ago, I would def. have booked OKW at the 11 month point, to be safe. Does this make sense? I am thinking of just calling MS and seeing if any or how many 1 bedrooms might be available for July 4th week at BCV, at this time. Am I being ridiculous, should I just wait until December when our 7th month window starts and call.

Thanks to anyone who read through my long post and a special thanks to anyone who understands it enough to respond (LOL) and offer me any advice or past experiences with 7 month 4th of July reservations. Thanks so much!! You are the best.

 

[Deb & Bill]

What we have done is use the home resort points to book as many days as we can, especially getting those harder to get nights at the resort we ultimately want to stay at. Then we book the other nights with our home resort points at the other one (for the remaining nights). That way if we really want to stay at one, but will also stay at the other, we have both. Then as soon as the 7 month date passes, we try to rebook the missing days at the favored resort with the points from our second home.

We did this at VWL in early Jan for the marathon week about two years ago. We ultimately got our eight nights at VWL.

 

[disgirl]

Thanks for the quick reply Deb. That sounds like a good plan that you have, but when the 7 month window opens, do you have to cancel both of your 11 month reservations and make a new one for the whole amount of days, assuming they are available? Since I am only about 3 weeks away from the 7 month window, I wonder if it is worth it to book the 3 nights at BCV now, if available, and then at 7 months cancel that and try for all 8? I am assuming I can not just add to the reservation or can I? Sorry, this is all new to me. From what I have been reading, July 4th seems to be very popular so I am starting to get nervous. Thanks!!

Anyone have experience with booking BCV at 7 months for July 4th week? Thanks!

 

[Deb & Bill]

Thanks for the quick reply Deb. That sounds like a good plan that you have, but when the 7 month window opens, do you have to cancel both of your 11 month reservations and make a new one for the whole amount of days, assuming they are available? Since I am only about 3 weeks away from the 7 month window, I wonder if it is worth it to book the 3 nights at BCV now, if available, and then at 7 months cancel that and try for all 8? I am assuming I can not just add to the reservation or can I? Sorry, this is all new to me. From what I have been reading, July 4th seems to be very popular so I am starting to get nervous. Thanks!!

Anyone have experience with booking BCV at 7 months for July 4th week? Thanks!

I just ask MS to see if the days I need at the preferred resort are available. Then ask them to use the points from the non-preferred reservation to make the new one. The original reservation at the preferred resort stays as it is. They just add the days to it.

 

[disgirl]

That is great that they can just add days to the original reservation at your preferred resort (if available, of course). I thought they had to cancel and book it all over when you can reserve the rest of the days at the 7th month mark. Thanks again for your help!!

 

[disgirl]

Hi! I am just bumping this to see if anyone has past experience booking BCV or any resort at 7th month mark for the 4th of July week. Thanks. I love hearing about other's experiences.

 

[Cruelladeville]

I stay at either BC or BW during the 4th of July every year since we joined in 1997, and never had a problem getting a room at the 7 month window. I use my points to book the busiest days of the 2nd-4th, and then use my other points at the 7 month window to finish my vacation. This year I have 5 nights booked, but loaned 100 pts to a fellow member, so I won't get those points back until December, when I can finish my ressie for July.

 

[disgirl]

Thank you Cruelladeville. I am glad it has always worked for you. Maybe I will call on Monday and see what is available at this point and use what BCV points we have to book 3 nights, if available, and do the rest in Dec., when my 7th month period begins. I did not realize you could just add onto a trip reservation without them having to cancel that reservation and make another one. I guess it is kind of like the day by day reserevations that everyone here talks about except you add on at the 7th month mark. Thanks again. Any other DVCers with 4th of July week experience, care to share their experiences?

Cruelladeville: Do you find the crowds really bad during this week? Are the pools at the resorts always crowded during the 4th of July? I know there is no pool hopping during most of that week. Thanks again for posting!!