Surprised @ lack of resort availability Sept- end of year

keishashadow

Proud Redhead...yes, I have some bananas!
Joined
Dec 30, 2004
Seeing no more than just a few 3 day consecutive stays open for studios, 1 BR units are also limited for weeks I've checked from end of September to year end.
Typically, I'm booked far in advance but just closed addon to one of my contracts:banana: & should have points in a week or so to burn or bank this year by end of July. Things are complicated by fact DH needs to request a week ' now' /airfare concerns.

Granted it's relatively last minute as we're within the 7 month period, it's a popular time of year & type of accommodation. Yet i had no issue securing Jersey week & week after pop warner many times during the summer up thru the last time i booked it - 2015:confused3.

Is this the new norm?
 
It appears not many like their home resort and try to switch at 7 months. Personally I would avoid Pop warner and Jersey week like the plague.
 
I booked our October stay at the 11-month window, simply because I needed a value studio at AKV, but I have been watching the availability for October because I am planning for next year too. Once the 7-month window opened, there were very few resorts with more than 2-3 consecutive nights available in studios for the entire month. This makes me a little nervous since I am traveling next year with just my daughters and we are looking to try a new resort. So far, we've stayed at OKW, AKV, and BWV. I know that BCV, GFV and the Poly are not options due to either guaranteed no availability (BCV, GFV) or cost (GFV, Poly), so we are debating between BRV, CCV and SSR, with an outside thought of a lake view at BLT. I plan to book at our AKV home at 11 months, but we'd really like to try something new. I also noticed that when Disney released their free dining dates, the ENTIRE month of October was excluded. This tells me that there is no issue with filling the resorts during that time frame. I'm thinking that, for DVC, fall has become the new spring break. I imagine that a point reallocation is not too far away, with points being moved into October and out of July/August.
 


It appears not many like their home resort and try to switch at 7 months. Personally I would avoid Pop warner and Jersey week like the plague.

I'm eating my words of buy where you want to stay lol. Home resort no use to me this stage of game

The GD was off school that week in Nov several days, i had no choice lol. Honestly, not as bad as i had anticipated. Can't say I've ever run into kids/parents during pop week unless @ value or mod. Even then, wouldn't keep me from returning

As more owners are added, availability isn't going to get better, only worse.

:earsboy: Bill

Oh i agree, it's just seemed like a long stretch of nothing. No slow weeks weeks any longer it seems for DVC yet i read so many posts where people insist they are always able to book something a few months out. Perhaps they haven't tried lately.

I booked our October stay at the 11-month window, simply because I needed a value studio at AKV, but I have been watching the availability for October because I am planning for next year too. Once the 7-month window opened, there were very few resorts with more than 2-3 consecutive nights available in studios for the entire month. This makes me a little nervous since I am traveling next year with just my daughters and we are looking to try a new resort. So far, we've stayed at OKW, AKV, and BWV. I know that BCV, GFV and the Poly are not options due to either guaranteed no availability (BCV, GFV) or cost (GFV, Poly), so we are debating between BRV, CCV and SSR, with an outside thought of a lake view at BLT. I plan to book at our AKV home at 11 months, but we'd really like to try something new. I also noticed that when Disney released their free dining dates, the ENTIRE month of October was excluded. This tells me that there is no issue with filling the resorts during that time frame. I'm thinking that, for DVC, fall has become the new spring break. I imagine that a point reallocation is not too far away, with points being moved into October and out of July/August.

Yes the values @ AK are our secret weapon @ 11 months, along with BWV standard to save points.

I've been shut out of both those home resorts in the past for early October until i learned to booked on the dot, if not walking.

Hmm, never thought of a possible reallocation for the time period. Would upset many though who bought small just for F&W @ epcot resorts.
 
. Would upset many though who bought small just for F&W @ epcot resorts.

Yup...
We own 100 at AKV and had planned to do 1br's over the first week of April (kids' spring break) and go EOY for 5 nights. That never panned out (we've only gone to WDW ONCE in April since buying in) because airfare was way too much. We realized that the fall is a great time to go and since the kids are off school for 2.5-3 days during the teacher's convention, we are able to take them out for only 2.5 days and make a 5-6 night trip, out of it. By going in the fall, I've found that I can take a "solo" (i.e. bring a friend) trip for 5 nights in a value studio (45 points) and then go the following year with the family for 6 nights in a standard 1BR at AKV (153). This plan is more budget-friendly because I don't have to buy 4 park tickets every year and the airfare is generally cheaper (...but THAT is a whole different topic that has become a PITA:headache::furious::furious:)
 
It appears not many like their home resort and try to switch at 7 months. Personally I would avoid Pop warner and Jersey week like the plague.

I've been at BWV during Pop Warner week, never a problem at the resort or the parks. Doing it again this year.
 


It be hooves me to think about our 2018 plans now! We are cruising during this year's traditional F&W time, EBPC cruise won out over F&W this year, next year we want to attend.
 
I agree, it's getting harder to book. I have a September and October trip. I booked both at the 11 month window. For my February, May, and July trips, I booked at the 7 month window. Now that F&W starts in September, that pretty much makes that month busy now. Good luck.
 
I found the same thing - I did book at our home resort at 11 months for Sept. but wanted to try something new. I was able to get 3 nights at BLT so I did that at the 7 month mark and took those 3 nights off our home resort so we will have a split stay.

I couldn't find all of the nights at BLT so I quit looking since I really like our home resort so I'm ok with that. I'm not a huge split stay fan but I'll manage. At least I'll get to try a different resort studio in Sept!

This is only our 3rd DVC stay since we got our points.
 
Pandora is one of the factors . That was the biggest thing that happened to wdw since animal kingdom opened in 1998.
 
What week is that? Is it always the same time every year?

Yes, pretty much. The pattern has been the first full week of December. We have learned this group is not an issue unless you plan to stay at one of the value resorts or the "chosen" moderate. (You can google to find out what travel packages they are offering). We've not ever encountered any issues in the parks due to Pop Warner kids.
 
Yes, pretty much. The pattern has been the first full week of December. We have learned this group is not an issue unless you plan to stay at one of the value resorts or the "chosen" moderate. (You can google to find out what travel packages they are offering). We've not ever encountered any issues in the parks due to Pop Warner kids.

I'll be the naysayer on issues with kids - the one year we went there during Pop Warner was horrible. Loud, pushy kids. But the worst was PDA, holding hands is cute. Quick kisses and those touches you give someone you love, I do that. Your boyfriends hand tucked into your back pocket, well, ok - but I really don't need to sit next to someone at Disney engaged in mutual ************ during the Tiki Birds. Or witness an exercise in how far you can get your tongue down someone else's throat. And it wasn't one, it was several young couples who brought inappropriate levels of PDA into the parks
 
I'll be the naysayer on issues with kids - the one year we went there during Pop Warner was horrible. Loud, pushy kids. But the worst was PDA, holding hands is cute. Quick kisses and those touches you give someone you love, I do that. Your boyfriends hand tucked into your back pocket, well, ok - but I really don't need to sit next to someone at Disney engaged in mutual ************ during the Tiki Birds. Or witness an exercise in how far you can get your tongue down someone else's throat. And it wasn't one, it was several young couples who brought inappropriate levels of PDA into the parks

My memory was a group of kids at 50s prime time having a food fight. The poor CM kept trying to control them but was losing as the girls started throwing hands of whip cream at each other. We paid our check and left. Btw, the adults with this group all sat at a table away from the girls and thought it was funny. Some of the adults are just as bad.
 
Pandora is one of the factors . That was the biggest thing that happened to wdw since animal kingdom opened in 1998.

I was there on opening day and even with all the craziness, I loved Pandora. It was so worth it. My 21 year old son really enjoyed it too and said the FOP ride was fantastic.

RE: Pop Warner in the parks - I've stayed deluxe but not DVC twice during Pop Warner times and once at a moderate and once at a value. Run screaming from the value unless you are fully prepared to not sleep much - they were so noisy there and the food court is useless when they are there.
The moderate I stayed at was unfortunately one that they were at - I quickly gave up on the food court and just bought a bunch of fruit to keep in my room for a quick breakfast on the run and didn't even try to eat at the resort food court at other times.
The deluxes - I never saw them at the resort so the resort experience didn't change at all when I stayed there.

As for the parks - during the day it wasn't too bad until Thursday. I guess because of eliminations. Then I'd see them in the parks more with all their chanting, cheering and blocking walkways.

In the evenings they were everywhere in the parks. There was less cheering but they were pretty badly behaved. After the first night when they thought it was funny to turn on their phone flashlights in the faces of people walking by, I carefully avoided them. They also shouted at people and blocked walkways completely. If I saw them, I went the other way.

I won't say I'll never go back during Pop Warner but I'll keep up my going the other way if I see them in the parks and will hopefully get to use my DVC so I won't be in the same resorts with them!
 
We were surprisingly able to book at OKW late last month for a late November (after Thanksgiving) trip in a one-bedroom unit. We're only staying 4 nights, but I was quite surprised I was able to find 4 nights without waitlisting. If we had wanted BLT, I'm sure we wouldn't have had the same results (but one of our kids is using our points there later this year anyway, so it wasn't an option in any case).
 
I was there on opening day and even with all the craziness, I loved Pandora. It was so worth it. My 21 year old son really enjoyed it too and said the FOP ride was fantastic.

RE: Pop Warner in the parks - I've stayed deluxe but not DVC twice during Pop Warner times and once at a moderate and once at a value. Run screaming from the value unless you are fully prepared to not sleep much - they were so noisy there and the food court is useless when they are there.
The moderate I stayed at was unfortunately one that they were at - I quickly gave up on the food court and just bought a bunch of fruit to keep in my room for a quick breakfast on the run and didn't even try to eat at the resort food court at other times.
The deluxes - I never saw them at the resort so the resort experience didn't change at all when I stayed there.

As for the parks - during the day it wasn't too bad until Thursday. I guess because of eliminations. Then I'd see them in the parks more with all their chanting, cheering and blocking walkways.

In the evenings they were everywhere in the parks. There was less cheering but they were pretty badly behaved. After the first night when they thought it was funny to turn on their phone flashlights in the faces of people walking by, I carefully avoided them. They also shouted at people and blocked walkways completely. If I saw them, I went the other way.

I won't say I'll never go back during Pop Warner but I'll keep up my going the other way if I see them in the parks and will hopefully get to use my DVC so I won't be in the same resorts with them!

I've had worse experiences with the cheerleaders/twirling groups in the past who seem to have had less chaperones along. Silver lining it was tipping point DH finally agreed to buy into DVC to avoid them during one of our 'fixed' weeks of vacation:)

Just found out GD has a gymnastics completion @ ESPN over President's Day weekend. Naturally, I'm tapped to go:)

8 months out & the resort/rooms i want to book are already sold out (value/standard AK & BW standard studio). Will probably grab something and hope to flip over @ 7 months even if we have to do a split stay for the 6 nights I'd like to book.

Ah well, game on :)
 
I shot & scored:banana:. Absolutely, shocked to be able to book a SSR pref studio for 6 nights beginning saturday after Thanksgiving.

Don't ask re the airfare:faint: will be watching SWA's site like a hawk hoping for more flights to open/a credit.

What i did find interesting was only the first 5 nights were available on the website. Grabbed it and waitlisted for the last night earlier this afternoon.

Before MS closed today I called to ask how a WL would work for a the standard category that just had 4 of the 6 nights. The CM checked and said the last night was available too for existing reservation, i jumped.
 
The CM checked and said the last night was available too for existing reservation, i jumped.

I'm glad you got a reservation, SSR is a beautiful and underrated resort. I love the proximity to Disney Springs.
But I've never heard of availability only for existing reservations? Is it a new thing?
 

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