Grand Villa Boardwalk at Thanksgiving

[MDLeimer]

New boardwalk owner, so excited. I had a great Beach Club contract years ago (of course when resale still had all the same perks as direct) and had to sell it during a divorce so super happy to be back. Our first trip will be next Thanksgiving and between banking and borrowing we could even do the Grand Villa because we rarely stay a full week. Is it just impossible even at 11 months to book a grand villa without doing something controversial like walking the reservation? I don't have any experience with booking BW and i know basically ALL the rooms are hard to get so wondering what the chances are even if I log on at 7:59am on the 11 month mark. Thanks to anyone who has had success and can share.

 

[tseitel]

New boardwalk owner, so excited. I had a great Beach Club contract years ago (of course when resale still had all the same perks as direct) and had to sell it during a divorce so super happy to be back. Our first trip will be next Thanksgiving and between banking and borrowing we could even do the Grand Villa because we rarely stay a full week. Is it just impossible even at 11 months to book a grand villa without doing something controversial like walking the reservation? I don't have any experience with booking BW and i know basically ALL the rooms are hard to get so wondering what the chances are even if I log on at 7:59am on the 11 month mark. Thanks to anyone who has had success and can share.

I would post over on the DVC resorts thread. I think you would reach more owners that way

 

[gisele2]

Whatever you decide to do, walking or not, I advise you to practice yourself at reserving a room at 8am. Read how to do it and practice. Make sure it is not your first time when you really want the room.

 

[gisele2]

And I found that it is less stressful to reserve a few days in advance and walk for a week even at seven months. In that situation , you have a few attempts and not just one. I also advise you to waitlist at 11 months if you do not score the room you want in the first attempt and then to stalk the site everyday and collect one day at a time. Good luck and welcome home!

 

[MDLeimer]

Whatever you decide to do, walking or not, I advise you to practice yourself at reserving a room at 8am. Read how to do it and practice. Make sure it is not your first time when you really want the room.

YES! Will be first time reserving in about 10 years so I Will definitely need to practice!!

 

[drusba]

Thanksgiving week is the fourth highest DVC demand week of the year at WDW (behind first two weeks of Dec and Christmas week). GVs for that period have a risk of filling within moments after 8 a.m. at 11-months out (winners are simply those whose computers communicate faster with DVC's computers right at 8 a.m. at 11-months out). Moreover, late Sep to marathon weekend in Jan is the high DVC demand "fall" season and those GVs may disappear right at 8 a.m. 11-months out for some of the other times during that period. If you are going to do a walk, you should consider starting in early Sep (unless you have an Oct use year, in which case you have to wait until Oct to start a walk to Thanksgiving).

And be aware as a new BWV owner that much has changed since when you were previously an DVC owner. BWV standard view studios (and 2BRs since all are lock-offs and thus a studio reservation means the room can no longer be reserved as a 2BR), now fill almost instantly at 8 a.m. 11-months out year round. Ten years ago they were often open long enough at 11-months out to easily make a reservation for many times during the mid-Jan to mid-Sep moderate demand season. In 2016, DVD decided to change the room capacity of the studios to five persons rather than four. The result is that standard view studios/2BRs now disappear instantly at 11-months out year round. Boardwalk view studios/2BRs do the same during that fall season.

 

[MDLeimer]

Thanksgiving week is the fourth highest DVC demand week of the year at WDW (behind first two weeks of Dec and Christmas week). GVs for that period have a risk of filling within moments after 8 a.m. at 11-months out (winners are simply those whose computers communicate faster with DVC's computers right at 8 a.m. at 11-months out). Moreover, late Sep to marathon weekend in Jan is the high DVC demand "fall" season and those GVs may disappear right at 8 a.m. 11-months out for some of the other times during that period. If you are going to do a walk, you should consider starting in early Sep (unless you have an Oct use year, in which case you have to wait until Oct to start a walk to Thanksgiving).

And be aware as a new BWV owner that much has changed since when you were previously an DVC owner. BWV standard view studios (and 2BRs since all are lock-offs and thus a studio reservation means the room can no longer be reserved as a 2BR), now fill almost instantly at 8 a.m. 11-months out year round. Ten years ago they were often open long enough at 11-months out to easily make a reservation for many times during the mid-Jan to mid-Sep moderate demand season. In 2016, DVD decided to change the room capacity of the studios to five persons rather than four. The result is that standard view studios/2BRs now disappear instantly at 11-months out year round. Boardwalk view studios/2BRs do the same during that fall season.

Thank you so much. That was honestly my second question. Assuming the most likely scenario that I will not be able to get a GV, what do I choose for (2) 2 bedroom villas? I don't care about the view, etc. would just grab anything if I see it open. This particular trip is one time where we're are banking and borrowing, etc. thanks!!!!

 

[drusba]

Thank you so much. That was honestly my second question. Assuming the most likely scenario that I will not be able to get a GV, what do I choose for (2) 2 bedroom villas? I don't care about the view, etc. would just grab anything if I see it open. This particular trip is one time where we're are banking and borrowing, etc. thanks!!!!

As to 2BRs, both standard and boardwalk view have the 11-month issue that time of year. Best 2BRs are the boardwalk view 2BRs because of the view you get (one the best at WDW) and thus if you can get that, it would be ideal. Pool/garden view 2BRs generally do not have the 11-month issue where rooms disappear right around 8 a.m. at 11-months out and thus you should be able to get one of those as long as do not wait much beyond 11-months out to make the reservation. Personally, for a GV or boardwalk view 2BR, I would attempt to see if one or the other is open just before 8 a.m. and, if so, attempt to get one of those if possible, because, if you cannot, pool/garden view 2BR should still be available for some time after 8 a.m. and probably at least some days after the 11-month window begins.

(Note, you may see mention that for 2023, the pool/garden view rooms often disappeared right at 8 a.m. at 11-months out for time during that 2023 fall season, but 2023 was a one-off problem. Before the 11-month period began, DVC announced that all the boardwalk view rooms would be out-of-service for refurbishment from mid-Sep to late Nov 2023, which resulted in pool/garden view rooms having the 11-month issue for that time period.)

 

[CarolynFH]

Thank you so much. That was honestly my second question. Assuming the most likely scenario that I will not be able to get a GV, what do I choose for (2) 2 bedroom villas? I don't care about the view, etc. would just grab anything if I see it open. This particular trip is one time where we're are banking and borrowing, etc. thanks!!!!

As above, you should be able to get 2 P/G view 2BR villas easily at 11 months. You can only book one at a time, though, and you’ll just tell the system you want a 2BR or a 3BR - you can’t ask for a given view. Ask for both sizes - even though it’s hard to get the GV, you might be the one who does, so go for it!

When you book the first one, if a GV or a 2BR BW view pops up, grab it! Then when booking the second one (if you don’t get the GV!) if another BW view pops up for the second, lovely, but booking a P/G view for the second might allow them to be across the hall from each other or in any case closer together.

If you book two villas, no matter which views you end up booking, chat with MS or send them an email via the Contact Us link on the member website. Give them both confirmation numbers and ask them to place a “traveling with” notation on the reservations. That will let the room assigners know you’d like to be close together if possible. It doesn’t always work, but it’s worth making the request.