Getting ready to make 1st reservation - help please

[Disneybabe]

I just received a Welcome Home E-mail from the Time Share Store that our DVC resale purchase is complete! It was very quick - offer on May 11th and escrow closed today. Thanks to everyone for all the wonderful info I read on DIS boards the last couple of months.
Now I'm ready to make a reservation when the points are in the system. (7-10 days) I would like to join my brother and his family in October but I understand this is a high time for DVC. What do I need prepared for my very first call to make a reservation. Any tips or advice? Thanks

 

[mjc2003]

I just received a Welcome Home E-mail from the Time Share Store that our DVC resale purchase is complete! It was very quick - offer on May 11th and escrow closed today. Thanks to everyone for all the wonderful info I read on DIS boards the last couple of months.
Now I'm ready to make a reservation when the points are in the system. (7-10 days) I would like to join my brother and his family in October but I understand this is a high time for DVC. What do I need prepared for my very first call to make a reservation. Any tips or advice? Thanks

I closed back in April, and have called many times already. I have found them to be extremely helpful, especially when you clarify that you are a new member. What I would suggest is, have your points chart handy and try to figure a plan in advance. For an October reservation, you are going to have to be open to anything; this includes a split stay. Don't panic or get upset right away if you don't find much. I don't know how long you are looking to go for, but if it's 7 days you might have to really piece-meal it together. Then you can call the next day and tinker....and the next....until it comes together. When we first called for a November reservation, inside of 7 months, we started with 3 days at AKV, 3 at VWL, 3 at BCV. After about a week--and many phone calls-- we ended with 4 nights at AKV and 5 at BCV.

So know your dates, know what you want, and be open to their suggestions. Tell them you are new and ask them for help; they will help. Don't hesitate to book something, with the understanding that what you start with most likely will not be what you end up with.

Good luck!

 

[DisDad07]

October, is a busy month at Epcot for F&W. So getting rooms at BCV or BWV may be hard to do. SSR is pretty easy to get for a 7 day stay. It also takes less points then the other 2 places. Just know the number of points you want to spend or are willing to spend. You never know what is available till you try. Good Luck.

 

[Disneybabe]

Thanks for the suggestions and well wishes.

 

[n2mm]

Congratulations! I agree, October is not a great month to make a reservation. Prepare for the worse and hope for the best. Between the Columbus Day weekend, MNSSHP and F&W, October is a tough month. This is the one time a year (sometimes early December too) that I use the 11 month window. All you can do is have your dates ready and ask, "what is available". Most likely, if you're lucky, the entire stay might be available at OKW or SSR. If it isn't then prepare to start splitting your stay. I like to start with 1 day split myself. That way I can live out of a suitcase for only the first night. So ask if there is any availability arriving on day 2 for the entire time...if so grab it, as it does and will go quickly while you're talking to the MS CM (been there). Then most likely just back fill that first night. Good luck and post back. Hopefully you won't get too upset, as I mentioned and others too, October is probably one of the busiest times of the year to get a DVC room (along with the first 2 weeks of Decemer), and not counting holidays, which also require that 11 month window booking.