OKW at 7 months

[DizneyLizzy]

Hi there! New to the dvc boards. Been stalking resales for months and ready to start making some offers.

We are buying in purely to save money, so we’re looking to buy Saratoga springs resale. We love old key west. In fact what made us finally decide to look into buying DVC was our first stay in a one bedroom there. Unfortunately, maintenance fees are a lot more per point there than at SSR.

I know OKW isn’t one of the tougher resorts, but is it hard to get a studio or one bedroom there on points at 7 months? I actually booked a one bedroom there with cash just this week for June, but I didn’t know if Disney held back a certain number of villas for cash bookings. Usually we’d be booking 7 months in advance.

Thanks!!

 

[von Monster]

Like everything - it depends.

Are you going during (dvc) peak times? Do you absolutely require near/not-near hospitality house? Booking a few days or a week+?

 

[OKW Lover]

Agree with @von Monster above. It depends.

Also wanted to say that I hope the OP isn't expecting SSR units to be as large as the OKW ones.

 

[Deb & Bill]

DVC doesn't hold back units for cash. Members trade their points for the Disney Collection, like the cruise line. DVC then has to sell reservations that represent those points so they can pay for the member's trip on the cruise.

New resales don't have the option of trading out points for the Disney Collection.

 

[rg35]

I have booked 1 BRs two times at OKW at <7 months over the last few years for a late June/early July trip. But as with all DVC resorts, you should never have any expectation of being able to book anywhere at 7 months. As there are more resorts and more users thrown into the pool there will be less availability all around, so just because OKW is an easier resort to book at 7 months now doesn't always mean that will be the case.

If you do buy SSR, you should prepare to book SSR at 11 months and then try to rebook at OWK 7 months if you can. If OKW isn't available, will you be happy staying at SSR? If not, then you should look at buying OKW. #1 rule of DVC is buy where you want to stay.

 

[4luv2cdisney]

Hi there! New to the dvc boards. Been stalking resales for months and ready to start making some offers.

We are buying in purely to save money, so we’re looking to buy Saratoga springs resale. We love old key west. In fact what made us finally decide to look into buying DVC was our first stay in a one bedroom there. Unfortunately, maintenance fees are a lot more per point there than at SSR.

I know OKW isn’t one of the tougher resorts, but is it hard to get a studio or one bedroom there on points at 7 months? I actually booked a one bedroom there with cash just this week for June, but I didn’t know if Disney held back a certain number of villas for cash bookings. Usually we’d be booking 7 months in advance.

Thanks!!

Do you like SSR?

MF's aren't guaranteed to go up "equally". Just because SSR is one of the lower MF locations now, does not mean it will always be.

Consensus on here is usually "buy where you want to stay"...

 

[DizneyLizzy]

Thanks! We don’t mind SSR but prefer to stay elsewhere. This makes me feel like I won’t necessarily dismiss any good okw contracts that I see. We tend to travel in late June or mid-August (teachers) with the occasional long weekend in September when the Jewish holidays fall around a weekend. We’ve been renting points from a friend for a few years. Her home resorts are SSR and BWV but we’ve never “had to” stay at SSR on her points. She’s had no problem getting us in elsewhere at the 7 month mark, but we have had to split our stay once, which was totally fine. Last September we did 1 night at OKW and 3 at the Poly, both in studios.

 

[DizneyLizzy]

DVC doesn't hold back units for cash. Members trade their points for the Disney Collection, like the cruise line. DVC then has to sell reservations that represent those points so they can pay for the member's trip on the cruise.

New resales don't have the option of trading out points for the Disney Collection.

Good to know. I’ve been stalking the Disney website lately to see what dvc availability would be. Lots of availability, at least for my 5 night stay in June this year. Maybe summer not a super popular DVC month bc the points don’t go as far? Up until last week (when I stopped checking) I could have booked a studio almost anywhere, and a 1 bedroom at a few places as well.

 

[DizneyLizzy]

Consensus on here is usually "buy where you want to stay"...

I know...I’ve been stalking this board long enough, I should have known better

 

[Ben E N]

I say as long as you hope for the best but plan for the worst, go for it. It's not like SSR is the Disney slums. It Is as very nice resort itself. And I have also noticed that summer seems to be a bit more wide open than other times of the year. Not a free for all, but you should typically have some other options to choose from.

 

[Wakey]

OKW 1 beds you can definitely get no problems at 7 months Jan to Sept avoiding major holidays (you can get a 1 bed any resort with little issue during this period save for AKV Club, BLT theme park or standard and BWV standard). As long as you are booking at 7 months, even during busier periods you can usually grab a 1 bed.
For example, a week 11/22 is currently available 6 consecutive nights. In fact, you can get 5 at BWV and BLT even on this date which is Thanksgiving!
Studios I don't book so don't keep a close eye on those.
If you really love OKW though and have to stay there, maybe keep your eyes peeled for an extended resale contract?

 

[DizneyLizzy]

I say as long as you hope for the best but plan for the worst, go for it. It's not like SSR is the Disney slums. It Is as very nice resort itself. And I have also noticed that summer seems to be a bit more wide open than other times of the year. Not a free for all, but you should typically have some other options to choose from.

LOL at Disney slums. I feel like I am unfairly biased against SSR bc my only experience there has been waiting almost an hour for a bus to Animal Kingdom at 9:00 in the morning. We were staying at OKW but heading straight to a park from DME. The first stop on DME was SSR so we got off and went right to the main bus stop. 50 minutes later we were on our way to AK. It seems like a lovely resort, and a lot of the things we like about OKW (the quiet, serene guest rooms and areas) would be similar at SSR. With small children, we like to be at a resort that is on Disney property, but gives us and our kids a break from all of the stimulation of the theme parks.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

June is part of the DVC low season.

If you have 1BR points 7 months is far less traumatic than getting studios, 2BRs or GVs.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Good to know. I’ve been stalking the Disney website lately to see what dvc availability would be. Lots of availability, at least for my 5 night stay in June this year. Maybe summer not a super popular DVC month bc the points don’t go as far? Up until last week (when I stopped checking) I could have booked a studio almost anywhere, and a 1 bedroom at a few places as well.

Where are you stalking to see what DVC availability would be? Unless you are a member or have access to a member's log in at the member website, you aren't seeing anything that is available for points. 60 days out at OKW there are almost no days with studios available. One bedrooms, yes, but even they are missing days in a week. This data hasn't been updated for at least a week on the website.

 

[drusba]

For information that may be of some help to you in deciding what to buy, see my discussion of the 7 month window for the resorts here: https://www.disboards.com/threads/h...been-working-out.3549166/page-2#post-56615436

 

[DizneyLizzy]

Where are you stalking to see what DVC availability would be? Unless you are a member or have access to a member's log in at the member website, you aren't seeing anything that is available for points. 60 days out at OKW there are almost no days with studios available. One bedrooms, yes, but even they are missing days in a week. This data hasn't been updated for at least a week on the website.

I’ve just been looking to see what’s available for cash bookings. That’s why I asked the question about Disney holding back some rooms for cash. Now, I haven’t checked in about ten days, but as of ten days ago, there were studios and one bedrooms available for my June dates - but we are only staying 5 nights, not a full week. We ended up booking a one bedroom at OKW on cash bc with current discounts it was cheaper than renting points.

 

[DizneyLizzy]

For information that may be of some help to you in deciding what to buy, see my discussion of the 7 month window for the resorts here: https://www.disboards.com/threads/h...been-working-out.3549166/page-2#post-56615436

Thanks! I was actually looking at that chart a few days ago

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I’ve just been looking to see what’s available for cash bookings. That’s why I asked the question about Disney holding back some rooms for cash. Now, I haven’t checked in about ten days, but as of ten days ago, there were studios and one bedrooms available for my June dates - but we are only staying 5 nights, not a full week. We ended up booking a one bedroom at OKW on cash bc with current discounts it was cheaper than renting points.

Cash bookings are a completely separate inventory, and availability for cash is no indication of points inventory.

 

[DizneyLizzy]

Cash bookings are a completely separate inventory, and availability for cash is no indication of points inventory.

Okay. Then I’m confused about Deb & Bill’s answer about Disney not holding back inventory for cash bookings?

 

[SL6827]

I bought a get your feet wet contract at OKW, also as a sleep around contract. The only advantage I see I have is when we stay there, I want a room close to the HH. That is very important to me. Doesn't mean I might not sell this contract and buy a 65-80 points contract at SSR in the future though.