What's up with September and October availability?

[Rory_Chapman]

OP - its possible that one factor in you finding limited availability is that you are going for only 6 nights. While not explicitly stated, its clear that they have minimum # nights for certain resorts/certain categories. Seems sometimes 7 (or more) nights is the magic minimum. Not always, and I'm sure it varies by the calendar/crowd levels. (Its obvious when you enter 7 or more nights, and more rooms are available than fewer nights that fall within those dates. I've seen this many times.)

I just did a new search because that actually sounded like a really good point. Turns out there's even less availability doing it that way, including absolutely no Moderates at all. There's got to be a website issue going on right now.

 

[Rory_Chapman]

OP - Touring Plans says for Oct. 19 and 20 there's MNSSHP, Food & Wine, and a Utah Ed. Convention. That's alot going on. We went June (approx. 16-26 IIRC) last year and it was quiet - almost as low crowds as end of August (when we go annually). Granted there were 2 tragedies shortly before our trip, probably reducing crowds more than usual, but I just don't think summer is as busy a time as Sep/Oct/Nov now that many schools start in early/mid August and take a fall break.

Sorry I didn't see this post before I replied to the other! Yeah I think we may need to bump up our dates to avoid that convention. We've got a not so great split stay reserved already, but unless something changes with the RO discounts, I think we might try a trip later in the Fall or maybe even Winter. I think the consensus is pretty clear. Not as great a time as when we went in late September 4 years ago I guess.

 

[Hopefully]

I'm in the same boat for early September. Something definitely doesn't add up. There is hardly anything available the entire week I'm looking for, at any resort...unless I book a 6 bedroom, club level, Mickey Mouse is my butler room that will set me back $67,578 per night!

I'm not buying that free dining, F&W or resort construction is causing this. The first week in September including Labor Day is notoriously a slower time.

Your hyperbole is astonishing. And not helpful to folks searching for information.

 

[megs1313]

I was originally looking for october, but it looks bleak (whether that's a website issue or some new trend, IDK) so we've changed to looking in january....hoping for the best

 

[Pkltm]

I get the mid October pull your kids out theory. However in my situation, first week of September, are people pulling their kids then too? I can't believe they would with school having just started up. I feel like something is wonky with the system. This just seems nuts.

Our school doesn't start until September 7, you may see more people coming from out of country at that time

 

[Farro]

I just looked the week we are going - 10/25-11/3 and most of the values and moderates had all levels available. Villas, POFQ and standard rooms in the deluxes were all booked up though. Although Boardwalk had standard rooms available!!! Someone should jump on that!

More people in resorts this time of year I guess!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

October 19 and 20 is part of a fall break in Minnesota as well. Many districts have started just giving everyone that week off; in others, people are more prone to pulling their kids that week since they'll only miss 2 days in most districts.

There are also several big conferences that week at Disney, and not just at Coronado.

 

[Shanti]

We started planning our October 2017 trip earlier this month. As soon as we started looking at resort availability for 10/15-10/21, so many of them are saying there's either no availability, or that they only have one category available (of course, it's the most expensive one). This is the story for Wilderness Lodge, both Port Orleans, Coronado Springs, the Poly, all the Epcot resorts (yes F&W, but still, not even a CL room is available?!).

Now, I get that mid-October crowds are trending up with F&W, Fall Break, MNSSHP, etc. But it's the same story for the whole month of September, and I just don't believe that crowds will be heavier in the early Fall than they are in the middle of Summer (I checked availability for the week of July 4, and there's a ton for the resorts listed above).

So I've been on the phone with three different CM's, each of which says it's possible that they could be waiting to roll out availability for when the next RO discounts come out. I guess my question is whether anyone knows if this happens at all? Do resorts just hang on to their cheaper rooms and not let people book them until later on in the year? Or am I wrong to believe that the middle of October is a less busy time than the week of the 4th of July (come on...)?

I just checked for your dates and saw regular savannah view available at Animal Kingdom Lodge ($494), cabins available at Fort Wilderness ($345), regular villas available at Copperas Creek at Wilderness Lodge ($463), and standard garden view outer buildings at Grand Floridian ($607). So still some nice things to choose from.

Fall is now high season at Disney World, with October possibly being the most popular month, so I wouldn't expect wide-open availability less than 6 months in advance.

 

[Shanti]

Ok so not to beat a dead horse, but I was curious. From 12/22-12/29, every single resort has availability. And in almost all those resorts, all categories are available. I mean does that not seem abnormal? That Christmas would have more availability this time of year than mid-October?

Not when the all of the Disney advice websites have been telling people for years how terrible Christmas week is at WDW, and how wonderful October is. People do read those sites & take notice. You did, didn't you? That widespread advice has had an obvious impact on crowd patterns lately.

 

[Farro]

Not when the all of the Disney advice websites have been telling people for years how terrible Christmas week is at WDW, and how wonderful October is. People do read those sites & take notice. You did, didn't you? That widespread advice has had an obvious impact on crowd patterns lately.

Have you been in October?

 

[sweetpee_1993]

I'm in this boat, too. Hubby & I will be going Sept. 16-22. There is not much to choose from and very, very little room-only discounts. We lucked-up & got a 1 bedroom at Saratoga with the AP discount. This is our first year "back" after staying away for over 6 years. Discounts are so skimpy compared to back then. I surely miss the days of 40%+ room-only discounts. I'm really REALLY hoping this isn't a sign of attendance levels. We had a fab trip with our grown kids in May but we're both thinking maybe we shouldn't have gotten the APs and planned other travel for our other trips this year. I'm also watching park hours. Right now the hours and EMH offerings are a bit shorter than we had 5/20-5/27. Maybe they don't do it this way anymore but Disney used to extend park hours when they felt attendance would be more than they thought.

Still holding out hope that at the 45 day mark more rooms will open as people cancel.

 

[dansdad]

I'm in this boat, too. Hubby & I will be going Sept. 16-22. There is not much to choose from and very, very little room-only discounts. We lucked-up & got a 1 bedroom at Saratoga with the AP discount. This is our first year "back" after staying away for over 6 years. Discounts are so skimpy compared to back then. I surely miss the days of 40%+ room-only discounts. I'm really REALLY hoping this isn't a sign of attendance levels. We had a fab trip with our grown kids in May but we're both thinking maybe we shouldn't have gotten the APs and planned other travel for our other trips this year. I'm also watching park hours. Right now the hours and EMH offerings are a bit shorter than we had 5/20-5/27. Maybe they don't do it this way anymore but Disney used to extend park hours when they felt attendance would be more than they thought.

Still holding out hope that at the 45 day mark more rooms will open as people cancel.

Don't lose hope if there's still not much available at the 45 day mark as they have switched the package cancellation to 30 days from the original 45 days. So keep checking.

 

[Rory_Chapman]

I just looked the week we are going - 10/25-11/3 and most of the values and moderates had all levels available. Villas, POFQ and standard rooms in the deluxes were all booked up though. Although Boardwalk had standard rooms available!!! Someone should jump on that!

More people in resorts this time of year I guess!

Hmm...that time frame does look a lot more open. I've heard that sometimes, people load up reservations hoping for free dining, and then end up cancelling. Think that might be a factor as well? Maybe not, since it's unavailable for October and most people would have probably cancelled by now I guess.

 

[mousehockey37]

The first week in September including Labor Day is notoriously a slower time.

Not anymore.

Forums here and elsewhere on the net have made all of this info readily available. Everyone knows that September WAS a slow time, so they started going then. Now that everyone knows and is going, it's not going to be slow anymore. MNSSHP and F&W both start super early this year, free dining is out there. Pull in the draw of Pandora. It's going to lead to no availability. This is the new norm for Disney now. Get used to it, unfortunately.

 

[mousehockey37]

We started planning our October 2017 trip earlier this month.

Well, that was your 1st mistake.

That said, a few years ago, we booked a September trip at the end of July. So it was doable. Probably still is for the right dates, but not as easy as before.

 

[Regan117]

Ok so not to beat a dead horse, but I was curious. From 12/22-12/29, every single resort has availability. And in almost all those resorts, all categories are available. I mean does that not seem abnormal? That Christmas would have more availability this time of year than mid-October?

That's not surprising, actually. Lots of people wait for discounts to come out before they book.

 

[jaiminee krikit]

We are going October 19-23. When I first booked (a couple of months ago), I had to split up my stay. Same resort, but I booked 1 night then 3 nights and it worked. At first I had to book different categories, but then the same category opened up for both stays. Try splitting up your days...

I did get a notification from a TA for a big discount, so they might also be blocking a lot of rooms for that.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Don't lose hope if there's still not much available at the 45 day mark as they have switched the package cancellation to 30 days from the original 45 days. So keep checking.

See? It's been a LONG time since I had to do all this stuff. After the trip with my folks in January I feel like I'll be good for another chunk of years.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I went last October. It was busy. I think TP called several days 8-9.

 

[WaltsMartini]

I had the same experience - I was looking for a specific 4 day period in September at Pop or All Star Movies - nada - not one available category of room, which surprised me. Just for the heck of it I was searching the Poly to price out what the discount would be for the fall and couldn't find any availability except for concierge. Checked out AKL and there was Savannah view and Savannah view bunk bed but nothing else.

This is a good exercise for future years when I do book - I will do so early!