DVC Tips for Maximizing Home Resort Advantage

As the Disney Vacation Club surges in popularity, availability has become more of a pressing issue. The reality is that you won’t always snag a reservation for your first room choice. 

Thankfully, the power of your Home Resort’s 11-month window remains strong. Thanks to this membership benefit, you can always book when you want. 

So, here are a few DVC tips for Home Resort bookings. They should help you maximize the booking power of the 11-month window. 

Anticipate the Holidays 

We’re still squarely in the summer, yet attentive guests will already notice signs of Halloween at the parks. Cast Members are quietly assembling the various lighting displays necessary for Halloween decorations and after-hours events. 

Disney has started doing this in July because Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party begins in early August now. In 2024, the first date is August 9th, and the decorations must be up by then. Similarly, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party begins three months later on November 9th. 

Technically, the Christmas season doesn’t begin until mid-November, but most of the decorations are up in time for the party. Meanwhile, the beloved gingerbread houses typically go live by November 20th. 

Knowing these things is essential for DVC members. Let’s say that you prefer the first Halloween party event. You should reserve a room around September 8th for next year’s early August. An educated guess is that the first party next year will occur on August 8th, the first Friday. That’s how Disney is doing it this year, anyway. 

Similarly, if you prefer to be at Disney on Halloween, that one’s easy. Your 11-month window for an October 31st, 2025, booking opens on December 1st, 2024. You may not know this, but Disney offers a booking window calculator on the official site. That removes the guesswork from your booking. You’ll know the exact date for your visit.

Along those lines, fans of the first Christmas party should schedule a date around December 7th. Remember to book longer to be safe. Then, you can always remove some dates later if needed. Those who love Christmas Week should book your rooms on January 25th. It’s that simple to anticipate the holidays.

This Strategy Works for runDisney Events

Here’s the unexpected bonus regarding the DVC date calculator. You can use it to maximize your 11-month booking window for runDisney events, too. 

I don’t need to tell you how important this early booking is. At this point, runDisney events have become some of the most seminal, heavily attended dates on the annual calendar. Those who wait until the seven-month window are rolling the dice that anything will be available. 

To wit, let’s say that you want to attend Springtime Surprise Weekend 2025. If so, you should use your booking window advantage to reserve a room right now! The event starts on April 18th, 2025. So, the seven-month window opens for everyone on September 18th, 2024. 

You lose your advantage in less than two months, but you still have time right now while members remain in the 11-month window. If you’re dubious, I can prove the value of this strategy with a different runDisney event. 

The Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend starts on January 30th, 2025. As I type this, the booking window only opened three weeks ago. At this point, there’s only availability for one Room Type on one night, and it’s the Duo Studio, which can only accommodate two guests. 

Everything else was sold out at the seven-month window. Realistically, the room I’m seeing was probably a cancellation, too. Other DVC members are using their 11-month windows to book in advance. If you aren’t, you’re ceding a competitive advantage to them. 

Always Plan Ahead 

Here’s the other thing to remember about the 11-month window. You can always cancel the reservation should you choose not to go. By this point, you should be intimately familiar with how cancellation works. As long as you do it at least 31 days before your visit, the points return to your Use Year.

Since the cancellation policy is so generous, you should never be afraid to book early. If you think you might vacation at Disney at a certain time, go ahead and book at the 11-month window. Then, set Siri/Alexa reminders a few times to remind yourself. 

You can decide later whether you’re going. Since you booked early, you have the reservation if you want it. Otherwise, you can cancel and thereby accidentally make somebody else’s day. If you’ve been on the other side of this, you know what I mean. Discovering newfound availability is such a joy. 

The point is that you should get in the habit of booking at 11 months just in case you might take a Disney vacation. It eliminates the risk of no availability. 

Still, as an FYI, you should remember that you’ve got other options. Let’s say that you forget to book early. If the room you want is sold out, check DVC Rental Store for Confirmed Reservations. There’s probably something that will satisfy your needs. 

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