How Hard Is It to Book a DVC Resort That Isn’t Your Home Resort?

With many DVC resale contracts, you can book a room at a resort other than your home resort at the 7-month mark.  Although you have the ability to do this, how realistic is it actually to book a different resort?  Can you reliably switch to another resort at the 7-month mark?  Well, it can depend on a few factors.

Resort

Which resort you want to book can make a big difference in how easy or difficult it is to book a non-home resort.  Some resorts like the Beach Club and the Grand Californian are small and therefore have few rooms available to begin with.  They are the toughest to book, and you can’t really count on booking at those resorts regularly without owning a contract there.  

However, if you are looking to switch to Old Key West, Saratoga Springs, or Kidani Village, you’ll have much better odds of finding a room at the 7-month mark.  These resorts are large in comparison to the other DVC resorts and have much more room inventory, which makes them relatively easy to book year-round.

Room Size

If you are searching for a Studio, it can be tougher to find a room.  Deluxe Studios and especially Tower or Duo Studios have the lowest points chart values, so they can be very popular for DVC Members who are looking to stretch their points.  This makes them the most competitive room category to book.  Competition for Deluxe Studios also impacts the availability of the Two Bedroom Lock-Off Villas since those rooms are made up of adjoining Deluxe Studios and One Bedroom Villas.

Some of the larger room types have limited inventory, making them tough to find.  These include the Three Bedroom Beach Cottages at Vero Beach, Two Bedroom Penthouse Villa at the Polynesian, and the Three Bedroom Grand Villa at Disneyland Hotel.  There are only two of those grand villas at Disneyland Hotel!

Booking Category

Some resorts offer different booking categories, and some of these categories can be hard to reserve.  A prime example of this is Jambo House.  Rooms in the Resort View and Savanna View categories aren’t too hard to book, but there are very few Value and Kilimanjaro Club Concierge rooms.  Between their high demand and limited inventory, it’s very uncommon to book those rooms at the 7-month mark or under.  Even DVC Members who own contracts at the Animal Kingdom Villas find it very challenging to book those rooms at the 11-month mark. 

Time of the Year

The time of year you are vacationing can also have a big impact on availability.  For example, early December is the most popular time for DVC Members to book trips to Disney World.  That time of year has low point values, great weather, and holiday decorations and festivities!  It can be hard to book within the home resort window and is especially challenging by the 7-month mark.  By contrast, summertime (minus the Fourth of July) isn’t as in demand due to the hot weather and higher point values.  You may have better luck changing resorts in early June or late August.

In addition, you may not think of Hilton Head and Vero Beach as popular DVC resorts, but when it comes to the peak summer season, availability can be hard to come by.  This is why some people feel it is worthwhile to own contracts at Hilton Head and Vero Beach despite their high annual dues.  

No matter which resort, room size, or time of the year that you are looking to book, the best advice is to always book your home resort first at the 11-month mark.  Then you can modify that reservation at the 7-month mark to switch resorts if there is availability.  This way, you know for sure you have a room for your desired dates.  

Access all available Disney Vacation Club resale listings, or learn more about buying and selling with DVC Resale Market.