When Is the Best Time to Book a Non-home Resort at Disney World?

When it comes to DVC, it’s true that many will advise you to buy where you want to stay, but it’s still fun to try out a non-home resort every now and then.  The ability to reserve a stay at a non-home resort at the 0-7 month booking window will heavily depend on what type of points you own (i.e., restricted or not) and what time of year you would like to travel.  Here are some of the best travel periods to book a non-home resort.  

June to August

The summer months may be the prime time to travel for families with kids on summer break, but at the same time, plenty of DVC Members avoid traveling during the summer due to the sweltering Florida heat.  This makes it easier to book a non-home resort.  

An exception to this would be the days around the Fourth of July.  Between the special fireworks and fun celebrations at the resorts, the Fourth of July can be harder to book.

May 

For DVC Members, May isn’t typically a high demand travel period.  Even better, in recent years May has become cheaper in points, and it’s a great time to check out the EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival.

As expected, Memorial Day weekend may be more challenging to book than the rest of the month.  

EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival

September 

Between hurricane season and many schools just starting their academic year, September traditionally hasn’t been a very popular travel period for DVC Members, making it easier to find availability at non-home resorts.  However, since September became the cheapest travel period, there has been slightly more competition in September in recent years.  

January to February

January is one of the travel periods with lower point values, and it can also be a decent time to switch to a non-home resort if you can time it right.  If you can avoid holidays (Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Presidents’ Day) and runDisney events (Marathon Weekend typically the first full week of January and the Princess Half Marathon often right around Presidents’ Day), you can find decent inventory at non-home resorts at the 7-month booking window.

Regardless of when you are looking to book a non-home resort, it’s still best practice to book your home resort first to ensure you have a room for the dates you want and then modify your reservation at 7-months out from check-in.

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