Best Resort for Welcome Home Stay

[Thegoatfeeder]

We’ve recently finalised our first DVC purchase and have sorted our Welcome Home stay for the first 2 weeks of December. Currently this is for the Riviera (our home resort), the idea being that at 7 months we will change the second week of our stay with guest services who have told us they will likely be able to help us get the resort of our choice as a Welcome Home perk.

Just thought I’d see what resort you guys thought would be best, that potentially are ordinarily impossible to get at 7 months. We will be booking studios as it will usually just be the 2 of us travelling.

We are leaning toward CC as we like the idea of Wilderness Lodge around Christmas, or alternatively Bay Lake so we can walk to MK. I also like BWV, but I guess with us already having spent a week in one Epcot area resort (Riviera), it doesn’t make a lot of sense to spend the 2nd week in that area too.

Just thought I’d see what you guys think, any views of suggestions appreciated, we like all the resorts so there’s no bad options! Cheers

 

[TCRAIG]

What size unit and how many adults and kids?

 

[lovin'fl]

I'd choose CCV if possible. Or Poly. Poly studios are nice and will be a nice difference from the Riv. Getting 2 very different vacays. CCV would also do that. CCV can only have 4 in a studio. And it's studios book up super duper fast, like already probably gone most of Dec. If they can make that magic happen then go for it. Otherwise, Poly.

BLT studios are teeny tiny. Not great for more than 2 adults or maybe even 2 adults with one little. Maybe 2 little littles like ages 1 and 4 or something.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I'm a little bit surprised that they would state that they would assist with a Welcome Home stay for next December. The rules I've seen written out for it is that it must be your very first reservation so you can't have ever booked anything else and that it is for stays in the 6 months following your purchase. Do the documents you signed reflect changes to those rules? Otherwise I know other owners have been quite disappointed when they've inquired about making a change or booking something that is further out and been denied.

The reason for the Welcome Home stay to encourage the purchase by booking a room during a time that doesn't have normal availability because of the shorter notice of a stay being within the 7 month booking window. Otherwise you would book it just like any owner will.

 

[Thegoatfeeder]

I'm a little bit surprised that they would state that they would assist with a Welcome Home stay for next December. The rules I've seen written out for it is that it must be your very first reservation so you can't have ever booked anything else and that it is for stays in the 6 months following your purchase. Do the documents you signed reflect changes to those rules? Otherwise I know other owners have been quite disappointed when they've inquired about making a change or booking something that is further out and been denied.

The reason for the Welcome Home stay to encourage the purchase by booking a room during a time that doesn't have normal availability because of the shorter notice of a stay being within the 7 month booking window. Otherwise you would book it just like any owner will.

I guess I’m not actually sure! Which is a bit worrying, this is just what I was told when I was discussing my first booking etc. I’ll definitely report back when I get to that point!

 

[SecondEventuality]

Yeah, I'd only use the Welcome Home for something quick and unavailable If you're able to book it, it doesn't make much difference unless I misunderstood the OP.

We were able to book our Welcome Home within 2 months of buying our contracts, but had to keep the dates flexible. When you call Member Services, keep that in mind. It's a one-shot deal and can't be rebooked during another call for different dates. I asked if it would be ok to alter the dates the next day and call back (I was concerned about flights since they were not booked yet) but was told I would have to go through the website for any changes. The first dates I suggested was pushed forward 1 week earlier, so it will all depend on where you are trying to book and how soon, I'd imagine.

 

[sbbobe]

Due to the small size of CC and its popularity I wouldn’t be counting on reservations there. I do think that your sales representative will probably be able to assist you with the Poly or even possibly BLT at the 7 month mark. Good look and Welcome Home!

 

[lovin'fl]

We bought resale first and years later added on direct. And I tried to get a welcome home assistance to book for F&W that year. We added BWV around May and wanted help for Oct or Nov. They refused and actually acted like they had no idea what I was talking about. I guess because we were already owners.

 

[Sandisw]

We bought resale first and years later added on direct. And I tried to get a welcome home assistance to book for F&W that year. We added BWV around May and wanted help for Oct or Nov. They refused and actually acted like they had no idea what I was talking about. I guess because we were already owners.

Yes, that was the reason. They don’t offer it to current owners who add direct.

 

[Thegoatfeeder]

Thanks so much for all the feedback guys, we really like the Poly, so in the likely event we can’t get CC we’ll go for that.

Which buildings are generally best on the DVC side at the Poly?

 

[_auroraborealis_]

FWIW the moment you have a booking, they won't do a Welcome Home. If you have a booking, this is all moot.

 

[kboo]

I'd choose CCV if possible. Or Poly. Poly studios are nice and will be a nice difference from the Riv. Getting 2 very different vacays. CCV would also do that. CCV can only have 4 in a studio. And it's studios book up super duper fast, like already probably gone most of Dec. If they can make that magic happen then go for it. Otherwise, Poly.

BLT studios are teeny tiny. Not great for more than 2 adults or maybe even 2 adults with one little. Maybe 2 little littles like ages 1 and 4 or something.

Thanks so much for all the feedback guys, we really like the Poly, so in the likely event we can’t get CC we’ll go for that.

Which buildings are generally best on the DVC side at the Poly?

FWIW the moment you have a booking, they won't do a Welcome Home. If you have a booking, this is all moot.

I hope it works out for you ... if it does, I might throw VGF into the mix with CCV. Less so BLT because you will be able to book BLT at other times of the year more easily, and when I think of over-the-top Christmas, I think of CCV and VGF.

BTW, here's a view of Christmas fireworks from our VGF room last month. (will need to edit post to add)

 

[Deb & Bill]

First two weeks of Dec at seven months is going to be hard for even MS to arrange (if they decide to assist you on this). I'd not depend on getting this at all. It sounds like you are looking for a studio and that is going to be even harder. Don't plan on it. I tried to get three nights in a studio for the second week of Dec at just over nine months out at OKW and I could only get one night. I got the two outside nights (I was able to book the middle night myself) by waitlisting each night separately.

 

[The Jackal]

First two weeks of Dec at seven months is going to be hard for even MS to arrange (if they decide to assist you on this). I'd not depend on getting this at all. It sounds like you are looking for a studio and that is going to be even harder. Don't plan on it. I tried to get three nights in a studio for the second week of Dec at just over nine months out at OKW and I could only get one night. I got the two outside nights (I was able to book the middle night myself) by waitlisting each night separately.

Yes we are still a little over 10 months out from early December and even SSR has some holes for standard studios for the 2nd week. Some resorts only have a day or two here or there for all room categories.

 

[Thegoatfeeder]

Yes we are still a little over 10 months out from early December and even SSR has some holes for standard studios for the 2nd week. Some resorts only have a day or two here or there for all room categories.

Yeah I think we've accepted that we won't be managing a 2nd resort for the entirety of our 2nd week, even with the Welcome Home stuff that was initially mentioned to us, thats entirely on us though for picking such a busy time from a DVC perspective, but we just really wanted to go during the Christmas season!

Disney already made some magic happen in that not even Riviera was available for the full 2 weeks and they managed to get us a booking for the whole time. So really, we can't complain. Our current plan is just to see at 7 months if there's just a few nights available somewhere for the last 3 or 4 nights of our 2 weeks, as opposed to trying to stay somewhere for the whole week. Either way, we're more than happy to finally be DVC members, we have years and years of stays to explore the different resorts!