Value Studio... Is it possible?

[Yinn]

Value studios (there are 18) have had an 11-month issue for a number of years now and it keeps getting a little worse annually. Getting one at 11-months out during the high demand season from late Sep to marathon weekend in Jan is very difficult. Also difficult during rest of year but chances at times develop. Moreover, even walking can be difficult because of the difficulty of finding a day on which to begin a walk.

Nevertheless, the value studios are only the third hardest DVC rooms to get. The AKV club level studios (5 total) are the worst of them all, typically disappearing extremely quickly at 8 a.m. at 11-months out (or shortly before 11-months out) most of the year with minimal chances even during the lower demand times. The second hardest rooms to get at 11-months out are the OKW Grand Villas in the near Hospitality House booking category, of which there are only 2.

The fourth hardest rooms to get are not at WDW; it is the standard view GV's at Aulani (2 total). And number 5 is the boardwalk standard studios (about 39).

A distant Number 6 used to be the BLT standard studios (typically a problem at 11-months out mostly just during the high demand season but does occur at times during the rest of the year) but that is now being overcome by the Tower studios (which are likely to become as bad as the AKV value studios), which has also resulted in BWV boardwalk studios moving down to 8th. Hotel rooms at Aulani are ninth. CCV standard studios come next, and number 10 is VGF studios, usually only for a limited part of the high demand season.

Am I just extremely lucky then? I was able to grab a full week at BWV Standard Studios for the week of Aug going into Sept. and I have AKL value studios for 5 days in Nov.

AKL club and AKL 2BR value has been elusive for me though..

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Am I just extremely lucky then? I was able to grab a full week at BWV Standard Studios for the week of Aug going into Sept. and I have AKL value studios for 5 days in Nov.

AKL club and AKL 2BR value has been elusive for me though..

It just means that by the time you hit 5th, 6th, 7th most difficult the difficulty is not bad for a lot of the year if you book at 11 months. I frequently book BWV standard view and am rarely online right at 8am eastern as that's 5am for me. I am surprised to see Drusba rank BWV standard view worse than BLT standard view as my casual observation has been BLT standard is gone sooner with more frequency. However I am not formally tracking so apparently that's incorrect.

 

[DaveNan]

I have been able to get all the tough categories, but it takes effort. You need to be all over it at 8AM when the window opens. I have needed to walk some, but I have also gotten my reservations by picking up the walker droppings. In general, I start trying 1-2 weeks ahead of my need dates based on the time of the year. That doesn't always work, but that's the level of walking I am comfortable with. Others obviously have different levels of comfort (in either direction), but I don't want to start that debate......

 

[Cg disney fan]

Seems that there is slim to none chance of getting a value studio EVER at AKL? What has been everyone's experience?

I hope to find out how hard it will be soon. waiting to close on my first DVC contract at AKL any day now.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I agree with most of this except for the Tower Studios. Thus far they have not proven to be a tough get at 11 months. I think the standard studio will be harder at Riviera than the Tower Studios will be. Studios at CCV are a harder to get room than the Tower Studios.

As they sell more points at RIV, it become harder to book the Tower Studios.

 

[JETSDAD]

As they sell more points at RIV, it become harder to book the Tower Studios.

Except that the Towers Studios will also have more units available as more points are sold. It's all relative so I don't see things changing. If there was a cheap option that still allowed 4 people then that would be different.

 

[twinklebug]

I've been fortunate to hit both CL and Value rooms at Jambo for a number of years. It just takes a plan (know what you want), determination (be online and ready), and a pinch of good luck. I have walked my reservation only once, and it was a pain, so now I just have a backup plan if I don't get that perfect room.

Walking on CL and values has had a wrench thrown into it since Disney figured out how to stop it with the December '19 chaos they created. It's easier for Disney to block out a room or two here and there, then re-release them after the 11 month window passes on the rooms with small inventory than it is on the large. This may be internal policy now, or it may be one cast member doing it to irk walkers. It evens the playing board a bit though.

 

[Yinn]

Walking on CL and values has had a wrench thrown into it since Disney figured out how to stop it with the December '19 chaos they created. It's easier for Disney to block out a room or two here and there, then re-release them after the 11 month window passes on the rooms with small inventory than it is on the large. This may be internal policy now, or it may be one cast member doing it to irk walkers. It evens the playing board a bit though.

Wait...what exactly did they do? Based on what you wrote it sounds to me like they’re adding to the walking/availability problem and I don’t think that’s what you meant.

 

[Marionnette]

Wait...what exactly did they do? Based on what you wrote it sounds to me like they’re adding to the walking/availability problem and I don’t think that’s what you meant.

DVC took value rooms out of service for the period when the hotel rooms nearby were expected to being renovated. That effectively stopped any walking. The rooms were later released to inventory when the renovation schedule was altered. Some speculate that this was done to discourage walking.

 

[n2mm]

Getting Bwv and BLT are very hard to get more than one day. But please don’t compare your success this summer to any future success. As an owner on both, many of us have thrown in the towel and canceled. I’ve canceled 13 nights standard studio Bwv late April/early May. I’ve also canceled 8 nights standard Bwv 2 bedroom lockoff at Bwv May 30-June 6. I’ve canceled 1 week mid August Bwv standard 1 bedroom. And am on the fence on canceling my September Bwv standard studio. I would’ve never canceled any of these rooms had the resorts been open and we weren’t in this situation. On a good note, I’m starting April 2021 with 1300 points and already made my April reservation, as you can guess Bwv standard studio 10 nights.

 

[sethschroeder]

Except that the Towers Studios will also have more units available as more points are sold. It's all relative so I don't see things changing. If there was a cheap option that still allowed 4 people then that would be different.

Except the first 10-20% of points will likely have more existing owners with larger point contracts and likely families to plan around.

Moving forwards anyone purchasing is more likely going to be new to DVC of which there is going to be a higher portion looking for the cheapest room possible for a "family" without kids.

You also have "bonus" points that people recieved and upgraded their stay to a normal studio vs the tower studio.

Not saying it will be to Value room level but it doesn't take many people wanting it to have the category booked up.

 

[JETSDAD]

Except the first 10-20% of points will likely have more existing owners with larger point contracts and likely families to plan around.

Moving forwards anyone purchasing is more likely going to be new to DVC of which there is going to be a higher portion looking for the cheapest room possible for a "family" without kids.

You also have "bonus" points that people recieved and upgraded their stay to a normal studio vs the tower studio.

Not saying it will be to Value room level but it doesn't take many people wanting it to have the category booked up.

I would disagree with the entire premise that existing owners would be booking larger rooms. Existing owners are the owners at other resorts who are already walking the hard to get rooms and fighting for the cheapest rooms. Tower Studios just have a more limited appeal with the 2 person capacity.

 

[sethschroeder]

I would disagree with the entire premise that existing owners would be booking larger rooms. Existing owners are the owners at other resorts who are already walking the hard to get rooms and fighting for the cheapest rooms. Tower Studios just have a more limited appeal with the 2 person capacity.

Existing owners know the pitfall of planning on the cheapest room and the fact this would be their second or more contracts means they are going to be older and thus have a higher likelihood of having a family.

Tower Studios are completely geared towards that recent college grad for a 5-10 year span before they have kids. It is not geared towards the DVC owner who is an empty nester and likely wants the experience of their exisiting DVC contract rooms in a studio.

It's a murphy bed as the only sleeping surface that scream young individual or couple.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Existing owners know the pitfall of planning on the cheapest room and the fact this would be their second or more contracts means they are going to be older and thus have a higher likelihood of having a family.

Tower Studios are completely geared towards that recent college grad for a 5-10 year span before they have kids. It is not geared towards the DVC owner who is an empty nester and likely wants the experience of their exisiting DVC contract rooms in a studio.

It's a murphy bed as the only sleeping surface that scream young individual or couple.

I remember back to VGF initial sales. Existing owners were buying "a few points to go in early December for Christmas decorations (and stay in studios)". Riviera? Existing owners commented they were going to "buy a few points to stay in a Tower room for Food and Wine".

I'm not certain there's any difference in what existing owners purchase now vs back with VGF or even further back. If someone just wants a few nights somewhere they'll buy a few points. Everyone is different too on the trips they take. Existing owners can just as easily want to do couple trips.

 

[Sandisw]

I remember back to VGF initial sales. Existing owners were buying "a few points to go in early December for Christmas decorations (and stay in studios)". Riviera? Existing owners commented they were going to "buy a few points to stay in a Tower room for Food and Wine".

I'm not certain there's any difference in what existing owners purchase now vs back with VGF or even further back. If someone just wants a few nights somewhere they'll buy a few points. Everyone is different too on the trips they take. Existing owners can just as easily want to do couple trips.

I agree I’ll be doing a few solo trips and at least a few of them will be in a tower studio. It was one of the pluses for buying there.

 

[sethschroeder]

I remember back to VGF initial sales. Existing owners were buying "a few points to go in early December for Christmas decorations (and stay in studios)". Riviera? Existing owners commented they were going to "buy a few points to stay in a Tower room for Food and Wine".

I'm not certain there's any difference in what existing owners purchase now vs back with VGF or even further back. If someone just wants a few nights somewhere they'll buy a few points. Everyone is different too on the trips they take. Existing owners can just as easily want to do couple trips.

I am not saying there isn't I am simply commenting there is going to be a group of new members who try to do DVC cheap and don't have kids so they can plan whole 5-7 days trips in Tower Studios vs the "weekend" trip for others. DVC is good at selling how cheap and easy it is to new members.

Whats the first two things stated on this board to new people all the time? Buy where you want to stay and don't plan on standard point charts for many resorts.

I think new members will bank on Towers Studios to make the math work while current members understand to plan for a regular studio possibly giving them extra points to use upgrade from time to time.

 

[bwang123]

Keep checking inventory right now though if you are looking. We talked to a guide and they are cancelling a lot of rooms where people borrowed over the 50% limit. Not a studio, but we booked a one bedroom value within the 11 month window today.

 

[skier_pete]

We've booked them 4 times, and only once did I walk a few days. This past February we actually had 8 nights. I couldn't get the first 2, but scooped up the last 6 nights at 11 months. The 2nd night I got on a waitlist a few days later. The final night came through a few months after that.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Some are walking value studios through April next Year, but a friend was able to get the week she wanted by following the walk. She’s very happy!

 

[CastMember 02]

@bobbiwoz like walking from april til the fall?