Are Grand Villas easier or more difficult to get at 7 month mark?

[TammiMcMan]

Booking a few rooms is my general recommendation even to owners. A Grand Villa can be a lot of togetherness, especially once you get more than three adult couples and kids. We've done it a few times - once with just our nuclear family of four (a family trip was planned, but there was a death in the family, and it ended up being just us), once with friends and then my youngest who was sixteen at the time and a friend (so six of us). But when I booked my big family trip of ten of us, we did two two bedrooms - one for my family of four (with plans to add my sister and a guest if she changed her mind and chose to come) and one for my other sister/brother in law and two kids and my parents - her kids were young, so my parents were there to help. Spending a week in a room with my brother in law is not vacation. Spending a week watching other people parent there kids in close quarters drives me batty (and it isn't that I'm a perfect parent).

Also remember that the more people involved, the more likely plans will change. Make sure you aren't holding the bag on expensive and non-refundable DVC reservations to have someone cancel due to health/finances/other commitments. In addition to the trip we took with four of us in a Grand Villa due to my brother in law passing, we had to postpone the other trip for nearly three years while my sister had a baby/got cancer/went through chemo/ and then had recovered enough for a trip. Some people on the board haven't been so "lucky" with excuses - their guests have just flaked out.

We’ve actually done big family trips a few times. My sister and her family stay at the Fort and me and my kids with their spouses have done a two bedroom at OKV and last year we stayed at an Airbnb close to Disney. We’ve learned from the trips that while we can all share the amenities of the living room, kitchen, etc, each family unit definitely must have their own bedroom. Hence the reason I was looking at GF grand villa specifically as that would give each one their own room within the unit. The accommodations are a gift from my husband and I to the kids, so we aren’t worried about someone having to back out.

I’ll come up with a few plans of trying to book multiple one or two bedrooms if that’s easier or just go with multiple resort rooms. Maybe look at club level which would give us a nice lounge to relax in if the littles need a nap or an earlier bedtime.

Appreciate you sharing your experience and giving me some food for thought

 

[btkemper.1212]

We've gotten a GV Jambo at 7 months out.

That is really good to know. What room did you end up with?

 

[Mle8308]

Not DVC owners so we’d be paying cash, but already nervous about being able to book a grand Villa for check in on Thanksgiving 2024 and the week following.

 

[Mle8308]

Not DVC owners so we’d be paying cash, but already nervous about being able to book a grand Villa for check in on Thanksgiving 2024 and the week following.

Right now, looking at one of the rental sites, for roughly your time, the only availability is at SSR, it's about $18K for standard view and $21K for a preferred Grand Villa. They would have to find an owner at SSR right now with that many points to book it. That is for more than a week. Can't use exact dates here, you would have to go look at the site, they are a board sponsor so there should be an ad for them on the page. Hope it works out for you!

 

[holden]

That is really good to know. What room did you end up with?

We got a savanna view room, but I don't remember the number. I do remember that we were not pleased with the room when we checked in. We booked savanna view, but the view we received was a mere sliver of the savanna (so little that I couldn't believe it qualified as savanna view). I complained and they moved us the next day to a better view.

 

[TammiMcMan]

Right now, looking at one of the rental sites, for roughly your time, the only availability is at SSR, it's about $18K for standard view and $21K for a preferred Grand Villa. They would have to find an owner at SSR right now with that many points to book it. That is for more than a week. Can't use exact dates here, you would have to go look at the site, they are a board sponsor so there should be an ad for them on the page. Hope it works out for you!

Thank you for checking. We did decide to go offsite and rent a house for the first week. The family decided, with the huge price difference, they’ll try to book a VIP tour. Will be staying for a few days on-site after and we’re looking at a 2 bedroom at the GF as our first choice.