Just wanted to share my booking experience with folks here b\c I had a DVC life-lesson moment during the process.
As I've noted, we book at 11 months for BLT and then move when able to another resort at the 7-month mark.
The plan was to move to VWL for this trip. I'd been keeping track of availability for a while and saw what looked to be the week we wanted at VWL.
I call on the 7-month mark but I called about 15 minutes after MS opens...Sun-Sat is open but our first day wasn't! I wait list the whole week at VWL. I do some quick research and common advice was take what they have at the target resort. Then you'd only have to wait list a day instead of a week.
So the wheels start turning and I think, we can do the first day at BLT and then move to VWL like they recommended.
A sound plan for sure, but the logistics of adjusting our resort reservations was going to be a nightmare! I'll elaborate.
1. I couldn't just modify the existing ressie, I had to cancel and re-book. To add to the challenge, BLT was basically at capacity! So if I canceled the week, the Sat date wasn't likely to be available.
2. Even if I could successfully re-book BLT for just Sat, I'd have to wait another day before I could book at VWL. Grrr.
3. So I decide I'll call MS and have a chat with them about best-case scenario and what they recommended. I got a very informative and pleasant CM. She was confirming my understanding and just sharing best case practices and as she looked at the options available....voila...my wait-list came through!
So now the planning commences. We are slowly putting our plan together but we have a lot of variables at this juncture so we are slowly but surely penciling in everything.
We are leaving PIT at 7:30 am and are scheduled to arrive at MCO at 10:00 am. This is about 2 hours earlier than what we normally do. For Saturday we are planning to hit MK and haven't determined what we want to do for late afternoon\evening in regards to dining and such.
Sunday: AK is the plan then to hit DTD after that. We are planning to meet either fiends or relatives. We just need to determine which restaurant. If you recall Norm, last time my D wanted T-Rex but we did Raglan Road. We were considering T-Rex again, but my preference is to go where the food is good versus the theatrics of a dinosaur themed restaurant.
Tue: Thinking EPCOT or DHS in AM. We are hoping to get
MNSSHP tickets for Tuesday so that night we'll be in MK. The fam has agreed to dress up and go Pirate theme.
Wed: Chillax in the morning and then head over to Fantasia Gardens for late morning mini golf. Then fit in Beaches and Cream. After that we'll hit either HS or EPCOT.
That's all we have for now but the dining experiences that we have all agrred on are:
Artist Point and Whispering Canyon at WL
Garden Grill at EPCOT with Biergarten on the peripheral wish list Garden Grill is for DD7 Bday.
Sci-Fi diner for lunch
Chef Mickey's late breakfast. This is for DD10 Bday
Everything else is up in the air.