Hey There, Susan!
Thanks for bringing your question to planDisney. You and me, we're in a club now –– a club of people who like to plan their upcoming
Disney Vacation Club vacations way in advance! While the waiting can be tough, I love having
plenty of time to dream up all the details for a perfect visit. Since it sounds like you're already planning a visit to Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas for Summer 2024, let me share a few details about Disney Vacation Club booking windows to help you find that perfect reservation when the time comes.
When it comes to booking a Disney Vacation Club Reservation with your Vacation Points, there are two dates you'll want to keep in mind –– the date your
Home Resort Priority Period opens and the date your 7-month booking window opens. At your Home Resort, you'll be able to begin booking reservations 11 months from the date of check-in, while reservations for all other DVC Resorts will become available beginning 7 months from that check-in date. This means that if one of the Resorts at Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas is your Home Resort and you're checking in on June 22, 2024, you can start making reservations for a 3-Bedroom Grand Villa at that Resort on July 22, 2023. Otherwise, you'll be able to book your room beginning November 22, 2023.
Because
3-Bedroom Grand Villas are very popular (and seriously,
so cool!), you might find that the reservation you're looking for is unavailable when it's time to book. I know this can be frustrating, but here's the good news –– by making a
Waitlist Request for that reservation, there's a great chance that availability for the room you're hoping to book will open up before you arrive. And the best part is that Waitlist Requests are made for a specific date range and room type, so your request will only be fulfilled if it matches exactly what you need. That means you won't have to stress about your Waitlist being booked for a date that doesn't work for you. Just keep in mind that if you're requesting two different travel dates, you can only have two active Waitlist Requests at one time, per Membership.
I love Waitlisting a reservation and it's a tool I use all the time when booking DVC stays, but there's one thing I recommend if you're trying to book at a non-Home Resort. When your 11-month booking window opens for your Home Resort, go ahead and book a 3-Bedroom Grand Villa for your desired dates, if it's available. That way, you'll be guaranteed to have the type of room you want booked for your dates. If the 3-Bedroom Grand Villa at a different Resort is available when your 7-month booking window opens, you'll be able to easily modify that existing reservation on the DVC website. Plus, if you end up having to Waitlist that reservation at 7-months, you can also choose to have your Waitlist automatically replace that existing reservation once it becomes available. This way, you'll have peace of mind knowing that because you already have a room booked, you can go ahead and make travel arrangements, even while you're waiting for that Waitlist Request to come through.
I'm so glad you stopped by planDisney, Susan. If you think of more questions as you plan your upcoming Walt Disney World Resort visit, I hope you'll visit us again –– we're always here to help!
Happy Planning,
Amy