Wait list and split stays?

[Rebecca_]

We bought our first resale contract last year, a small SSR resale to see if it's the right thing for us before potentially adding on direct next year. The plan was to use our points for the first time in September but we've just recently decided to move our trip to early November. I stupidly didn't get round to rebooking the new dates until our 7 month window & availability is so poor 😭 I've only been in November over Thanksgiving before so I had no idea about Jersey Week and the Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend until now.

We're there for 9 nights before our cruise and the idea was always to do a 5 night/4 night split stay so we could try a couple of resorts. This ended up being impossible but I have at least managed to piece together a 9 night stay... 5th & 6th November had zero availability at all but after stalking the website I managed to find 2 single nights at different resorts so just booked them so we wouldn't be homeless for the weekend!

The plan is currently:
3 nights SSR
1 night OKW *wait list for SSR*
1 night AKV - Jambo *wait list for BCV*
2 nights BCV
2 nights SSR

Have I got any chance for these wait lists to come in do you think? And how reliable is the system, is it better to leave it now or keep checking to see if the rooms become available?

So hopefully we will end up with a 4 night/3 night/2 night split. Has anyone done a similar split stay before and how did they find it? We're two adults in our twenties so living out of a suitcase the whole time doesn't bother us.

[YorkshireT]

Originally Posted by Rebecca_

We bought our first resale contract last year, a small SSR resale to see if it's the right thing for us before potentially adding on direct next year. The plan was to use our points for the first time in September but we've just recently decided to move our trip to early November. I stupidly didn't get round to rebooking the new dates until our 7 month window & availability is so poor 😭 I've only been in November over Thanksgiving before so I had no idea about Jersey Week and the Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend until now.

We're there for 9 nights before our cruise and the idea was always to do a 5 night/4 night split stay so we could try a couple of resorts. This ended up being impossible but I have at least managed to piece together a 9 night stay... 5th & 6th November had zero availability at all but after stalking the website I managed to find 2 single nights at different resorts so just booked them so we wouldn't be homeless for the weekend!

The plan is currently:
3 nights SSR
1 night OKW *wait list for SSR*
1 night AKV - Jambo *wait list for BCV*
2 nights BCV
2 nights SSR

Have I got any chance for these wait lists to come in do you think? And how reliable is the system, is it better to leave it now or keep checking to see if the rooms become available?

So hopefully we will end up with a 4 night/3 night/2 night split. Has anyone done a similar split stay before and how did they find it? We're two adults in our twenties so living out of a suitcase the whole time doesn't bother us.

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No one knows. This year towards the back end of the year it is unusually very very busy. I commented the other week how usually there is tons of availability mid December.

This will settle down and go back to normal in maybe 2023.

However you seem to have picked a busy week anyway, and studio availability is always a lot less than 1 beds.

No one can say because we have no idea how many are ahead of you in the waitlist (if you waitlist bang on 8am 7 months you will be top of the non home resort queue) and the glut of pandemic points are skewing what would normally happen later this year. Added to that you have the 50th.

Interestingly availability is still better than usual for summer, I had no problem getting a 1 bed at Copper Creek only 3.5 months out. They are normally available in summer, but only on the 7 month mark and go quickly after that. But summer is higher points and usually quieter than November.

I can only surmise that there is a mixture of people still being put off by the pandemic, a glut of points, plus waiting for the 50th stuff to start (whatever that will entail) and that is making a tsunami of bookings for late September onward when you add that to the usual ‘fall frenzy’ , events and the 50th.

I know for the 50th virtually every room was booked 2 months ago.

Hopefully will be all back to normal by 2023 although you still want to be booking home resort before 7 months in busy times, particularly in a studio (well anytime really to be sure.)

[Shooby doo]

You've hit the perfect storm as well , still early enough in the Anniversary celebrations to have all those that are trying to give the first few weeks a miss, on top of what is a busy time anyway.
Apart from SSR/OKW/AKV at 7 months for our Sept stay there was no other full availability, lot of pent up need at the minute as very few International owners, apart from those willing to holiday on the exempt list for 14 nights,have been near in over a year.
SD

[KarenG]

So this is pure speculation on my part! But Wine & Dine Run won’t be going ahead this year but I suspect a few owners may still have rooms booked on the hope it’s goes ahead. You may find as time gets closer some people give up hope and cancel. I wouldn’t lose hope yet, though I completely agree with YT and Shooby that this year is a very very unusual one and norms seen previously may not occur (well, probably won’t!).