Booking rooms wasn’t always this…challenging… was it?

[KyloKev]

Hello! Glad this was noticed by some DVC owners out there. As a prospective DVC buyer doing the homework - this is my first post! - I used the DVC Availability tool to check Nov 16-21, 2025 and Nov 30-Dec 5, 2025 because I’d want to experience the after hours holiday events and all the holiday decor at the parks. As a solo traveler, it was pretty depressing on the Standard View and Value and Duo studio selection for the resorts I’m interested in at this 7-ish month mark (AKV-Jambo, BCV, BLT, RIV) with the availability at VGF (partially?) explained by the high point costs for weekday nights.

Now for the kind of related to the topic question:
At the 11 month mark for owners of AKV-Jambo (I want to be near Boma and Jiko), how has it been booking non-value studios at the 11 months? I know the Value Studios go quick, so I wouldn’t even mind the SV even tho it’s double the cost of a Value. I want my first resale contract to be 100 points at AKV-Jambo and that’s perfect for 5 nights SV during Travel Period 5. What about Club Level for shorter, weekday non-parks stays at 11 months? Thanks!

Also, lmk if I should post this question to the AKV owners thread instead!

 

[Tatebeck]

Hello! Glad this was noticed by some DVC owners out there. As a prospective DVC buyer doing the homework - this is my first post! - I used the DVC Availability tool to check Nov 16-21, 2025 and Nov 30-Dec 5, 2025 because I’d want to experience the after hours holiday events and all the holiday decor at the parks. As a solo traveler, it was pretty depressing on the Standard View and Value and Duo studio selection for the resorts I’m interested in at this 7-ish month mark (AKV-Jambo, BCV, BLT, RIV) with the availability at VGF (partially?) explained by the high point costs for weekday nights.

Now for the kind of related to the topic question:
At the 11 month mark for owners of AKV-Jambo (I want to be near Boma and Jiko), how has it been booking non-value studios at the 11 months? I know the Value Studios go quick, so I wouldn’t even mind the SV even tho it’s double the cost of a Value. I want my first resale contract to be 100 points at AKV-Jambo and that’s perfect for 5 nights SV during Travel Period 5. What about Club Level for shorter, weekday non-parks stays at 11 months? Thanks!

Also, lmk if I should post this question to the AKV owners thread instead!

Value and Club studios are walked pretty much all year long. You will have to fight for days (or even weeks/months) on end to get started at any point. Or you can pick up scattered days as they/if they are walked past and waitlist days after that.

Savannah view is readily available at AKV and even Jambo specifically has pretty decent availability now for Oct/Nov even now that they are in/starting to be in the 7 month window. There are 20 nights available in November and 12 in October as of right now, and of the rest of the nights in November that are strictly in the 11 month window still, there is only 1 night through the end of the month that is not available in a Savannah Studio at Jambo.

If purchasing AKV for studios I would plan on Resort/Savannah view and take it as a nice surprise if/when I can get Value/Club. I myself have been able to book a week or so of value studio nights a couple times and a 4 or 5 day stretch in a club 1BR in the last 18 months or so without fighting to start a walk, just checking semi-frequently.

 

[KyloKev]

Value and Club studios are walked pretty much all year long. You will have to fight for days (or even weeks/months) on end to get started at any point. Or you can pick up scattered days as they/if they are walked past and waitlist days after that.

Savannah view is readily available at AKV and even Jambo specifically has pretty decent availability now for Oct/Nov even now that they are in/starting to be in the 7 month window. There are 20 nights available in November and 12 in October as of right now, and of the rest of the nights in November that are strictly in the 11 month window still, there is only 1 night through the end of the month that is not available in a Savannah Studio at Jambo.

If purchasing AKV for studios I would plan on Resort/Savannah view and take it as a nice surprise if/when I can get Value/Club. I myself have been able to book a week or so of value studio nights a couple times and a 4 or 5 day stretch in a club 1BR in the last 18 months or so without fighting to start a walk, just checking semi-frequently.

Ah, thanks so much for the detailed and thoughtful reply! I’m glad I happened to learn what walking was before posting. It seems to play a big part in how some DVC folks get those coveted rooms. I’m not sure that’s my style but I am definitely someone who can check semi-frequently. I figured the Club/Value rooms are the unicorns of AKV-Jambo bookings based on what I’ve read - I would just be happy to be in Jambo! Even through video, AKV-Jambo spoke to me like no other resort did.

 

[sethschroeder]

But why not a 1-time allowance, for instance? Or during a window, etc.. there are a thousand ways to slice it. When sales slow down, they'll have to start throwing some other perks. We have AKL and it's nice, but after 12 years of it, we realize we'd rather be near a park or DS. It's just a conversation.

My contract states it is why.

There would be massive issues unless Disney is giving away points. If they allowed people trade points at 11 months I would still be mad that is a fairly large change to the system and rules.