Booking last minute / inside the 7-month window -- strategies and tips

The furthest out we have booked so far was for run Disney weekend in October. Other than that we always find short weekend trips with my husband stalking the site. It helps that we don't mind where we stay or split stays, but so far he's managed to book Boardwalk during F&G, BLT & Poly for the 4th of July and SSR for RunDisney. When work is nuts, we will plan a quick getaway and just grab what is open. It's been a blast. I have ideas about additional contracts but I don't think we'll ever plan far enough out to take advantage of the 11 month window.

As a newish local, I still like to plan my big trips in advance like I always did in the past, but the spontaneous short stays are just a result of stalking the system, whether it's finding a last minute stay for Moonlight Magic or because I have family in town. I think summer tends to be easier for last minute finds, but I even once booked NYE at BWV a little over a month out--you never know what you'll find when you browse availability!

Waitlists are your friends…

Things almost always open up one way or another - especially if you can be flexible with exactly what resort or room or category you want..

One time we had a one night trip… we kept changing rooms as more desirable ones popped up… we ended up doing a night at the GF which was booked 1 day before the trip…

More recently we needed a two night stay… We originally had one night in a studio somewhere - maybe VGF or Poly… but we found a week before the trip we needed a second night…. We didn’t want two nights in a studio…. Boulder Ridge was available in a 1 BR… but then BLT opened up in a 2 BR so we moved there instead… both were booked last minute…

Longer trips do require advanced planning, but then again, our 5 night waitlist just came through… so even longer ones can be filled…

We have really embraced split stays...wife wasn't super wild with it at first, but now we love getting to experience two different resorts every trip. Its also super nice with the current promotion for free waterpark access on your check-in day!

How do split stays work with transferring luggage?

Bell Services can help with that! Just make sure you take the essentials for the day with you since it sometimes takes until early evening to get your stuff at the next resort.

Just like @LDLC12 mentioned. We pack our main bags and drop them off at bell services and let them know what resort to transfer them to. We keep the essentials we'll want for the day and then head to a park/water park or spend the day at the pool at either resort!

Pro Tip: If you are planning to do a pool day at your new resort, stop at the front desk and let them know you are there. We have always gotten in right at or before 4 when we do this. One time it was ~530 and even though we hadn't gotten the notification that our room was ready via MDE, we stopped by the front desk and got a room right then and there.

Thanks for the information! How does the free water park pass work for split stays? What about if we stayed at the same resort but switched areas? For example, doing 2 days at OKW HH area and then doing 2 days in a regular deluxe studio at OKW?

Each check in is a free water park day, even if you check out and in at the same resort.

We also travel to Disney the week before thanksgiving! It’s our favorite time of year..

100% We love it; we stumbled upon it one year and met a few other families that first time that all said they go that same week each year. Now we haven't stopped going that week either.

Crowds aren't too bad, weather is normally perfect (although it did rain the ENTIRE week one year), and all the Holiday decorations are out! Plus, it just extends Thanksgiving into essentially a two-week vacation :)

I just wish it didn't fall in the third highest DVC point tier ha

Everyone on the registration gets a water park ticket automatically added to their MDE app on any check in day.