Favorite time of year for various DVC resorts?

[heathpack]

I’m not new to DVC but am new to DVCing at WDW. We now own 25 HHI points, 85 VGC points, 50 BCV points, and soon 90 CC points. I have been considering the “best” time of year to visit each resort based on our priorities.

Yesterday we booked an early Sept week at BCV even though we were originally planning on maybe trying to II trade into AKL. My thinking was you want long days for animal viewing.

But now that I’m looking at it, I’m thinking Sept might be a great time at BCV:
1. It will be hot and one might want to swim/hang at the pool much of the day
2. To my surprise Food and Wine has already started, plus the Halloween parties
3. Low crowds so maybe Stormalong Bay is more fun

And AKL might actually be better in the times of the year when the days are short, because viewing animals around sunset is nice. The sun sets around 5:30, so you could still go to a nice dinner after or into a park. So maybe Christmas is a nice season for AKL stays.

I was wondering if experienced DVCers here might have a favorite resort for each season? When I was going to Disneyland as my only DVC ownership, season didn’t matter much to me.

Now I am thinking that maybe our ideal will be:
BCV Sept or May
Copper Creek Dec?
HHI of course May-Sept, but that’s an add on to Marriott HH stays, or using for other DVC stays

Then maybe we use our VGC points to try to trade into:
AKL Christmas?
Riveria- when?
Poly- when?
BLT- when?

Who likes to go where, when, and why?

 

[AnnieBets]

Jambi lobby at Christmas is also amazing.
I’ve decided to alternate GF and HH for Christmas. I’ve got a small GF contract.

 

[heathpack]

Jambi lobby at Christmas is also amazing.
I’ve decided to alternate GF and HH for Christmas. I’ve got a small GF contract.

Interesting- Hilton Head at Christmas. That's counterintuitive to me. I want to go when its beachy. What do you do in December in HH?

 

[AnnieBets]

Walk in the preserve and on the beach. Visit the garden since they get late frost so it is still growing. I’ve been in May and it is much less crowded in December. You may need a hoodie or windbreaker but it hasn’t been too cold. If I biked, that would definitely be an activity.

 

[nomoretslt]

We own at BWV, BLT and RIV. We have sort of settled on when and where now that we’re fully retired and no longer need to fly as we now only have an 8 hour drive.

BWV (good location to Epcot like Beach Club) will be a mid or end of September trip. Like you said, it will still be hot for pool use. And easy walk to Epcot and (from BWV) to Hollywood. Also low point season. October used to be our favorite but they increased the points for October. There used to be a fabulous Party for the Senses on Saturday nights in October during Food & Wine, but that went away after Covid. It was pricey but totally worth it (and we are cheapskates). If it makes a return we will adjust our schedule.

Copper Creek will be great in December (first two weeks are low points). All the Christmas decorations will be up and the lobby is just so amazing. Weather wise….you just never know with Florida. Riviera is going to be our winter resort and we are going to alternate…December one year, end of January the next (Festival of the Arts is a great one too). The candlelight processional at Epcot is really quite amazing.

And May will be our BLT stay. Again, first 2 weeks are lower points…..and the rooms at BLT are pointy. It is hot in May most of the time. And not too crowded in the parks. I love the little beach area behind the pool.

And if you can use your Grand Cali points to change at 7 months between Christmas and New Years….the Magic Kingdom has New Years Eve Eve fireworks and New Years Eve fireworks. We did that once…spent Christmas and New Years at BLT. Saw the New Year’s Eve Eve fireworks. Then the next evening bussed over to Beach Club from MK bus depot went to Epcot and watched the New Years Eve fireworks (wonderful experience). Hopped the bus from Beach Club to MK bus depot and walked to BLT. Our bus was almost empty. The huge traffic jam coming out of MK was really something. We couldn’t believe it. Didn’t interfere with our ride at all. Although you’d burn all your points…..pointiest time of year.

We try to avoid the summer months….we only do it when we can get the family together but it’s getting difficult with everyone’s schedules.

You really can’t go wrong with any of your resorts…any time of year.

 

[TheHolleys87]

Just be aware that booking early December at CCV, especially studios, can be very difficult because many owners bought CCV for the same reason.

 

[dioxide45]

Interesting- Hilton Head at Christmas. That's counterintuitive to me. I want to go when its beachy. What do you do in December in HH?

Christmas is a great time to check out a lot of the restaurants without the crowds. Most restaurants are still open. Some shut down for a few weeks in January or February. Some have specials or BOGOs, though you don't see that as much lately. It can be pretty cold, but many list biking when it isn't sweltering hot!

 

[TUGBrian]

as a floridian, i cant think if any worse time to visit a disney park than the dead of summer-fall....

give me the cold (well...florida cold) of feb-march any time!

 

[heathpack]

as a floridian, i cant think if any worse time to visit a disney park than the dead of summer-fall....

give me the cold (well...florida cold) of feb-march any time!

But I want to want to swim in that fancy pool!

 

[ljmiii]

To us WDW from May through September is a no-go zone. Easter Break in March or April are plenty hot enough as is October (our recent Mid-March stay had temps of high 70s to mid 80s). Leaving...

October through Thanksgiving - BCV. Food and Wine at EPCOT plus Halloween decorations if you go before 10/31.

First two weeks of December - CCV. Best time of the year to visit WDW because of low crowds, low DVC prices, and Christmas decorations. But seemingly each and every other DVC owner knows this and (as @TheHolleys87 wrote) the competition for villas (particularly studios) is fierce.

I'm not really sure what to do w/25 HHI points (other than buy another 25-50) as Summer weekday nights are 15 points. As @AnnieBets wrote you could go at Christmas (25 points gets you a Thu-Fri or Sat-Sun) in conjunction w/a hotel stay. But more likely you'll be looking at lumping them in w/your 85 VGC points to make a reservation at 7 months for 110 points + up to 24 one time use points (or more if you have multiple Use Years).

 

[heathpack]

To us WDW from May through September is a no-go zone. Easter Break in March or April are plenty hot enough as is October (our recent Mid-March stay had temps of high 70s to mid 80s). Leaving...

October through Thanksgiving - BCV. Food and Wine at EPCOT plus Halloween decorations if you go before 10/31.

First two weeks of December - CCV. Best time of the year to visit WDW because of low crowds, low DVC prices, and Christmas decorations. But seemingly each and every other DVC owner knows this and (as @TheHolleys87 wrote) the competition for villas (particularly studios) is fierce.

I'm not really sure what to do w/25 HHI points (other than buy another 25-50) as Summer weekday nights are 15 points. As @AnnieBets wrote you could go at Christmas (25 points gets you a Thu-Fri or Sat-Sun) in conjunction w/a hotel stay. But more likely you'll be looking at lumping them in w/your 85 VGC points to make a reservation at 7 months for 110 points + up to 24 one time use points (or more if you have multiple Use Years).

Thanks, I've owned the 25 HHI points for many years and- amazingly- know how to use them.

Most frequently I use them to book at other resorts.

Also- as I mentioned in my post, I use HHI points to add on a few days to a Marriott stay (we own an EOY Barony gold week that we use for Memorial Day or Labor Day week stays, or we rent). I I am sure you realize that with banking and borrowing, a 25 point ownership can be used as a block of 50-75 points, which when combined with a 7 night summer Marriott stay makes for a nice little trip- which works particularly well for us because of the EOY nature of our Marriott ownership. Its not really practical to try to book summer HHI studios without the 11 month booking window, so its not my goal to try to use contracts other than HHI for use in Hilton Head. (Unless I decide to explore off season stays as other here have mentioned.)

I guess that I should have mentioned in my original post that as an experienced DVC owner, I am aware that there are popular times of the year for DVC owners and there are popular room types. Of course, as with all thing timeshare, one must be on top of one's game, and also have a little bit of luck, to obtain the highly desirable reservations.

We hate crowds so don't love the idea of spring break time or October at WDW.

 

[Deb & Bill]

We go for Flower and Garden (plus our anniversary) in March and Food & Wine (mostly late Oct or early Nov). Summer - stay at home and go to my beach or use my pool. Did go early Dec because of low point requirements, but only Holiday decor and no festivals.