Booking non-home resorts

[dixielandings]

Please share your methods/practices for booking at the 7-month window. Do you call or use the website? What are the times - Member Services opens at 9:00 Eastern but what about online? When can you start trying to book? I'm trying to stay on top of this since we had NO options last year other than OKW (which was great) and our home resort.

Thanks...

[VWL Mom]

Online booking opens at 8am EST, one hour before MS opens.

[Aurora]

If we're trying to book during a more popular time of year, like summer or the Epcot resorts during Food & Wine, we try to be on the phone or online first thing in the morning. We've booked at slower times of year just a few months in advance and were flexible with the resorts. We've also waitlisted and only once didn't have it come through.

We've never been completely locked out (we don't go over Easter, July 4th or Christmas times).

[Ltmoko]

I booked at my home resort at 11 month window for Oct 2014 to make sure we have a place to stay. At the 7 month window I wanted to move from AKV to VWL. I did not have enough points to have both booked at once so I could not use the online reservation, I had to wait until MS opened up. Well I was on the phone dialing at 8:55 until I got in and sure enough I could get all the days I wanted but the first one! Did not want to do a split stay so i wait listed! I got lucky because the next day it matched! It took a few days to flow through the system but I knew I had it so all was good! This does not always happen but for a change I got lucky!

[DisneyFan1979]

I have a follow-up to ensure I'm understanding correctly. I've booked a December stay at my 11-month window at AKL-Jambo House and would like to try to move all or part of the stay to a non-home resort at 7 months out in May. I do not have enough points in my current use year to have both booked at once, so I should call at the 7 month window rather than go online? I'm happy to waitlist all or part of the stay.

Or should I borrow from the next use year to be able to make the reservation online since that opens an hour earlier?

Also, can I waitlist at more than one resort?

And finally, do people find it easier to book a 1-bedroom or a studio at their non-home resort? As a new member, I don't yet have a good sense as to what the most popular room type is.

Thanks for any advice or suggestions.