Hi Emma,
Welcome home! And welcome back to planDisney!
Thanks for visiting with your question today, Emma. I love helping fellow
Disney Vacation Club Members make the most of their membership, and it’s extra fun when they are fellow Brits! My family and I have been enjoying our membership for several years now, and we just wish we had joined much sooner. It has completely changed how we holiday at Disney Destinations.
It sounds like you are planning a split stay next summer, which is really exciting! I am looking forward to my first stay at
Disney's Vero Beach Resort in just a few weeks’ time. We have tagged it on between our Walt Disney World vacation and a voyage on Disney Cruise Line, and we are counting down the days!
Emma, as your home resort is Animal Kingdom Lodge, you can book this part of your stay 11 months in advance, making the most of your
Home Resort Priority Period. You will need to wait until 7 months before your planned date of arrival to book your rooms at Vero Beach and Saratoga Springs. What I do when booking a split stay is secure the different sections of my vacation all at my Home Resort and then modify each part at the 7-month mark. This guarantees we will have a place to stay if, worst case scenario, there is no availability at the other resort.
If you do struggle to find availability at 7 months out, you can make up to two
waitlist requests, which is why it is important to make the Home Resort reservations in separate chunks. Whilst making a waitlist does not come with any guarantees, my family has always found it to work perfectly for us.
I hope this helps to answer your question today, Emma, and that you have fun planning next year's vacation. Planning is half the fun, right? If you have any further questions about your membership or vacation planning, please
reach out to me. I’d love to help.
See ya real soon!
Matt