Updated Resort Availability Tool

Sammie · Oct 7, 2015

KAT4DISNEY said:
Tonight the tool is acting much like the WDW hotel side and doesn't have the calendars and just says nothing available for any Oct dates. I double checked on the booking tool and found some availability so went back to try again and it won't show anything for DVC resorts. If I select only Nov dates then it looks like it has since they made this awful change. CRAP it definitely seems to be.

What booking tool are you referring too?

KAT4DISNEY · Oct 7, 2015

Sammie said:
What booking tool are you referring too?

It was the DVC book online as that's the only way to verify DVC availability which is what the availability tool looks at. Plus I've been watching dates for awhile and know the resorts that have the odd availability so it was easy to verify with the DVC online booking tool. As of a few minutes ago when you do pull up the calendars by checking Nov availability if you scroll backwards it just shows blank Oct calendars.

My reference to the CRO resort booking was simply that the DVC availability tool now shows those same sort of messages - ie, just says no availability for your dates on the initial search and does not give you the option to open the (check) calendar for each resort.

Sammie · Oct 7, 2015

Thanks Kat, hopefully as anyone finds bugs they send the info to DVC.

madhavok · Oct 7, 2015

I hate the new availability tool, waste of my time.

christianweecare · Oct 7, 2015

I actually clicked on the email link at the bottom of the email that DVC sent out announcing the big changes to the website and simply said that I was sorry but I did not care for the new availability tool. Way too complicated. Surprisingly, I received a phone call from MS in response. The lady asked my concerns and I told her that it was not very user friendly and very difficult to navigate.

Tigger2ntinkerbell · Oct 7, 2015

I was only able to see Jambo House using Foxfire and would not work in IE. Took me too many clicks and a phone call to MS . Not a fan.

Mouse511 · Oct 7, 2015

christianweecare said:
I actually clicked on the email link at the bottom of the email that DVC sent out announcing the big changes to the website and simply said that I was sorry but I did not care for the new availability tool. Way too complicated. Surprisingly, I received a phone call from MS in response. The lady asked my concerns and I told her that it was not very user friendly and very difficult to navigate.

Maybe there is hope for a fix after all??? - Maybe if there know that their brand new site is call CRAP already on the boards - they may make some changes?

ToddyLu · Oct 7, 2015

My day at work was horrible so I came home ate some Cheetos and fixed a White Russian. I was very relaxed, until I decided to check out the DVC Resort Availability Tool. After 36.2 seconds I was more angry than I was when I got home. Beware, this new site will make you drink a Jack and Coke. I thought ok I will just CHAT with the CM and of course they are open but not chatting. I now loathe ( is that to strong a word? nah) the new "tool".

Has DVC Mike put up a poll?

Snurk71 · Oct 8, 2015

Tried checking availability on my phone last night. The mobile experience was even worse than the desktop experience.

luckyman_apd · Oct 8, 2015

Personally I like the resort availability tool...Sure, it's not as easy as the other tool when planning a last minute trip. But think about it....when you plan 11 months out, you really don't need a "resort availability" tool, as you can only book your home resort....so go to book it and you will see what's available right away at your resort. BUT....and here's where the bonus is........You can view resorts you don't own BEYOND the 7 month mark. Before you could only view 7 months + 7days. We have our home resort booked for the summer BLT and have to book at 11 months to get standard view.....but we are considering a split stay or even a stay elsewhere if open. With the new tool I can view outside the 7 month mark to see if there is even a chance as it gets closer. Could it all be a moot point? Sure.....as home resort owners could book before me....but if I can see ahead of time maybe one night is unavailable we can decide whether to waitlist or not......I just like to know ahead of time.

Now, before we get up an arms about changes.....remember before a few years ago, you had to call just to book......and then when you could book online....there was no resort availability tool. Now they changed it to something else. Point here is .....none of that is part of your membership. Don't like it.....go back to calling MS and waiting on hold just to ask.

disprincess2213 · Oct 8, 2015

I am having constant issues with checking for resort availability! The screen keeps "returning" back to the points calendar and not what is available! So frustrating!!

palhockeymomof2 · Oct 8, 2015

I have to say when I first saw it I was not a fan, but as I've been playing around with it and figured out how to use it I actually like it better than what was there....I'm looking at it on my ipad....not sure if that makes a difference in how everything shows up.

drusba · Oct 9, 2015

luckyman_apd said:
Personally I like the resort availability tool...Sure, it's not as easy as the other tool when planning a last minute trip. But think about it....when you plan 11 months out, you really don't need a "resort availability" tool, as you can only book your home resort....so go to book it and you will see what's available right away at your resort. BUT....and here's where the bonus is........You can view resorts you don't own BEYOND the 7 month mark. Before you could only view 7 months + 7days. We have our home resort booked for the summer BLT and have to book at 11 months to get standard view.....but we are considering a split stay or even a stay elsewhere if open. With the new tool I can view outside the 7 month mark to see if there is even a chance as it gets closer. Could it all be a moot point? Sure.....as home resort owners could book before me....but if I can see ahead of time maybe one night is unavailable we can decide whether to waitlist or not......I just like to know ahead of time.

Now, before we get up an arms about changes.....remember before a few years ago, you had to call just to book......and then when you could book online....there was no resort availability tool. Now they changed it to something else. Point here is .....none of that is part of your membership. Don't like it.....go back to calling MS and waiting on hold just to ask.

The prior Resort Availability Tool that the new one has replaced allowed you to search availability for all DVC resorts up to 11 months out plus 7 regardless of which DVC you owned.

luckyman_apd · Oct 9, 2015

drusba said:
The prior Resort Availability Tool that the new one has replaced allowed you to search availability for all DVC resorts up to 11 months out plus 7 regardless of which DVC you owned.

Huh......never knew that. Must have assumed......

twinklebug · Oct 9, 2015

palhockeymomof2 said:
I have to say when I first saw it I was not a fan, but as I've been playing around with it and figured out how to use it I actually like it better than what was there....I'm looking at it on my ipad....not sure if that makes a difference in how everything shows up.

I'm pretty sure the redesign was yet another step toward mobile device compatibility, so it makes sense that it might work well on your iPad. I'll have to check on my iPhone later.

As for using it on the PC: I don't care for the Resort availability tool re-design at all. I feel like it take a lot more work to specify what I'm looking for and in return I get back a jumble of information. Although it looked a bit rough around the edges, it was a simple, straightforward design that gave clean results before the change over.

Disney really needs the help of a professional interface designer.

rfc0001 · Oct 10, 2015

drusba said:
The prior Resort Availability Tool that the new one has replaced allowed you to search availability for all DVC resorts up to 11 months out plus 7 regardless of which DVC you owned.

I could see availability for all resorts up to 11 months with the old RAT. The BAT works as you describe (then and now).

Sammie · Oct 11, 2015

I think you will see some changes/enhancements made to the site in coming months. I would suggest you give positive constructive feedback to DVC by emailing them. They do listen.

I don't think going back to the original format is an option but I do think we will see some tweaking of it. I think adding the choice to search based on room size is a needed feature.

As to only being able to check availability at your home resort at 11 months, to me seems logical. You can't book anything else so why would you need to know what is available other than your own home resort at 11 months?

madhavok · Oct 12, 2015

Is it possible to filter specific DVC properties and room sizes? Also is there a better way to display availability than slicking on each property to display?

coastalhh · Oct 12, 2015

Sammie said:
I think you will see some changes/enhancements made to the site in coming months. I would suggest you give positive constructive feedback to DVC by emailing them. They do listen.

I don't think going back to the original format is an option but I do think we will see some tweaking of it. I think adding the choice to search based on room size is a needed feature.

As to only being able to check availability at your home resort at 11 months, to me seems logical. You can't book anything else so why would you need to know what is available other than your own home resort at 11 months?

I was checking availability last night and it was not even 11 months yet for any resorts. What do you mean you can only check your home resort? Not in my experience.

drusba · Oct 12, 2015

Sammie said:
As to only being able to check availability at your home resort at 11 months, to me seems logical. You can't book anything else so why would you need to know what is available other than your own home resort at 11 months?

As I mentioned above, the prior Resort Availability Tool allowed you to check for all DVC resorts 11 months out so the new tool did not add a new feature there. It is the reservation page itself where you make the actual reservation that does not allow you to go beyond 7 months out at any resort other than one you own. That was true before and still true now.

There are important reasons members would prefer to be able to check for availability before 7 months out at a resort other than their own. One has to do with the immediacy factor of the 7 month window. There are many times when a number of the resorts and room categories can have openings at 7 months out that can disappear within minutes after the 7 month window opens online. Someone considering getting one of those at 7 months out can learn shortly before 7 months out which resort and room categories are already closed out and thus allow him to try for one that might actually be open as soon as the 7 month window opens at 8 a.m.

Also, you can learn valuable information by being able to track all resorts at 11 months, particularly if you are considering an add-on, such as that a number of room categories at some resorts can even disappear before 11 months out a number of times of the year and thus it it may not be wise to purchase an add-on just get the 11 month window for one of those room categories.

Updated Resort Availability Tool

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