Walking My First Reservation

[kristenrice]

I convinced DH to attempt to run in the Wine and Dine Half-Marathon next year. We have a tight point budget and so the ONLY accomodation we can swing is a value studio at AKV. Thank goodness it's our home resort.

I want to book a Thursday-Tuesday night, arriving on 11/7. In order to walk the reservation, I assume I can go online at 8am sharp on 12/1 and book 7 nights, correct? After that, I'm not sure how it works...

What day(s) do I call back to cancel and rebook? I assume I have to call and cannot do it online, right? This is a reservation I *must* have. If I have to waitlist, it will have to fill before it is time to buy airfare or we can't go. Our dates are also fixed so there is no flexibility there either. If I can't get the room before I have to book the non-refundable flights, I will have to cancel the trip.

[cmwade77]

I would first book the reservation for the maximum number of nights you can, then add days as needed by calling.

I personally have found that Value at Animal Kingdom is the easiest to get, even at the 7 month window, so I doubt you will have an issue at 11 months. That being said, I would still treat it as though it is not easy to get since your dates are obviously set.

[Sandisw]

Yes, you have to call to adjust the reservation. Just call back on December 6th and change it to November 6th to November 13th. This will guarantee that you have that room for most/all the nights you need.

After that, you can make one last call, prior to December 13th, to change the start date to the 7th and have the check out date match what you want.

Good luck!!!

[Laurabearz]

Originally Posted by kristenrice

I convinced DH to attempt to run in the Wine and Dine Half-Marathon next year. We have a tight point budget and so the ONLY accomodation we can swing is a value studio at AKV. Thank goodness it's our home resort.

I want to book a Thursday-Tuesday night, arriving on 11/7. In order to walk the reservation, I assume I can go online at 8am sharp on 12/1 and book 7 nights, correct? After that, I'm not sure how it works...

What day(s) do I call back to cancel and rebook? I assume I have to call and cannot do it online, right? This is a reservation I *must* have. If I have to waitlist, it will have to fill before it is time to buy airfare or we can't go. Our dates are also fixed so there is no flexibility there either. If I can't get the room before I have to book the non-refundable flights, I will have to cancel the trip.

I did the Wine n Dine Half this year and it was so much fun! Hope you score your reservation!!

[bwang123]

You may not have to walk it. I just booked 3 value studios at AKL during the week of halloween at 11 months without walking. I logged on at 8am ET and picked them all up. I was checking periodically prior to that and as long as i checked at 8am, the week was open. If i checked later in the day, typically the 1st day would be gone.

[kristenrice]

Originally Posted by bwang123

You may not have to walk it. I just booked 3 value studios at AKL during the week of halloween at 11 months without walking. I logged on at 8am ET and picked them all up. I was checking periodically prior to that and as long as i checked at 8am, the week was open. If i checked later in the day, typically the 1st day would be gone.

I'm setting my alarm for tomorrow morning! I won't get home from work until 3am at the earliest, but I will make sure to get online at 8am sharp.

Just to make sure I have this right...

Tomorrow, book November 1-7 (7 nights)...
...Call back on December 6 to change it to November 6-12...
...Call back on December 7 (or later) and drop November 6, thus leaving me with my reservation: November 7-12, 2013.

I thought about a studio at BWV for that weekend too. Of course, my chances at 7 months are slim to none (last weekend of F&W and the 1/2 marathon) but I think I might just waitlist a standard studio at 7 months. It would be 5 more points and I rechecked our points and we could swing it. Since it's more points, I'd be fine if the WL didn't come through.

Wish me luck!!!

[Laurabearz]

Hope things we t well for you this morning

[kristenrice]

Originally Posted by Laurabearz

Hope things we t well for you this morning

I overslept! But the reservation was available at 11am when I finally got online. So now I am booked from November 1-8 in a value studio. Now the hard part...getting DH to commit (he's now saying he doesn't think he can get the time off) or finding a friend to join me.

[kristenrice]

Step two is complete! I called this morning and modified my reservation so now I have a value studio for November 6-12 booked. Tomorrow, I will call back and cancel November 6 so that I have my 5-night stay all finalized.

Now, I'll just have to add the 7-month date to my calendar to see if I can get on a waitlist for the standard BWV studio.