Ugh! Checking 5 times a day

[love__goofy]

For the past month we have checked 5 times a day to try to get X-mas week. Does anyone have any tricks? Is there any hope as we get closer?

We purchased a new motorhome and are going to surprise our kids and wanted to head down to the Fort

 

[peg110]

What are you looking for? Type and Time?

Sometimes you have to play with your reservation dates. If you are looking for a 5 day trip from Wednesday to Sunday, you may get different results than if you are looking for a Sunday to Thursday.

Are you checking "online" or are you calling? Try both.

ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS be very nice when calling. Not just nice but overly courteous.... Even flattering. Say what you will about people, but you will get better service if you are nice and understanding and make the CM feel good too. (You should do this anyway even if you don't want something, but doubly so when you are trying to get a CM to go above and beyond to help you get what you need).

Sometimes you have to "Piece" together a reservation. This, of course, is getting harder and harder to do with newer polices about "Adding", and more importantly, removing days from a reservation, but sometimes that's your only choice.

Good luck with your efforts. That may still be a near impossible task but persistence often times will pay off. You still have a fair bit of time before the "Cancellation" window for that time frame.

 

[bama_ed]

love_goofy,

The usual rules apply - keep checking, try getting individual days of the same site type and cobble your vacation together, that kind of thing. However, you're looking for a break in the busiest, tightest, most expensive time of the year.

One thing I will say is that people with packages have to pay in full 45 days before arrival which generally causes some people with reservations to reconsider. So you might catch something early-mid November based on that.

Good luck!

Bama Ed

PS - and you might want to book Christmas 2017 as a Plan B now.

 

[tltay2005]

I got the week after Christmas a few weeks ago. Also got Halloween a few months ago. Did the same as you, checked multiple times a day for weeks. My sister (who always seems to get ressies when no one else can) told me to try late evening and early morning. That worked. My luck came late evening, around 10pm and early morning, around 7am. Hope this helps.

 

[mich1073]

I got Halloween by checking each day by itself. Just keep trying

 

[love__goofy]

Thank you for the encouragement!!! I will keep checking.

 

[MomTo3PrincessesInNJ]

I second early morning. Last year when I was stalking for Christmas I would check every morning as soon as I got up to go to the gym (4:15a) and that's when I had the best luck grabbing random days. Eventually I strung them together and made a week!

Also, if you THINK you might want to go next Christmas, BOOK NOW! I got our Preferred site yesterday. Premium was already sold out for Dec 26-Jan 1!

 

[peg110]

The biggest problem with "Piecing" a reservation together is that for each individual reservation you have to put a "Deposit" down. May or may not be an issue but if you don't have the money NOW (perhaps you will have a bonus from work before you go just not yet or something similar), it could be. On the UP side, you are that much closer to having the vacation paid off.

 

[love__goofy]

The biggest problem with "Piecing" a reservation together is that for each individual reservation you have to put a "Deposit" down. May or may not be an issue but if you don't have the money NOW (perhaps you will have a bonus from work before you go just not yet or something similar), it could be. On the UP side, you are that much closer to having the vacation paid off.

Yes, I get that. At this point though, I really don't have a choice. Just praying something opens up!

 

[TheRustyScupper]

For the past month we have checked 5 times a day to try to get X-mas week

1) Alas, you about 1-year late.
2) Just keep trying and hope for a cancelation.

 

[sandieb]

Keep at it. Take any day as it comes available. Get the number of a cast member you like, and key it in when you call. They will get to know you and sprinkle pixie dust on this whole business. We did this for late reservations for Thanksgiving and it worked out. Stay positive.

 

[love__goofy]

Keep at it. Take any day as it comes available. Get the number of a cast member you like, and key it in when you call. They will get to know you and sprinkle pixie dust on this whole business. We did this for late reservations for Thanksgiving and it worked out. Stay positive.

Thanks for the encouragement! I will not give up!!!

 

[peg110]

Thanks for the encouragement! I will not give up!!!

That's what I like. Determination. Just watch out for those folks looking for loop 2900.

 

[love__goofy]

I just got 2 nights out of my 5 needed!!!! So excited!!! Bound and determined to get the rest!

 

[bama_ed]

I just got 2 nights out of my 5 needed!!!! So excited!!! Bound and determined to get the rest!

 

[KristinU]

Totally don't give up! It was around this time two years ago that I was piecing together a Christmas reservation, and then my parents decided to join us and my mom was able to piece together their reservation as well. Keep at it! Fingers crossed and pixie dust!

 

[FortForever]

Sometimes you have to "Piece" together a reservation. This, of course, is getting harder and harder to do with newer polices about "Adding", and more importantly, removing days from a reservation, but sometimes that's your only choice.

Wait, what?? I just did a bit of "creative reserving" yesterday. I didn't know they were cracking down on this. I clearly failed to read the fine print.

 

[MomTo3PrincessesInNJ]

Wait, what?? I just did a bit of "creative reserving" yesterday. I didn't know they were cracking down on this. I clearly failed to read the fine print.

When you are ready to shorten your stay make sure you escalate when they tell you "no" - I've had luck once I got to the supervisor level. Other people have had luck with skipping reservations and going through Guest Services once they were told "no."

 

[peg110]

When you are ready to shorten your stay make sure you escalate when they tell you "no" - I've had luck once I got to the supervisor level. Other people have had luck with skipping reservations and going through Guest Services once they were told "no."

of course the KEY here is to schedule what you expect to use, but the "Piecing" together forces some to reserve time that exceeds their needs because of the (apparently) silly reservation policies. You can't get a single day, but if you stretch it over 3 days... you're good!

I get it, I really do. It's to keep people from reserving the throw-away sites, among other things, but it's real frustrating to those folks who really just want to have an enjoyable vacation.

 

[2goofycampers]

L_G, maybe getting a travel agent could help. 2 people calling and checking is better than 1.