Walking reaervation for December, 2014

[NoleFan]

anyone else walking their reservation for December, 2014 ?

 

[nabi]

Not us, we're in where we wish to be.

 

[Disneyfanaddict]

What is a walking reservation?

 

[MoreTravels]

Not to be selfish... but the whole point of walking reservation is to beat the other members. So the more number of people know how to do them, the less effective that strategy would work. Eventually MS may be frustrated and simply plugged that loophole.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Nope.

 

[Disneyepcot]

anyone else walking their reservation for December, 2014 ?

No; I just took the 1st wk of Dec when I had the chance even though I originally was planning on the 2nd wk.

I could not stand the stress of watching the first 6 days of Dec disappearing while I was waiting for the 7th day.

 

[DenLo]

No, we just booked November 29 - December 14 the usual way--first seven days online and then made a couple of calls of MS to add the rest of the days.

 

[VrBchJ]

No walking for me. It's too much trouble. I got my BWV std view Dec. 4-10 and added 11-13 this morning.

 

[DisneyDiana]

No, but I guess I should have. I went on first thing this morning to book a value studio at AKV and the first day was already gone. obviously, folks are walking.

 

[disfanforlife]

No, but I will be calling when my window opens up. I am planning 12/13-12/17 at AKV and then 12/17-12/20 at BWV. I hope that it works out, I have never walked Reservation and don't really want to start now.

 

[Debby7]

I did walk. We needed a OKW GV near the HH( there are only 2 of these)
Was lucky enough to get it a week ahead and then walk til we got our dates.
So psyched !

 

[Airb330]

No, but I guess I should have. I went on first thing this morning to book a value studio at AKV and the first day was already gone. obviously, folks are walking.

We want the 2nd weekend at GFV (we own at akv and GFV)....it does seem like a lot of people are walking the reservations. Sorry you didn't get the value, we weren't trying for akv but good to know it seems like both resorts are really in demand!

We have a reservation at GFV for the 1st weekend right now as a backup. Didn't walk it, but those dates weren't available earlier in the week but were yesterday. It seems like a lot of owners are walking early December! Maybe the dates will open up in a few days for you.

 

[Airb330]

We didn't get the weekend of 12/12 we wanted this morning. We weren't right online at 8 (@ the mountains so limited cell reception and wifi). Pretty disappointed we spent this large premium on GFV and it's hard to get into without being right online at 8.

 

[DisneyDiana]

We didn't get the weekend of 12/12 we wanted this morning. We weren't right online at 8 (@ the mountains so limited cell reception and wifi). Pretty disappointed we spent this large premium on GFV and it's hard to get into without being right online at 8.

Looks like you really have to come up with a game plan ahead of time for some of the hard to get rooms. I did get the value studio today so we can waitlist the one night or book a cash res. Sorry you missed out today. Maybe it will open up for you later.

 

[drusba]

What is a walking reservation?

It is something some use at 11 months out which is best demonstrated by example. Suppose what you want is a BLT standard view studio at 11 months out for Dec 25 to Jan 1. That is an extremely high DVC demand time and BLT standard views are limited in number and very popular because of the lower points. If you wait until Jan 25 to reserve, you might find Dec 25 and 26 already booked full, grabbed by members whose arrival dates ares just before yours since a member who owns at BLT can reserve up to 7 nights at 11 months out from date of arrival.

The hedge to beat that problem is "walking." The third week of December is only an average DVC demand time and thus it is usually possible to get that BLT standard studio during that week at 11 months out. What many who want Dec 25-Jan 1 do is go on-line Jan 19 and book that standard studio for Dec 19-26, thus capturing the first night, Dec 25, that they really want. Then they call Jan 20 and modify the reservation they have by dropping Dec 19 and adding the night of Dec 26; next day they call and drop Dec 20 and add night of Dec 27, and continue that process until they have the reservation they want for Dec 25-Jan 1.

"Walking" is a permitted activity. For most rooms and most times, walking is never needed. But there are times for certain categories of rooms when it may be needed. At WDW, those can be:

1. For AKV club level almost any time of year. With only five 2BR lock-offs, those trying to reserve what they want exactly 11 months can be out of luck the vast majority of the time. However, even walking may not work for AKV club level because it is often difficult to even find a day you can begin walking. Even 1BRs (the last to be reserved) can be gone before 11 months out.

2. BLT standard view (and sometimes including those 1BRs) because of limitied number and high demand. Members have sometimes found themselves blocked out at exactly 11 months out during the middle two weeks of Oct, late Oct to early Nov, few days around Thanksgiving, first two weeks of Dec, and Christmas week. (The first week of Dec is DVC's highest demand week of the year, Christmas week is second, second week of Dec is third, middle two weeks of Oct and Thanksgiving time are fourth; end of Sep through marathon weekend in Jan is DVC's highest demand quarter by far and that periuod makes demand during the rest of the year look like off-season).

3. AKV value: like BLT standard, there are a limited number and very high demand because of lower points. Those thus far have shown a possible issuefor Thanksgiving time, first and second week of Dec and Christmas week.Like the two above, even 1BRs may sometimes be an issue during those periods.

4. BWV standard studio and 2BRs because of low numbers, low points, and very high demand. The times these have sometimes shown an issue is during first two weeks of Dec and Christmas week. 1BRs are not included in that problem. Boardwalk view has not demonstatred the problem although you can sometimes find, particularly during that first week of Dec and around NYE, that boardwalk view studio/2BR can disappear for a day before nine at exactly 11 months out, making on-line reserving imperative.

5. BCV studios during Christmas week. Usually BCV studios don't have the issue but those trying exactly 11 months out for Dec 27 and after have found themselves sometimes blocked out.

6. OKW GV in the Hospitality House booking category. Can be an issue many times simply because there is only one or two of them.

7. BWV GVs. There are only 7 but usually they don't have the problem except sometimes during first week of Dec.

Some even attmept walking for 7 months out but success at that time has the obvious barrier that a resort owner could easily block them out by reserving 7- 11 months out, e.g., you are not going to easily walk into all of Christmas week for BLT theme park view by starting your walking at 7 months out from Dec 16.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

We didn't get the weekend of 12/12 we wanted this morning. We weren't right online at 8 (@ the mountains so limited cell reception and wifi). Pretty disappointed we spent this large premium on GFV and it's hard to get into without being right online at 8.

One thing I noticed is that almost every small add on done and posted about was to stay at VGF in Dec in a studio. Throw in the fixed weeks that are taking rooms out of availability at that time and it pretty much is going to guarantee that you need to be online at 8am in order to have a chance.

 

[automaticsoap]

One thing I noticed is that almost every small add on done and posted about was to stay at VGF in Dec in a studio. Throw in the fixed weeks that are taking rooms out of availability at that time and it pretty much is going to guarantee that you need to be online at 8am in order to have a chance.

I didn't walk my reservation and was able to get the first weekend in December at VGF in a standard studio right at 8am. Right after I booked it, I checked availability again out of curiosity and all the studios (both lake and standard) were gone. I originally wasn't planning on this trip but decided to go ahead and book it since I've never been to WDW during the holiday season. I'm so excited!

 

[Pbuttadad]

We did. Felt we had to with all 4 bwv studios we were reserving. Good thing we did too... All gone after we booked them.

 

[gladdiola]

Didn't walk, but did get OKW HH Grand Villa for a week in December. I just wanted a Grand Villa so I was pleasantly surprised when HH category was available for my dates.

 

[NoleFan]

Newbie DVC members. We thought after booking our first October reservation that December would be tough. Was much easier. Ending up keeping our original reservation & not walking as dh liked those dates better! Good luck all !