7 month booking window search tips

[ozliz]

My first ever 7 month booking window is coming up very soon and I have realised that I don’t know much about how to do the search. I’ve researched the 2 browser method and done a practice run in case I need to cancel my current booking to free up points but I’m not sure past that.

There’s so many resorts I haven’t stayed at that I’m happy to try most of them but being a 2 week trip I don’t want 2 weeks in the one resort at my currently booked home resort. Also I’m going at one of the busiest times (first two weeks of November including wine and dine race weekend).

I’ve played with the booking search tool a bit and as I’m flexible with resorts I’m not sure the best way to run the search. For example, it appears that if I choose an Epcot area resort and my first preference is unavailable then it tries other options in the area rather than other options of the same room size or simply bringing up the rooms with the most availability (the latter two would be my preferred results).

Any tips on how best to search for rooms in the time that I’m hoping other people may be cancelling so I can grab something different without having restrictions to location (just want to stick to studios as not enough points for 1 bedroom).

I’m not convinced I want to be searching the RAT at the same time in case it is not updating fast enough. I’m worried that by searching the RAT by the time I then search the actual booking process all the availability will be different.

I hope this makes sense. If there’s information somewhere I’d love to know.

 

[CarolMN]

I'd use the RAT BEFORE the window opens to see what the possibilities might be for the dates I want to book. (No sense trying for something that isn't going to be available). I'd pick one that is available and then go to the booking engine with that resort in mind & be ready right when it opens.

If you are hoping to catch a cancellation because what you want isn't available, you just have to be lucky. Keep trying for about 30 minutes or so after the window opens. Then check periodically for the next several hours. Use the waitlist if there's something you really want, and over the next days(s) and weeks(s) keep checking the RAT periodically and hope to get lucky.

 

[miTnosnhoJ]

With the RAT, you can leave things blank.
If you leave room type blank, you get all room types. If you leave Resort blank, you get all resorts.

 

[Greg36]

I just changed part of our upcoming Oct trip at the 7 month window. I spent a lot of time checking in advance and leading up to the opening window. I think a lot of this is luck, but it is also being as flexible as possible and checking regularly. I was really surprised to see what can just pop up. There seems to be a lot of turnover around the 7 month mark. Also, use the waitlist as wisely as you can. I found 1 night waitlists matched really quickly so I was able to use those a couple of times as I was building the new reservation. If you don't get it right away when the system opens, keep checking. The time right after seemed to be best (15-20 minutes after system opens). Also, again after the phone lines open (an hour later). Really though, in my experience, the availability changes pretty quickly throughout the day. I also found the system to update quickly. I would release something and it would show up fast (maybe within 30-60 seconds). I also think the waitlist works well. I know I have read on here that people have found their waitlists by stalking, but that was not my experience this time around. I saw things that made me think the waitlist worked really well. Of course other factors could have played a role, but I saw availability pop up all around my dates for my new reservation except the date I waitlisted (which matched) and when I dropped a week at AKL value, a few days came back immediately but others never showed on the RAT. Again, I am sure other variables could explain this, but my general sense from interacting with the system was the waitlist software seemed to work well in my cases. The other thing I would say is to be as realistic as possible with what you want to add. I picked something in advance that I could see had some availability during my trip dates. Going in I figured I had a chance to at least get a foundation started. It was also a lake view so I figured some owners might have grabbed it as no standards were left and perhaps as those owners' wiatlists matched it may free up the lakeview rooms. In the end I was able to get a full week at the start of our trip. Definitely some luck, but I also think if you are willing to invest the time it can be done. This might be more info then you were asking for, but I hope it helps! Good luck.

 

[ozliz]

I just changed part of our upcoming Oct trip at the 7 month window. I spent a lot of time checking in advance and leading up to the opening window. I think a lot of this is luck, but it is also being as flexible as possible and checking regularly. I was really surprised to see what can just pop up. There seems to be a lot of turnover around the 7 month mark. Also, use the waitlist as wisely as you can. I found 1 night waitlists matched really quickly so I was able to use those a couple of times as I was building the new reservation. If you don't get it right away when the system opens, keep checking. The time right after seemed to be best (15-20 minutes after system opens). Also, again after the phone lines open (an hour later). Really though, in my experience, the availability changes pretty quickly throughout the day. I also found the system to update quickly. I would release something and it would show up fast (maybe within 30-60 seconds). I also think the waitlist works well. I know I have read on here that people have found their waitlists by stalking, but that was not my experience this time around. I saw things that made me think the waitlist worked really well. Of course other factors could have played a role, but I saw availability pop up all around my dates for my new reservation except the date I waitlisted (which matched) and when I dropped a week at AKL value, a few days came back immediately but others never showed on the RAT. Again, I am sure other variables could explain this, but my general sense from interacting with the system was the waitlist software seemed to work well in my cases. The other thing I would say is to be as realistic as possible with what you want to add. I picked something in advance that I could see had some availability during my trip dates. Going in I figured I had a chance to at least get a foundation started. It was also a lake view so I figured some owners might have grabbed it as no standards were left and perhaps as those owners' wiatlists matched it may free up the lakeview rooms. In the end I was able to get a full week at the start of our trip. Definitely some luck, but I also think if you are willing to invest the time it can be done. This might be more info then you were asking for, but I hope it helps! Good luck.

Just wanted to say thanks. These tips have worked for one booking but of course someone keeps beating me to any available days for race weekend before I can grab them each day. I have my backup though so that’s OK. Would just love a Savannah view at AKL for my mum who is joining for that part of the trip and has never been - I think she’ll like that one.

I’ll keep searching and waitlisting. Just cannot continue searching throughout the day as I’m in a different time zone and need my sleep!