Adding days to trip 7 months out

[dacky041208]

I just made a reservation for June 2011. I have to add another 6 days to the trip. The rep told me I need to call back each morning to add the days. I could have sworn I read they won't release the room for a couple of days so I can wait 3 or 4 days then call back and add those all at once. Did they change things or am I not remembering this policy correctly?

 

[n2mm]

You can certainly wait to the end of your planned vacation to add all of the extra days, but then you take a chance of not getting the same room and having to move. I do this often. We generally go to WDW for a 12 night stay. I call at the 11 or 7 month window and book the first 7 nights, then I call each morning to add one additional day to my reservation. I am presently in the process of doing that now. I booked my BWV standard room earlier this week and have been calling each day to add one more night. I know that at any time in this process I could get the dreaded response that it's not available, and then I would have to move mid trip. Getting a standard view room at BWV during October/F&W is not an easy task. There is nothing worse than not calling and finding out your room type is sold out when you do call. I still have 4 more mornings to call before I'm done!

 

[SuzanneSLO]

I just made a reservation for June 2011. I have to add another 6 days to the trip. The rep told me I need to call back each morning to add the days. I could have sworn I read they won't release the room for a couple of days so I can wait 3 or 4 days then call back and add those all at once. Did they change things or am I not remembering this policy correctly?

You should be able to call 7 months prior to the first nights of the additional six consecutive days and book all those days at once (assuming they are avaialble). If the days are split between the beginning and end of your trip, you will need to call twice, once for th e beginning and second time for the end. No need to call day by day unless you like to talk with MS or want to keep the call service busy (and potentially increase dues).

Even when booking a trip of longer more than 7 days at the 11 month mark, there is no need to call more than once unless you need 14 or more days. You can just call a second time at the 11 month mark for day 6 and book up to 6 more nights. -- Suzanne

 

[Chuck S]

THe days SHOULD be available, there is no way, if the 7 days you can book right at 11 months is working properly, that the room can ne released into bookable inventory until the last day of the existing reservation. Otherwise they would be overbooking the resort.

You should certainly be guaranteed your room without calling day by day, as long as you call 11 months before your last currently booked day.

For instance, say a resort has 3 GVs, and person A calls and books Nov 1 to 7, person B calls and books Nov 2 to 8 and person 3 calls and books Nov 3 to 9. No GV can be returned to booking inventory until Dec 7, when person A's room is vacated, since that is the start of the 11 month booking window. Therefor, if Person A calls on Dec 6 to extend the reservation, it should be guaranteed, no? Unless the room is taken from inventory for scheduled maintenance, and do they schedule maintenance that far in advance? A lot of their maintenance seems awfully last minute.

 

[dacky041208]

Thanks everyone!

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Unless I'm calculating incorrectly the OP is doing a 7 month booking. That is a lot different than 11 months b/c the rooms could still be booked by a home resort owner at any time. At 11 months you have a lock on the room but not at 7 months.

OP - if you are concerned about the room availability then yes, call every day to give you the best odds. If not then just wait until you can book all of them. Odds are likely that home resort owners have booked - but then I myself have booked under my home resort right around the 7 month window.

 

[Chuck S]

Unless I'm calculating incorrectly the OP is doing a 7 month booking. That is a lot different than 11 months b/c the rooms could still be booked by a home resort owner at any time. At 11 months you have a lock on the room but not at 7 months.

OP - if you are concerned about the room availability then yes, call every day to give you the best odds. If not then just wait until you can book all of them. Odds are likely that home resort owners have booked - but then I myself have booked under my home resort right around the 7 month window.

Oops, yes, at 7 months you need to call daily, there is no guarantee advantage.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

Oops, yes, at 7 months you need to call daily, there is no guarantee advantage.

I don't understand why calling daily helps if you are booking less than 7 nights (6 in the OPs case) at the 7 month window. Can't you call and book all 6 nights, depending on availability, 7 months prior to "check in" for that part of the reservation? Can you call earlier than that if you are adding to an existing reservation made at 11 months? -- Suzanne

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I don't understand why calling daily helps if you are booking less than 7 nights (6 in the OPs case) at the 7 month window. Can't you call and book all 6 nights, depending on availability, 7 months prior to "check in" for that part of the reservation? Can you call earlier than that if you are adding to an existing reservation made at 11 months? -- Suzanne

I am assuming that the OP booked 7 nights and now wants to add another 6. But yes, if the CM did not allow them to book 7 days from their check in then they should call back now.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

I am assuming that the OP booked 7 nights and now wants to add another 6. But yes, if the CM did not allow them to book 7 days from their check in then they should call back now.

Got it. I misread the OP and thought they were adding to a reservation made in the hoem resort window. Sorry if my confusion added to others confusion. -- Suzanne

 

[toocherie]

THe days SHOULD be available, there is no way, if the 7 days you can book right at 11 months is working properly, that the room can ne released into bookable inventory until the last day of the existing reservation. Otherwise they would be overbooking the resort.

You should certainly be guaranteed your room without calling day by day, as long as you call 11 months before your last currently booked day.

For instance, say a resort has 3 GVs, and person A calls and books Nov 1 to 7, person B calls and books Nov 2 to 8 and person 3 calls and books Nov 3 to 9. No GV can be returned to booking inventory until Dec 7, when person A's room is vacated, since that is the start of the 11 month booking window. Therefor, if Person A calls on Dec 6 to extend the reservation, it should be guaranteed, no? Unless the room is taken from inventory for scheduled maintenance, and do they schedule maintenance that far in advance? A lot of their maintenance seems awfully last minute.

Ok, now I'm confused. Given the example above, does the person who booked Nov 1-7 get a one day advantage on other home resort bookers? Because otherwise, if by chance someone called at the 11-month mark and was the first call and wanted the GV for Nov 7-10 wouldn't that thwart the Nov 1-7 person?

 

[Chuck S]

Ok, now I'm confused. Given the example above, does the person who booked Nov 1-7 get a one day advantage on other home resort bookers? Because otherwise, if by chance someone called at the 11-month mark and was the first call and wanted the GV for Nov 7-10 wouldn't that thwart the Nov 1-7 person?

People calling for new reservations can not call until exactly 11 months from check-in, so December 7th would be the first day to call to book November 7 to 10, but someone with an existing reservation can extend it by calling on December 6, or can call and extend day by day starting December 2nd.