Another waitlist fail

[wdw4rfam]

I know this has come up many times so I though I'd share. We needed 2 studios- one for us and one for our daughter. The week we wanted was available all but one day. So we booked the available days and waitlisted that missing day for each of us. Mine came through the next day. So today we decided to split stay and call and release that day. So theoretically, waitlist should have grabbed it and given it to our daughter ( considering I booked those waitlists 1 minute apart and mine was already fulfilled). I decide to watch myself just in case and a few minutes later it shows up in inventory. I grabbed it and booked it. This waitlist system needs fixed. Rooms shouldn't be released at all until waitlists are checked. This is the third time now that I've found my own room before the waitlist grabbed it.

 

[DSNYFRK4EVR]

I agree the waitlist needs some work. Glad you were able to grab the room though! I always wonder the rhyme or reason behind the waitlist system and whether it functions better for certain resorts or room types? I have checked immediately after canceling several reservations and sometimes the room shows up and sometimes it doesn't (suggesting it may indeed go straight to the waitlist). The mysteries of Disney IT

 

[Sandisw]

Glad you got it for your daughter!

 

[SPLzero]

I heard that wait-list only checks periodically throughout the day.

 

[tjkraz]

If waitlist matches were attempted after every cancellation, it would be exceedingly difficult to ever get a longer stay via the waitlist. The way the system works now, if 2 reservations are cancelled in a single morning for same resort/room type, the waitlist process can access all of those available nights when trying to make a match.

For instance, I cancel the nights of 10th - 12th. Two hours later, another member cancels nights of 13th - 15th. When waitlist matches are attempted, the nights of 10th - 15th are (theoretically) available for the best possible match. If matches had been immediate, 10th - 12th may have been gone before the second cancellation even occurred.

The current system does leave cancellations exposed for a couple hours. However the volume of waitlist success stories indicates members are not routinely gobbling up those cancellations as they occur. More often than not, nights do trickle down to the waitlist and are doled-out appropriately.

No approach is perfect.

 

[wdw4rfam]

If waitlist matches were attempted after every cancellation, it would be exceedingly difficult to ever get a longer stay via the waitlist. The way the system works now, if 2 reservations are cancelled in a single morning for same resort/room type, the waitlist process can access all of those available nights when trying to make a match.

For instance, I cancel the nights of 10th - 12th. Two hours later, another member cancels nights of 13th - 15th. When waitlist matches are attempted, the nights of 10th - 15th are (theoretically) available for the best possible match. If matches had been immediate, 10th - 12th may have been gone before the second cancellation even occurred.

The current system does leave cancellations exposed for a couple hours. However the volume of waitlist success stories indicates members are not routinely gobbling up those cancellations as they occur. More often than not, nights do trickle down to the waitlist and are doled-out appropriately.

No approach is perfect.

Then maybe cancellations should always be held a certain time before being released to book. Under your example then someone COULD grab the 10-12th, therefore leaving both people waitlisting those dates out. I know all 3 times I've waitlisted, I check numerous times per day, and 3 times I got it before waitlist got it. I just don't see what it would hurt to hold all cancellations for xx amount of time until waitlist could scan for matches.

 

[tjkraz]

Then maybe cancellations should always be held a certain time before being released to book.

...snip...

I just don't see what it would hurt to hold all cancellations for xx amount of time until waitlist could scan for matches.

In that situation, then you would have many dates held for which there are no waitlist requests.

Example: At 8am, I cancel a reservation and the nights go into some holding status. At 10am you log-in looking for some of those nights. Since the nights are still being held, it shows no availability and you book something else. At 2pm after the waitlist process is run, the dates are released. Another member visits the website at 6pm and books it.

Another situation it would hurt is an inadvertent cancellation. Someone who is not very computer savvy cancels a reservation...perhaps planning to book something else which is subsequently taken. Whatever the circumstances, if all cancellations went into some holding abyss, a member could not immediately reclaim that room.

Again, no system would be perfect. However you try to structure it, there are flaws somewhere in the system. At some point, DVC had to make a decision as to which operational holes they thought did the least damage.

 

[theriouxfamily]

I waitlisted 1 day for this December. A few mornings after I placed the waitlist I noticed it was available in the inventory. As I attempted to book it, it was no longer available. Once opened I called Member Services frustrated to see why the waitlist didn’t work. I was surprised to here that I did get the waitlist. She explained hat a cast member reviews all matches first and must confirm them. Not sure if this is why we may not see that immediate booking on the waitlist request. Anyhow, this was my only waitlist I’ve tried in the 8 years being a DVC member and it was a success. Hope that may help explain.

 

[suebeelin]

Guess it helps to be able to check often throughout the day (and more often than the waitlist!)

 

[constantstar]

I waitlisted 1 day for this December. A few mornings after I placed the waitlist I noticed it was available in the inventory. As I attempted to book it, it was no longer available. Once opened I called Member Services frustrated to see why the waitlist didn’t work. I was surprised to here that I did get the waitlist. She explained hat a cast member reviews all matches first and must confirm them. Not sure if this is why we may not see that immediate booking on the waitlist request. Anyhow, this was my only waitlist I’ve tried in the 8 years being a DVC member and it was a success. Hope that may help explain.

I've also been told that a CM reviews waitlists & assigns them. That would definitely explain the delay.

 

[4luv2cdisney]

I know this has come up many times so I though I'd share. We needed 2 studios- one for us and one for our daughter. The week we wanted was available all but one day. So we booked the available days and waitlisted that missing day for each of us. Mine came through the next day. So today we decided to split stay and call and release that day. So theoretically, waitlist should have grabbed it and given it to our daughter ( considering I booked those waitlists 1 minute apart and mine was already fulfilled). I decide to watch myself just in case and a few minutes later it shows up in inventory. I grabbed it and booked it. This waitlist system needs fixed. Rooms shouldn't be released at all until waitlists are checked. This is the third time now that I've found my own room before the waitlist grabbed it.

Just curious (and trying to understand the process as I will often need 2 studios)...

Is this all under 1 membership? If so, could you have cancelled all but the 1 waitlisted day and "given" it to your daughter (changed the names)?

The booking, cancelling, walking, stalking, waitlisting, etc is going to be a challenge for me. I just know it. We will likely add on at some point and I'm starting to think about the advantages / disadvantages of 1 membership vs 2.

Thanks!