Are People Walking Ressies?

[TLSnell1981]

I am interested to see how all of this shakes out. I am wanting to book a GV at BWV during F&W for 2010. I am wondering if I will have to "walk" a ressie through. I will need more points so I will have to borrow from the following year. Any ideas?

 

[glovelsu]

the only busy time for may usually is memorial day weekend so unless you are going then, i would not waste the time it takes to call day by day and risk someone at MS messing up your reservation.

i would think that 99% of the rooms would be available at the 11 month window even at the smaller resorts without "walking". the 7 month window is a different story- it depends how set you are in your plans and if you are OCD enough to do every day calls and have the time to sit on the phone for a bunch of days in a row. just make sure your CM does it right- last time I did day by day they left off one of my days and I didn't know until I got the wrong confirmation in the mail!

 

[jdg345]

My guess is that some people do it.....but nobody will admit to it.

Not true; I've admitted to it.

Just like double booking restaurants.....which is ALWAYS done

Why would you double book the same restaurant? Or is this people booking more than one restaurant on a given night? If so, why would they want to do that even?

The problem is that Disney has a large workforce and an archaic booking system that doesn't have safeguards for such things.....i don't even think it would be possible

It would be difficult to largely to monitor....as no one at MS is sitting there looking for trends in bookings and to play "gotcha"....and there are so many adjustments to the system on a daily basis that it would probably be difficult to effective screen anyway.

Agreed.

The one thing i could see them doing is to put somekind of a computer hold on the days before and after a reservation's original booked length....thereby requiring a manual overide by some sort of support staff to allow modifications....

I don't think they'll ever do it....but it would be nice

Like you, I don't think they'll ever take this route.

I would like to see it with waitlists also....as the shredding of stays into individual days or blocks as a way to circumvent the waitlist defeats the whole purpose....

I just don't think the system could handle this. I preferred the old DBD waitlists too ... Oh well ...

 

[jdg345]

I used to do day by day for standard view for early December at the BWV. I had no problem telling others I did it.

I am considering "walking" my 2009 early December BWV reservation, but haven't decided it I really want to do it. (IMHO, it is more trouble than day by day). I am waiting to see how Jersey week and Thanksgiving week goes for BWV bookings. I honestly do not think walking is needed for much of anything at WDW DVC if you book at 11 months. Possibly a few times of the year for SV & BW at BWV, & AKV concierge. Maybe BLT MK view - we'll see.

If I do walk, I will admit it. It's not currently prohibited and I don't see that it is any more "unfair" than allowing those who want a stay longer than 7 days to add day by day after the first 7 days are booked.

I am actually hoping walking dies on its own (because it isn't necessary) since I think the new method (before check in) is better for the system as a whole. Doesn't mean I don't prefer the old method, (before check out) because I do, LOL.

I don't find walking any more difficult than day by day really. It takes a wee bit longer on the phone since the CM needs to do a little more work, but overall, it's no different than calling every day at 9am. In fact, this might be easier because you dont have to call at 9am to walk. While I've turned down the frequency, my demo walk is still going strong.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I do not think that walking is fair and I hope that DVC comes up with some sort of rule to elimiate getting rid of first days of stays.

Bobbi

 

[n2mm]

I do not think that walking is fair and I hope that DVC comes up with some sort of rule to elimiate getting rid of first days of stays.

Bobbi

While I really wouldn't want to bother with the "walking", how will MS know who is and who isn't walking. I often will book a week stay and will shorten or lengthen the stay as time goes on. I find it easier to get a window of time and change it slightly when I get my airfare. In August we had a stay at the BCV for 5 nights arriving on Sunday. We could not get a Sunday flight, and had to fly in on Monday, so we had to modify. I find that I modify every trip (4-5 trips a year). We will book an arrival on a Sunday, but if US/IOA offers a great AP rate, we will stay there the first night then move to our DVC resort a day later. Thus, modifying and dropping our first night. So I really can't see how MS will be able to monitor this way of booking. I guess if you do it day by day, (drop the first day, then add another day) that might be an indication you are walking. But for us, we make a reservation and always know that we MAY have to modify when it's time to buy airfare. Luckily for us we have alot of points.

 

[Nanajo1]

While I really wouldn't want to bother with the "walking", how will MS know who is and who isn't walking. I often will book a week stay and will shorten or lengthen the stay as time goes on. I find it easier to get a window of time and change it slightly when I get my airfare. In August we had a stay at the BCV for 5 nights arriving on Sunday. We could not get a Sunday flight, and had to fly in on Monday, so we had to modify. I find that I modify every trip (4-5 trips a year). We will book an arrival on a Sunday, but if US/IOA offers a great AP rate, we will stay there the first night then move to our DVC resort a day later. Thus, modifying and dropping our first night. So I really can't see how MS will be able to monitor this way of booking. I guess if you do it day by day, (drop the first day, then add another day) that might be an indication you are walking. But for us, we make a reservation and always know that we MAY have to modify when it's time to buy airfare. Luckily for us we have alot of points.

I agree. When I book at 11 months I don't have my airline tix. I often have to adjust my dates to accommodate flights. So saying that folks shouldn't be able to drop days would be unfair.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

On another subject related to the change in the booking rules, one question that remained unanswered was how an existing reservation made at the 11 month window would be handled when booking 7+ at the 7 month window.

Specifically, I booked Days 2 & 3 with home resort points and then called back at the 7 month window to book days 1 and 4-7 at the 7 month window with non-home resort points. I was told by the CM that they could not add days 4-7 to the the reservation at that time with non-home resort points because it was a different reservation number. It turned out to be academic, however, as day 4 was not available anyway.

-Suzanne

 

[bobbiwoz]

On another subject related to the change in the booking rules, one question that remained unanswered was how an existing reservation made at the 11 month window would be handled when booking 7+ at the 7 month window.

Specifically, I booked Days 2 & 3 with home resort points and then called back at the 7 month window to book days 1 and 4-7 at the 7 month window with non-home resort points. I was told by the CM that they could not add days 4-7 to the the reservation at that time with non-home resort points because it was a different reservation number. It turned out to be academic, however, as day 4 was not available anyway.

-Suzanne

MS could never simply add the nights to the reservation if the second part of the trip was booked with non-home resort points. I've added vacation days a few times like that. They did link the two parts and we never had to move.

Bobbi

 

[dvcdisney]

I got 12 day in a row, not by walking my ressie, but by calling exactly 11 months out, getting my first 7 days, then calling in day by day to get my last 5 days.

I did the same thing for my 14 night stay. I booked my first 7 nights at 11 mths from check in and continued my reservation day by day until check out. They held my confirmation letter until my check out date. I didn't have any problems. I wasn't expecting too much problems since it's not peak season.

I, personally, would not "walk", but I can understand why others would do it for very popular times of the year. I think it's too early to know whether it's necessary or not. But I can understand that those who do choose to "walk" are not leaving it to chance.

 

[dvcdisney]

I agree. When I book at 11 months I don't have my airline tix. I often have to adjust my dates to accommodate flights. So saying that folks shouldn't be able to drop days would be unfair.

I agree. I'm in the same situation. I had booked my room 11 mths in advance and is noticing that the flight prices are less the day after my planned departure. In that case, if it was something I wanted to change, I should be able to drop a day or two of my reservation in order to accommodate my plans. And I think if MS does choose to implement a rule against "walking", they would need to consider such changes.

 

[DVC Mike]

I have no plans to walk my reservations.

 

[RLRDA]

....I honestly do not think walking is needed for much of anything at WDW DVC if you book at 11 months. Possibly a few times of the year for SV & BW at BWV, & AKV concierge. Maybe BLT MK view - we'll see...

I am actually hoping walking dies on its own (because it isn't necessary) since I think the new method (before check in) is better for the system as a whole. Doesn't mean I don't prefer the old method, (before check out) because I do, LOL.

When this change occured during the summer I was looking ahead to call DBD in September to book AKV concierge at 11 months for August 2009. All of the discussions about walking had my head in a tailspin. I decided not to walk the reservation and make the one call based on our check-in date. Essentially, I wanted to see if the new system worked for me the way it was meant to. Fortunately, I was able to get the 5 nights that I wanted! If I hadn't been able to, I would have tried walking the next time around although it does seem way more trouble than the "old" method of calling DBD.

 

[crazyaboutdisney]

we usually go for 5 nights so i will make ressies for the 7 nights and then cancel the first two. i really liked the old way much better. i tried to get into hh at easter at the 7 month window in a studio or 1br and none were available. We have always gotten into hh at easter with no problem until now. the old way was more fair for everyone

 

[TLSnell1981]

What are my chance of reserving a GV at BWV during F&W....without walking it?

 

[Cruiser1969]

I'm the OP!!

I just wanted to update the thread with my information.

I asked the question about walking because I wondered if I needed to walk my May reservation. I did not want to have to do it, but I would if it needed to be done.

I decided NOT to walk it for reasons of convenience really (and the risk of having my ressie messed up with changes) I firmly believe in trying to make as few changes as possible to a ressie .

This morning, I called MS and booked the first 7 days of my May BCV studio vacation, WITHOUT walking!!!

I'll call tomorrow and the next day to extend the ressie, but I will leave my walking shoes at home for this reservation.

Now, if I was looking at a high-demand time with an all or nothing resort request, I would reluctantly walk, but not too much, just the few days before if I had to.

 

[robinb]

My guess is that some people do it.....but nobody will admit to it.

You better bet that I will walk my reservation when I call for NYE 2009! And I am not ashamed to admit it.

 

[janni518]

I have no plans to walk my reservations.

Um, seriously, why would you need to?

 

[jblrn2b]

pakhowe, I just booked Feb vacation this yr in September at SSR for a studio - now I don't know if I was lucky?! How bout I sent pixie dust your way!!!!!

 

[n2mm]

I'm the OP!!

I just wanted to update the thread with my information.

I asked the question about walking because I wondered if I needed to walk my May reservation. I did not want to have to do it, but I would if it needed to be done.

I decided NOT to walk it for reasons of convenience really (and the risk of having my ressie messed up with changes) I firmly believe in trying to make as few changes as possible to a ressie .

This morning, I called MS and booked the first 7 days of my May BCV studio vacation, WITHOUT walking!!!

I'll call tomorrow and the next day to extend the ressie, but I will leave my walking shoes at home for this reservation.

Now, if I was looking at a high-demand time with an all or nothing resort request, I would reluctantly walk, but not too much, just the few days before if I had to.

You were lucky! I too just squeezed in my 2 studios at BCV. I booked at the 7 month window for myself and only days later did someone post on the availability board that 3 of the days I booked a studio for were sold out. I felt like I was being chased. I also managed to get my next 5 nights by calling DBD. But when I had to add another studio for my daughter who was arriving week two, I was nervous. I did book a 7 night stay, though I don't know if she's staying 5, 6, or 7 nights yet. The CM said I was smart to book the entire stay and modify later when I knew more about their schedule. Had I been booking 2 rooms under the same dates, it would not have been so stressful. It would've been a pain to get my 12 nights, only to not get them into the same resort on week 2. Glad it worked this year, but I'm finding it gets harder each year. My next two reservations to make are at my 11 month window for October and December 2009, so wonder how that will go.