Are the Days of Walking a DVC Reservation Numbered?

[davidhr]

I am wondering if part of this thread is because the 11m is close to Christmas 2025 and people are looking at availability at WDW and seeing a lot of the lower cost Studios and 2BD LO’s already booked out…. a sense of heightened awareness if you will….

there’s a yearly controversial thread about walking around this time. Always.

 

[Spivey378]

You’d have to keep trying each morning at exactly 8am until you find an opening. I’m only half kidding when I say you are a few months behind. You could luck out but at this point your chances are getting more dim. Best would’ve been at least 2 months ago. The best time to book December is before the end of 2 summers prior.

All hope is not gone though. You still have a pretty good shot at piecing together your dates right as the real 11 month window passes, and then waitlisting whatever’s missing. I’d also start a full trip waitlist Day 1 as well. Having some flexibility in which dates you could do in December would also help increase your chances.

Dang. That's a lot of mornings.

This is me:

 

[Genie+]

Dang. That's a lot of mornings.

This is me:

That is our Anthem! Perfect

 

[Tatebeck]

We know we can currently walk the walk, and we know Disney can talk the talk.

But can Disney walk the walk and make it so that we can't walk the walk so we can stop talking the talk?

 

[Spivey378]

That is our Anthem! Perfect

This one rocks harder:


"I woke up this morning and I had those Walkin' Blues yeah
I woke up this morning and I had those Walkin' Blues now
But I wasn't walkin' nowhere
'Cause I didn't have no legs points!"

 

[Genie+]

Changes to 11 month priority and commercial renting may purposely happen in tandem. DVC needs to keep things simple. They can’t keep tinkering around. It’s not very often they step in with changes but sometimes necessary. In tandem is not only efficient but their compounded effect could mean smaller adjustment needed with each lever. I’m keeping both steps in mind.

 

[Genie+]

This one rocks harder:


"I woke up this morning and I had those Walkin' Blues yeah
I woke up this morning and I had those Walkin' Blues now
But I wasn't walkin' nowhere
'Cause I didn't have no legs points!"

Love it!

I never have enough legs points

 

[pzw90]

You’d have to keep trying each morning at exactly 8am until you find an opening. I’m only half kidding when I say you are a few months behind. You could luck out but at this point your chances are getting more dim. Best would’ve been at least 2 months ago. The best time to book December is before the end of 2 summers prior.

All hope is not gone though. You still have a pretty good shot at piecing together your dates right as the real 11 month window passes, and then waitlisting whatever’s missing. I’d also start a full trip waitlist Day 1 as well. Having some flexibility in which dates you could do in December would also help increase your chances.

So best strategy is to have a Feb UY, and start walking from FEB 1, 2025 for a DEC 2025 stay. Which you should have started MAR 1, 2024. Right?

 

[Spivey378]

OK last one and then I am done. I'm having too much fun.

Alumni Blues

"Yesterday mornin', my old lady threw me out into the cold, cold street,
Yesterday mornin', my old lady threw me out into the cold, cold street
I had no hat on my head,
And no shoes on my head Copper Creek Studio for my bed

But I'm alright
But I'm alright
But I'm alright
But I'm alright, now
'Cause I got a degree Confirmed Reservation Rental"

 

[Tatebeck]

OK last one and then I am done. I'm having too much fun.

Alumni Blues

"Yesterday mornin', my old lady threw me out into the cold, cold street,
Yesterday mornin', my old lady threw me out into the cold, cold street
I had no hat on my head,
And no shoes on my head Copper Creek Studio for my bed

But I'm alright
But I'm alright
But I'm alright
But I'm alright, now
'Cause I got a degree Confirmed Reservation Rental"

Walked Reservation for Me would work too, to keep the slant rhyme from "street" from the first stanza

 

[Spivey378]

Walked Reservation for Me would work too, to keep the slant rhyme from "street" from the first stanza

Good point!

 

[Sandisw]

They verified that it is against the spirit of the rules without commenting on whether it violates the letter of the rules.
The letter of the rules says you can only book for a trip 11+7 days out. If you are starting to book something before that, you violated the letter of the rules as well. Though it is hard to prove since it relies on intent and subsequent modifications to verify that it was against the letter of the rules.


Just because they specified what you cannot do in one case does not mean they are obligated to state every single thing that you cannot do in every case. There isn't enough space in the world for that list.

The original booking system, the way it was designed, did not allow this in it's design, so they didn't need to specify that it was against the rules and outlaw it because it wasn't possible when they were originally made.


Correct, the online booking system currently doesn't stop modifications from walking, and allows any modification at least 31 days out without penalty, but that does not make it so that every modification is 100% within the rules.

Just like police don't stop you from breaking laws, but what you can do can still be against the law

Yes it does because the rules currently allow unlimited modifications. Show me where in the rules it says that owners are limited to changing a reservation.

It’s not there…which is why walking doesn’t break any rule

Walking doesn’t start until the reservation is modified and moved and not when it was booked.

It certainly does not change the fact that people want DVC to add rules that prevent people from moving a reservation.

There is certainly no argument that walking gives you an advantage over someone who doesn’t do it when one wants the same room for the same night.

Someone who has enough points to hold an entire month in a studio if they want has an advantage over someone who does not…

Someone who can’t book at 8 am because they work and have to wait is at a disadvantage over someone who can

Point being that there are always situations that wlll give someone a potential advantage…

Again, I was at the meetings and their statements did not say or imply it’s against the rules, which is why they used the term “spirit of the rule”.

They said they’d be open to changing booking rules to combat that by looking at options as well as potential unintended consequences.

IMO, they don’t want to do something to fix walking only to create another issue that owners will see as worse.

That’s why I beleive that if they do amend the modification and booking rules, it will be very cut and dry and simple to explain.

 

[Sandisw]

I hope they don't do this and doubt if they will, it disadvantages smaller contracts. Generally Disney markets a contract for a week's vacation, that is what people are buying. Though of course you can buy more points. This would disadvantage those who intentionally bought points for a 7 day vacation. Most of their marketing materials use these one week examples. Fourteen days out would affect these buyers and is counter to their marketing. But who knows?

Let me clarify…you only get those 14 days when you make it but once made, it can’t be made longer…only shorter.

There are people out there who book trips longer than 7 days so in order to get their nights, they have to be able to add

If they increase the rule to 14 days, you are making a concession for those owners, especially overseas who come for 2 to 3 weeks

Here is an example:

I book November 1 to 15th…that reservation can only be shortened, until 10 months from check in date…Dec 1st.

So if I want November 16 to the 30th as part of this…I have two choices…make a new reservation on November 16th or wait until Dec 1st to grab those days.

I can drop days from the front or the end if I don’t want all , but I can’t add. If I decide to drop days at the front and make it Nov 7th to 15th, now my 10 month window to add days is Dec 7th…by then, the 16th to the 30th have passed the 11 month window

Now, say I decide to book just November 1st to the 8th….i am now locked into that. Since I didn’t book 14 days initially, I lost that option

Same thing, that trip can not be extended until Dec 1st

It’s a compromise that curbs walking but also gives owners who have a legitimate reason to book more than 7 days a chance.

Once you are at 10 months or less, you can modify to your hearts content.

I see it as a potential option that would be easy to implement, easy to explain, and might be one many would not see as a major impact on flexibility.

 

[Orsino]

I don't know, with current walking rules anyone with enough points for 2 nights can try to do it, so it is really only out of reach for those with very small point totals. But with that *proposed* new change, it would be a sliding scale of advantage and it could lock out members with more points than the current system can. I would not consider that an improvement, especially since some of the "members" with the most points are the commercial renters. You just gave them exactly what they needed to secure every hard to book room to rent for big $$$

My point is: if walking isn't widespread and is "not a problem" which is a common theme in this thread, the panic about people with large amounts of points making things difficult for small point holders is unfounded as well.

 

[Genie+]

So best strategy is to have a Feb UY, and start walking from FEB 1, 2025 for a DEC 2025 stay. Which you should have started MAR 1, 2024. Right?

Yes I believe that is true.

We all should try booking something every morning, at least trying to start a walk in what will likely be the room type we want. Start walking before you’re even sure what dates you wanna stop. I know I’ll take a trip in 2026, so the sooner I can get my walks rolling the better. Later on I’ll figure out what week will work for us

I only have 2 contracts but I can squeeze 3 concurrent walks out of them. Perp walk is probably the a#1 strategy out there. No, not that kind of perp walk. Perpetual Walk. It’s all the new rage!

 

[AstroBlasters]

So best strategy is to have a Feb UY, and start walking from FEB 1, 2025 for a DEC 2025 stay. Which you should have started MAR 1, 2024. Right?

With the caveat that you are taking a risk if plans change very last minute since you are beyond the booking window.

 

[Tatebeck]

Yes it does because the rules currently allow unlimited modifications. Show me where in the rules it says that owners are limited to changing a reservation.

It’s not there…which is why walking doesn’t break any rule, because the walking is when the reservation moves and not when one secures it.

That certainly does t change the fact that people want DVC to add rules that prevent people from moving a reservation.

There is certainly no argument that walking gives you an advantage over someone who doesn’t do it when one wants the same room for the same night.

Someone who has enough points to hold an entire month in a studio if they want has an advantage over someone who does not…

Someone who can’t book at 8 am because they work and have to wait is at a disadvantage over someone who can

Point being that there are always situations that wlll give someone a potential advantage…

Again, I was at the meetings and their statements did not say it’s against the rules. They said they’d be open to changing booking rules to combat that if they can find a way to do it.

It also doesn't say that you are allowed any particular types of modifications or unlimited modifications either. That's just how the system currently handles it. The only thing it says is what happens to your points when you modify, whether they will go into holding or not, etc.

Because of how they are written, you wouldn't be violating the rule when modifying anyway, you would be violating the rules based upon your actual check in date in mind when you make the first reservation before you even modify it at all. Then they just don't stop you from modifying when they could if they wanted to or if they actually programmed the system to.

There certainly is an argument that walking gives an advantage, otherwise nobody would walk...

The other scenarios you mention are all people booking 100% within the rules as written and within the current spirit of the rules as well. There may very well always be an advantage for some with faster internet, better working hours, retirees who can check more often, etc... But as long as all of those advantages are things that aren't against the rules, they are 100% better than walking or doing anything else against the letter and/or spirit of the rules to gain an unfair advantage against those that book according to the rules only.

I've seen the quotes from the meetings, they did say it was at least against the spirit of the rules, without mention of the letter of the rules. They barely comment on anything so just saying "they didn't say we couldn't" is a very weak argument

"we’re looking at different solutions as Yvonne mentioned. How do we maintain the spirit of what we want, which is fewer calls into the reservation center [or going online] to make the booking. But at the same time, make sure we aren’t creating any unintended consequences"

I took this to mean that they are looking into ways to enforce the actual rules (that includes no walking) without making even more problems for themselves.

I just can't believe that people still think that walking is technically within the rules when

1. DVC confirmed it is against the spirit of the rules (what they actually want and meant)
2. DVC confirmed it only exists because of an "unintended consequence" of changing from check out booking to check out booking
3. It is allowing them to book a start date that is specifically excluded from the very specific booking windows mentioned in the home resort rules and regs

And the only argument they have for it is

1. "well they didn't specify exactly that I can't do this very particular thing so it must be okay"

SMH

 

[BlueGreen5]

So best strategy is to have a Feb UY, and start walking from FEB 1, 2025 for a DEC 2025 stay. Which you should have started MAR 1, 2024. Right?

Good lord, has anyone here actually come close to doing to this?! When I hear about walking, I'm thinking a couple of days to a couple of weeks. Am I that naive?

 

[Tatebeck]

My point is: if walking isn't widespread and is "not a problem" which is a common theme in this thread, the panic about people with large amounts of points making things difficult for small point holders is unfounded as well.

Ah, so it was meant at least a bit sarcastically. Sorry, it's hard to read that from text for me sometimes.

 

[Tatebeck]

Good lord, has anyone here actually come close to doing to this?! When I hear about walking, I'm thinking a couple of days to a couple of weeks. Am I that naive?

I better start walking a standard studio at RIV for the 75th WDW anniversary in October 2046. With the other resorts closing in 2042, there may not be very many rooms!