Are the Days of Walking a DVC Reservation Numbered?

[Cyberc1978]

Do we know if the lottery is implemented if it can be only for some resorts ie BWV and AKV or does it need to be for all?

Also if the lottery is for ie 5 or 7 days and you can’t drop or add nights then owners at those resorts would have a huge disadvantage over owners at SSR, VGF and so on as they can book 1,2,3,4…… nights. Also what about small points owners at BWV and AKV that can’t book 5 or 7 nights but can book 3-4 nights?

Rules need to apply to all owners, not just those with many points or those with few points.

ETA. Seems that only one or few resorts can be included in the lottery and DVC decides if there should be a minimum number of nights. If you are a small points owner then its just too bad.

 

[dcfromva]

Is it mostly the studio category or does it go across all room categories? (I mostly book studios anymore)

The first 2 weeks of Dec (BWV STD view studio) has always been difficult for me to book, so it makes sense there would be a whole lot of walking going on. One I have never attempted is NYE at BWV (Std view studio). I imagine that one would be next to impossible.

(When we used to go during NYE frame, it was always a 2BR at BLT--and we haven't gone for NYE for years and years because of the DVC Annual Pass block out dates during that time frame. So I have no idea as to how difficult that is anymore. )

 

[DanCali]

Do we know if the lottery is implemented if it can be only for some resorts ie BWV and AKV or does it need to be for all?

I don't think owners will perceive having their annual home resort vacation at he mercy of a lottery as a good solution. Anything you get at 7 months outside a home resort is gravy. We usually do studios but I got a 1BR at VGC and was totally happy. I would have paid the points for a 2BR and been equally happy even at the higher cost. Getting in at 7 months is already a victory.

The easiest way to solve the DVC "walking problem" (if you believe it's a problem) is to make the walked rooms more expensive and other rooms cheaper... No need to change anything with the reservation system.... No need for lotteries.... Would that many people care if they missed out on a resort view studio at BWV if it was just 10-15 points per week cheaper instead of 30-40? Would that many people still want the AKV Club level rooms if they cost even more? They'd probably just pay for Savanna view and go to the restaurants downstairs... Supply and demand is the easier way to solve things.

 

[Genie+]

And the previous 5 days are available. So why not book them and tomorrow you can book the 19th? You are showing that the problem is probably just the first two weeks of December, which proves it's not widespread. CCV and BRV are notoriously in very high demand for December. Does it happen the rest of the year?

I could dance around returning to pick up the next piece daily or just walk a bit sooner than the going rate and not risk the possibility of a day or two not showing up. CCV, BRV and those others do it over other periods of the year too.

Are you willing for all those categories to give up the ability to book the exact days you want and roll the dice with a lottery?

The chances are already lower unless I cross over to walking and start deciding on my trips much further out than 11m.

Or are you willing to lose the ability to completely modify a reservation?

How much flexibility does Check-in Day booked at 11m need, within reason. At some point it’s no longer ‘making adjustments’, it’s essentially a different booking.

If DVC makes a change, it will probably be the thing that potentially can cause the most breakage, because then they'll earn more. It will not be the most beneficial thing for members.

Maybe they’ll send a survey.

 

[zavandor]

To clarify, no one is suggesting the lottery is a good solution or think they'll implement it. It's hell and won't happen. It's just an example of the very worst scenario.
The question is: is walking such a problem that you are willing to live with the consequences, whatever happens?
I don't.

 

[zavandor]

Maybe they’ll send a survey.

In 2019 they told me, without laughing (kudos to their acting skills), that studios and 1BR were in such higher demand then 2BR that it was justified to increase the lockoff premium to rebalance demand.
Sorry, no, they won't send out a survey. They'll think how they could cause more breakage or generate extra income (fees?) and implement that.

 

[RickNJane]

Ok so I did not read through all 50 pages of this thread so forgive me I this has already been discussed. Walking is the consequence of the change they made to the reservation system to allow booking forward from the latest date. (11 months + 6 nights).
Why can't we just go back to the old ways and not be able to book forward. I live on the west coast and got up early every day for 2 weeks to call into MS and book my next day. It was a small price to pay to make sure I got what I wanted.

Allowing any booking forward, even 1 day, will encourage walking.

Any other system would not be viewed as fair. Things like charging to modify reservations ("only the rich can walk"). Canceling a reservation if deleting days at the start of a reservation. Etc.

A lottery system is also non-starter. That idea should be DOA.

 

[muppets3d]

I don't think owners will perceive having their annual home resort vacation at he mercy of a lottery as a good solution. Any anything you get at 7 months outside a home resort is gravy. We usually do studios but I got a 1BR at VGC and was totally happy. I would have paid for a 2BR and been equally happy even at the higher cost.

The easiest way to solve the DVC "walking problem" (if you believe it's a problem) is to make the walked rooms more expensive and other rooms cheaper... No need to change anything with the reservation system.... No need for lotteries.... Would that many people care if they missed out on a resort view studio at BWV if it was just 10-15 points per week cheaper instead of 30-40? Would that many people still want the AKV Club level rooms if they cost even more? They'd probably just pay for Savanna view and go to the restaurants downstairs... Supply and demand is the easier way to solve things.

The points at a resort have to be in balance, so if they add points to the club level rooms they have to take them away from somewhere else. Likely the value rooms making walking an even bigger problem for them.

 

[DanCali]

The points at a resort have to be in balance, so if they add points to the club level rooms they have to take them away from somewhere else. Likely the value rooms making walking an even bigger problem for them.

That's what I meant, even if I didn't say that explicitly. It just emphasizes what I suggested.

Make standard/club/(theme park?) rooms more pricy, and make lake/preferred/savanna views less pricy - walking will be substantially mitigated.

 

[Sandisw]

Please do not share real time availability or screen shots from the website. We don’t allow that.

I had to delete a few posts.

 

[Sandisw]

The lottery would 100% impact me while walking does not. I have been a walker and when I couldn't walk, I was able to pick up what I wanted after the other walkers passed.

I get it…I don’t want any change but if they are getting the complaints and decide to do something I hope it’s limited to those rooms and resorts where people think it matters.

 

[Genie+]

The easiest way to solve the DVC "walking problem" (if you believe it's a problem) is to make the walked rooms more expensive and other rooms cheaper... No need to change anything with the reservation system.... No need for lotteries.... Would that many people care if they missed out on a resort view studio at BWV if it was just 10-15 points per week cheaper instead of 30-40? Would that many people still want the AKV Club level rooms if they cost even more? They'd probably just pay for Savanna view and go to the restaurants downstairs... Supply and demand is the easier way to solve things.

Yes we’ve seen this with Oct and Nov. That season has been raised significantly and demand has since eased up.

As a BWV owner I thought it was a good move cutting the 9pt nights since they increased the amount of 10 and 11pt nights. So now there’s 30 weeks to choose from for the lowest weeknight studio. Seemed like a good compromise all in all.

 

[Sandisw]

Do we know if the lottery is implemented if it can be only for some resorts ie BWV and AKV or does it need to be for all?

Also if the lottery is for ie 5 or 7 days and you can’t drop or add nights then owners at those resorts would have a huge disadvantage over owners at SSR, VGF and so on as they can book 1,2,3,4…… nights. Also what about small points owners at BWV and AKV that can’t book 5 or 7 nights but can book 3-4 nights?

Rules need to apply to all owners, not just those with many points or those with few points.

ETA. Seems that only one or few resorts can be included in the lottery and DVC decides if there should be a minimum number of nights. If you are a small points owner then its just too bad.

It can be specific to resort, etc and they can institute a minimum but maxim can’t exceed 5 days.

So, if they decided to go that route, some small point owners could be impacted.

I personally hope they do nothing. Just saying if I am given a choice…limited modifications or resort specific changes, I vote resort specific…even if it’s further adjustment of point charts.

 

[Sandisw]

Ok so I did not read through all 50 pages of this thread so forgive me I this has already been discussed. Walking is the consequence of the change they made to the reservation system to allow booking forward from the latest date. (11 months + 6 nights).
Why can't we just go back to the old ways and not be able to book forward. I live on the west coast and got up early every day for 2 weeks to call into MS and book my next day. It was a small price to pay to make sure I got what I wanted.

Allowing any booking forward, even 1 day, will encourage walking.

Any other system would not be viewed as fair. Things like charging to modify reservations ("only the rich can walk"). Canceling a reservation if deleting days at the start of a reservation. Etc.

A lottery system is also non-starter. That idea should be DOA.

Because they stated this was a problem for many owners who were forced to book day by day to get an entire trip in the same room. They didn’t have to…but it became something owners felt they needed to…

So, they wanted to make booking easier so owners did not have to call day to day.

No walking but that system had its drawbacks too.

 

[tx911]

To clarify, no one is suggesting the lottery is a good solution or think they'll implement it. It's hell and won't happen. It's just an example of the very worst scenario.
The question is: is walking such a problem that you are willing to live with the consequences, whatever happens?
I don't.

I don’t want any changes in the flexibility to be necessary, nor do I want to risk undesirable consequences.

The length of this thread should tell you that there are a lot of owners that view walking as a problem.

So what is the better solution? That the people that don’t like walking just ignore it and deal with it, or that the people that have such a burning desire to get a leg up on their fellow owners stop doing it?

We both know that they will never voluntarily stop doing it, which is why we are in a situation where we are talking about potential changes that none of us are going to like.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

Ok so I did not read through all 50 pages of this thread so forgive me I this has already been discussed. Walking is the consequence of the change they made to the reservation system to allow booking forward from the latest date. (11 months + 6 nights).
Why can't we just go back to the old ways and not be able to book forward. I live on the west coast and got up early every day for 2 weeks to call into MS and book my next day. It was a small price to pay to make sure I got what I wanted.

Allowing any booking forward, even 1 day, will encourage walking.

Interesting. I've been booking rooms through DVC for 30+ years but honestly don't recall a time they didn't allow me to book more than one night at a time at 11 months (or 7 month, depending on the situation). I'm not disputing what you're saying, I just don't recall that. And I certainly would not want to have a system like that, even at the expense of some walking.

 

[Sandisw]

I don’t want any changes in the flexibility to be necessary, nor do I want to risk undesirable consequences.

The length of this thread should tell you that there are a lot of owners that view walking as a problem.

So what is the better solution? That the people that don’t like walking just ignore it and deal with it, or that the people that have such a burning desire to get a leg up on their fellow owners stop doing it?

We both know that they will never voluntarily stop doing it, which is why we are in a situation where we are talking about potential changes that none of us are going to like.

As someone who is guilty of staying part of this conversation a lot, I’d say we have a pretty equal representation of each side.

 

[tx911]

As someone who is guilty of staying part of this conversation a lot, I’d say we have a pretty equal representation of each side.

No argument there!

 

[Sandisw]

Interesting. I've been booking rooms through DVC for 30+ years but honestly don't recall a time they didn't allow me to book more than one night at a time at 11 months (or 7 month, depending on the situation). I'm not disputing what you're saying, I just don't recall that. And I certainly would not want to have a system like that, even at the expense of some walking.

They never had a day by day rule. The rule was book your trip from check out cs check in

What people started to do to ensure they got all their days was book day by day to make sure when check out came, the initial days they wanted were not gone.

So, it was basically owners working around the intended rule to make sure they got the trip.

For example, if you wanted a November 10 to 17th, your window opened Dec 17th for all those nights.

But that risked that some of those dates would be gone. So, instead of waiting until the 17th, they’d call December 10th to book November 10th, etc.

No one was walking…but if you didn’t play the day by day game, you might end up with missing days in your trip.

 

[Tatebeck]

Honestly for me personally, I wouldn't really mind if they put AKV value/club and BWV standard rooms into the Seasonal Lottery mode. I can put my name on those lists if I want to, knowing that I'll eventually get some of those rooms to try out, and then use my points elsewhere in the meantime for a different view, room, resort, etc without having to worry about having to walk reservations.

BUT I can definitely see how members that only have points at one of those locations or have a very small amount of points would definitely not be okay with it. It takes a decent amount of rooms out of their booking possibilities, may require them to book up to 5 nights when their lottery hits, etc.

Maybe they will have a different better option they come up with to add to the rules (or steal one from these boards if they are reading this)