Are the Days of Walking a DVC Reservation Numbered?

[Tatebeck]

Technically, most walking DOES break the booking rules. Booking rules state that you are SUPPOSED to wait and book your entire desired stay as a single reservation, then waitlist the entire stay if it's not available. Most members don't do that and walk dates forward or book what they can and fill in later (me included). Also Disney wouldn't acknowledge that it is a problem if it is working 100% as intended.

I am confident that they let the booking system have the ability to walk reservations to keep maximum flexibility. There are cases where members booked a trip fully expecting to use the dates booked, but then have to modify that trip soon after. The difference between that case and most members walking is intent. The online system cannot tell when you book if you 100% believe that you are going to use those dates or not, so they assume you do. But that gives an advantage to anyone willing to "lie" about their desired start dates initially and then lets them change it later. It's a trust based system, and when too many people are untrustworthy, it starts having problems.

So if they want a fix, they can choose to hard limit reservations in the system somehow, or manually weed out members they believe aren't booking according to member rules as written

 

[DonMacGregor]

This reminds me of a conversation had on these boards several years ago regarding MM reservations. Someone said they had set up 5 devices in order to get multiple queue numbers for an event that coincided with a resort reservation, and someone else said that's not fair to folks who don't have multiple log-in devices. The person with the 5 devices basically said "Tough ****, it's not against the rules".

Because our firm never went back to normal operations in our offices post-pandemic, we had (and actually still have) several locations with around 20-30 workstations/cubicles each, fully operational with PC's that associates simply log into from their telecommuting location (IE their spare bedroom). We have limited support staff on site (IT and clerical) to keep things running smoothly, receive mail, etc.. I emailed the IT guys with the links to the queue for the MM magic event (Animal Kingdom if I recall) and had 25 queue spots open within about 10 minutes. I passed that info on to the guy with 5 logins, and all of a sudden, things got "unfair" (apparently because they weren't all my "personal" devices"). Point made.

Fully within the rules, and logging in to multiple devices was already a known "hack" to increase your odds of getting tickets, but "fair"?

 

[jcolvin5]

Name calling won't fix any of Disney's problems. But it might make you do some self-evaluation and perhaps help you realize that your own self-interest and how you prioritize it may be affecting the rest of your life, and the views other people have of you.

Being condescending probably won't help me to realize anything.

 

[gsdweller]

Being condescending probably won't help me to realize anything.

Probably not, but there is always a chance.

 

[Genie+]

 

[AstroBlasters]

I’m just going to say it, I walk reservations for personal use and have zero concerns about it. It only means that I was dedicated enough to start the process of getting my room sooner and put in the work to keep it.

Living on the West Coast, there is no way I want to wake up in the middle of the frickin night to book a hard to get time of year. We already have to go through that BS with ADR’s, etc.

I probably don’t even have to walk because of the room types I am getting, but to me it means that booking a vacation doesn’t make me literally lose sleep over it.

I’ve got limited travel windows because of work, kid’s school, kid’s activities, etc. and I’m going to do everything I can within the system to optimize our travel within those windows.

 

[gsdweller]

I’m just going to say it, I walk reservations for personal use and have zero concerns about it. It only means that I was dedicated enough to start the process of getting my room sooner and put in the work to keep it.

Living on the West Coast, there is no way I want to wake up in the middle of the frickin night to book a hard to get time of year. We already have to go through that BS with ADR’s, etc.

I probably don’t even have to walk because of the room types I am getting, but to me it means that booking a vacation doesn’t make me literally lose sleep over it.

I’ve got limited travel windows because of work, kid’s school, kid’s activities, etc. and I’m going to do everything I can within the system to optimize our travel within those windows.

How many days do you typically walk your reservations?

 

[JOLT]

How many days do you typically walk your reservations?

Does it matter doesn't walking = scumbag?

 

[gsdweller]

Does it matter doesn't walking = scumbag?

Sure it matters. As I stated originally, you are only a scumbag if you walk a reservation over more than a week.

 

[jcolvin5]

Sure it matters. As I stated originally, you are only a scumbag if you walk a reservation over more than a week.

Why the name calling at all? This isn't X or FB. How about just saying that you really do not appreciate those individuals who walk a reservation over more than a week?

 

[JOLT]

Sure it matters. As I stated originally, you are only a scumbag if you walk a reservation over more than a week.

As my good friend Dom once said. It doesn't matter if you walk a day or a month walking is walking.

 

[AstroBlasters]

How many days do you typically walk your reservations?

They are usually 5-7 day reservations and I typically go in and adjust the reservation when I wake up in the morning before getting out of bed. Let’s say that’s at 7am PST and 10am EST.

It actually is a nice little daily reminder of what going to work provides for our family.

 

[gsdweller]

They are usually 5-7 day reservations and I typically go in and adjust the reservation when I wake up in the morning before getting out of bed. Let’s say that’s at 7am PST and 10am EST.

It actually is a nice little daily reminder of what going to work provides for our family.

Sorry, I wasn't very clear. How long do you have to walk it? Days? Weeks? Months?

 

[Genie+]

I don’t think anybody’s wrong for walking, rather that it is unsustainable under the way our memberships are currently managed. That’s on DVC to fix.

The issue is only ever increasing. It’s snowballing and causing the need to walk otherwise give up my chances of popular home priority reservations. I was sold a contract that currently outlines 11 months yet that’s not really the case.

Take the December studio example. Goodluck folks with a Dec UY! For everybody else, enjoy being forced to plan this trip out 2 summers prior.

 

[jcolvin5]

I’ve got limited travel windows because of work, kid’s school, kid’s activities, etc. and I’m going to do everything I can within the system to optimize our travel within those windows.

No truer words

 

[gsdweller]

Why the name calling at all? This isn't X or FB. How about just saying that you really do not appreciate those individuals who walk a reservation over more than a week?

Sorry, I just assumed that your post tooting your own horn and extolling how much smarter and better at planning you were than everyone else was your way of calling the rest of us a bit slow. I see the error in my assumption now. I feel like such a scumbag.

 

[AstroBlasters]

Sorry, I wasn't very clear. How long do you have to walk it? Days? Weeks? Months?

For Aulani in late June during the low point season, I might start as soon as I am able to within my March Use Year. So, 3.5 months?

I will add that our summer break is from late June to late August and I know that many other school districts across the country get most of June off.

If Disney didn’t have the July points at a 22% premium to late June then I wouldn’t walk Aulani at all.

 

[Lorana]

Technically, most walking DOES break the booking rules. Booking rules state that you are SUPPOSED to wait and book your entire desired stay as a single reservation, then waitlist the entire stay if it's not available. Most members don't do that and walk dates forward or book what they can and fill in later (me included). Also Disney wouldn't acknowledge that it is a problem if it is working 100% as intended.

Is that the next thing folks are going to go after, waitlisting single days to piecemeal together a week? After all, unless I get lucky that someone cancels an entire period of rooms for the time I want, I have a greater advantage waitlisting individual days than an entire week. (While, yes, risking not getting that entire week if by chance someone canceled all the days I needed all at once). That said, I suspect outside of boards, most owners don't realize the advantage of booking single day waitlists and combining reservations over booking a large number of days all at once.

Take the December studio example. Goodluck folks with a Dec UY! For everybody else, enjoy being forced to plan this trip out 2 summers prior.

This is honestly one reason we bought a fixed week, was to guarantee a studio in December. Amusingly, we often cancel and book 1BRs or 2BRs instead, but I wanted to be able to get that studio if I wanted it without having to walk.

One could argue my fixed week is unfair. Because I had the financial means to purchase a guaranteed week, and now I come in before anyone else to grab that week -- which can interrupt walkers as much as deny owners booking at 8am on the 11 month mark. Because of fixed week, it's not necessarily true anymore that every room is available for everyone at the 11month mark, especially for hard to obtain rooms and weeks.

Hmmm, when were fixed weeks introduced? I'm wondering if there is ALSO a correlation of all the factors we've mentioned in this thread, AND the introduction of fixed weeks and the number being sold; certainly, they help exacerbate the problem at popular resorts in studios in popular times. I got weeks 47 and 48 in CCV studios explicitly because of the challenges of getting studios during those weeks.

(I'm not advocating to get rid of fixed weeks, just wondering if they are contributing to the perception of the problem of walking. Probably not as much as how commercial renting is contributing to the perception of the problem, however. Or the fact that popular resorts at popular times in popular categories will always be a competition at 8am at 11months, even without walking and commercial renting making it worse).

 

[Genie+]

This is honestly one reason we bought a fixed week, was to guarantee a studio in December.

Super smart! That’s my one big regret when we bought direct. It was available and came right in on the point number we were looking to buy anyway. My guide already drew up our papers and I weighed how much do I even need it vs giving him extra work. Not my brightest moment lol.

 

[jcolvin5]

Sorry, I just assumed that your post tooting your own horn and extolling how much smarter and better at planning you were than everyone else was your way of calling the rest of us a bit slow. I see the error in my assumption now. I feel like such a scumbag.

I do apologize if my words were misinterpreted. Certainly not my intent to suggest anyone else is less smart or slow.

I only intended to point out where my mind is at when I tackle these types of challenges that Disney likes to give us.