Are the Days of Walking a DVC Reservation Numbered?

[tx911]

I don’t agree with you on this. You want to put restrictions on the entire system year round for something that isn’t really a problem.

I don't want any restrictions. I just want people to voluntarily stop walking

 

[Orsino]

So isn’t that then a demand issue? AKV CL never comes back…which means the owners who grab those dates grabbed the ones they intended to use.

I don't think one can take that generalization. While we can look at dates popping back as evidence of walking, the converse doesn't prove that walking is not happening. For example, those rooms could be walked then allocated via waitlist when walked past.

 

[ShaneDJ]

AstroBlasters who has admitted he does it to get an advantage and cares about his own family trip more than yours.

This is a ridiculous statement. You say "admitted" as if @AstroBlasters has committed a crime.

He should care about his family's trip more than yours!

When I plan my trips, it is to benefit my family...not yours. Geez.

 

[Tatebeck]

I don't want any restrictions. I just want people to voluntarily stop walking

We're gonna have to add a few more graves outside of the haunted mansion before that will start happening

 

[dvcsince93]

We're gonna have to add a few more graves outside of the haunted mansion before that will start happening

then you have people trying to die first to get the prime "near mansion" spots

 

[AstroBlasters]

I don't want any restrictions. I just want people to voluntarily stop walking

Well, I can understand that.

 

[Orsino]

If I were DVC management, I would be asking for an analysis of the booking data to see the prevalence of room nights that are booked exclusively via walking. In other words, do there exist room categories + date where walking is *required* in order to secure the reservation? If so, how many?

So I ask disboards: do you think there exist room category + date that *require* walking to get the reservation?
Does DVC management have a duty to inform membership that certain room categories + date require walking in order to make a reservation?

 

[dvcsince93]

This is a ridiculous statement. You say "admitted" as if @AstroBlasters has committed a crime.

He should care about his family's trip more than yours!

When I plan my trips, it is to benefit my family...not yours. Geez.

Really, you think his point is that Astroblaster didn't care enough about his family?

If you think about it a minute, its pretty clear he was concerned that walkers will cheat the 11 month window and prevent his family from getting a shot at the trip.

We all want to benefit our families, but some of us won't do it at all costs.

 

[dvcsince93]

This is a ridiculous statement. You say "admitted" as if @AstroBlasters has committed a crime.

He should care about his family's trip more than yours!

When I plan my trips, it is to benefit my family...not yours. Geez.

Really, you think his point is that Astroblaster didn't care enough about his family?

If you think about it a minute, its pretty clear he was concerned that walkers will cheat the 11 month window and prevent his family from getting a shot at the trip.

We all want to benefit our families, but some of us won't do it at all costs.

Wow, I just took another look at what he actually said:

It's very, very suspicious the amount of deflection occurring here, except for AstroBlasters who has admitted he does it to get an advantage and cares about his own family trip more than yours.

You really edited what he said to change the tone and meaning and then got all high and mighty about it. That is ridiculous.

 

[AstroBlasters]

This is a ridiculous statement. You say "admitted" as if @AstroBlasters has committed a crime.

He should care about his family's trip more than yours!

When I plan my trips, it is to benefit my family...not yours. Geez.

Correct, I work within the system to maximize the limited vacation time my family has.

This includes the credit card point/voucher systems, airlines systems, hotel/DVC systems, gift cards, line skipping services, dining reservation services, reserved resort seating, etc.

If I am not maximizing those systems then someone else will because all of the information on how to do it is publicly available at no cost to people willing to take the time to learn it and execute it.

 

[dvcsince93]

You misunderstood. That comment of getting day one and not getting day two was in relation to the day by day booking that was happening with the old system.

Not with the current one. It doesn’t happen now because when DVC changed the rule back in 2008 they added the plus 7 to prevent gaps….which were occurring when the old system was in place.

Now the 11 month window opens 7 nights for booking and not one.

Anyone not getting the days they want is because there are too many owners who want those rooms at the price they cost.

And I don’t mean being locked out just at 8 am…I mean never getting them because they don’t come back.

That is why the impact of walking is relevant to whether it is an issue.

Even if someone is walking a PV room at RIV, you don’t know it because there are rooms still available to book.

Not making a judgement here…just saying that it’s not as simple as some think it is.

Actually, my statement was not limit to the past.

As non-walkers, we face waiting for walkers to release dates so we do have to do it one day at a time and do face the problem of day 1 but not day 2 when walkers do not want day 1 or day 2.

If there are still rooms to reserve then walking is not necessary, not sure that is a reason to allow people to game the system.

 

[AstroBlasters]

No.

Ok, so don’t and just keep complaining about it.

There are lots of options available, you are just choosing to focus on the limited ones you don’t have access to excatly when you want it.

I kind of feel like I am talking to one of my kids now….

 

[tx911]

If I were DVC management, I would be asking for an analysis of the booking data to see the prevalence of room nights that are booked exclusively via walking. In other words, do there exist room categories + date where walking is *required* in order to secure the reservation? If so, how many?

So I ask disboards: do you think there exist room category + date that *require* walking to get the reservation?
Does DVC management have a duty to inform membership that certain room categories + date require walking in order to make a reservation?

No question that there are room categories at some resorts that you will have very little chance of getting at 11 months if you aren't walking. Some only at certain times of year, others year-round.

The core of this argument is whether all owners deserve equal opportunity to book rooms. If some walk and some don't, the walkers have an advantage.

The only scenarios in which all owners have equal opportunity are everyone walking or no one walking.

 

[tx911]

Ok, so don’t and just keep complaining about it.

There are lots of options available, you are just choosing to focus on the limited ones you don’t have access to excatly when you want it.

I kind of feel like I am talking to one of my kids now….

You agree that in the current situation, where some people walk and some don't, the walkers have an advantage in booking.

Why are the non-walkers expected to be ok with that?
Why shouldn't we expect that all owners have the same chance at a room on a given week?

 

[AstroBlasters]

No question that there are room categories at some resorts that you will have very little chance of getting at 11 months if you aren't walking. Some only at certain times of year, others year-round.

The core of this argument is whether all owners deserve equal opportunity to book rooms. If some walk and some don't, the walkers have an advantage.

The only scenarios in which all owners have equal opportunity are everyone walking or no one walking.

Perhaps it was just instilled at me at a very young age growing up in Texas in the 80s and 90s that life is just not fair and is never going to be fair.

Some kids have more money, some are smarter, some are more athletic, some are better looking, some can sing better…. We have to be OK taking whatever we are given and maximize our opportunity the best we can….

So if I buy a very strategic Use Year based on my projected travel patterns and own enough points to book out a long period of time and am willing to log into the system regularly to keep that room then I am rewarded for my planning and efforts.

 

[AstroBlasters]

You agree that in the current situation, where some people walk and some don't, the walkers have an advantage in booking.

Why are the non-walkers expected to be ok with that?
Why shouldn't we expect that all owners have the same chance at a room on a given week?

This is a poster who is complaining that they can’t book a standard view room when there are other view types of the same room category available. I’m sorry, I just don’t have any sympathy there.

I would be more understanding if they wanted an Ocean or Boardwalk View or Theme Park view and the only thing available is Standard…. but it’s not…. they just think they should have the least expensive option….

 

[Spivey378]

Have we reached a consensus?

 

[Sandisw]

Actually, my statement was not limit to the past.

As non-walkers, we face waiting for walkers to release dates so we do have to do it one day at a time and do face the problem of day 1 but not day 2 when walkers do not want day 1 or day 2.

If there are still rooms to reserve then walking is not necessary, not sure that is a reason to allow people to game the system.

Even those of us who are indifferent to it and do as you say, follow behind, stalk and waitlists, or just book the other view and not worry, aren’t saying a change can’t be considered.

What we have said and support is that if they are going to change rules, it needs to make the system as a whole better and not worse

Some see walking a big problem and others do not…but, limiting the ability to change your trip, outside the context of walking would be a big negative.

And IMO, that is a much bigger negative to the booking rules than allowing people to walk.

If they can achieve both, wonderful. No one is saying that if they can they shouldn’t do it.

But, what a lot of us realize is that to truly deal with walking the way that others might want will come with impacts that make the program worse and not better.

 

[zavandor]

. The main protest I hear about this method is that large point holders would have more flexibility to mini-walk than small point holders, to which I just shrug: more points can do more.

How many points do you own?

 

[Sandisw]

For AKV yes part of the problem is a high demand issue. Club studios rarely come back. I have heard stories of people that basically try to live in those club level rooms. Get a room, extend it to 30 days for their intended day (with or without walking it), try to grab another date, and repeat lol.

But 2 things can be true at once. A room itself being in too high of demand (or too low in qty) and people walking reservations are 2 different problems that can exacerbate each other.

A high demand room may prompt members to walk a reservation for it

And walking a high demand room lowers the number of rooms bookable at 11 months as is intended, which makes it even lower in stock and can drive up demand

Yes but the underlying cause of why walking is an issue is that their are not enough rooms.

Do you think that you would see walking of rooms if they eliminated CL rooms and instead made CL services available fee based service?

I agree that there can be a lot of layers to it all and why I mentioned impact.

A one size fit all approach to stop a practice that has no impact on owners may not be the answer either.