Are we locking each other out of resorts?

[Stitch1404]

We own at OKW, BWV, and BCV. At the 11 month mark I made a reservation for BCV even though we wanted to stay at BWV because we had no BW points left. Then at the 7 month window I tried to change it to BWV, any view and there was nothing available. I feel like somewhere out there is a person who has this same week booked at BWV and wanted to switch to BCV but they couldn't. I don't know if I'm making sense, but I just feel like a lot more switching at the 7 month window could take place if there was some way members could communicate. Like if someone could say "I have Sep. 3-9 at BCV but would like BWV, does anyone have BWV who would like to switch?" I dunno, just something I was thinking about!

 

[Doug Wolfe]

Actually you make a lot of sense.

I have been trying to get into Vero Beach since February for a trip scheduled for July 29 to Aug. 5th. I am trying for a 2-bedroom and have 4 of the 7 days I need, but I can't seem to get those last 3 days.

It would be really nice to have some sort of system where we could help each other.

Good post Stitch1404!

 

[tmt martins]

couldn't this be done on the rent and trade board somehow.

If they are the same points they could just change names on the ressies .If things are booked day by day don't you get different ressie numbers so that you could just swap days.

I don't know but with all the renters on e-bay locking up prime time just trying to sell them off and people booking just in case .I guess it's just the nature of the beast.

It does seem like many people do get their waitlist so that must be the people canceling their not needed ressies.

I would like to stay at the other resorts but I'm fine if that doesn't happen as well.

It still comes down to buy where you want to stay or in the OP's case buy more of where you want to stay..

 

[Blue&Gold]

Wouldn't this be considered a "trade?" Find your perfect match and all you'd have to do is change the names on the ressie.

 

[jekjones1558]

Too bad that MS has no way to recognize these counterpart waitlists. I have also wondered many times about this issue. We have a standard view booked at BWV and are waitlisted for BW view. Wouldn't be a bit surprised if there is an opposite ressie waitlisted, but ne'er the twain shall meet.

 

[Stitch1404]

Too bad that MS has no way to recognize these counterpart waitlists. I have also wondered many times about this issue. We have a standard view booked at BWV and are waitlisted for BW view. Wouldn't be a bit surprised if there is an opposite ressie waitlisted, but ne'er the twain shall meet.

Yes! I was thinking along the lines of something like this....like maybe MS could see that I am waitlisted for BWV while someone else is wl'ed for BCV for the same dates and they could just swap us. I doubt it will happen, but it sure would be nice! And yes, I would definitely say someone would love to switch you for your standard view to save some points, too bad it doesn't work that way.

 

[T.E. Yeary]

This may sound dumb, but isn't that what computers are for?????? They could be programmed to recognize a match, if they aren't already. Caskbill could probably answer this one. My computer knowledge is shall we say, "limited at best".

 

[disneymiss]

I know what you mean, I am looking for air fare for April of 2007 but can not get the room I want cause it is at OKW which is not my home, so I will book by home resort and then when the 7 month window opens I will change and cancel. But That is the only way I can get the cheaper airfare, and I hate to say the airfare is going up, when I use to book air a year in advance I could get it for 108. round trip now, it is 289 and up....great!!

 

[BroganMc]

I just wish MS had an online booking component like you find at Interval, but then maybe that would make things worse.

One thing I've noticed at Interval the last couple years (I'm a gold member via Marriott) is that weeks tend to open up the closer to check-in date. And then there are the high transition periods when people are finalizing their plans for the near future: December to meet the Dec 31 deposit deadline, May to settle summer travel changes and into the Fall, and if you are within 3-4 weeks of your travel date you'll find lots of weeks around your trip date. Makes it easy to extend a vacation to a two-weeker if you want/can. Weekend nights tend to be the best time to search for availability. Last Sunday had 3 bedrooms and prime summer weeks up for grabs, all taken Monday morning.

DVC tends to have the 11 month booking availability, then a massive swap at the 7 month mark, and probably another major shuffle around 31-60 days before. I'd imagine if you were trying to book any time inbetween you'd find the equivelant of the Berlin Wall of bookings. No one's looking to change because it's easier just procrastinating to a deadline date.

 

[blackjack]

We own at OKW, BWV, and BCV. At the 11 month mark I made a reservation for BCV even though we wanted to stay at BWV because we had no BW points left. Then at the 7 month window I tried to change it to BWV, any view and there was nothing available. I feel like somewhere out there is a person who has this same week booked at BWV and wanted to switch to BCV but they couldn't. I don't know if I'm making sense, but I just feel like a lot more switching at the 7 month window could take place if there was some way members could communicate. Like if someone could say "I have Sep. 3-9 at BCV but would like BWV, does anyone have BWV who would like to switch?" I dunno, just something I was thinking about!

Good post and the answer is yes we are locking ourselves out. Problem is we have to. Owners of SSR are booking others resorts at 7 months with great frequency. How do I know this you asK???? Well I work for DVC MS. The percentage of SSR booking at 7 months is astonishing and is nothing we've seen with the previous resorts. Becasue of this and all of the unhappy owners, DVC is now talking about extending the home resort priority to 5 or 6 months to help owners actualy have more time to book "there" resort. The adddition of SSR may make this a necessity.

Back to your question: booking at 11 months and then trying to switch at 7 is the way to go. You simply have to play the game to get what you want. We are already seeing the squeeze, just wait until SSR is sold out. The only way the pressure will stop is if the next DVC Resort is equal in size to SSR and that resort is the most appealing resort in the program. If that occurs problem will be solved.


Jack

 

[dianeschlicht]

snip)The only way the pressure will stop is if the next DVC Resort is equal in size to SSR and that resort is the most appealing resort in the program. If that occurs problem will be solved.


Jack

That's not likely to be the case though.

 

[Dean]

The answer to the questions is that members are locking other members out by this approach, but it's the way the system works. Unfortunately, there's no way around it. Tom's idea about a computer search likely wouldn't work simply because you can't swap one for one in the system. You must go to the next person on the wait list who may not actually have something booked that other people want or may simply be out of order on the wait list. You could certainly design a program that would cascade all the searches pending and reservations they have. But as soon as you got to the first person on the wait list who wasn't in order on the cascade, didn't have a reservation that qualified OR didn't plan to give up their current reservation, all would stop. Just because I have the same days booked and want your resort, and you want the at my resort; it would not be reasonable just to swap yours and mine in the system. You and I could do it on our own as noted above.