BLT @ 11 months for December 2010

[mac_tlc]

Well, we were successful today getting reserations at BLT for a 1 bedroom MK view for 12/11/10 through 12/15/10. Having seen a number of other posts documenting some difficulties, I was plesantly surprised. No "walking" necessary.

mac_tlc

 

[thelionqueen]

Well, we were successful today getting reserations at BLT for a 1 bedroom MK view for 12/11/10 through 12/15/10. Having seen a number of other posts documenting some difficulties, I was plesantly surprised. No "walking" necessary.

mac_tlc

Congratulations! Owners who book exactly at the 11 month window should be able to get exactly what they want I would tghinkg. Of course it was a MUCH different story in 2009 when ALL of us owners were trying to get Christmas ressies the second the phone lines opened. I was one of the lucky ones to get exactly what I wanted. I feel that even now, but even moreso in teh future, only owners @ BLT will be able to get the roms/view they want, and at or very near the 11 month window. Just my .02

 

[rstamm]

We booked a Thanksgiving 2010 studio MK view and after staying in a studio over Christmas wanted to change it to a MK view 1-bedroom and they were gone already.

Make sure you call at your 11 month mark if you want a 1-bedroom MK view.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Congratulations! Owners who book exactly at the 11 month window should be able to get exactly what they want I would tghinkg. Of course it was a MUCH different story in 2009 when ALL of us owners were trying to get Christmas ressies the second the phone lines opened. I was one of the lucky ones to get exactly what I wanted. I feel that even now, but even moreso in teh future, only owners @ BLT will be able to get the roms/view they want, and at or very near the 11 month window. Just my .02

Nope - not true. Couldn't get the Standard view 2BR right at 11 months. MK view wasn't a problem even after a couple of days when I decided to take that instead so I think people are going for the best value.

 

[6mouselovers]

booked for thanksgiving week right at the 11 month mark, blt. got the 2 br mkv we wanted for 7 nights, and called back the next 2 days and was able to add the 8th and 9th night. i called right at 9:00 though.

i hope that you were able to waitlist and it will come through!!!!

 

[auntsue]

Wow, I've been on the cruise boards lately and hadn't read about the difficulties booking BLT, MK view. I booked three nights for Nov. 30-Dec. 3, 1 BR, MK view, exactly at 11 months and got it with no problem.

I think the standard view here will be like the standard and Boardwalk views at BWV, you pretty much have to be an owner to snag them. This past Dec. 3-10 we were in preferred view because I was unable to get the BW/standard view calling exactly at 11 months. I guess owners who were coming in earlier in the week got them all.

I'm glad we own at both places.

 

[Crystal_27]

I actually called this morning to begin walking my 14 day reservation (due to all of the crazed reports last week I read on The DIS) for a standard view studio at BLT. I got booked with no problem, so now I'll be calling MS for the next 14 days to get my real trip booked. What a pain.

I hope that everyone gets what they want for their upcoming bookings.

 

[thelionqueen]

Nope - not true. Couldn't get the Standard view 2BR right at 11 months. MK view wasn't a problem even after a couple of days when I decided to take that instead so I think people are going for the best value.

Not our families experience at all. My cousin was able to get her 2BR & studiod standard view with choice of dates, so I guess it must be the luck of the draw. I can see how people would want to stay at BLT for less points, but I personally will be one owner who has no desire for anything but a MK view.

 

[DebbieB]

The first full week of December is always popular for DVC. The people having problems last week were trying to book that week.

 

[mac_tlc]

Not our families experience at all. My cousin was able to get her 2BR & studiod standard view with choice of dates, so I guess it must be the luck of the draw. I can see how people would want to stay at BLT for less points, but I personally will be one owner who has no desire for anything but a MK view.

I think the two of us are in the minority. We also won't book anything other than MK. Seems to be a lot more people who want BLt but not at MK view point levels.

mac_tlc

 

[lumpydj]

Well, we were successful today getting reserations at BLT for a 1 bedroom MK view for 12/11/10 through 12/15/10. Having seen a number of other posts documenting some difficulties, I was plesantly surprised. No "walking" necessary.

mac_tlc

Congratulations!!! We're booked for AKV - Kidani from 12/4 - 12/11. 2BR SV. We called right at 9am exactly 11 months out. We had no problems either.

 

[Eeyore3838]

We were also successful booking our stay yesterday. We booked BLT for 3 nights starting 12/11/2010 at BLT in an MK Studio. I had no problem getting this reservation and did not walk it.

 

[auntsue]

We bought the exact number of points for three weekday nights, early December, MK view, 1 BR and after staying there last month, I would really be bummed if I couldn't get that MK view. It was just spectacular! Even DH, who didn't want to buy at all because he said we have enough points (Is that even possible?), was very impressed.

 

[thelionqueen]

I think the MK view could be the same as the ol' "once you stay in a 1BR you can never go back to a studio" way of thinking

Once we stayed with the MK view, I could not imagine any other view. And this is coming from someone who preferred the Lake View @ CR

 

[rstamm]

We got in late for our stay and went to our studio and had a view of a big building that hummed, I called it their power plant.

I called down early the next morning and asked for anything else, I didn't care what but I couldn't stand that constant humming.

They had someone come up and moved me down the hall and I almost fell over, it was a view of the Mk, and the monorails going in and out of the contemporary.

I would not stay in non MK view again, even though it was only 2nd floor and still considered a standard room, I will pay the extra points for a guaranteed MK veiw.

Anyone else get unlucky to have a view of the humming power plant?

 

[dreaming4disney]

What does it mean to have to " walk the reservation" ? I am new hear and don't know what that is.
Thanks,
Michelle

 

[mac_tlc]

"Walking a reservation" is a way of using the booking process and rules to potentially reserve specifics dates you REALLY want by booking up to 6 days before you would normally be able to. Here's an example:

Lets say you REALLY want a specific resort and view for 12/10 - 12/17. Normally, if it was at your home resort, you would call on 12/10 of the prior year and hope the specific view and room size was available. However, the booking rules say you can call and make a reservation 11 months prior to your check-in date and reserve a maximum of 7 nights. So, in essence, you are able to reserve the last day of a reservation at 11 months + 6 days prior to that date. To "walk" the reservation given the dates I have stated, you would call on 12/3 and book the specific resort, view and room size for the 12/3 - 12/10 period of the following year. Keep in mind you REALLY don't want 12/3 - 12/9 ! Then, every day, you call and add a day at the end of the reservation, and take one day off of the front. You call MS on 12/4, add 12/11 to the reservation you made yesterday and drop 12/3. You keep this madness up for 6 more days and "walk" your way through the reseration until you have the dates you REALLY wanted, 12/10 - 12/17.

By doing this you have been able to book each day of your real trip at 11 months + 6 days before that date... as early as you possibly can given the current rules.

Hope this helps.

 

[keishashadow]

re the walking of a ressie for a week or more (for those who have employed this method) don't the CMs ever comment or question the 'why of it'?

 

[dreaming4disney]

"Walking a reservation" is a way of using the booking process and rules to potentially reserve specifics dates you REALLY want by booking up to 6 days before you would normally be able to. Here's an example:

Lets say you REALLY want a specific resort and view for 12/10 - 12/17. Normally, if it was at your home resort, you would call on 12/10 of the prior year and hope the specific view and room size was available. However, the booking rules say you can call and make a reservation 11 months prior to your check-in date and reserve a maximum of 7 nights. So, in essence, you are able to reserve the last day of a reservation at 11 months + 6 days prior to that date. To "walk" the reservation given the dates I have stated, you would call on 12/3 and book the specific resort, view and room size for the 12/3 - 12/10 period of the following year. Keep in mind you REALLY don't want 12/3 - 12/9 ! Then, every day, you call and add a day at the end of the reservation, and take one day off of the front. You call MS on 12/4, add 12/11 to the reservation you made yesterday and drop 12/3. You keep this madness up for 6 more days and "walk" your way through the reseration until you have the dates you REALLY wanted, 12/10 - 12/17.

By doing this you have been able to book each day of your real trip at 11 months + 6 days before that date... as early as you possibly can given the current rules.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for the info. Why is it 6 days prior? I am trying to read the material that's been sent to me, but I think mine is written in a foreign language. The size of the text looks like it was written for Mickey Mouse himself. I think I need a magnifying glass. I guess this really gives you 11 months and 6 days prior to when you want to arrive. I didn't see this in the book. It's probably just on another page.
Thanks for the help
I guess when you start using the points it becomes more clear, but right now some of it is a little confusing.

 

[mac_tlc]

The booking rules say that you can make a reservation at your home resort 11 months prior to your CHECK-IN date, for a duration of up to 7 nights. So the last day of your reservation is 11 months + 6 days from the day you make the reservation. You won't find "walking" in any rule book.

From what I have read, the CM's know and sometimes encourage it. There is nothing "illegal" about it, it is potentially helpful to get those very difficult ressies for popular times. Of course, to pull it off you need enough points to make that initial 7 night reservation, even if you don't REALY want to stay for 7 nights. And you need to have a bunch of time available to make those daily calls, as close to 9AM as you can.

DVC could change the rules to eliminate "walking" if they found it was impacting MS. Under the "old" rules, you had to call every day to book each day of your reservation because each day could only be reserved exactly 11 months prior.