Book online or call MS?

[bangzoom6877]

In a couple of weeks it will be time to book our July 2014 BWV trip.

The last time I booked a DVC trip (2 years ago...we go every other July), I had to book by calling MS, so I'm unfamiliar with the online booking process. Is it better to book online? I'd imagine it's much easier, but would I be able to make specific room requests? I like to ask for a certain floor and location, and in the past we got the location we wanted and instead of the top floor we got the one just below which was also great. Does either method of booking make it more or less likely to get your room request, or is it the same chance either way?

Another question...last time, when we booked through MS, when the 180-day mark came and I went to make dining reservations online, the system did not recognize my resort reservation number and I was only able to make ADRs for the check-in day. So I had to call Disney Dining to make the rest of the ADRs and this was much more time consuming than just making ADRs online. This was a long time ago, in January 2012. Has this improved since? Does the online ADR system recognize DVC resort reservations?

 

[Deb & Bill]

In a couple of weeks it will be time to book our July 2014 BWV trip.

The last time I booked a DVC trip (2 years ago...we go every other July), I had to book by calling MS, so I'm unfamiliar with the online booking process. Is it better to book online? I'd imagine it's much easier, but would I be able to make specific room requests? I like to ask for a certain floor and location, and in the past we got the location we wanted and instead of the top floor we got the one just below which was also great. Does either method of booking make it more or less likely to get your room request, or is it the same chance either way?

Another question...last time, when we booked through MS, when the 180-day mark came and I went to make dining reservations online, the system did not recognize my resort reservation number and I was only able to make ADRs for the check-in day. So I had to call Disney Dining to make the rest of the ADRs and this was much more time consuming than just making ADRs online. This was a long time ago, in January 2012. Has this improved since? Does the online ADR system recognize DVC resort reservations?

I book mainly online and then email requests (if I have any) through the member website. Most of the time my email is to get two reservations linked.

 

[automaticsoap]

Online booking opens one hour before MS, so if you're concerned about getting a specific type of room, it may be best to book online.

I also just email room requests through the member website.

 

[drusba]

On-line booking starts at 8 a.m. Eastern exactly 11 months out. Phone booking does not start until 9 a.m. That one hour difference usually means nothing and most likely that will be true for anything at BWV for July time (not a very high demand time and that includes July 4). However, there are times of year where that 1 hour difference can mean the difference between getting the type of room you want at BWV and not getting it. Particularly if you wanted a studio or 2BR standard view at Boardwalk the first or second week of December or Christmas week, you would be wise to attempt booking on-line at exactly 8 a.m. 11 months out. You cannot make any specific room requests on-line but after makeing the reservation you can either call or email MS to add them.

If you have not done any bookings on-line yet then you will actually need to go through a set-up process on-line where your DVC account will be linked with what is called a Disney Experience account where you can make dining reservations and have those linked to your DCC reservation.

In any event, you are supposed to be able to make the dining reservations on the 180 days plus 10 schedule but, unfortunately, the problems that existed before in getting the system to work correctly and allow that based on your reservation number still exist and sometimes it does not work. Note, whether it is actually faster or slower to call and make the dining reservations depends on how many you are making. The on-line system is designed to take one reservation at a time, which includes having you fill in all needed info including quest names, adding your credit number each time if needed, and then confirm the reservation and start over again to make another dining reservation. It can take a long time if you are making several reservations and calling may actually be quicker in that situation.

 

[Sandisw]

Whether you book with MS or online, it plays no role in getting a room request. I also put my room requests in via email through the member website.

As mentioned, the online system opens an hour early so you can book a little bit earlier.

I have had no problem getting ADR's with my DVC reservations lately so I think the system has improved.

Good luck and have fun!!!

 

[bangzoom6877]

On-line booking starts at 8 a.m. Eastern exactly 11 months out. Phone booking does not start until 9 a.m. That one hour difference usually means nothing and most likely that will be true for anything at BWV for July time (not a very high demand time and that includes July 4). However, there are times of year where that 1 hour difference can mean the difference between getting the type of room you want at BWV and not getting it. Particularly if you wanted a studio or 2BR standard view at Boardwalk the first or second week of December or Christmas week, you would be wise to attempt booking on-line at exactly 8 a.m. 11 months out.

If you have not done any bookings on-line yet then you will actually need to go through a set-up process on-line where your DVC account will be linked with what is called a Disney Experience account where you can make dining reservations and have those linked to your DCC reservation.

In any event, you are supposed to be able to make the dining reservations on the 180 days plus 10 schedule but, unfortunately, the problems that existed before in getting the system to work correctly and allow that based on your reservation number still exist and sometimes it does not work. Note, whether it is actually faster or slower to call and make the dining reservations depends on how many you are making. The on-line system is designed to take one reservation at a time, which includes having you fill in all needed info including quest names, adding your credit number each time if needed, and then confirm the reservation and start over again to make another dining reservation. It can take a long time if you are making several reservations and calling may actually be quicker in that situation.

How do I set everything up so I can book online? Is there a link through the DVC member site or is it on the regular Disney site?

For ADRs, we make a lot of them since we stay 10 nights and usually do on average 2 TS per day (I think we had 18 or 19 ADRs last time), so it would be time consuming. Do you have to put in a credit card number for every single ADR or just for certain ones? Last time it was for all character meals and also for high demand places like Ohana.

 

[drusba]

I am not sure of the last time you went to the DVC members site but if you have not done so for a long time, you should go there and make sure all your personal info is up to date. Then you can just go to the Disney Dining page. In the upper right hand side you will see a scroll bar for MyDisneyExperience. Open it and click on My Profile. You will get a page to sign in. You need to use whatever user name and password you have for DVC. You will then go through pages to set up all your information, including usual members of family who are on a trip, credit card info if you want to provide it, and other info. Once you have all your profile info set up go back to the Disney Dining page, open the MyDisneyExperience scroll and click on my reservations. You will likley need to sign in again and then you get a page where you can put in whatever DVC resort reservaitons you have. It will also list any related dining reservations after you make them. Note the one thing not to do now is the Magic Band portion that will cover the new park passes that currently under testing.

When making dining reservations, if you have put a credit card into your MyDisneyExperience profile, it should come up as a choice when a credit card is needed but as I found it sometimes does not work and you need to insert your card number again.

 

[rfc0001]

I am not sure of the last time you went to the DVC members site but if you have not done so for a long time, you should go there and make sure all your personal info is up to date. Then you can just go to the Disney Dining page. In the upper right hand side you will see a scroll bar for MyDisneyExperience. Open it and click on My Profile. You will get a page to sign in. You need to use whatever user name and password you have for DVC. You will then go through pages to set up all your information, including usual members of family who are on a trip, credit card info if you want to provide it, and other info. Once you have all your profile info set up go back to the Disney Dining page, open the MyDisneyExperience scroll and click on my reservations. You will likley need to sign in again and then you get a page where you can put in whatever DVC resort reservaitons you have. It will also list any related dining reservations after you make them. Note the one thing not to do now is the Magic Band portion that will cover the new park passes that currently under testing.

When making dining reservations, if you have put a credit card into your MyDisneyExperience profile, it should come up as a choice when a credit card is needed but as I found it sometimes does not work and you need to insert your card number again.

Also, just to add, under My Disney Experience > My Account > My Profile > About Me > Affiliations, you can put your Disney Vacation Club ID Number. However, even with this you'll have to manually link your DVC ressies under My Disney Experience > My Reservations > Link a Resort Reservation. When you link an existing resort or dining reservation, it will ask you to match up the guests on that reservation to Friends & Family members you've added to under My Disney Experience > My Account > My Profile > Friends and Family. When you make new dining reservations you'll be able to choose guests from the same list. I'm not sure you can book at 180 days + 7 online even with a linked resort ressie--we book all our dining reservations online literally the day before they switched to the new website, and at that point you could not book them online -- not sure with the new site (assuming you can). Also, on a side note, if you are using paper park tickets not purchased from Disney directly, I *highly* recommend registering them to your Disney Account on My Disney Experience -- this will save you a trip to Member Services if you have to enter the park when the paper ticket lines are closed (before closing), since they can simply check your ID to verify you are the owner. Otherwise, it can delay things quite a bit IME.

 

[mattsdragon]

I always book online, it's soooooo much easier.

 

[bangzoom6877]

Also, just to add, under My Disney Experience > My Account > My Profile > About Me > Affiliations, you can put your Disney Vacation Club ID Number. However, even with this you'll have to manually link your DVC ressies under My Disney Experience > My Reservations > Link a Resort Reservation. When you link an existing resort or dining reservation, it will ask you to match up the guests on that reservation to Friends & Family members you've added to under My Disney Experience > My Account > My Profile > Friends and Family. When you make new dining reservations you'll be able to choose guests from the same list. I'm not sure you can book at 180 days + 7 online even with a linked resort ressie--we book all our dining reservations online literally the day before they switched to the new website, and at that point you could not book them online -- not sure with the new site (assuming you can). Also, on a side note, if you are using paper park tickets not purchased from Disney directly, I *highly* recommend registering them to your Disney Account on My Disney Experience -- this will save you a trip to Member Services if you have to enter the park when the paper ticket lines are closed (before closing), since they can simply check your ID to verify you are the owner. Otherwise, it can delay things quite a bit IME.

Now I am totally confused, because the last time I made a DVC resort reservation was 2 years ago for our July 2012 trip (we go every other July).
For that trip I had purchased my park tickets through Undercover Tourist, and when we checked into BWV, I went to the concierge desk and they linked our tickets to our resort IDs. So we only had to carry one card for everything.

Can someone please walk me through this whole new process and website for ADRs, and linking my tickets to our resort reservation? Like I said, I'm really confused. I know, I seem like an idiot...it is probably so easy...but I need this explained to me like I am a child...I'm not that computer savvy.

 

[Sandisw]

Now I am totally confused, because the last time I made a DVC resort reservation was 2 years ago for our July 2012 trip (we go every other July).
For that trip I had purchased my park tickets through Undercover Tourist, and when we checked into BWV, I went to the concierge desk and they linked our tickets to our resort IDs. So we only had to carry one card for everything.

Can someone please walk me through this whole new process and website for ADRs, and linking my tickets to our resort reservation? Like I said, I'm really confused. I know, I seem like an idiot...it is probably so easy...but I need this explained to me like I am a child...I'm not that computer savvy.

When you go to the regular Disney website, you will see My Disney Experience icon at the top. Click on that and sign in to your Disney account--for me, its the same one I use for DVC member website.

Then you will be able to make ADR's and they will be linked to your Disney Experience.

You will also see an option that says My Reservations and once you click on that, it will show reservations and tickets that are linked. If there are none, you just click on Link a Resort Reservation (need confirmation #) or link tickets (need the #'s on the back) and then they are set.

The reason to link tickets will be for FP+ so that you can use it to make selections prior to your visit.

 

[bangzoom6877]

When you go to the regular Disney website, you will see My Disney Experience icon at the top. Click on that and sign in to your Disney account--for me, its the same one I use for DVC member website.

Then you will be able to make ADR's and they will be linked to your Disney Experience.

You will also see an option that says My Reservations and once you click on that, it will show reservations and tickets that are linked. If there are none, you just click on Link a Resort Reservation (need confirmation #) or link tickets (need the #'s on the back) and then they are set.

The reason to link tickets will be for FP+ so that you can use it to make selections prior to your visit.

Thank you! I just set it up, and I explored a little bit...very easy!!!

So now I see that when I book my DVC resort, I will link it, and when I buy our tickets through UT I will link those as well.

Anyone know if FP+ will be available for July 2014? I hope so!!

 

[Sandisw]

Thank you! I just set it up, and I explored a little bit...very easy!!!

So now I see that when I book my DVC resort, I will link it, and when I buy our tickets through UT I will link those as well.

Anyone know if FP+ will be available for July 2014? I hope so!!

I am going to say that it will be...I am going next week and really had wished it had been in place for us..