Booking a 10 night vacation?

[amystevekai&bump]

Hi,

I've just rung member services and booked a 7 night stay in a value studio at AKV, but I need an extra three nights.

I am away camping for the next three days and so am unable to ring each day, but I understood that as I have in effect 'blocked' anyone else from having my room from 8/13 to 8/20, that as long as I ring again by 8/20 to add the additional 3 nights, then no one else could take the room from me. Am I correct?

The lady at MS said that this was incorrect and that the only way I can guarantee my room would be to ring tomorrow and for the following two days

Have I misunderstood it or have I just been misinformed my the CM?

many thanks for any advice

 

[drusba]

Theoretically, if everyone were obeying the rules, you should be able to wait until 9/19 to finish the reservation by calling MS (not 9/20 because you don't have 8/20 reserved and someone else can get your potential room for that night at 8 a.m. on 9/20). The theory simplified is as follows: assume for example there are 12 studios. If you reserve one for Aug 13-20, then only the other 11 can be reserved for those dates by anyone else attempting to reserve between Sep 13 and 19 and thus the remaining studio that is blocked by your reservation should be open for Aug 20 and after as long as you call by Sep 19.

I say theoretically because I have a suspicion that DVD itself does not follow the same rules. Last year I went on-line at 8 a.m. Dec 24 to see availability for a GV at AKV Jambo (there are 6 of them) for the week of Nov 24 to Dec 1, 2013, which includes Nov 27 and 28, the day before and of Thanksgiving. What I found is that there was no availability for Nov 27 and 28 even though Nov 24 through 26 were open. That would be an impossibility if everyone were following the 11 month reservation rules because no one could have reserved Nov 27-28 without also having reserved Nov 24 through 26. My suspicion was that DVD had blocked out those dates for its own use for cash reservations. I emailed MS for an explanation. They never gave me one.

 

[amystevekai&bump]

Theoretically, if everyone were obeying the rules, you should be able to wait until 9/19 to finish the reservation by calling MS (not 9/20 because you don't have 8/20 reserved and someone else can get your potential room for that night at 8 a.m. on 9/20). The theory simplified is as follows: assume for example there are 12 studios. If you reserve one for Aug 13-20, then only the other 11 can be reserved for those dates by anyone else attempting to reserve between Sep 13 and 19 and thus the remaining studio that is blocked by your reservation should be open for Aug 20 and after as long as you call by Sep 19.

I say theoretically because I have a suspicion that DVD itself does not follow the same rules. Last year I went on-line at 8 a.m. Dec 24 to see availability for a GV at AKV Jambo (there are 6 of them) for the week of Nov 24 to Dec 1, 2013, which includes Nov 27 and 28, the day before and of Thanksgiving. What I found is that there was no availability for Nov 27 and 28 even though Nov 24 through 26 were open. That would be an impossibility if everyone were following the 11 month reservation rules because no one could have reserved Nov 27-28 without also having reserved Nov 24 through 26. My suspicion was that DVD had blocked out those dates for its own use for cash reservations. I emailed MS for an explanation. They never gave me one.

sorry I meant to put 9/19

Aaah! I see what you're saying - so basically I was understanding the system correctly but there are ways in which I could still miss out. oh well, at least I've got a fighting chance and am in theory (assuming everyone plays by the rules!) ahead of everyone else in the race to finish my booking.

Thanks ever so much for explaining it to me

 

[ToddyLu]

I booked 2 value studios last year at 8:00 at 11 months out. Then this year I did the same for our trip in Nov and then again for May 2014. The Nov I added a day the next booking day so got all of the days I wanted for the trip. When I have checked several days later I have been able to see values available still for my dates. Now I am sure it depends on when you are planning the trip but that kinda surprised me. I thought that they would all be gone by 8:15...not so for my time of year.

Does this mean I would be lax about booking exactly at 8 a.m. on my 11 month booking date?....heck no...just something I had fun playing with.

Just worry about it when you get back from camping and let us know how you made out.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

I called each individual day to add to my week. I didn't want to have to move to another room. I wanted all the days in the same room.

 

[amystevekai&bump]

Just worry about it when you get back from camping and let us know how you made out.

Hi again Just wanted to update you as promised! Came back from camping and had no problem adding the final three nights to my reservation all in one go - phew! Glad that's sorted

I called each individual day to add to my week. I didn't want to have to move to another room. I wanted all the days in the same room.

Sorry, I don't understand - why would you need to move to another room?

 

[mikek]

Theoretically, if everyone were obeying the rules, you should be able to wait until 9/19 to finish the reservation by calling MS (not 9/20 because you don't have 8/20 reserved and someone else can get your potential room for that night at 8 a.m. on 9/20). The theory simplified is as follows: assume for example there are 12 studios. If you reserve one for Aug 13-20, then only the other 11 can be reserved for those dates by anyone else attempting to reserve between Sep 13 and 19 and thus the remaining studio that is blocked by your reservation should be open for Aug 20 and after as long as you call by Sep 19.

I say theoretically because I have a suspicion that DVD itself does not follow the same rules. Last year I went on-line at 8 a.m. Dec 24 to see availability for a GV at AKV Jambo (there are 6 of them) for the week of Nov 24 to Dec 1, 2013, which includes Nov 27 and 28, the day before and of Thanksgiving. What I found is that there was no availability for Nov 27 and 28 even though Nov 24 through 26 were open. That would be an impossibility if everyone were following the 11 month reservation rules because no one could have reserved Nov 27-28 without also having reserved Nov 24 through 26. My suspicion was that DVD had blocked out those dates for its own use for cash reservations. I emailed MS for an explanation. They never gave me one.

wow- that certainly seems WRONG. I need to sit down and think and use some graph paper or something to see if there's anyway that could be possible but i got nothing right now. Sure seems like shenanigans on their end that shouldn't be legal.

 

[KalamityJane]

What if people really wanted the Thanksgiving days but not the days around it, but in order to get them, they booked at the 11m+7 mark and then canceled the days around it? Is that possible?

 

[Deb & Bill]

What if people really wanted the Thanksgiving days but not the days around it, but in order to get them, they booked at the 11m+7 mark and then canceled the days around it? Is that possible?

That is walking a reservation. You call a few days or so ahead of the time you really want your reservation to start and make a seven night reservation. Then you call the next day and drop day one and add the last date. Then you do the same every day until you have all the days you need.

But it only works at your home resort at 11 months out. No matter what some members say about walking at seven months out.