Call now or wait?

[leagirl12]

Looking at tent camping for spring break 2016. Our spring break will start the Monday following Easter Sunday. Should I call now and make a reservation or do you all think it will be okay to wait and book online? I hate calling and sitting on the phone but don't want to miss out on being able to get a spot.

Thoughts?

 

[peg110]

Call as soon as you can. You can book as far out as 499 days. The sooner you book the more likely you are to get what you are looking for. We booked for June of 2016 a few months ago. The Fort fills up fast. DW is already looking at October/November of 2016 and counted out the 499 days. Even though prices are not out yet, they will get adjusted later. Deposit will likely be based on current prices. You can always change your mind later if necessary.

 

[bama_ed]

Looking at tent camping for spring break 2016. Our spring break will start the Monday following Easter Sunday. Should I call now and make a reservation or do you all think it will be okay to wait and book online? I hate calling and sitting on the phone but don't want to miss out on being able to get a spot.

Thoughts?

Online booking for next year will open this summer (in past years it has been different weeks, different months, etc. so no good idea until the rumors start tipping it off). IMO you can wait and still get a week in the spring if you book it in the first month after booking opens. If you wait till late fall, by that time spring starts to fill up especially the week before or after Easter.

What peg110 says is true about calling now and rates will be booked at 2015 and converted once the new numbers are available. In my unscientific opinion if you avoid calling mid-day or busy times, call time hold is not that bad. I like the personal interaction and have always called to make my reservations.

So either/or. I don't think you will miss out if you wait till online is available and act soon thereafter.

Bama Ed

 

[jbrostek]

I would call as soon as you lock in what dates will make the trip. You only have to pay one day at the current rates upfront and better to have the site then nothing at all.

 

[Chickp]

If you definitely know you are going, then call, but I will say that I got camping dates for this year's spring break with only two months to go. I got three nights, and then more opened up a few weeks later.

 

[peg110]

The problem is, is that you have folks like us who make the reservations far out in advance to ensure we get them, but with the mind set that it can change. (Although for us it usually only changes to "Extend" and not shorten).

Then the folks who wait, what might otherwise be a reasonable amount of time in advance, go to make their reservations, but can't quite get the dates they want, so they take alternate dates. Then... plans change as the date gets closer and people modify their previous reservations. That means maybe the date you wanted opened up, so you change your reservations, which then allowed someone else to get the dates they wanted (your old reservations), etc... etc.... etc.... and on and on.

So for us we try to solidify our dates well in advance so that we can reserve our dates and lock them in. I still think it's better then taking the chance of waiting and end up taking something other than what you really wanted because that was all that was available.