Can I "walk" a wait-list reservation/request?

[triciari]

I have booked a 2 bedroom at BWV for Dec. 7 - 14. I'd prefer to stay at BLT. I've read about "walking" the reservation request at the 11 month point, and wonder if I can try it when I'm trying to put a request on a waitlist.

If it is possible, when do I start trying? I'd like a 7 night stay, beginning as early as Sunday, Dec. 5th.

Thanks for all suggestions,
Tricia

 

[chalee94]

walking doesn't work at 7 months.

the point of walking is that you are taking an available room as soon as possible. at 7 months, the owners at BLT may not have left you an available room.

 

[Disneyhappy]

walking doesn't work at 7 months.

the point of walking is that you are taking an available room as soon as possible. at 7 months, the owners at BLT may not have left you an available room.

I may be the exception but I walked a reservation for Thanksgiving week at 7 months this past year. It may depend on time of year and location.

 

[oct2014]

I may be the exception but I walked a reservation for Thanksgiving week at 7 months this past year. It may depend on time of year and location.

I am thinking about doing this, but have never "walked" anything. I was curious when you started for that week? Were you walking a reservation or a waitlist like OP proposed?

Thanks!
Caroline

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I may be the exception but I walked a reservation for Thanksgiving week at 7 months this past year. It may depend on time of year and location.

You can walk it - but it doesn't really help in getting your reservation at 7 months. It's most likely that your room would have been available if you had called right at 7 months for the actual dates you wanted.

Walking a waitlist is pretty pointless. The reason for walking is to retain a hold on an available room. And the problem with trying this at 7 months is that someone with home resort priority could have booked the room you want to get at any point of your walk. Walking is an 11 month strategy that isn't even needed IMO except possibly in a few rare cases like AKV concierge, BLT standard, or maybe a few other rooms during the first week of Dec or over Christmas/NY.

 

[DISNEY FIX]

You can walk it - but it doesn't really help in getting your reservation at 7 months. It's most likely that your room would have been available if you had called right at 7 months for the actual dates you wanted.

Walking a waitlist is pretty pointless. The reason for walking is to retain a hold on an available room. And the problem with trying this at 7 months is that someone with home resort priority could have booked the room you want to get at any point of your walk. Walking is an 11 month strategy that isn't even needed IMO except possibly in a few rare cases like AKV concierge, BLT standard, or maybe a few other rooms during the first week of Dec or over Christmas/NY.

Could you imagine that 2 days into a 7 day waitlist walk it gets filled.

 

[Sandisw]

I may be the exception but I walked a reservation for Thanksgiving week at 7 months this past year. It may depend on time of year and location.

I am curious as to why you believe it was walking the reservation that worked vs. simply getting lucky that the room you wanted was still available as you changed the reservation forward.

 

[rlovew]

The point of walking is to secure a reservation that is not available to anyone yet- if you are trying to walk at 7 months it doesn't work because people who own at that resort could already have reserverd the rooms you need. For example you start on a Friday for a reservation you really want to start on Tuesday while you may be able to get the first days if Tuesday was the day a number of other owners wanted to start vacationing even though you have the room on Monday when you call to extend to Tuesday someone who owned at the resort may already have the same room reserved because they reserved before the 7 months opened.

 

[Disneyhappy]

I am curious as to why you believe it was walking the reservation that worked vs. simply getting lucky that the room you wanted was still available as you changed the reservation forward.

Because the year before I called at 7 months for the same week and it wasn't available. When I finished walking this year I asked about availability and was told by ms that I was smart to walk because I would not have gotten the complete week I wanted. Just my experience.

 

[speakupjc]

I am not familar with the term walking a reservation through. Excuse my ignorance but can someone please tell me. Thanks!

 

[famgel]

I am not familar with the term walking a reservation through. Excuse my ignorance but can someone please tell me. Thanks!

Me too! Have no idea what they're talking about!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Sandisw]

I am not familar with the term walking a reservation through. Excuse my ignorance but can someone please tell me. Thanks!

Walking a reservation means you book your stay starting earlier than you really want so you can start sooner than the 11 month window. Once you have your reservation, you simply extend it to include the days you really want and then drop the days at the front.

Because no one else can book your room until your check out day (11 months out), you will be guaranteed what you want. For example, if you want to go May 10th through 17th. The 11 month window opens up June 10th. However, you call on June 3rd and book May 3rd through May 10th. On June 9th, you call and extend the reservation to include the 10th through the 17th. You then drop the 3rd through the 9th. Basically, this allows you to get your room ahead of time. This works at the 11 month window because no one else can reserve your room until the 10th.

It doesn't really work at 7 months because even if you walk, there is always a chance, while you are walking, that someone who owns at that resort will call and book the nights you are hoping to get since they can.