Can someone please explain waitlist to me

[your friend]

I have a reservation made for Jan 14th to the 21st. Well we have a change of plans and need to move our trip back a week to the 21st to the 28th. We want to stay at the Polynesian but when we look at the availability there is one night not available. What happens in this case? Can we keep our current reservation and wait list for the week of the 21st to the 28th? Or do we need to completely change our current res and waitlist for the week of the 21st to the 28th? We are new members and I am totally confused on what to do. If we do have to wait list what are the chances of things changing and that room becoming available? what would we have to do for that one night the the room isn't available? What would we do for dining reservations? Should we just suck it up and keep our current reservation? Thanks for the help.

 

[hakepb]

Your best chance of getting a wait list match is booking all available days, and wait list the one, unavailable day.

If you do not want to risk being "homeless" that day, you could try booking that day at another category or resort. When you place your wait list, you can specify the day to cancel.

If you don't like the potential of moving resorts, you could wait list the entire trip (21-28) with an auto cancel of your current trip (but if your plans changed, why keep a reservation you cannot use?)
The wait list will not reserve the current, open days for you. The wait list just periodically checks for entire available openings. (That's why booking what you can, and wait list the rest is the best option)

Your chances may be better than average with Poly standard view. As DVC sells more Poly contracts, they will open up more of the resort to points members.

 

[supersnoop]

The waitlist does NOT hold available nights. There's a much better chance that some of the available 6 nights will get booked up before the one night comes available.

If you have enough points, book what is available and keep your current reservation. Cancel if the night doesn't come through. Depending on your use year, you may need to cancel sooner (which is why understanding your use year is very important).

 

[Sandisw]

The longer the waitlist the hard it is going to be to fill because all nights need to be available. So, if you must move your reservation, it is better to take the nights that are available, book a back up at a different resort for the one that is not, and then waitlist only the night that you still need. Keep checking the website as sometimes that one night will pop up and you can book it before it matches a waitlist (though I have heard this is getting harder).

Of course, this strategy requires you to be comfortable in having to move rooms mid stay if it doesn't come through which may not be something you want to do. If not, then you would have to keep what you have and see if you can get lucky with all the nights...Or, shift the dates from what you have to include some of the dates you want and then waitlist the rest...ie: you have the 14th to 21st, and want 21st to 28th. Say its the 25th not available...try to switch from the 17th to 25th...then waitlist the rest...basically adjust your trip forward as much as you can...and then waitlist the 25th to 28th and then the 25th by itself...if that comes through, drop the first night, and then readjust the waitlist. I have been lucky with this strategy a few times!

 

[ilovediznee]

I have been put on a wait list before but read on here - this was a few years ago- that I should still call everyday. I was told at that time, that wait lists are processed at the end of every day, but I am not sure if that is still the case.

I called religiously for two weeks and one day when I called, someone had just cancelled and they were able to book it and remove me from the wait list. This is JUST an idea and as I said, it was a few years ago, but it has worked for me now twice.

 

[hakepb]

I have been put on a wait list before but read on here - this was a few years ago- that I should still call everyday. I was told at that time, that wait lists are processed at the end of every day, but I am not sure if that is still the case.

I called religiously for two weeks and one day when I called, someone had just cancelled and they were able to book it and remove me from the wait list. This is JUST an idea and as I said, it was a few years ago, but it has worked for me now twice.

Yes, it still helps some to regularly check, but you can now stalk the booking website instead of calling.

There have been some evidence that rooms that open may somewhat be held for wait list processing...but it's still not a perfect wait list system.

 

[your friend]

Thank you all for your help and advice. Here's what I did. I booked for a Lake View Studio at Bay Lake Towers for the 21st to the 28th and waitlisted Poly Lake view for the 21st to the 28th.

 

[CarolMN]

Thank you all for your help and advice. Here's what I did. I booked for a Lake View Studio at Bay Lake Towers for the 21st to the 28th and waitlisted Poly Lake view for the 21st to the 28th.

Hope it works out for you - but you'll still have a good time even if it doesn't. If no one in your party has a problem with heights, request a room on the 16th (top) floor. It will just be a few steps down the hall to the TOTWL and the viewing deck. I loved that location - we watched WISHES almost every evening from the deck. Felt so good to just walk "home" every night afterwards instead of waiting with the crowds for the elevator.