Changing ressie/ big problems IMHO

[Alisha&Jay]

Okay, I don't understand something that seems to be a flaw in the reservation system. Let's say I have a 5 night reservation at SSR, but my preference is to stay at another resort. So, I'm on the WL for all 5 nights at my other choices. But, say I am willing to stay 2 or 3 or 4 nights at my preferred resort, and, in effect, have a split stay. So, I call and MS says they have 3 consecutive nights at BWV (the first 3 nights of my stay, let's say). So, in order to use the points in my current reservation, I have to cancel the 3 nights at SSR, and then HOPE that the BWV nights are still there to book. MS are not able to hold those BWV nights while they cancel the SSR nights. IMHO, this is a flawed system, I was told by MS that they used to be able to do this, but this has changed. Who thinks it should be like it used to be? There have been a few times that I have taken the chance of canceling what I currently have in order to get something different, and it worked out. I somehow think it is not fair though, shouldn't MS be able to hold something for 5 minutes while they cancel an existing reservation in order to book a new one? I don't see what the big deal is.

 

[barb45]

Yeah- I agree! It's insane if it's really booked up to let your booking go only to find out that someone else grabbed what you thought just became available. I've been wanting to change my reservation and now you've got me worried - you could end up with nothing.

 

[cigarboo]

just wondering...If you're on the waitlist, would the reservation automatically switch over to your preferred resort so you don't have to cancel and risk losing your reservation? The old way does sound better. Seems fair to have a 5 minute hold to complete the reservation.

 

[famcruisefun]

Just a thought - have you tried calling back and asking a different person at MS? I know - in the old days before we owned DVC I would often find that I'd get an answer that I didn't like from one person at CRO and would call back 10 min later, different person, different answer. Just a thought - maybe another person would know a trick to make it work without the worry.

 

[dismedvc]

We talked about this same thing at the end of a thread called 'Is this new" Here is the link. My first attempt at this, so I hope it works.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1986946

Note: the thread started on a different topic, but from post #10 on it addresses this issue

If you waitlist, you have no worry about losing your original reservation, but you cannot waitlist if the MS tells you there is availability.

However, MS cannot tell you how many rooms are available, so if there is only one room available and it gets taken while your original reservation is being cancelled, you can end up with nothing. That could happen if there was a waitlist for the reservation you cancelled, and as soon as you cancelled your original reservation that room was "scooped up" by the waitlist.

I guess the only good thing is if you immediately waitlist for the revised reservation you were trying to get (the one MS orignally told you was available) as soon as that happened, you would be the first person on that waitlist.

HOWEVER, THERE HAS TO BE A BETTER WAY.

I do not see why cancelled reservations cannot "held" until the revised reservation is complete. That way, if the revised reservation cannot be completed, you could still get your original reservation back.

 

[Alisha&Jay]

Some additional clarification and an example of what I was talking about in my first post. First, I am on the phone as I type, with MS, regarding my Feb 09' reservation. I had booked, back in Augusut, a 1bdrm stnd. view at BWV, for the 15th thru the 21st. Then, a couple of weeks ago, we needed to change the ressie because we were now going to take another person with us, therefore the need for a 2 bdrm. So, I called up MS, all they had was the 17th-21st at SSR in a dedicated 2 bdrm, I grabbed that, and kept the 15th and 16th at BWV in the 1bdrm. I then went on the waitlist for the entire length of stay (15-21) at any property in a 2 bdrm, I also was on another waitlist for just SSR in 2bdrm for the 15th and 16th to replace the 2 nights at BWV 1bdrm. Now, I have been calling daily to see what might have become available for the 15th and 16th in a 2 bdrm anywhere (except SSR, because I have the WL for SSR in the 2bdrm). MS just told me they have those 2 nights at OKW in 2 bdrm, but it was only 1 room available! I took the chance and cancelled my 2 nights at BWV 1bdrm, and luckily, the 2bdrm at OKW was still there and I grabbed it. Now atleast I have all 6 nights in a 2 bdrm unit and have to change resorts once. What would have happened if the OKW 2 bdrm was gone? Well, I would have been calling 8 times a day to try to grab something to replace what I lost, when you call that much, I have found I have gotten pretty lucky. And, being it was only 2 days I was willing to take the chance. If it had been a 5 night stay that I was trying to change, I would not take that chance, no way! And, MS told me (assuming I had the points to use) that I could not double book, meaning I could not keep the BWV 1bdrm while she tried to get the 2bdrm at OKW. I don't understand that, I suspect that had I been talking to someone else, that I may have been able to do that, but I didn't have the points to use anyway.
One last thing, if you're trying to make a change within your resort from one category to another, then you don't have to take that chance of losing what you have, for some reason. Example- I have 12/5-12/9 booked at BWV in 1bdrm pref/garden view, I'm also on the WL for a boardwalk view, but that will expire 7 days prior. So, as soon as that expires, I will be calling daily to see if anything opened up and if they do happen to have the 4 nights in a boardwalk view room, all MS has to do is modify my existing reservation, I am in no danger of losing what I have currently. This applies too if I wanted to switch to a 2 bdrm at BWV, a studio, etc, as long as it's at the same resort. Go figure.