Check your waitlists--they don't always work as they should!

[jennypenny]

I do not advocate calling MS obsessively when you are trying to book your vacations--it will drive up the costs for everyone. But...

Two vacations in a row now I was waitlisted for a couple of nights on my vacation. I never received a phone call. I called back to try and book cash nights for those nights (so we wouldn't be sleeping in the car ) and the CM said "oh, your nights are available." When I pressed further she admitted that there was plenty of availability.

Occassionally I understand if someone intends to put you on the waitlist but then forgets. But twice in a row? I'm wondering if the system is a little faulty?

Maybe they should send you a confirmation of your waitlist like they do with reservations.

Jenny

 

[Granny]

I hate to say it, but based on the many similar comments I've read here, I don't think MS does a particularly good job with wait list notifications.

I have wait listed twice and had no luck at all. I didn't call to "check in" on my pending waitlists...just assumed that they would let me know since I had chosen the "auto switch" if the dates became available.

I know that tons of people have waitlisted successfully. My experiences may be the exception, not the norm. I am just glad we will be staying primarily at our home resorts so we don't have to mess with the waitlist system very often.

I'm sure that the system works well for most people....or they would have modified it by now. I just don't have a lot of confidence in the notification process as I see way too many reports here of people who call MS for something and are only then told that their waitlist has come through.

 

[Stitch1404]

Last year we were staying 2 nights at Animal Kingdom Lodge and then 5 nights at BCV. However, when I booked our last night wasn't available at BCV so we were booked at VWL and waitlisted for BCV. I didn't want to move resorts three times, but nothing ever came through. Then when we got to the Beach Club and checked in the CM said "you're staying through Sunday, correct?" We had originally waitlisted for the Saturday night. I told her I didn't think so and explained the whole situation. She called over to VWL to make sure we didn't have a reservation over there too. We never got a confirmation letter or a call. It was very strange because I didn't think you stayed on the wait list after 31 days out. I now always call and check on the wait list every few weeks.

 

[treloarf]

Can you waitlist for 2 different resorts for the same time period? I'm waitlisted for BCV. But I'd take BWV also.

 

[castleri]

You can waitlist for all the resorts if you want to but you need to be careful about how you want them to notify you about days that become available or you may have more reservations and less points than you think before you know it. I always ask them to notify me before they make any changes and have never had any problems. That way I am certain which points (banked or borrowed, etc) are being used. I guess I have been fortunate in that when I have waitlisted I have always gotten them and have always been notified. The notification part I think is because I don't do the automatic changes. I would limit my request to 2 resorts just to keep it simple. Good luck and hope you get what you are looking for.

 

[Lora]

When I made a recent wait list request, the CM encouraged me to call and check about it. I take that to mean than she knew there were problems with the wait list set up. I don't plan to hound them, but I probably will call occasionally (maybe 1/month??).

One of my wait list reservations is for 5 nights (I know, I'm crazy). I asked for it to be done by individual nights because I'm sure that as slim a chance as I have of getting this, it's even slimmer as a 5-night reservation.

 

[andriade]

I was waitlisted at BWV and BCV last Jan. Al of my dates came through under 30 days out. I NEVER got a call. I called them once a week. The last night I had done auto so I DID get a card in the mail. I think someone at MS said they try to call the people on the list who are leaving the soonest and then go from there. I was under 30 days and still NEVER got a call.

Who knows! I am just happy I didn't have to move during my last trip. It was great!

 

[Goofy's apprentice]

If you check your points online. It will show you which nights have been autoconfirmed. At this point you cannot see what you are waitlisted for but you can see which of the waitlists have come in. I asked that they not cancel the original reservations and did everything day by day. Most of the days came through within the first two weeks...and that is for BWV for the last week of F&W. I was able to cancel the original reservation for the first five days and am now waiting to see what happens with the rest. If they all come in I will cancel the rest of the original reservation.

This only works if you have enough points to cover the multiple listings. As well I indicated to MS that they are not to borrow from a future year.

If nothing else comes is confirmed in the next few weeks, I'll just call to recheck that I am still on the waitlists. You do need to check with phone calls if you have some banked points to ensure that all the cancelling and rebooking doesn't end up using your current points before finishing with the banked ones but I have always found MS very helpful when I called to check.