Day-by-day at BWV standard view in the summer?

[Granny]

We are looking at trying to get a Standard View at BWV for our next trip. By going with standard, we can stay for 13 days instead of 11, so we're going to go for it!

We would be booking with all BWV points at the 11 month mark. Do the folks here think we should do the day-by-day reservation thing, or is the summer open enough (mid-July) that we could just call and do the whole thing at once?

I guess I'm trying to avoid calling MS 10 times or so to make the reservation...but I'd hate to go to waitlist since our trip is so long that the standard units could already be gone (especially for that first week).


How would you guys do the reservation?

 

[DebbieB]

I would call MS on the first day and ask for their opinion. If they say day by day isn't necessary, I would still call every 2 or 3 days and add to your reservation to make sure you get all 13. I wouldn't take the chance of calling all at the end with almost 2 weeks involved. Good Luck!

 

[CaliforniaDreaming]

How about with preferred view over the 4th? Day-by-day or all at once? If you do day-by-day, do they just modify the reservation by adding more dates?

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

Granny,

Do the day-by-day call. That way you won't worry about it. It's a pain but at least you will know that you have it taken care of. For a BWV standard room we always call day-by-day. I'd rather be safe than end up with a couple of days in the middle of having to move. Or worse for you might be not having enough points for all of your nights.

HBC

 

[Connears]

I have been a member since 1994 and find it hard to justify day by day reservations. I guess if you must..BWV would be the one because they have separated the room choices into preferred and standard. If everyone did day by day reservations, we would never get thru to MS! I have not done day by day even at a 7month window....sorry, just my opinion. I don't know who started the paranoia about this, but I have never had a problem...guess we have to blame the process of BWV.
Connears

 

[slp87]

When your points count on it, I would go ahead and do day by day as well. We always stay standard to save points and like you, would have to stay a shorter time if staying preferred. I just like the reassurance that I'm getting exactly what I need to make everything go smoothly.

 

[BuzzLightYear3]

Last year, we booked an 11 night BWV 2BR Std view for early June day by day--called just about every day right at 9 a.m. One day, I wasn't able to call until about 10 a.m., and MS told me that I was asking for something in pretty high demand so she recommended that I call at 9 a.m. the next time. I don't know if that was really necessary, but it definitely increased my paranoia! Starting tomorrow I'll be booking day-by-day for next year (and I must say, it's a pain!)

On the positive side, MS does seem to have a good system to manage day-by-day.....they keep it all on one reservation and ask ahead of time what you expect the last reserved day will be so they wait until the reservation is complete before sending the confirmation.

 

[Granny]

Lots of great replies, and I appreciate everyone's input. I'm not a big gambler, so I imagine I will be calling day by day...or at least every few days as DebbieB suggested.

Connears...I appreciate you putting your concern in a non-antagonistic manner. I too have no desire to "clog up" the MS phone lines. But I'm afraid that if I wait until the 11 month mark from the check out date, that the first week of that vacation especially would be very difficult to attain with standard view. I wish there was another way to do this (can anyone say "on line reservations"?), but for now this is the system they have.

If it makes anyone feel better, I'll bet that the number of members who book day-by-day is very small. I wouldn't even know about it unless I had come to this board...and we know that these boards represent a very small percentage of DVC owners.

Thanks to all who responded.

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

Granny,

You couldn't have said it any better than "on-line reservation system." So simple yet so far away........

Regarding Connears concerns: It is a Disney created problem which only exists for the BWV. By creating a two tiered system where only a small percentage of the rooms are standard view, they have created the need for day-by-day calling. I called day-by-day for last New Year's week. I was shut out of a standard view on New Years eve a few minutes after 9:00 A.M. That creates enough paranoia for me to suggest to anyone that wants to go for an extended period of time to do the day-by-day thing to make sure the same doesn't happen to them, especially during busy times of the year.

HBC

 

[Connears]

I understand that it is a DVC created problem, but it seems to only be a problem at BWV for standard view. Otherwise I have never had a problem at 11 months or even 7 months at peak time: June 03 at BCV @ 7 months, New year's 02-03 @ OKW at 6 months. I stayed at BWV only once and will not return, so my comment, from years of experience, is that day by day is not necessary DVC resorts except, it seems, BWV. I understand the urgency for those who want BWV and hope that it is only those who need to, use this resevation approach. I would hate to see people think it is the method of need for all DVC reservations..that is not true. Thanks for your comments and for letting me give my opinion.
Connears

 

[Granny]

Connears....as for myself, I've booked three DVC trips and used the "wait until the last day" method each time with no problems.

I must say that the first two weeks of December would probably be another time I'd try this.

Again, thanks to everyone for their opinions which were stated in a nice, neighborly, DVCer manner!