Day-by-day booking in the ideal

[Caskbill]

When DVC first started, they had it set up to use a lottery system for the busy times of the year. Maybe that's the solution everyone wants back.

Everyone who wants their Christmas or NYE reservation timeframe calls in between 11 and 10 months ahead. At the 10 month mark, DVC draws the lottery names, and they get their dates, and the others are left out to make other plans.

 

[crisi]

I made reservations day by day this year for Food and Wine. For Boardwalk View two bedrooms - two of them.

Well, not quite day by day, cause I forgot to call for a few days in the middle. And I never called first thing in the morning.

No issues, plenty of rooms. And it was very easy.

Previous years I've done Standard View during F&W, and haven't bothered to call day by day and have gotten the room without an issue. Now, I PLAN on having to take a preferred view, but its never happened that we've needed to. The only reason I bothered day by day this year was its a family trip.

No matter what system you use, it will be more advantageous to someone than to someone else. Maybe I can call when member services opens, but for you, that is during your work day. Maybe I'm in a different time zone, and member services releases rooms in the middle of the night. People will work the system - this system is pretty fair to most people.

 

[Tamar]

If you want to solve this problem, I can SOLVE it VERY easily.

Sheesh, Dr P, no need to yell. I hear you loud and clear without the caps. I don't get why you're so passionate, but that's your perogative. I've lived with the current system for several years, and can live with it indefinitely, but I truly thought what I was suggesting would be easier for everyone, and cause less waitlisting and mid-vacation moving. At least one other person seems to agree with me, but I didn't realize there'd be any opposition to the suggestion. Thanks for setting me straight. I won't have to deal with the issue again until next November, so let's drop it.

 

[Off-The-Deep-End]

IMO there are several ways DVC could approach this that would be fair overall. Still, anytime you set up a system, people are going to use the system to their advantage. It's not abusing the system to use it as it's set up, it's just that some ways of approaching it might rub others the wrong way and may work out to one persons advantage more than to others. I do think DVC should do this with reservations up to two weeks long. In order to minimize some of the issues they should require things like any change to the reservation is a cancellation and/or require a minimum stay of (currently) up to 5 days though it could be changed under some circumstances. I don't think they could simply give a priority to one who holds the previous days reservation without some of the above type changes. While it would shift the curve in favor of some and against others, as does any and every change, I think it would be an advantage overall. Certainly allowing one to book the entire stay would favor one who can book earlier and stay longer but it does give a guaranteed stay with one phone call and avoid people getting part but not all their reservation. The other benefit is that this approach could significantly lower the number of personnel hours for MS, likely by as much as 30-40% of the number of FTE (Full Time Equiv) or even more with significant savings on dues IMO.

Hi Dean:

Love your posts!

Isn't MS paid a direct management percentage of our annual dues (like 12% or so?). If that is true, reducing their management costs (via lower FTEs) would not impact our due at all.

Awaiting your informed reply!

 

[Off-The-Deep-End]

And exactly why do YOU think that priority should be given to those who will start their trip earlier? Suppose I want to take a trip that begins on NYE and extends for two weeks after that. What you are suggesting is that I should be thrown to the bottom of the barrel because all persons whose reservations start on the days leading UP to NYE should get first priority for the NYE reservation. That seems arbitrary, capricious, unreasonable, unworkable, and idiotic.

DocP, come on tell us how you really feel!

 

[Off-The-Deep-End]

If you want to solve this problem, I can SOLVE it VERY easily. You cannot book your trip until the checkout day of your last night. That absolutely solves the problem the OP was complaining about. I would not like this system, and would not advocate it, but it does solve the problem. IMHO, it is also not fair, but it solves the problem. I guess, "be careful what you wish for, because it might come true." For me, I'll stick with the present system, as imperfect as it is.

DocP:

What would stop gamers-of-the-system from booking their 9 day ressie is say 3-day chunks (for earlier booking access) and then linking them together?