Day by day Booking Policy

[MouseHouse71]

I am a fairly new DVC'er and have used day by day booking in the past. I recently called MS to book a trip in July 08 to Hilton Head. I called on the first morning of the available 7 month window and was told that I did not need to call back to extend my vacation for the next four nights. Has there been a change in policy? The explanaton I was given was that I knew exactly what my checkin/checkout dates were and they would automatically extend my vacation and e-mail me my confirmation. I was using the last of my developer points and some banked 2007 points. I can see how this would cut down drastically on the number of phone calls that they would receive.

The MS person seemed very knowledgeable, but I can't help being a little skeptical.

Anyone else heard of such a thing? I think I might call back the is afternoon just for piece of mind.


JC

 

[goldilocks_63]

And given you're trying to do HH in July - very busy,

I'd continue to call each day.

Goldi

 

[Granny]

This is definitely a case of the CM not explaining things correctly or possibly the OP not hearing the explanation clearly.

You will definitely need to call back either day by day or at the 7 month window before the check out date.

There is no way in the current system to book an entire reservation on the first day of a day by day reservation.

 

[MouseHouse71]

Thanks to all. That is what I tought.

JC

 

[LisaS]

The explanaton I was given was that I knew exactly what my checkin/checkout dates were and they would automatically extend my vacation and e-mail me my confirmation.

I've never heard of MS emailing a confirmation. Given the number of things you were told that are different from how things normally work, I would definitely call back today.

 

[judie]

The email confirmation must be a new way they are doing things, that is how the confimation for the reservation I made today will be coming.

 

[2Princes2Princesses]

I've never heard of MS emailing a confirmation. Given the number of things you were told that are different from how things normally work, I would definitely call back today.

The confirmation for stays made with incentive points are by email. I have one for our May trip.

The July and October stays that I booked with regular points came by US mail, like always.

Oh, and the 2 cash night I booked for May came by US mail too.

I have a variety.

 

[LisaS]

The email confirmation must be a new way they are doing things, that is how the confimation for the reservation I made today will be coming.

That's great news!

ETA: Did you make a reservation using incentive/developer's points?

 

[MouseHouse71]

As I stated earlier I am a fairly new DVC'er. I do however feel that I have a pretty good grasp on how things with DVC work. I did call MS back on Saturday and spoke with somebody else regarding my need to call back for day to day booking @ HH in July/ August. I was essentially told the same thing "That I do not need to call back to extend my ressie". Every DVC member I that I know has told me the same thing - "that this is impossible".

What Gives?????

I can understand why MS would want to handle developer point reservations in this way. (Hold room to x number of days, then book on last day and send confirmation) Essentially the same thing would be accomplished by calling daily. In addition, I have always been asked the date of checkout when beginning a day by day ressie. If the room wasn't held from the start for the requested time period, why would they want to know the checkout date when beginning a day by day ressie? Surely it would minimize the amount of phone calls and the number of manual booking that must be completed. I have been told by a number of people at MS that the developer point reservations are a pain in the neck. I can see that none of this would hold true if I was using regular points, since the room is not held first then booked at a later time.

As for the e-mailing of confirmations. The last person I spoke with at MS said that the e-mailing of confirmations is not routinely done. Usually if a specific request is made or if the reservation is set to start in a few days from booking.

Any thoughts???

Thanks for listening

JC

 

[2Princes2Princesses]

When I made my reservation with my developer points, they took it, then said they had to have it entered for me and I would recieve my confirmation by email.

I wonder if this is why they said you don't have to call back. Apparently, they send the reservation request somewhere (the moon, mars, to Mickey himself, who knows?) and then it is manually made with developer points.

At least that was the impression they gave me. Then, a week later or so, I received my "incentive points confirmation" by email for that reservation.

Now, mine WAS being switched from a cash reservation that I already had, so they may not all work this way. But if they do, I wonder if since it gets forwarded and entered, if they just take your dates and enter it all at once. If so, then I would assume this is why they told you not to call back. I was well within the 7 months when I did mine, so they just took the dates and ran with it.

My developer points have been the source of much consternation over the past 2 months. Not that I am going to complain too loudly about free incentive points.

 

[LisaS]

MouseHouse71 - Is your HH reservation being made with developer points? If that's the case then as others have posted, these seem to get done by a different process with its own set of rules.