Day by Day Bookings - How does that work?

[Melrosgirl]

I would like to be at WDW in December 2004 (early December). Obviously this is a popular time with DVC members and non members. Let's say I want to go December 5-10. For all 5 days, I'd have to call January 10th or later right? (11 month window) I've read that some people call day by day to give themselves a better chance. How does that work?

January 5 I would call for December 5. 6th for December 6th and so on. Do I tell them to somehow link these days together so it's the same room? Is calling day by day really necessary? What if I get December 5 and 6 and 8 and 9 and 10th, but not December 7th? LOL. I'm already starting to stress about this, lol. Thanks!

 

[PamOKW]

If you want to call day-by-day, you call 11 months from check-out. This would be Tuesday, January 6. (January 11 if you were doing the whole thing in one shot.) You can tell MS what you are doing and they may be able to let you know the necessity of calling day-by-day. They will put all the days together at the end of your calling period and send out one confirmation.

If for some reason one or more days is unavailable, chances are very good that the waitlist will get you that day before your trip. If you have the points, you might want to book something that is available just as a "safety". For example, if you are booking a standard studio and a one-bedroom is available for the missing night, take that as your "safety".

Also, when a day falls on a weekend or holiday -- January 11 is a Sunday, you have to wait until January 12 to make the call.

 

[DebbieB]

I've done this for BWV Standard 1 bedroom the past 2 years. This year we are going Dec 6 to 12. So on Jan 7 I called for Dec 6. I told them what I was doing, they asked what my ultimate checkout day was. Then the next days when I called I said I want to add a night to my reservation. When they called up my membership # they knew right away what it was for, added the night. They confirmed the updated points total. On Monday Jan 13 I called for the last 2 nights and told them I was done. Then they sent the confirmation for all 6 nights, all under 1 reservation #.

 

[Caskbill]

To make the entire 5-day reservation at the 11 month mark, you would call on Monday, Jan 12, 2004.

To call day by day you would call as follows:

Tues Jan 6, 2004 for your Dec 5, 2004 reservation.
Wed Jan 7, 2004 for your Dec 6 ressie
Thu Jan 8, 2004 for your Dec 7 ressie
Fri Jan 9, 2004 for your Dec 8 ressie
Mon Jan 10, 2004 for your Dec 9 ressie

Hope this helps.

 

[Pa@okw95]

Calling day by day is not necessary with the exception of grand villas during popular times. This process is outrageous and only makes getting through on the phone for others more difficult. I have been a member since 95 and only used this method once when I wanted to rent a grand villa otherwise it really is over the top behavior and not necessary. The time you want to go while is a nice time to go to WDW but is not even close to being a busy time. Now with threats to our safety always present since 9/11, I doubt we will have to worry about a flood of requests for any time period except Christmas week.

 

[Chuck S]

A lot of it also depends on your home resort. I've never called day by day for OKW, had no problem booking a 1 bdrm for Dec 3 to 13.

 

[Melrosgirl]

thanks!

 

[DebbieB]

Originally posted by Pa@okw95
Calling day by day is not necessary with the exception of grand villas during popular times. This process is outrageous and only makes getting through on the phone for others more difficult. I have been a member since 95 and only used this method once when I wanted to rent a grand villa otherwise it really is over the top behavior and not necessary. The time you want to go while is a nice time to go to WDW but is not even close to being a busy time. Now with threats to our safety always present since 9/11, I doubt we will have to worry about a flood of requests for any time period except Christmas week.

It is necessary for BWV standard view, especially for the popular first 2 weeks of December. The first year I didn't do day by day and almost did not get my first couple nights. I called right at 9:00am, others on this board got through later and had to waitlist. Member Services advised me to do day by day for standard view, but they said it is not necessary for preferred view. When I book OKW in October for May, I just do it once at the end.

 

[loveswdw]

Just to let you know... our home is BCV too and I just made ressies about 2 weeks ago (beginning part of March) for a studio Dec. 6-11, 2003. I had no problem whatsoever getting this in one call. Probably depends on what type of accommodation you are looking for.

I had also heard about calling day by day thought that I probably wouldn't get what I wanted but it worked out that I didn't need to. Thank goodness! I don't think I have the patience for that!!

loveswdw

 

[Pa@okw95]

You are right. I forgot about that standard view at BWV, I guess it is because there is a different price structure at BWV(points). At most all other situations it is not necessary to call everyday. I always forget about BWV situation when I tell people this. They should have the same point structure for all the rooms regardless of the view at BWV.

 

[InstImpres]

Originally posted by Melrosgirl
What if I get December 5 and 6 and 8 and 9 and 10th, but not December 7th

This happened to me for President's week last year. I made a cash ressie with MS for the same room so I wouldn't have to switch. They put me on a waitlist with an autocancel for my $$ room (no deposit is required with MS for this).

Thanksfully it all worked out in the end. It was a 1BR at OKW for $459 + tax, it than cost me 22 points. To think some people can't see the value of DVC

Good luck

 

[Connears]

I have never done day to day for any ressies since I joined in 1994. OKW has not been a problem at Christmas even 5 months out(last year for 12/28-1/04/03). I guess I would not trly for BWV if I had to do that kind of work to get ressies. That's just me..I give others credit for the diligence. I would just try one of the other resorts. I just booked OKW for 12/28-1/2/04 for 1bdroom last thursday, no problem and that is 9 months out and I could have done 11 as its my home resort.
Connears

 

[ripleysmom]

I recently did the day by day thing for a GV at BWV during President's week. I did what DebbieB did. Called each day and just added onto the reservation.

 

[ToyStory Fan]

Another tip is if you want to go to a non-home resort you book in the 11 month window at your home resort, then at the 7 month window do the day to day switch over. Works better for BCV/BWV/VWL since all the point values are the same, no re-shuffling/allocating of points after the transfer.

 

[jimmytammy]

Youv gotten a lot of good info here so I dont have much to add. I recently did day by day for WLV our home resort. I know that it is very popular around the Christmas season and my only other experience with ressies had me going at a later time this past Dec than I wanted so that was my reason for trying day by day this time.

All that said, my advice is be sure the first day you call that MS is aware that you are making day by day ressies so they will make a note. This way they will keep ressie under same # until you make final call to complete. Some of the newer MS folks may not be up to snuff on this type ressie. This just makes the call shorter and easier to deal with for you and MS and allows more callers to get through quicker.

 

[DebbieB]

One thing you can do at the 7 month mark is call on the first day it would be available to you and ask what the rest of the week looks like to see if you need to do a day by day or if you might have some missing nights. I did that the first year with OKW at 7 months. They looked it up and said there was plenty of availability for all of my dates, so I just waited for the 7 month mark of my final checkout day.

I guess I would not trly for BWV if I had to do that kind of work to get ressies. That's just me..I give others credit for the diligence. I would just try one of the other resorts.

It really isn't that difficult. The first day takes as long as it normally would while they get all the info. The rest of the days is on and off in less than a minute once they answer. It's worth it to save points - 121 vs 155 for my BWV standard view vs preferred.

 

[Disneyaholic]

There's also no reason you can't call MS before the 7-month mark just to check availability. That way, in case it is booked up, you can have more time to come up with "plan B".