Decided to "walk" my ressie!

[LaurenT]

When I checked the AKL value studios yesterday and saw that the first day of my 11 month window was already unavailable, I decided to walk it (I need two of them! It's the only way we can vacation on the points available). There was a full 7 days available as of this morning, so I booked it and will drop and day and add a day until I have the dates I want.
Very glad I decided to do it, because after my reservations went through, the value studio was showing as unavailable...so I guess I got the last two!

 

[IandGsmom]

I know this is debated topic but if I could get value rooms where I own I would do it too. Congrats.

 

[Tigger1]

I got Value rooms at 7 months during spring break. No walking.

 

[zavandor]

I got Value rooms at 7 months during spring break. No walking.

Yes, I've seen plenty of availability for Value rooms for February and March, this year, at 7 months out.
Starting with Easter it became a problem again and now one could get just a night or two.

 

[tomandrobin]

Any room that I think is difficult to book, I will walk the reservation too.

Good luck with getting all your vacation days.

 

[LaurenT]

Thanks,
Just to be on the safe side, I've been modifying every morning, though I know it should be safe to just modify twice. Each day is a different experience.
Yesterday, the CM was trying to tell me there was only one unit available for the day I was trying to add onto the end. I kept telling her that wasn't possible, that I had two units reserved for 11 months through 11 months and six days, so no one else could book that seventh day unless it was adding onto an existing reservation, because otherwise it would be a new reservation beyond the 11 month window...and they couldn't be adding onto my two rooms, because I already had those reserved...
Finally she said she'd put in the first one and see what happened...lo and behold, the second one was available.
But the rooms are sold out or near sold out on all the days that I'm working with, so I'm very glad I'm doing this. I wouldn't have enough points to get two studios any other way!

 

[bellaphia]

Can someone explain what "walking" a reservation means
thanks!

 

[LaurenT]

Let's say you want to stay at your home resort from Oct 10 to the 17th....
You are allowed to book that beginning on Nov 10 the year before (11 month window).
But let's say that for whatever reason, you're worried that the type of room you want won't be available....
That's when you'd decide to walk it.
So, on Nov 3, you check the availability for Oct 3rd to the 10th and you see that it's available....you'd book that week to lock it in.
Once you do that, no one else can touch that room until the calendar gets to Nov 10th. So, on Nov 9th, you call and say that you'd like to modify your reservation. You'd like to change from the 3rd thru the 10th to the 9th to the 16th. Then the next day, you call again and modify it again to the 10th to the 17th.
Now you have the dates you want in the unit you want without worrying that you'll try to book it at the 11 month window only to find it's not available.

This is usually only done for high demand times of year (say the week between Christmas and NYE, or the F&W fest for the Beach Club), or a particularly hard to find room.
In my case, there are only about 14 value studios total and I needed 2 of them! That's why I decided to walk it.

 

[Firepath]

Hmmm. I'm thinking for the week before Christmas at VWL next year, I better become versed in "walking." Since this would be our first stay as DVC members, I'm a bit nervous. We'd be trying for a 1 bedroom....

 

[LaurenT]

Hmmm. I'm thinking for the week before Christmas at VWL next year, I better become versed in "walking." Since this would be our first stay as DVC members, I'm a bit nervous. We'd be trying for a 1 bedroom....

Is wilderness lodge your home resort?

 

[Magic3forme]

glad you got your reservations!!

We had to walk our reservation last year to get BLT for NYE. I checked on the dates I truly wanted and BLT was sold out by then.

 

[bellaphia]

Let's say you want to stay at your home resort from Oct 10 to the 17th....
You are allowed to book that beginning on Nov 10 the year before (11 month window).
But let's say that for whatever reason, you're worried that the type of room you want won't be available....
That's when you'd decide to walk it.
So, on Nov 3, you check the availability for Oct 3rd to the 10th and you see that it's available....you'd book that week to lock it in.
Once you do that, no one else can touch that room until the calendar gets to Nov 10th. So, on Nov 9th, you call and say that you'd like to modify your reservation. You'd like to change from the 3rd thru the 10th to the 9th to the 16th. Then the next day, you call again and modify it again to the 10th to the 17th.
Now you have the dates you want in the unit you want without worrying that you'll try to book it at the 11 month window only to find it's not available.

This is usually only done for high demand times of year (say the week between Christmas and NYE, or the F&W fest for the Beach Club), or a particularly hard to find room.
In my case, there are only about 14 value studios total and I needed 2 of them! That's why I decided to walk it.

thank you I think I understand now!

 

[DisneyFreaks]

Thank you Lauren for your easy to understand explanation. Walking a reservation has always confused me. Now I think I get it!

 

[MsTessP]

Call me crazy, or lucky, or whatever.....I logged in on January 31st at exactly 8 am and was able to book a 2 bedroom, Boardwalk View at BWV for 12/31 - 1/3. No walking involved.

 

[Firepath]

Is wilderness lodge your home resort?

Hopefully, by next month it will be. We are waiting on ROFR - one more week to go.

 

[LaurenT]

Hopefully, by next month it will be. We are waiting on ROFR - one more week to go.

You should be able to do it then.
Good luck (with the ROFR and the vaca)!

 

[wildernessDad]

Hopefully, by next month it will be. We are waiting on ROFR - one more week to go.

If VWL is your home resort, I don't think that you'd have any problem booking at the 11 month point, especially for a 1 bedroom.

 

[crocko]

May have to consider this for our trip next year...especially if we end up having to use a 7-month window.

If nothing else, we'll probably book AKL at 11 months....just to give us something.

 

[LaurenT]

May have to consider this for our trip next year...especially if we end up having to use a 7-month window.

If nothing else, we'll probably book AKL at 11 months....just to give us something.

Walking won't work the same way for the 7 month window. It will protect your unit from the others who are not home resort owners, but those that do own at the resort will be able to book beyond the dates that you lock in, so you may wind up booking the week before and then not be able to move it up....

 

[crocko]

Ah....good point. Thanks for the tip