Did the waitlist fail?

[DogwoodDisney]

Tonight I grabbed a room that was an exact match for my waitlist, it was 1 night the same exact night I had on my waitlist.

How did you "grab" your room? Was it here on the dis boards?

 

[skier_pete]

This is such a disappointment. I've had a waitlist out since the 7-month mark (morning of) for VGC 2-nights, 1-bedroom. I go through periods where I check daily for it, but I haven't been checking aggressively because I feel like since they changed the waitlist system it should pick up automatically. Now, I've never seen the days available AT ALL, so in this case I don't know if the wait-list has failed me, but I am so far sorely disappointed that I haven't gotten what I want - and knowing that the waitlist isn't triggering....

...If I had to guess, my guess is they probably don't have the waitlist auto searching at all times, it may only check at certain times, or only check overnight. The result is that you may get a window of availability where you can "poach" a room before it gets to the waitlist.

The one good thing out of this is that it is good to know we should continue to check the waitlist.

 

[skier_pete]

Well - my waitlist seemed to work! At least one night of it. I had one night waitlisted for a 1-bedroom at the VGC, and then the next two nights as my second waitlist. The first waitlist came through.

 

[PoohsFan1]

Well - my waitlist seemed to work! At least one night of it. I had one night waitlisted for a 1-bedroom at the VGC, and then the next two nights as my second waitlist. The first waitlist came through.

Congratulations on one of your waitlists coming through...we are doing a waistlist for 1 night...we waitlisted a 2 bedroom villa for VGC for our June trip because we decided we wanted to add on another night, knowing you got one of your waitlists to go through gives me hope .

 

[jmassey1samchi]

I have a room waitlisted at bwv for april 26th. yesterday, I checked the availability tool and saw that it was available. I tried to book the room myself a few minutes later, and it came up as unavailable. I am hoping that my waitlist grabbed the room, but just don't see why it would show as available on the tool if that were the case. I guess I will have to wait until the 48 hour mark to find out.

 

[skier_pete]

I have a room waitlisted at bwv for april 26th. yesterday, I checked the availability tool and saw that it was available. I tried to book the room myself a few minutes later, and it came up as unavailable. I am hoping that my waitlist grabbed the room, but just don't see why it would show as available on the tool if that were the case. I guess I will have to wait until the 48 hour mark to find out.

You really shouldn't have to do that - if you go into your Dashboard, it will show up either as "waitlisted" or if it is booked.

My guess is that maybe it shows as available for a brief time, but if someone had a waitlist scheduled before you did, it very well could have been snatched up by another waitlist rather than yours.

 

[jmassey1samchi]

I was thinking the same thing. either someone higher up on the waitlist got it, or someone else stalking the availability tool got to it. I guess I will keep waiting.

 

[bumbershoot]

If I had to guess, my guess is they probably don't have the waitlist auto searching at all times, it may only check at certain times, or only check overnight. The result is that you may get a window of availability where you can "poach" a room before it gets to the waitlist.

That's how it used to be. Then a few months ago people started noticing that it changed. Now it seems it changed back.

 

[Tinkerbelljean]

I have had the same issues with the waitlist. I don't think the Disney folks have a clue that other members can grab the reservation you may have waitlisted for 6 months by checking the availablity tool and booking the day someone cancelled. I discussed my experience in having people book the day that I had waitlisted for months when they randomly checked availability tool with Ken Potrock, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Disney Vacation Club and Adventures by Disney, at the Condominimun Association Meeting in early December 2015. Please contact him and tell him of your experiences with the waitlist and the fact that your waitlist did not come through when someone cancelled. I got the feeling from him that he did not believe that such things happen. I also asked for more transparency for the waitlist. You should know if 100 people or 1 person is waitlisted before you. I don't know about you but it I think DVC members should have an idea how many people have waitlisted the day and resort you want. It really helps one make realistic plans.

 

[skier_pete]

I have had the same issues with the waitlist. I don't think the Disney folks have a clue that other members can grab the reservation you may have waitlisted for 6 months by checking the availablity tool and booking the day someone cancelled. I discussed my experience in having people book the day that I had waitlisted for months when they randomly checked availability tool with Ken Potrock, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Disney Vacation Club and Adventures by Disney, at the Condominimun Association Meeting in early December 2015. Please contact him and tell him of your experiences with the waitlist and the fact that your waitlist did not come through when someone cancelled. I got the feeling from him that he did not believe that such things happen. I also asked for more transparency for the waitlist. You should know if 100 people or 1 person is waitlisted before you. I don't know about you but it I think DVC members should have an idea how many people have waitlisted the day and resort you want. It really helps one make realistic plans.

Since I haven't actually seen this happen yet myself, I don't know that I feel comfortable complaining about it. I've never observed that a room was available during my active waitlist, and I've been stalking the website. In fact, I did have a one-day wait list come through - so clearly that did not get snatched up.

 

[Tinkerbelljean]

Within the last six months I have had a day waitlisted, went to the availaility tool found the day available and booked it then cancelled my waitlist day. This has historically happened to me more than once.

 

[Tinkerbelljean]

Since I haven't actually seen this happen yet myself, I don't know that I feel comfortable complaining about it. I've never observed that a room was available during my active waitlist, and I've been stalking the website. In fact, I did have a one-day wait list come through - so clearly that did not get snatched up.

I wouldn't want you to complain if it has not happened to you. It has happened to me and I have also been able to book days from the availability tool that I had waitlisted. I was able to do this for a stay I planned for December 6 through the 12, 2015. I had two days waitlisted and found them available on the availability tool, booked them myself and cancelled the waitlist. I have also seen posts on Disboards where people claim to have booked the day, room type and resort that I had waitlisted by just checking the availability tool. I can't verify that they booked that day, but their reports gave me the idea to check the availability tool and try to book my waitlists myself and I was successful, not every time but several times.

 

[skier_pete]

I wouldn't want you to complain if it has not happened to you. It has happened to me and I have also been able to book days from the availability tool that I had waitlisted. I was able to do this for a stay I planned for December 6 through the 12, 2015. I had two days waitlisted and found them available on the availability tool, booked them myself and cancelled the waitlist. I have also seen posts on Disboards where people claim to have booked the day, room type and resort that I had waitlisted by just checking the availability tool. I can't verify that they booked that day, but their reports gave me the idea to check the availability tool and try to book my waitlists myself and I was successful, not every time but several times.

No saying you haven't and shouldn't complain - and I have been not trusting the waitlist myself because of this thread - but just saying until I KNOW it happened to me I don't feel like I should complain about it.

 

[Dean]

It's not a perfect system though reports are that system changes may have made some improvements recently. Until/unless they hold all cancelations (other than short notice) to check against the wait list, this will always be a risk of missing options that someone else takes or you see online.

I just got a call from Interval International (exchange company like RCI). They tend to call a couple of times a week just checking up on exchange requests. Apparently the staff there have a bonus structure that gives them benefits if they get someone to accept an exchange. So they'll call and then look to see if there's anything you'll take or they'll call with something that's similar to what you requested. I'd just have them put in not to call but I've had them call previously with what should have matched for my ongoing exchange request. So they call Sunday about a couple of requests I have pending including one I have in a month or so that I've been checking online also several times a day. The rep asks if there's anything else I'll take and I say no but I did bring up that I saw something online that matched what I was searching for (1 BR Aruba Surf Club in the date range) but that it didn't match to the deposit I was searching with. (To understand completely one would need to know about trade power, internal exchange priorities and resort quality issues with II but that's complicated so I won't go there unless someone asks). I saw the deposit with a Marriott week but it I couldn't see it with my MX deposit Xmas week 51 a full year out which was what I was using to search. The rep checked and found a 2 BR same resort slightly better dates (actually perfect start day) and was able to match it to my non Marriott deposit. So I guess I'll continue to take their calls.

 

[mousefansmom]

This has happened to me as well, so when I called MS recently I asked about it. The response I got was that WL are automatic. So, I saw availability and didn't grab it, thinking my WL must have come through....didn't show on my account so I went to my email to check and see if I got an email and did not. I then decided I had better grab it, but as I went through the process, it was gone. Bummed...and am still waiting!

 

[Littlelulu01]

I had a wait list come through a few months ago when no room availability was showing online.

I have an upcoming reservation at poly for marathon week and started doubting my decision to stay with four in a studio. I gave up four nights of my stay when I saw availability in a one bedroom at vwl. There was zero availability for my dates at poly and as soon as I cancelled the reservation I saw My dates up on the rat. They were gone within an hour.