Here is the worst case that Disney ever had to deal with as far as "overbooking"...
In 1996, Tupperware held their convention at the Swan, and overflowed into rooms at the YC/BC. Additionally this was the same week that the BW opened, and I want to think possibly a holiday weekend.
Many of the Tupperware convention attendees decided at the end of the convention that they wanted to stay on for a few more days. There were about 300 or so that did this. Under Florida law, and innkeeper can't eject a paying guest who wants to stay on for additional days.
Are you all with me so far?
Sooo, bascially they had about 300 people show up at the BC/YC, plus others at the Swan and Dolphin for their rooms, and there were no rooms available. So they started sending people to the brand new BWI and Villas.
Which would have been fine, except...
There were TERRIBLE computer problems, and a lot of people who had reservations at that hotel weren't showing in the system. So a lot of the people walked from the YC/BC (and Swan/Dolphin) were put into rooms at the BW that were showing as available...
And then the people with reservations (some of them DVC owners!) started showing up for their rooms, only to find out that their reservation wasn't showing in the system, and their room had been given away.
So then they started to walk people to other resorts, but many guests were hopping mad--they had booked a brand new resort and were getting schlepped off to other resorts.
Because it was a busy weekend, they ran out of rooms at the deluxe resorts, and ended up having to downgrade some peopel to a moderate. Can you imagine how furious (and rightfully so!) a DVC owner with a reservation for a 1BR villa would be if they were sent to a room at CBR?
It was a weekend I"m sure everyone involved would like to forget forever!
Anne