Do I understand waitlist?

[Hilary]

I've just come off the phone from speaking with MS and now I'm even more confused! I'm hoping someone here will be able to explain things better than MS could!

At the moment I have a GV at OKW reserved for four nights in October and am waitlisted for a further three nights, with back-up ressies in place incase the waitlist doesn't come through. I have asked for automatic confirmation.

I thought maybe I should ask to go on the waitlist for the first of the three nights on its own (as I guess one night must be easier to get than all three), but still want to stay on the list for the three nights together. Is that possible? I don't want to waitlist for all the three nights separately, as I don't want to end up with a split reservation.

If I want to waitlist for one of the three nights, must I then come off the waitlist for the three nights together? Is it possible to stay listed for both requests (one night and three nights) when they both cover the same date?

I couldn't get a straight answer from MS (maybe I wasn't making myself clear!), so I've left things the way they are at the moment.

Also, they told me they weren't able to say how near the top of the waitlist my request is - I thought I'd heard others say they knew when they were getting near the top of the list. Why can't they tell me this? Is it because I want mulitple days?

 

[RobDoc]

There are several ways to use the waitlist. You can waitlist for the 3 nights together...and if all 3 become available at the same time- they can autoconfirm for you. Another way to do it is to accept each day separately- this can cause a missing day in the middle if the other day never becomes available.

A waitlist for all 3 days is a problem since someone else may be waitlisted for one or more of the same days individually. When a single day becomes available- they would likely have priority, even if they went on the list after you. MS can't really hold a cancelled day to see if the others become available for you. Your 3 day waitlist will likely only work if all 3 days open up at the same time.

No easy answer here. You'll need to do what makes the most sense to you. I've always had good success with the waitlist and have always accepted individual days to improve my chances.

Good Luck!

 

[Hilary]

Thanks Doc

I've been thinking more about this, and have pretty much decided that I'll ask to go on the list for just the first of the three nights. That way, if that one night comes through, I can then ask to wait for the last one or two without risking getting a split reservation.

 

[wdwendyd]

If you have enough points so that you could make this reservation without borrowing, then if one night doesn't come through you could just cancel with no problems. This would increase your chances of getting all nights. Good luck!

 

[Kick it up a notch!]

Why don't you waitlist for all three nights separately? It may be more inconvenient if you only get one or two, but it seems to me you would have more success by doing this because things come up all of the time and you would not have to wait for all three. Plus if you wait until you just get the first one it may be too late to get the others.

 

[Jimbo]

Also, they told me they weren't able to say how near the top of the waitlist my request is - I thought I'd heard others say they knew when they were getting near the top of the list.

It seems to me that the only people that have mentioned their position on a waitlist were those that were waiting for addon points to become available. As DVC picks up points from people who default, or when they exercise their first right of refusal, addon points are available at otherwise closed resorts, like OKW and BWV. There's a list of people waiting for these points, and I'm pretty sure those are the people you're thinking of.

 

[ncligs]

Hilary,

Jimbo is correct, we are on a "waiting list" for add-on pts at OKW. We are currently 3rd on the list for OKW pts.This is completely different then the "wait list" you are on.

 

[Hilary]

Yes Jimbo and ncligs, I'm sure you are right about my confusion over the waiting list for add-ons and the waitlist for accommodations

I decided last night to switch my request to just the first of the three nights I would really like, and see what happens. I won't be too disappointed if I don't ever get the last two nights (back-up ressies at VWL will be great, I know ), but I'd really like to get the first night if possible. Unfortunately I don't have enough points to be able to book and then cancel without penalty - I'm borrowing just about everything I can!

BTW - it's not relevant to me at the moment any more, but does anyone know whether it is possible to be waitlisted twice for the same thing at the same time - once as a single day request and once as part of a request for a run of days?