DVC announces "system enhancements"

[CMAlumni]

DVC member news announced some IT "system enhancements" to happen in the spring. While booking on line and email confirmations sound good. I actually don't like the following:
•Members will begin creating simplified "travel plans" that combine all accommodations for their trip. Gone will be the days of booking separate reservations for every room and resort included in the trip. No more juggling multiple confirmation or cancellation numbers. Instead, a single travel plan and confirmation number will represent the entire trip, regardless of the number of rooms and resorts included. Members will no longer need to link separate reservations, as they'll be included in one travel plan

I like having different confirmation numbers because then I can get different dining plans for my stay or only get it for part of my stay. This year we are splurging on 3 days of Deluxe Dining Plan and the regular DP for the remaining 11 days. With this new system, I could never afford to do the Deluxe since we will always be staying for 14 days.

I guess one man's enhancement is another man's dissapointment

 

[Coach81]

I think this will be a good thing overall..

 

[jelwallace]

I wonder if you call and make 2 separate reservations would they automatically link it or could you request to have them not linked. For example you call at the 11 month mark and book a 3 night reservation at OKW. Then 3 days later you call at the 11 month mark and book another 3 nights at OKW and add the dining plan. You may have to move rooms but it might be able to be done. Never tried it myself because we always cook at 'home'. Interesting possibilities.

 

[Disnydad]

Sounds good to me.

 

[Simba's Mom]

DVC member news announced some IT "system enhancements" to happen in the spring. While booking on line and email confirmations sound good. I actually don't like the following:
•Members will begin creating simplified "travel plans" that combine all accommodations for their trip. Gone will be the days of booking separate reservations for every room and resort included in the trip. No more juggling multiple confirmation or cancellation numbers. Instead, a single travel plan and confirmation number will represent the entire trip, regardless of the number of rooms and resorts included. Members will no longer need to link separate reservations, as they'll be included in one travel plan

I like having different confirmation numbers because then I can get different dining plans for my stay or only get it for part of my stay. This year we are splurging on 3 days of Deluxe Dining Plan and the regular DP for the remaining 11 days. With this new system, I could never afford to do the Deluxe since we will always be staying for 14 days.

I guess one man's enhancement is another man's dissapointment

So if you're doing a split stay, moving resorts after, say, 4 days, can you now book for both resorts at the same time? It used to be that you could only book at the appointed time (11 months or 7 months) for each resort separately. Now that it's one reservation, I wonder how it will work.

 

[dianeschlicht]

So if you're doing a split stay, moving resorts after, say, 4 days, can you now book for both resorts at the same time? It used to be that you could only book at the appointed time (11 months or 7 months) for each resort separately. Now that it's one reservation, I wonder how it will work.

I was wondering about that too. Now you have to call for the 11 or 7 month check in day to complete travel plans if you plan to change resorts. I'm guessing that if you have two home resorts to book at 11 months or are booking different resorts at 7 months, you SHOULD be able to book everything at once. I think that's a plus!

As for the dining plan....I HOPE this means they will finally do away with it!

 

[DenLo]

. . . . . .
I like having different confirmation numbers because then I can get different dining plans for my stay or only get it for part of my stay. This year we are splurging on 3 days of Deluxe Dining Plan and the regular DP for the remaining 11 days. With this new system, I could never afford to do the Deluxe since we will always be staying for 14 days.

I guess one man's enhancement is another man's dissapointment

But we don't really know that this change will mean that all of our reservations will be required to have the same DP. Right now when you book separate reservations and link them, you don't have to have the same DP for each reservation. If they are really turning them into one reservation, you could never cancel some of the rooms at a later date without the worry of losing the rooms you want to keep. And that would cause chaos among the DVC members as many of us invite family/friends who often drop out before the reservation dates or banking deadline. Or sometimes we add on more rooms. Maybe the DP will apply to each villa per each reservation.

I can always hope.

And if it does mean that all the rooms at all of the resorts I book have to have the same DP, then I'm definitely switching to TIW.

 

[mybabesuz]

I also read somewhere that there will be a prepay option for the DP...

The reservations might be together but still seperate...
Like reservation plan 123456 then reservation A, B and C.

I don't see how they could make people in two different rooms have the same Dining Plan.

 

[edk35]

But we don't really know that this change will mean that all of our reservations will be required to have the same DP. Right now when you book separate reservations and link them, you don't have to have the same DP for each reservation. If they are really turning them into one reservation, you could never cancel some of the rooms at a later date without the worry of losing the rooms you want to keep. And that would cause chaos among the DVC members as many of us invite family/friends who often drop out before the reservation dates or banking deadline. Or sometimes we add on more rooms. Maybe the DP will apply to each villa per each reservation.

I can always hope.

And if it does mean that all the rooms at all of the resorts I book have to have the same DP, then I'm definitely switching to TIW.

Wait..........you can have different dining plans with linked ressies?? So if you have linked ressies.....and ARE NOT moving out and back in later that day...you can have different different dining plans/or maybe choose NOT to have it for part of your trip?? SO say I book 3 days, then do a cash night and three more days.... can I do DP first three, skip 4th day cash night and then do Counter Service plan last 3 days and NEVER ACTUALLY check in, check out????

 

[Tozzie]

I was wondering about that too. Now you have to call for the 11 or 7 month check in day to complete travel plans if you plan to change resorts. I'm guessing that if you have two home resorts to book at 11 months or are booking different resorts at 7 months, you SHOULD be able to book everything at once. I think that's a plus!

As for the dining plan....I HOPE this means they will finally do away with it!

I guess it is open to interpretation but I am reading it as if you are going for say 14 days staying in 3 different resorts that they will automatically place them under this one "plan" since just about everything they do with the IT systems fail miserably I won't be holding my breath for this one.

 

[Sandisw]

Wait..........you can have different dining plans with linked ressies?? So if you have linked ressies.....and ARE NOT moving out and back in later that day...you can have different different dining plans/or maybe choose NOT to have it for part of your trip?? SO say I book 3 days, then do a cash night and three more days.... can I do DP first three, skip 4th day cash night and then do Counter Service plan last 3 days and NEVER ACTUALLY check in, check out????

I was told that if the reservations are linked, then you have to have the same DDP as you don't check in/out.

However, you could book the same type of room, as two different reservations, not link them, and then when you check in/out, ask that you don't have to move rooms.

My reading of the change is that DVC will now give members a reservation # attached to a "travel plan" and not to the individual reservations under that plan. I don't think that takes away the fact that each stay, if a different resort or room type, is still its own reservation as you check out of one and in to another.

I think this is just going to mean that as a member, I will only have to worry about one # to give to MS when I want to make adjustments to any of the reservations under that trip.

I really believe that adding different dining plan options will still be possible, JMO!

 

[whamma]

We don't buy the dining plan anymore so I think it's a good deal. It will make it easier to make dining reservations for your entire stay. Our last trip was a split stay (BLT then AKL) and I had to call one day to make dining ressies for the first 4 days of the trip and wait 4 days to make the ressies for the last part of the trip. Kind of a hassle. If I understand correctly, this change will eliminate that problem which will be nice.