First time on WaitList

[mom3sonstt]

I booked hubby at Saratoga in a studio for Nov 8 - 13, that was the only studio available for the whole trip. We were trying to get Boardwalk and they had a Garden view available for the 2nd two nights. If it had been the last two or first 2 we would have taken it and moved, but not 2 days out of the middle. So now I've got it waitlisted for either a standard view or a garden view. I have never waitlisted before and didn't realize you had to waitlist each category separately. I asked to waitlist at Boardwalk and they asked which category. I said any and was told that we can only have 2 active waits so I needed to choose which 2 we wanted. I went with standard since its fewer points, and they kinda leaned me towards GArden since there were already 2 nights available there. I don't know that that will necessarily help me since somebody can book those 2 nights before my other nights free up.

I'm afraid since our arrival day is last day of Food & Wine that we may not get our waitlist since that date may not free up. Oh well - maybe we'll have beginners luck! So far we have always stayed at OKW plus our trip this August at the Treehouses.

 

[disneynutz]

We have never had much luck with wait lists and the new wait list rules don't help very much. It's obvious the Disney doesn't care about you getting what you want or they wouldn't have changed the rules.

The odds of someone canceling a reservation at your resort, for your category, for your dates, isn't likely to happen.

 

[n2mm]

I'm not a big fan of the waitlist. I find myself checking daily to see if it came through. I was on the waitlist for my last day for BLT for March 2010 and couldn't take it anymore (after 5 days) and called yesterday and changed my reservation to BCV and guess what, I'm on a waitlist for my first day. At the BLT I was waitlisted for the last day. Since SW is releasing their fares this week I want to be ready to book. So by waitlisting my first day at BCV, that is a better option because it's a little easier booking a $$AP rate room prior to checking in. It's my fault since I didn't call 7 months out, but just decided to go in early March. Good luck on the waitlist!

 

[CarolAnnC]

Since the Preferred (garden) view at BWV is a much larger percentage of the rooms, you have a better chance of something opening up in that category, rather than the Standard which is fewer rooms and more popular due to the lower points. I never had luck with BWV waitlists and that is the reason I purchased points there finally..

 

[mom3sonstt]

We have never stayed at BW. Actually other than our Aug trip at the Treehouses we have only stayed at OKW. This started out as a solo trip for hubby, then I decided to tag along, but we still wanted to conserve points. BW standard at 9 pts was the cheapest (other than AK Value and maybe OKW at 8) We are staying at AKL in Dec, and wanted to try something other than OKW. Once we got it in our head that we wanted to do Boardwalk, then the extra points became incidental - now we are just hoping to get in. If we have to stay at Saratoga, that's fine too, we have never stayed in the regular rooms there either, so any way it goes we'll be fine

 

[quirty30]

I've actually had good luck with waitlists so far and I've only been a member since June. Our first ressie was for 9/24 - 9/27 in a BLT 2 BR Standard View; we waitlisted for a Bay Lake View and it came thru in less than a month.
My 2nd ressie was for 10/30 - 11/1 in a BWV Studio Standard View; I waitlisted for a 3rd night on Nov. 1st and I got it as well, and that is still during F & W Festival. So keep your fingers crossed!

 

[OKW Lover]

We've had very good luck with the wait list. We've been members since 1995 and over time I'd say our success rate is about 80+%. We've always been able to get some place at WDW although sometimes we did have to settle for a less than optimal choice.

 

[Sandisw]

Did you WL all 4 days? If so, you can still call MS daily to see if either the first two or last two days opened up.

I did that for my August trip and I was eventaully able to get what I wanted by calling since I was restricted using the 2 active WL rul.

Right now, since nights 2 and 3 are available, you might get lucky and have either the 1st or the 4th night open up--you can then snag those and just WL the last one you need.

 

[Tara]

Good luck- I've been on the WL and still calling daily for 2 months now and that time period is very full! I'm tryng to get me full stay at BLT but also trying to ger my SSR part of my stay anywhere else. In all my calls, the 8th hasn't been open anywhere except ssr and okw. I don't have much faith that my WL will come through before my banking deadline. (if my trip stays as it is now I'll have about 80 points to bank)

 

[mom3sonstt]

My waitlist came through!! I had called in periodically to check not only the 2 Boardwalk categories I had waitlisted, but also whether there was any availability at the 3rd booking category or at Beach Club. Then at the 30-day mark we were out of town for the week-end. I had pretty much given up and had gone ahead and set up our Magical Express. I had put off doing that so on the chance the waitlist would come through I wouldn't have to change it. We got home from our long week-end getaway and I was catching up online. On a whim I went out and checked the DVC site (if nothing else I just like looking at the booked vacations) - and what do you know - it no longer said Saratoga Springs - it said Boardwalk!!! Then to top that off, thenext day I checked our flight itinerary. It had also been changed. Our flight had been bumped back to where we would be arriving an hour later. I called the airline to see if there were any earlier flights rather than later ones they could move us to. All they had was a direct flight, but she wasn't sure she could move us to it since we had originally booked a connecting flight. She checked with her supervisor and when she came back we were on a non-stop flight that arrives at 2:21 instead of a connecting flight that arrives at 6:27. I'm just hoping that I haven't used up all my pixie dust for this trip early!

 

[bobbiwoz]

Congratulations!

The waitlist that has come through to make me and my family the happiest is the one we have for BLT for 5 nights including the Marathon weekend in January. We have the lake view and I'm thrilled...I'm trying to see if standard view will come through to save some points, but if not, we're so happy to have a chance to stay at BLT, in a dedicated 2 bedroom.

That waitlist came through with no calls from me. I'm happy with the waitlist process.

Which view did you get?

Bobbi