Has anyone waitlisted 11 months out and NOT gotten it?

[Boardwalk529]

Hello, everyone! It's been quite a while since I was active here, and I'm enjoying catching up on posts. The reason I'm here again is because I'm trying to figure out whether I should book flights for my waitlisted trip.

The VERY first day of my 11 month window I went to book a Boardwalk standard view room for December 7-10 (Thursday-Sunday), and it already wasn't available. I was surprised but figured a waitlist would surely come through. Well, it still hasn't. I'm watching flights get increasingly expensive and would really like to book them now. I'm starting to worry that I won't get the room, though, and will be stuck with the flights. I looked up prices of regular rooms that weekend, and they're way more than I'd like to pay for a place I already go to a couple times a year.

So, has anyone had this happen where a waitlist done at the 11 month window didn't come through? I would appreciate any input!

 

[1momof3boys3]

I have no experience on waitlisting, but I wanted to mention that I often fly through Southwest, and unless their policies have changed, they have an excellent cancellation policy. I have had to cancel flights a number of times over the past couple years (once was the day of the flight!) and every time I was given a credit for the full amount. It wasn't a refund, but it was a credit in the full amount of my ticket to book something else. It was available for a year. I even once cancelled a flight that was booked on a credit and still had no problem using that credit again. You may want to look at Southwest and other airlines to see what their cancellation policies are. It may be worth it to book a flight just in case the waitlist comes through.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I do not think your waitlist will come through, simply because it would be hard for all 3 nights to become available this close to your stay. I actually had booked a 1 bedroom standard BWV, December 3-8 right at 11 months, so earlier in the week one was available.

If that happens to me, I would book the pool/view and waitlist the standard view, just to have something.

At 7 months, I felt very lucky to get a HA 2 bedroom at SSR for December 7-11, because I had invited my cousins, we needed a HA roll in shower and approaching 7 months, I watched 2 bedroom HA units in all the other DVCs disappear. So, your time has been booked solid for a long time now.

I am really sorry this has happened to you. I would not have thought it possible a few years ago. I hope as we get closer to the 30 day mark, something good happens.

 

[disneynutz]

We stopped waitlisting with about a 20% success rate. Buying where we love to stay may have cost us more money but getting what we want, when we want is worth it to us.

Bill

 

[_auroraborealis_]

You will not get that wait list. In the future, book all available dates and wait list single dates. Book fill in at 7 months.

 

[Boardwalk529]

We stopped waitlisting with about a 20% success rate. Buying where we love to stay may have cost us more money but getting what we want, when we want is worth it to us.

Bill

Well that's the unfortunate thing. We bought at the Boardwalk so that we would be able to book at 11 months out. I did go on to book it AS SOON as I was able to, and it was already taken. I didn't bother to waitlist any other resorts at 7 months out because I never thought it wouldn't come through.

 

[disneynutz]

Well that's the unfortunate thing. We bought at the Boardwalk so that we would be able to book at 11 months out. I did go on to book it AS SOON as I was able to, and it was already taken. I didn't bother to waitlist any other resorts at 7 months out because I never thought it wouldn't come through.

I'm guessing a studio? For standard views, especially a studio at BWV, you will need to walk your reservation or choose a different category. Availability is now different than a couple of years ago.

Bill

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Lesson learned, I think.

1. Book any available days.
2. Waitlist any gaps.
3. Book a backup at 7 months for those gaps.
4. Ideally, have enough points for Pool/Garden. Standard is a small category and brutally competitive in fall.

 

[mustinjourney]

Standard studios go earlier than 11 months a lot of the times in the fall.

Things have gotten much more competitive than in years past.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

That is the busiest DVC week and the least likely time for one of the rooms with the best value on property to come thru.

If this question had been asked at that time the recommendations would have been to book a pool/garden view (or boardwalk view if it were still available) as your backup and then waitlist the standard view. Or at least at 7 months book a backup while you waited to see if the waitlist came thru.

Can it still happen? Yes but at this point it's best chance is right at 30 days.

 

[Marionnette]

I unde

Well that's the unfortunate thing. We bought at the Boardwalk so that we would be able to book at 11 months out. I did go on to book it AS SOON as I was able to, and it was already taken. I didn't bother to waitlist any other resorts at 7 months out because I never thought it wouldn't come through.

I understand your frustration. You buy a home resort with the expectation of being able to book your home resort at 11 months. What a lot of owners don't realize is that just owning at a particular resort does not guarantee that the room & view that you want will be available at the time that you want to stay there. So many people have purchased small resale or addon contracts at BWV with the expectation that they will use those points for a std. view studio during F&W or the holidays. Those small contracts were once owned by people who had (or still have) larger contracts at BWV. So, instead of one owner who might be trying to book one of those coveted studios, you now potentially have two or more.

You were looking for a weekend stay. Yes, they cost more points, but they're still popular. There were others who had booked a week-long stay that began the Saturday or Sunday before your dates. They got a jump on you when it came to booking your Thurs-Sun. visit. And while it stinks for you, those owners are just as entitled to those dates as you are.

As for waitlists coming thru, I've had more success at other resorts than I have had for BWV Std. Views, even with only 1- or 2-day requests. Heck, I even managed to snag 3 weekend nights in an AKL CL studio via wait list! But BWV Std. View in the fall/holidays has never come thru for me, so if I'm dead set on staying there, I accept that I may have to suck it up and spend the extra points for a BW View.

 

[Boardwalk529]

Thank you, everyone, for sharing your experiences with The BWV. I wouldn't have minded using more points on a preferred view room but really didn't think it would be necessary. In the past I have gotten rooms at other resorts waitlisted at the 7 month period for early December, so I really didn't anticipate having any difficulty getting the room 11 months out. I really regret not waitlisting elsewhere when the time arose, as I'm certain it's useless at this point.

I guess I will just cancel my waitlist and plan a trip elsewhere. I suppose that's much better than planning a trip that never comes through!

 

[mustinjourney]

Thank you, everyone, for sharing your experiences with The BWV. I wouldn't have minded using more points on a preferred view room but really didn't think it would be necessary. In the past I have gotten rooms at other resorts waitlisted at the 7 month period for early December, so I really didn't anticipate having any difficulty getting the room 11 months out. I really regret not waitlisting elsewhere when the time arose, as I'm certain it's useless at this point.

I guess I will just cancel my waitlist and plan a trip elsewhere. I suppose that's much better than planning a trip that never comes through!

You could try a waitlist for Saratoga springs or OKW. Those will be the most likely to open up. Like someone else said, people cancel things 31 days out so they don't get stuck with points in their holding account.

 

[FRANKTSJR]

I deal with this issue every year when trying to book a BWV std. during F & W. When I go to book at the first possible second at 11 month mark the first day of the week long reservation is not available. This is due to people walking reservations. I spend the rest of the year trying to piece together a decent reservation. Maybe I'll walk the reservation this year(hate to do it).

 

[CarolMN]

I deal with this issue every year when trying to book a BWV std. during F & W. When I go to book at the first possible second at 11 month mark the first day of the week long reservation is not available. This is due to people walking reservations. I spend the rest of the year trying to piece together a decent reservation. Maybe I'll walk the reservation this year(hate to do it).

I wish DVC would change the rules to disallow any changes or modifications to the dates of a reservation more than 10 months prior to arrival. That would stop the vast majority of the walkers, and still allow for modifications made to accommodate airline reservations, etc and should be relatively easy for MS to implement. It would also reduce the calls to MS during busy booking periods and thus save Disney some $$.

 

[kniquy]

I wish DVC would change the rules to disallow any changes or modifications to the dates of a reservation more than 10 months prior to arrival.

this would not fly with many members as people do change their reservations not solely for purposes of walking a reservation. I just recently canceled my first 3 days at AKV to then rebook my 3 days at PVB -- in your scenario i wouldn't be able to change my dates. There could be a ways to tighten up on walking if they allowed only a certain number of adjustments to current reservations. I am sure it is a problem but with the vast number of rooms available - i doubt DVD would intervene in this issue.

As for OP -- I guess one option would be to rent your points and try and get a cash reservation. That really depends on what your UY is and what points you have available. This would help offset the cost of the cash reservation. This late in the game makes it really difficult.

I guess a hard lesson learned but a good point for you to bring up for other members -- book something and waitlist your desired rooms. If the waitlist comes through then wonderful!! if not then at least you have something to fall back on.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I deal with this issue every year when trying to book a BWV std. during F & W. When I go to book at the first possible second at 11 month mark the first day of the week long reservation is not available. This is due to people walking reservations. I spend the rest of the year trying to piece together a decent reservation. Maybe I'll walk the reservation this year(hate to do it).

Not necessarily due to walking. Anyone who is legitimately checking in sometime in the week prior to you has first dibs on the rooms so there's less rooms for the people looking to check in on the days you are. If it were only walking then the people would walk past the dates and you'd be able to get them a week later. Walking can help you get in on the group that gets the room but in itself the rooms being gone when you want them is partly just the way booking is done now as up to 7 days from date of check in. But then no one is guaranteed a particular room on a particular day at any of the older resorts. Part of not having guaranteed weeks.

I still feel this way of reserving is far superior and better for the majority of the membership than the old system which had a slew of problems caused by it not being followed and people doing day by day bookings. I also have no wish for there to be restrictions on changes - the "cure" can often cause worse side effects.

 

[CarolMN]

this would not fly with many members as people do change their reservations not solely for purposes of walking a reservation. I just recently canceled my first 3 days at AKV to then rebook my 3 days at PVB -- in your scenario i wouldn't be able to change my dates. ........

Yes, you would. You just wouldn't be able to change a reservation (by adding or dropping nights) more than 10 months in advance of arrival. That would be plenty of time to adjust for airfare and would only stop walking at 11 months. Proposal would not impact anything you do between 10 months and arrival. I don't see how it would impact the example you cited.

You would be free to cancel an entire reservation and rebook at any time - if walkers go that route, they run the risk of a waitlist taking what they have before they can rebook. IMO, that would significantly reduce the amount of people willing to walk. They would have to risk losing what they have (by cancelling & rebooking) or tie up a month's worth of points to secure the dates they actually want.

 

[kniquy]

You just wouldn't be able to change a reservation (by adding or dropping nights) more than 10 months

Sorry - I totally was not reading it that way. I guess that could make sense.

I guess those who have been impacted by others walking reservations would be on board for the restrictions -- I guess there are probably only certain resorts and room types or certain times of the year (Sept - Marathon) where walking is a bit more prominent.

 

[mustinjourney]

Yes, you would. You just wouldn't be able to change a reservation (by adding or dropping nights) more than 10 months in advance of arrival. That would be plenty of time to adjust for airfare and would only stop walking at 11 months. Proposal would not impact anything you do between 10 months and arrival. I don't see how it would impact the example you cited.

You would be free to cancel an entire reservation and rebook at any time - if walkers go that route, they run the risk of a waitlist taking what they have before they can rebook. IMO, that would significantly reduce the amount of people willing to walk. They would have to risk losing what they have (by cancelling & rebooking) or tie up a month's worth of points to secure the dates they actually want.

the other poster was confused with the ambiguity of your proposal (I was too at first...and I had to reread it again after I saw your example). The other poster was likely thinking you meant that if you booked the reservation prior to 10 months, you could not change the reservation at all b/c it was made more than 10 months prior to arrival. Whereas you intended it to mean you can't change a reservation until within 10 months of arrival.