Help with Walking a Reservation

[gmi3804]

I'd like to reserve at my home resort (VGC) at 11 months for next July, for a 4-night stay beginning 7/15/15.

Is it preferable to start walking the 4-night stay on 8/12? Or should I just grab one night first and then add each subsequent night?

My concern for a sell-out at 11 months is somewhat legitimate, as I'll be at VGC for the 60th anniversary of DLP, and I expect that week to be very busy. I'll have to borrow some points from 2015 UY, so grabbing a seven-day won't be practical as I have an August UY and I'll have leftover points when I cancel the days I don't need.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Strategies?

 

[drusba]

Though I doubt you will need walking, its purpose is to grab at least your day of arrival before 11 months out and then drop and add nights until you have what you want. Ideally you would start by booking 7 nights that includes your desired arrival date as the last night. With fewer points, you simply go out as far as you can, which in your case would mean reserving July 12-16 on Aug 12 and then drop and add nights daily until you have what you want.

 

[skier_pete]

So wait, how does this work? I get the concept, but is this something where you have to call Member services every day, and then drop the first day and add the last day? It seems kind of crazy, but I suppose if you really want to get something it may be the way to go.

Is this something you can also do at the 7-month mark with non-home resorts?

 

[gmi3804]

Though I doubt you will need walking, its purpose is to grab at least your day of arrival before 11 months out and then drop and add nights until you have what you want. Ideally you would start by booking 7 nights that includes your desired arrival date as the last night. With fewer points, you simply go out as far as you can, which in your case would mean reserving July 12-16 on Aug 12 and then drop and add nights daily until you have what you want.

Thanks for clarifying.

So wait, how does this work? I get the concept, but is this something where you have to call Member services every day, and then drop the first day and add the last day? It seems kind of crazy, but I suppose if you really want to get something it may be the way to go.

Is this something you can also do at the 7-month mark with non-home resorts?

You can only do it with your home resorts at 11 months. And yes, you have to call MS every day to adjust.

 

[chalee94]

So wait, how does this work? I get the concept, but is this something where you have to call Member services every day, and then drop the first day and add the last day?

if you do it for 7 nights, you would call on 8/9/14 and lock in all the nights through 7/15/15. that would mean waiting and calling back on 8/15/14 to complete the whole reservation (dropping the earlier nights and picking up the last 3).

it should still work to call back on 8/15/14, since theoretically, that room is occupied by the OP for the first night and therefore, no one would be able to call in on 8/15 to book 7/16/15 except the OP. but maybe the computer systems are erratic.

Is this something you can also do at the 7-month mark with non-home resorts?

not really, since the home resort owners could jump ahead of you at any time to book 7/16. some people are convinced it helps you against other non-home owners, but realistically, if it's still available by that point, there's really not enough competition to make it worth the hassle.