I DESPISE DVC's Booking System!!!

[pixie921]

We are planning a huge family trip for our 20th anniversary next year and I called to book two villas at BLT today right at our 11-month window. I wanted a standard 1-bd and 2-bd. Of COURSE the first night of the 2-bd isn't available, and in the time it took her to tell me that, the first night of the 1-bd went unavailable!!!!!!!!!!

I really feel that if they're going to restrict us to certain booking windows, then they should have stuck with the original system of not being able to book any given day before that 11-month window! Giving people the ability to book 7 days ahead removes the level playing field, especially when you KNOW people are walking reservations.

Now we have to play with our dates a bit and dh and I will both have to call in at exactly the same time tomorrow on different phones if we hope to have a prayer of getting our trip booked.

 

[vicki_c]

Are you proposing that everyone have to call day by day to make any reservation? I think that would be totally ridiculous.

 

[DeeCee735]

Are you proposing that everyone have to call day by day to make any reservation? I think that would be totally ridiculous.

that's what we used to do and it actually worked out perfectly , IMHO, anyway.

 

[vicki_c]

that's what we used to do and it actually worked out perfectly , IMHO, anyway.

Apparently that was before my DVC time. I guess if that was the case, I would wait until the last day of my trip and book it all at once. I can't imagine any time I would ever be willing to call everyday for anything - reservations or dining. Too many other things to spend my time on.

So you will never have to worry about me walking any reservation - way too time-consuming.

 

[tammymacb]

that's what we used to do and it actually worked out perfectly , IMHO, anyway.

I agree 100%. At least then you have a fair chance at the reservation you really want.

 

[robinb]

that's what we used to do and it actually worked out perfectly , IMHO, anyway.

I used to work for me too. When they changed the way reservations are made, I was frozen out of a AKV studio back in January under similar circumstances as the OP's.

pixie921: Did you put yourself on the waitlist? If not, I would call back ASAP and do it. You can also call in the morning and see if you can get the rest of your days and then put yourself on the waitlist for the first day.

Good luck!

 

[jlapointe30]

But what about simply restricting walking reservations? Like preventing changes of dates for the first two weeks of the 7/11 months windows.

 

[JWG]

I agree with both arguments. The new system prevents daily calls to "add" days to a reservation, likely greatly reduces the call volume to Member Services and hopefully creates a better customer service environment.

I'd argue for finding a way to stop "walking" reservations. I don't know what the solution is, but we sufferred from that, too.

Tried to book a standard view studio at BWV at the 11-month mark and it wasn't available. Got through on the phone right at 9am eastern and everything. We only needed 4 nights, I guess I should have called 3 days earlier and booked a week then called back and dropped the first two days.

We did end up doing 1 night preferred view and then 3 nights standard with a wait list for the first night.

We'll also try to see what opens up at the 7 months mark - see if anyone changes out of BWV for another resort.

 

[tomandrobin]

Day by Day was the old system of calling, we liked it. It meant more work on our end, but we got our rooms.

The new system only benefits MS and large point owners. MS cause there is less work for them. Large point owners cause they can "walk" any reservation they want, as long as they have the points.

 

[Nanajo1]

But what about simply restricting walking reservations? Like preventing changes of dates for the first two weeks of the 7/11 months windows.

Sometimes air fares drop and you must jump at them. This may make you change your ressie.

 

[tomandrobin]

On a side note.....Online booking is coming. Hopefully reservations can be made more efficiently.

 

[Chuck S]

We are planning a huge family trip for our 20th anniversary next year and I called to book two villas at BLT today right at our 11-month window. I wanted a standard 1-bd and 2-bd. Of COURSE the first night of the 2-bd isn't available, and in the time it took her to tell me that, the first night of the 1-bd went unavailable!!!!!!!!!!

I really feel that if they're going to restrict us to certain booking windows, then they should have stuck with the original system of not being able to book any given day before that 11-month window! Giving people the ability to book 7 days ahead removes the level playing field, especially when you KNOW people are walking reservations.

Now we have to play with our dates a bit and dh and I will both have to call in at exactly the same time tomorrow on different phones if we hope to have a prayer of getting our trip booked.

Why would you KNOW someone is walking a reservation? The booking window now is for the end of October, Halloween week. Probably a pretty popular time for BLT with the Halloween parties and all. Plus Food & Wine, and BLT is connected to EPCOT by monorail.

You may not like the new booking system, but I wouldn't blame your inability to book on people waling a reservation into the future, they may truly be booking for themselves for those dates.

 

[Skatetigger]

Silly question, what is "walking" a reservation. I have to admit I like the new system but don't quite remember the old one as we bought in 2005 and I don't remember having to call each day to book. I actually would hate to have to call every day.

 

[DVC SSR Owner]

Are you proposing that everyone have to call day by day to make any reservation? I think that would be totally ridiculous.

Some of us work and can't call everyday. The new way is better!

 

[JWG]

Silly question, what is "walking" a reservation. I have to admit I like the new system but don't quite remember the old one as we bought in 2005 and I don't remember having to call each day to book. I actually would hate to have to call every day.

You can get all you need here:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2539204&highlight=walking+a+reservation

It's essentially booking your room ahead of need and then shifting your dates as they get closer. It started when they changed from being able to book 11 mos. prior to your check-out date and said you could book 11 mos. and 7 days form check out (to accommodate making a reservation on your check-in date for a week's stay).

You're locking up the room you need by reserving it ahead of time and then extending your stay as needed a few days later and dropping the days you don't need.

The description in the thread referenced is very complete.

 

[Kathi OD]

Some of us work and can't call everyday. The new way is better!

I remember when the change occurred and those in favor of day-by-day calling told us that if we really wanted to do it we could find a way.

 

[Eventer98]

that's what we used to do and it actually worked out perfectly , IMHO, anyway.

I agree......I preferred the day by day booking. I also preferred when the waitlist was one day at a time...not all your nights or nothing. When we went Xmas week in 08 it was tough to get all 10 nights at VWL but we did it..I contribute that to the old style of booking and waitlisting. FWIW.

 

[DVC SSR Owner]

I remember when the change occurred and those in favor of day-by-day calling told us that if we really wanted to do it we could find a way.

Tell that to my employer!

 

[Deb & Bill]

So if you can't call day by day, you call at the end of your trip and reserve all those days. You didn't have to make every reservation calling day by day. Just for those really hard to get ones.

But with the old way, everyone was equal at 9AM ET when they called MS. Now, many other members may have already been calling for six days before you could even make your first call.

 

[tjkraz]

The biggest advantage to day-by-day was that only a small number of DVC members knew about it. You weren't competing with 300,000 members for dates--you were only competing with the very small subset who were aware of the process AND were actually able to structure their lives around daily phone calls.

DVC never acknowledged day by day bookings. All of the printed materials, member handbooks, website, etc. said that reservations could be made "11 (7) months from the departure date." People who read about day-by-day bookings on websites or happened to have it mentioned by a Member Services rep were among the privileged few. It was like learning the super-secret DVC handshake.

Of course success was greater with that method because folks were undercutting those who simply adhered to the rules as they were written.

Day-by-day wasn't "fairer"...it was simply different. It would only have been fair if all members were privy to the process. And if that were the case, we would see similar results to what we have today--members being blocked out 11 months in advance during high demand periods.