I finally get why people walk reservations. Disappointed.

[Nabas]

It might also be the refurbishment. Don't know exactly when it's scheduled to start.

After all the discussions, I've been checking in general other resorts out of curiosity, and I see a lot of the supposed walked rooms still fully booked for past dates. Walkers will free up availability when walking. If it's not becoming availability, that's a good indication that they're being booked by people who want those dates.

I definitely don't see walking being worse than prior years.

IMO, DVC members looking to maximize their points used to book October, November, and the first three weeks of December because rooms were fewer points per night and the weather was nice.

But now, October and November are more expensive than the summer months.

Those looking to maximize their points are now being forced into the first three weeks of December.

With Covid restrictions over, there’s a lot more of us battling for those three weeks.

I’m one of them. I’d have been happy with October or November, with better pool weather. But it’s so expensive now, I find myself booking December, even if it means less pool time.

 

[Minniesgal]

Probably the hardest reservation to get on property

 

[BeachClub2014]

A combination of walkers and demand I s'pose.. with everyone learning about walking, on sites like this and Facebook, I guess it was bound to happen. Sigh, feels like the joy is getting ripped out of everything these days

I agree with you here. Demand begets walking. A little walking begets more walking. More walking begets frustration.

After all the discussions, I've been checking in general other resorts out of curiosity, and I see a lot of the supposed walked rooms still fully booked for past dates. Walkers will free up availability when walking. If it's not becoming availability, that's a good indication that they're being booked by people who want those dates.

I get your point. I would offer, however, that eventually every walk lands on their desired date and stops, as you've noted. They just don't keep walking forever. The issue is that if enough (too many?) people do an extended walk into the same dates that I want, and then stop, then I never actually have a chance at getting my dates. The more walking becomes the norm, the more walking will happen.

 

[davidhr]

I agree with you here. Demand begets walking. A little walking begets more walking. More walking begets frustration.


I get your point. I would offer, however, that eventually every walk lands on their desired date and stops, as you've noted. They just don't keep walking forever. The issue is that if enough (too many?) people do an extended walk into the same dates that I want, and then stop, then I never actually have a chance at getting my dates. The more walking becomes the norm, the more walking will happen.

That’s correct. But how do we know it’s being walked if the prior dates never become available?

As far as we know, every unit might have been booked at 8 am by non walkers. Do I believe that? No. Do I believe there was no walking? That’s another no. There’s definitely some walking being done.

One thing we all know for sure is that demand is crazy high for these weeks.

 

[SL6827]

Yikes. Sorry for your experience. We popped over there once for breakfast from Poly the week after Thanksgiving and it wasn’t bad at all.

I believe that very week is the calm before the storm.

 

[SL6827]

Looks like we can add AKV to the list this year too.. This is the first year I'm seeing an issue booking AKV Jambo in December right at the 11 month mark. There has always been plenty of availability (and even past 11 months!) especially for savanna view rooms. Not this year! Our savanna studio was fully booked this morning and so are the few days before. Checked the rest of Jambo and it's the same for most room types, studio through 2-bedroom, and view categories. (not talking about the value or concierge rooms here, those are to be expected!)

A combination of walkers and demand I s'pose.. with everyone learning about walking, on sites like this and Facebook, I guess it was bound to happen. Sigh, feels like the joy is getting ripped out of everything these days

Wow!

 

[SL6827]

It would have to be a free trip for me to venture to Disney in the Summer heat. Absolutely free!

 

[Disdreaming479]

We’ve realized that wdw during summer break is less hectic trip and we can schedule more rest days. In a couple years my kids will be done with typical school schedule. Looking forward for sure. University kids don’t go back until mid January.

 

[tx911]

We’ve realized that wdw during summer break is less hectic trip and we can schedule more rest days. In a couple years my kids will be done with typical school schedule. Looking forward for sure. University kids don’t go back until mid January.

I might have to embrace the summer more
We went last June and the heat didn't bother me at all. We usually book some ADRs to get out of the heat in the afternoon, and commonly take a break at the resort in the later afternoons.

 

[npatellye]

I might have to embrace the summer more
We went last June and the heat didn't bother me at all. We usually book some ADRs to get out of the heat in the afternoon, and commonly take a break at the resort in the later afternoons.

We went in July 2023 and we hadn’t been back during the summer since our kids were both toddlers. We actually found that trip to be more leisurely than our usual fall/winter trips. It’s a good thing, too, because our oldest is going into 6th grade and we feel she has reached an age where we can no longer pull the kids out for a week or more to go on vacation.

 

[intamin]

We went in July 2023 and we hadn’t been back during the summer since our kids were both toddlers. We actually found that trip to be more leisurely than our usual fall/winter trips. It’s a good thing, too, because our oldest is going into 6th grade and we feel she has reached an age where we can no longer pull the kids out for a week or more to go on vacation.

It really just depends on how you approach it. Are you trying to be a park commando from open to close in the middle of summer? Or are you going back to the pool midday/taking a nap?

 

[DonMacGregor]

I already have my BRV villa booked for the first week in December. Simple solution: buy more points, get a bigger villa. We only do 2BR's now, and we've still never cooked a meal in any DVC room. Same for our Aulani trips in March and August. 2BR OV every time.

 

[tidefan]

I already have my BRV villa booked for the first week in December. Simple solution: buy more points, get a bigger villa. We only do 2BR's now, and we've still never cooked a meal in any DVC room. Same for our Aulani trips in March and August. 2BR OV every time.

Don, we always cook at Aulani, though we get IG View 2 Bedrooms (Ewa Tower, high floor, IYKYK). I was thrilled when the gas grills opened back up. Costco is our friend out there!

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

Don, we always cook at Aulani, though we get IG View 2 Bedrooms (Ewa Tower, high floor, IYKYK). I was thrilled when the gas grills opened back up. Costco is our friend out there!

I couldn’t agree more (though we’re fine with 1bd)—but I worry booking 11mo in advance that one year we’re going to get unlucky and they will actually be building the neighboring resort.

 

[SL6827]

When I was much younger I could handle the heat. Not so anymore. But, I wonder about the summer and just possibly doing like After Hours events?

 

[tidefan]

I couldn’t agree more (though we’re fine with 1bd)—but I worry booking 11mo in advance that one year we’re going to get unlucky and they will actually be building the neighboring resort.

Well, at least it won't be Atlantis

 

[tx911]

Simple solution: buy more points, get a bigger villa.

You're not wrong though!

 

[DanCali]

The only way around this is to buy a fixed week contract but, it seems, only a few of these are sold every month.

This is not surprising to me. I think they would sell more if those contracts cost more upfront, but owners didn't have to pay that 10% premium annually in dues for the life of the contract.

So if a 1BR Christmas week was listed as 400 points, one would buy 400 points (not 440) for the right to reserve that week annually ahead of non-FW owners. It'd just be a question of how much you pay DVC upfront for that 400-point FW. I would find that more appealing as an owner and that would probably be much more profitable for DVC as well since they could maybe charge a 20% premium upfront at pure profit instead of just selling a bigger contract. Perhaps it's not possible to do given how the point system is structured.

 

[BrianLo]

Since August seems to be the least popular month among DVC members, it might be time for points to be reallocated from August to December.

I agree, it’s popular because it’s a nice time to go and cheap. They can rebalance and make it less cheap… but then do I even want to go then?

I have three room types now over four days that I was attempting to go over. I guess the inconvenience trades off the cheaper price.

I did finally notice how much less December focused Poly is. Studios are 19 points in early December and drop to 14 in September. Wheras VGF goes from 18 in early Dec to 16 in Sept. VGF is clearly underpriced. So we can look at it two ways, it’s a deal and you are lucky if you get it… or they can rebalance it and it’s no longer a deal.

 

[robinb]

I might have to embrace the summer more
We went last June and the heat didn't bother me at all. We usually book some ADRs to get out of the heat in the afternoon, and commonly take a break at the resort in the later afternoons.

We used to go in late August because my DD didn't start school until after Labor Day. Now that she's left the nest and graduated from college, we go in May and September. I like it *much* better!