I finally get why people walk reservations. Disappointed.

[Brian Noble]

A simple limit to the allowed number of modifications on a reservation, for example 2 or 3 times, would significantly limit walking while having essentially no effect on legit bookings.

Be careful what you wish for.

For example, Wyndham allows reservations to be changed, but only by adding days to the front/back. You cannot drop days without canceling the entire booking and trying to re-book it, but cancelled inventory does not return immediately.

And, ultimately, I am not sure why DVCMC would care to stop it. As far as they are concerned, the main goal is that the resorts are fully utilized. They don't much care who does the booking. As long as there are room sizes/dates that are more popular than others, some owners are going to be disappointed, no matter how booking works.

 

[tx911]

Be careful what you wish for.

For example, Wyndham allows reservations to be changed, but only by adding days to the front/back. You cannot drop days without canceling the entire booking and trying to re-book it, but cancelled inventory does not return immediately.

And, ultimately, I am not sure why DVCMC would care to stop it. As far as they are concerned, the main goal is that the resorts are fully utilized. They don't much care who does the booking. As long as there are room sizes/dates that are more popular than others, some owners are going to be disappointed, no matter how booking works.

I guess my reason for them stopping it is that it has a negative impact on the experience for owners. But perhaps they don't care about that once you have bought in.

I am not advocating for harsh limitations like you describe for Wyndham. But I can't see how limiting the total number of allowed modifications would significantly impact the average user, if it were a reasonable number like say 3. They could allow for more than that for a small fee. Walking would all but disappear.

 

[Brian Noble]

One man’s reasonable change is another’s harsh limitation.

Let me put it another way: if this hadn’t happened to you, how do you think you would feel about limitations on changes? It’s hard to know for sure, because this did happen. But I’d wager most owners would see such a change as strictly negative.

Indeed, for the owners willing and able to devote the time to walking, the current situation is ideal, because it maximizes their chances of getting the reservation they want. And that brings me back to my larger point: when demand exceeds supply for a particular room type and date, someone is going to be disappointed. The only question is who and how.

 

[tx911]

One man’s reasonable change is another’s harsh limitation.

As is one man's status quo

Your points are valid. Speaking for myself, I make reservations and don't change them, so a policy limiting modifications would have no effect on me. Maybe others make a lot of changes.

I always enjoy reading your posts. Level-headed and logical!

 

[AstroBlasters]

As is one man's status quo

Your points are valid. Speaking for myself, I make reservations and don't change them, so a policy limiting modifications would have no effect on me. Maybe others make a lot of changes.

I always enjoy reading your posts. Level-headed and logical!

As someone who had a reservation for WDW in March 2020… I can say that life happens and you never know when/why you might need to modify.

 

[npatellye]

The standards at BLT seem to be walked year round! I’ve owned there for 4 months and only seen availability pop up once!

The 1 bedroom standard was available after the 7 month mark for a July 2024 reservation. When we were looking at reservations a year ago for July 2023, it was also available. Demand for summer is low and that probably helps keep it available at that time.

 

[tx911]

And that brings me back to my larger point: when demand exceeds supply for a particular room type and date, someone is going to be disappointed. The only question is who and how.

It's a zero-sum game, someone will be left out. I get that, and I'm ok with it if everything is on the up and up.

But let's be honest. Walking reservations is the disingenuous, sneaky, morally questionable, seedy underbelly of DVC.

 

[tx911]

As someone who had a reservation for WDW in March 2020… I can say that life happens and you never know when/why you might need to modify.

Totally get that. I would never be in favor of completely removing the ability to modify.

 

[Disfamwa]

It's a zero-sum game, someone will be left out. I get that, and I'm ok with it if everything is on the up and up.

But let's be honest. Walking reservations is the disingenuous, sneaky, morally questionable, seedy underbelly of DVC.

The national park service prevents walking campsites by not allowing modifications to a reservation for a certain period time after you make it (I think it’s one or two weeks and can vary by campground). People still game the system by booking for a week starting on like a Tuesday before the weekend they actually want and then modifying to just the weekend after the freeze is up, but it stops people from slowing walking a reservation forward for months.

Edit: Disney could do something like this, but only freeze your check-in day for two weeks—that way people who need more than 7 days could still book. People could still walk a little, but it would be limited since people only have so many points.

 

[Brian Noble]

I would never bother spending the time walking a reservation. It's vacation, I don't want to work that hard. But if someone else wants to spend their time doing that, I don't see the moral argument against doing so. It's a technique available to any owner. Granted, you have to know it is possible, but that doesn't seem to be at issue in this case.

I'm also one of those people who doesn't see the moral argument against spec renting, so I might be the wrong guy to ask.

 

[davidhr]

I would never bother spending the time walking a reservation. It's vacation, I don't want to work that hard. But if someone else wants to spend their time doing that, I don't see the moral argument against doing so. It's a technique available to any owner. Granted, you have to know it is possible, but that doesn't seem to be at issue in this case.

I'm also one of those people who doesn't see the moral argument against spec renting, so I might be the wrong guy to ask.

I agree with this.

I walked once because I needed a difficult to book room during a high demand week and my dates were inflexible. It was a bit stressful but I have zero problems with it. If everyone has the same chance to start a walk, it’s fair game to me. I don’t do it regularly because I’m very flexible with the room type and I understand that I travel during the high season and won’t get what I want every time.

But restricting modifications will hurt more people than the ones hurt by the walkers. This year I had to change my reservation around 10 times. The day I booked initially I was 100% sure that I wasn’t going to need to modify it. But life happens.

 

[tx911]

I would never bother spending the time walking a reservation. It's vacation, I don't want to work that hard. But if someone else wants to spend their time doing that, I don't see the moral argument against doing so. It's a technique available to any owner. Granted, you have to know it is possible, but that doesn't seem to be at issue in this case.

I'm also one of those people who doesn't see the moral argument against spec renting, so I might be the wrong guy to ask.

I can definitely see that side of it. It's not explicitly against the rules, so go for it. There are lots of things we could do in life that are not against the rules per se, but are also not exactly in the mode of "do unto others".

I think walking begets walking. If no one did it, we'd all be better off. Because some choose to do it, others feel they need to do it, and on and on. Like you, I would never do it personally, just on principle.

 

[Disfamwa]

I agree with this.

I walked once because I needed a difficult to book room during a high demand week and my dates were inflexible. It was a bit stressful but I have zero problems with it. If everyone has the same chance to start a walk, it’s fair game to me. I don’t do it regularly because I’m very flexible with the room type and I understand that I travel during the high season and won’t get what I want every time.

But restricting modifications will hurt more people than the ones hurt by the walkers. This year I had to change my reservation around 10 times. The day I booked initially I was 100% sure that I wasn’t going to need to modify it. But life happens.

If you made it so you couldn’t modify the reservation start date for 2 or 3 weeks but then allowed modifications like normal, this wouldn’t impact situations like the one you mentioned and it would stop most walkers.

 

[TinkB278]

I saw that the day had been walked forward too.

I wonder why Disney doesn't curtail this practice. A simple limit to the allowed number of modifications on a reservation, for example 2 or 3 times, would significantly limit walking while having essentially no effect on legit bookings.

I don’t personally want them to limit our number of modifications we can make…. Seems like added stress for the benefit of a few.

 

[Sandisw]

I saw that the day had been walked forward too.

I wonder why Disney doesn't curtail this practice. A simple limit to the allowed number of modifications on a reservation, for example 2 or 3 times, would significantly limit walking while having essentially no effect on legit bookings.

Right now, the rules only penalize for changes within 31 days. Personally, I would be against any changes because in the scheme of things, the impact would be much more far reaching than for the small amount of walking that occurs.

The problem is that there simply are not going to be enough rooms of a certain types for all that want them.
Even if walking was stopped, the majority of people who want things like VGF rooms in December, SV at BWV and BLT, or CL at AKV, or any of the other ones, will get locked out of them.

 

[tx911]

The problem is that there simply are not going to be enough rooms of a certain types for all that want them.
Even if walking was stopped, the majority of people who want things like VGF rooms in December, SV at BWV and BLT, or CL at AKV, or any of the other ones, will get locked out of them.

I understand all this.

I don't have any idea how prevalent walking is, but I'm pretty sure the more people do it, the more people will do it.

I certainly wouldn't want limits put in place that would negatively impact other owners.

It just seems like the process of walking a reservation is different enough from legit modifications that they could curtail walking without really impacting the masses, if they really wanted to. It's pretty clear things aren't going to change, so making the best of it is all that can be done.

 

[Sandisw]

I understand all this.

I don't have any idea how prevalent walking is, but I'm pretty sure the more people do it, the more people will do it.

I certainly wouldn't want limits put in place that would negatively impact other owners.

It just seems like the process of walking a reservation is different enough from legit modifications that they could curtail walking without really impacting the masses, if they really wanted to. It's pretty clear things aren't going to change, so making the best of it is all that can be done.

At one time, booking was from check out day and not check in, so people would call and book day by day because of it as there were times peoole had trouble getting an entire week.

The good part though is that when it’s really walking causing the rooms to book so fast, waitlists and following behind them will work.

 

[tx911]

At one time, booking was from check out day and not check in, so people would call and book day by day because of it as there were times peoole had trouble getting an entire week.

The good part though is that when it’s really walking causing the rooms to book so fast, waitlists and following behind them will work.

Yes, trying the waitlist to see what happens, but I'm also pretty ok with what I have booked now, so it's all good.

 

[robinb]

I guess my reason for them stopping it is that it has a negative impact on the experience for owners. But perhaps they don't care about that once you have bought in.

There is no one stopping you from walking an important reservation the next time .

 

[kilik64]

In the immortal words of some redneck somewhere:

”If you ain’t cheatin you ain’t tryin’”