I really miss having an 'equal' shot at getting my reservations

[Disney Princess]

I agree that you should email Member Satisfaction. I think that if everyone else booked their trip fairly before you, then that is how it goes. Still, if it is a case of walking the reservation, then it seems to be a flaw in the system. Hopefully voicing your concerns will bring it to the attention of the MS team.

Also, I hope your waitlist works out for you. If someone has walked, you may just get what you want. Good luck!

 

[tjkraz]

Given that there was someone else reserving that time, it's like under the old system that they would have gotten part of their time but not all IF you had been successful in booking.

Agree with that. If demand was so high that there was nothing available 11 months out, the odds of stringing together multiple nights with day-by-day calls are equally remote.

Member Services has over 100 reps working at any given time. It's just as likely that others got through at 9am and had their reservations completed first.

The bigger mistake was having AKV concierge of that size in the first place.

The one aspect of the system that I would prefer to see changed is the ability to walk the reservations. Because it means someone who wanted the same dates or later than yourself could have booked a full week earlier and walked the reservation to your dates or after.

Agree again.

Neither system is perfect and I can't see how going back to a system that generated thousands of additional phone calls--most of them unnecessary--could be viewed as a plus.

 

[honeymo78]

Or they could have planned to arrive 11 months minus one day from the day the OP tried to book. They booked up six (or five or four...) of her days before she could even book.

I could also see this happening for the GVs since they are few in number.

I have already seen 3 people, including myself, on the disboards who have an AKV concierge room booked for a period that started before the OPs check in date and is ending at least 1 day after the OPs check in date. I believe 2 of them were studios that were booked and I have no reason to believe these aren't their actual vacation dates (I know for sure they are my in-laws vacation dates). I'm pretty sure at least some (most) of the 5 studios were not part of "walked" vacations.

 

[riatees]

I liked the old system better too. It was a pain to call day by day to book, but I never had a problem getting my first request as long as I called right when MS opened.

 

[El&Asmom]

OP, I'm sorry you didn't get your reservation, and know I would be bummed to be in your shoes. That being said, I just don't have the time or lifestyle at the moment to call day by day like the old system required.
I have three small kids, and making a single phone call without someone crying or bugging me during that call is rare.
Im glad that I can make one phone call and book 7 days from day one of my trip, rather than waiting until check out day knowing that a difficult to book room may be gone. Granted the hardest reservation we will be trying to get is a THV, though I'm sure those are less difficult at the 11m window given the number available.
Good luck with your WL. Sending you pixie dust that it will come through.

 

[gkrykewy]

As time goes on it's getting more difficult to guess when the slow times are. The last time that I had trouble getting our reservation, even MS couldn't answer what was causing the limited availability. She also shared that she has noticed that there is less available room inventory under the 6 month mark and that she has been a MS Adviser for 10 years.

Guess we can get rid of the "Best Kept Secret" tag line.

Bill

On the other hand, there have been lots of reports lately of typically "hard to get" reservations such as BCV being available well under 7 months. Who knows?

Personally, like the post above me, I greatly prefer the new system to the old one. There's no way I would ever be able to, or have the inclination to, call day by day for a reservation. I'd much rather either have a full reservation, or know that I need to book something else and waitlist. I do agree that Disney should do something to combat "walking" - the last bastion of reservation obsessives everywhere.

Sorry about your bad luck, OP! I'm 2 for 2 on booking concierge studio stays on the first try, and usually later than 9am! The first one was canceled at 7 months, and the current one might be too.

 

[Dean]

I agree that what may have caused the OP's issue is that some people have walked the reservation. I too would like to see that gone.

It seems that all they would have to do is say that any changes to a reservation within 7 days of booking would result in a cancellation and a rebook.

It is my opinion that all changes should be a cancelation and rebooking.

 

[Simba's Mom]

I'm going down the last week of September as well. Not for F&W, but that weekend will be the 40th anniversary of WDW. Even though nothing has been announced, I'm going to be there just in case something is announced later.

I hadn't thought of that. Thanks for pointing out that anniversary. Now I'm extra glad we chose that time.

 

[PMDR59]

This is a rare occurrence, but it does happen. There are only 5 2BR lockoffs at AKV on the concierge floor. If you want to book your arrival for Sep 29, 2011, you would call on Oct 29, 2010. If 5 other people have already planned their vacation to start on Sep 28, 2011, you would not get it.

This likely would not happen at any other resort/booking category.

Seriously I do not understand how changing back to check out date from check in date for booking would make any difference. Based on your example above if it was the OLD way of booking from check-out day.......the reverse would be.................. If u wanted to book your trip with a check-out date of Sept 29 ....u wld have called on Oct 29. 5 other people already planned their vacation and theirs will end on 9/28.....you are still not going to get what you want for your full LOS. You would be able to book the 1 day available and waitlist the prior days you wanted

Or am I missing something from the OLD way??

 

[Deb & Bill]

Seriously I do not understand how changing back to check out date from check in date for booking would make any difference. Based on your example above if it was the OLD way of booking from check-out day.......the reverse would be.................. If u wanted to book your trip with a check-out date of Sept 29 ....u wld have called on Oct 29. 5 other people already planned their vacation and theirs will end on 9/28.....you are still not going to get what you want for your full LOS. You would be able to book the 1 day available and waitlist the prior days you wanted

Or am I missing something from the OLD way??

No, you call as if you were checking out after the first night and add the second night. So you add a day at a time.

 

[CrazyDuck]

I liked the old system better too. It was a pain to call day by day to book, but I never had a problem getting my first request as long as I called right when MS opened.

Uh... No... I like it the way it is... I refuse to wake up at 3am everyday for a week to book a reservation!

 

[Rob S.]

I have already seen 3 people, including myself, on the disboards who have an AKV concierge room booked for a period that started before the OPs check in date and is ending at least 1 day after the OPs check in date. I believe 2 of them were studios that were booked and I have no reason to believe these aren't their actual vacation dates (I know for sure they are my in-laws vacation dates). I'm pretty sure at least some (most) of the 5 studios were not part of "walked" vacations.

I'm one of those folks that has reserved a studio for those dates. I'm going from 9/25 to 10/2 and I did not walk the reservation.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I have already seen 3 people, including myself, on the disboards who have an AKV concierge room booked for a period that started before the OPs check in date and is ending at least 1 day after the OPs check in date. I believe 2 of them were studios that were booked and I have no reason to believe these aren't their actual vacation dates (I know for sure they are my in-laws vacation dates). I'm pretty sure at least some (most) of the 5 studios were not part of "walked" vacations.

I also had been planning to try and book an AKV concierge room at that time (after swearing we wouldn't go again in Sept) so it apparently isn't a slow time. With the 40th anniversary I'm thinking it's going to be one of the busiest and people booking ahead in case there is a special celebration. I changed my mind though so no competition here but there almost was. OP I really believe you wouldn't have been so happy under the old system either.

And I've gotten Concierge at 7 months also so......

The bigger mistake was having AKV concierge of that size in the first place.

Eliminating the category is really the only solution to the concierge complaint not that I'm saying it should be done. I consider getting concierge as a bonus - not a given and would have hated to get a day or two under the old system and then get shut out on day 3 or 4.

 

[toniosmom]

I joined DVC after the switch to 7-day booking. However, I can't imagine having to call every day to add an additional day to my trip if it goes back to the old way. What a pain that must have been!

For example, I will hit the 11 month mark while at WDW (the 2nd day of my trip.) I will be calling on the 2nd day of my vacation at 9am to book that next trip. I would be really annoyed if I had to call every single day (for the length of my current vacation) in order to book the next vacation under the old system.

I agree that walking a reservation is a fairly large loophole. Not sure how Disney can eliminate this without causing additional problems.

 

[Dean]

Eliminating the category is really the only solution to the concierge complaint not that I'm saying it should be done. I consider getting concierge as a bonus - not a given and would have hated to get a day or two under the old system and then get shut out on day 3 or 4.

I'm not sure they could eliminate it "legally", I'd have to review the POS to see what parts are applicable to this issue to determine the possibilities there. What they could do would be to use options in place like lottery or the special season list declaring it special all the time. The other option would be to allocate additional 5th floor rooms as concierge since they can "legally" add but not subtract in many areas related to the POS.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I joined DVC after the switch to 7-day booking. However, I can't imagine having to call every day to add an additional day to my trip if it goes back to the old way. What a pain that must have been!

For example, I will hit the 11 month mark while at WDW (the 2nd day of my trip.) I will be calling on the 2nd day of my vacation at 9am to book that next trip. I would be really annoyed if I had to call every single day (for the length of my current vacation) in order to book the next vacation under the old system.

I agree that walking a reservation is a fairly large loophole. Not sure how Disney can eliminate this without causing additional problems.

BUT....If you walk a reservation, you are still calling daily to change it one day at a time.

 

[gkrykewy]

BUT....If you walk a reservation, you are still calling daily to change it one day at a time.

I'm sure that poster would never walk a reservation either. I sure wouldn't! Even thinking about it annoys me.

 

[UConnJack]

BUT....If you walk a reservation, you are still calling daily to change it one day at a time.

Exactly. Really, there is no difference between walking a reservation and calling day by day the old way. Instead of calling day by day 7/11 months out, now you just call day by day 7/11+7days out and walk the reservation. It doesn't change anyone's ability to put in the effort to get what they want by calling day by day, but it does allow a lot of people to make just one call if they have their week set.

Let go of the moral apprehension to walking reservations. It is allowed by the rules that we all play by. Nobody is getting more of an upperhand than anyone else, cause anyone can do it. Just think of the booking window now being 7/11+7days out

 

[PMDR59]

No, you call as if you were checking out after the first night and add the second night. So you add a day at a time.

So wouldnt this be what eveyone is calling "walking a reservation" because calling a day at a time the old way and adding 1 day each time was also beating the system since you were supposed to call for booking 11/7 months from your check-out day. Now u have to call a day at a time to beat the system and walk a reservation.

Sorry.....Just still not really seeing the difference. Circumventing the "rules" just because the system allows it makes it unfair for everyone.

 

[Deb & Bill]

So wouldnt this be what eveyone is calling "walking a reservation" because calling a day at a time the old way and adding 1 day each time was also beating the system since you were supposed to call for booking 11/7 months from your check-out day. Now u have to call a day at a time to beat the system and walk a reservation.

Sorry.....Just still not really seeing the difference. Circumventing the "rules" just because the system allows it makes it unfair for everyone.

It is allowed and not circumventing the rules. Day by day was allowed in the past and it is allowed now.