Is the waitlist deterministic... or hit & miss?

[FLYNZ4]

I was just reading a post where people were discussing the waitlist... and there was a comment about not trusting it.

Is the waitlist deterministic? When a reservation is cancelled... what happens to that inventory?

a) Immediately go to the waitlist... so that other members cannot book the time... and then released into available inventory if there are no waitlist matches.
b) Immediately go into available inventory... and then occasionally the waitlist program would check for waitlist matches.

Clearly option a) is better because it it deterministic, and always gives priority to people on the waitlist. With option b)... a lot people would get reservations ahead of people on the waitlist just because they were on the phone at the right moment.

/Jim

 

[Doctor P]

My understanding is that the waitlist is only run once a day (I believe at the close of business). Inventory that gets opened up during the day can get snatched up if a member happens to call that day and it gets freed up. It only makes it to the wait list if it makes it to the end of the day without getting claimed by a fortuitously timed call by a member. Not sure if that is still the way things are working, but that was the nature of the reports at one time.

 

[Granny]

Based on numerous reports here over the past few years, it seems evident that the waitlist is an imperfect system at best, and many people magically get their waitlists only when they call to check on it.

I know that many have had a lot of success with the waitlist. Personally, I am batting .000 (0 for 2) for the auto waitlist, but I never called to check during the waitlist time.

One more reason I'm glad I bought where I want to stay the most.

 

[FLYNZ4]

It looks like the waitlist implementation encourages the wrong behavior. So if we want to waitlist for someplace... it makes sense to keep calling. This of course just increases our direct costs.

/Jim

 

[abner1776]

Your ability to clear the waitlist is directly impacted by how badly you want the ressie !! If you absolutely positively must get the ressie from the waitlist, then hell will freeze over b/4 it comes through...if on the other hand, you already have a nice ressie at another resort and don't really care if your ressie clears the waitlist, then you can be sure it will clear it.

I booked my daughters into the BWV for next April school vacation week and went on the BCV waitlist. THey really didn't care whether they went to BWV or BCV, which means...yup...the waitlist came through in less than 2 weeks.

 

[LIFERBABE]

It really depends on what MS rep you speak with

Some will tell you, cancelled ressies or available points inventory goes directly to the waitlist. But I evidence of the contrary.

The waitlist has always worked for me but this year it has been a lot harder to get my Christmas stay lined up. Next year I am booking at 11 months, 1 place, no moving.

 

[goldilocks_63]

I use the auto wait list, and have had it fill... but also do a day at a time, which is dicey, but works for me, and if it doesn't am willing to move ....

So good results with the autolist for me.

Goldi

 

[Granny]

Your ability to clear the waitlist is directly impacted by how badly you want the ressie !! If you absolutely positively must get the ressie from the waitlist, then hell will freeze over b/4 it comes through...if on the other hand, you already have a nice ressie at another resort and don't really care if your ressie clears the waitlist, then you can be sure it will clear it.

Ah, the Law of Inverse Criticality! Very true indeed!

 

[starbox]

Ah, the Law of Inverse Criticality! Very true indeed!

I've had great luck with the waitlist so far, we've always just set it to auto-confirm. I have always had a back-up reservation elsewhere, and I've just used the waitlist to get what I thought would be very difficult reservations. My attitude has always been "if it happens, that's just the icing on the cake".

It does seem that if you get on the waitlist right at 7 months, there tends to be a good bit of movement with people switching resorts - so the earlier you get in the que, the better.

 

[Goofy's apprentice]

We have used the waitlist for the last three years for that dreaded week in November when F&W ending, Jersey, Super Soap, Veterans day etc etc collide. We use autoconfirm and day by day option and have always got the rooms we needed at BWV and BCV. This year we had to change the our dates a few times and entered the waitlist as late as the end of August. We watch the website to see when the days come in.

It must also 'match' during the day because I called one morning to change an ADR and asked if the waitlist came through. Answer was no. Later in the day when I checked the website, the day had matched !

I do think that success will depend on the room type you need. In our case we were always booking studios. I would always suggest taking a chance with the waitlist but if you have the points to be able to keep a backup reservation you should definitely have that.

 

[lisareniff]

I am very curious about the waitlist myself. I have one day that I am trying to switch to a VWL 2 bedroom during Pres. Week. I called right at 9am at 7 months day-by-day. This one day I had to wait list. I thought no problem there will be lots of movement in the next couple days... wrong. Still waiting.

I have called just a couple times to try and check. Both times the CM's claimed the waitlist was filled as soon as there was a cancellation. One thought that maybe there would be a few seconds lapse. Neither one would check availability of that date for me.

 

[CindiR]

We watch the website to see when the days come in.

How do you do this? I haven't found a way to book online or check online.

 

[dgaston]

If you elect the "autoconfirm" option, the DVCMember website reflects that under the MY DVC Points section. I have learned I had a BWV Boardwalk view there! I have only waitlisted for studios, but this last year for a few nights before the 4th of July, DH and I decided to do a brief trip to try to catch the shuttle launch (still an unfulfilled life goal for Don). At first there were NO studios anywhere, but by the time we were getting ready to fly to FL we had two nights at BWV with a few other choices. I did switch between preferred and boardwalk view, but could have had two nights in preferred without moving. Busy time, and waitlist came through.

 

[ssnelle]

Regarding the waitlist protocol, I will add our recent experience. We made a reservation 3 weeks ago at BWV for a 1BR and were able to book Boardwalk view for the last 4 nights (of a 5 night stay), but not the first night (a Sunday). I made a reservation for preferred view for the first night but waitlisted to switch that to the Boardwalk view, with the phone call option rather than automatic switch. I then called daily (sometimes more than once) just to check inventory in case one slipped in and would then check the status of our waitlist. Nothing.

Then on Tuesday I called and there was nothing in inventory, but when I checked the status of the waitlist it was a match. We are thrilled! But I had not yet received a phone call. It probably was that the waitlist had just been matched and they hadn't gotten a chance to call yet, but the reason I mention all this is that the room did not go into inventory, it matched my waitlist instead. Hopefully this is a good sign that the waitlist does work!

Good luck to all, we go in 2 months and I am very excited about the Boardwalk view!!!

 

[byoung]

So far our waitlist have come thru.

 

[CindiR]

If you elect the "autoconfirm" option, the DVCMember website reflects that under the MY DVC Points section. I have learned I had a BWV Boardwalk view there! I have only waitlisted for studios, but this last year for a few nights before the 4th of July, DH and I decided to do a brief trip to try to catch the shuttle launch (still an unfulfilled life goal for Don). At first there were NO studios anywhere, but by the time we were getting ready to fly to FL we had two nights at BWV with a few other choices. I did switch between preferred and boardwalk view, but could have had two nights in preferred without moving. Busy time, and waitlist came through.

Thanks for the information. I think I will call on Monday and have them do the automatic confirmation. I LOVE getting to check multiple times daily to see if something has come through.

 

[CindiR]

Regarding the waitlist protocol, I will add our recent experience. We made a reservation 3 weeks ago at BWV for a 1BR and were able to book Boardwalk view for the last 4 nights (of a 5 night stay), but not the first night (a Sunday). I made a reservation for preferred view for the first night but waitlisted to switch that to the Boardwalk view, with the phone call option rather than automatic switch. I then called daily (sometimes more than once) just to check inventory in case one slipped in and would then check the status of our waitlist. Nothing.

Then on Tueday I called and there was nothing in inventory, but when I checked the status of the waitlist it was a match. We are thrilled! But I had not yet received a phone call. It probably was that the waitlist had just been matched and they hadn't gotten a chance to call yet, but the reason I mention all this is that the room did not go into inventory, it matched my waitlist instead. Hopefully this is a good sign that the waitlist does work!

Good luck to all, we go in 2 months and I am very excited about the Boardwalk view!!!

Thanks for the info. I think I will call frequently as well.

And it is good to know you got your waitlist for around the same timeframe I am looking at.

 

[FLYNZ4]

Then on Tuesday I called and there was nothing in inventory, but when I checked the status of the waitlist it was a match. We are thrilled! But I had not yet received a phone call. It probably was that the waitlist had just been matched and they hadn't gotten a chance to call yet, but the reason I mention all this is that the room did not go into inventory, it matched my waitlist instead.

It is not clear to me that your unit went straight to the waitlist. It is quite possible that the unit did go into available inventory... but that the "waitlist program" took it out prior to someone else booking it. A previous poster reported that when reservations are canceled, the unit does go into available inventory... and that the "waitlist program" only runs occassionally.

/Jim