Is this what they mean by "walking" reservation? Is everyone OK with this?

[Simba's Mom]

I confess I haven't read the threads about walking a reservation, didn't really think it affected me, until now. We want a 1 BR at BCV for 10/19,20, and 21. The members' site showed availability until few days ago. Now they're gone! I couldn't figure out why the 1 BRs would disappear a few days BEFORE the 7 month window (yeah, guess I was naive). Then it dawned on me-maybe people are "walking" a reservation-calling 7 months before the 15th, book all 7 nights, then they'll call back after the 21st to cancel those first few nights. Or maybe even call 7 months prior to the 19th, get that night, call again the next day, etc. Do you think many people are doing that? Now that it's dawned on me what walking is all about, and I've had to wait list because of it, I'm really tempted next year. But part of me still thinks it's wrong.

 

[jekjones1558]

I really don't think anyone is walking a reservation at almost 7 months out. If a BCV owner were going to walk a reservation it would be at 11 months out. DVC rooms across property are pretty full for those dates, even one bedrooms. I would guess that someone who owns at BCV just now made plans to go or extend a trip. And the nights that were available may have been from a recent cancellation. JMHO. Hope you get the room you want. I recently canceled an Oct. week in a BW view 1 bedroom, so anything is possible!

 

[DebbieB]

I confess I haven't read the threads about walking a reservation, didn't really think it affected me, until now. We want a 1 BR at BCV for 10/19,20, and 21. The members' site showed availability until few days ago. Now they're gone! I couldn't figure out why the 1 BRs would disappear a few days BEFORE the 7 month window (yeah, guess I was naive). Then it dawned on me-maybe people are "walking" a reservation-calling 7 months before the 15th, book all 7 nights, then they'll call back after the 21st to cancel those first few nights. Or maybe even call 7 months prior to the 19th, get that night, call again the next day, etc. Do you think many people are doing that? Now that it's dawned on me what walking is all about, and I've had to wait list because of it, I'm really tempted next year. But part of me still thinks it's wrong.

It's more common at the 11 month window because you could hit a soldout night at the 7 month window. It's hard to say at BCV because it's popular due to Food & Wine. Keep watching, if people are walking those nights might show back up. I'll admit I've done it at VGC. We typically stay Saturday or Sunday to Friday. I'll book Friday to Friday and then drop the first 1 or 2 nights to be sure we get it.

 

[CarolMN]

Walking really only works at 11 months. You can't see farther ahead than 7 months +7, so you have no way to know if any of the nights that you want will be available to "walk" to what you really want.

You probably just got shut out by people who are starting their vacations sooner than you plan to do. As you know, BCV is very popular for that time of the year and weekends during F&W Festival are especially popular.

All that said, it's possible that someone booked a vacation that starts before they actually plan to arrive. If so, it's possible that the nights you want will open up later. I know you will go online at 8 am Eastern on the 19th and waitlist if you must.

Good luck!

 

[Sandisw]

I do think that it is possible that someone who is not needing a full 7 nights could have started an early booking to include those dates with the intention to cancel out the beginning.

But, in the true sense of walking, it really only works at 11 months because at 7, there is always a chance that a home resort owner comes and gets the dates you want, or as mentioned, you can't see more than 7 days out so a person would be limited to that.

Don't give up hope. I had to change from a 2 bedroom to a 1 bedroom at BWV last year when our plans changed. This happened in June and through wait lists, stalking the website and booking one night, I ended up getting it for that very same time frame in 2012...so, its still possible to get what you want.

Good luck!

 

[Simba's Mom]

I guess I need to clarify. I AM a BCV resort owner, but we're so "point poor", I didn't book at 11 months. However, since I own there, I've been able to check availability since 11 months. At 7 months I could use any point to reserve, and we do also own at OKW, and those are the points I was going to use. I know that the answer is to buy more BCV points-we're looking and waiting for a contract with roughly the number of points we want in our use year. It just seemed odd to me that all the time I checked(like every day), there was still BCV availability in the 1 BRs tip suddenly a few days ago.

 

[LisaS]

We want a 1 BR at BCV for 10/19,20, and 21. The members' site showed availability until few days ago. Now they're gone! I couldn't figure out why the 1 BRs would disappear a few days BEFORE the 7 month window (yeah, guess I was naive).

Those nights fall within the 7-month window for someone checking in on Oct 15th which means they could be booked with non-BCV points starting March 15.

When we see availability we don't know how many rooms are left, maybe only one. If there were just a few 1BRs left, anyone booking a 7-night stay checking in on Oct 15th and booking that stay on March 15th would take away some/all of the rooms you saw available just a few days ago.

And while a Tuesday may seem to be an odd check-in day, it's the day after Columbus Day. Someone wanting to go to F&W but avoid the holiday weekend crowds might choose to arrive that day, after the long weekend crowds have gone home.

 

[jekjones1558]

And while a Tuesday may seem to be an odd check-in day, it's the day after Columbus Day. Someone wanting to go to F&W but avoid the holiday weekend crowds might choose to arrive that day, after the long weekend crowds have gone home.

We usually book Tuesday to Tuesday. The airfares are cheapest on Tuesdays, less congestion at car rentals, faster bell services, etc. In fact our Oct. trip is Oct. 15 - 22.

 

[BCV2003]

I am a BCV owner and had a 1BR booked for October 17-21 until last week. Once my 7 month window opened up for Aulani and I was able to get a reservation there, I cancelled the 1BR at BCV (on 3/12). BCV was our back-up plan for our honeymoon following a cruise is Aulani fell through.

 

[kenly777]

So, If you are walking a reservation and add one night at a time, do you just add them and link the reservations later? New to all of this. Can you just drop earlier, unneeded days, with the modify reservation button?
What about if you have a reservation, and you see something more preferable come available, do you have to cancel your original reservation first, hoping that the one you want to add, doesn't get snatched up while you are in the process of canceling?

 

[DebbieB]

So, If you are walking a reservation and add one night at a time, do you just add them and link the reservations later? New to all of this. Can you just drop earlier, unneeded days, with the modify reservation button?
What about if you have a reservation, and you see something more preferable come available, do you have to cancel your original reservation first, hoping that the one you want to add, doesn't get snatched up while you are in the process of canceling?

You can't do it online, you have to call. You don't cancel, you extend by one day and then cancel the earlier date (assuming you have enough points).

 

[LaurenT]

You can't really walk at 7 months. Walking is a way to tie up the room and assure that no one else can book it until you get it to the dates you need. You can do that with the 11 month window because no one can touch that room for the dates beyond 11 month and 7 days, so you just need to start at least 7 days ahead of when you need it, or longer if you're nervous (as I did when I needed TWO value studios for 9 nights at Jambo!).
You can't do that at the 7 month window because anyone whose home resort is the one you're trying to walk can go right in and book up the dates you really need before you "walk" over to them.....

 

[LaurenT]

So, If you are walking a reservation and add one night at a time, do you just add them and link the reservations later? New to all of this. Can you just drop earlier, unneeded days, with the modify reservation button?
What about if you have a reservation, and you see something more preferable come available, do you have to cancel your original reservation first, hoping that the one you want to add, doesn't get snatched up while you are in the process of canceling?

This is why you should do it on the phone with member services. They were able to hold the room for me while they canceled out the beginning dates.....

 

[Plutofan]

I would be very careful walking a reservation at the 11 month window. I had a discussion with a DVC manger who assisated me when I walked a complicated reservation at the 7 month window. He told me that the way the new system works is that once you change the reservation at the 11 month window the system drops the entire reservation versus the old system where it would hold the days. Walking a reservation at the 7 month window is risky but needed at certain circumstances when inventory is really low. It is a high risk situation and you need to know what you are doing so I would not recommend it.

 

[luckyman_apd]

I would be very careful walking a reservation at the 11 month window. I had a discussion with a DVC manger who assisated me when I walked a complicated reservation at the 7 month window. He told me that the way the new system works is that once you change the reservation at the 11 month window the system drops the entire reservation versus the old system where it would hold the days. Walking a reservation at the 7 month window is risky but needed at certain circumstances when inventory is really low. It is a high risk situation and you need to know what you are doing so I would not recommend it.

I think maybe the specifics of your complicated ressie may have something to do with this. If I had 7 nights at a resort, and called to drop the first day and add one at the end, they don't cancel the whole reservation. I did this recently, not with a 7 day, but changed a few days and I didn't get a new reservation number. Plus they have the ability to hold days so they don't go back into circulation.

 

[LaurenT]

I would be very careful walking a reservation at the 11 month window. I had a discussion with a DVC manger who assisated me when I walked a complicated reservation at the 7 month window. He told me that the way the new system works is that once you change the reservation at the 11 month window the system drops the entire reservation versus the old system where it would hold the days. Walking a reservation at the 7 month window is risky but needed at certain circumstances when inventory is really low. It is a high risk situation and you need to know what you are doing so I would not recommend it.

I can't see why it would do that. If I have a reservation for the 10th to the 16th and then find out I can't go until the 11th, how can they cancel the whole trip?
I'm sure you're correct that a MS CM said this, but I think it's wrong.
And walking at the 7 month window may give you an advantage over others who are not owners at the resort in question, but it gives you zero guarantee that an owner won't kill your whole plan with one phone call at any point at all during the process....not to mention that the dates won't be available anyway if it's something like BC during F&W...no matter how far ahead of the 7 months you try to start walking....
Anyway, as I said, I walked my Jambo house value studios. MS knew exactly what I was doing and what I needed and they were very helpful. They always said that they needed to check availability, but we knew there was availability...there had to be. I was the only one allowed to touch those rooms because I had them reserved beyond the 11 month window. You can extend to a week, but you have to have that room available for your first date...and my rooms weren't available for anyone else because I already had them....

 

[Plutofan]

I think maybe the specifics of your complicated ressie may have something to do with this. If I had 7 nights at a resort, and called to drop the first day and add one at the end, they don't cancel the whole reservation. I did this recently, not with a 7 day, but changed a few days and I didn't get a new reservation number. Plus they have the ability to hold days so they don't go back into circulation.

I had nothing to do with my reservation. The MS was concerned about the system canceling the whole reservation so he told me there was a manger on duty who was very involved with new system and he said at the 11 month window the system does cancel out the entire reservation. No one really realizes it since most of the time there is no issue since the resorts are just opening up. Just beware....

 

[LaurenT]

I had nothing to do with my reservation. The MS was concerned about the system canceling the whole reservation so he told me there was a manger on duty who was very involved with new system and he said at the 11 month window the system does cancel out the entire reservation. No one really realizes it since most of the time there is no issue since the resorts are just opening up. Just beware....

But if you were doing a 7 month window and what you're talking about is a concern for an 11 month window, why did he need to get his manager?

 

[Plutofan]

But if you were doing a 7 month window and what you're talking about is a concern for an 11 month window, why did he need to get his manager?

The MS person who was booking my reservation knew that there were issues walking reservations under the new system so he said he wanted to get a manager who is very knowledgable about the new system. When we talked he told me that it was not an issue since I was booking at the 7 month window. He said that the walking issue was only at the 11 month window with the new system.

 

[LaurenT]

The MS person who was booking my reservation knew that there were issues walking reservations under the new system so he said he wanted to get a manager who is very knowledgable about the new system. When we talked he told me that it was not an issue since I was booking at the 7 month window. He said that the walking issue was only at the 11 month window with the new system.

Well, hopefully they've fixed that glitch in the new system.....