Just saw this on the DVC website

[tiggernicole]

The website now says it is down until noon.

 

[marathonmommy]

subscribing and waiting to hear the news...

 

[Love2BinDisney]

subscribing too

 

[Cricket2]

Should we sing a campfire song while we wait?

 

[disneybride96]

If it's like the upgrade to the Indiana BMV system, we may be able to get in next September.
Ohhhh, our tax dollars at work!

 

[Bribrittmom]

I was just on the site checking my ressies and didn't notice any changes.

 

[spiceycat]

the only changes I noticed was now the years listed go to 2008 (instead of 2006).

so us that bank and borrow - you can at least see how many points you have next year....

it is still not acknowledging the reservations make on borrow points however -or at least I couldn't find it....

okay I found them....

so I would say for the DVC member who bank and borrow - they can now see what is happening to their accounts online.

they are definitely getting closer to allow online booking.

 

[greenban]

If it's like the upgrade to the Indiana BMV system, we may be able to get in next September.
Ohhhh, our tax dollars at work!

BMV: Indiana Bicycle & Motor Vehicle Department?

Inquiring Minds Need to Know!

-Tony

 

[greenban]

the only changes I noticed was now the years listed go to 2008 (instead of 2006).

so us that bank and borrow - you can at least see how many points you have next year....

it is still not acknowledging the reservations make on borrow points however -or at least I couldn't find it....

okay I found them....

so I would say for the DVC member who bank and borrow - they can now see what is happening to their accounts online.

they are definitely getting closer to allow online booking.

FWIW, I have had 2008 UYs displayed for the last month or so, so Spicey, I don't thinl that was the change. Note: I had already borrowed some 2007 Points for UY 2006 Ressies, so that may be why I was dispalying UY 2005-2008 on my contracts?

-Tony

 

[spiceycat]

FWIW, I have had 2008 UYs displayed for the last month or so, so Spicey, I don't thinl that was the change. Note: I had already borrowed some 2007 Points for UY 2006 Ressies, so that may be why I was dispalying UY 2005-2008 on my contracts?

-Tony

then I don't know what they are doing.

the last time I looked - it only had 2005 & 2006 years - now it has til 2008.

 

[Cricket2]

..I have had 2008 UYs displayed for the last month or so...

I can also confirm that it showed through '08 prior to today.

 

[MissD]

Is the 'account help' section new--or did I just miss it before

I remember seeing (and going through) all the account info before, but I don't remember seeing a help area. Heaven knows I need that section

 

[Cruelladeville]

Sorry, MY DVC will not be available from Thursday, July 20, at 1:00 a.m. EDT until Friday, July 21, at 9:00 a.m. EDT. If you need assistance during that time, please call Member Services at 1-800-********.

What I want to know is: Did anyone call between 1 am and 9 am at MS, and actually have someone answer the phone?? Maybe that was the surprise.

 

[MyLove4Disney]

I know everyone is very excited about seeing new and wonderful things on the web site, but as a person that works in the IT business, The site was probably only down because they are either updating a server or two, upgrading some operating system or something like that. Since you can make payments as well they may have had a problem with their payment applications. IT people always plan for the worst on the amount of time it will take, because if they don't make the short deadline they actually think the change will take no one will know they had to back track.

The fact that they may show 2008 year information, that's probably because of how their programing works or they finally added the information to their databases. That type of change shouldn't require the system to be brought down. But who knows.

Truly it would be nice if we could really make online reservations including checking for availability, like the regular WDW rooms and get confirmations without having to wait and use a reservation request form, that would be great improvement for those of us who use the internet. I think it would free up MS for those that want to call. A More complete self service tools. Anyway, Have a happy Disney Day.

 

[Good Ol Gal]

I can also confirm that it showed through '08 prior to today.

I've had '08 points showing for a long time now, but when I logged on today I can now see '09 points.

 

[kimberh]

subscribing

 

[Caskbill]

....
Truly it would be nice if we could really make online reservations including checking for availability, like the regular WDW rooms and get confirmations without having to wait and use a reservation request form, that would be great improvement for those of us who use the internet. I think it would free up MS for those that want to call. A More complete self service tools. Anyway, Have a happy Disney Day.

Yes, an online reservation system would be nice, but keep in mind it would be very complex to create. It's not nearly as simple as checking a hotel, giving a credit card number, and getting a confirmed reservation.

DVC has 7 different resorts, , 7 different season (the 5 WDW resorts share seasons, but HH is different and VB is different yet), 6 room type categories that vary by resort (Studio, 1-B/R, 2-B/R, GV, Inn, Beach Cottage), 5 different 'View' categories (BW Standard, BW Preferred, BW Boardwalk, Inn Ocean, Inn Garden), and 3 day of week categories (Mon-Thu, Fri, Sat) (HH uses different points for Fri vs. Sat night, but all other resorts use the same point schedule for Fri/Sat night). So the entire point chart would have to be built in with all these adjustments, and correctly changing around the holiday seasons for all calendar years.

Now, a member may have points of different status: Regular, Banked, Borrowed, Holding, Reservation. There are limitations on how points with different status can be used.

Next, members have Use Year months, and points for reservations on a given date must come from a member's specific Use Year which includes that date. If the vacation spans over two Use Years, the reservation gets even more complicated. (Example, someone has a June UY but want to make a reservation from May 28 thru June 5th... This involves making two reservations, using points from two different use years, and then linking the two reservations together.

Members have home resorts. The program would have to ensure only home resort points are used based on dates.

Many members own at more than one resort, having a number of add-on points. Let's say that Mr. Smith owns at SSR, OKW, BCV and HH, but wants to make a 200 point reservation at VWL at 5 months, using 65 SSR points, 40 OKW points, 50 BCV (Banked) points, and 45 HH (Borrowed) points.

Of course they'd have to build in a section where you could bank and borrow points, and that whole banking section would have to check your current status including what banking window you're in, how many points you previously banked, and so on.

Can a program be created to do all that? Of course, but it's a matter of the cost to develop it and maintain it. While those of us here would use an on-line system, we probably only represent a few tenths of 1% of the entire membership. How many of the 100,000 members would actually make on-line reservations?

Then to integrate it so it works real time with regular MS CM's making reservations would add to the complexity. Imagine checking reservations, finding availability, lining up how to use your points, then clicking 'Confirm' and the system comes back that the availability is gone. You missed your window. Could a temporary hold be put on while you checked everything? Yes it could, but then others who are making real-time reservations through MS couldn't get the room that you were 'holding' while you checked everything. So they would have to build in a time limit for the 'room hold' in case someone starts a request, then walks away from their computer for a length of time.

Those who know me and my programs are aware I'm currently writing a point tracking program that does all of the above, but strictly as a point tracking program. And to handle all the iterations that can occur has been quite a task. To incorporate something like that along with a real time reservation system to check availability and make a reservation would be extremely complex.

On the positive side, a system to just check availability real time would be a great addition to the site. That alone would cut down calls, especially from all those who rent points and are calling MS several times a week to check availability for people interested in 'renting' their points. To start with, it might make sense to only have it available when MS is closed, after hours and on weekends/holidays, so it doesn't have to be integrated into a 'live' reservation system. At the end of the day the system would take a 'snapshot' of what reservations exist, thus in the evening or weekend someone could go on line to check if a specific resort/room/view was still available for their dates.

A real-time on-line reservation system would be nice, but probably not cost effective at this time.

In the brief (OK, not so brief.. ) description above, there are other factors I didn't mention. Things like a waitlist, linking reservations, cash reservations using DVC discount, transferring points, etc. These 'speciality' things would probably best be handled with a live CM and never put into an on-line system)

 

[Laurajean1014]

I hope so. DVC website has always been a bit tame for me.

 

[Johnnie Fedora]

I wouldn't be in a big hurry for on-line reservations. The current DVC website has a lot of "account look-up" deficiencies to be addressed first.

Some of these basic abilities would eliminate many, many calls to MS:

The website:
doesn't list member cash reservations
doesn't inicate when reservations are linked
doesn't show or allow changes to guests names
doesn't indicate what points actually make up an individual reservation
doesn't allow you to add requests (even from a drop down menu)
doesn't allow you to bank or transfer points (between multiple memberships)
doesn't allow you to look up inventory availibility.


Glad to have the minimal abilities we do have, but there is a long way to go.

 

[MyLove4Disney]

In the brief (OK, not so brief.. ) description above, there are other factors I didn't mention. Things like a waitlist, linking reservations, cash reservations using DVC discount, transferring points, etc. These 'speciality' things would probably best be handled with a live CM and never put into an on-line system)

Yes, this would be a programming challenge, but it is doable as all the requests are very logical in nature. Dates and rates are givens and standard reservation systems can be incorporated. Frankly, MS has to be using some type of electronic system now, so they would not be starting from scratch. I’m sure it isn’t in a paper ledger, if it is I’m a programmer/consultant for higher and I would be able to retire afterward on this one project alone. Ha Ha Anyway I’m sure it will come in time, look how many years it took for the airlines to let the general public make their own reservations when travel agents could do the same thing for many years before with the same tools. Anything can be done with enough time, money, and resources. Oh shall we never say never I have faith

Happy Disney Day