Last Minute Availability Question

[mousefan1972]

I was wondering if someone could explain to me how this happened. We decided very last minute to take a trip to Disney next week. I called MS on May 31st for a June 21st check in. SSR was all that was available, so I booked it. I waitlisted AKV, both Jambo and Kidani savannah view studios. The CM advised me to call every couple of days to see if anything else opened up.

So I did. I asked for a studio or 1 BR anywhere on WDW property. A couple of times, the CM said "I might have a 1 BR at OKW" and put me on hold. Each time they came back and said it wasn't available.

This past Tuesday (1 week prior to check in) I decided to try one last time. Got the usual "BLT, nothing available, BCV, nothing available" etc, down the list. When the CM got to AKV, she said she might have a 1 BR available for all 5 nights. Would I like her to check? Um, yes! She put me on hold, came back and said she had it!! I seriously couldn't believe my ears. We're in a 1 BR standard view at Jambo, which is perfect.

So my question is, what happened? Did someone cancel, or did they pull a room from cash inventory? I'm thinking b/c she put me on hold, that they pulled the room from somewhere. Don't get me wrong, we are very happy and excited that it worked out the way it did. I'm just curious as to the process, if anyone knows.... thanks!

 

[Sammie]

It could be either or, someone cancelled, they contacted the resort and reclaimed a room given up at 60 days out.

 

[Worktoplay]

I'd be curious as to how it works exactly. Did the CM have to check to see if anyone else was wait listed for the resort maybe? Would an existing wait list get priority over phone call? I'm sure there has to be some sort of pecking order?

 

[lisaviolet]

At seven days out and under there is no waitlist. It's all scrapped. So any cancellation or room back in the system is open to everyone.

Seven days out is my favourite time of the year!!!!

 

[laura-k]

This happened to me before only they said they had various places all in one place and would say do you want to book this and I would be so thrilled (mylast minute reservation was split between Saratoga and WLV) and then they would place me on hold and come back and say sorry it really wasn't available I and I would be so bummed
After about the 3rd time I asked if i could speak with a supervisor and she said the computer was ghosting whatever that means the reservations weren't really there and the cm's are suppose to double check before they tell you they are available-then the next day a cm made me a 6 day reservation at OKW read me the dates ect.. took the points and a couple days later ,3 days before we where going to leave ,I read the confirmation and he somehow made it for May instead of March and canceled what I did have before -OOOH
Another phone call ,Another supervisor ,apologizes and tells me there is nothing available but she will be working everyday for the next few days and will keep trying ,finally I got BCV at 7am for the whole 6 days it did take 2 days so I am assuming it was a last minute cancellation -but pixie dust and magic was mine !

 

[Sammie]

I'd be curious as to how it works exactly. Did the CM have to check to see if anyone else was wait listed for the resort maybe? Would an existing wait list get priority over phone call? I'm sure there has to be some sort of pecking order?

When you call they do not check the wait list.

 

[mousefan1972]

Thanks for the comments, guys. I was just curious as to the process of it all. Very glad the CM was able to find a room for us at AKV, as that is where we really wanted to be. We sure got lucky.

 

[TisBit]

Usually, when they say the "I might have something available" it is based on pulling from cash inventory and requires a separate process or approval. I am not sure the exact process, if it is calling CRO or a supervisor, etc. It might have been that they had partial days and just needed to reclaim one or two nights to get the reservation.

We had a cash room pulled out about a month before a trip in order to make our reservation and I think it was that they only needed to pull one night to do it. I am sure that how many rooms are available, how much has been pulled from CRO recently all comes into play. If they have 5 cash rooms a week before check in, they are probably a little more likely to pull it than if they only had one.

 

[castleri]

I called this past week and asked for a short notice reservation - the cm said oh you want to arrive this afternoon? We wanted two or three nights in a studio anywhere. He couldn't do that but did say he might be able to get the following two at OKW. He said he had to call the resort first to confirm it and sure enough we got the next two nights in the HH area at OKW. Since we were at our winter house in Palmetto at the time we just stayed there that night and headed for Disney the next day. I think they pulled back a cash room to get it.

The thing I find interesting is that each time I have tried to book OKW at relatively short notice they have been rooms in the HH category that are available. Seems like prior to making that a separate category many people said that was what they wanted and now that seems to be the left over one.

 

[TisBit]

I called this past week and asked for a short notice reservation - the cm said oh you want to arrive this afternoon? We wanted two or three nights in a studio anywhere. He couldn't do that but did say he might be able to get the following two at OKW. He said he had to call the resort first to confirm it and sure enough we got the next two nights in the HH area at OKW. Since we were at our winter house in Palmetto at the time we just stayed there that night and headed for Disney the next day. I think they pulled back a cash room to get it.

The thing I find interesting is that each time I have tried to book OKW at relatively short notice they have been rooms in the HH category that are available. Seems like prior to making that a separate category many people said that was what they wanted and now that seems to be the left over one.

or more likely, they keep a percentage of each category back for cash.

 

[chalee94]

The thing I find interesting is that each time I have tried to book OKW at relatively short notice they have been rooms in the HH category that are available. Seems like prior to making that a separate category many people said that was what they wanted and now that seems to be the left over one.

i get the impression that HH is popular for n00bs but that OKW owners/lovers usually want to stay elsewhere.

 

[loveswdw]

i get the impression that HH is popular for n00bs but that OKW owners/lovers usually want to stay elsewhere.

We love HH area and try to get that as often as possible. So much nicer than having to bus it to the pool, Olivia's, boat service, etc. We've stayed in Millers Road and Turtle Pond too. But prefer the HH over both of those. Guess it just depends.