Let's revisit the "new" booking rules

[dianeschlicht]

I guess I don't see what the new booking practices of the past couple years has solved. Ostensibly DVC made the change to avoid people calling day by day. Well, isn't walking calling day by day with a twist? The outcome is the same except that it prevents a LOT more people from getting an equal chance at ALL booking types. Those of us who are "point poor" don't have the same chance of getting a CL, value, MK view, GV, boardwalk, etc. etc. etc for premium times of year as we once did.

When I spoke with member satisfaction about this back when the rules went into effect, they basically told me not to worry...."It wont happen". Well, reports are that it DOES and IS happening. It's especailly happening with the late December holiday booking times. I just read a post on another site that said someone trying to "walk" their ressie for New Year's was already locked out of that ressie NOW! That's unacceptable as far as I'm concerned!

Has anyone else expereinced that? I really HATE to have to walk a ressie, and I really don't have enough points to do it anyway.

 

[lugnut33]

What exactly is walking a reservation?

Does it mean calling and making a reservation 7 days before the actual start of the trip you want to take, therefore making the last day the real first day? Then each day you have to call and cancel the fake day and add-on a real day?

 

[dianeschlicht]

What exactly is walking a reservation?

Does it mean calling and making a reservation 7 days before the actual start of the trip you want to take, therefore making the last day the real first day? Then each day you have to call and cancel the fake day and add-on a real day?

Yes, or starting that process even a month before your expected ressie.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

I guess I don't see what the new booking practices of the past couple years has solved. Ostensibly DVC made the change to avoid people calling day by day. Well, isn't walking calling day by day with a twist? The outcome is the same except that it prevents a LOT more people from getting an equal chance at ALL booking types. Those of us who are "point poor" don't have the same chance of getting a CL, value, MK view, GV, boardwalk, etc. etc. etc for premium times of year as we once did.

When I spoke with member satisfaction about this back when the rules went into effect, they basically told me not to worry...."It wont happen". Well, reports are that it DOES and IS happening. It's especailly happening with the late December holiday booking times. I just read a post on another site that said someone trying to "walk" their ressie for New Year's was already locked out of that ressie NOW! That's unacceptable as far as I'm concerned!

Has anyone else expereinced that? I really HATE to have to walk a ressie, and I really don't have enough points to do it anyway.

At 11 months out, you can walk a reservation by calling every 6 days, so it is far different than day by day. You can also walk a reservation even if you don't have enough points for a 7 night stay, but you will need to call back more often than every 6 days.

I have no problem with walking. I was concerned about the change from booking check-out to booking based on check-in, I really have been very happy with the new system. Under the old system, you could still be shut out of a reservation for NYE but you wouldn't know until you called on Feb 1. You would then have to scramble to see if other alternatives were available for your entire vacation. With this system, while the poster was shut out due to other walkers, he knew it with plenty of time to switch and book his entire vacation in a 2 BR rather than a GV.

-- Suzanne

 

[lugnut33]

Yes, or starting that process even a month before your expected ressie.

What would be the advantage to starting it a month before?

Isn't the reservations rule 11 months +7 days (not sure where I came up with the 7, just think that's what it is)?

 

[dianeschlicht]

What would be the advantage to starting it a month before?

Isn't the reservations rule 11 months +7 days (not sure where I came up with the 7, just think that's what it is)?

It is, but if someone REALLY wanted to make sure, they could start walking the reservation say November 30 for 7 nights, and then keep extending it on the check out end and dropping the check in end until they reached December 31st or whatever is needed. I just don't see how that changed anything from the MS side of things. How does that give them fewer inbound calls? That was supposed to be the reason for the change....at least that's what MS told me.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

What would be the advantage to starting it a month before?

Isn't the reservations rule 11 months +7 days (not sure where I came up with the 7, just think that's what it is)?

The way the system is set up, at your home resort, you are guaranteed the ability to conitnue to add days to an existing reservation. This is because you can call to extend a reservation 11 months prior to the check in day before other members without a reservation can call to book nights.

For example, if I book Dec 1 through 7 at my home resort, I can call back on Jan 7 to book Dec 8 through 14. Other home resort members would not be able to book those nights until Jan 8. So once you book a single night at your home resort at the 11 month window, you can add to that reservation (and cancel unwanted days) ad infinitum until you book the reservation you really want.

While walking is actually easier than booking day-by-day under the old system (for our Dec 2007 stay, I called at 6 am California time for 14 days in a row!), it is probably not necessary for most stays. Most of the time, a single phone call to MS when it opens 11 months before your desired arrival date will get you your desired reservation. The exception is probably NYE. -- Suzanne

 

[LIFERBABE]

What would be the advantage to starting it a month before?

Isn't the reservations rule 11 months +7 days (not sure where I came up with the 7, just think that's what it is)?

The object is to get the reservation and keep moving forward. (as Walt would say . So the earlier you start the more your villa is guaranteed or that is the premise.
Anyone that can walk that long should sign up for the WDW marathon!!!

I didn't walk but we are staying our normal 2 weeks over Christmas and I had to call each morning to add days 8-14 and it was a PITA!

 

[dianeschlicht]

The object is to get the reservation and keep moving forward. (as Walt would say . So the earlier you start the more your villa is guaranteed or that is the premise.
Anyone that can walk that long should sign up for the WDW marathon!!!

I didn't walk but we are staying our normal 2 weeks over Christmas and I had to call each morning to add days 8-14 and it was a PITA!

Yes, and it wasn't any different than when you had to call day by day, was it? I guess I still fail to see what the change accomplished.

 

[LIFERBABE]

Yes, and it wasn't any different than when you had to call day by day, was it? I guess I still fail to see what the change accomplished.

The difference was 7 days of calling everyday instead of 14

 

[dianeschlicht]

The difference was 7 days of calling everyday instead of 14

 

[Chuck S]

I just read a post on another site that said someone trying to "walk" their ressie for New Year's was already locked out of that ressie NOW! That's unacceptable as far as I'm concerned!

I wonder when that was posted, is there a timestamp on the posting? As today is the very first day they could book Dec 31st using the new rules.

Today they could book the nights Dec 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31.

 

[wdrl]

Yes, and it wasn't any different than when you had to call day by day, was it? I guess I still fail to see what the change accomplished.

Is it that under the old booking rules everyone had to call every day for any reservation throughout the year. Under the new booking rules, only the "walkers" call every day, or every few days. Under the current system, the vast majority of members don't walk reservations, and even those who are prone to "walk" do so only for trips that are very special to them.

I wasn't a member when the old booking rules were in effect, so I'm not a good judge whether they were better or worse than what we have now. But one thing I might not have liked about the old system is if it forced me to book every single day right at MS's opening to book a 7-day vacation. I use to go to work at 5:00 AM each morning, and when MS opened at 8:00 AM I might have been in a meeting, conference call, or in travel status and unable to call MS until that afternoon. I might have booked 4 days of a trip, and then been shut out on day 5 and have to hope a waitlist came through. Perhaps that scenario did not happen, but it could really complicate trip planning, especially if I was trying to book a family gathering involving 2 or 3 different accommodations.

 

[LIFERBABE]

I booked the 31st yesterday.
You can book a full 7 nights from check in. After that you can add nights using day by day. The poster in question started walking too late and found they were already blocked out by the +7 rule.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I wonder when that was posted, is there a timestamp on the posting? As today is the very first day they could book Dec 31st using the new rules.

Today they could book the nights Dec 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31.

Yes, it was from Jan. 23. and the poster said they were trying to walk the reservation forward to get Dec. 30-Jan. 1. Even said "walker" was unable to get the desired villa. Now granted, he was looking for a unit with few numbers available over all, but when I spoke to member satsifaction back when this ruling was put into practice, I was told "it wont happen". I was asking about AKV CL. Maybe MK view BLT GV is even tougher..don't know.

 

[Chuck S]

I booked the 31st yesterday.
You can book a full 7 nights from check in. After that you can add nights using day by day. The poster in question started walking too late and found they were already blocked out by the +7 rule.

Oops, you're right. You could book yesterday. I miscounted.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Is it that under the old booking rules everyone had to call every day for any reservation throughout the year. Under the new booking rules, only the "walkers" call every day, or every few days. Under the current system, the vast majority of members don't walk reservations, and even those who are prone to "walk" do so only for trips that are very special to them.

I wasn't a member when the old booking rules were in effect, so I'm not a good judge whether they were better or worse than what we have now. But one thing I might not have liked about the old system is if it forced me to book every single day right at MS's opening to book a 7-day vacation. I use to go to work at 5:00 AM each morning, and when MS opened at 8:00 AM I might have been in a meeting, conference call, or in travel status and unable to call MS until that afternoon. I might have booked 4 days of a trip, and then been shut out on day 5 and have to hope a waitlist came through. Perhaps that scenario did not happen, but it could really complicate trip planning, especially if I was trying to book a family gathering involving 2 or 3 different accommodations.

Frankly, under the old system, I never felt the need to call daily. In 10 years, I never booked anything with a daily call other than when we won a lottery place for the special seasons list for Dec. 1999/Jan.2000. That's the ONLY time I ever considered calling day by day, and as it turned out, I didn't need to.

 

[twinklebug]

I guess I don't see what the new booking practices of the past couple years has solved. Ostensibly DVC made the change to avoid people calling day by day. Well, isn't walking calling day by day with a twist? The outcome is the same except that it prevents a LOT more people from getting an equal chance at ALL booking types. Those of us who are "point poor" don't have the same chance of getting a CL, value, MK view, GV, boardwalk, etc. etc. etc for premium times of year as we once did.

When I spoke with member satisfaction about this back when the rules went into effect, they basically told me not to worry...."It wont happen". Well, reports are that it DOES and IS happening. It's especailly happening with the late December holiday booking times. I just read a post on another site that said someone trying to "walk" their ressie for New Year's was already locked out of that ressie NOW! That's unacceptable as far as I'm concerned!

Has anyone else expereinced that? I really HATE to have to walk a ressie, and I really don't have enough points to do it anyway.

Diane, I feel the same way as you.
I own only one contract with less than 200 points. The only way I could afford to "walk" a Christmas-New years reservation would be to borrow from the following year. Call day by day slowly inching into my desired reservation window. Then, when all was set and done, make sure the borrowed points were the ones used on the reservation and not the ones I can still potentially bank. This defeats the point of using the current use year as intended and turns my account activity statement into a nightmare.

MS claimed they put multi-day booking into effect to make it easier for members and so that they would lighten their work load. This works to a point: locations or times of year that have lower occupancy are far easier to book all in one call. But my bet is that walkers have increased their load with all the booking and cancelling done, and the "new" system, as shown, certainly hasn't made it easier for the average owner to book prime locations or days. In fact it's made those days and locations nearly inaccessible to anyone other than those with large number of home resort points handy. Add to this the paper, ink and postage for every reservation that is set (and then canceled) and my bet is that multi-day booking is no money or time saver to MS.

The only fair way to book would be to go back to the day by day method.

 

[schwenksvillemouse]

Diane, I feel the same way as you.
I own only one contract with less than 200 points. The only way I could afford to "walk" a Christmas-New years reservation would be to borrow from the following year. Call day by day slowly inching into my desired reservation window. Then, when all was set and done, make sure the borrowed points were the ones used on the reservation and not the ones I can still potentially bank. This defeats the point of using the current use year as intended and turns my account activity statement into a nightmare.

MS claimed they put multi-day booking into effect to make it easier for members and so that they would lighten their work load. This works to a point: locations or times of year that have lower occupancy are far easier to book all in one call. But my bet is that walkers have increased their load with all the booking and cancelling done, and the "new" system, as shown, certainly hasn't made it easier for the average owner to book prime locations or days. In fact it's made those days and locations nearly inaccessible to anyone other than those with large number of home resort points handy. Add to this the paper, ink and postage for every reservation that is set (and then canceled) and my bet is that multi-day booking is no money or time saver to MS.

The only fair way to book would be to go back to the day by day method.

One way to stop it all is charge a nonimal fee for reservation changes. Follow the money to change behavior.

 

[rwcmath]

What sort of villa is already sold out for NYE? I can't book until Thursday, not enough points.