Let's revisit the "new" booking rules

[Deb & Bill]

What I liked about the old way was that I could book my entire trip of 10 nights at one time. Now, I book 7 nights, then call and add the 8th night, etc. until I get all ten nights.

The old way, I knew when I called that I would get all ten nights or not. The new way, I can get seven, but if I wait to call three days later, my last three nights might be booked already.

 

[LIFERBABE]

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

The villas with the most limited quantities will be the hardest to get.

In the other thread I commented that large point owners have the advantage with the current point charts and booking rules. I've said it all along. I dont have to walk, just start my vacation on a Friday in Premier Season and that pretty much clinches it. Not being smug, just pointing out that the flattening of points next year will give me much less advantage than what I had this year and last which is good for the membership overall. We love SSR and OKW is growing on us, so in a few more years we will be out of the mix anyway for the most sought after villas.

I believe the BLT MK View Grand Villas are gone. Not sure about AK Concierge, which is what I booked. Im sure BW View is extremely limited if not sold out already. THV were booking fast also.

Extra pixie dust you get what you want

 

[dianeschlicht]

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

In the noted case....Magic Kingdom view GV at BLT.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Diane, I only skimmed this thread, but from what I've read I agree with you 100%. It solved very little, and likely created more problems than it solved.
I hate the new policy.

MG

 

[bobbiwoz]

I don't like the new policy, and have written and discussed it with Member Satisfaction team many times. The member, Joy, who I felt was most sympathetic no longer works with the group.

Bobbi

 

[Sandisw]

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

My only problem with this is that I had to modify my July/August reservation a month and a half after I made it because doing so saved my over $300 is airfare.

At 11 months, the rates were not out. When they did come out, it benefited me to shift the trip two days forward.

I called and was able to do that without an issue. If there was a fee, then someone like me, who isn't booking for the walking issue, would be penalized.

I think that walking is really something that will happen a few key times a year, NYE, being one of them. If it really starts to become a problem, then members could always recommend that they go back to the preference list they used years ago. This would, I believe, fix the problem for that time of year.

Not sure that is any better (though I wasn't around when they did it and not 100% I understand how it worked).

 

[keishashadow]

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

not fair for those of us:

a) who may not find out their vacation schedules for a calendar year until a couple months into it me. DH's employer could care less about our 11 month DVC booking window. I try to guess & book, sometimes it works; othertimes i may have to tweak it

b) who are awaiting release of airline schedules to try & find the most cost effective day to travel and may adjust a day or 2 on either end of ressie

IMO, if a ressie is changed/walked within the 1st month of booking, only then should a penalty be instituted; as it's likely an end-run

 

[lugnut33]

Is walking a reservation something I need to even concern myself with if I want a Tree House Villa for the end of August in 2011?

I know the end of August is not a super-busy time, but I really really want my THV (stayed last August, it's awesome). They are in high demand because anybody that wants a two bedroom will choose a three bedroom THV over a two bedroom at SSR.

Personally, I don't like the idea of having to walk any reservation.

 

[ead79]

I too dislike the new system. Under the old system, everyone had an equally fair chance to book the villa of their choice. This new system allows for the circumventing of rules by those with enough points and time to walk a reservation. I find it totally unacceptable that I could not have my choice of room types and views at my own home resort at exactly 11 months out, and this new system causes that to happen.

Using my DVC membership should not be this complicated, but since we typically visit in early December, it seems that I'm stuck dealing with the perils of the new system. Right now we were able to secure what we needed (9 nights in a savannah view studio at Kidani), but we hope to change to BLT or BCV at the 7 month mark. I hope that works out for us!

 

[SuzanneSLO]

I too dislike the new system. Under the old system, everyone had an equally fair chance to book the villa of their choice. This new system allows for the circumventing of rules by those with enough points and time to walk a reservation. I find it totally unacceptable that I could not have my choice of room types and views at my own home resort at exactly 11 months out, and this new system causes that to happen.

Using my DVC membership should not be this complicated, but since we typically visit in early December, it seems that I'm stuck dealing with the perils of the new system. Right now we were able to secure what we needed (9 nights in a savannah view studio at Kidani), but we hope to change to BLT or BCV at the 7 month mark. I hope that works out for us!

Actually, I think the new system works much better for switching resorts at the 7 month mark unless you happen to have enough points to hold 2 reservations. Under the old "book based on check out day" system, you had the best chance at a non-home resort by calling day by day as the 7 month window opened for each day, but you could never be certain just how many days you would get at the new resort.

So if you had the points, you held the old reservation while adding to your new reservation one day at a time. If you got enough nights, then you cancelled the old; if you didn't, then you cancelled the new.

Now when the 7 month window opens, with one phone call, you can book up to 7 nights based on availability or stick with your home resort if the availabiltiy is not there. No advantage to those with lot of points. Not only are there fewer phone calls, but it is much less stressful with less worrying about what the future will hold. -- Suzanne

 

[BroganMc]

THV were booking fast also.

THVs were booked solid through Dec 25 as of 2 days ago.

Personally, I think the +7 day booking rules should be suspended during premier season. If folks want to book 7 days out, let them up to Dec 24 or the beginning of Easter season.

I also think the rules should be considered for July 4th and Thanksgiving weekend. No need for a priority lottery list, just require day-by-day calling at 11mos from each of those days.

I don't expect anyone MS to do anything about it yet. Truth is, most of the year the 7 day booking window doesn't affect availability. It's only now during NYE 2011 plans that we're seeing people blocked out of rooms and according to MS "rampant walking".

 

[Deb & Bill]

THVs were booked solid through Dec 25 as of 2 days ago.

Personally, I think the +7 day booking rules should be suspended during premier season. If folks want to book 7 days out, let them up to Dec 24 or the beginning of Easter season.

I also think the rules should be considered for July 4th and Thanksgiving weekend. No need for a priority lottery list, just require day-by-day calling at 11mos from each of those days.

I don't expect anyone MS to do anything about it yet. Truth is, most of the year the 7 day booking window doesn't affect availability. It's only now during NYE 2011 plans that we're seeing people blocked out of rooms and according to MS "rampant walking".

Heck, they just need to go back to the old ways so no one gets priority over any one else.

 

[castleri]

Heck, they just need to go back to the old ways so no one gets priority over any one else.

I totally agree

 

[dclfun]

I agree also. I detest the new system! I don't want to play games to get the ressie I want. I purchased points at three different home resorts to get that priority and should have the same priority as everyone else. I don't have time to walk ressies either as gee...I have to work before 9 am.---Kathy

 

[dizfan]

In the noted case....Magic Kingdom view GV at BLT.

There are only 6 of these MK view GV at BLT.

Even if someone calls at 9am, there's a reasonable chance that 6 other people calling at 9am may have faster CMs taking their reservation.

 

[BroganMc]

There are only 6 of these MK view GV at BLT.

Even if someone calls at 9am, there's a reasonable chance that 6 other people calling at 9am may have faster CMs taking their reservation.

And a 100% chance if they let someone book that room 7 days before you made that phone call.


Remind me, when did this booking change go into effect? Was it before or after NYE bookings last year? If after, maybe we (and MS) are seeing the flaw in the scheme.

 

[Deb & Bill]

And a 100% chance if they let someone book that room 7 days before you made that phone call.


Remind me, when did this booking change go into effect? Was it before or after NYE bookings last year? If after, maybe we (and MS) are seeing the flaw in the scheme.

Before the Christmas/NYE booking period last year by about a month or so.

 

[dismedvc]

It seems to me if there are any rooms on certain dates you have almost no chance of getting without walking, the points are set to low for those rooms on those dates.

Chuck and other Mods: I don't feel this post is about the recent point realloction, or I would have put it in the other thread. However, if you feel differently, go ahead and move it.

THEORETICALLY, if the points charts were perfect, the demand for each room type on each date would exactly match the supply, and what is being discussed here would not be an issue.

For example, if DVC established a "super premium" season that only applied to NYE, and set the points at the proper level for that night, members would be able to get a NYE reservation even on fairly short notice.

That might require the lowest point cost for any room in the DVC system to be 50 points for NYE, with the higher catagory rooms even more. Some might think that is not "fair", but any economist will tell you if the rooms end up being 100% occupied on NYE at those point costs, and no one is on the waiting list for NYE under those point costs, those are exactly the correct point amounts.

 

[dismedvc]

Since the points change I discussed in the post above almost certainly would never happen, I also see a problem with the new booking policy under the current points system where there are some more popular nights that are almost impossible to get unless you call on the earliest possible date. The problem I see relates to members who are trying to book shorter stays.

I think the +7 booking policy causes people who want shorter stays durring popular times to make reservations in such a way that it causes problems for other members. The 7+ booking policy would appear to incent member behavior that has a cascading negative effect on other members.

For example if I want 3 nights over NYE, (12/29 to 1/1, with my last night being 12/31). Assuming I have enough points, I probably have to call on 1/25 and book 12/25 to 1/1. (I will ignore the fact that I might actually have to call earlier and walk)

Assuming I get 12/25 to 1/1 can then cancel 12/25 to 12/28 at a later date, but no earlier than 1/29, since if I did that it would make my 12/29 night more than 11 months out. However, until I actually need the points for another reservation I have no incentive to cancel those unwanted nights until 11/24 (31 days before the 12/25 arrival). It might even be beneficial to wait to cancel so I do not get "flaged" by DVC if they happen to check this type of activity. However, doing this would mean that those 4 nights I do not really want are unavailable to members who actually want a 3 night stay for 12/26 to 12/29 and waited to call until 1/26. That would be true even if I did cancelled the unwanted nights on 1/29.

The member who actually wants 12/26 to 12/29 is therefore almost forced to call on 11/22 and book 12/22 to 12/29 and then later cancel 12/22 to 12/25, ect, ect, for the member who actually wanted 3 days from 12/22 to 12/25, the member who actually wanted 3 days from 12/18 to 12/22, etc, etc again.

I have never actually done what I proposed above, but after reading what is already unavailable, I probably should have.

Overall, I agree with most of the other posters that DBD is a better system for busy periods

 

[dismedvc]

I've said it all along. I dont have to walk, just start my vacation on a Friday in Premier Season and that pretty much clinches it. ... I believe the BLT MK View Grand Villas are gone. Not sure about AK Concierge, which is what I booked. Im sure BW View is extremely limited if not sold out already. THV were booking fast also.

Extra pixie dust you get what you want

Glad it has worked out for you, but I am somewhat supprised it has. (Maybe those who give pixie dust, get pixie dust) I would have thought if you were trying to get AK Concierge in premier season, that they would all have been gone for Friday when you called, because they had all been reserved by members who were walking. Those members will not actually use those rooms on that Friday, because they will cancel them later, but I am supprised their walking did not lock you out.

Sorry to hijack this thread with 3 straight posts, but after reading above about the rooms that are already unavailable for NYE, I am pre-venting. It seems that because I did not walk my reservation (even though I had enought points to do it) I am almost certain I will not be able to get the 3 day reservation I want, which includes NYE, when I make my first call 11 months from the day I actually want to check in.