Making DVC Reservations Online

[Tom and Jen]

So the big question now is.............

Is it a good Idea to allow members to book their own reservations online?

Why or why not?


I know i cant be the only that has been asked to participate in this member survey when calling MS.

Am I ~ ~ ~ ~


T.

 

[DBBN]

I voted yes. For the convenience it would offer me.

If this feature ever becomes available I intend to use it and evaluate it to see if it really does make it easier to make our reservations. I suppose it will depend on how easy the site will be to use and how the site manages which points are used for the reservation. Other features I'll be looking for are: Will I be able to access the site 24/7 or only when MS is open, will I be able to bank and'or borrow points, etc.

 

[vonpluto]

So the big question now is.............

Is it a good Idea to allow members to book their own reservations online?

T.

I assume you mean a more expansive online booking system than the current one.

 

[NARM Forever]

Yes, for the convenience and not having to listen to the two minutes of "conditions" or is this just me because I'm new

I'm trying to arrange a vacation with my best friend from the UK and it would be great to find out availability on certain rooms whilst I'm on the phone to her, rather than saying "I'll call you back".

My only hesitation is because of the abusers of the system, perhaps MS gives a little more security, long-time DISers will know more about this than I do.

 

[Chuck S]

I voted NO, simply because the DVC system (borrowing, banking, transfers, etc) is so complicated. Imagine the "newbie" complaints "I didn't know that banking/borrowing was final...I didn't read the screen before I hit "Yes." or "I didn't mean to cancel my existing ressie, unless there was a one bedroom available, can I have my studio back, now, please?" I think it will create a lot of problems for the MS phone reps and a lot of unhappy DVC owners. I'll agree the convenience would be nice, but there are just to many "rules" that apply to point ressies that don't apply to cash ressies.

 

[Parkhopper13]

I agree that it is complicated and could create problems for "newbies", but good software should really help make it smooth and user-friendly. Plus, think of all the savings in costs, thus, lower Maint. Fees!!! I vote

 

[ddave]

While I agree that the banking and borrowing (and tranfers) would be a nightmare to program, it can be over come if done carefully and fully tested. Let's face it, there are more complicated programs in existance just about everywhere.

I am more concerned that the abusers/cheaters of the current loopholes (or grey areas in the contracts) will have a better chance to exploit them and will make it even more difficult for the people that are "trying" to play by the rules. I suppose if the programming followed the definitions and rules of the contracts it could work.

For now, while I would love a web based reservation system, I'm voting no just because I believe the gap/advantages between those who play by the rules, and those who don't, would widen.

Question: Would you make reservations for times you "might" want to go even if you had no solid plans? Would you be more likely to do it with an online system that is available 7x24, where you don't do that now because it takes some time and coordination of your schedule to make that phone call? (hint: commercial renters make that call)

 

[eileenkeeney]

Yes, for the convenience and not having to listen to the two minutes of "conditions" or is this just me because I'm new

I'm trying to arrange a vacation with my best friend from the UK and it would be great to find out availability on certain rooms whilst I'm on the phone to her, rather than saying "I'll call you back".

My only hesitation is because of the abusers of the system, perhaps MS gives a little more security, long-time DISers will know more about this than I do.

No, it is not just you.
The combination of hold time (with music I like less than whatever I was listening to when I made the call), and irritating information messages, make the use of the phone much less desirable, and far more time consuming, than a typical on-line system.

Another advantages of an on line system is the ability to view availability for different scenarios while planning. (One can open a window to view airline information and another for lodging, and compare scenarios much more easily.)

I don’t see the potential for abuse anymore than I see the same potential via the phone.
I suppose I could write some automatic method of sending in my reservation request at the earliest point in time the system would accept it. However I see this as more trouble than just getting online at the desired time. I don’t see either strategy as abuse. Right now I would have to get up very early in the morning to be on the phone at the earliest moment I could make my desired reservation.
I think that 2400 hours Eastern Time (daylight or standard depending on what is being used at that time) should be the time the new day starts. However, I am open to the use of some other time; perhaps check-in time at the resort could be used as the earliest time of day one could make a reservation at the exact 11 or 7 month window. Perhaps universal time.

 

[eileenkeeney]

I voted NO, simply because the DVC system (borrowing, banking, transfers, etc) is so complicated. Imagine the "newbie" complaints "I didn't know that banking/borrowing was final...I didn't read the screen before I hit "Yes." or "I didn't mean to cancel my existing ressie, unless there was a one bedroom available, can I have my studio back, now, please?" I think it will create a lot of problems for the MS phone reps and a lot of unhappy DVC owners. I'll agree the convenience would be nice, but there are just to many "rules" that apply to point ressies that don't apply to cash ressies.

Anything they tell me verbally, they can tell me in writing.

The rules can be more easily enforced via an automated system (with the rules correctly coded and checked), than by a human.

The scenario where a person wants to cancel one reservation, only if another more desired reservation is available, may still require the phone (or an email message with delayed response).
Any "special" scenario, the system does not handle, might still require a phone call or email message.

No one is proposing that the phone system be completely eliminated.

Because the system is different that a standard hotel booking system, it will be more expensive, possibly requiring custom coding. However, I am certain there is some system, which can be purchased, which has the ability to insert custom rules.

I am certain someone is doing a cost/benefit analysis. On-line systems do save money over time if done well.

I am glad I had to call this morning to bank my points, only because I did have a mis-understanding, which I cleared up by asking. Had I seen an easy way to do this online, I probably would have done it online, and then not asked my question and made a blunder that may have caused me to loose 21 points.
However, this would have been my own fault. I think it is ridiculous to limit people’s ability to do something more efficiently, because someone might make a mistake based on their own lack of knowledge.

 

[JimC]

Yes. It was one of the questions in a survey DVC just conducted. We book most of our travel online.

However, I suspect the flexiblity of their points system makes that a very complex option. If they do it I bet it is in phases. Regular DVC resorts first, then adding WDW resorts. Outside of WDW I do not know how interconnected the reservation systems are for say DCL, DL, DLP. Then there are the other collections to consider.

 

[keishashadow]

Hate to think that'd I'd have to log-on @ midnight (each night) to make day-by-day ressies.

 

[PrincessJasmine08]

I voted yes, but I would think it would work best if there was a condition that you could only book reservations that didn't involve borrowing points. If you needed to borrow you could make that reservation on the phone. Otherwise I think it would lead to a lot of confusion with people not knowing the terms.

 

[Granny]

Hate to think that'd I'd have to log-on @ midnight (each night) to make day-by-day ressies.

This is one of the reasons I voted no. I would have to understand all the on-line rules and processes to make an informed "vote" on this.

Would on-line reservations be "competing" with MS trying to book the same room at the same time? Would the on-line reservations have real time access to the entire DVC database so that it would have the same access as MS? How would waitlists work?

A proposal I've seen here, and I would like, would be a nightly download of availability so that people can have an idea of what is available, but not book it.

I'm not necessarily opposed to on-line booking. I'm just not very put out by being on hold for a few minutes waiting for MS. But hey, that's just me. YMMV.

 

[OneMoreTry]

I can't wait!

(They could turn the calendar at 9am instead of midnight. The hassle would be keeping several browsers open and hitting the F5 over and over until you got the room right at 09:00:01. )

 

[3DisneyKids]

I certainly see both sides of this issue.

For me, it is not so much the ability to make reservations online as it is the ability to SEE AVAILABILITY online. This would be a much simpler software change for DVC and it would definitely be very helpful for members. Plus, it would drastically cut down the amount of time spent on the phone with the MS CMs. "Do you have a studio at BCV for my dates?" "Hold on while I pull that up for you....no." "Do you have a studio available at...." You get the point.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I always vote for the telephone option. That's my preference.

Bobbi

 

[mikayla73]

This is one of the reasons I voted no. I would have to understand all the on-line rules and processes to make an informed "vote" on this.

Would on-line reservations be "competing" with MS trying to book the same room at the same time? Would the on-line reservations have real time access to the entire DVC database so that it would have the same access as MS? How would waitlists work?

A proposal I've seen here, and I would like, would be a nightly download of availability so that people can have an idea of what is available, but not book it.

I'm not necessarily opposed to on-line booking. I'm just not very put out by being on hold for a few minutes waiting for MS. But hey, that's just me. YMMV.

I hadn't seen the proposal of nightly downloads on there before, but I like that idea, then when planning, you could check that. If the time you wanted was already booked, you could try another resort or choose a different week, that is providing of course your dates aren't set in stone (like holiday times, school schedules, etc ...). It could also save time on the phone with MS since you wouldn't have to ask "what about this time, what about that time" and them looking each request up. You call with yuor dates already figured out.

I didn't vote either way for the poll since I would need to know answers to more questions like what has already been mentioned here.

 

[BeccaG]

I voted "Yes" because I am a very computer centered consumer, I do all my bakking, bill pay, travel planning etc. on line and a good percentage of my shopping. However I do not know how DVC would do this and be "fair" with time zones, wait lists etc.

 

[DVC Grammy]

I voted "yes" even if I'd never use it. I'm not that comfortable with computers that I'd trust myself to get it right, so the "old-fashioned" phone works better for me.
But for all those who aren't computer-challenged, they should certainly have that choice.

Now..........if your poll said "only" online, I'd be in big trouble!

 

[jade1]

I certainly see both sides of this issue.

For me, it is not so much the ability to make reservations online as it is the ability to SEE AVAILABILITY online. This would be a much simpler software change for DVC and it would definitely be very helpful for members. Plus, it would drastically cut down the amount of time spent on the phone with the MS CMs. "Do you have a studio at BCV for my dates?" "Hold on while I pull that up for you....no." "Do you have a studio available at...." You get the point.

Agree 100%, at least give us the availabilty and then we can either wait if its wide open or hurry and make the call.