Making Reservations, Checking Availability

[searlproudbottom]

Hello
We are members at SSR but would like to stay at either the BCV’s or the BWV’s in our upcoming vacation. We are checking in October 15th and checking out on the 24th, nine days in a Studio.

The way member services has set up the new reservations policy really is a disappointment for those who wish to stay in excess of 7 days and wish to make their reservation exactly on the day of the seven month window.

The computers are now set up to check availability for a member’s non home resort 7 months and 7 days from the first day of arrival. I can understand the 7 days for booking. Member services should at the very least be able to check availability past the seven days. Then the member can make a decision based on availability. Then take their chances the additional 2 days would be available and make them 1 day at a time.
What this means is that if you wish to book a 9 day trip as I intend to do and day 8 and day 9 have already been booked. Then I have wasted my time and the time of Member Services as well.

Now that I have thoroughly confused both of us, I was wondering if there are any Dissers that would be willing to check availability on a Studio for the BCV’s and the BWV’s on March the 13th for October 22nd and 23rd and get back to me. Doing this for me would be greatly appreciated. Not only would I be indebted to you for life but I would be happy to place you on my Christmas Card List.

Thank You
Searl Proudbottom
Aka Roy Siegfried
royandk@jps.net

 

[disneynutz]

So you need a BCV or BWV owner to check availability beyond 7+7.

Disney is really screwing things up for members aren't they.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

I'm a BWV member and could check on availiblity there for you......but I'm not sure why the above poster is saying the new system is screwing things up....under the old system for your 10 day stay you'd have to call day by day to move your reservation from one resort to another...still taking a chance on not getting all your days at the new resort or wait until the last day to book all 10 days at once.....with the new system you can book 7 days if available....then add the last 3 or wait until it's 7 days away from your check out date and book all 10 days....seems like less calls to ms .

 

[searlproudbottom]

Hi disneynutz

Thank You for your reply. I will be making my reservations on March 15th when Member Services opens at 9:00 am ET.

I can check for availabilty for October 15th though the 22nd at that time. I would like to know what the availablity would be for the 23rd and the 24th before I do so. If you could do this for me on the 14th it would be a great help.

Roy

royandk@jps.net

 

[disneynutz]

I'm a BWV member and could check on availiblity there for you......but I'm not sure why the above poster is saying the new system is screwing things up....under the old system for your 10 day stay you'd have to call day by day to move your reservation from one resort to another...still taking a chance on not getting all your days at the new resort or wait until the last day to book all 10 days at once.....with the new system you can book 7 days if available....then add the last 3 or wait until it's 7 days away from your check out date and book all 10 days....seems like less calls to ms .

I should have said, if Disney cared about their members, they would let you book your entire vacation with 1 call.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

I should have said, if Disney cared about their members, they would let you book your entire vacation with 1 call.

got it.....and that would work....if everyone only booked the dates they wanted to vacation.....unfortunately after reading all the threads here on walking vacations it seems that's not the case

 

[CarolMN]

I should have said, if Disney cared about their members, they would let you book your entire vacation with 1 call.

That is a value statement and not all will agree with it.

Some members do not think it is right that those staying longer or checking in sooner should get an advantage over those who choose a shorter stay or check in later. IMHO, the 7 day limit is a pretty good compromise.

I know what you meant, but a member can still make just one call to book a 9 day reservation. He/She would call 7 days prior to the 3rd night of the vacation and book the entire vacation on that one call, subject to availability, of course. In fact, if I were worried about getting the entire stay and not willing to do a split stay, that's how I would do it. If it weren't available, I'd waitlist, knowing that I'd probably be the first on the waitlist for that particular 9 night stay.

Actually, the best chance of getting those 9 nights would be to book the first 7 on March 15 and then call back each day to add the last two. Since the last two are a Friday and a Saturday, there is a good chance of availability and if a waitlist is necessary, I'd rather be trying for a Friday and Saturday than two weekdays. Very good chance of that working out. I think the OP should consider it.

Good luck to the OP. I think 9 nights for those dates will be a challenge. Hope it works out for you.

 

[searlproudbottom]

Dear palhockeymomof2

Thank You for your offer to help me as well. I really do appreciate it.
I posted my email and if you feel more comfortable you could pm me instead.

To answer your question, I think both the old way and the new way of booking has its plus and minuses, but I don’t see why member services can’t look up availability past the 7 month 7 day window. Pryor to the change there was not a problem in doing so.

For me I like the old way better for these reasons

Most if not all Members are acquainted with the 11 month and the 7 month window. We know that we are only competing for reservations with other members of our home resort for 4 months. Once that 7 month window appears the compatition is greatly multiplied. That said at exactly 7 months out when Member Services opens at 9:00 am Eastern the only folks that have made reservations is the members of the said resort.

In the new way where non-members of a Resort can start booking 7 months and 7 days out Other non members can actually book days ahead of you for the days of your vacation and you can’t do anything about it.

An example would be if another Non Resort member booked his resort 7 months 7 days out on March 1st arriving October 1st though October 7th and you planed to book your Vacation on March 5th for October 5ththough October 12th The other member has booked your days of the 5th, 6th and 7th. In this way you are now competing with not only Members of a particular resort but non members as well.

For those who wish to work the system this could actually be easily done by making your first day of your stay your last day. Let’s take my Vacation for an example. My stay is planed for October 15 though the 24th, 9 days. I could easily call Member Services tomorrow March 9th for a reservation checking in October 9th and checking Out October 16th. On Tuesday I would call Member Services and cancel October 9th and add October 17th, and so on all week until I have the dates I wish.
For these reasons I like the old way better.

Dear CarolMn

Thank you for the advice this is what I intend to do.
Roy

Actually, the best chance of getting those 9 nights would be to book the first 7 on March 15 and then call back each day to add the last two. Since the last two are a Friday and a Saturday, there is a good chance of availability and if a waitlist is necessary, I'd rather be trying for a Friday and Saturday than two weekdays. Very good chance of that working out. I think the OP should consider it.

Sincerely
Roy Siegfried

 

[petbren]

OK, I'm lost.
I am trying to change a ressie from my home resort to another resort at the 7 month window.
I don't understand this 7 months and 7 day thing.
I check-in Oct.24, out Nov.1---8 days.
Can't I just call on March 24 for the first 7 days, then add the extra day on April1?? Or call on March 25 for all 8 days??

Help

 

[palhockeymomof2]

^^^I understand what your saying about the old day by day calling.....I felt that was a more level playing field......but I did like booking my vacation this year with one phone call........I just focused on the dates you are looking for....when I called to book a BWV studio in January October 18th was not available at all.....and I went on the waitlist and it came thru .....so sending pixie dust you get your dates

 

[castleri]

OK, I'm lost.
I am trying to change a ressie from my home resort to another resort at the 7 month window.
I don't understand this 7 months and 7 day thing.
I check-in Oct.24, out Nov.1---8 days.
Can't I just call on March 24 for the first 7 days, then add the extra day on April1?? Or call on March 25 for all 8 days??

Help

yes you can do either of those things.

 

[Tinkerbelljean]

Just wanted to post my last experience with the wait list. About 7 months prior to early December, (my nuclear 4 member family) decided to to visit WDW in the early part of December prior to Christmas. My son who is in college had an ever-changing final exam schedule due to courses he was waiting to get into over the summer. I wanted to stay the first weekend (Sat and Sun) in a studio, then move to a one bedroom in the same resort since only one or two of us would be down on Sat and Sun and and all four on Mon thru Friday. (So this was the initial reservation)

Well the exam schedule changes ( due to class changes)in July and son can make the first weekend and the following weekend and wants to extend the trip for a second weekend also. So I call MS to try and change the first Sat and Sunday to a one bedroom and book the second weekend in a one bedroom. No one bedrooms available on either weekend, so I book studios on the weekends and wait list the one-bedrooms on the weekends (so we are sure we at least have a place to sleep) Well I now have 3 different linked reservations which I want waitlisted for a one-bedroom for the whole trip or I am looking at 2 moves., but this is many months in advance so I change airline tickets I asked to be waitlisted for anywhere where I can get a one or two bedroom for the whole trip. Well, MS said they could only waitlist me for a one bedroom at my current resort on the weekends or one other resort for the whole trip. So I told them to do waitlist, they put me on hold and came back quite a time later and told me that I was on the waitlist.,Since August, I called weekly to see if something had opened up. After lurking on Disboards, About November I'm finding that people who waitlisted after I did (I have no way of proving that other than their word on line) were getting the waitlisted weekends at the resort I am supposedly waitlisted at, After seeing a few posts in this regard I decide to call MS and ask them to tell me what my waitlist request is. When I waitlisted I got no confirmation number so I could not prove my waitlist request, and to find out, when one person in MS really looked at the reservation I was not waitlisted at all, so about 6 weeks before my trip, I was told MS would put me on the waitlist that day, but I would go to the bottom of the list, after I thought I had been on the waitlist for months. I never got my request and yes we made 2 moves, I was not happy, and I had to call MS every day for 30 days prior to the vacation because your waitlist exipires at 30 days prior to your arrival day. A lot of work for nothing.

I have had good success with the waitlist in the past, but it is a gamble because you have no way of knowing you are on the list and if you are if your request will come through. Despite complaining to MS about the lack of anykind of confirmation for the waitlist Disney did not do anything to rectify the situation, and I could not prove that other people were waitlisted after I was, so I figured I could enjoy what family time I had or fight a battle with Disney. I chose my family.

However, in my humble opinion, something has to change so you at least know if you are on the waitlist, so the whole process is fair. MS told me I was not the first to complain about the lack of confirmation as to whether you are on the waitlist or not, so I would guess that other people's waitlist requests have been "lost." also.
Bottom line,although the waitlist does work sometimes, you can't count on getting your waitlist request and you have no way of knowing you are even on the waitlist. A bird in the hand ........

 

[SuzanneSLO]

. . . If it weren't available, I'd waitlist, knowing that I'd probably be the first on the waitlist for that particular 9 night stay.

Actually, the best chance of getting those 9 nights would be to book the first 7 on March 15 and then call back each day to add the last two. Since the last two are a Friday and a Saturday, there is a good chance of availability and if a waitlist is necessary, I'd rather be trying for a Friday and Saturday than two weekdays. Very good chance of that working out. I think the OP should consider it.

Good luck to the OP. I think 9 nights for those dates will be a challenge. Hope it works out for you.

Actually, the OP might be the first on the WL among those booking at 7 months but there may well be others already on the WL who have BCV or BWV as their home resort. Both the old way of booking and the new way of booking can be challenging at 7 months during busy periods. -- Suzanne