Marathon Weekend 2018 reservations

[MKCP1984]

Right at the 7-month window, I booked a 1BR at SSR for marathon weekend 2018. But the first night of Friday, Jan 5th - the night before the 1/2 marathon - had been booked solid. So, I am on a waitlist for that first night. I mean EVERYTHING was booked, so I did the cash room, which is so pricey.

What are my chances with that waitlist? Is this a typical occurrence for marathon weekend? Anyone else with this experience?

Thanks!

 

[jlovesee]

Stalk Stalk Stalk the RAT. I was missing Thursday night for ages, and was stalking RAT and various rooms would open up (I wanted a 2 bedroom at OKW, SSR or VWL), but not what I was looking for. I was able to get it about a month ago, I am still trying to get all my nights at the same place (I have 2 nights at OKW and 4 at VWL) but I will never ever try to get anything at 7 months during marathon weekend again, always will use the 11 month window.

Jennifer

 

[MKCP1984]

Oh, how I wish I would've booked at the 11 month window OR asked on DISboards!!! I had no idea it would be so completely booked!!
So, is the RAT the "Rent and Trade" forum? (I've been on here for awhile, too, so I should know this.)

 

[MKCP1984]

I figured it out...thanks and fingers crossed!!

 

[drusba]

Oh, how I wish I would've booked at the 11 month window OR asked on DISboards!!! I had no idea it would be so completely booked!!
So, is the RAT the "Rent and Trade" forum? (I've been on here for awhile, too, so I should know this.)

RAT is the online "Resort Availability Tool" that you can find on the member site under the Plan Vacations Tab after you sign on. You can use it to find availabilty beginning 11 months out at any DVC resort. Its predecessor was named the Check Resort Availability Page or "CRAP" for short. Disney apparently could not live with us calling it CRAP so it changed its name so that RAT is the acronym.

One would assume that any cancellation should result in someone's wait list being filled before sending the newly opened room to the the reservation system for anyone to reserve. However, that definitely does not always happen. In the past, it did not happen because they did not match new openings with the wait list except once a day toward the end of the normal work day, i.e., a cancellation in the morning would result in the room showing as open on the reservation system until late afternoon despite there being a wait list. They have apparently improved on that system somewhat but room openings despite a wait list still show up for short periods of time often.

How much of a chance you have via wait list or stalking is an unknown although I suspect if it is SSR, the chances are better than other resorts since it has the most rooms and thus a higher probability of something opening. Marathon weekend in January (Thurs through Sat night) is one of the extremely high demand times of the year (although as far as weekends go, it is second to the worst one, the Wine & Dine race weekend in the first part of November). Booking at 11 months out is the safe course, and for many rooms the necessary course, for such weekends.

 

[bumbershoot]

Is this a typical occurrence for marathon weekend?

Yes.

January weekend has a 5k Thursday, 10k Friday, Half Saturday and Full Sunday. People have to be solidly in town to get to the expo the day before their first run. So you have people arriving on Wednesday for the weekend depending on what races they are doing.

 

[eyor44]

I usually have good luck with a waitlist coming through at SSR as people will book there as a last resort and waitlist other resorts, then when their waitlist comes through, your's will. Marathon weekend is very challenging this year with it being part of New Year's week. Hopefully next year (2019) it will be back to the first full week after New Year's week. I noticed this past one (2017) that the parks were much more crowded than usual.

 

[MKCP1984]

We are SOO excited that our waitlist FINALLY came through!! You know, after booking rooms using points, I do not want to use cash again - way too expensive!
Anyway, thank you for pointing out the RAT for me to use, now that I know what it is!!