New booking policy...

[psu4glory]

how is it working for those of you that have booked more than 7 days at the same resort? what's the process? has it gone smoothly?

 

[tjkraz]

There's a whole thread dedicated to it here:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1898244

So far the only problems appear to be AKV Concierge (which was a headache under the old system, too) and some of the smaller room classes (BWV Standard, OKW Grand Villa, etc.) during the popular early-December and New Year's periods.

No system would work perfectly when demand is much higher than supply. But given all of the phone calls it has saved and collective time freed-up for members who used to think day-by-day bookings were necessary, it seems to be quite a success.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

how is it working for those of you that have booked more than 7 days at the same resort? what's the process? has it gone smoothly?

The new booking policy does seem to be working at the 11 month window as advertised for longer than 7 day bookings. Once you get your initial 7 days booked, adding up to 6 additional days involves just one more phone call but there is no suspense as to whether the room will be available for the remaining nights. I had no problem with day-by-day booking, but that suspense with each phone call sometimes felt it would kill me. -- Suzanne

 

[DebbieB]

The new booking policy does seem to be working at the 11 month window as advertised for longer than 7 day bookings. Once you get your initial 7 days booked, adding up to 6 additional days involves just one more phone call but there is no suspense as to whether the room will be available for the remaining nights. I had no problem with day-by-day booking, but that suspense with each phone call sometimes felt it would kill me. -- Suzanne

I don't think there is a guarantee if you wait and only do 1 more phone call. Say you want to stay the nights of January 1 to 10. You call on February 1 and book the nights of January 1 to 7. If you want to call for the remaining nights in one phone call, you would have to wait until February 4 (7 nights = January 4 to 10). Meanwhile, people could have booked January 8 on February 2 (Jan 2 to 8) and January 9 on February 3 (Jan 3 to 9). You could call on February 2 for Jan 8 (extending original res), February 3 for Jan 9 and February 4 for Jan 10.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

I don't think there is a guarantee if you wait and only do 1 more phone call. Say you want to stay the nights of January 1 to 10. You call on February 1 and book the nights of January 1 to 7. If you want to call for the remaining nights in one phone call, you would have to wait until February 4 (7 nights = January 4 to 10). Meanwhile, people could have booked January 8 on February 2 (Jan 2 to 8) and January 9 on February 3 (Jan 3 to 9). You could call on February 2 for Jan 8 (extending original res), February 3 for Jan 9 and February 4 for Jan 10.

Yes, but those other bookings will have no impact on your ability to extend your reservation.

Once you have secured a reservation, you have to imagine that, as far as you are cocerned, the room you have booked is the only room in your booking category. Also, the only people who can book Jan 8 by calling any sooner than Feb 8 are those who can also book Jan 7.

Here's how it goes: You book Jan 1 to 7 in YOUR room. Someone calling on Feb 7 will not be able to book Jan 7-10 in YOUR room because they cannot book Jan 7; you are still occupying YOUR room that night. On Feb 7, the other member will be told that Jan 8-10 are available in YOUR room, but they cannot book those days except by calling on Feb 8.

You on the other hand, call on Feb 7 and want to book Jan 8-10. Because you already have a reservation for Jan 7, you are allowed to book those additional days in YOUR room a day sooner than any other member.

There you have it: one call and you have extended your reservation to Jan 10 with no risk that any other member will book those day before you.

Once you have your first reservation, your only risk is that you forget to call on Feb 7 (or earlier) and don't call until Feb 8. At that point you are completing with every other home resort owner for Jan 8-10 and may not be able to extend you vacation. -- Suzanne

 

[psu4glory]

Yes, but those other bookings will have no impact on your ability to extend your reservation.

Once you have secured a reservation, you have to imagine that, as far as you are cocerned, the room you have booked is the only room in your booking category. Also, the only people who can book Jan 8 by calling any sooner than Feb 8 are those who can also book Jan 7.

Here's how it goes: You book Jan 1 to 7 in YOUR room. Someone calling on Feb 7 will not be able to book Jan 7-10 in YOUR room because they cannot book Jan 7; you are still occupying YOUR room that night. On Feb 7, the other member will be told that Jan 8-10 are available in YOUR room, but they cannot book those days except by calling on Feb 8.

You on the other hand, call on Feb 7 and want to book Jan 8-10. Because you already have a reservation for Jan 7, you are allowed to book those additional days in YOUR room a day sooner than any other member.

There you have it: one call and you have extended your reservation to Jan 10 with no risk that any other member will book those day before you.

Once you have your first reservation, your only risk is that you forget to call on Feb 7 (or earlier) and don't call until Feb 8. At that point you are completing with every other home resort owner for Jan 8-10 and may not be able to extend you vacation. -- Suzanne

so...i have not read through all of the other threads on this topic - but based on the scenario that you've laid out above, the 'new policy' for booking ressies greater than 7 days now is...

(a) i can book the first 7 days at 11-months out from my arrival date, then...

(b) i can use the LAST DAY of my 7-day ressie as the ARRIVAL DATE for the balance of my trip, and call 11-months out from that day to tack on the remaining days of my ressie...

am i interpretting your scenario correctly?

 

[keishashadow]

personally, it's worked so far for me; and many others here report success

do wonder how it'll pan out in the long run when the general membership (those who don't follow DVC message boards) find out when they try to book their vacations this year