New policy for reservations based on check IN date

[Maistre Gracey]

I am concerned about "walking" reservations too; from the standpoint that I have read this thread and think, "Wow, it looks like a lot of people plan to do this(walking) to get prime times and locations". I wonder what sort of restrictions will MS place on us to stop the practice before it becomes a "tool" for speculative renters? Might the restrictions like no alterations to a reservation or a cancel/rebook harm more owners in the long run who have real reasons to alter their reservation?

IMHO, I think that "walking", while not against the rules(yet), is dishonest in nature. It may be Pollyanna of me to feel this way, but it all seems so "un-Disney-like". If someone is making a reservation for days they know they have no intention of using then that is dishonest. DBD seemed more above board since you knew or intend to stay at that resort for that specific day/night that you were calling to reserve.

I would be fine if MS placed a limit on the number of times you alter your reservation to protect those people who don't have enough points to walk or to keep others from walking for weeks.
No flame intended:
My

I will be a walker, but I do agree with you.
Unfortunately it's a corner that DVC has backed us into, or at least some of us who need specific dates or specific rooms.

Change the rule back, and they'll be no walking..

MG

 

[jade1]

If someone is making a reservation for days they know they have no intention of using then that is dishonest. DBD seemed more above board since you knew or intend to stay at that resort for that specific day/night that you were calling to reserve.

I like "persistent" better, since it is within the rules. But yes-the old system was better, but this has been forced on us. Then again-reserving a day you know you wont use, also means a day you know you will be giving back to the system within a few days. So you kind of only "borrow" them. That will either fill a WL and make someones day, or open days for new callers.

 

[waltfan1957]

It's not a desperate joke given the stupidity with which this change was undertaken. I am only deciding how many months in advance I will start walking next year's Xmas/New Year's reservation. I actually considered starting to walk for Xmas 2009 this week, but think that I will probably do it just a couple of months in advance. I think that they have created a system where this is essential since our vacations are very limited in terms of the start dates and are almost always at the Xmas holidays. We will see how this plays out.

we have decided this is the way for us to

 

[waltfan1957]

The problem with DBD is that not every member knows about DBD booking. It's not something that is well publicized outside of websites like this one.

why do people keep printing this, for peek times it was DVC MS that advised members to do this

 

[Robo-Daddy 3000]

why do people keep printing this, for peek times it was DVC MS that advised members to do this

Because if you keep repeating something often enough, people will start to believe that it must be true!

Lately, I've noticed posts stating that walking will only be necessary for peak times and certain special room types and no one else will have to worry about walking and getting shut out of the room you want at your home resort 11 months out if you are going during slower times. I'm not sure that I believe this to be 'fact' but it seems to be repeated often enough and people will believe it. We'll see what the real facts are over time. Just like DVC is going to stick to this "overwheming member request" talking point line and some invisible survey result to back up their actions.

 

[robinb]

I like "persistent" better, since it is within the rules. But yes-the old system was better, but this has been forced on us. Then again-reserving a day you know you wont use, also means a day you know you will be giving back to the system within a few days. So you kind of only "borrow" them. That will either fill a WL and make someones day, or open days for new callers.

I will also be a "walker". I also like to think it as "borrowing" days (esp since I have to borrow points to "walk" ). If someone cannot get a reservation because I am holding it prior to my actual dates then their wait list will come through when I release the dates.

 

[dvcdisney]

I'd like to know when and how this survey went out. I certainly didn't get one. Not in email, not by phone, not when calling MS, not in my 'Welcome Home' package (of which I have received quite a few every year), not during checkin, not during checkout, not in any 'form' left in my room, and certainly not in my mailbox.

I didn't get one either

 

[jarestel]

I actually learned about DBD booking from MS when making a reservation....

I think a lot more people know about DBD booking from MS than from any web site like this one.

The point is MS may (or may not) inform callers about this possibility. If they forget to mention it to one single person, it's no longer a "fair" system as defined by all of the level playing field comments we've read here already.

Oddly enough, nowhere in any printed or electronic literature distributed by DVC - by far the most common method most members have of finding out DVC related information - have I ever seen any "official" reference to DBD booking. That is unusual in and of itself if DVC (the entity, not individual MS reps) really wanted to get the word out on DBD bookings.

So since the information regarding DBD booking seems to be solely based on the individual whims and competence of MS reps as well as some non-DVC owned internet sites, it's very possible that many members actually didn't know a thing about this "magic" bullet.

 

[dvcdisney]

So since the information regarding DBD booking seems to be solely based on the individual whims and competence of MS reps as well as some non-DVC owned internet sites, it's very possible that many members actually didn't know a thing about this "magic" bullet.

But it doesn't mean it's not in the guidelines which are disclosed to every member. I will admit that the procedure should have been more clear. When I found out about DBD (from MS), I had asked if this was possible since it clearly states (under old system) that you can book 11/7 months in advance of your check OUT date, which I assumed to be the last day of my stay. She proceeded to explain to me that I would be technically checking out on those days and adding the next days would just be extending my vacation. So it is within the "booking policy".

So I guess what I'm saying is that if you saw this legitimate "loophole" in the system, you have all rights to do it. I would imagine that some had figured it out (I guess I wasn't as clever). Did it. Then MS passed it on to other members.

 

[Bopsmom]

we have decided this is the way for us to

I like "persistent" better, since it is within the rules. But yes-the old system was better, but this has been forced on us. Then again-reserving a day you know you wont use, also means a day you know you will be giving back to the system within a few days. So you kind of only "borrow" them. That will either fill a WL and make someones day, or open days for new callers.

I think "peresistent "was what calling DBD was being. You were only taking a spot you knew you were going to use;no one was bothered or inconvenienced by the process(except MS I guess).

Look, I'm no or but, it sounds like a rationalization to me.
I can't/won't attempt to tell myself that walking a reservation others are going to benefit somehow. The system doesn't know you are "only borrowing" the room; nor do the other DVC'rs who call for their vacation times according to the rules.
They don't know that the walkers will be "granting" their desired vacation by such an "act of kindness"; releasing a room that wasn't actually going to be used in the first place. Wow, what a benefactress I could be....

I know we have enough points to walk a couple of weeks at a time, but I don't think I could enjoy a vacation where I knew that my selfish act caused others to be placed on WL because they didn't have a many points as we do.

Walking a reservation, "walks" over other members of the program.
It is sad, but I won't let the system "make" me do something I know is not right.

YMMV

 

[dvc_john]

Hmmm...

Walking: Booking a room for a few days that you don't want, then cancelling them within a day or so, in order to get the days you do want. Apparently this is unethical.

Booking a reservation at your home resort at 11 months that you have no intention of using, then rebooking at a different resort at 7 months and cancelling the original reservation after tying it up for 4 months. Apparently this is a perfectly acceptable process.

 

[pilferk]

All,

I promised a "favorite check out date" poll over in the Misc section to complement the other two polls I put up.

Funny thing happened on the way to the forum...

I did a number on my back this weekend...so haven't been able to make good on my promise.

As soon as I'm back vertical, and can comfortably sit for more than 10 minutes, I PROMISE I'll put the poll up!

I just don't want anyone to think I backed out on them.....

 

[Bopsmom]

Hmmm...

Walking: Booking a room for a few days that you don't want, then cancelling them within a day or so, in order to get the days you do want. Apparently this is unethical.

Booking a reservation at your home resort at 11 months that you have no intention of using, then rebooking at a different resort at 7 months and cancelling the original reservation after tying it up for 4 months. Apparently this is a perfectly acceptable process.

We have always stayed where we bought.
I thought that there an element of risk involved with switching at 7 months because you were in the system with all the non-owners of the resort?
There might not be availability at the 7 month point.
Didn't you have to release your 1 reservation (home) to get into the other(non-home)? You risked not being able to go at all,or you stayed on your original reservation. This seemed "fair" because you were risking a sure thing for a switch, and if it didn't come through then you still stayed on the original reservation.

 

[jarestel]

But it doesn't mean it's not in the guidelines which are disclosed to every member. I will admit that the procedure should have been more clear. When I found out about DBD (from MS), I had asked if this was possible since it clearly states (under old system) that you can book 11/7 months in advance of your check OUT date, which I assumed to be the last day of my stay. She proceeded to explain to me that I would be technically checking out on those days and adding the next days would just be extending my vacation. So it is within the "booking policy".

So I guess what I'm saying is that if you saw this legitimate "loophole" in the system, you have all rights to do it. I would imagine that some had figured it out (I guess I wasn't as clever). Did it. Then MS passed it on to other members.

I agree with everything you say including the loophole comment. But I would hazard to guess that the vast majority of folks wouldn't find the loophole and, like you, would have to rely on MS to point it out. So if they point it out to one person, they should point it out to everyone or else they are using the "system" to decide who gets booking preferences and who doesn't. (sounds familiar, now where have I heard that lately???)

 

[bookwormde]

Well I made a reservation this morning. I decided to do it cleanly for a test (did not walk into it). From my understanding it is one of the most difficult reservations to get during the summer, OKW grand villa 5 weekdays HH designations (there are only 4). I called exactly at 9AM and was able to book it.

With a large proportion of members now directly notified it is probably a reasonably valid test for this time frame (though as more people who did not do DBD realize they can book sooner it may get more difficult).

So the only impact on me personally now is that I will still not buy a small BLT contract for trying to book a day or 2 at new years, unless I see reports that that is possible at the 11-month mark.

I have pretty much come to conclusion that the best way to improve fairness while reducing MS workload is to blend the new and old system. It would be very easy to just have “black out dates”, for the 11-month window, which could not be booked by using the new enhancement. These would probably include Thanksgiving through new years and maybe a couple of other weeks (presidents, Easter e.g). MS could monitor and black out other such days additionally where they find that there are no rooms or a small percentage of rooms available, before the 11-month mark, for particular situations for the future years (sound like a lot easier thing than trying to chase down the walkers and could be done in an automated fashion with a simple daily query program). This would remove any value of walking a reservation into these periods so those unneeded calls and reservation pattern monitoring would be eliminated. Yes you would have about 10-15% of the days where MS would have additional calls from DBD but it eliminates the imbalance between long and short stay members when it has a practical impact. This does not really solve the 7-month issue but going in we all new that was much more of a crapshoot so for me it is OK.

bookwormde

 

[dvcdisney]

Hmmm...

Walking: Booking a room for a few days that you don't want, then cancelling them within a day or so, in order to get the days you do want. Apparently this is unethical.

Booking a reservation at your home resort at 11 months that you have no intention of using, then rebooking at a different resort at 7 months and cancelling the original reservation after tying it up for 4 months. Apparently this is a perfectly acceptable process.

True. I agree.

(However, some may argue that they do have the intention on staying at their home resort (they booked at 11 mths), however, if another resort is available at 7 months, they will switch it and that's just changing a reservation not "gaming the system", just securing a reservation in case they don't have availability at the other resorts. But I will admit, it's a very fine line. )

 

[Bopsmom]

Well I made a reservation this morning. I decided to do it cleanly for a test (did not walk into it). From my understanding it is one of the most difficult reservations to get during the summer, OKW grand villa 5 weekdays HH designations (there are only 4). I called exactly at 9AM and was able to book it.

With a large proportion of members now directly notified it is probably a reasonably valid test for this time frame (though as more people who did not do DBD realize they can book sooner it may get more difficult).

So the only impact on me personally now is that I will still not buy a small BLT contract for trying to book a day or 2 at new years, unless I see reports that that is possible at the 11-month mark.

Congrats on your reservation!
I feel the same way, we were going to buy another contract, but will just take a wait and see approach.

I have pretty much come to conclusion that the best way to improve fairness while reducing MS workload is to blend the new and old system. It would be very easy to just have “black out dates”, for the 11-month window, which could not be booked by using the new enhancement. These would probably include Thanksgiving through new years and maybe a couple of other weeks (presidents, Easter e.g). MS could monitor and black out other such days additionally where they find that there are no rooms or a small percentage of rooms available, before the 11-month mark, for particular situations for the future years (sound like a lot easier thing than trying to chase down the walkers and could be done in an automated fashion with a simple daily query program). This would remove any value of walking a reservation into these periods so those unneeded calls and reservation pattern monitoring would be eliminated. Yes you would have about 10-15% of the days where MS would have additional calls from DBD but it eliminates the imbalance between long and short stay members when it has a practical impact. This does not really solve the 7-month issue but going in we all new that was much more of a crapshoot so for me it is OK.

bookwormde

I am sure people will cringe at the thought of black out dates.
again

 

[jeankeri]

Well I made a reservation this morning. I decided to do it cleanly for a test (did not walk into it). From my understanding it is one of the most difficult reservations to get during the summer, OKW grand villa 5 weekdays HH designations (there are only 4). I called exactly at 9AM and was able to book it.

bookwormde

Thanks for posting this. At this point, these kind of posts are far more valuable (and informative) than guessing at how the new system might work.

 

[Kathi OD]

Someones failure to do research should not ruin it for the ones that do.

Denise in MI

I don't think doing research has anything to do with it. Unless you're trying to figure a way around the system as presented to you, why would you need to do research on booking a ressie?

 

[Kathi OD]

why do people keep printing this, for peek times it was DVC MS that advised members to do this

In eight years of booking at peak times I have never been advised to do this by MS. I've always been told I have to waitlist. Just because some people have been advised to do so, doesn't mean that everyone has. Seems to me that not every CM at MS is giving out this advice, so how does that make the playing field equal?