New policy for reservations based on check IN date

[jdg345]

I posed about this a page or two back, but after a lengthy conversation with Joy yesterday (in which she said if your first day is not available, you may waitlist your entire vacation up to 7 days), here's part of my post:

BUT, if someone were to waitlist for their stay because days 1-3 aren't available, and you haven't booked DBD (because you're planning on calling on day 8 (well, or day 6, even) to add days), then there could possibly be a waitlist that could be filled which would steal some of your days if one of the previously booked rooms is partially cancelled and it coincides with the still-open end days that haven't hit the 11-month window and a shooting star flies through the sky in the moments before you call to extend your vacation.

And this is why they are recommending you call DBD, so that there is no possibility of that happening.

Like I said, there would still be possibility of this happening if they allow you to waitlist your first day and book forward as it adds another member who may want to get that same room the previous members already looked at days 8+

 

[jdg345]

Ah, but being able to walk the reservation is probably one of biggest concerns of this new policy.

Let's see how it goes...no offense intended, but you think this is a great idea now. Let's see how your next 11 month window goes and if you get shut out right away and if you feel the same.

This will probably be the litmus test for all members ~ those who like the new policy and those who don't.

I'm crossing my fingers that my worries about getting the GV ressie I want will be unfounded. At this point, I'm very skeptical.

So far, walking has been easy ... even in very hard to get categories. I'm interested to see if something will be said or done to limit this practice.

 

[DVC Grandpa]

but with DBD you were only booking the days you actually wanted, if members walk reservations they will be booking days they dont want

You are right. So what is better? DBD or “walking” reservations? It has to be one or the other in order to have the best chance to extend your longer stay without the possibility of having to waitlist a day.

 

[jdg345]

In this context it would only apply to this 11 month plus 7 issue. Those that can't live with the changes (wherever they sort out), will have some hard decisions to make. What ever the end result, I'm sure we'll see at least one "I'm selling because..." thread related to this issue before it's over. IMO, under this rule it really only makes sense if they make each change a cancellation and rebooking and likely, NOT allow adding day by day either. Another reasonable modification would be that reservations under this rule had to start Fri, Sat or Sun but if so we'd be at 150 pages for this thread by Monday.

I don't even think it would take that long!

 

[zulaya]

So far, walking has been easy ... even in very hard to get categories. I'm interested to see if something will be said or done to limit this practice.

But this policy is still very new and we haven't hit a big reservation season yet. I know you haven't had problems yet, but I'm concerned about how it plays out as we get more bookings under this new system.

 

[jdg345]

But this policy is still very new and we haven't had hard hit a big reservation season yet. I know you haven't had problems yet, but I'm concerned about how it plays out as we get more bookings under this new system.

It's not about more bookings, imo, it's about MS. Or do you mean more bookings that are walked? I would think someone would raise an eyebrow, but so far, it's just been, "Okay, all set, is there anything else I can do for you today?"

 

[jdg345]

Replies are still showing up before the post being replied to. Looks like the database is having a fit.

 

[mrdiscranky]

No argument, you're fine. I think the difference is you're looking at every variation you see posted now and assuming that's the way it will be forever and I'm looking at where things will likely end up. It is my opinion that the end result will be you can't drop days from the beginning and that each change will be a cancellation and rebooking.

Agreeing with 95%+ of what you wrong, but I want to point out that even if Disney stops allowing people to drop days off the reservation, the 7-day limit is still pointless - and evidence Disney didn't do a good job thinking this over ahead of time.

 

[LisaS]

I posed about this a page or two back, but after a lengthy conversation with Joy yesterday (in which she said if your first day is not available, you may waitlist your entire vacation up to 7 days), here's part of my post:

BUT, if someone were to waitlist for their stay because days 1-3 aren't available, and you haven't booked DBD (because you're planning on calling on day 8 (well, or day 6, even) to add days), then there could possibly be a waitlist that could be filled which would steal some of your days if one of the previously booked rooms is partially cancelled and it coincides with the still-open end days that haven't hit the 11-month window and a shooting star flies through the sky in the moments before you call to extend your vacation.

And this is why they are recommending you call DBD, so that there is no possibility of that happening.

If the person looking to extend waits until 11 months prior to day 8 to call MS, they risk not getting their additional nights. But if they call no later than 11 months prior to day 7, I don't see how another member could grab that room for those additional nights, even with partial waitlists getting filled during the 6 days this member waited to call back. I guess I don't really follow what you're saying. I think I need an example of how this would play out.

 

[Laurabearz]

but with DBD you were only booking the days you actually wanted, if members walk reservations they will be booking days they dont want

There is nothing I can do about the people who walk and my fear is when MS decides to do something about, THAT will end up screwing me.

The abiblity to add and or drop a day to either end of a reservation needs to be allowed... and if that means people will be able to walk their reservtaion from now until NYE I say... let them.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

Day2-You: You call at 9am and waitlist your first 6 and book your 7th day, my 8th.
Day2-Me : I call DBD to extend at 9:30am, sry, sold out on Day-8.

Can you book Day 7 when you only WL days 1-6? This is the big question. I would think you cannot because the computer system seems to require a single reservation number extending from Day 1 for all the booked days. This was reported by the member who could not book all of a split stay for 7 nights at 11 months from check-in.

If this is allowed, then night 7 should be bookable even without the WL, as WL are not linked to active reservations.

But you are right, if this is true, then we are back to the equivalent of DBD booking.

This also makes me think that at the 7 month window those with a single night booked with home resort points will not have any advantage when trying to book more nights with non-home resort points. The simple reason: the single home resort points night will have a different reservation number. Although MS might be able to override this, I doubt the computer system is set up to link the reservations at the 7 month -1 day window. Time of course will tell.

-- Suzanne

 

[LisaS]

Can you book Day 7 when you only WL days 1-6? This is the big question. I would think you cannot because the computer system seems to require a single reservation number extending from Day 1 for all the booked days. This was reported by the member who could not book all of a split stay for 7 nights at 11 months from check-in.

Ransom asked about this when he was contacted by Joy from DVC's Communications department. There is a lot of good information in his post (see post # 1109 on page 74: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1861954&page=74) but to answer your specific question, here is an excerpt from his post:

Regarding waitlists, she said that if you call and day 1 is unavailable, you may waitlist that day (and that day only), but you may then not book any additional days until the following day. So, you can't call, wait list day 1, then book days 2-7. You'll have to wait until the next day to try to book days two through (by then) eight.

She also said that one may waitlist individual days, but only if they are non-contiguous. So if days 2, 4, 7, and 8 were unavailable, you could have one waitlist for day 2, one waitlist for day 4, and one for days 7 & 8. You would not be allowed to waitlist days 7 and 8 separately.

ARRGHHH! This problem with the server clocks is really annoying! Suzanne -- Look up!! I've replied to your thread up here!!

 

[jdg345]

Can you book Day 7 when you only WL days 1-6? This is the big question. I would think you cannot because the computer system seems to require a single reservation number extending from Day 1 for all the booked days. This was reported by the member who could not book all of a split stay for 7 nights at 11 months from check-in.

If this is allowed, then night 7 should be bookable even without the WL, as WL are not linked to active reservations.

But you are right, if this is true, then we are back to the equivalent of DBD booking.

This also makes me think that at the 7 month window those with a single night booked with home resort points will not have any advantage when trying to book more nights with non-home resort points. The simple reason: the single home resort points night will have a different reservation number. Although MS might be able to override this, I doubt the computer system is set up to link the reservations at the 7 month -1 day window. Time of course will tell.

-- Suzanne

Certainly seems messier than what we had before, doesn't it?

 

[jarestel]

Certainly seems messier than what we had before, doesn't it?

I think it only seems messier because of the extraordinary amount of thought being given to work-arounds. If one simply accepts the fact that the new policy allows one to reserve based on check-in date rather than check-out date, it becomes incredibly simplified. The complication, or "messiness" occurs when schemes for booking outside that window are tossed around and that tends to confuse the issue for most folks.

Not that the schemes are neccessarily bad, just that they are what drives the confusion, not the new policy.

 

[squirrlygirl]

If the person looking to extend waits until 11 months prior to day 8 to call MS, they risk not getting their additional nights. But if they call no later than 11 months prior to day 7, I don't see how another member could grab that room for those additional nights, even with partial waitlists getting filled during the 6 days this member waited to call back. I guess I don't really follow what you're saying. I think I need an example of how this would play out.

That's what I thought, too. I'll try my best to explain

I book days 1-7 on day 1.

On MY day 4, someone else calls in, but there's nothing available until MY day 8 at that time. So the availability shows nothing available for their days 1-4, but 5-7 are available because I haven't called DBD to extend. At that time, they waitlist for their entire 7-day stay (which Joy said you CAN do)
On day 5, someone else cancels what they had already booked, and that frees up days 1-4 for the other person. Because I haven't yet booked my day 8 and beyond, that means that days 5-7 are also available, and now that person's waitlist gets fulfilled, taking my extension days with it.

• So ME: x x x x x x x
• Them: y y y x x x x x x x is waitlisted
• cancel: x x x x x x x

"Them" gets days 1-4 from the cancelled and days 5-7 that are open still because I haven't extended yet. The chances of this happening, and the chances that mr. cancelled's days past what he originally booked not being available, are probably slim and next to none. BUT, we're talking about emotions and wanting control over securing the reservation, which means telling people to call day by day to extend their vacation.

How did I do? I think my brain is now going loopy

 

[jdg345]

ARRGHHH! This problem with the server clocks is really annoying! Suzanne -- Look up!! I've replied to your thread up here!!

Yup, and it's happening on multiple threads. Seems to be an issue after they were down for a few hours the other day. Quite Strange indeed.

 

[jdg345]

Can you book Day 7 when you only WL days 1-6? This is the big question. I would think you cannot because the computer system seems to require a single reservation number extending from Day 1 for all the booked days. This was reported by the member who could not book all of a split stay for 7 nights at 11 months from check-in.

Well, if you're booking right at your arrival date at 11 months, you shouldn't ever have to WL 1-6, just 1.

 

[jdg345]

That's what I thought, too. I'll try my best to explain

I book days 1-7 on day 1.

On MY day 4, someone else calls in, but there's nothing available until MY day 8 at that time. So the availability shows nothing available for their days 1-4, but 5-7 are available because I haven't called DBD to extend. At that time, they waitlist for their entire 7-day stay (which Joy said you CAN do)
On day 5, someone else cancels what they had already booked, and that frees up days 1-4 for the other person. Because I haven't yet booked my day 8 and beyond, that means that days 5-7 are also available, and now that person's waitlist gets fulfilled, taking my extension days with it.

• So ME: x x x x x x x
• Them: y y y x x x x x x x is waitlisted
• cancel: x x x x x x x

"Them" gets days 1-4 from the cancelled and days 5-7 that are open still because I haven't extended yet. The chances of this happening, and the chances that mr. cancelled's days past what he originally booked not being available, are probably slim and next to none. BUT, we're talking about emotions and wanting control over securing the reservation, which means telling people to call day by day to extend their vacation.

How did I do? I think my brain is now going loopy

So I get what you're saying, but I don't understand how the system works for WL.

If I waitlist the whole term, then days 5-7 shouldn't fill until 1-4 are also freed up. That means whoever is extending should have no issue doing so at day 2 or day 7.

But I understand now, I thought you said Joy said (ha!) you could WL your first days and book the back end. That's not apparently it and I understood what Ransom had stated: You can waitlist your first day, and that day only, but you cannot book the subsequent days.

Can you waitlist 1-7? According to joy, you can. So can you waitlist 1-5? Will they automatically tie the waitlists together? IOW: If I just waitlist today, then just waitlist tomorrow, etc, do I end up with an essentially DBD waitlist?

Also, per my other post, someone mentioned that when they called to check on their WL, their room was available so they booked it and cancelled the WL. Does that mean that room would have been theirs anyways? Does that mean they 'skipped' someone in line? Does that mean that WL's don't trigger automatically and instead occur in some batch process overnight, so if someone calls in they can get it ahead of the WL priority? Yuk.

 

[Kiderak]

That's what I thought, too. I'll try my best to explain

I book days 1-7 on day 1.

On MY day 4, someone else calls in, but there's nothing available until MY day 8 at that time. So the availability shows nothing available for their days 1-4, but 5-7 are available because I haven't called DBD to extend. At that time, they waitlist for their entire 7-day stay (which Joy said you CAN do)
On day 5, someone else cancels what they had already booked, and that frees up days 1-4 for the other person. Because I haven't yet booked my day 8 and beyond, that means that days 5-7 are also available, and now that person's waitlist gets fulfilled, taking my extension days with it.

• So ME: x x x x x x x
• Them: y y y x x x x x x x is waitlisted
• cancel: x x x x x x x

"Them" gets days 1-4 from the cancelled and days 5-7 that are open still because I haven't extended yet. The chances of this happening, and the chances that mr. cancelled's days past what he originally booked not being available, are probably slim and next to none.

Doesn't look like that could happen, you would be in different rooms from "them", so they can't take your days.

 

[Debi]

I am one of 'those people' that actually enjoy travelling over NYE. This new booking policy has put me at a major disadvantage, and I have a letter ready to be mailed to DVC. I plan on e-mailing and snail mailing a copy of the letter.

Does anyone have the physical address to mail this letter to? Thanks!