New policy for reservations based on check IN date

[Starr W.]

As a teacher, I never heard of DBD booking until I joined this site a year ago. DH and I have owned DVC for over 8 years, so for 7 years we did not have a clue about DBD bookings and we've been able to get every ressie we've wanted by booking all of our days at one time. Sometimes we've had to waitlist, other times not. Oh, and BTW, we have never called at the 11 month window and have stayed at some pretty busy times, i.e. Easter, Thanksgiving, F&W/Jersey Week/Super Soap (although never Christmas-NYE).

I really think this is much to do about nothing and as a PP has suggested panic and fear by those who are used to using DBD to get what they want, even when it wasn't necessary. Give the system a chance to work before you get all cranked up about how unfair and unlikely it is to work.

Thank you.

 

[Kathi OD]

Kathy OD:

I am very glad reservations have worked out for you in the past.

Because I too travel during very busy times, it is just something that is very unsettling to me and with day by day there was simply nothing unsettling about it...if I did DBD I would likely be able to get a reservation for a busy travel period. If I didn't there would be a chance that I would not. For me I was not willing to take that chance nor wealthy enough to just not use my DVC and go on another vacation using all cash therefore I went through the task of DBD. I travel Sunday to Sunday or Monday to Monday as I cannot take off two weekends. Now by the time I book, the Friday to Friday and Saturday to Saturday members may very well have all the desired inventory Sunday through Thursday for busy highly travelled vacation weeks.

Good luck with your future reservations. I hope they continue to work out for you but if they don't because of the new system you will understand after the many posts in which I have tried to get people to understand.

Best of luck,
maminnie

thanks, but i doubt very much that there will be a problem going forward. i truly believe, that for the most part, you will be pleasantly surprised at how well things are going to go...with the exception of that very rare accommodation, that is difficult to get even with DBD calling.

 

[maminnie]

Chloe:

Your quote "is it a bad thing to favor those that can arrive before others?"

You have got to be kidding me!!!!

maminnie

 

[DVC Mike]

Let me give you all some very clear examples of how this sytem is unfair to certain people; people who are very important to all us.

First let's look at a teacher....

Let's look at health care workers and law enforcement professionals....

These "clear examples" are just mere possibilities. I could submit examples of health care workers, law enforcement professionals and teachers happily obtaining their reservations under the new policy. But in both cases, these are just hypothetical scenarious with no basis in fact.

I don't see why we should consider the various professions of DVC members, as the system is blind to that. A teacher (whom I value) is not entitled to special treatment.

 

[Inkmahm]

Chloe:

Your quote "is it a bad thing to favor those that can arrive before others?"

You have got to be kidding me!!!!

maminnie

Sadly, there are more than a few that think it is just fine to favor those who can arrive before others.

 

[Inkmahm]

I don't see why we should consider the various professions of DVC members, as the system is blind to that. A teacher (whom I value) is not entitled to special treatment.

Not "special" treatment, just EQUAL treatment. Everyone having equal chance at all rooms at 9 am on a given day. Period.

 

[jodifla]

As a teacher, I never heard of DBD booking until I joined this site a year ago. DH and I have owned DVC for over 8 years, so for 7 years we did not have a clue about DBD bookings and we've been able to get every ressie we've wanted by booking all of our days at one time. Sometimes we've had to waitlist, other times not. Oh, and BTW, we have never called at the 11 month window and have stayed at some pretty busy times, i.e. Easter, Thanksgiving, F&W/Jersey Week/Super Soap (although never Christmas-NYE).

I really think this is much to do about nothing and as a PP has suggested panic and fear by those who are used to using DBD to get what they want, even when it wasn't necessary. Give the system a chance to work before you get all cranked up about how unfair and unlikely it is to work.

In 12 years of ownership, I've never booked day by day, with the POSSIBLE exception of the time we stayed in a grand villa many years ago...I can't quite remember. I want to say that I didn't even have to do it then....My recollection is that I called the first day, and they told me I wouldn't have to do it day by day, just call at the end. It worked fine.

Back in the beginning of DVC, they handled holiday weeks differently. As I recall, it was a sort of lottery system that they ended up dropping when they deemed it unnecessary.

Maybe they'll go back to this if the holidays are the one area that the new system causes great difficulty for members.

I just booked my OKW stay in a 2 bedroom over MLK day with no problems at less than 7 months.

 

[maminnie]

DVC Mike:]

By the looks of your upcoming vacation plans it looks like you are going at times which aren't peak vacation weeks. You're right, the new sytem will work beautifully for you; one call at check-in and you know your trip is just perfect. Not always the case for those of us who travel peak times.

maminnie

 

[ahalla]

I am a new DVC member and have been watching this thread closely. When we purchased, it was with the intent of going in December. Clearly an extremely busy time. We purchased our DVC exactly 7 days after our 11 month window. Low and behold, we were unable to get our reservation. We waitlisted and at 7 months switced to SSR, still having to waitlist some nights. Waitlist just came thru. Excited to get a complete reservation but very sad to be unable to get our home resort. When we made the initial call to book our first trip home, it was suggested to us, in the future to call DBD. Our problem being, my husband needs to book his holidays at least a year in advance, and once approved, very unlikely to be changed. We knew how the DVC worked when we purchased but with DBD booking we had a better chance of getting our holidays. With this new policy, who knows what will happen in the future. We question whether we wasted our money (holidays booked, can't get the reservation). I did contact member services and talked to a really nice lady and she assured me that this new policy will work. They will watch for people abusing the system, and if they find it doesn't work they will make changes. While reassuring, until we are able to book our next holiday and get our home resort I will continue to question. Just MHO, nothing more...nothing less.

 

[Starr W.]

I am a new DVC member and have been watching this thread closely. When we purchased, it was with the intent of going in December. Clearly an extremely busy time. We purchased our DVC exactly 7 days after our 11 month window. Low and behold, we were unable to get our reservation. We waitlisted and at 7 months switced to SSR, still having to waitlist some nights. Waitlist just came thru. Excited to get a complete reservation but very sad to be unable to get our home resort. When we made the initial call to book our first trip home, it was suggested to us, in the future to call DBD. Our problem being, my husband needs to book his holidays at least a year in advance, and once approved, very unlikely to be changed. We knew how the DVC worked when we purchased but with DBD booking we had a better chance of getting our holidays. With this new policy, who knows what will happen in the future. We question whether we wasted our money (holidays booked, can't get the reservation). I did contact member services and talked to a really nice lady and she assured me that this new policy will work. They will watch for people abusing the system, and if they find it doesn't work they will make changes. While reassuring, until we are able to book our next holiday and get our home resort I will continue to question. Just MHO, nothing more...nothing less.

I see you are at AKV for a home resort, you can't base this year(partially completed resort) on future years. Once AKV is finished calling right at 11 months, shouldn't be a problem.

 

[chloe]

Sorry Maminnie. No offence intended.

What I was trying to point out was that no policy is going to work for everyone. For example, there are many who due to work cannot call at 9:00 AM.
Regardless of the policy someone will not get the room they want. That said, I do believe it will work out well for most people.

 

[CarolMN]

Agreed!

The few times I have called day-by-day to book at the 11-mo window, when I got to the last day, I always asked MS if there was availability if I had just called on the last day, and every time they said yes. Thus, I had booked day-by-day just to be sure, but it turned out to be completely unnecessary. Eliminating all this unneccessary DBD booking is one way this new policy is an enhancement.

I agree that eliminating unnecessary DBD calling is a plus - if the new system truly eliminates it. I don't think it will unless more restrictive rules are added. Those additional rules will negatively impact another group of members, many of whom are not at all impacted by the change currently.

FWIW, I have not had the same experience as you had with DBD booking. On two different occasions booking SV for early December dates, I forgot to call until after lunch (about 1 PM Eastern) for one of the weekdays in the middle of my 6 night reservation. On both occasions, the CM told me I got the last SV unit. (I didn't ask, the info was volunteered).

As a regular here on the DIS, I have commonly seen "newbies" being told to book DBD just to be sure, even though it really wasn't necessary. The DBD booking practice, while necessary in only a few cases, has been growing and was generating a lot of unnecessary calls to MS.

I agree and it isn't just the DIS that recommended DBD when it wasn't necessary. Everyone of us who posts on any internet DVC forum bears some responsibility for the proliferation of unnecessary DBD calling.

All that said, I still wish DVC would allow the old method for at least the first 2 weeks or first month of the 11 month window. If desired, they could even limit DBD to a small set of "specialty" units. Allowing DBD for a short period in the 11 month window would satisfy most who believe in "first come, first served", calls would still be significantly reduced (IMHO, at least as much as the new method given all the work-arounds suggested here), and any reservation "holes" would be limited to those who chose to accept them - because the getting a specialty unit was more important than getting the whole reservation right away. In the vast, vast majority of cases, none of the resorts and/or unit sizes fill up during the first week of the window's opening. We're really talking about who gets the high demand specialty units during a few high demand weeks of the year.

FWIW, I think 7 month booking is really not relevant to the discussion and that a very large portion of the DBD calling takes place at the 7 month window. Of course, that is just my opinion.

P.S. I would prefer a SSPL (Special Seasons Priority List) (at one's home resort only) for the high demand specialty units over the current method. That would eliminate all DBD calling and probably also be acceptable to those who say the old system wasn't fair to those who couldn't call DBD.

P.S. Perhaps I am selfish as Dean suggests. But since I am offering everyone the same opportunity as I would have vs potentially locking others out entirely, I don't feel selfish.

 

[DVC Mike]

DVC Mike:

By the looks of your upcoming vacation plans it looks like you are going at times which aren't peak vacation weeks. You're right, the new sytem will work beautifully for you; one call at check-in and you know your trip is just perfect. Not always the case for those of us who travel peak times.

maminnie

Hmm, I thought the first two weeks of December was a peak DVC time, especially for VWL?

So, in your view, the DVC reservation system should be optimized for just those very few high-demand periods and not for the rest of the year? In other words, it doesn't matter how cumbersome or difficult it becomes year round for most DVC members just as long as the system is the best for the very few high-demand periods? Why penalize most DVC members?

I don't agree. The new system benefits more DVC members than the old system did.

For those that travel at peak times, I still submit that I would rather just have to make one call and either get or not get my reservation, rather than booking DBD and not getting one or two days.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

Not "special" treatment, just EQUAL treatment. Everyone having equal chance at all rooms at 9 am on a given day. Period.

Everyone has equal opportunity to pick that phone up at 9 am on a Friday, Sat, or Sunday and make that reservation. Whether you CHOOSE to, has no bearing on opportunity. You also have the same opportunity to purchase more points if your pool is too low to accomodate your booking style.

 

[waltfan1957]

I think DVC members are generally pleased with the new policy. Whether the emails the DVC Member Satisfaction Team is getting are generally more for or against the new policy is fairly irrelevant, as we all know that folks are generally more willing to email in negative comments than positive ones.

you suggested earlier in this thread you thought members were generally satisfied, I asked how you would book a vacation from xmas day to jan 12 under the new system, I take it from your lack of response that like most members who book longer than 7 nights you have no idea how to guarantee this. which under the old system we have never had a problem. MS have already stated that negative comments are more than positive, but to suit your point of view they are irrevelant

 

[DVC Mike]

I am a new DVC member and have been watching this thread closely....

With this new policy, who knows what will happen in the future. We question whether we wasted our money (holidays booked, can't get the reservation). I did contact member services and talked to a really nice lady and she assured me that this new policy will work. They will watch for people abusing the system, and if they find it doesn't work they will make changes.

To quote Tim, there has been quite amount of "fear, uncertainty and doubt" (FUD) about the new policy. My own viewpoint is to ignore the FUD and see what happens.

 

[Starr W.]

You also have the same opportunity to purchase more points if your pool is too low to accomodate your booking style.

DH thinks that's one of the reason's for the change, sell more points!

 

[waltfan1957]

The truth is we have no real data one way or another. My point all along is that it's OK to have winners and losers so it wouldn't alter my feelings. Still, there was a winner and loser then and there will be now and that's OK, even if it's you or me. IMO, essentially what many are saying is it's OK to have winners as losers as long as that loser is someone else. They are simply being selfish and I understand that. My view is it's OK to have winners and losers even if that loser is myself. Ultimately it is that simple.

I may be wrong but dont you own more than one timeshare, if so you may not be bothered by this as you have an alterative which many peoplle dont have.

 

[DVC Mike]

you suggested earlier in this thread you thought members were generally satisfied, I asked how you would book a vacation from xmas day to jan 12 under the new system, I take it from your lack of response that like most members who book longer than 7 nights you have no idea how to guarantee this. which under the old system we have never had a problem.

There is no way to "guarantee" a reservation under either system.

MS have already stated that negative comments are more than positive, but to suit your point of view they are irrevelant

No, as we are all aware, the folks who are upset with the new policy are going to write DVC. But it is less likely that the folks who are pleased with the new policy are going to write DVC and congratulate them. Thus, the number of complaints versus the number of thank yous is not an accurate data point concerning overall member satisfaction with the new policy.

 

[Starr W.]

I may be wrong but dont you own more than one timeshare, if so you may not be bothered by this as you have an alterative which many peoplle dont have.

I'm like Dean and have other timeshares, but they don' cover the times I want to go to WDW. One is a ski week and the other a fixed week(32)in MI.

If I want to go somewhere else for my Thanksgiving trip(usually DVC), I have to deposit one of my weeks in II and put a request in maybe 18 months ahead of time. And I have to pick maybe 3 different locations and hope they come through.