New policy for reservations based on check IN date

[BWV Dreamin]

I'll echo that sentiment.

The odds of a resort being fully booked more than 11 months out (with the new +7) is very, very slim. The key to the new system is that bookings have to be for consecutive days. The only way for there to be nothing available at 9am for a Tuesday is if the entire resort/room class was booked-solid for the prior Monday. And the only way for Monday to be full at 9am is if Sunday was completely booked. And the only way for Sunday to be booked...

I'll agree that those who book weekend stays will have some advantage since they get a jump on the Sunday - Thursday regulars. But I refuse to believe that this policy change will suddenly put the resorts at 100% occupancy on Saturday night--at 11 months to the day--just so those people can also book the following Sunday - Thurs.

And if the resort isn't at 100% occupancy 11 months to the day for Saturday night, then there WILL still be rooms available to book Sunday forward. We're back to the familiar "first-come, first-served" system.

offtopic: Maybe DVC just needs to revive the old lottery system for early December or AKV concierge.)

You raise an interesting point concerning week-ends. If owners start booking over the week-ends to gain ressie advantage, will owners just start to include these week-ends into their vacations? Owners will need the points one way or another to take advantage of the weekend ressie times. So those that don't have enough points to do this now, will they purchase more and just say "okay" I have more points now, I'll just increase my stay by a day? Would be a way to increase occupancy indirectly.

 

[robinb]

But the odds of booking some very special dates will definitely go down, most likely to the point where you won't be able to get your reservation, at 9:00 am at 11-months.

NYE is the perfect example. Suppose I want to check in on 12/31 for 5-nights, BWV standard Studio. This puts most of the vacation in January, which is Adventure season instead of the last week of December, which is still very crowded, and is Premier season.

Well, many of those NYE nights will already have been booked by those who are checking in on 12/25. If that group didn't reserve all the Studios, then those checking in on 12/26 get their shot. Follow by those checking in on 12/27, then the groups checking in on 12/28, 12/29, and 12/30. By the time I can reserve my 12/31 checkin, I'll tell you for certain that there will be absolutely zero BWV Std View Studios still available. There probably won't be any BWV studios (std or preferred), and a good chance no 1-B/R villas either. I don't need a 2-B/R for just two people, so what are my options?

Who knows, maybe the only things left will be at the larger resorts. But I can't use my BWV points to book that 12/31 checkin anywhere until 7-months. And by then maybe all the Studios at those resorts have already been booked for 12/31.

Bottom line, as a BWV owner, with only enough points to reserve a Studio, this change means I can never get NYE there ever again. Can't even 'play' the system and book on the 25th for 7 nights. That would be a minimum of 156 points for a std view studio (181 for preferred). Compared to booking 5-nights, checking in on the 31st, which could be as low as 67 points, depending on weekends. Someone owning just 100 BWV points is essentially locked out of ever getting a BWV NYE reservation with a checkin date of the 31st.

That is exactly the situation we will find ourselves in next January. We always go at NYE and bought at BWV for the express purpose of booking over NYE after the Special Seasons list was eliminated. I simply do not have enough points to book a full week during Premier season in order to guarantee staying in a standard view or boardwalk view on 12/31. I will probably end up having to pay preferred view prices for a view of the scary clown slide or maybe even having to book a 1BR instead of a studio. This change will most likely cost me points and devalue my membership the way that we use it.

 

[DVC Grandpa]

Statement on ****************

"Effective immediately, Member Services has implemented a fairly dramatic change in resort booking policies.

Members can now book 11 months (in the case of home resorts) or 7 months (in the case of non-home resorts) in advance of their ARRIVAL date -- for stays of 7 nights or fewer.

For stays longer than 7 nights, Members may call on the designated day (11 or 7 months) in advance of the date of departure, and EXTEND THE RESERVATION. In other words, additional reservations and linking of reservations will not be necessary: The same reservation number will be used for all transactions.

Members services reports that this change was implemented because the majority of Members take vacations of 7 nights or fewer.

(Previous policy required that Members book 11 or 7 months in advance of their departure dates.)

This change begins to bring DVC’s policies more in line with those of other time shares, which allow owners to book in advance of their arrival date rather than their departure date."

 

[Inkmahm]

"To combat "abuse" of the system any reservation made where THE FIRST DAY OF THE TRIP OR MORE is cancelled ..."

____

I now reserve 10-11 months in advance to get the rooms, but often don't know what exact days I'll fly (depends on airfare & availablility) and who will come.

SO I would hate to loose booking flexibility because people are gaming the system be dropping off days that they don't need....

Anyone else have this problem coordinating with kid's schedules, work, and airplanes?

Goldi

Yes! I often have to move our vacation a day forward or back depending on the airline cost as well as work schedules.

 

[Grandbuddy]

I am new, and have no history of making reservations, other than a two-night stay for my son and his family this coming November, before they begin a six-day stay in a value suite. I think I will like the opportunity to know that I can count on a six- or seven-night stay in the same room, without taking a chance on losing my reservation mid-stay, with day-to-day calling, just because I could not immediately get through to MS, or because I caught a less than sharp castmember on the third day.

I really think that, in order to make this work, DVC will need to implement some sort of policy to limit changes: for instance, requiring that the check-in date of any reservation may not be altered within the first month after confirmation, without cancelling and rebooking. (Or something of the sort.)

This would at least eliminate the rolling reservation scenario some have envisioned. Yes, if someone can afford to purchase unholy numbers of points in order to gain an advantage over the rest of us, I guess there is nothing to keep that person from calling every week and reserving a whole month, and later cancelling the first three weeks. You just cannot plug every loophole.

This would continue to allow folks who have legitimate reasons to alter their plans, to do so, as most of those changes come closer to the dates of travel, rather than early in the reservation period.

 

[tjkraz]

For stays longer than 7 nights, Members may call on the designated day (11 or 7 months) in advance of the date of departure, and EXTEND THE RESERVATION. In other words, additional reservations and linking of reservations will not be necessary: The same reservation number will be used for all transactions.

I wouldn't take that as gospel. A few pages ago LisaS reported that MS told her additional days could be added 11/7 months from that additional day.

In other words, if you want to book 10 nights, you call once to book the first seven. Then you have to wait seven days...until you are 11 months out from the 8th day of your trip...and then you can add to the reservation.

The above implies that additional days cannot be added until 11/7 out from the "date of departure." So at this point the statements are still conflicting.

We'll have to wait until we get the scoop from DVC. So when is that fall Disney Files due...

 

[zulaya]

Just wanted to say that I got my standard message from MS that they have forwarded my email to the Member Satisfaction Team and to expect a reply within 5 business days.


Yeah...right...Remember how long before they got back to all of us about the mugs?

 

[jdg345]

Just wanted to say that I got my standard message from MS that they have forwarded my email to the Member Satisfaction Team and to expect a reply within 5 business days.


Yeah...right...Remember how long before they got back to all of us about the mugs?

Well ... they did change the mug thing, didn't they?

 

[dvc_john]

I just read about this new policy and don't like it one bit!

I bought a smallish 60 point BWV contract for the express purpose of booking BWV standard on New Year's eve and/or during Food/Wine. With this new policy, it will be impossible for me to book New Year's eve in the future. And Food/Wine will be dicey.

This is particularly upsetting because it is in direct violation of the POS I read when I bought. (Yes, I did read it.)

Anyone looking for a smallish BWV resale, you just might find one on the market soon!

 

[mom3sonstt]

I am surprised by the number of people who say they bought DVC to have a specific date and room-type. When we bought it was to have the flexibility to have different dates and different size rooms. And we bought it knowing that along with us having that flexibility we would also have to BE flexible. Granted - I own at OKW and am very happy there so have never tried to get the "coveted" BWV during F&W or AKL CL - they don't interest me. I have only been waitlisted once, and it was when I added a day on to the beginning of a trip because we decided to fly instead of drive and I was only on the waitlist for about 3 days. Of course, I am also not one of the people who is on the phone 5 minutes before the magic hour 180 (or 180 +10) days out trying to get a reservation for CRT or any of the other popular places. My Disney trips aren't about trying to get the hard-to-get stuff to the point that I feel my trip is ruined if I don't get it. Maybe if I were more concerned about getting the "prime" dates I would be more concerned about this change. As it is, I doubt if I hadn't stumbled across this thread that I would have ever noticed there was a change or maybe I should say I wouldn't have known that I should be concerned about the change. I guess I would have read about it next month and mentally noted that I should call on check-in day not check-out day (I have never been a day by day caller) and that would have been the end of it. I would have called on my available date and if my ressie couldn't have been met I wouldn't have thought it was because of evil DVCers trying to block me from getting my dates, I would have just thought it was a popular time and see if there was anything else available. And if there was nothing else available then it will probably be too crowded for me to want to be there then anyway

 

[jdg345]

I am surprised by the number of people who say they bought DVC to have a specific date and room-type. When we bought it was to have the flexibility to have different dates and different size rooms. And we bought it knowing that along with us having that flexibility we would also have to BE flexible. Granted - I own at OKW and am very happy there so have never tried to get the "coveted" BWV during F&W or AKL CL - they don't interest me. I have only been waitlisted once, and it was when I added a day on to the beginning of a trip because we decided to fly instead of drive and I was only on the waitlist for about 3 days. Of course, I am also not one of the people who is on the phone 5 minutes before the magic hour 180 (or 180 +10) days out trying to get a reservation for CRT or any of the other popular places. My Disney trips aren't about trying to get the hard-to-get stuff to the point that I feel my trip is ruined if I don't get it. Maybe if I were more concerned about getting the "prime" dates I would be more concerned about this change. As it is, I doubt if I hadn't stumbled across this thread that I would have ever noticed there was a change or maybe I should say I wouldn't have known that I should be concerned about the change. I guess I would have read about it next month and mentally noted that I should call on check-in day not check-out day (I have never been a day by day caller) and that would have been the end of it. I would have called on my available date and if my ressie couldn't have been met I wouldn't have thought it was because of evil DVCers trying to block me from getting my dates, I would have just thought it was a popular time and see if there was anything else available. And if there was nothing else available then it will probably be too crowded for me to want to be there then anyway

I see where you're coming from ... but I think some of the posters here have stated that they specifically added on for certain times of year at a specific resort.

It sounds like you mostly book non-peak ... I think this is going to mostly affect peak seasons and locations.

 

[kimberh]

I have booked the hard to get rooms, at the popular times with the 11 month window, I am not happy with this at all! I see my AKV concierge a thing of the past. I just booked my second stay. I bought BWV to book BW view. Beach Club to get the 2br2Q's, which I had success, with the day by day booking. As far as I was concerned, we were all on the same playing field. Now, we are not. I am not buying more points to secure a reservation. I hope this is not a ploy, from DVD to sell more points, or get a percentage of members to book weekend nights, then keep them for fear of having a reservation cancelled.

 

[kfalsey]

maybe with the economy being bad it is a way for dvc to add more points to many members. maybe sales are not as good as we think

 

[tjkraz]

OK, this comment is meant to be a LITTLE tongue-in-cheek...but only a little.

Over and over again I keep reading variations on the same theme: "I'll never get the room that I want!"

So, if *you* won't get the room, exactly who will?

The perception appears to be that it's "the person who arrives a day before me."

But isn't there someone arriving a day before HIM? And someone else is arriving a day before that guy!

SOMEONE has to be filling all of these DVC rooms...

 

[mom3sonstt]

OK, this comment is meant to be a LITTLE tongue-in-cheek...but only a little.

Over and over again I keep reading variations on the same theme: "I'll never get the room that I want!"

So, if *you* won't get the room, exactly who will?

The perception appears to be that it's "the person who arrives a day before me."

But isn't there someone arriving a day before HIM? And someone else is arriving a day before that guy!

SOMEONE has to be filling all of these DVC rooms...

Thanks for verbalizing what I couldn't find the words for. There was always something nagging at the back of my head when I was reading these posts that I couldn't grasp - and that was - who is in these rooms that "nobody" will be able to get into? (It won't be me - because I'm over at OKW where apparently nobody wants to be )

 

[kikiq]

Thanks for verbalizing what I couldn't find the words for. There was always something nagging at the back of my head when I was reading these posts that I couldn't grasp - and that was - who is in these rooms that "nobody" will be able to get into? (It won't be me - because I'm over at OKW where apparently nobody wants to be )

Oh good, I was just going to say the same thing (It won't be us either - we're over at SSR where NOBODY wants to be) That said it's a crap shoot now to get AKV concierge rooms, so it will still be a crap shoot. (oh, yeah...that "level playing field" thing)

 

[dee519]

we found out about it cause we were calling day by day to book BV (standard) in our 11 month window - started the reservation for May 13 and it's an open continuing reservation with a check out of May 27, 2009. Well, when I called yesterday to add a night the CM told me of this new policy. She checked with her manager and said that I couldn't take advantage of it because the first date of my reservation was May 13th blah blah blah - she said it shouldn't be a problem though just keep calling day by day like you've been doing.

I e-mailed a friend about the policy and continued working around the house (thinking about all of this the entire time) - then I went to the boards and read a few discussions. I kept thinking about all of this. My dilema was the time we're going in May 09 will go into Memorial Day weekend - it's the beginning of the summer season and it's a popular vacationing long weekend - we've been to WDW before during that weekend, and at least leading up to it and it starts to get crowded. Now I'm thinking, what if (because the next few nights I'm booking, because it's starting Memorial Day weekend, I run into an issue because others call and book 7 days out - I can't get one or two of my nights - a long shot but could possibly happen - so, I called back and explained the situation and said well, then perhaps you can end the reservation I currently have and I will start a new one from 5/20 until 5/27 and then you can link the 2. She checked and was able to just add the 7 days forward onto my reservation. She said a lot of people were calling (probably members doing exactly what I was doing) - so it could be good if you get what you want but bad if you can't.

Thoughts?

 

[Claire L]

Statement on ****************

"Effective immediately, Member Services has implemented a fairly dramatic change in resort booking policies.


For stays longer than 7 nights, Members may call on the designated day (11 or 7 months) in advance of the date of departure, and EXTEND THE RESERVATION. In other words, additional reservations and linking of reservations will not be necessary: The same reservation number will be used for all transactions.

The departure date mentioned I presume is after the first 7 day booking, not the departure date from the whole vacation?

Claire

 

[BWV Dreamin]

I am surprised by the number of people who say they bought DVC to have a specific date and room-type. When we bought it was to have the flexibility to have different dates and different size rooms. And we bought it knowing that along with us having that flexibility we would also have to BE flexible. Granted - I own at OKW and am very happy there so have never tried to get the "coveted" BWV during F&W or AKL CL - they don't interest me. I have only been waitlisted once, and it was when I added a day on to the beginning of a trip because we decided to fly instead of drive and I was only on the waitlist for about 3 days. Of course, I am also not one of the people who is on the phone 5 minutes before the magic hour 180 (or 180 +10) days out trying to get a reservation for CRT or any of the other popular places. My Disney trips aren't about trying to get the hard-to-get stuff to the point that I feel my trip is ruined if I don't get it. Maybe if I were more concerned about getting the "prime" dates I would be more concerned about this change. As it is, I doubt if I hadn't stumbled across this thread that I would have ever noticed there was a change or maybe I should say I wouldn't have known that I should be concerned about the change. I guess I would have read about it next month and mentally noted that I should call on check-in day not check-out day (I have never been a day by day caller) and that would have been the end of it. I would have called on my available date and if my ressie couldn't have been met I wouldn't have thought it was because of evil DVCers trying to block me from getting my dates, I would have just thought it was a popular time and see if there was anything else available. And if there was nothing else available then it will probably be too crowded for me to want to be there then anyway

You and I are in the minority here! I for one like the change, and NO ONE can understand why. I have posted your same exact thoughts on another board. Well I got flames, flames, flames. You see, there will always be someone that has the advantage with most things in life. We all still bought houses, invested in the stock market, bought cars, etc. Follow where I'm going with this? There will always be those that take advantage, but we still go on with life.

 

[DeeCee735]

I think, as with anything new, DVC will "try it out" this way, and work through the bugs or problems that may arise from it. Personally, I never used the day to day process, I always just called from day of check out. We have never gone down Christmas/New Years - in that case I'd have used day to day, but we do travel Easter/Spring Break and I've never had a problem getting a room - and usually my first choice of views......