New policy for reservations based on check IN date

[kimberh]

LATEST NEWS
Reservation Booking Enhancement
Thanks to a recent service enhancement, Members may now place a single phone call to request a full reservation of as many as seven-nights beginning on the first day of their booking window (11 months before check-in at your Home Resort or seven months before check-in at other Disney Vacation Club Resorts). As a result of this enhancement, waitlists are now available only for the full length of stay.

Mike

Well, there's my answer!

 

[jeankeri]

So, if wait-lists are only available for the full length of stay, you would have to wait-list for the entire week, if, say, only the 3rd day you wanted was unavailable? How is this better ?

 

[DVC Grandpa]

I'd expect that a snail mail letter to Jim Lewis (C/O DVC at the Celebration address) would have more impact than an email anyway - even though it won't get to his office as quickly.

Just put my letter in the mail, Should get to him by the end of the week. I have written before and someone from "the committee" calls back and tells you how much they appreciate the suggestion but seldom do anything about it. Hope they have a lot of calls to make on this subject.

 

[ransom]

"As a result of this enhancement" - what a load of bull!

First of all, it makes it sound like the new WL rules are an unavoidable side-effect of the new booking rules. Bull!

Second, the new booking rules are not an enhancement; they're a change that makes things better for some and worse for others.

I hate corporate-speak.

 

[zulaya]

I am not a fan of this new waitlist policy either.

So what does this mean? Let's say you have a reservation of Dec 1-8 and you want to add Dec 9, but it's not available.

Does this mean you won't be able to waitlist for that extra day?

Does that mean that you would have to cancel your ENTIRE original reservation and waitlist for the whole thing, because one day is not available? Or would you just call back all the time, thereby defeating the purpose of this new policy which is to keep members off the phone to MS?

The beauty of day-by-day waitlisting was just that...if you only needed an extra day here or there, you could do that. I think it worked well with the staggered checkouts that DVC has with the flexibility of its points system.

 

[zulaya]

"As a result of this enhancement" - what a load of bull! (snip)

I hate corporate-speak.

Amen, brother.

 

[Inkmahm]

Suzanne,
So are you saying that Person 1 can book the 7 nights of Dec 19-25th (booked on Jan 19th). Then Person 1 can call back on Jan 20th and reserve Dec 26th, and so on and so on? While Person 2 who wants to reserve the 7 nights of Dec 26th - Jan 1 would have to wait until Jan 26th to begin their reservation?

If this is how it works, it is WRONG WRONG WRONG on so many levels!

That's exactly what can happen, yes. And I agree, it is wrong.

 

[Laurabearz]

I go away on vacation and come back to this lovely news....

Wow... I have read many posts here and I just dont know what to say.

I dont think I am particularly happy with it, but my first thoughts was, those poor AKL folks tryng to book concierge, would now at least get it or not get it in one phone call.

 

[Inkmahm]

LATEST NEWS
Reservation Booking Enhancement
Thanks to a recent service enhancement, Members may now place a single phone call to request a full reservation of as many as seven-nights beginning on the first day of their booking window (11 months before check-in at your Home Resort or seven months before check-in at other Disney Vacation Club Resorts). As a result of this enhancement, waitlists are now available only for the full length of stay.

Mike

What does that mean though? If someone wants to make a reservation for 3 nights at AKV concierge and 4 nights at VWL, for example, does that count as one length of stay? What if the concierge isn't available, can you waitlist the concierge and still book the VWL?

And what if nights 1 and 3 were available at AKV, you can't book those and waitlist for just the second night anymore? Why? What if I'm willing to take just the 1st and 3rd night and risk having to stay offsite for the 2nd night if a waitlist doesn't come through?

 

[Luigi's Girl]

This is the email I sent and the reponse I received so far.

I just wanted to express my extreme disappointment with the new reservation policy that was implemented without any notice to your DVC members. Not only was this unprofessional but it was uncharacteristic of the way a successful and beloved corporation should act. This change could not have been thought out well and I along with many other members (as can be witnessed by reading some famous message boards) understand the unfairness that will play out for many of us. Members will be shut out of reservations simply because of the unfortunate timing of their check in dates. I believe in the long run you will see that not allowing day-by-day reservations will only cause more phone calls to Member Services with members who will now feel forced to work the system to their advantage in order to get the reservation they desire. I have been a cheerleader for Disney Vacation Club for some time now and have had people become members because of it. With so many changes happening lately, many of which I am not happy about, I am very sad to say that I can't with good conscience continue to be such an advocate of The Disney Vacation Club.


Thank you for contacting Disney Vacation Club.

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to write. We will review the feedback you have provided and will
respond within 5 business days. Please note: Based on the nature of
your comments or questions, we may need to forward your message to other
Walt Disney Company affiliates or nonaffiliated third party service
providers.

Thank you again for your message.

Sincerely,

Member Satisfaction Team
Disney Vacation Club

 

[zulaya]

What does that mean though? If someone wants to make a reservation for 3 nights at AKV concierge and 4 nights at VWL, for example, does that count as one length of stay? What if the concierge isn't available, can you waitlist the concierge and still book the VWL?

And what if nights 1 and 3 were available at AKV, you can't book those and waitlist for just the second night anymore? Why? What if I'm willing to take just the 1st and 3rd night and risk having to stay offsite for the 2nd night if a waitlist doesn't come through?

I totally agree with you! Why can't you just do that? The points are yours; if you want to use them that way, they should allow them to be booked that way.

 

[PamOKW]

I really wish DVC would stop doing the membership so many favors. This is crazy. I would argue that my "missing" night is it's own seperate reservation.

This also takes away the even playing field for each day. If you want to go at Christmas, theoretically, you have to book the first possible day of Christmas vacations, even if you plan to come later in the week. You'd then have to go back and cancel the first few days of the trip or else you risk the early bookers getting the prime "middays" and/or NYE.

 

[Laurabearz]

And what if nights 1 and 3 were available at AKV, you can't book those and waitlist for just the second night anymore? Why? What if I'm willing to take just the 1st and 3rd night and risk having to stay offsite for the 2nd night if a waitlist doesn't come through?

I think under the new system there wont be any holes in reservations right at the 11 month plus 7 mark but as time goes on, and the 7 month window opens us, there could be days here and there available.

Why doesnt DVC think everything through, and provide us with a detailed Q & A about this before just springing it on us.

 

[zulaya]

Pam, that's a good point. I wonder what DVC would say if you said you have plans that other night at another location?

After all, you are allowed to book UP TO 7 days from check in...I don't think it says you HAVE to book ALL 7 days in a row, does it?

I better go re-read what's on that website.

 

[LisaS]

Pam, that's a good point. I wonder what DVC would say if you said you have plans that other night at another location?

After all, you are allowed to book UP TO 7 days from check in...I don't think it says you HAVE to book ALL 7 days in a row, does it?

I better go re-read what's on that website.

But in that case you would have one 1-night reservation, nothing for your second night and would need a new reservation starting the 3rd night and you would have to wait 2 days to book a reservation that begins on the 3rd night.

 

[Inkmahm]

I think under the new system there wont be any holes in reservations right at the 11 month plus 7 mark but as time goes on, and the 7 month window opens us, there could be days here and there available.

Why doesnt DVC think everything through, and provide us with a detailed Q & A about this before just springing it on us.

Why do you think there won't be any holes at the 11 month mark? I think holes are LIKELY for AKV concierge reservations at the 11 month plus 7 mark.

 

[zulaya]

Members may now place a single phone call to request a full reservation of as many as seven-nights beginning on the first day of their booking window (11 months before check-in at your Home Resort or seven months before check-in at other Disney Vacation Club Resorts)
~*~*~*~
I don't see where it says you HAVE to have all 7 days available. But perhaps in the day 1 and day 3 scenario they are going to tell you that it's separate ressies because you are checking out and in again.

Again. Yuck.

 

[TisBit]

Two things:

First, I sent an email that basicly supported the changes in the reservation process, with a small caveat hoping that rules are in place to keep people from taking advantage of it (as I said before, just a short hold on the reservation to prevent someone from canceling day 1 to reserve day 8, etc). I got my response and it was the same canned "We are sorry for your disappointment...." Guess that shows how much they are reading their email...seems like they were somewhat prepared for the backlash.

Second, as for the waitlists, I don't take it that if you are missing one day, you must waitlist for the whole week. It seems that it is to address the day by day waitlist, which means if you are looking for a reservation for 11-20 to 11-24 your waitlist will be for that entire time if no rooms are available. if you can book 11-20 to 11-22 than your waitlist will just be 11-23-11-24, you won't be allowed to waitlist for those last two days individually like people have done in the past. This way your entire waitlist comes through or it doesn't.

I can see this being good because if someone waitlist DbD for an entire week and have the holes slowly plug in, but never gets the middle day, they are more likely to cancel their trip late. It allows for the person who only needs two of those days to be fulfilled as quick or quicker than the long waitlist, which is less likely to come through.

 

[ransom]

I so look forward to waitlisting our entire 14-day vacation because one day isn't available. That'll be wonderful, and work out very well, I'm sure.

 

[Muushka]

"As a result of this enhancement" - what a load of bull!

First of all, it makes it sound like the new WL rules are an unavoidable side-effect of the new booking rules. Bull!

Second, the new booking rules are not an enhancement; they're a change that makes things better for some and worse for others.

I hate corporate-speak.

As Ricky Ricardy says. 'splain please?? What new WL rule are you talking about? I thought I knew them all!