New policy for reservations based on check IN date

[Laurabearz]

Dean:

Once again I am simply asking to be on the same playing field as everyone. Not being able to get a reservation because I cannot check in until Tuesday of a busy vacation week versus the Friday before is not fair to me.

.

And not everyone can call in DBD so that's not fair to THEM...

Both systems have a segment they are unfair too... it's the nature of the beast. This way happens to be unfair to You, and the other way was unfair to THEM...

 

[DVC Grandpa]

... She told me that this policy change was made due to "overwhelming member comments" about the need to reserve day-by-day ...QUOTE]


These comments were not asked in any survey but were comments made to member services when members were attempting to make there reservations. No wonder it was an “overwhelming number”. How many members call to say “we love your booking system” after they complete there business? It seem to me that those who have a successful outcome say nothing and those who don’t let them know how they feelings. Perhaps human nature at work, but it doesn’t indicate an “overwhelming number” of DVC members since a good percentage of us seem to secure the dates we want and had no complaints.

That may change!

 

[SuzanneSLO]

Under this new booking policy, it appears that you can maximize the likelihood you will get the reservation you want by beginning your stay at least 7 nights prior to a "hard to book" date. While sometimes those dates may be obvious (may posters have talked about NYE), in other cases those dates are not as obvious. As I was reading the December waitlist thread, I noted that the single hardest to book date for early Dec stays appears to be Sunday, Dec 7.

While I can logically justify the popularity of Dec 7 2008 in hindsight, was it obvious in advance to everyone else on the DIS that this was going to be case?

It is this apparent requirement under the new bookign policy that to maximize your booking chances you need some combination of logical deduction and clairvoyance that causes me so much frustration. -- Suzanne

 

[maminnie]

With day by day booking everyone has the option to either do it or not to do it. There were days when I was not going to be able to make a call at 9:00am and I made arrangements with family members to help me out. We also have the luxury of cell phones if we happen to be away from home.

With the new system, I may not have the ability at all to come in on Friday before a busy vacation week to lock up a room from Friday to Friday as well as the infamous Sunday through Thursday night lower point rooms.

 

[Dean]

Dean:

Once again I am simply asking to be on the same playing field as everyone. Not being able to get a reservation because I cannot check in until Tuesday of a busy vacation week versus the Friday before is not fair to me.

When I was researching purchasing my initial DVC contract I took a lot of time and effort to make sure I understood how I would have to make reservations for busy times. As I said I do not pull my children out of school to go on vacation and knew that I would have to stick with very busy vacation times. I even had my vacation guide tell me about booking day by day as well as Member Services reservationists over the last nine years. There is nothing that reads that one cannot book day by day and it was in reality an unwritten guideline as Member Services would ask you if you were going to book day by day and held the final confirmation until your last day was reserved.

Changing the system to benefit someone who simply can travel a few days before another member is absolutely ridiculous if you do not want to use the word unfair.

We simply disagree. You knew or should have known it could change. The choice not to pull children out of school is reasonable but a personal choice. The change was reasonable (even if there are losers) but will need a few adjustments ultimately. Anything that encourages a full weeks usage is a good thing and that's from someone who never uses points for weekends. It is interesting people using the word fair with the ability to (or fear of not being able to) get their personal reservation. I'm sure you know DVC didn't make any change with the specific intention of any person not getting their reservation though it may be a side effect of the change and as such, that is life. I can't wait to see the thread's on this BBS if DVC ever makes a real change.

 

[Deb & Bill]

And not everyone can call in DBD so that's not fair to THEM...

Both systems have a segment they are unfair too... it's the nature of the beast. This way happens to be unfair to You, and the other way was unfair to THEM...

No, everyone is ALLOWED to call DBD. Whether or not they have the ability to make that call is a matter of their own circumstances. If they really want that BWV BW view on NYE it's up to them to get that call made anyway they can.

But now, you will not have full access to all the villas exactly at 9AM if you are the first caller of the day. Other members have already been calling for up to six days before you could call for the exact same day. And that BWV BW view for NYE is already gone.

 

[maminnie]

Dean:

I am one who does stay on weekends. I am not one that routinely comes in on Sunday and leaves Friday. So my dissatisfaction is not about being forced to now come in on Friday or Saturday before a busy vacation week to get the reservation I need for my family.

 

[Dean]

Dean:

I am one who does stay on weekends. I am not one that routinely comes in on Sunday and leaves Friday. So my dissatisfaction is not about being forced to now come in on Friday or Saturday before a busy vacation week to get the reservation I need for my family.

Part of my point was this portion works against me personally but I still think it's good for the system as a whole. We essentially never stay weekends or pay cash to do so. The reality is that if the masses on this thread are correct, I likely will not get my preferred reservations most trips, even the ones I've consistently gotten in the past. And yet I say that's OK. But then I don't live or die based on DVC reservations as some seem to. This issue sure seems to be one of mass hysteria at it's finest.

 

[jdg345]

And not everyone can call in DBD so that's not fair to THEM...

Both systems have a segment they are unfair too... it's the nature of the beast. This way happens to be unfair to You, and the other way was unfair to THEM...

But those people had the option of assigning an associate member to make their reservations for them. It's a choice.

The new system basically leaves nothing to choice in the same respect.

 

[Laurabearz]

No, everyone is ALLOWED to call DBD. Whether or not they have the ability to make that call is a matter of their own circumstances. If they really want that BWV BW view on NYE it's up to them to get that call made anyway they can.

But now, you will not have full access to all the villas exactly at 9AM if you are the first caller of the day. Other members have already been calling for up to six days before you could call for the exact same day. And that BWV BW view for NYE is already gone.

Well your allowed to book your vacation anytime you want, you just dont have the ability to book it anytime you want because or work constraints.. Just like not everyone can call DBD. You could waitlist or book at another date, you choose not to.

And no, I do not feel adding an associate member is an option... No one but my husband and myself get their meat hooks on my points... not going to happen... nope.

Niether system is fair to everyone, yet few will admit to that.... Who liked playing Last one to waitlist AKV Concierge rooms to fill in swiss cheese reservations? Same goes for HA rooms... there is ZERO option for them if they fail to get a night in the middle of their reservation... This new system fixes that. Well it at least lets them know if they have it or dont have it... and they can either waitlist, or try again for another time.

Listen, I prefered the old way too, and I await my phone call from the PTB. I would like either it to go back to the old way, or to put some sort of hold on changing a reservation, to discouarge walking, but not a full out cancel and rebook band aide fix. But first choice is going back to DBD.

 

[pyrxtc]

Oh, so if you missed a fill on a DBD, you could pick a different day or grab a different category there too. So if your Day-3 was unavailable, you could book something else and just waitlist for the whole period where your hole was?

yeah, but now I'll now if I get my first day, then I have it all. Cuz usually if I don't get a day in the middle, then I change the rest of my ressie to meet what I can get if possible.

 

[maminnie]

Dean:

For some people, their DVC vacation every one, two, or three years may be their only vacation and they need it to work out well for them. They may not have any other vacation options like other people have.

High cost airfare is also going to effect so many people on when they are going to be able to arrive at Disney. People that can't pay hundreds and hundreds of dollars per person for a family to fly to Orlando during a busy vacation period may now have to travel let's say Tuesday to Tuesday to try and get better airfare pricing. But by the time they can make their DVC reservation based on their mid-week check-in date some of their days may have been taken by that lucky Friday to Friday, Saturday to Saturday person who can pay top dollar for airfare or those that can drive.

I think I am going to use Christmas also as an example. Let's say you are a family that believes in spending Christmas day at home and then travelling to Disney the day after Christmas. The person who chooses not to be at home for Christmas day will book let's say Monday, December 22 to Monday December 29. By the time the person who wants to have Christmas at home books for arrival on the 26th, the 26th, 27th, and 28th could already be gone by the people who booked the 22nd through the 29th.

As others have stated New Years Eve is really going to be something for those that have become use to coming in just for a few days around New Years Eve. They could very well be locked out by those that come in for the longer period of time before New Years Eve. Let's look at this New Years Eve coming up. It falls on a Wednesday. If you want to book Wednesday through Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday could very well be gone by the time you can book by those that booked Sunday, December 28 to Sunday, January 4.

In my humble opinion, this new reservation system could very well make it difficult for those that travel during busy and peak vacation periods and for those that have multiple contracts at multiple resorts. I prefer to view myself as an educated person regarding the DVC vacation system rather then a nay-sayer.

 

[kdepot]

ok I was just sittin' here thinking( I do that once or twice a week)

I call day 1... I get my room

I call day 2 ...I do not so I WL

I call day 3 ... I get My room

I call Day 4 ... I do not so I WL

I call Day 5 .. I get my room

I Call Day 6 .. I get My room

so WL Day 2 comes in but day 4 does not

Now mousekeeping cleans my room and I arrive.

Day 4 I move to another room that MK just cleaned and MK cleans my room for the next member.

On Day 5 I change rooms again and go back to MY room that MK just cleaned and then MK cleans my day 4 room for someone else.

After I leave MK cleans my room for the next member
MK on a 7 day ressie is to do a trash n tidy 1 day and a cleaning another.

My ressie has MK doing extra cleanings and Bell services moving me twice extra.

Anyone wonder why MS would like to see ressies with zero gaps. $$$$$

I'm only commenting on why MS may want a gap free ressie and a WL for the whole stay not DBD.

 

[TCPluto]

Part of my point was this portion works against me personally but I still think it's good for the system as a whole. We essentially never stay weekends or pay cash to do so. The reality is that if the masses on this thread are correct, I likely will not get my preferred reservations most trips, even the ones I've consistently gotten in the past. And yet I say that's OK. But then I don't live or die based on DVC reservations as some seem to. This issue sure seems to be one of mass hysteria at it's finest.

I'll say! If member services handles this properly, it will result in a lot less work for them.

It's the same with the 7 month window. Some make such a big deal about it.

I've booked every resort at less than 7 months, never been an issue. The only time it would be an issue is for the big two holidays, Christmas and Easter.

 

[tidefan]

High cost airfare is also going to effect so many people on when they are going to be able to arrive at Disney. People that can't pay hundreds and hundreds of dollars per person for a family to fly to Orlando during a busy vacation period may now have to travel let's say Tuesday to Tuesday to try and get better airfare pricing. But by the time they can make their DVC reservation based on their mid-week check-in date some of their days may have been taken by that lucky Friday to Friday, Saturday to Saturday person who can pay top dollar for airfare or those that can drive.

I think that you miss one big point here. You say that the Tuesday check-in person will be out of luck because of the the Friday/Saturday arrivals, etc. However, what about those people that are checking out on Tuesday, the day you arrive. Those Friday/Saturday reservation folks will not have been able to book those rooms, because someone was already in them. Therefore, that room will go to the first caller at 9:00am on Tuesday.

Example: John makes his reservation at the 11 month window arriving on a Tuesday for a 1 week reservation in Room A. Joe makes his reservation at the 11 month window for Room B, a Thursday arrival staying through to the next Tuesday. Fred calls on Friday to make a reservation for a week in Room C. Sally calls on Saturday for a 6-night reservation in Room D. Rooms A and B cannot be booked by Fred or Sally as someone is already in them. When you call on the next Tuesday, you will be competing for Rooms A and B, which Fred and Sally couldn't book, so theoretically, you would have the advantage for those rooms over them.

 

[tidefan]

MS would never go for this, but:

What if you were allowed to make your reservation of any length beginning on the first day of the month that is 11 months from your check-in date. For example, If you wanted a reservation that begins in March 2010, then you can call on April 1, 2009.

MS probably wouldn't go for this as you would have an avalanche of calls on the first of each month, but you would effectively still allow everyone to call in for a reservation at exactly the same time (there would be monthly carry-overs, but that would probably be negligible), it would allow you to book all of your reservation with one call, and on the whole, would probably reduce the overall amount of calls to MS. They sure would have to overstaff the 1st though...

 

[dvcdisney]

I just noticed that DVC has added further info on their website about the changes. It's nice to see that they are taking our suggestions.

However, I wish they would post the percentage of members who called in and said that they were "excited" about the new policy. Just curious.

 

[dvcdisney]

MS would never go for this, but:

What if you were allowed to make your reservation of any length beginning on the first day of the month that is 11 months from your check-in date. For example, If you wanted a reservation that begins in March 2010, then you can call on April 1, 2009.

MS probably wouldn't go for this as you would have an avalanche of calls on the first of each month, but you would effectively still allow everyone to call in for a reservation at exactly the same time (there would be monthly carry-overs, but that would probably be negligible), it would allow you to book all of your reservation with one call, and on the whole, would probably reduce the overall amount of calls to MS. They sure would have to overstaff the 1st though...

Yes, they would be very busy on the 1st. I can imagine how frustrated people would be if they chose to call that day. This would create a whole new problem. But, at least, it would remove the need to abuse the system.

 

[Laurabearz]

Taken from the member site... hope it's ok to do this

Disney Vacation Club News
Click on any headline to see the corresponding news article.
Refer a Friend and Redeem Rewards Online
New Policy enhances Reservation Bookings and Waitlist Procedures.
Disney Vacation Club Announces Westward Expansion
Daily Internet charge to be discontinued this spring
Disney Dining Plan available to more Members than ever
New Vacation Planner reflects Member Getaways changes
Customize Your Desktop With Disney Vacation Club Widgets
New Member Services Operating Hours
Adventures by Disney, 2008 Destinations
Consistent Transaction Fee for Member Getaways Exchanges
New Booking and Banking Guidelines Simplify Membership

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New policy enhances reservation bookings and waitlist procedure.
In response to ongoing Member feedback regarding our reservation processes, last week we introduced a new policy designed to enhance booking guidelines and waitlist procedures.

The new reservation policy now offers Members the opportunity to place one single phone call to secure an entire Disney Vacation Club Resort reservation for as many as 7 nights, beginning on the first day of their booking window (which is 11 months before check-in at Members' Home Resort, or 7 months before check-in at other Disney Vacation Club Resorts). The previous policy required Members to call daily at the beginning of their booking window, piecing together their reservation one night at a time.

As a result of this change, Disney Vacation Club has also streamlined the manner in which Members can make waitlist requests, now allowing Members to make requests for the consecutive nights they require to complete their desired length of stay (from one night up to as many consecutive nights needed or requested by the Member). Previously, Members would place requests on the waitlist for intermittent nights that historically had high cancellation rates and would tie up inventory in an inefficient manner, negatively impacting the overall booking process.

In addition to providing greater Member convenience, the simplification of the reservation process also provides the benefit of reduced call volume to Member Services, thereby shortening Members' wait times and making more efficient use of Member Services resources, which are supported by Members' Annual Dues.

Since the introduction of this new procedure, many Members have expressed excitement about the new policy and the greater convenience and time savings it provides. However, in the past week, some of you have contacted Member Services asking for additional clarification on how the new reservation policy works, the changes to the waitlist process, and Disney Vacation Club's plans to monitor Member activity.

Therefore, to provide additional clarification please review the following frequently asked questions and answers:

Q: Why were 7 nights chosen as the maximum length of stay permitted to book by check-in date at the start of the Home Resort Priority window?
A: Our research has shown that more than 92% of Disney Vacation Club Resort reservations are for a length of stay of 7 or less consecutive nights.

Q: What if a Member would like to reserve more than 7 consecutive nights at the start of the Home Resort Priority booking period?
A: This can be accomplished in more than one way. A Member may call at the start of the reservation booking period to reserve the first 7 nights, and then add to the reservation one night at a time until they reach their desired check-out date. Or, a Member may wait until 11 months and 7 days from their desired check-out date to reserve the entire length of stay in one call.

Q: Can Developer Vacation Points received as an incentive offer also be used to make reservations by the check-in date?
A: Yes. The change in booking guidelines applies to all reservations, including incentive reservations.

Q: Is there a minimum number of nights for which a Member can be placed on the waitlist?
A: No. Members can have a waitlist of only 1 night, if only 1 night is missing from their stay.

Q: Can you explain how Disney Vacation Club will address Member misuse of the policy?
A: Disney Vacation Club is committed to ensuring that rules and procedures are fair and balanced for the entire Membership. Therefore, as with all procedures, our Cast Members are closely monitoring reservation activity to ensure there is not potential misuse, and will modify the rules if needed to protect the overall Member experience.
Back to top

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Taken from the member site... hope it's ok to do this


Quote:
Disney Vacation Club News
Click on any headline to see the corresponding news article.
Refer a Friend and Redeem Rewards Online
New Policy enhances Reservation Bookings and Waitlist Procedures.
Disney Vacation Club Announces Westward Expansion
Daily Internet charge to be discontinued this spring
Disney Dining Plan available to more Members than ever
New Vacation Planner reflects Member Getaways changes
Customize Your Desktop With Disney Vacation Club Widgets
New Member Services Operating Hours
Adventures by Disney, 2008 Destinations
Consistent Transaction Fee for Member Getaways Exchanges
New Booking and Banking Guidelines Simplify Membership

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New policy enhances reservation bookings and waitlist procedure.
In response to ongoing Member feedback regarding our reservation processes, last week we introduced a new policy designed to enhance booking guidelines and waitlist procedures.

The new reservation policy now offers Members the opportunity to place one single phone call to secure an entire Disney Vacation Club Resort reservation for as many as 7 nights, beginning on the first day of their booking window (which is 11 months before check-in at Members' Home Resort, or 7 months before check-in at other Disney Vacation Club Resorts). The previous policy required Members to call daily at the beginning of their booking window, piecing together their reservation one night at a time.

As a result of this change, Disney Vacation Club has also streamlined the manner in which Members can make waitlist requests, now allowing Members to make requests for the consecutive nights they require to complete their desired length of stay (from one night up to as many consecutive nights needed or requested by the Member). Previously, Members would place requests on the waitlist for intermittent nights that historically had high cancellation rates and would tie up inventory in an inefficient manner, negatively impacting the overall booking process.

In addition to providing greater Member convenience, the simplification of the reservation process also provides the benefit of reduced call volume to Member Services, thereby shortening Members' wait times and making more efficient use of Member Services resources, which are supported by Members' Annual Dues.

Since the introduction of this new procedure, many Members have expressed excitement about the new policy and the greater convenience and time savings it provides. However, in the past week, some of you have contacted Member Services asking for additional clarification on how the new reservation policy works, the changes to the waitlist process, and Disney Vacation Club's plans to monitor Member activity.

Therefore, to provide additional clarification please review the following frequently asked questions and answers:

Q: Why were 7 nights chosen as the maximum length of stay permitted to book by check-in date at the start of the Home Resort Priority window?
A: Our research has shown that more than 92% of Disney Vacation Club Resort reservations are for a length of stay of 7 or less consecutive nights.

Q: What if a Member would like to reserve more than 7 consecutive nights at the start of the Home Resort Priority booking period?
A: This can be accomplished in more than one way. A Member may call at the start of the reservation booking period to reserve the first 7 nights, and then add to the reservation one night at a time until they reach their desired check-out date. Or, a Member may wait until 11 months and 7 days from their desired check-out date to reserve the entire length of stay in one call.

Q: Can Developer Vacation Points received as an incentive offer also be used to make reservations by the check-in date?
A: Yes. The change in booking guidelines applies to all reservations, including incentive reservations.

Q: Is there a minimum number of nights for which a Member can be placed on the waitlist?
A: No. Members can have a waitlist of only 1 night, if only 1 night is missing from their stay.

Q: Can you explain how Disney Vacation Club will address Member misuse of the policy?
A: Disney Vacation Club is committed to ensuring that rules and procedures are fair and balanced for the entire Membership. Therefore, as with all procedures, our Cast Members are closely monitoring reservation activity to ensure there is not potential misuse, and will modify the rules if needed to protect the overall Member experience.
Back to top

I don't get a big warm fuzzy over this but at least I understand why members thought they couldn't make a reservation with just one phone call - apparently DVC didn't know you could under the old system either.

They also are not acknowledging that some people don't like it. One half of this is marketing spin and one half of this is actually useful. And the statement I highlighted is outright incorrect.