New policy for reservations based on check IN date

[jdg345]

Anecdotally, we have 3 "non-Diser" DVC members here at work.

All 3 "jive" with the numbers we scooped out for the DIS sample set: They travel/arrive on either Saturday or Sunday, usually and stay 6 or 7 days.

Only ONE of the three do it "to save points". The other two do it because it's simply the most convenient time for them to travel (no extra vacation days, kids out of school days, etc).

There are always going to be lots of differences in large groups....I do know that. And I'll certainly not sit here and say that I'm SURE the DIS sample set is representative of the population as a whole. But my suspicion (just based on my hunch) is that while the trends might be "deeper" amongst the DIS sample set, that the overall trend very possibly holds out to the population as a whole. In other words, I suspect that Saturday and Sunday are, in fact, the "most checked in" day overall.....but maybe not by as wide a margin as it is amongst the DIS sample set. Likewise, I suspect the average trip lasts somewhere between 5 and 7 days....I'm just not sure the mean would be the same (which seemed to trend more toward 5 days) amongst the overall population.

Again, I agree: The DIS probably isn't a pure sample set. But I think what we did see is at least compelling enough to support further discussion. Do I think it would translate 100% to the overall population? No. Probably not.

FWIW, in speaking with CM's at the Front Desk, they've been very consistent with stating that Sunday's are their busiest days for check-in ... so that seems to agree with your hunch.

 

[jdg345]

Chuck allowed me to repost the polls WITHOUT mention of the "new policy" being related. So no discussion of the new policy in them, pretty please!



http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1881536

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1881526

For those that voted before....if you would vote again, that'd be great!!!

Done!

 

[DVC Grandpa]

New FASTPASS?

Park FASTPASS
Disney's FASTPASS allows guests to make 'reservations' for a popular ride to avoid waiting in long lines.

DVC FASTPASS
Disney's new “7 day FASTPASS” allows DVC guests to make 'reservations' for a popular room, travel date or a popular resort, in order to “leap frog” over potential upcoming guests.

 

[jdg345]

New FASTPASS?

Park FASTPASS
Disney's FASTPASS allows guests to make 'reservations' for a popular ride to avoid waiting in long lines.

DVC FASTPASS
Disney's new “7 day FASTPASS” allows DVC guests to make 'reservations' for a popular room, travel date or a popular resort, in order to “leap frog” over potential upcoming guests.

Link? I wanna read more details.

 

[Pennykay]

I sent an email expressing my dissatisfaction and received a phone call today. Unfortunatley, I wasn't here and they are supposed to call back after 3:30. So, hopefully they are listening.

 

[TyRy]

I sent an email expressing my dissatisfaction and received a phone call today. Unfortunatley, I wasn't here and they are supposed to call back after 3:30. So, hopefully they are listening.

I finally sent one as well yesterday, with my concerns mostly about walking...I haven't heard anything from them.

Ty

ETA: A couple of hours after I posted this I had a vm from Joy - I'll be calling her back tomorrow.

 

[pilferk]

The polls I put up are holding relatively steady at the numbers we saw in the last batch.

Sunday is the overwhelming favorite day (almost 50%, at present). Followed by Saturday (about 17%). Third would be "None of the above"...meaning they don't have a "standard" day but check in various days, different each trip. That's around 10%. Everything else is scatterd, but all under 7%, each.

Length of stay is MOSTLY between 5 and 7 nights. 5 nights is the most popular (37%) followed by 6 (18%) and then 7 (11%)....so about 66% total fall into one of those categories. The rest of the choices scatter at less than 10%. Interesting to note, "more than 10 days" garners right around 10%....and about the same % of stays are less than 5 days.

The "mean" length of stay is about 6.85 days (using 12 days to represent "more than 10 days" and using 16 to represent "more than 15 days").

The median is 6.

 

[jdg345]

The polls I put up are holding relatively steady at the numbers we saw in the last batch.

Sunday is the overwhelming favorite day (almost 50%, at present). Followed by Saturday (about 17%). Third would be "None of the above"...meaning they don't have a "standard" day but check in various days, different each trip. That's around 10%. Everything else is scatterd, but all under 7%, each.

Length of stay is MOSTLY between 5 and 7 nights. 5 nights is the most popular (37%) followed by 6 (18%) and then 7 (11%)....so about 66% total fall into one of those categories. The rest of the choices scatter at less than 10%. Interesting to note, "more than 10 days" garners right around 10%....and about the same % of stays are less than 5 days.

The "mean" length of stay is about 6.85 days (using 12 days to represent "more than 10 days" and using 16 to represent "more than 15 days").

The median is 6.

Very interesting indeed! Thank you!

 

[maminnie]

pilferk:

Thank you for taking the time to do this poll.

maminnie

 

[Dean]

The polls I put up are holding relatively steady at the numbers we saw in the last batch.

Sunday is the overwhelming favorite day (almost 50%, at present). Followed by Saturday (about 17%). Third would be "None of the above"...meaning they don't have a "standard" day but check in various days, different each trip. That's around 10%. Everything else is scatterd, but all under 7%, each.

Length of stay is MOSTLY between 5 and 7 nights. 5 nights is the most popular (37%) followed by 6 (18%) and then 7 (11%)....so about 66% total fall into one of those categories. The rest of the choices scatter at less than 10%. Interesting to note, "more than 10 days" garners right around 10%....and about the same % of stays are less than 5 days.

The "mean" length of stay is about 6.85 days (using 12 days to represent "more than 10 days" and using 16 to represent "more than 15 days").

The median is 6.

To put this together with the new policy and reservation info that DVC has quoted, you might also want to consider one more piece of info than start day and LOS, you might also want to know if those that stay longer do so at one resort or multiple and possibly how long at a single resort.

 

[maminnie]

Multiple resorts would be an interesting aspect. IMO, I feel those with multiple contracts/multiple resorts who travel during peak vacation times and try to combine these contracts/resorts without banking and borrowing are going to face some additional difficulties with the new reservation policy at the 11 month and 7 month windows.

maminnie

 

[Dean]

Multiple resorts would be an interesting aspect. IMO, I feel those with multiple contracts/multiple resorts who travel during peak vacation times and try to combine these contracts/resorts without banking and borrowing are going to face some additional difficulties with the new reservation policy at the 11 month and 7 month windows.

maminnie

They've been facing an increasingly difficult time combining reservations for a couple of years now. IF stays shorter than 7 days are harder to book and they're trying to book shorter stays at 7 months out, they indeed will have a more difficult time. I doubt it'll make much difference due to the new system but it was likely that things would have continued to get worse even with no changes in the reservation system as more and more extra points esp from SSR got into the system. The likely max out maximum impact is 2-3 years after SSR true sell out, not just when they announced it's sold but have points left. The fix is to reserve all stays at 11 months out for each home resort in a way to make one contiguous stay. Regardless those wanting to use 7 month reservations are going to be at a disadvantage with or without the change recently implemented. But like always, those that are familiar with the system and are willing to put a little more effort will be more successful than most.

 

[ScottakaMickey]

The polls I put up are holding relatively steady at the numbers we saw in the last batch.

Sunday is the overwhelming favorite day (almost 50%, at present). Followed by Saturday (about 17%). Third would be "None of the above"...meaning they don't have a "standard" day but check in various days, different each trip. That's around 10%. Everything else is scatterd, but all under 7%, each.

Length of stay is MOSTLY between 5 and 7 nights. 5 nights is the most popular (37%) followed by 6 (18%) and then 7 (11%)....so about 66% total fall into one of those categories. The rest of the choices scatter at less than 10%. Interesting to note, "more than 10 days" garners right around 10%....and about the same % of stays are less than 5 days.

The "mean" length of stay is about 6.85 days (using 12 days to represent "more than 10 days" and using 16 to represent "more than 15 days").

The median is 6.

Polls and statistics are not my favorite thing, but IMHO the poll for checkin should not by used to assume that is what people prefer, not that is what has been stated, just an opinion I wanted to add to the thread. To me Sunday checkin is preferred only because Disney's DVC point system makes that the first night of the week that has lower points. I honestly believe this would not be true if DVC had a point system that used the same number of points on each day of the week, with the variable being different seasons, but that is another topic.

 

[ScottakaMickey]

I finally sent one as well yesterday, with my concerns mostly about walking...I haven't heard anything from them.

Ty

ETA: A couple of hours after I posted this I had a vm from Joy - I'll be calling her back tomorrow.

I've been away from the thread for a while, but I am curious what exactly are your concerns about walking? Is that you have to have points to do it? Is it that you have the points, but the amount of calling to DVC that you now have to do to get a reservation? Something else?

Thanks

 

[maminnie]

Dean:

Members with more then one contract/resort could also possibly face problems even at the 11 month window. When making a split stay reservation at the 11 month window using two contracts/two resorts, a member could be locked out for the second part of their stay by members who booked days before them. (Members must wait until 11 months from the second check-in date to make the second half of the reservation.) Previously, if one chose to do DBD reservations, the worst case before would likely be that one might have to move between DVC resorts. Now the worst case is a member might not even get the second half of their reservation and will have to waitlist even in the 11 month window. They may never get the second half of their reservation if the waitlist does not clear. This scenario could really be an issue for those travelling during peak travel times.

The same will hold true as people try to change over to other resorts at the 7 month window.

maminnie

 

[jade1]

They've been facing an increasingly difficult time combining reservations for a couple of years now. IF stays shorter than 7 days are harder to book and they're trying to book shorter stays at 7 months out, they indeed will have a more difficult time. .

At 11 months? Its been no different lately than before. We did the first 3 days at VWL for the end of XMAS week and then the next 4 days at BCV for NYE last Jan DBD-simple. Forget that ever working again.

At 7 months yes.

 

[jdg345]

Polls and statistics are not my favorite thing, but IMHO the poll for checkin should not by used to assume that is what people prefer, not that is what has been stated, just an opinion I wanted to add to the thread. To me Sunday checkin is preferred only because Disney's DVC point system makes that the first night of the week that has lower points. I honestly believe this would not be true if DVC had a point system that used the same number of points on each day of the week, with the variable being different seasons, but that is another topic.

That's part of the issue though: it seems some have bought where they want to stay, but have bought just enough points for a Sunday - Thursday stay (for example).

 

[maminnie]

At 11 months? Its been no different lately than before. We did the first 3 days at VWL for the end of XMAS week and then the next 4 days at BCV for NYE last Jan DBD-simple. Forget that ever working again.

At 7 months yes.

*******

Jade 1:

Your vacation plans at the 11 month window are a perfect example of potential issues with the new policy for those members who own multiple contracts/resorts.

By the time you were able to book the 4 days at the BCV at the 11 month window for a peak vacation period (one cannot book the second part of their trip until 11 months from the second check-in), some of your days at BCV could have been gone because of those with check-in dates prior to yours.

This will hold true at the 7 month window too. Let's say a member owns at SSR and books Friday to Friday and wants to switch to another resort at 7 months. That member will have access to 7 month inventory days before the person who arrives later in the week. So at 7 months if BCV is available Friday to Friday, guess who gets it, the person coming Friday to Friday not the person checking in Sunday to Friday.

As far as a split stay, same thing holds true. If you have a member who has BCV booked with one contract for Friday to Tuesday and then had to book with another contract at another resort for Tuesday to Friday,the Friday to Friday member who wants to move from SSR to BCV for all 7 days, may get the Tuesday to Friday inventory before the person who only needs Tuesday to Friday. By the time the member can call 11 months from the second check-in, the Tuesday to Friday inventory could be gone and that member now has a split stay and a subsequent move. More moves, more housekeeping expenses for DVC. Moving has always been a risk with multiple contracts/resorts, but IMHO the risk is far greater at this point.

IMHO, it is these examples for which members may have very valid reason for concern.

Thanks for sharing your vacation example with members.

maminnie

 

[Dean]

Dean:

Members with more then one contract/resort could also possibly face problems even at the 11 month window. When making a split stay reservation at the 11 month window using two contracts/two resorts, a member could be locked out for the second part of their stay by members who booked days before them. (Members must wait until 11 months from the second check-in date to make the second half of the reservation.) Previously, if one chose to do DBD reservations, the worst case before would likely be that one might have to move between DVC resorts. Now the worst case is a member might not even get the second half of their reservation and will have to waitlist even in the 11 month window. They may never get the second half of their reservation if the waitlist does not clear. This scenario could really be an issue for those travelling during peak travel times.

The same will hold true as people try to change over to other resorts at the 7 month window.

maminnie

Isn't this the discussion we've had all along and I believe I've adequately made the point that IF one did get shut out it would be by another member who was also just as deserving and that under the old rule there would have been someone else who was shut out if you weren't. Certainly seems fair to me, esp if they're staying a full 7 days compared to shorter.

At 11 months? Its been no different lately than before. We did the first 3 days at VWL for the end of XMAS week and then the next 4 days at BCV for NYE last Jan DBD-simple. Forget that ever working again.

Actually reservations have been more difficult to reserve the last couple of years in general. The only difference with DBD on the first day is that it depended on well you timed your call, how fast you dialed, how quickly someone picked up the phone and how fast they worked once you were with an agent. And there were more an more people calling that first day for DBD.

 

[cslittle999]

Isn't this the discussion we've had all along and I believe I've adequately made the point that IF one did get shut out it would be by another member who was also just as deserving and that under the old rule there would have been someone else who was shut out if you weren't. Certainly seems fair to me, esp if they're staying a full 7 days compared to shorter.

After reading all of this massive thread this is my conclusion too. I think there is an over emphasis on fair because what is fair really depends on your point of view. The old system likely didn't seem all that fair to some who didn't get part of their week long vacation and was forced to switch resorts or perhaps even pay cash for a night.

I wonder if policy change, beyond stopping DBD calling, isn't also designed to reduce the call volume when MS first opens. How many time periods are there in the year when MS is swamped for the first couple of hours in the morning and nothing later in the day.