Newbie waitlist priority question

[JandD Mom]

Hi everyone,

Does anyone know if there is any priority given to folks on the waitlist based on which resort you own? Consider the following:

Say I own at BW (not a huge stretch ) and I want to book a standard view studio (which is a hard room to get), can you answer the following:

Say I call 10 months out and they are gone. Do they continue to fill the waitlist until 7 months?

Now say I call at 6 months and get put on the waitlist. There are other people on the waitlist who own at OKW who are ahead of me. Do I get priority or is it "first come first served" after 7 months?

Please understand I am trying to learn here, and I am not trying to say I am in any way superior to any other owner.

Thanks!

 

[CarolMN]

Waitlists are all "first come, first served". Doesn't matter which resort you own. Once the 7 month window opens, all members are equal. No advantage is given to a home resort owner at his/her home resort if he/she calls after an OKW owner.

Best wishes -

 

[bobbiwoz]

At 7 months out points are points and there's no priority to the waitlist that is based on the resort. The only difference is your choice to waitlist for the whole ressie at once, or if you are willing to take a day at a time.

Bobbi

 

[JandD Mom]

So is the major difference then, that as a BW owner I would get a priority to add my name on the waitlist before we hit the 7 month window? Then I would be on the WL before the owners at OKW and SSR etc put their names on it?

Does MS change the waitlist in any way once you hit the 7 month window?

 

[Doctor P]

No changes at 7 months as far as I know, but the wait lists do expire 30 days out as I recall and you have to affirmatively call to remain on the wait list.

 

[Dean]

So is the major difference then, that as a BW owner I would get a priority to add my name on the waitlist before we hit the 7 month window? Then I would be on the WL before the owners at OKW and SSR etc put their names on it?

Does MS change the waitlist in any way once you hit the 7 month window?

The major priority of owning at a resort is simply being able to book starting at the 11 month window. But if what you want is not available, you would also have the priority for the wait list that you suggest. That is one of the advantages of having multiple home resorts, no matter how few points. You can many times get on the wait list before the 7 month window opens but if you match after 7 months, you can use any points.

 

[CarolMN]

The major priority of owning at a resort is simply being able to book starting at the 11 month window. But if what you want is not available, you would also have the priority for the wait list that you suggest. That is one of the advantages of having multiple home resorts, no matter how few points. You can many times get on the wait list before the 7 month window opens but if you match after 7 months, you can use any points.

If that is true (get on waitlist before 7 months, match after 7 month mark and use non-home resort points instead of home resort points), it is a way for a member to get around the 11/7 month rules.

I don't see any difference between this and asking to have non-home resort points "substituted" for home resort points after the 7 month window opens when there is a waitlist. I hope it isn't policy.

Best wishes -

 

[bobbiwoz]

I agree with Carol. I hope that if a waitlist that was made before 7 months comes through, the ressie would kick out if other than the home points are tried to be used. Would they even take a ressie that uses more points than would be available at the home using banked, current and borrowed points?

Bobbi

 

[JandD Mom]

You can many times get on the wait list before the 7 month window opens but if you match after 7 months, you can use any points.

Dean,

I was hoping you would chime in on this one. Your answers are always brilliant. I never thought of that. Thanks!

 

[lisareniff]

Wow! I never thought of that angle!

 

[Dean]

I can see both sides. I guess the question is who would be more deserving. The ONLY group I could think of would be those on the list before the 7 month window and ONLY using home resort points. But there is no mechanism for this limitation that I am aware of. Once the 7 month window rolls around, one can use any points that are available for the reservation. The only risk is that one will match before the 7 month window and either not have the points or have to use points other than they wanted to.

If that is true (get on waitlist before 7 months, match after 7 month mark and use non-home resort points instead of home resort points), it is a way for a member to get around the 11/7 month rules.

I don't see any difference between this and asking to have non-home resort points "substituted" for home resort points after the 7 month window opens when there is a waitlist. I hope it isn't policy.

Best wishes -

I would disagree. These were simply units that were not available when one wanted to book them so no real way to scam the system for much advantage. Plus one is within the rules and the other is not, as currently in place, that's not to say MS wont' do it at times. There are actually three points substitution situations once inside the 7 month window. One is to sub points for nights that are NOT sold out, this is perfectly legal for everyone and easily done. One is to sub home resort points that are less desirable, thus freeing up more advantageous points that might be banked or used better otherwise. The third is substituting non home resort points for sold out nights. DVC's current formal rule is that to do any substituting one must cancel and rebook. That is fine if the night is otherwise available but disastrous if it is not. To compare the points substitutions in the last two examples to the wait list, one would have to envision someone coming on the wait list after you but jumping ahead of you. And while that is not how DVC does things, I could easily see and live with the situation where home resort moved you to the head of the wait list line.

 

[Caskbill]

When you go on a waitlist, don't you have to commit the points to be used right then and there? So at 11-months, you cannot get on a BWV waitlist using OKW points. Correct? Since when the waitlist comes through they automatically make the reservation using your BWV points.

Now in the case of a reservation that's not automatic, they would call you when a reservation becomes available. You either accept it or not. If you accept it, they use the BWV points that were pre-assigned when you went on the waitlist. If you decline, you're lose the ressie and are off the waitlist.

 

[CarolMN]

When you go on a waitlist, don't you have to commit the points to be used right then and there? So at 11-months, you cannot get on a BWV waitlist using OKW points. Correct? Since when the waitlist comes through they automatically make the reservation using your BWV points.

AFAIK, you have to have enough points to "cover" the reservation to get on the waitlist. I don't think a waitlist prevents you from using the points for something else and I don't think the waitlist automatically gets cancelled if you do. Hopefully, if there are others on the waitlist who got on it before the 7 month window opens, MS will not automatically make a waitlisted reservation if home resort points are not available. I do not know what their actual policy is in those situations.

Now in the case of a reservation that's not automatic, they would call you when a reservation becomes available. You either accept it or not. If you accept it, they use the BWV points that were pre-assigned when you went on the waitlist. If you decline, you're lose the ressie and are off the waitlist.

I hope that is what happens. That's the way it should be. That means that what Dean suggested shouldn't happen unless MS makes an error. If the member no longer has home resort points available when the waitlist comes through, then he/she doesn't get the reservation.

It's not right that a member can get on the waitlist before the 7 month window opens and use non-home resort points to secure the reservation if there are other members on the waitlist who also got on it prior to the 7 month window opening.

Best wishes -

 

[Dean]

I hope that is what happens. That's the way it should be. That means that what Dean suggested shouldn't happen unless MS makes an error. If the member no longer has home resort points available when the waitlist comes through, then he/she doesn't get the reservation.

It's not right that a member can get on the waitlist before the 7 month window opens and use non-home resort points to secure the reservation if there are other members on the waitlist who also got on it prior to the 7 month window opening.

Best wishes -

Carol, they will not use non home resort points prior to the 7 month window opening. My statements were about one that went on the wait list before the 7 months window opened then matched after the 7 month window opened. In that case, you can use any points you have available.

 

[CarolMN]

Carol, they will not use non home resort points prior to the 7 month window opening. My statements were about one that went on the wait list before the 7 months window opened then matched after the 7 month window opened. In that case, you can use any points you have available.

I understood what you meant - I still think it is wrong to use non-home resort points for a reservation if a match occurs after the 7 month window opens when there are people behind you on the waitlist who also got on the waitlist before the 7 month window opened.

For example, I got on the waitlist for something at BWV at 10 months, you got on the waitlist at 9 months for the same thing. At 6 months, the waitlist comes through for me. I use OKW points to make the reservation. I don't think that is right. If I didn't have BWV points to use, MS should not allow me to make the reservation and go to you - the next person on the waitlist (provided you had BWV points to use for the reservation). If you had gotten on the waitlist at 7 months, no problem. Then (to me) it would be OK for me to use any points I liked to make the reservation.

Bottom line: If you get on the waitlist before the 7 month window opens, you should be willing and able to use home resort points to make the reservation - no matter when the match occurs.

I realize that the reservation / waitlist system may not be sophisticated enough to do that and I also realize that the situation I describe probably occurs very rarely.

Best wishes -

 

[Doctor P]

Here's my take: as said earlier in the thread, you should have to have the home resort points needed to make the reservation in order to go on the wait list prior to the 11 month mark (and I believe that that is the policy anyway); however, if the wait list clears after the seven month mark and you have the home resort points for the reservation but do not choose to use them (for example, the reservation would require borrowing of home resort points but not other points) for the reservation then I don't think I have a problem with that. I understand the subtle equity issue, but the way I see it the person took the risk of having to use the home resort points before the seven month window came up. I think it is OK, but understand why others might disagree.

 

[JandD Mom]

This raises another issue (that does not apply to me):

If I own points at 2 resorts, say 100 at BW and 100 at OKW, and say I make a reservation at BW for a standard studio for 100 points. After the 7 month mark, can I "swap" my points and take over the reservation with my OKW points, and then use my BW points for something else?

 

[Doctor P]

That issue was actually covered in the earlier posts, but is a constant source of confusion, so let me try to explain it. As a rule, you can only swap points after the seven month mark by cancelling the original reservation and making a new reservation. This is straightforward and trivial if there is still availability for that night. If there is a waiting list, then you cannot swap out the points as the first person on the waiting list will be given the reservation when you cancel and you will need to go on the waiting list to get a new reservation.

 

[Dean]

I understood what you meant - I still think it is wrong to use non-home resort points for a reservation if a match occurs after the 7 month window opens when there are people behind you on the waitlist who also got on the waitlist before the 7 month window opened.

For example, I got on the waitlist for something at BWV at 10 months, you got on the waitlist at 9 months for the same thing. At 6 months, the waitlist comes through for me. I use OKW points to make the reservation. I don't think that is right. If I didn't have BWV points to use, MS should not allow me to make the reservation and go to you - the next person on the waitlist (provided you had BWV points to use for the reservation). If you had gotten on the waitlist at 7 months, no problem. Then (to me) it would be OK for me to use any points I liked to make the reservation.

Bottom line: If you get on the waitlist before the 7 month window opens, you should be willing and able to use home resort points to make the reservation - no matter when the match occurs.

I realize that the reservation / waitlist system may not be sophisticated enough to do that and I also realize that the situation I describe probably occurs very rarely.

Best wishes -

Sorry, but it's the way the system is set up. You can use home resort points between the 7 month and 11 months windows and any points after 7 months, period. I do understand the position though and do not disagree with it's intent. It's not simply a matter of how sophisticated the system is but also what the rules are. There is no rule that says if you go on the wait list before the 7 month window you must use home resort points even if within 7 months when you match. Of course if you match before the 7 month window opens up you either decline (and maybe go back on the wait list for another try) or use home resort points.

Many of the rules in place will favor one situation over another and given a specific circumstance, may not be truly fair. That's especially true for those that look it these situations emotionally. I can give dozens of examples that would illustrate one variation or another, I'm sure many others could do the same.

This raises another issue (that does not apply to me):

If I own points at 2 resorts, say 100 at BW and 100 at OKW, and say I make a reservation at BW for a standard studio for 100 points. After the 7 month mark, can I "swap" my points and take over the reservation with my OKW points, and then use my BW points for something else?

The answer is it depends on the situation. If any of the nights you have are available, you can indeed swap out the points. If not, the current rules are to cancel then rebook which means you would lose any nights on a wait list. That's true whether you want to use home resort points or points from another resort, the DVC rules do not distinguish them. DVC will sometimes just swap them out but they are not supposed to. I know some see a distinction between swapping out home resort points and non home resort points and I guess I can see that. However, if DVC allows one to swap out say banked or borrowed home resort points for others than can be banked, there are still negatives to the system and the other members both at that resort and others. In general I would only consider other owners at a single resort in evaluating this type of issue and there are still negatives to the other owners at that resort.