Number of People Walking

[ParkHoppers]

I don’t see the issue as an IT glitch as much as it is just more and more people walking. Walking has messed up a system that used to work just fine. That’s what people get for using the,system not the way it was intended.

 

[JETSDAD]

I don’t see the issue as an IT glitch as much as it is just more and more people walking. Walking has messed up a system that used to work just fine. That’s what people get for using the,system not the way it was intended.

Walking has nothing to do with what is going on with AKV availability. Members can't even get to the days that are booked.

 

[JETSDAD]

I and others have been watching the rooms and even at more than 11 months the rooms are gone.

Yeah, I've been watching and commenting and have emailed MS. At the very beginning of the month there were a couple of days that were available. People who had existing walks going were also able to move their reservations forward up to the point where all rooms were pulled or booked outside of 11 months. People who lost their walks may be dropping the days that they had. We will need to see if dates later on, since things have been booked outside of 11 months, start to show up.

 

[ParkHoppers]

Walking has nothing to do with what is going on with AKV availability. Members can't even get to the days that are booked.

You know for a fact that DVC isn’t removing rooms or making holes to try to curtail walking? Couldn’t blame them if they were at this point.

 

[JETSDAD]

You know for a fact that DVC isn’t removing rooms or making holes to try to curtail walking? Couldn’t blame them if they were at this point.

They have had an entire booking category booked out solid for a while...that's not creating a hole, that's grabbing desirable inventory before members can book it. MS has recommended to people, and taught then how, to walk rooms....I doubt they care at all especially now that they don't even have to be involved in walking.

 

[ParkHoppers]

They have had an entire booking category booked out solid for a while...that's not creating a hole, that's grabbing desirable inventory before members can book it. MS has recommended to people, and taught then how, to walk rooms....I doubt they care at all especially now that they don't even have to be involved in walking.

Are we sure they are renting out these rooms or are they giving some back to DVC pool at a later date. Seems like they are doing something new to me.

 

[twinklebug]

Disney is not known for showing us their train of thought when they do anything. It's all guess work on our side to try to figure them out. However, I feel transparency is needed here. As owners I feel that we have a right to know where and why the booking inventory is going. (And to reiterate, we also need to know the point allocation numbers: a release of those spreadsheets year to year to prove that they're not playing games.)

I'm not talking lawsuits or any such nonsense. Just asking Disney to be more open with us.

 

[bobbiwoz]

If DVC can legally prevent walking, I am all for it, I wish they would do something about it.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

That's one area the POS is pretty specific about - first come first serve availability and outlines the booking window. That would be beyond their legal ability I'd believe.

But then there's getting to be lots of questions about DVC's legal abilities.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I’m wondering if there’s something going on where Disney has either just overbooked hotel rooms or something else where they are “holding back” inventory? It seems if I had booked an AKL hotel room and then there was no room at the inn, so to speak, the “cheapest” room to put someone in would be the value rooms. Just speculating though.

I’m seeing a peculiar walking pattern at VGF myself. Even 1br have little availability.

They also can't work that way with DVC.

But there's zero chance that AKL has sold out 11 months in advance. I am watching CRO to see if these value rooms start popping up. So far nothing has shown at all for AKV-Jambo which is kind strange too. I don't check all the time but whenever I have the resorts start having rooms at 11 months.

 

[ParkHoppers]

That's one area the POS is pretty specific about - first come first serve availability and outlines the booking window. That would be beyond their legal ability I'd believe.

But then there's getting to be lots of questions about DVC's legal abilities.

Yes and it states the booking window for home resort is 11 months. Those walking are technically booking at 11+ months. Yes they can say they keep changing their mind everyday for a month but.......it’s pretty obvious what is going on. When we all get a surcharge for every change we make on our reservations we will know why it happened. DVC can just say they have gotten too many complaints about walking and they had no choice and we could say nothing because we know they are right. Charge for each reservations change is probably the only way to curtail walking and that would still only work if the charge was large enough.

 

[bobbiwoz]

A charge for amending so many times is fine with me. I expect them to be reasonable.

 

[twinklebug]

A charge for amending so many times is fine with me. I expect them to be reasonable.

I'm not so sure they can just add a charge to the system though. It's one of those legal grey areas Kathy was referring to.
They can add restrictions to new direct and resales eliminating an increase in the behavior.

 

[ParkHoppers]

I'm not so sure they can just add a charge to the system though. It's one of those legal grey areas Kathy was referring to.
They can add restrictions to new direct and resales eliminating an increase in the behavior.

Stopping an increase going forward won’t do much considering how bad it is already...now....today. People,are already having to piece meal their vacations together now. That’s pretty bad if you ask me. Something needs to be done.

 

[DougEMG]

The charge for making a reservation change would have to be huge as the benefit to walking can be very huge. So that charge would just annoy all the people would make non-walking changes. Although, this would be another way for DVC to nickel and dime us, all based on members demand, so probably something coming in the near future.

 

[kboo]

As others have said, walking is a symptom of the demand >>>> supply. While a surcharge could be a way to reduce demand, as others have said, it's not likely to make a difference in overall demand. And restrictions and surcharges devalue DVC overall.

Personally, I have walked, and will walk again if I have to. But I also have been on at 8am sharp on the days I'm booking at 11 months, and gotten the last room (BLT standard - not as much pressure as AKV value and concierge), and to anyone on at 8:01am it probably looked like it was a walker. Surcharges will still do nothing to make value of concierge rooms more available. And the # of posters saying they are picking up rooms in the wake of the walkers also says something - if you don't get the room at 8am at 11 mos, keep checking. People cancel and change dates all the time, so you can use your wait lists and consider other options. I've had to book a LV at my home resort because standard wasn't available. First world problems.

 

[rlduvall]

I have been trying for 2 weeks just to get my foot in the door for an AKV value studio. I have NEVER had this much trouble and was shocked when I saw what appeared to be 8 days outside of the 11 months availability locked out. I can't even rationalize how this is occurring.

 

[kboo]

And restrictions and surcharges devalue DVC overall.

Clearly Disney didn't ask or care for my opinion on this point!!!

 

[GrumpyInPhilly]

The charge for making a reservation change would have to be huge as the benefit to walking can be very huge. So that charge would just annoy all the people would make non-walking changes. Although, this would be another way for DVC to nickel and dime us, all based on members demand, so probably something coming in the near future.

How about a limited number of free changes per UY and then charge? Non-walkers wouldn't be affected.

 

[twinklebug]

How about a limited number of free changes per UY and then charge? Non-walkers wouldn't be affected.

This has been mentioned quite a bit, and yet I agree with a prior poster that it would not do anything to stop those mega-point owners and resellers from behaving as they currently do. They'll have enough points to reach as far out as possible, walking their room less often than the little guy with only a handful of points, and the mega-point owner will simply pass along the fees to their renters, where the price different will go unnoticed as they're still saving off Disney's rack rates.