Number of People Walking

[lovin'fl]

I have only read OP's first post. Will go back to read rest. But I was one who walked. We wanted Sept 28-Oct 4 in 2BR standard view (which is studio and 1BR lock off so once all the studios are gone, so are the 2BRs). I noticed the walking too...around Oct 23rd for Sept 23rd is when I started looking. So I grabbed it up first thing at 8am on Oct 26th for Sept 26th and then on the 28th I dropped the 26th and 27th and added 2 days on the back end.

 

[lovin'fl]

Does anyone else think it's a bad idea to suggest Disney add more charges? I get that it's frustrating when you want a specific room for a popular time, but we're being nickel and dimed to death lately. Every time I figure out how the system works, Disney changes the rules and finds a way to get more money out of me.

Agreed. No need to give that mouse anymore ideas on how to take the money out of our pockets.

I am not a fan of the walking. But it is what it is so I'll do it...a little. I didn't walk for 3 months and I won't. I own at BWV for F&W and we like to save points with standard view. But if we can't get it, that is fine. We just do PG view. We have had to take that about 50% of the time. We added more BWV points for this reason. Yes, I'd LOVE to get a club level room at AKV one time. We have tried. We owned AKV for 2.5 years (then resold it) and we had club level booked once but our travel mates needed to change dates so we had to give it up. SIL owns AKV and she tried to get it for us all as a split stay with our BWV during F&W 2 years ago but she couldn't get it at 8am of the 11 month window (with 2 computers trying). And I'd like the ability to get BLT standard view since that resort is such a point eater...so we just don't book there (have stayed in studio for 3 nights and have 1BR booked for 5 nights in March...that's all we've booked in 12 years of dVC ownership).

So I am fine with just making do with the system at hand. We like 1BR anyway so for our BWV stays we should have little problem. We prefer staying at BWV and own the most points there (255...plus 200 OKW and 125 HHI and 70 CCV). This trip I just walked for the 2BR, my DS-22 and his GF are joining us for his first trip back in 4 years. If I didn't get the 2BR standard view I was going to book 1BR standard plus studio BW/PG view as separate bookings and that would A) take more points and B) put our rooms, likely, far apart (might be preferable to DS though, LOL).

Next difficult booking will be CCV before Xmas 2019. I have to book a 2BR AND a studio for just 2-3 nights (whatever 210 points, 3 years worth, will get us). Waiting for travel mates to book their Vistana timeshare for Xmas week and then will add to the front end, but they don't know if they'll get a Fri, Sat or Sun check in yet. Hopefully they'll have it secured before mid January.

 

[elgerber]

I have been booking the same days at BWV. I feel like I am reverse walking LOL, I have to keep signing on each day to add a day, as the walkers drop them. I have owned BWV since 2002 and I have NEVER not been able to book a standard view room, of any size, at the 11 month mark, until this year. Not even for our trip in Sept 2018. The funny part is, if I would have just waited until today, I could have booked my entire stay at once, because all the dates that came available after the walkers dropped them off are still available. Makes me think the walking was not necessary.

 

[lovin'fl]

I have been booking the same days at BWV. I feel like I am reverse walking LOL, I have to keep signing on each day to add a day, as the walkers drop them. I have owned BWV since 2002 and I have NEVER not been able to book a standard view room, of any size, at the 11 month mark, until this year. Not even for our trip in Sept 2018. The funny part is, if I would have just waited until today, I could have booked my entire stay at once, because all the dates that came available after the walkers dropped them off are still available.

We bought BWV in 2014 and have had trouble ever since (in booking stand view studios). Been able to get them half the time. F&W 2016, was one of the times we could not get it. Added 150 BWV last year so we can do 1BRs or P/G view studios. Stand view 1BRs are easy to get (in 11 month window...but they don't book up until a few weeks into it, most times).

 

[DenLo]

If a fee were charged for every date modification (i.e., every drop & add change with none free) you could still walk. You would just be paying for the inconvenience you cause other Members who actually want the nights you are temporarily holding with no intent to use.

That might be a deterrent to walking in general, but not enough so to open up the window at 11 months.

Larger point owners would still be at a competitive advantage to smaller point owners, something not currently the case.

People who can afford to “pay to play” will be at an advantage to others.

Under your plan, the effective NEW strategy would be to book a full week and pay to bump twice. The new window will start not at the 11 months window, but 18 days earlier.

I have to agree that starting to charge for making more changes than allowed will not stop walking. People pay extra for so many things these days, to them it will be just the price you pay for getting the reservation you want. Although with months of walking, it might have been cheaper to just rook a hotel room through Disney.

 

[CarolMN]

Just for the record, I was advocating that the proceeds from any "walking fee" go back to the members in the form of a reduction to our dues (not to Disney).

I am not upset at any member who uses walking. The system allows it. I just think those who walk should recognize that it inconveniences other members. I see nothing wrong with making those who walk pay a little in return. JMHO. YMMV.

 

[lovin'fl]

Just for the record, I was advocating that the proceeds from any "walking fee"go back to the members in the form of a reduction to our dues (not to Disney).

I am not upset at any member who uses walking. The system allows it. I just think those who walk should recognize that it inconveniences other members. I see nothing wrong to making those who walk pay a little in return. JMHO. YMMV.

Yeah, you'd think there could be something they could do. I'd rather we all were in the same boat trying to get that resie and that we didn't have to jump through hoops trying to get a leg up on others. When we added the first BWV, we added just 55 points with plans that DH and I could do 4-5 weeknights in a stand view studio for F&W every year. But then quickly realized, when we couldn't get stand view even at 11 months, that our plans might not work. So we added 50 more and then another 150 more so we could do 1BRs. But not everyone has that ability. And if they did, then the stand view 1BRs would also be tough to get. Maybe adding this Riviera resort will alleviate the low point studio demand near Epcot/HS...if the studios at Riviera are low point cost (should be as it's a moderate resort and not super great location). And I wish they did club level at CCV and that may have helped alleviate that club level demand a little.

 

[JETSDAD]

Yeah, you'd think there could be something they could do. I'd rather we all were in the same boat trying to get that resie and that we didn't have to jump through hoops trying to get a leg up on others. When we added the first BWV, we added just 55 points with plans that DH and I could do 4-5 weeknights in a stand view studio for F&W every year. But then quickly realized, when we couldn't get stand view even at 11 months, that our plans might not work. So we added 50 more and then another 150 more so we could do 1BRs. But not everyone has that ability. And if they did, then the stand view 1BRs would also be tough to get. Maybe adding this Riviera resort will alleviate the low point studio demand near Epcot/HS...if the studios at Riviera are low point cost (should be as it's a moderate resort and not super great location). And I wish they did club level at CCV and that may have helped alleviate that club level demand a little.

Riviera is likely going to be quite high as far as point costs as they are claiming it will be something like a cross between GFV and BLT......and it's also not a moderate.

 

[Deb & Bill]

If they eliminate walking, they might as well go back to reserving your stay based on your check out day instead of check in day. When it was that way, you didn't have to worry about people reserving six days before you could even get one. Unless they added a day at a time on the front end (book the first night, book the second night, etc, until you got your entire stay). I know that Hilton Grand Vacations Club still does it by check out day.

 

[kboo]

I'll admit: I walked our BLT 1br std Thanksgiving reservation because we weren't starting the weekend before. Then, when FIL was entering hospice, we realized that it would be better to have a 2br std 11 months from then. We decided so late that we ended up having to drop and rebook (due to our points situation, had to use the old 2-browser trick) at 11mo to the day. Very stressful, but we got the last 2br and the 1br we released was gone within minutes as well. I hope I don't have to do that again....

 

[DougEMG]

I have no problems with people walking, they are just following the rules. Most changes to stop walking would probably cause more of a problem than what they are trying to fix.

One thing I would like though is that the booking window changed to 12:01am from 8:00am. It is a huge pain in the butt to have to get up at 5am (I'm on the west coast) to be online right for that 8am eastern time. With a 12:01am opening, I could book my rooms at 9pm at night before going to bed.

 

[elgerber]

I have no problems with people walking, they are just following the rules. Most changes to stop walking would probably cause more of a problem than what they are trying to fix.

One thing I would like though is that the booking window changed to 12:01am from 8:00am. It is a huge pain in the butt to have to get up at 5am (I'm on the west coast) to be online right for that 8am eastern time. With a 12:01am opening, I could book my rooms at 9pm at night before going to bed.

But I'm sure people on the east coast would rather book at 8am then stay up till Midnight LOL. Can't please everyone.

 

[lovin'fl]

I have no problems with people walking, they are just following the rules. Most changes to stop walking would probably cause more of a problem than what they are trying to fix.

One thing I would like though is that the booking window changed to 12:01am from 8:00am. It is a huge pain in the butt to have to get up at 5am (I'm on the west coast) to be online right for that 8am eastern time. With a 12:01am opening, I could book my rooms at 9pm at night before going to bed.

Even I, on the east coast, would like that too. I'm doing trip planning 10-11pm most of the time anyway and often forget the 8am thing (and then remember at like 9:30). So, myself, I'd rather stay up to midnight than set alarm for 7:45 and get coffee and log on computer.

 

[twinklebug]

Even I, on the east coast, would like that too. I'm doing trip planning 10-11pm most of the time anyway and often forget the 8am thing (and then remember at like 9:30). So, myself, I'd rather stay up to midnight than set alarm for 7:45 and get coffee and log on computer.

I'm on the East coast too, and would far prefer a midnight booking time than 8am. Most folk around here are either commuting, getting the kids off to school or are still sleeping due to shifted schedules (nurses, techies etc) at 8am. Those of us who can make it work usually do so by getting into work exceptionally early, even by early bird standards.

 

[Cyberc1978]

I'm on the East coast too, and would far prefer a midnight booking time than 8am. Most folk around here are either commuting, getting the kids off to school or are still sleeping due to shifted schedules (nurses, techies etc) at that time.

Then there are those of us in Europe which prefer things as they are. I can book at 02pm which suits me just fine.

 

[twinklebug]

Then there are those of us in Europe which prefer things as they are. I can book at 02pm which suits me just fine.

Ah ha! Proof again that Disney has a favorite child and she/he is European.

 

[DougEMG]

But I'm sure people on the east coast would rather book at 8am then stay up till Midnight LOL. Can't please everyone.

You mean not everyone stays up to midnight.

 

[AlternateID]

We own at AKV and I have always been able to book a value room at 11 months. Every time. This year I was shut out at 8 am every day I tried. Thankfully I was able to pick up the nights I needed after the walkers dropped them and my stay is complete. I still need to call and get all these individual nights consolidated into one reservation. I'm making another reservation in a couple of weeks and I guess I will be trying to walk now too if I can catch a room at 8 am. Ironically if I am not able to walk and my room in advance I will be having to mess with trying to catch dropped rooms from walkers while we are at Disney on a trip. So don't want to deal with that!! Wish me luck. I'm NOT a morning person so this getting up early on the weekends thing sucks.

 

[Mumof4mice]

A very civilised 10pm and 11pm, booking from Australia! Even better than during business hours when work gets in my way of scoring the right FP+s and rooms.

 

[denecarter]

I walked our upcoming trip for right after July 4th. There will be 19 of us staying in two OKW Grand Villas. We wanted to be near each other and in the Hospitality House area and there are a total of two HH GV at OKW and they are next door to each other.