Number of People Walking

[ziravan]

I know you have no way of knowing, but how many days do you think could open up at once? Would it be better to waitlist in smaller chunks?

I’d use both of my waitlists and work smaller chunks, 2-3 nights at a time.

 

[Cyberc1978]

This is also new as of new management, correct? And not allowed as walking is not prohibited?

ETA. I don’t walk nor do I own at a resort where I need to, but if the walkers aren’t breaking any rules, then MS is, no?

There is no rules against walking. Walking is a symptom of how the booking system/rules work.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I wonder if it's really available and just not displayed properly due to programming anomalies. No way to know unless someone actually tries to modify a reservation that should allow the modification.

I ran into it trying to add days to a BWV standard view studio. It wasn't there. It sat as unavailable for even a day or two past the 11 month window when it finally opened up - probably because of somebody walking who had managed to get that night before the count of rooms available for booking was decreased.

This has appeared at least last year too as I recall someone running into it with their value studio. I don't think it's any effort towards stopping walking. I think it is either an inventory or IT glitch or else DVC is pulling inventory prior to the 11 month window.

 

[ziravan]

I ran into it trying to add days to a BWV standard view studio. It wasn't there. It sat as unavailable for even a day or two past the 11 month window when it finally opened up - probably because of somebody walking who had managed to get that night before the count of rooms available for booking was decreased.

This has appeared at least last year too as I recall someone running into it with their value studio. I don't think it's any effort towards stopping walking. I think it is either an inventory or IT glitch or else DVC is pulling inventory prior to the 11 month window.

Pulling inventory right before the window and re-releasing it right after the window sounds an awful lot like trying to mess with walking.

Now it might be an IT problem. But if it’s deliberate then I don’t see how it can be anything BUT aimed at walking.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Pulling inventory right before the window and re-releasing it right after the window sounds an awful lot like trying to mess with walking.

Now it might be an IT problem. But if it’s deliberate then I don’t see how it can be anything BUT aimed at walking.

I am assuming it wasn't released by DVC. Since it happened a day or two later I assume it was released by someone walking who had initially just happened to get that day locked in first and wasn't trying to be the last to book it - like me.

And actually it was a boardwalk view - I then switched my reservation to standard view since that had opened up as available for all the nights. But I kept checking on the Boardwalk view and debated going back to it after it opened up.

 

[chicagodisneyguy]

If MS is messing with walkers, do people think it's a DVC effort or some "rouge" MS employee? I'm more inclined to think it's just an IT glitch relating to room inventory...but who knows.

 

[twinklebug]

I think we can all agree the issue resides within Disney's control. Maybe it's intentional (to stop walking, or reserving for maintenance), accidental (a coding error), or could even be malicious (someone within IT looking for an advantage of their own). We know it is not members causing it.

MS will always point at it being intentional (once they acknowledge the issue at all) it doesn't look good to say it any other way. They do however need to look into it and stop it. How do we encourage them to do that?

 

[ziravan]

Seems too coincidental that it’s happening in both Value and Concierge studios at the same time.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Seems too coincidental that it’s happening in both Value and Concierge studios at the same time.

It might also just be that because those room categories are so small it's the places it shows and it might be happening with other categories. Without being able to see the actual room inventory it's hard to say.

DVC rents out Value and concierge rooms via CRO which is something I've never liked. Of course they have the right as they are owners but if by chance they are grabbing the rooms prior to 11 months? I've thought they tended to follow the 11 month but not all inventory is loaded and available for booking by members - that much seems pretty obvious. There was some thought I read awhile ago that DVC may justify use of an algorithm to use for paying for trades and even breakage and could perhaps take room inventory prior to 11 months to cover those areas.

 

[4luv2cdisney]

I was working on a walk while in WDW last week and almost got blocked. I happened to jump online and modify a day earlier than I needed to just because it was convenient and I didn't want to forget. If I hadn't done that, I would have only been booked thru the night before the blocked date.

That would have sucked. I'd been walking for about a month. Instead, I already had it and was able to modify again to keep walking.

I actually needed a 2nd studio, but was only willing to walk 1 that early. I tried to start walking the 2nd one just a few days early, but couldn't get in until the morning I actually needed it for. I couldn't believe I got the 2nd one. I'm glad that's all over and done with!

 

[ziravan]

Value studios now have a 2 night gap at the end of the 11 month plus 7:



That means that every single room for Dec 4th is out of commission because the first opportunity for anybody to book the 4th would be at 8 am eastern on the 28th, almost 7 hours later than when I’m posting this.

Maybe I could buy the argument that DVC plays fast and loose with the 11 month window and books CROs dates ahead of the window. But all the rooms??

It’s either a glitch or a walking fence.

 

[JETSDAD]

Value studios now have a 2 night gap at the end of the 11 month plus 7:

View attachment 371884

That means that every single room for Dec 4th is out of commission because the first opportunity for anybody to book the 4th would be at 8 am eastern on the 28th, almost 7 hours later than when I’m posting this.

Maybe I could buy the argument that DVC plays fast and loose with the 11 month window and books CROs dates ahead of the window. But all the rooms??

It’s either a glitch or a walking fence.

At least that makes a bit more sense than what was showing earlier....they could say they are planning maintenance or something. When one day was gone but the next was available that made no sense (not saying this does either really but at least it kind of could).

 

[nasmith]

Pulling inventory right before the window and re-releasing it right after the window sounds an awful lot like trying to mess with walking.

Now it might be an IT problem. But if it’s deliberate then I don’t see how it can be anything BUT aimed at walking.[/QUOTE]

They've done it again. Check out AKL club level starting today ( for Nov. 28 onward). Only December 1 is available - while Dec. 2,3,4 are not (Nov. 28- 30th is likewise unavailable)..... Obviously, Disney is pulling inventory, but for what reason? Otherwise, I don't see how that is possible- you couldn't have the Dec. 2,3,4 without having December 1 at this point (unless I am looking at this totally wrong).

 

[nasmith]

And it's only the studio, as the one-bedroom is available......(I thought maybe they pulled a 2-bedroom for a celebrity entourage or something)

 

[10CJ]

There is definitely something weird going on with the club level rooms.

 

[twinklebug]

There is definitely something weird going on with the club level rooms.

And it's only the studio, as the one-bedroom is available......(I thought maybe they pulled a 2-bedroom for a celebrity entourage or something)

I've seen some doozies of coding errors in my time and they usually act different (more erratic, less predictable, one offs), this is looking like it is more than just a bug. Member services needs to take this seriously and find out who is doing it and why. Should be easy enough to find out as there is a limited number of rooms to research holds on. I don't need to know the outcome, just that it will be stopped.

 

[SpaceMountain77]

Buy more points and walk 30 days at a time!

Bill

Although we cannot walk 30 days, I did buy more points, so that I could book a larger spread at the 11-month mark. I will reserve a 2-week reservation, modifying to add additional dates to the end of the first reservation, and fine-tune it a few months out. When I first became a member, I booked the exact dates I wanted. Now, with lessons learned from airline bookings and the demands of my job, I know to buffer my dates.

 

[SpaceMountain77]

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.

More often than not, Disney's marketing speaks to memories and nostalgia. When a DVC component was added to each of the monorail resorts, I could not help but wonder how many purchases were driven by nostalgia and, specifically, a desire to purchase where memories from the 70s and 80s were made with families and friends.

To me, Disney's Rivera Resort will be an interesting sell to watch because it is being touted as elegant and similar to/better than Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. However, it is a new build with no historical connection to the Walt Disney World Resort.

 

[DVC92]

More often than not, Disney's marketing speaks to memories and nostalgia. When a DVC component was added to each of the monorail resorts, I could not help but wonder how many purchases were driven by nostalgia and, specifically, a desire to purchase where memories from the 70s and 80s were made with families and friends.

To me, Disney's Rivera Resort will be an interesting sell to watch because it is being touted as elegant and similar to/better than Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. However, it is a new build with no historical connection to the Walt Disney World Resort.

It's not VGF or BLT, it is a Caribbean Beach resort.

 

[SpaceMountain77]

Why “walk” a 7 month reservation for weeks if a home resort owner can undo your efforts at any time?

On two occasions, since becoming a member in 2012, I have technically walked a non-home resort reservation. From my personal experience with booking, I have learned that it is best not to wait until the desired day of booking. Instead, I start trying 3 - 5 days out, especially when attempting to book a villa/view category with a smaller inventory. The approach gives me multiple chances to secure the room at 8:00am, rather than just one.

Yes, a member can reserve dates that I do not have access to yet. However, I have always assumed that most members do not wait until 7 months 2 days to take advantage of their priority booking. It is not a flawless approach, but it has helped.