on-line booking not fair list

[ppony]

Not "supposed" to be at 8 a.m, it is 8 a.m. And yes, we are talking about when the computer considers the new day to have started. This only matters when you are trying to book a reservation exactly at your 11 month or 7 day windows. Otherwise, as you said, you could book a room at 3 a.m. if the mood struck.

Boy, I've been in la la land. Thank for the primer! I'll jsut remind myself to set my alarm on my 7 month window. I ALWAYS set my alarms for booking. Always have had to for ADRs and what-not. It's how it is. Yeah, I'm lucky I'm only in the central zone but it could be WAY worse! Just set your alarms guys! It's ONE day.


I do have a question though as I'm trying to wrap my head around what you can and cannot do w/ online booking..
I'm sure this was answered but I'm probably just not getting the right terminology...
if you have a ressie already and your 7 mo window opens, to this point, I know MS was able to quickly cancel the portion of your old ressie that you may have been giving up (if you're split staying...or whole thing if you were completely rebooking) while booking your new one. Is that something that is harder or more cumbersome w/ the online booking now? I'm getting really mentally confused on how this will work online. Especially when you are borrowing points from a future UY.
Maybe I'll just call the day before to see if the rooms and categories I want are even open at all. If they aren't, not that they couldn't be the next AM by a rare chance, I don't want to get all worked up if there's no availability anyway. To quote Phineas " I can't feel my brain."

 

[Dean]

AFAIK, no resort or even villa size was sold out before 9 am the day the window opened. Even for the popular Holiday week. (I know you two know that, but I think some posters are missing that).

Only the very popular & limited concierge category and reportedly, the standard category at BLT were gone by 9 am Eastern (maybe at BWV, too and maybe the value at AKV). There were still studios and 1 bedrooms and 2 bedrooms and 3 bedrooms (at resorts that have them) at all resorts available at 9 am, just not all view/booking categories.

FWIW, I think some of the limited availability was probably due to walking, which currently has to be done by calling.

I cannot believe DVC would re-establish a lottery or special seasons process just because something very limited to begin with books up in an hour. Those processes had to be time-consuming and expensive!

I am one who wants one of the those limited rooms, but I know I have no right to one. Sometimes you get lucky and sometimes you don't!

I think you'll see that change as the membership figures this out. I would be we'll see multiple reports of being shut out for the 11 month window calling at 9 am exactly by this time next year.

The only case I can think of would be for members who do not have internet access.

I have to believe that's next to none of them. And, by definition, DISers are not in that category....

There is info out there on who has access. It's something like 97% of people that state they have access between work, home, etc. The reality is that it's likely even higher when you include the need for a specific high demand option.

 

[RobDoc]

AFAIK, no resort or even villa size was sold out before 9 am the day the window opened. Even for the popular Holiday week. (I know you two know that, but I think some posters are missing that).

...

Drusba reported that this was already happening as of this morning, in this same thread post #52 - http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=43870045&postcount=52

Stay tuned!

 

[DebbieB]

I do have a question though as I'm trying to wrap my head around what you can and cannot do w/ online booking..
I'm sure this was answered but I'm probably just not getting the right terminology...
if you have a ressie already and your 7 mo window opens, to this point, I know MS was able to quickly cancel the portion of your old ressie that you may have been giving up (if you're split staying...or whole thing if you were completely rebooking) while booking your new one. Is that something that is harder or more cumbersome w/ the online booking now? I'm getting really mentally confused on how this will work online. Especially when you are borrowing points from a future UY.
Maybe I'll just call the day before to see if the rooms and categories I want are even open at all. If they aren't, not that they couldn't be the next AM by a rare chance, I don't want to get all worked up if there's no availability anyway. To quote Phineas " I can't feel my brain."

Member Services cannot check before your 7 month window. You would have to get online that morning and check for availability.

 

[ppony]

Member Services cannot check before your 7 month window. You would have to get online that morning and check for availability.

Good to know. THanks

I did do a little online experiment though. As long as my check-in date was at my 7 month window, I could type in a longer stay and see the availability on what I was looking for. So you could do hypothetical checks before hand within the +10 day (is it???) and at least see what MIGHT be available once you can get in. No guarantee of course, but you have a better idea.
Hey, at least I'm not asking what my chances are or for people to predict crowd levels, rain or free upgrade chances~

 

[dcfromva]

This might come under the heading of more fair in the case of walking a reservation.
Since you can't make online adjustments to a current reservation, you would have to call member services to advance the reservation by one day forward. (And, it would be after 9am. ) New first time reservations could be booked at 8am, so somebody else could get the 7th day ahead of you. You could cancel and rebook a fresh reservation, but there would be no advantage to it.

I haven't decided if this is more fair or unfair (or neutral): On the 7th month switch-- it might cause more inventory to open up at home resorts to start with:

If you are switching from your home resort to another resort at the 7 month time frame--someone else could make a first time reservation an hour ahead of you online at your non-home resort. I think I would be inclined to just wait for 7months and book online instead of booking my home resort first and switching.

 

[ppony]

If you are switching from your home resort to another resort at the 7 month time frame--someone else could make a first time reservation an hour ahead of you online at your non-home resort. I think I would be inclined to just wait for 7months and book online instead of booking my home resort first and switching.

Why????? Maybe because you would be OK w/ the risk? From my POV, why would someone (me for example) want to pass up the "for sure" room I'd be happy with at AKV (like in my case this time... a 1 BR CL) for the chance that a room might be available at another resort at 7 months? A bird in the hand as it were. Yes, the 1 hour might cause trouble w/ this now, but I'd rather not have to "settle" because I was holding out "hope".

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Member Services cannot check before your 7 month window. You would have to get online that morning and check for availability.

Actually they can - just not way in advance. I've had them tell me about availability for the next week or so from the 7 month mark. I'd guess they've had the same sort of visibility that we are now seeing online.

 

[ToddyLu]

OK, now I am getting a complex about using Online Reservations....will I be able to type my request or click a button fast enough? What if my hand gets the shakes? I know you guys think I am over reacting but I have really wondered about this.

Luckily I called MS at exactly 8:59:50 the morning of my 11 month booking and scored my two value studios at Jambo in October. I had the number pre-dailed of course.

As an avid reader of the DIS and its expert opinions I just don't know how I will do with ORS (new DIS acronym for Online Reservation System). But at least more of the kinks will be worked out the next time I need to book.

 

[dcfromva]

Why????? Maybe because you would be OK w/ the risk? From my POV, why would someone (me for example) want to pass up the "for sure" room I'd be happy with at AKV (like in my case this time... a 1 BR CL) for the chance that a room might be available at another resort at 7 months? A bird in the hand as it were. Yes, the 1 hour might cause trouble w/ this now, but I'd rather not have to "settle" because I was holding out "hope".

As I said before, I'm not sure if it is fair, unfair or neutral. Congrats on your reservation. Of course if I was lucky enough to snag a 1BR CL room at AKV I don't think I would have any desire to switch to another resort at 7 months.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

This might come under the heading of more fair in the case of walking a reservation.
Since you can't make online adjustments to a current reservation, you would have to call member services to advance the reservation by one day forward. (And, it would be after 9am. ) New first time reservations could be booked at 8am, so somebody else could get the 7th day ahead of you. You could cancel and rebook a fresh reservation, but there would be no advantage to it.

[snip]

I don't think that online booking has any impact on the ability to walk a reservation. If I book 12/29 through 1/4, no other person can book the next night (1/5) in my room until 8 AM on 2/5. I can call MS to book that night at any time MS is open on any of the following days: 1/30, 1/31, 2/1, 2/2, 2/3 or 2/4. --Suzanne

 

[dozerdog]

The only thing possibly unfair, and I already shared this, is that DVC hasn't really done a good job of letting all members know that online booking is starting an hour earlier than phone bookings.

I couldn't agree more. The only way I found out that there was an hour difference is by reading these boards.