Once again wait list comes through by calling

[Mich Mouse]

I've only had success with wait listing by calling periodically to inquire about the ressie. When I called today MS was able to change my Beach Club 2 bedroom to a 1 bedroom. I've been on the wait list for about a month and have called three times.

What is interesting is that I had a 2 bedroom lock off booked and I think what they did was just drop the studio off of the ressie. I didn't know that could be done and hope this information may help someone else out there in a similar situation. The rep. had to put me on hold and have a manager complete the ressie but somehow she knew it could be done after she checked inventory and did not have a match.

My DD is so happy because the saved points are already in use for her college spring break. Was able to get a studio for four nights with the extra points.

 

[AllieV]

You said in the title, "once again". Has this happened before? I see this one as an AHA moment, where they realized they didn't have to waitlist you after all because the ressie you wanted was right there in front of you. But is it common that calling will get you off the list faster? Why would that be? Isn't a waitlist an automatic thing?

 

[Missyrose]

You said in the title, "once again". Has this happened before? I see this one as an AHA moment, where they realized they didn't have to waitlist you after all because the ressie you wanted was right there in front of you. But is it common that calling will get you off the list faster? Why would that be? Isn't a waitlist an automatic thing?

The system seems to only run the wait list-matching at set times of the day, so people will continue to check the online inventory or call MS to book what they're missing separate from the wait list they set up. There have been many reports from other Disers saying they got their missing nights this way before their wait lists ever came through.

 

[disneynutz]

Wait lists are another "best kept secret" because I get a different answer from everyone that I talk to at MS. I think that it's safe to say that the process isn't understood by many.

There is suppose to be a software process that makes matches and CM's that manually process the reservations.

It isn't clear when or how the matches are made or when the CM's book the reservations.

Bill

 

[sadiespicks]

I've only had success with wait listing by calling periodically to inquire about the ressie. When I called today MS was able to change my Beach Club 2 bedroom to a 1 bedroom. I've been on the wait list for about a month and have called three times.

What is interesting is that I had a 2 bedroom lock off booked and I think what they did was just drop the studio off of the ressie. I didn't know that could be done and hope this information may help someone else out there in a similar situation. The rep. had to put me on hold and have a manager complete the ressie but somehow she knew it could be done after she checked inventory and did not have a match.

My DD is so happy because the saved points are already in use for her college spring break. Was able to get a studio for four nights with the extra points.

Tell me you cancelled the week of 10/22?

 

[justright6]

Same thing happened to me a couple weeks ago. We had BCV waitlisted and I checked and it had not come through. I checked the website and it said it was available so I called MS and booked.
I am a new member but learned quickly from others that with waitlisting it helps to ckeck to see if its available on the website.

 

[Mich Mouse]

Allie,

There are major flaws in the DVC waitlist system. Here's a thread from a while ago that should explain. Though the thread is old, nothing seems to have changed.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2451435

Sadie,

No, it was for early August. Read the above thread and try calling once in a while. Good Luck!

 

[cbnsoul]

I had a similar issue but through online reservations. I had a waitlist for 1 night at VWL and decided to check myself from time to time to see if the night was available. Sure enough, last night I checked and it was and my waitlist hadn't gone through. I went ahead and canceled the night I had elsewhere and booked VWL then had MS combine the two reservations today (although that took 2 calls!)

 

[luckyman_apd]

I've read a few of these threads about waitlists with calling vs online. I can say both of my waitlists for back to back nights came through online. Never called. Both were for a busy weekend, and both were BLT with less than 7 months to go, with the second night going through just last week.

I'm convinced that the system is place is probably a flawed one, and I'm sure there are a million ideas how to improve it to make it "fair". However, I'm also of the opinion that if you are taking the time to call in, or check online frequently than you are deserving of getting the reservation. The early bird catches the worm as they say. It would be fantastic if all the online/call in waitlists were automatically filled the second a reservation was cancelled/changed, but until someone spells out EXACTLY how it works, just keep on calling/checking online is the best you can do.

 

[childsplay]

I would agree, that for whatever reason the waitlists are the least understood part of DVC booking for the people at MS. They just dont seem to know exactly how it works, which by extension means that we dont really know exactly how it works.

 

[tjkraz]

There are major flaws in the DVC waitlist system.

Depends upon your perspective.

Yes, wait list matches are done in batch several times per day. A process runs which compares current vacancies with wait list requests and any 100% matches are flagged to be manually input by Member Services reps.

The alternative would be some form of realtime process in which cancellations are immediately checked against the wait list. Problem there is it would be much harder to get a match, particularly for trips of longer duration.

As things stand now, multiple cancellations could be used to satisfy one wait list request. At 8am Fred cancels January 1-3. At 9am Dan cancels January 4-7. When the wait list batch runs at 10am, Joe's wait list request for January 1-7 is matched and the room booked.

If everything had happened in realtime, Joe is unlikely to have gotten his room. The January 1-3 dates would have fallen to someone else on the wait list who is a 100% match, as would the January 4-7.

Realtime wait lists would also have a devastating effect on those situations where a member or MS rep inadvertently cancels a trip while making any sort of adjustments. As it stands now, the odds of a room being gobbled-up by another member in the couple minutes following an inadvertent cancellation are extremely slim. But if that inventory were immediately bounced against the wait list as soon as it is freed-up, there would be zero margin for error.

As long as the wait list requests are entered properly, the system works as designed. Calling may yield some success but it's coincidental more than anything. Members really aren't actively fighting over the same date/resort/view/villa size as much as we may think.