Online or by phone?

[jpolak]

So to all my other type A Friends. When you absolutely have to make a reservation at the seven month window do you do it on line or do you start dialing the phone a minute before member services opens? Also if you use on line does it open at midnight or do you have to wait until the next morning?

 

[DisneyHumbug]

I'll be calling in June....because I'll be buying some one time use points. I believe the phones open at 9am.

 

[DisneyHumbug]

oops and I forgot to add....I believe online you can start at 8am

 

[MHDTS]

We almost always call -- the MS staff can be really helpful if things aren't exactly as you planned and hoped them to be.

 

[jpolak]

I've always called exactly at 9 am and always had success. Ive made on-line reservations also but they were never for anything too crazy. We are plannning a trip out to DL and want to stay at Grand Californian on our points. Didn't know if one method gave an advantage over the other.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Always online. You lose one hour on the online booking if you call in.

 

[disneynutz]

Online, less errors.

Bill

 

[chicagodisneyguy]

My rule of thumb is if it's a new reservation I use the website right when it opens. If i am modifying an existing reservation, I call. I figure if member services screws something up there is a better chance of it getting fixed versus if the website screws up. IN 9 years I've been lucky and never had any issues or screw ups....so hopefully I'm not due!

 

[PatMcDuck]

For VGC at 7 months, I would recommend online, as there are so few rooms available. I want to book Copper Creek, on the first day we can book, for October, and will try online. I expect the system might go down.

 

[jpolak]

Thanks all. Appreciate the input.

 

[Dean]

I've always called exactly at 9 am and always had success. Ive made on-line reservations also but they were never for anything too crazy. We are plannning a trip out to DL and want to stay at Grand Californian on our points. Didn't know if one method gave an advantage over the other.

For GC do online at 8, not 8:01 and wait list immediately if not available. You should take time to understand the waitlist since getting GC can be difficult. You should have a backup plan.

 

[lisaviolet]

I always do online. And everything, including cancelling and grabbing a better reservation immediately. I like being in control of the situation.

Except of course when the IT department decides you are not in control! But they share that special sweetness with MS as well.

 

[lisaviolet]

I figure if member services screws something up there is a better chance of it getting fixed versus if the website screws up

How very optimistic of you!

 

[butsy113]

I book online right at 8am. If I need any OTU points, I book as many nights as I can online. Then I call at 9am to buy the points and add the night

 

[DenLo]

We book online, unless we need MS' help in making the reservation. When we are canceling and switching resorts we prefer to use MS to do that most of the time.

 

[squirk]

Sorry to necro, but just to make sure I am clear - online booking does not open at midnight EDT the day your window opens, but at 8:00 a.m. EDT, correct?

Also, I am looking to make a res combining banked 2016 points, 2017 points and some borrowed 2018 points. Can the web site be trusted to handle that - e.g., making sure to use up the 2016 & 2017 points first before dipping into 2018 - without messing things up? Or am I better off calling in?

 

[n2mm]

Sorry to necro, but just to make sure I am clear - online booking does not open at midnight EDT the day your window opens, but at 8:00 a.m. EDT, correct?

Also, I am looking to make a res combining banked 2016 points, 2017 points and some borrowed 2018 points. Can the web site be trusted to handle that - e.g., making sure to use up the 2016 & 2017 points first before dipping into 2018 - without messing things up? Or am I better off calling in?

If you have a problem with the points, MS can reallocate them if online doesn't choose the correct points to use.

 

[disneynutz]

We book several reservations online per year and we have never had an online error. We have had MS make errors with our points/accounts.

Bill

 

[squirk]

If you have a problem with the points, MS can reallocate them if online doesn't choose the correct points to use.

We book several reservations online per year and we have never had an online error. We have had MS make errors with our points/accounts.

Bill

Thanks. I don't know why, but I have never booked online before.

Does the site automatically use the "oldest" points (i.e., those that will expire the soonest) first? Does it ask you which bucket of points you want to pull from?

I'm just wondering if I will be able to verify that my banked 2016 and my 2017 are all used before the system dips into 2018.

 

[CookieandOatmeal]

Is the method of using two computers still a good way to go when one wants to change resorts at 7 months?