Online reservation modification at 7-month window opens at Midnight Eastern (for me)

[AquaDyne]

I know there are many other threads on this, and even the DVC official documentation states that 8am ET is when the booking window opens.

I've been walking at the 7 month window to make sure I got a Christmas week reservation (in 19th, out 26th) at Aulani and woke up early yesterday to hit the 8am ET time. I was about 5 minutes early and decided to see how far I could get... and it went through at 4:55am PT / 7:55am ET.

On a lark, I decided just now at 9:05 PT May 18th (12:05am ET Dec 19th) to attempt to get the last day... and my modification was successful. (I tried an hour earlier and it didn't work, so midnight ET is likely the cutoff.)

To repeat: I was able to use non-home-resort points to reserve a 7-day stay starting Dec 19... at 9:05pm PT May 18.

While mine was a modification (I already had the first 6 days of the 7 I was booking), I've checked trying to make new reservations and it looked like I could do so with non-home resort points starting Dec 19 and home resort starting Apr 19. 8 hours before 8am ET, but I didn't follow through all the way to actually creating the reservation so this may be misleading.

I don't know if this is a bug, or a temporary change... but all y'all trying to get Christmas or New Years reservations might want to take note.

 

[Marionnette]

I know there are many other threads on this, and even the DVC official documentation states that 8am ET is when the booking window opens.

I've been walking at the 7 month window to make sure I got a Christmas week reservation (in 19th, out 26th) at Aulani and woke up early yesterday to hit the 8am ET time. I was about 5 minutes early and decided to see how far I could get... and it went through at 4:55am PT / 7:55am ET.

On a lark, I decided just now at 9:05 PT May 18th (12:05am ET Dec 19th) to attempt to get the last day... and my modification was successful. (I tried an hour earlier and it didn't work, so midnight ET is likely the cutoff.)

To repeat: I was able to use non-home-resort points to reserve a 7-day stay starting Dec 19... at 9:05pm PT May 18.

While mine was a modification, I've checked trying to make new reservations and I can do so with non-home resort points starting Dec 19 and home resort starting Apr 19. 8 hours before 8am ET.

I don't know if this is a bug, or a temporary change... but all y'all trying to get Christmas or New Years reservations might want to take note.

I just checked and it was a no go @6:22 AM EST. Looks like you were able to take advantage of a glitch.

 

[CarolMN]

I just checked and it was a no go @6:22 AM EST. Looks like you were able to take advantage of a glitch.

I think so, too.

 

[Atinsley22]

I know there are many other threads on this, and even the DVC official documentation states that 8am ET is when the booking window opens.

I've been walking at the 7 month window to make sure I got a Christmas week reservation (in 19th, out 26th) at Aulani and woke up early yesterday to hit the 8am ET time. I was about 5 minutes early and decided to see how far I could get... and it went through at 4:55am PT / 7:55am ET.

On a lark, I decided just now at 9:05 PT May 18th (12:05am ET Dec 19th) to attempt to get the last day... and my modification was successful. (I tried an hour earlier and it didn't work, so midnight ET is likely the cutoff.)

To repeat: I was able to use non-home-resort points to reserve a 7-day stay starting Dec 19... at 9:05pm PT May 18.

While mine was a modification, I've checked trying to make new reservations and I can do so with non-home resort points starting Dec 19 and home resort starting Apr 19. 8 hours before 8am ET.

I don't know if this is a bug, or a temporary change... but all y'all trying to get Christmas or New Years reservations might want to take note.

Im trying to book Spring break 2022 (11months) and it seems like this is coming into place there. The availability is changing before I get up at 6am ET.

 

[Sandisw]

Im trying to book Spring break 2022 (11months) and it seems like this is coming into place there. The availability is changing before I get up at 6am ET.

It always changes at midnight. But you can’t book it until 8 am EST. Well..that’s when it is supposed to unlock for booking.

 

[Atinsley22]

It always changes at midnight. But you can’t book it until 8 am EST. Well..that’s when it is supposed to unlock for booking.

What I’m seeing is that before I went to bed April 19-23 were available and then when I got up it’s now April 20-23. I’m not comprehending walking a res so that may be it too.

edited to add: before 8am et on May19

 

[Sandisw]

What I’m seeing is that before I went to bed April 19-23 were available and then when I got up it’s now April 20-23. I’m not comprehending walking a res so that may be it too.

edited to add: before 8am et on May19

April 19th would have shown as available for booking as early as 9 pm CST..midnight EST...but normally not bookable,

This morning, any rooms that are fully booked for April 19th, will now show April 20th as a start date...but it shouldnt be bookable.


If you were able to start a trip for April 19th before 8 am EST...then it was definitely a glitch!

ETA: I can not book outside of the normal booking so my account is working like normal.

 

[Atinsley22]

April 19th would have shown as available for booking as early as 9 pm CST..midnight EST...but normally not bookable,

This morning, any rooms that are fully booked for April 19th, will now show April 20th as a start date...but it shouldnt be bookable.


If you were able to start a trip for April 19th before 8 am EST...then it was definitely a glitch!

ETA: I can not book outside of the normal booking so my account is working like normal.

Got it! That’s the purpose of walking a reservation then, you get a jump on everyone else.

 

[supersnoop]

I know there are many other threads on this, and even the DVC official documentation states that 8am ET is when the booking window opens.

I've been walking at the 7 month window to make sure I got a Christmas week reservation (in 19th, out 26th) at Aulani and woke up early yesterday to hit the 8am ET time. I was about 5 minutes early and decided to see how far I could get... and it went through at 4:55am PT / 7:55am ET.

On a lark, I decided just now at 9:05 PT May 18th (12:05am ET Dec 19th) to attempt to get the last day... and my modification was successful. (I tried an hour earlier and it didn't work, so midnight ET is likely the cutoff.)

To repeat: I was able to use non-home-resort points to reserve a 7-day stay starting Dec 19... at 9:05pm PT May 18.

While mine was a modification, I've checked trying to make new reservations and I can do so with non-home resort points starting Dec 19 and home resort starting Apr 19. 8 hours before 8am ET.

I don't know if this is a bug, or a temporary change... but all y'all trying to get Christmas or New Years reservations might want to take note.

Do you also own some points at the resort you're booking?

 

[AquaDyne]

it was definitely a glitch!

I generally interpret a glitch as a one-time thing, but this appears repeatable for me, so I think "bug" is more accurate. It would be nice to have others experiment and see if we can figure out what it is about my account that allows me to do it and not others.

Do you also own some points at the resort you're booking?

Yes, but 0 balance without borrowing (for the 7 month point). And when it gets to the "which contracts do you want to use" it shows my other resort contracts. If I try one day later (definitely in the 11 month and not 7 month window) it only shows the home resort contract.

 

[AquaDyne]

Scouring the forums here, other than the initial behavior in 2012 it seems there's this post from 2018 corroborating the bug.

 

[supersnoop]

Yes, but 0 balance without borrowing (for the 7 month point). And when it gets to the "which contracts do you want to use" it shows my other resort contracts. If I try one day later (definitely in the 11 month and not 7 month window) it only shows the home resort contract. And I can reserve at 11 month window with home resort points at midnight ET. So don't think this has anything to do with whatever's different.

I've experienced something like this before. It almost seems like having that other contract gives you a few hours head start using non-home resort points.

 

[harmon54]

I had the same thing happen today. I wanted to add on a day at Animal Kingdom and had to wait to use points from my SSR contract. I own at both resorts. I got on at 7:50 and thought I would just mess around until 8 but then I kept clicking and it went thru early! I was happy but surprised because I couldn’t book before 8 am at the 11 month mark.

 

[AquaDyne]

Well, I just tried some experiments right now to try to replicate the experiment and failed, at least with creating a new reservation. Based on harmon54's report above, I suspect the bug may be in the "modify a reservation" bit, where if your reservation already contains the first day, it doesn't do the check wither it's after 8am for that, and allows you to give up the previous day and add on the new +7 day... meaning you could "walk" or add an 8th night at midnight, but not make a new reservation.

 

[CarolMN]

Well, I just tried some experiments right now to try to replicate the experiment and failed, at least with creating a new reservation. Based on harmon54's report above, I suspect the bug may be in the "modify a reservation" bit, where if your reservation already contains the first day, it doesn't do the check wither it's after 8am for that, and allows you to give up the previous day and add on the new +7 day... meaning you could "walk" or add an 8th night at midnight, but not make a new reservation.

FWIW, that particular "bug" really doesn't give an advantage over anyone else because you are virtually "guaranteed" to get the eighth night no matter what time of the day you do the modification.

 

[AquaDyne]

FWIW, that particular "bug" really doesn't give an advantage over anyone else because you are virtually "guaranteed" to get the eighth night

In the general case, yes. In this specific case (a holiday + weekend check-in in high demand period), it may give one "walker" an advantage over another "walker".

I don't usually walk, particularly at WDW, but in this case (Aulani Holiday period post-COVID-closures) there is massive holiday demand that the resort has never experienced. Most room types were sold out starting Dec 26 with owners staying 7 days thru new years and all but one type was sold out on Dec 24 starting at the 9-month point and going on-and-off the closer it got to 7 months and it was a reasonable assumption that there was a lot less availability on Dec 24 for that room type than there was on Dec 23, so walking didn't "guarantee" Christmas Eve even when one had the 7 days prior.

Had I not walked when the 7th day on Christmas Eve I would not have been able to get the reservation, as it sold out later that day (but not precisely at 8am, so the "early" move didn't make a difference... still, it was nice to sleep in!)

Anyway, the bottom line I think is: it doesn't hurt anything to check early (starting at midnight) to see if you might get pleasantly surprised. Even if it doesn't give an advantage, it lets you sleep more soundly.

 

[dismedvc]

Just booked a new reservation for Dec 23rd at 7:30 am EST on May 23. That is before the 8:00 am EST stated time the window should have opened. I went in to look what was available so I would be ready to go right in at 8:00 am, but the system let me book the night of Dec 23rd at BLT using BWV points before 8:00 am.
Note: we do also own at BLT, but I was able to use BWV points.

 

[kes601]

Hopefully this glitch gets fixed. Not really fair in the grand scheme of things especially during prime booking seasons.

Although somehow this morning we were able to get a BWV Boardwalk View Studio starting Dec 23 for 5 nights after the dust settled from the 8:00 movement. So, not complaining too much….