Playing with Resort Availability Tool - How fast is it updated?

[fearthisinc]

I just wanted to inquire if anyone knows how the RAT is regarding real time availability.. I have been playing around with the RAT since we got our online access.. Just for fun I keep trying to book a specific room type and every time I do it shows as unavailable for my start day.. My assumption is that people are walking their reservations as I am doing this at the 11 month mark at a home resort.. However, it always shows that the following day is available.. For example, tonight I tried booking July 29 - August 5 but July 29th was not available.. The availability calendar then pops up and shows that July 30 - August 5 are available.. So does this mean that theoretically if I logon at 8am tomorrow it will be available? Or is the RAT not updated in real time whereas whoever is walking the reservation could have already added the 30th? Or is there a glitch in the system whereby the RAT will always show availability for 11 month and 1 day?

 

[huskerfanatic7]

what resort? I just tried mine at BLT for those dates and they have availabilty in every category

 

[sndral]

I think your home resort is AKV? If you are trying for a club villa those are a really hard get & you are probably seeing people walking reservations for those villas. The value villas are hard to get too. I assume there's availability in standard and savanna view, especially at Kidani?

 

[drusba]

RAT is supposed to be showing actual availability when you check it but it sometimes goes awry.

In any event, it is very common for something like the AKV club level (and often value) studios and 2BRs to disappear for any given day either before or within nanoseconds after 8 a.m. at 11 months out -- the winner is the one whose computer communicates fastest with Disney's at exactly 8 a.m. And what you are seeing, that the next day and days after the 11 month window are still open, is also common. It is simply a factor of the progression of departure dates for reservations already made -- the next day (11 months and 1 day out) that is shown as still open may actually have only one opening, while the day after may have two, etc. Unless your computer wins the 8 a.m. battle on any given day, the same problem could continue from day to day. Walking does often occur for those types of reservations and thus you can sometimes find an opening for a date in days after the 11 month window has opened for that date.

 

[fearthisinc]

I think your home resort is AKV? If you are trying for a club villa those are a really hard get & you are probably seeing people walking reservations for those villas. The value villas are hard to get too. I assume there's availability in standard and savanna view, especially at Kidani?

Yes. Our home resort is Animal Kingdom and I was referring to the club level room. I know I have read they are hard to get. I haven't really "tried" to get it by waking up and being on for 8am.. Might just try it tomorrow just to see.. but from the looks of it I am thinking that if we ever want to try it then we will also be walking.. Might have to start weeks before which is ridiculous, but understandable being that there is such a limited number of these rooms... But I feel as though you will never see availability.. I just checked and literally there is only 1 night available for a studio club level from now until July 30th 2018.. There is 0 availability for 2 bedroom and limited spots for 1 bedroom... I guess the only strategy would be to start trying to book 1 month or more before your intended travel date and keep trying to get through at 8am.. hopefully you can break through the walking reservations and nudge in somewhere.. who knows.. Not really worth the hassle in my opinion.. We have stayed concierge at other resorts like Beach Club.. Nice to have, but really never worth the value.. I mean if you break down the points between a studio concierge and standard you come out with a 44 point difference in the Adventure Season.. 44 points rented at 14 per point gives you $616 dollars OR you could use the 44 points to travel an additional 4 nights.. For some juice/soda, bagels, and cupcakes I would definitely put the points to better use..

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Yes. Our home resort is Animal Kingdom and I was referring to the club level room. I know I have read they are hard to get. I haven't really "tried" to get it by waking up and being on for 8am.. Might just try it tomorrow just to see.. but from the looks of it I am thinking that if we ever want to try it then we will also be walking.. Might have to start weeks before which is ridiculous, but understandable being that there is such a limited number of these rooms... But I feel as though you will never see availability.. I just checked and literally there is only 1 night available for a studio club level from now until July 30th 2018.. There is 0 availability for 2 bedroom and limited spots for 1 bedroom... I guess the only strategy would be to start trying to book 1 month or more before your intended travel date and keep trying to get through at 8am.. hopefully you can break through the walking reservations and nudge in somewhere.. who knows.. Not really worth the hassle in my opinion.. We have stayed concierge at other resorts like Beach Club.. Nice to have, but really never worth the value.. I mean if you break down the points between a studio concierge and standard you come out with a 44 point difference in the Adventure Season.. 44 points rented at 14 per point gives you $616 dollars OR you could use the 44 points to travel an additional 4 nights.. For some juice/soda, bagels, and cupcakes I would definitely put the points to better use..

The thing is that walking requires you getting that first night. There's zero way around that.

And you would not be looking at the RAT if you wanted to do this (which for me has seemed to be real time). You would go right to the booking page and have to be set to go right when the DVC clock flips to 8am eastern.

 

[Yojenitan]

Well two days ago I saw two days of my stay open at BC. I called Member Services, split my stay and then because I like to play with RAT almost constantly, I went back online to make sure my points looked right and happened to check RAT...it was already listed as unavailable. I'd say it's pretty instantaneous.

 

[DMKEDM]

Never say never..."almost never," maybe...but never "never"...my DS decided in July (as in 5 weeks ago) to go to Disney for Food & Wine for his honeymoon the last week of September...he called and asked if he could use my points for Boardwalk, Beach Club or AKV Concierge...after I pulled all my hair out, groaned and cursed (to myself, not to him), I said I'd give it a try but he should probably consider alternatives...availability was gonna be nasty...it took some "doing" (phone calls, RAT stalking, wait lists, changing things up as things opened up), but within 2 weeks I had gotten him 4 nights at a BWV one-bedroom and 2 nights in an AKV concierge studio...I agree this was MEGA massive luck/pixie dust...but it proves the "never say never"...depending on how willing you are to invest lots of time & energy in "the project" it certainly can work out (and in my case, I have one thrilled DS and almost-DIL--made it totally worth it)...