Please walk me through walking a reservation

[GoldenBelle]

can someone tell me where a good post explaining exactly what walking a reservation means and how to do it?

 

[GrumpyInPhilly]

I'm not sure that a specific post explaining walking exists but if you search this forum for 'walking' you'll find several threads that may help you out.

 

[supersnoop]

Short answer: At your 11 or 7 month window, you can reserve up to 7 days, allowing you to reserve six days beyond that threshold. Use that to your advantage.
Shorter answer: Walking is largely unnecessary except for maybe two room types twice per year.

 

[chalee94]

can someone tell me where a good post explaining exactly what walking a reservation means and how to do it?

if you want to book a club level AKV studio for Dec 25, 2018 for 7 nights as an AKV owner, the first day you can technically book that stay is Jan 25, 2018.

but if you go online Jan 19 and book Dec 19 for 7 nights, that would really be the earliest you could book Dec 25th, so you could book those 7 nights and then call on Jan 25 and drop the first 6 nights and add the 6 nights after Dec 25, you would get a little jump on those AKV owners who waited till Jan 25 (as theoretically, no one but you could book the specific room you already reserved for Dec 26 without the 25th being available.)

but trying to walk at 7 months for a nonhome resort is a waste of time. an owner can jump in front of you at any time for any date. if there is enough availability to attempt to walk a reservation, you are likely to be just as successful booking using the waitlist.

 

[GoldenBelle]

okay I think I get it. you are essentially making the room unavailable for anyone else for the date at the end of the "walk", as long as you extend reservation before the last day of initial reservation. I wonder if a lot of dvc owners are doing this for holiday booking or if this is rare?

 

[DenLo]

It really works best using the home resort advantage period. When the 7 month mark is used resort homeowners can easily pop in and take dates you need to keep on walking.

Personally I have never used walking. I book my home resort or use flexible dates. I just don't like the idea of blocking out dates I have no intention of actually using even it is only for a less than a week.

 

[GoldenBelle]

I agree. I would like to think that this is not a common practice among home resort owners. however, if I was trying to book something at the 11 month mark during the holidays and could not be flexible on dates, I would certainly worry that everyone else was walking into their reservation and blocking me out of the days I need. Is this cheating the system or using the system to your advantage? please chime in with your opinions.

 

[MrInfinity]

If you would worry about that, then you shouldn't really ask to have details on how to do it spelled out on public forums. I also wouldn't contribute to the problem by inviting discussion over whether it's appropriate because the attention will just make that which you worry about, worse.

 

[chalee94]

Is this cheating the system or using the system to your advantage? please chime in with your opinions.

A few people doing it at 11 months out when necessary doesn't bother me. A lot of people wasting a lot of member service's time at the 7 month window (increasing all of our dues and potentially motivating DVC to add fees to modify reservations) just to gain the illusion of control? I'm not a fan.

Here are more threads you might want to check out:

http://www.disboards.com/threads/is-walking-a-reservation-unethical.3463509/

http://www.disboards.com/threads/walking-a-reservation.3436706/

 

[kristenrice]

I've done it twice, both times for a value studio in October/November. It was the ONLY room type we had enough points for so it was that or nothing. If we have other options, I don't worry about walking. It's really only "needed" for the super-low-inventory rooms during busy times of year. I will echo what others have said in that walking at 7-months doesn't give you a particular advantage and I wouldn't even bother with it.