Prioritize hotels at 7 month mark?

[TheDailyMoo]

So a possible 7th month booking window is coming up soon and this will be my first attempt at booking at 8 am. If I can get a resort I want (Poly, BC, BW, GF, maybe BLT) we’ll make a trip of it. If not I’ll save it for later on in the year. My question is:

What’s the strategy? Is there a way to preload information? Is it quicker to modify a home resort reservation instead of making a new one? Do I have the time to scroll through looking at each one or is this something where I pick my top choice and go straight to it because you have mere seconds to book like tickets for a concert or something. Thanks!

 

[RoseGold]

Do it now and walk it, if it's available now.

I do it now anyway and then modify in the morning.

 

[Stargazer65]

What’s the strategy? Is there a way to preload information? Is it quicker to modify a home resort reservation instead of making a new one? Do I have the time to scroll through looking at each one or is this something where I pick my top choice and go straight to it because you have mere seconds to book like tickets for a concert or something. Thanks!

I would suggest stalking (and/or) walking prior to your window. Then you know what is your best chance to get something difficult, and be ready to get it at 8:00. I'd try to get the most difficult first which is BC probably, then BW, then GF, then Poly & BLT (both of which should be fairly easy).

 

[Simba's Mom]

I would suggest stalking (and/or) walking prior to your window. Then you know what is your best chance to get something difficult, and be ready to get it at 8:00. I'd try to get the most difficult first which is BC probably, then BW, then GF, then Poly & BLT (both of which should be fairly easy).

Yes, I've been able to get VGF (lake view) and BLT (also lake view) and Poly standard studios at 7 months.

 

[TheDailyMoo]

Do it now and walk it, if it's available now.

I do it now anyway and then modify in the morning.

Ah walking! I’ve heard a lot about this over the years and I guess this is my first at bat in the big leagues. I would hate to be so crass as to ask “so how do I walk a reservation”. Is there somewhere I can look that”a a good resource for this? Is it a matter of making my week long res at a resort that has full availability then picking up a day every day and dropping the lagging day until I have what I want? Not sure the etiquette for this here.

 

[Phatscott25]

Ah walking! I’ve heard a lot about this over the years and I guess this is my first at bat in the big leagues. I would hate to be so crass as to ask “so how do I walk a reservation”. Is there somewhere I can look that”a a good resource for this? Is it a matter of making my week long res at a resort that has full availability then picking up a day every day and dropping the lagging day until I have what I want? Not sure the etiquette for this here.

You pretty much summed it up. You can book a 7-night stay now, and then tomorrow after 8am modify the check-in and check-out dates forward by one day.

 

[BrianLa]

Ah walking! I’ve heard a lot about this over the years and I guess this is my first at bat in the big leagues. I would hate to be so crass as to ask “so how do I walk a reservation”. Is there somewhere I can look that”a a good resource for this? Is it a matter of making my week long res at a resort that has full availability then picking up a day every day and dropping the lagging day until I have what I want? Not sure the etiquette for this here.

Just make sure you know how many points you ultimately will use for your week if you are borrowing. You don't want to overborrow if your week requires less points than the "walking" week(s). When I have walked reservations, I would book 1 less night as I was walking until I got to a point where I would not have extra points borrowed. Also, this is not a guarantee. Anyone with 11 month preference can step in anytime and book that room (might be the last one) that you were walking. Once again, if you are walking a resort with high point requirements such as VGF, you may end up overborrowing. If that happens you can just use all of the borrowed points for the current reservation and bank current use year points for next year. Not ideal but it does happen.

 

[TheDailyMoo]

You pretty much summed it up. You can book a 7-night stay now, and then tomorrow after 8am modify the check-in and check-out dates forward by one day.

Just make sure you know how many points you ultimately will use for you week if you are borrowing. You don't want to overborrow if your week requires less points than the "walking" week(s). When I have walked reservations, I would book 1 less night as I was walking until I got to a point where I would not have extra points borrowed. Also, this is not a guarantee. Anyone with 11 month preference can step in anytime and book that room (might be the last one) that you were walking. Once again, if you are walking a resort with high point requirements such as VGF, you may end up overborrowing. If that happens you can just use all of the borrowed points for the current reservation and bank current use year points for next year. Not ideal but it does happen.

This may be a stupid question but what is the actual benefit of walking a reservation by modifying and picking up the days as I go versus just starting to pick up day by day as each one opens up and then joining all those single reservations.

 

[BrianLa]

This may be a stupid question but what is the actual benefit of walking a reservation by modifying and picking up the days as I go versus just starting to pick up day by day as each one opens up and then joining all those single reservations.

You can not add an individual day at the end of a 7 day reservation one by one because that one day will be 7 months + 6 days away. You are allowed to book your first day (plus 6 additional days) at the 7 month window.

 

[RoseGold]

This may be a stupid question but what is the actual benefit of walking a reservation by modifying and picking up the days as I go versus just starting to pick up day by day as each one opens up and then joining all those single reservations.

If you can get most of it now, the only people who can get in your way are home points, and they presumably would have already done it if they wanted it. In couple days, you'll have all of it.

I find modifying is faster at 8AM too, I have two member numbers, so at least I know I'm in the right membership.

 

[Sandisw]

This may be a stupid question but what is the actual benefit of walking a reservation by modifying and picking up the days as I go versus just starting to pick up day by day as each one opens up and then joining all those single reservations.

Just be aware that walking at 7 months doesn’t always work the same way it does at 11 months, and you can be blocked…that has happened to me a few times.

There is really no need to do day by day…if you go in now and look to see what is coming up, you will know what ones are still there to give you a chance.

I will add that if you have a list and are willing to take any, I might grab one, get it booked, and then go back and see if other options are there…which you can grab is use modify.

Also, don’t worry about entering all guests when booking…just do the lead guest and book..add those later, I don’t even change addresses until later!

 

[TheDailyMoo]

Just be aware that walking at 7 months doesn’t always work the same way it does at 11 months, and you can be blocked…that has happened to me a few times.

There is really no need to do day by day…if you go in now and look to see what is coming up, you will know what ones are still there to give you a chance.

I will add that if you have a list and are willing to take any, I might grab one, get it booked, and then go back and see if other options are there…which you can grab is use modify.

Also, don’t worry about entering all guests when booking…just do the lead guest and book..add those later, I don’t even change addresses until later!

Just a few questions if you don't mind!

So looking at the week I want, let's say I see 3 resorts I would love to stay at. Suppose there are a few days missing the week or two before. That makes it impossible to walk right? Walking is only possible when you can make a reservation for all the dates and there are no gaps between now and the dates you want? Not even sure I'm being clear.

Also let's say there's very good availability and I only want to start walking a few days before and not for a week or two...that also works just as well?

And finally, if I manage to book the whole week but airfare dictates I need to shorten by a day, or check in one day later, is it easy to modify to drop days on either end. In other words do you always overbook if you are unsure of the dates. Thanks for helping a newbie member!

 

[Sandisw]

Just a few questions if you don't mind!

So looking at the week I want, let's say I see 3 resorts I would love to stay at. Suppose there are a few days missing the week or two before. That makes it impossible to walk right? Walking is only possible when you can make a reservation for all the dates and there are no gaps between now and the dates you want? Not even sure I'm being clear.

Also let's say there's very good availability and I only want to start walking a few days before and not for a week or two...that also works just as well?

And finally, if I manage to book the whole week but airfare dictates I need to shorten by a day, or check in one day later, is it easy to modify to drop days on either end. In other words do you always overbook if you are unsure of the dates. Thanks for helping a newbie member!

You are correct that you can’t start a walk if you already see days missing on your way to the real dates. It’s why walking at the 7 month mark is not always possible.

You can start a walk whenever you want, whether it is weeks ahead or just a few days. I do sometimes book a few extra nights to start so I can be flexible if needed with airfare or schedules,

It is easier to book extra nights…if you have the points…and shorten…then it is to try to add later since the room could be gone.

 

[TheDailyMoo]

You are correct that you can’t start a walk if you already see days missing on your way to the real dates. It’s why walking at the 7 month mark is not always possible.

You can start a walk whenever you want, whether it is weeks ahead or just a few days. I do sometimes book a few extra nights to start so I can be flexible if needed with airfare or schedules,

It is easier to book extra nights…if you have the points…and shorten…then it is to try to add later since the room could be gone.

Exactly the info I needed. Thanks!

 

[crisi]

And while it doesn't always work - where there are walkers, there are people giving up the early part of the reservation to move their reservation forward - so sometimes you can pick up days as the walkers move forward.

We've always done seven month switches for a "sure thing" rather than risk having to move mid trip - and there has never been a resort where its been that much work. The only time I did something unusual to secure a reservation with HHI in Summer - and there I rented points and then rented mine out to cover for it.

 

[TheDailyMoo]

It is easier to book extra nights…if you have the points…and shorten…then it is to try to add later since the room could be gone.

So I’m fully booked as of right now based on the trip I want to take however airfare seems to be an issue. You’re saying I can add one more night now to give me flexibility later when I try to buy airfare and I can always have that extra day dropped with no penalty? I would call MS and they would simply take that day off? It’s not contingent on the rest of my trip days being free to rebook?

 

[Sandisw]

So I’m fully booked as of right now based on the trip I want to take however airfare seems to be an issue. You’re saying I can add one more night now to give me flexibility later when I try to buy airfare and I can always have that extra day dropped with no penalty? I would call MS and they would simply take that day off? It’s not contingent on the rest of my trip days being free to rebook?

Correct. As long as you have points without penalty and make any changes at least 31 days out, no penalties.

You can even do it yourself online by modifying the trip and choose the actual dates you still want.

I do this regularly for this very reason