Question about booking

[Aunt Michelle]

I was speaking with MS today to make a change to my May trip. While we were talking about check-out dates for making reservations, she mentioned that some people request a reservation for the first available check-out day of their stay and then add on every day thereafter (example: 10 day stay, checking in on 9/6 - member would request a 1 night stay checking out on 9/7 then call every day for the next 9 days and extend the stay one day at a time).
It has never occurred to me to do this, and I was wondering if it is a popular way to book. It seems like an awful lot of work to me. Any thoughts?

 

[Granny]

This is termed day-by-day booking and is a reservation tactic used by some when trying for a reservation at a peak DVC booking time or for a hard to get villa type (like a Grand Villa).

I'd say that many use it to book the EPCOT DVC resorts during Food & Wine Festival, and others for the heavily demanded Christmas season (Thanksgiving thru end of year).

Using this method improves ones odds of getting a reservation, though it does take a phone call every day to add another day to the reservation. Some will say that they never book this way and never have a problem. Others will say why not give oneself the best odds of booking a particular villa type at a particular time?

 

[Aunt Michelle]

Thank you for the explanation.

 

[DVC Mike]

I was speaking with MS today to make a change to my May trip. While we were talking about check-out dates for making reservations, she mentioned that some people request a reservation for the first available check-out day of their stay and then add on every day thereafter (example: 10 day stay, checking in on 9/6 - member would request a 1 night stay checking out on 9/7 then call every day for the next 9 days and extend the stay one day at a time).
It has never occurred to me to do this, and I was wondering if it is a popular way to book. It seems like an awful lot of work to me. Any thoughts?

Wow, I am surprised that MS is telling folks to book day-by-day for a May vacation. That is not a heavy DVC season, or one in which I would expect anyone would have to book day-by-day.

May I ask where you were trying to book and the room type? Was this a Grand Villa, perhaps?

 

[eva]

Wow, I am surprised that MS is telling folks to book day-by-day for a May vacation. That is not a heavy DVC season, or one in which I would expect anyone would have to book day-by-day.

May I ask where you were trying to book and the room type? Was this a Grand Villa, perhaps?

It sounds more like the CM was just mentioning that some people do that. It doesn't sound like she was recommending the OP do it. I think it was probably just chit chat while she was waiting for a screen to load. But it does seem strange that MS would advertise the practice. It has got to be more work for them to book a room that way.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Yes, it is a lot of work to book that way for both the booker and the bookie! The only time we have done day by day booking is for a GV and concierge at AKV. Those who own BWV will need to do that for standard view and Boardwalk view too. Heck, I haven't even started booking my next November ressies yet! When I do, I'll just call and book it all at once after the check out window.

 

[DebbieB]

I've done it many times for my first week of December reservation at BWV. When I called last January for this December, when I added the first night around 2:00pm, the cm told me I got one of the last rooms (studio, boardwalk view). So if I would have waited until my final checkout day, I would not have got it. It's really not that much of a hassle. The first day takes longer because they have to set everything up but the following days it's a quick call.

 

[Aunt Michelle]

Wow, I am surprised that MS is telling folks to book day-by-day for a May vacation. That is not a heavy DVC season, or one in which I would expect anyone would have to book day-by-day.

May I ask where you were trying to book and the room type? Was this a Grand Villa, perhaps?

It was actually in reference to a future reservation. I will be trying to book a Three Bedroom Cottage at VB for a week starting 9/6/2007. As it isn't my home resort I am waiting patiently (ok, not so patiently ) for my booking window and that's how the conversation got started.

 

[Christine & family]

I agree with others that it is more work to book day-by-day and certainly doesn't help our dues because it's more calls into member services, but when it's important to me to be at a certain location and it's a busy time, I do use it. We have a lot of family members heading down to WDW over Thanksgiving 2008 and they all have rooms at the Wilderness Lodge. So I am booking day-by-day for a 2 bedroom that week at 11 months out because it's one of the smaller DVC's and I really want to be where the rest of my family is. Good luck with your reservation! After the first call, any subsequent calls just take a few minutes.

 

[DebbieB]

It was actually in reference to a future reservation. I will be trying to book a Three Bedroom Cottage at VB for a week starting 9/6/2007. As it isn't my home resort I am waiting patiently (ok, not so patiently ) for my booking window and that's how the conversation got started.

I assume you mean 9/6/2008 . The day before, I would call to see if it's even available for all your dates. You may not want to book scattered nights, if any are still available at that point. You may want to just waitlist for the whole thing (7 months from your final checkout date).

 

[Aunt Michelle]

Yes, 2008 (wondering how long it will take this year to get me used to the new year ). I am apparently having a ditzy day because I can't make sense of what I am sure are your helpful instructions! Please indulge me. I have never booked outside of WDW resorts, but my DS and BIL have an Interval Timeshare and they have traded for VB this year. This has resulted in everyone else wanting to go as well. The larger unit would give us so much more room for meal prep and dining. Unlike when I stay at WDW, where I am not picky at all.
This will be for checkin the weekend after Labor Day. Am I too hopeful?

 

[DebbieB]

I'm not sure how Interval works, so I can't help you there. Maybe Dean would know. What I was saying is you don't want to start doing the day by day with your DVC points and then find out some dates are not available in the middle. For example, you book Sept 6,7,8, and then 9, 10, 11 are not available, forcing you to check-out or waitlist for those dates. So I would ask upfront if they are all available before starting to make reservations. There are only 6 Grand Villas at VB, I don't know what availability is like there in September but I would think it would be hard to get 10 straight nights at 7 months.

 

[Aunt Michelle]

I'm not sure how Interval works, so I can't help you there. Maybe Dean would know. What I was saying is you don't want to start doing the day by day with your DVC points and then find out some dates are not available in the middle. For example, you book Sept 6,7,8, and then 9, 10, 11 are not available, forcing you to check-out or waitlist for those dates. So I would ask upfront if they are all available before starting to make reservations. There are only 6 Grand Villas at VB, I don't know what availability is like there in September but I would think it would be hard to get 10 straight nights at 7 months.

Ah... gotcha now! That makes sense, thanks for the help. My DS and BIL have already confirmed their ressies through Interval, now we are just waiting for the booking window to do mine.

 

[Dean]

Ah... gotcha now! That makes sense, thanks for the help. My DS and BIL have already confirmed their ressies through Interval, now we are just waiting for the booking window to do mine.

Assuming this is for a 2 BR through II, they will likely get a dedicated unit which are the ones close to the road. Once you have your reservation call MS with the DVC reservation # you'll find on the II confirmation and ask they be as close as possible. Same building and floor is reasonable if you end up with a 2 BR. I doubt you'll get the 3 BR but it never hurts to try. If you do get the 3 BR, location and proximity of the 2 can still be helped or hurt with unit assignments so I'd still make the request. You may see reference to a $95 resort services fee, this does not apply for VB or HH.

 

[Aunt Michelle]

Assuming this is for a 2 BR through II, they will likely get a dedicated unit which are the ones close to the road. Once you have your reservation call MS with the DVC reservation # you'll find on the II confirmation and ask they be as close as possible. Same building and floor is reasonable if you end up with a 2 BR. I doubt you'll get the 3 BR but it never hurts to try. If you do get the 3 BR, location and proximity of the 2 can still be helped or hurt with unit assignments so I'd still make the request. You may see reference to a $95 resort services fee, this does not apply for VB or HH.

Thank you. Everyone has given such good advice.