Raise Your Voice: Guaranteed Booking Categories at SSR

[CarolMN]

......Try booking a preferred view at BWV and then screaming, yeling, demanding a view of the Boardwalk at check-in. It aint gonna happen. The reason is the guaranteed categories. (Not that you would do that- just an example )

I bet it does happen. Often not likely. I bet folks do ask if there are any available.

I understood the reason for wanting the cateforeies.

Those tantrums used to happen prior to the two booking categories - in fact, I am quite sure that is why the two booking categories (BW view and Pool/Garden View) were established in the first place. The front desk CMs just got tired of dealing with the "rude and entitled". I do not think it happens anymore - at least I have not witnessed any tantrums myself since then.

OT: You wouldn't believe what some of the front line employees have to put up with - even though I believe most DVC members are very nice people, there are enough "rude and entitled" members out there to justify our bad reputation among some CMs who work DVC positions.

 

[TenThousandVolts]

oops- sorry tjkraz- I just made the exact same point you made (about giving in to the loudly complaining guest at check-in), but you made your point 15 minutes before me. Didn't mean to be redundant, I just missed that somehow. Good point, though.

I bet it does happen. Often not likely. I bet folks do ask if there are any available.

Giving a BWView room that is available is a very different thing than pushing someone who reserved a BWView room into a preferred room and giving the BWView room to a person who reserved the preferred view. Heck, I see nothing wrong with asking if it is available- but if it isn't available- you should not and will not be getting the BWview. If there have been exceptions made, I am sure it is extremely rare.(If a displaced BW owner heard about that it would be a big problem for customer relations. And people do talk. On my last trip there was a full-on discussion in the hot-tub about who got upgraded at check-in... So if it was happening, the way info spreads, it would be found out- and an uproar would ensue. )

 

[tjkraz]

I want a room Sunday through Thursday. To make sure I get it I call for Friday through Thursday. At 7 months I cancel the Friday and Saturday nights. A SSR owner who wanted Friday and Saturday for a weekend trip wanted the DTD view and gets only a "preferred view" because of this and a non SSR owner gets those date. How would you feel about that.

Well, if the SSR owner had the foresight to go on the waitlist for the DTD view, then he would still get it after the cancellation. At the Boardwalk guests can certainly book the Garden/Pool view and waitlist for BW View.

And this really isn't about owners vs. non-owners. It's about giving preference to those who call earlier rather than the current "flip a coin" system of room assignments. If a non-owner gets a DTD view category at 7 months, more power to 'em. But I'd rather see that DTD view go to a non-member who booked 7 months out than a non-member who booked 7 days out.

 

[DaveH]

The waitlist does not fill when someone cancels it only checks from time to time. There has been advice given on these boards to check often if not daily to see if you can get your waitlist. If you can live with what some feel are downside and others don't, that is fine. I just trying to make a good debate on the issue. The more we understand what we are asking for, the better for all.

 

[tjkraz]

The waitlist does not fill when someone cancels it only checks from time to time. There has been advice given on these boards to check often if not daily to see if you can get your waitlist. If you can live with what some feel are downside and others don't, that is fine. I just trying to make a good debate on the issue. The more we understand what we are asking for, the better for all.

The waitlist checks periodically throughout the day, but not in realtime.

If someone happens to call a couple of hours after a reservation was canceled and is looking for the exact same resort/size/class/dates, then he could get the unit before it passes to the waitlist. More often than not the cancellation falls to a member on the waitlist.

It's a loophole that can't really be willingly exploited by guests--unless they are willing to call 4-5 times per day to make the same inquiry. And it's a loophole that I would expect to see completely closed at some point in the future.

 

[DaveH]

The waitlist checks periodically throughout the day, but not in realtime.

If someone happens to call a couple of hours after a reservation was canceled and is looking for the exact same resort/size/class/dates, then he could get the unit before it passes to the waitlist. More often than not the cancellation falls to a member on the waitlist.

It's a loophole that can't really be willingly exploited by guests--unless they are willing to call 4-5 times per day to make the same inquiry. And it's a loophole that I would expect to see completely closed at some point in the future.

I have not heard how often DVC checks for waitlist. I wish they would fill this loophole. I am just pointing out things that can go against what is desired. To me this is a way of vetting a request. There are times I would love to be able to get something specific. We do need to look at all sides also. If you put a scale of 1-10 for or against this I am about a 3 against. One point was made earlier was the categories need a good number of rooms to work right.

I would not like to have each area/section a category. I could see a real mess in this. Maybe group 2 or 3 together might work better. All I am asking is think it through and send good suggestion when writing DVC.

I am getting hit with this should not happen because of this. To me that is thinking it through.

 

[Dean]

My main point is I think there can be another way of doing this without categories.

I'm open to thoughts but the only other way I can think of is by a working request system which DVC has proven they are unwilling to do and even when they actually put any effort into it, they were not good at doing. In the old days they ordered requests by date of reservation which would work if they actually put any effort into it.

Tim's issue about the squeaky wheel is a real one simply because DVC has never had the backbone to stand up and say no when people complain inappropriately. This was one of the reasons they did away with honoring the requests.

Let me put something out to think about. Say we have a category for DTD view. Does not matter is points are same or not. With the current booking rules of calling in at 11 months of check in day. Lets do Christmas week. Very high want time. I want a room Sunday through Thursday. To make sure I get it I call for Friday through Thursday. At 7 months I cancel the Friday and Saturday nights. A SSR owner who wanted Friday and Saturday for a weekend trip wanted the DTD view and gets only a "preferred view" because of this and a non SSR owner gets those date. How would you feel about that. I know I added a fear that we do not know will happen or not yet. Just something to think about. I still think there has to be a better way. I just want folks to make sure they know there are other things that I can not think of now that may make things worse with this change. I am saying make sure you understand there are downsides to these changes. They may be small enough that categories are a good idea. I am not convinced it is the best way. I will not go a pout over this. If there are categories added to SSR I will use them to meet my wants and needs also. Enjoy guys I think I beat this enough. I hope whatever works out it works great for all of us.

In your example the only way the other member wouldn't have gotten their dates is if they called both after you and after a number of others given these are not limited to a small number of units. Even then if they wait listed those dates they would get it if you canceled. In addition, the walking you refer to is on a short leash IMO. And worst case scenario is that when you cancel a few days later, those rooms will go to another member who owns at SSR rather than to one who plans later or owns at another resort. With a category system every single unit in the category would be available to all owners at that resort up until 7 months out. So 100% of the members who planned ahead would be in those units rather than roughly 20% now. Even if a few people are left out because the cat filled up, the odds would be much better than the present system.

There is one instance where booking categories has gone the other way, BWV studio plus units were previously a booking cat and now only a request.

Any working system that would allow for location requests to be met 1st.come/1st.served based on the date the request was made (not the arrival time on check-in day) would be acceptable to me. If they did this than categories would not be needed. If they said "we are

I'm pretty sure the date used previously was the date of the reservation, not the date of a given request.

 

[DaveH]

Ok guys, you all have given valid reasons against my reasons. Here is a challenge. Please list the categories you want and what is in them. I mean if you have preferred what areas and the like.

 

[Dean]

Ok guys, you all have given valid reasons against my reasons. Here is a challenge. Please list the categories you want and what is in them. I mean if you have preferred what areas and the like.

IT's not necessarily what I want, I don't own, there. But it would be an enhancements for the owners there with almost no risk, cost or aggravation and IMO, it would remove more aggravations than it might cause. With that in mind there are several ways to do so. IMO, the best, easiest, fairest and most logical is by section, Grandstand, Springs, Congress Park, Carousel, the Paddock and THV. This would be easy, simple and fair and would avoid many of the issues worrying about view. All are large enough to minimize or remove the concern for orphaned nights where one would have to move from section to section. It would not totally remove requests and dissent but nothing will. I'd venture that CP, Spring, GS would all be relatively equal on demand with the other two somewhat less. I think we'll have to see the points chart and final product on the THV to know how those will fit in. Another option would be to group them into 2 or 3 groups plus THV but I don't see that really helping that much.

 

[TenThousandVolts]

Ok guys, you all have given valid reasons against my reasons. Here is a challenge. Please list the categories you want and what is in them. I mean if you have preferred what areas and the like.

If it were my decision I would have 3 categories:
1. Close to Carriage House 2. Downtown Disney View 3. Everything else

 

[DaveH]

If it were my decision I would have 3 categories:
1. Close to Carriage House 2. Downtown Disney View 3. Everything else

What areas are close to carriage house? DTD view are a few rooms or Congress Park?

 

[TenThousandVolts]

What areas are close to carriage house? DTD view are a few rooms or Congress Park?

IMO Close to Carriage house would include parts of Grandstand and most(all?) of Springs. DTD view would all be in Congress Park- but not all rooms in Congress Park would be DTD view. How I would divide the sections is pretty irrelavent. But I wanted you to know that I am not advocating 10 room categories or something ridiculous like that- I agree- that would be a disaster. I just would like DVC to offer a solution to a very real problem with room assignment procedures at SSR.

 

[DaveH]

TenThousandVolts- My point is what one may say is close another may not. I would think all of Springs and Grandstand. The actual DTD view rooms. I was wondering what your thoughts are.

Dean- you think things trough but I think on category for each area is too much. The simpler it is the better.

I am still against categories. If they do have them I prefer TTV's over Dean's. I would also like to see an adjustment of point cost for the more desirable ones. I also agree the differences are not worth much differences. But if folks feel the need for certain areas the cost should be higher. To use a well worn reason is BWV. The more desirable (boardwalk view) the more points. Then each member makes their own value judgment what is right for them.

 

[hakepb]

I would much prefer seperate Grandstand and Springs categories to "Close to main areas" Unfortunately the OKW HH category seems to be set that way.

I've stayed in both, and Springs was too much in the middle of it, and I was never relaxed walking across a busy street, and through the pool area to get to AP vs the same distance walk from Grandstand through more beautiful landscaping, just watching out for an occasional golf cart.

 

[TenThousandVolts]

TenThousandVolts- My point is what one may say is close another may not. I would think all of Springs and Grandstand. The actual DTD view rooms. I was wondering what your thoughts are.

That is exactly why DVC makes the categories just as they have with every resort that has them and they don't leave the subjective attributes of room location up to its members or check-in staff.. Do you think we should get rid of categories at the other resorts too? OKW, BWV, AKV? Just curious.

 

[TenThousandVolts]

I would much prefer seperate Grandstand and Springs categories to "Close to main areas" Unfortunately the OKW HH category seems to be set that way.

I agree it would be nice to be able to book Grandstand, but would be satified with a simpler division of categories. We will be having a big family trip soon, hopefully some will be in THVs and a few will be in studios. It would be very nioce to get GS for those studios.

 

[Lauralei]

SSR absolutely needs booking categories!!! I want them soooooo much. I don't care if points go up for certain views or areas. I would rather have that then have what we have now(nothing and dissapointment).

 

[Dean]

Dean- you think things trough but I think on category for each area is too much. The simpler it is the better

While it may be more choices, I think it's actually simpler overall. Certainly one could group the Paddocks and Carousel and possibly the Springs and Grandstand if desired but I still see each section as a separate cat as simpler overall and with no reason not to. Given each section is large enough to stand on it's own, each has similar numbers including different units types and the size negates any significant risk of having orphaned units; what is the downside? I see none. As I said, I don't really care as I don't own there but it would be an enhancement to the owners there that has really no downside. I wouldn't be surprised to see something with the release of the THV points charts but we shall see.

 

[tecodis]

I personally don't want to use more points for the same room I usually get now. They would have to raise points alittle for the prefered and lower a little for the std. Todate I have gotten what I want so why would I ask them to charge me more. Just MHO.

Agreed. I'm not for this whole "preferred" booking thing. I've always felt it's just a way for Disney to charge more. I say keep it all the same point value and then leave it to the room assignment roulette wheel (unless a change is available at check-in upon request).

 

[TenThousandVolts]

Agreed. I'm not for this whole "preferred" booking thing. I've always felt it's just a way for Disney to charge more. I say keep it all the same point value and then leave it to the room assignment roulette wheel (unless a change is available at check-in upon request).

I see you are an AKV owner. Do you think they should abolish your booking categories? Just make everything the same number of points and play room assignment roulette? Thus allowing cash guests and non-AKV owners to have equal chance at the best rooms? Never mind that you booked at 11 months and requested a Savannah view- a cash guest who books 2 weeks prior to check-in would have equal shot at getting that room. Your argument would suggest that is how you feel.

PS: Most are not advocating for a point change- just guar. locations (ie: OKW, and BWVview/BWVpref)