Reservation at Home Resort 11 Months Out

[beachbunny]

I'm trying to make a reservation at my home resort exactly 11 months out. It must be popular because the first day in my room choice is not available. My only option on the DVC website is to waitlist my entire stay. Is there a better option? Would it be better if I called DVC?

Also, if I waitlist my first choice should I book the entire stay in my second choice room which is available?

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

A little more information of what resort and room size/type could help with suggestions of what to do. If it's a very scarce room type (which it must be) then you're probably best off booking a different type and waitlisting your original choice. Or you could just try the waitlist for awhile and if it doesn't come thru then book something else. I'd also call MS and continue to check online to see if it opens up.

 

[Missyrose]

I'm trying to make a reservation at my home resort exactly 11 months out. It must be popular because the first day in my room choice is not available. My only option on the DVC website is to waitlist my entire stay. Is there a better option? Would it be better if I called DVC?

Also, if I waitlist my first choice should I book the entire stay in my second choice room which is available?

If all your other nights are available for the room type you want, I would call MS and book those nights and put the first night on a waitlist. You have better odds having a one-night waitlist come through rather than a full week. But yes, like PP said, having more info about which resort and room type you're looking for.

 

[beachbunny]

I'm trying to book a concierge studio at AKL.

 

[beachbunny]

And I can't book the remaining available days on line because they're beyond my 11 month mark.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I'm trying to book a concierge studio at AKL.

That would have been my first guess. You may or may not be aware but there are only a possible 5 concierge studios and if anyone has booked a 2 bedroom that number decreases since they are all lockoffs.

First, I'd decide if I was ok with a split stay where I might have to switch rooms. If not then waitlist the whole stay at concierge, book your second choice and cross your fingers. If you're willing to do a split stay then each day get online at 8am and try to get a reservation started for the last part of your stay that you can in concierge and then waitlist however remaining days you weren't able to get and book your backup.

 

[disneynutz]

Don't forget that the new HC regulations have removed HC rooms from inventory.

Bill

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Don't forget that the new HC regulations have removed HC rooms from inventory.

Bill

Really? That was not my understanding of the rule requirements - just that HA rooms had to have the same process for booking - ie, if online booking was available for rooms then there had to be the ability to book specifically book an HA room online also. I did not see any info that the HA room inventory would be set aside until such time as someone requested the HA room. Could you direct me to where you got that info?

 

[drusba]

I have checked on AKL concierge at times for reservations exactly 11 months out. One best be adroit at doing on-line reservations as soon as they open at 8 a.m. eastern to assure getting concierge, because I have seen AKL concierge on a number of occassions disappear within minutes of the opening of that window. In other words, if you are one of those who rely on calling MS, which does not open until 9 a.m., you may often be beaten to the punch by the on-line reservers.

Thus, if you plan to try again tomorrow with a new start date for AKL concierge, you better be on-line and prepared to reserve immediately at 8 a.m.

 

[beachbunny]

Thanks for the help. I guess I've got be quicker with my fingers or hope that a wait list comes through.

 

[drusba]

Really? That was not my understanding of the rule requirements - just that HA rooms had to have the same process for booking - ie, if online booking was available for rooms then there had to be the ability to book specifically book an HA room online also. I did not see any info that the HA room inventory would be set aside until such time as someone requested the HA room. Could you direct me to where you got that info?

The new ADA rules require that any reservation system needs to give the handicap the ability to reserve at the same time and in same manner as others and that any handicap accessible room in a category of rooms is not to be reserved to the non-handicapped until all other non-HA rooms in that classification have been reserved.

There are some tricky issues raised by the new rules. First, though they apply to on-line systems, the handicap include the blind and some others who may not be able to easily use them so unless there is an easily accessible alternative that allows such persons to reserve just as quickly as anyone else, the on-line sytem could be in violation if it allows HA rooms to be reserved on-line. Next, the handicap includes those who are both blind and cannot speak and thus the ability to call at 9 a.m. may not be enough to provide for an easily accessible alternative. Net effect, Disney would be nuts not to hold HA rooms for the handicapped or at least hold them for some time after the intial opening reservation date.

Also, the prohibition of reserving HA rooms in a particular category as other rooms until all other rooms in same category have been reserved dictates holding the HA concierge room for a while to assure that all other rooms are in fact reserved. There is a time element involved since a hotel cannot reasonably assume all others have been fully reserved if the system allows for cancellations and the time before actual use is large unless it has a reliable waitlist system that assures that a handicapped person on the waitlist gets first consideration for the HA room if there is a cancellation.

 

[LisaS]

With regards to the ADA rules and AKV Concierge, the only HA rooms in AKV Concierge are both 1BR units, 1 with a roll-in shower instead of a tub, the other with a tub. Do they hold just those 1BRs or do they hold the entire 2BR lockoff which would take a non-HA studio out of inventory?

 

[drusba]

With regards to the ADA rules and AKV Concierge, the only HA rooms in AKV Concierge are both 1BR units, 1 with a roll-in shower instead of a tub, the other with a tub. Do they hold just those 1BRs or do they hold the entire 2BR lockoff which would take a non-HA studio out of inventory?

What they actually hold or for how long is ultimately up to them to figure out and evaluate what will pass ADA muster. However, I was under the impression one of the 2BR lock-offs was HA and the other 4 were not and thus your post was something I did not know before. The concierge rooms are classified as 2BRs with the ability to lock-off so for ADA purposes they can treat them as 2BRs or one 2BR and one 1BR. Moreover, with only five 2BRs in that concierge classification, there is no need to have more than 1 HA room to pass requirements. Thus, they can treat one of those 2BR concierge HA rooms (the one without the roll in shower) as a regular room if they desire and thus reserve it to anyone along with others.