Reservation walking

[BaybeeYoda]

The walking is definitely an issue but I’ve found that one can get their room of choice waitlisting one day at a time successfully.

I definitely walked my BWV one week in advance for my mid June trip. Then I waitlisted bcv one day at a time for 3 days at the end of my trip. I got off the waitlist a month later

 

[Tanya Tink]

I’m still trying to wrap my brain around the risks/benefits of walking. Are you guaranteed to at least keep what you have when you modify a reservation or are you put back into the pool with everyone else as if you’re creating a new reservation? For example, say you have Jan 1-7 booked and you want to modify it to Jan 1-8 or Jan 2-8. If Jan 3 and 4 are completely booked but Jan 8 is open, will you still get to keep Jan 3-4 when adding on Jan 8?

 

[MyDogTink]

Answering this is good practice fir me and hopefully the experts will correct if I misspeak.

If you book Jan 1-8 but really want Jan 5-12th, you book Jan 1. On Jan 2 you modify to Jan 2-9. Because you already have the 2nd in your original reservation, you block someone booking for the first time on Jan 2 for the start date. Keep modifying each day.

 

[Pooh12863]

Answering this is good practice fir me and hopefully the experts will correct if I misspeak.

If you book Jan 1-8 but really want Jan 5-12th, you book Jan 1. On Jan 2 you modify to Jan 2-9. Because you already have the 2nd in your original reservation, you block someone booking for the first time on Jan 2 for the start date. Keep modifying each day.

In your scenario you don’t need to modify until the 5th, technically you don’t have to until the 7th.

 

[davidhr]

I’m still trying to wrap my brain around the risks/benefits of walking. Are you guaranteed to at least keep what you have when you modify a reservation or are you put back into the pool with everyone else as if you’re creating a new reservation? For example, say you have Jan 1-7 booked and you want to modify it to Jan 1-8 or Jan 2-8. If Jan 3 and 4 are completely booked but Jan 8 is open, will you still get to keep Jan 3-4 when adding on Jan 8?

You're guaranteed what you have unless you completely cancel it, which you can't do if searching for new dates only.

You are not guaranteed that you'll get the dates you want to walk because people have favorite weeks, room refurbishment, etc., but your chances of getting it if you start the walk successfully are very very high.

 

[Bearval]

I’m still trying to wrap my brain around the risks/benefits of walking. Are you guaranteed to at least keep what you have when you modify a reservation or are you put back into the pool with everyone else as if you’re creating a new reservation? For example, say you have Jan 1-7 booked and you want to modify it to Jan 1-8 or Jan 2-8. If Jan 3 and 4 are completely booked but Jan 8 is open, will you still get to keep Jan 3-4 when adding on Jan 8?

Just make sure you do it using the online tool and not with a cast member. The online system was down and I called trying to modify a reservation and the cast member almost switched my 2 bedroom value reservation to a standard room. The only reason I “ caught” it was because even though she confirmed it was a value room she stated that I would have to borrow points for the reservation since I was like 70 points short. I told her it should be the same amount and I asked again to confirm it was a value room. When she checked again she said it was a standard room and insisted that was what I asked for. Needless to say I said forget it and called back and got a different person to help me.

 

[Tanya Tink]

In your scenario you don’t need to modify until the 5th, technically you don’t have to until the 7th.

Why would you wait until the 5th or 7th to modify? Wouldn’t your chances of being able to snag the remaining dates be higher if you keep adding each day on day by day (since you would be adding on dates prior to the 5th)? Or am I missing something or not fully understanding something?

 

[Tanya Tink]

You're guaranteed what you have unless you completely cancel it, which you can't do if searching for new dates only.

You are not guaranteed that you'll get the dates you want to walk because people have favorite weeks, room refurbishment, etc., but your chances of getting it if you start the walk successfully are very very high.

So in that example, you’re not guaranteed to snag any dates beyond Jan 7 but will at least be able to keep Jan 1-7 since you already secured that reservation?

 

[Chuck S]

So in that example, you’re not guaranteed to snag any dates beyond Jan 7 but will at least be able to keep Jan 1-7 since you already secured that reservation?

Yes. But but when walking at the 11 month mark, your odds are extremely good you'll get what you want.

 

[Tanya Tink]

Yes. But but when walking at the 11 month mark, your odds are extremely good you'll get what you want.

How far in advance do you suggest starting the walk?

 

[Bearval]

How far in advance do you suggest starting the walk?

The earliest you can according to your use year.

 

[Sandisw]

How far in advance do you suggest starting the walk?

I have only done it a few times and no longer do. But when I did, I started a few weeks before.

I always plan for the higher point rooms and figure I’ll get what I want if it is really walking.

Just did this with VGF…didn’t walk and took my initial dates in LV but then watched and shifted my trip by 4 days about a week later when the SV studios showed up for two nights I needed. I even got two rooms in case we have other go.

So, being flexible can work too.

 

[davidhr]

Why would you wait until the 5th or 7th to modify? Wouldn’t your chances of being able to snag the remaining dates be higher if you keep adding each day on day by day (since you would be adding on dates prior to the 5th)? Or am I missing something or not fully understanding something?

No. The easiest way to understand this is thinking there's only one room available.

If you book the room for the 1st-8th period, that room is yours and nobody can book it until the 8th (11th month mark). That means that room will have the 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th available, and until the 8th, only you can book those days modifying the reservation because nobody else can start booking it until their 11th month window opens.

So as long as you modify the reservation before the 8th, you are the only one that have access to those days. There's no need to modify every day.**

**I'll add that for the scenarios I mentioned in my previous post, there's a very low chance that you might get blocked, so modifying every day for those resorts (like CCV) studios might give you some peace of mind in case there's something that something is happening that can block your walk.

 

[Chuck S]

Yes. But but when walking at the 11 month mark, your odds are extremely good you'll get what you want.

I only walked once, and started about 3 weeks prior the booking dates I wanted. I walked because I needed an HA Grand Villa (there are only 3 at OKW) and a two bedroom unit during Thanksgiving week.

 

[Tanya Tink]

No. The easiest way to understand this is thinking there's only one room available.

If you book the room for the 1st-8th period, that room is yours and nobody can book it until the 8th (11th month mark). That means that room will have the 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th available, and until the 8th, only you can book those days modifying the reservation because nobody else can start booking it until their 11th month window opens.

So as long as you modify the reservation before the 8th, you are the only one that have access to those days. There's no need to modify every day.**

**I'll add that for the scenarios I mentioned in my previous post, there's a very low chance that you might get blocked, so modifying every day for those resorts (like CCV) studios might give you some peace of mind in case there's something that something is happening that can block your walk.

Good to know! So say you have checking in on Jan 1st and checking out on the 8th booked at the 11 month booking window but want checking in on the 8th and checking out on the 15th. So you could just wait then until the 7th to modify and on that day change the reservation to check in on the 7th and check out on the 15th (which would be 8 nights but I thought you could start adding on more than 7 nights after the day you booked)? And then the next day shorten it to the 8th-15th that you want?

 

[davidhr]

Good to know! So say you have checking in on Jan 1st and checking out on the 8th booked at the 11 month booking window but want checking in on the 8th and checking out on the 15th. So you could just wait then until the 7th to modify and on that day change the reservation to check in on the 7th and check out on the 15th (which would be 8 nights but I thought you could start adding on more than 7 nights after the day you booked)? And then the next day shorten it to the 8th-15th that you want?

Yes, that's the idea.

the only minor correction is that when you modify the reservation on the 7th, you can only modify it for the 7th until the 14th. You'll need to come again at some point in the next few days to change it to the 8th-15th.

 

[kevtlas]

The walking is definitely an issue but I’ve found that one can get their room of choice waitlisting one day at a time successfully.

I agree. This has worked for me every time I’ve tried to book at 7 months. We have even been able to get a whole week stay at Beach Club by waitlisting 1 day at a time!

 

[Tanya Tink]

Yes, that's the idea.

the only minor correction is that when you modify the reservation on the 7th, you can only modify it for the 7th until the 14th. You'll need to come again at some point in the next few days to change it to the 8th-15th.

Oh I see. So the reason why you don't have to modify each day and don't have to worry about the nights of January 8th-14th not being available in this example is because if others come in after you and book January 5th-12th, for example, they have a separate room booked and are not taking yours away?

And this all applies only at the 11 month booking window and not when booking at a non-home resort at 7 months, correct? Since when doing this at the 7 month booking window, owners could break your walk?

 

[davidhr]

Oh I see. So the reason why you don't have to modify each day and don't have to worry about the nights of January 8th-14th not being available in this example is because if others come in after you and book January 5th-12th, for example, they have a separate room booked and are not taking yours away?

And this all applies only at the 11 month booking window and not when booking at a non-home resort at 7 months, correct? Since when doing this at the 7 month booking window, owners could break your walk?

That’s correct.

And yes, only at the 11 month window. You can do it at 7, but as you mention there’s a chance of not getting it.

 

[Tanya Tink]

That’s correct.

And yes, only at the 11 month window. You can do it at 7, but as you mention there’s a chance of not getting it.

What could block your walk at the 11 month mark (like you said there is a very low chance of happening)?

Thank you so much!!