Resort Availability on DVC.com...when?

[crisi]

However, we know that Disney is not one of those companies. For whatever reason, Disney's customer websites are horrendous. They can't do restaurant reservations on line. Their hotel room reservations are a nightmare to navigate and not all that accurate. On the DIS Resorts board you will see people told time and again to not trust what the see online; call and ask if the website says things are sold out.

That's very likely because Disney does eCommerce-like inventory management. You don't put all your inventory to the website, because inventory is very hard to manage through a website - it can change too fast and its hard to have capacity controls. Therefore, what is displayed on a website is very often minus a "buffer." Even then, if you are talking about a low inventory, high demand item (ordering a Wii online last Christmas), chances are good you are ordering something that appears in stock but someone else bought 20 milliseconds ago. (Another option is to not show something as available if anyone else is even looking at that item - the programming is a lot tougher

How many of us have been on the phone with Disney to have our room or restaurant table "disappear" while we were talking to the CM. Online reservations mean you have almost no capacity controls - that sort of "but it was just here!" happens more often because you have more people accessing the same inventory. Very tricky to manage. And if anyone thinks that the "it was just here, what happened!" is going to cut DOWN on calls to Member Services - it won't. Moreover, people are unlikely to blame their own internet connection/computer/ability to hit the buttons quickly when that happens - it will be "your system was too slow and I lost the reservation I REALLY NEEDED."

I think for that reason they won't let you check inventory either. It sets an expectation for availability that Disney can't control - "you had six rooms yesterday, what happened!"

Disney could do this, but I think if they do they'd be really stupid.

(As someone who has up front and close personal experience with XBox releases on an eCommerce website - what a nightmare).

 

[CarolAnnC]

I agree with Debbie. Caskbill has provided an excellent response to this topic, which comes up quite often here. He explains the various intricacies of the programming requirements. Unfortunately, I don't have that thread bookmarked on this computer.

The programming is just one hurdle, though a huge one.

More important to me would be things like what are the new rules of booking?

Can I book a room right at midnight under an on-line booking capability? Would I have to wait up until then to make my reservations during challenging booking times?

Will the system "hold" my reservation at the 7 month window while I go and cancel my previous reservation at my home resort? If so, for how long?


What if I have a slow connection and can't book as quickly as those with broadband? Or if I don't have access to the internet, I end up giving everyone else a 9 hour headstart on booking that day?


Personally, I am NOT in favor of on-line booking until they can ensure that it is fair. Right now, I'm not sure I've heard a scenario that would make it fair for everyone.


What I do think is feasible, and appropriate, is a snapshot of availability taken during the off hours each night and made available on line. It would obviously change throughout the day, but at least it could provide some information about general availability.

On line booking? Here's a vote for no, unless they can make it fair.

I agree with Caskbill's summary. His idea on the "snapshot" of what was available at any given time can be a help in trip planning. Giving the members the ability to book, hold, cancel rooms with points just has too many variables IMHO. Perhaps they could offer booking cash discounted rooms online for DVC members? That does not involve the point inventory and might be something to start with at least..

 

[mlayton14]

I cant for the life of me understand why anyone would be opposed to bringing it ALL into web based service. Some people are just old fashioned I guess .. its time to enter the 21st century (no matter how old you are).

In the end, it would SAVE dues, not increase them .. thats what the self service model is all about.

Its not a matter of if, its a matter of when. I work in IT and the system proposed on these boards is nothing that hasnt been done thousands of times over in corporate america. If it were to fail it would be because of bad management, certainly not technology.

People need to stop being afraid of progress already !!

 

[eporter66]

It is interesting to see where people stand on this. I would like to make a few points :

1. I don't mind calling member services to make my reservation

I honestly dont, and I do enjoy speaking with them. They are always pleasant and helpful, and it is actually an enjoyable experience when booking

2. Dont kid yourself, this technology is available for Disney to be able to provide Hotel availability from the website. DVC has a certain amount of inventory, regardless of how it works, and should be able to let you know if what you want is available when you want it.

3. At the very least, being able to check what is available at each resort should not be an issue, and a big plus for members

I can see the problems where someone would find a 1 bedroom available, and then call to have member services say it has been booked. Well, that's the breaks. But, Disney has the finances and staffing to be able to create this type of service on dvc.com. At the very least, being able to see availability (if the system was a good one) would make Member Services job somewhat easier.

It just seems there are a few simple things that Disney could do for us members. By purchasing DVC, we are return customers, and that should warrant a little extra effort for Disney.

 

[tjkraz]

In the end, it would SAVE dues, not increase them .. thats what the self service model is all about.

DVC is funded by a fixed 12% of our dues, regardless of actual expenses. So, we really don't stand to save anything.

Its not a matter of if, its a matter of when. I work in IT and the system proposed on these boards is nothing that hasnt been done thousands of times over in corporate america. If it were to fail it would be because of bad management, certainly not technology.

People need to stop being afraid of progress already !!

Well, everyone has their fear, be it heights, darkness, enclosed spaces or technology. I doubt this thread is doing much to change that.

I think you're way off-base in assuming that comments here are driven by fear. Personally, I'm just being realistic about the situation. Look no further than Caskbill's post to see the complexities involved. Overcoming those complexities is one thing--protecting users from themselves is another.

When the time comes that I can go a full week without seeing "The page you are trying to access is currently not available" on DVCMember.com, then I might have confidence to believe Disney IT knows what they are doing. Until then I'm forced to conclude that they are completely lacking in the tools necessary to design a user-friendly reservation system.

In fairness, 3 years ago we didn't even have unique user names and IDs for the website. The DVC website was neglected for far too long, and they've been climbing out of a hole ever since.

I agree that additional functionality IS a "when" rather than an "if" proposition. But "when" remains anybody's guess, as does the extent of functionality to follow.

 

[grizbuzz]

I'm all in favor of online reservations. It would be wonderful to be able to check availability online and to make reservations any time of the day. Member service hours aren't currentlly too convenient for those in California. I'm a huge fan of online booking.

 

[Granny]

I cant for the life of me understand why anyone would be opposed to bringing it ALL into web based service. Some people are just old fashioned I guess .. its time to enter the 21st century (no matter how old you are).

I'm biting my tongue with a bunch of sarcastic retorts to this condescending post. I'll just leave it with the comment that you seemed to have missed the point of my original post. The fear is not about technology, it's about fairness.

I think you guys have heard way too much from me on the topic.

rsinj...I appreciate the level-headed exchange of opinions we were able to have.

 

[bnlbebes]

Every time I take a member survey on the phone I always say I want to make my reservations on line. So far it hasn't meant a thing.

I make the same request everytime I am asked.

Wouldn't you love to see the results of that poll?!

 

[bnlbebes]

I think there are people with more computer knowledge who would take advantage of on line booking. I am not in favor of it. Granny mentioned the one minute after midnight scenerio. Would all GV's for instance be gone by the time a person awoke? Midnight in what time zone?

Bobbi

To me the problem could be sloved simple enough...

Make on-line reservations available at the same time as Member Services is open. No extra advantage to on-line reservation makers. And the same inconvenience for those members who are in different time zones.

 

[NJOGRE]

JUST DO IT, EVERY hotel chain in the US can set up there sites to take online reservations any where in the world. It is easy to do, it works, DVCers just need to move into the new tech. And all of you that say it won;t save any money because DVC is funded by 12%, AUTOMATED RESRVATIONS = MAN HOURS SAVED = MONEY SAVED. THEY can also set this up for ADR's but they haven't yet

 

[tjkraz]

JUST DO IT, EVERY hotel chain in the US can set up there sites to take online reservations any where in the world.

Two comments:

1. You're vastly overstating the capabilities of most hotel chains. The reservation systems they use usually are not fully-integrated in real-time. In other words, there is often a lag when it comes to combining reservations made on-line, via a call center, at the hotel itself, etc.

Anyone who travels frequently for business will tell you that having a reservation is not a guarantee that you'll get a room. In particular, having a reservation that says something like "guaranteed non-smoking" is meaningless. Due to most hotel chains running at far less than 100% occupancy, they can get away with it. Most chains have higher room classes they can upgrade guests to if necessary--I have personally been upgraded at check-in to concierge level, suites, corner rooms, better views, etc. These upgrades aren't always a result of a "we're under-booked so we might as well upgrade people" mentality, instead they are a result of the hotel being over-booked in other categories.

DVC doesn't have those luxuries. Telephone and internet reservations need to remain totally in sync in real-time. Over-bookings simply cannot occur.

2. A hotel chain accepting a reservation is the easiest thing in the world. All you need to do is capture dates, names and credit card info and store it away in a database.

DVC has many different types of currency to deal with. Many members have multiple contracts. There are different booking windows for Home and non-Home resorts. There are different types of points (standard, Holding, Reservation.) You have to deal with current year, borrowed and banked points.

Again, I'm not saying it won't happen. In fact, I'd be pretty stunned if someone told me DVC had ZERO plans for on-line reservations. But that said, comparing Holiday Inn capabilities to DVC is just not a valid comparison.

And all of you that say it won;t save any money because DVC is funded by 12%, AUTOMATED RESRVATIONS = MAN HOURS SAVED = MONEY SAVED.

The distinction is that the money to be saved is potentially Disney's. DVC gets that 12% regardless of what it costs to take reservations. If they DO reduce costs, we still pay. The savings go into Disney's pockets.

Of course, creating a realtime online reservation system will cost millions. DVC will have to absorb the development costs themselves and hope that cost savings will eventually allow them to recoup that investment. Not being privy to the finances, we can only speculate on how long it might take to see a return. It could be a project that will break-even in 10 years or it could take 30.

 

[childsplay]

I guess its possible that at some point we could have an online reservation system, but I'm not going to hold my breath waiting for it. This idea that you could just put a user friendly face on the system already in place is being far too optimistic (and kind), this is the same system that still can't control point morphing and has required "manual overrides" of the system to make two of my last three reservations. When in both instances what I was trying to do was perfectly within the rules but the system wouldn't accept it.

 

[TSMIII]

You would THINK the technology is available, but Disney seems behind. Have you ever tried to make a reservation on their website????? They can't even do that right so I have no faith in their ablity to do this! LOL!

(With apologies to The Six Million Dollar Man)

"We can rebuild it. We have the technology. We have the capability to make the world's first Online DVC Reservation System. Better than it was before. Better...Stronger...Faster..."!

I agree with most posters that it can be done - and would be nice.

But I also agree with the logic of tjkraz - if you look at it from the Mouse's side - Why spend the money NOW if they don't have to - when what they've got, while not perfect, is getting the job done? I'm sure a cost/benefit analysis would show little to no ROI, at least in the short term.

Would be nice though!

 

[jfinke]

Well, as someone mentioned earlier, the technology is already there. CMs already use an application to book everything. So, all of the business logic is already there. Heck, it may already be web enabled, though I suspect it is all green screen like the people behind the desks.

The question is, would they want to give the "masses" access to all of that information. I am not sure that they would want to give up that kind of control.

Also, with all of the questions that pop up here, I would expect that people would need to know the system inside and out to do their own booking correctly. I know when I call, the CMs are always very clear about what I am booking and how many points I am banking, booking, etc. If someone makes a mistake, who will be responsible for it?

 

[crisi]

Well, as someone mentioned earlier, the technology is already there. CMs already use an application to book everything. So, all of the business logic is already there. Heck, it may already be web enabled, though I suspect it is all green screen like the people behind the desks.

The question is, would they want to give the "masses" access to all of that information. I am not sure that they would want to give up that kind of control.

Also, with all of the questions that pop up here, I would expect that people would need to know the system inside and out to do their own booking correctly. I know when I call, the CMs are always very clear about what I am booking and how many points I am banking, booking, etc. If someone makes a mistake, who will be responsible for it?

But the business logic is set up to be run by someone with months of training - and they STILL screw up even simple reservations - my last reservation had the dining plan completely screwed up. Some of it would need to be greatly simplified to front a workable UI.

Then there is the additional control issues - this opens up Disney to additional opportunities for someone to defraud their customers (us!). Additional regulatory concerns (that they currently have on the CRO site, but would expand over to the DVC side when you start working with transactions. It would probably also make renting point easier, and Disney seems to be doing everything they can to discourage that cottage industry.

What happens when John and Jane Doe log in to discover that they took a trip they didn't take on short notice last month because someone managed to hack their account? What happens when they CLAIM that?

 

[childsplay]

"1. You're vastly overstating the capabilities of most hotel chains. The reservation systems they use usually are not fully-integrated in real-time. In other words, there is often a lag when it comes to combining reservations made on-line, via a call center, at the hotel itself, etc.


DVC doesn't have those luxuries. Telephone and internet reservations need to remain totally in sync in real-time. Over-bookings simply cannot occur. "

For those asserting that Holiday - Inn does so why can't Disney, this is exactly why. I had a friend who would "run" the online requests for a mid- size hotel and she said that was not even done a daily basis. Virtually every weekend she would just wait run it on Monday because they knew there was no way all their rooms were going to fill up from online reservations over the weekend. DVC has no such cushion in its reservation system, you couldn't just run it at the end of the day and hope all the reservations are there.

 

[rsinj]

.

 

[tjkraz]

Aside from the paper confirmation that they are still mailed, and the automatic email notification they would get when the reservation were made?

Under crisi's scenario, those documents would be meaningless. If someone were to hack into your on-line account and cancel the reservation, DVC would have full record of the entire transaction. Upon presenting the paper confirmation, they would simply say "yes, sir, and we're showing that you cancelled this reservation on XXX." You'd still be left standing at the front desk with no reservation and potentially no points (if the hacker took it upon himself to spend them.)

[/quote]What happens today when someone hacks into your bank or credit card account? Controls are built in to the system so there are multiple checks.[/quote]

Username and password. That's all it takes. You can require frequent password changes and levels of complexity in the password, but they remain hackable.

Also I have seen statistics which show that the more complicated you make a system, the fewer people who will use it. Frequent password changes and other identity checks may be designed to protect users, but they also lead to frustration and ultimately avoidance. It's a delicate balance.

There are grievance processes for victims of theft, but they are time-consuming and rarely provide immediate relief.

 

[rsinj]

.

 

[tjkraz]

Most people I know use online banking, on-line bill payment, make reservations for hotels, airlines, cruises and many other things which are much more valuable than a reservation which actually has no direct monetary value.

I would draw a couple of distinctions. As far as banking and bill payment systems, there are means to have fraudulent transactions corrected. With the other examples, the payment mechanism (normally credit card) exists outside of the vendor portal. In other words, if someone were to hack into Holiday Inn's computer system to see my reservation, it probably doesn't give them the ability to use my card to book other dates.

With DVC, everything would be integrated. If someone were to gain access to my user ID, they could book a trip a week from now and I'd be none the wiser.

It's not a deal-breaker, but just one more issue DVC has to take into account before rolling-out such a system.

Let's say a guest shows up at the resort front desk claiming to have booked on-line months ago (and having printed proof to support the claim), yet DVC shows the reservation was previously cancelled. What do you think is a reasonable policy to handle these situations?