Ressies Strategy Question

[Gabby&Liv's Mommy]

I need some assistance with strategy. Currently we have ressies for a 2 bdr at SSR (home resort) for the 1st week in December. If possible, we would like to switch to either BWV or AKV (if they are even open then). I have never done the day by day calling and I am a little nervous. If I call day by day and am able to get part but not all of the week then I am waitlisted and I would give up a complete week at SSR for a broken up week somewhere else. The travel group will be my parents, DH, and 2 DD (ages 3&5)…..too big of a group to be switching rooms/resorts mid week. I am considering just waiting until the day when I can book the full week. Is this too risky??? Will we have no shot at getting what we want?

 

[Deb & Bill]

Go ahead and call MS on the first day you can call and ask them how it looks. If they say it looks good, then wait for the last day. If they say it could be close, try day by day. And call as soon as you can each day.

As long as you'll accept a preferred non-BW view. You won't get a standard view or BW view at 7 months.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I doubt that you won't be able to backtrack into the full week at SSR if at the end of day by day calling you don't get all of the days at BWV. I don't think you have anything to lose by doing it day by day. If BWV is really what you want, that's what I would do.

Bobbi

PS. I'm assuming that you will be calling right at the 7 month mark.

 

[DebbieB]

I would not start to switch unless member services says there is availability for the whole week. BWV is very popular that time of year. If they say some nights are not available, I would wait until the last day and waitlist for the entire week.

 

[DISNEY FIX]

I would not start to switch unless member services says there is availability for the whole week. BWV is very popular that time of year. If they say some nights are not available, I would wait until the last day and waitlist for the entire week.

What are the advantages of waitlisting for a whole week VS calling day by day?

 

[RobDoc]

What are the advantages of waitlisting for a whole week VS calling day by day?

If you waitlist for the entire week, you will only get it if the entire stay becomes available at once and you are at the top of the waitlist. If you call day-by-day, you can pick one day at a time and you can then simply use the automatic/daily waitlist for any days not immediatley available. That way you would get each day as it becomes available without having to be called to confirm, they will just add it to your reservation.

The risk with that is that it is possible to have a missing day in the middle of your stay.

Having said all that, the waitlist does work and by calling at 7 months, there is plenty of time for everything to come thru - even at the smaller resorts. The DVC reservation system is very dynamic and there are daily changes in the status of availability right up until the arrival date. Some of the availability queston will just depends on how patient you are!

 

[DebbieB]

What are the advantages of waitlisting for a whole week VS calling day by day?

You will not risk getting a gap in days. If you call and get Sunday and Monday, then call for Tuesday and it's all booked, you have to possibility of having to move if you waitlist does not come through. If you waitlist for the entire week, you can just keep what you have until (if) the whole week becomes available. It's more risky to do day by day at 7 months than at 11 months. At 11 months, you are pretty much guaranteed to get what you want if you call day by day (early). At 7 months, some dates could already be booked up and have a waitlist.

 

[Gabby&Liv's Mommy]

Thanks for the advice. I have never changed a reservation before. I assume since I am just switching resorts and any resort I would switch to would be more points, I would not be penalized in any way. Correct?

 

[RobDoc]

Thanks for the advice. I have never changed a reservation before. I assume since I am just switching resorts and any resort I would switch to would be more points, I would not be penalized in any way. Correct?

No, there would not be any penalty as long as the new reservation required the same or more points.

The only time any restriction would be involved is if you used fewer points and cancelled the first reservation within 30 days of arrival - in that case the left-over points would go into the Holding Account to be used to make a reservation within 60 days of when you call. Those points would also expire if not used by the end of your Use Year. They could not be banked.

 

[Dean]

What are the advantages of waitlisting for a whole week VS calling day by day?

You get the entire week at your preferred resort but at the expense of a lower chance of success. There are many ways to approach it and even different approaches work better depending on your home resort.

For OKW and SSR other than a 3 BR I go on the premise you can likely get your reservation redone if you end up not being successful at the 7 month window while for BCV, BWV and VWL I assume if I give it up I can't get it back. Here are some approaches you can take.

• If you have enough points, book day by day at the 7 month window and cancel the home resort reservation when you get to the last day. This is by far the safest and best approach but requires a lot of points.
• Wait until the check out day at the end of your planned trip and call to see if you can switch it over and wait list the entire time as one segment if you can't. Less chance of success but less risky than many options.
• Call day by day 7 months from the check out for day 1 and make that if available and cancel day 1 of your current home resort ressie and so on. That way you know you have a place to stay but might have to change resorts. Then wait list 2 ways. One the last day and one all the days you need. Then if the one day comes up you add the next day by itself then change your other waitlist as well.
• You can even combine this by making ressies at multiple resorts on the first day or two then reducing the number of resorts as you get into the reservation and see what's available, canceling the ones you give up on and using those points.
• There are many combination options that incorporate some version of any or all of these options.
• Leave off weekends till the last partly because they're easier to book and partly because you can book 5 weekdays for the price of 2 weekends.
• Then if you have to wait list you'll have to decide whether to do so day by day which improves your chance of success but gives you the chance of a splintered reservation compared to wait listing for the entire trip which is less likely to be successful but has no other risk.

We did a version this past Dec. Used BWV and OKW contracts. Made SV and BW view ressies and a 3 BR OKW ressie day by day at 11 months out then rented or cancelled what we didn't end up needing.