Should I walk this ressie?

[Tammi67]

We are wanting to stay at BWV with a boardwalk view April 10-14, which is the week after Easter. I can't book until 7 months, and am concerned that we will have trouble getting a room. If I walk this, which day can I start booking? Or do you think waiting until my 7 month window will be okay?

 

[bobbiwoz]

Because of the owners ability to book 11 months out, you may not even be able to walk the reservation at 7 months out. You could be hit with a day or two of no availablity while trying to walk. I think your best bet is to call at 9 on the first day you can book at 7 months out!

 

[drusba]

Easter is April 8. The week leading up to to it and the week of Easter are very high demand times for DVC (and Disney). Walking usually makes more sense when doing 11 months out at home resort and you want something like AKV concierge or a grand villa for a very high demand time such as Christmas week. If you attempt it, you may, as mentioned above, find days before April 10 already booked making walking a difficult exercise. If you want to attempt, you can, if you have enough points, start reserving September 4 for April 4 to 11 to get night of 10th and then walk daily from there until you have the nights you want and then cancel any nights left that are still before the 10th. If you have only enough points for 4 nights (your desired stay time) then you can start walking by calling Sep 7 for April 7 to 11.

 

[JKMJ441724]

If I walk this, which day can I start booking?

Because of the owners ability to book 11 months out, you may not even be able to walk the reservation at 7 months out.

Walking usually makes more sense when doing 11 months out at home resort

"Walking" a reservation is not a term I'm familar with. What does it mean?

 

[drusba]

You can call to reserve a room for 7 nights 11 months from date of arrival at home resort (7 months at others). Some seek to hedge there bets by doing the following via example:

Assume you want Dec 25 to Jan 1. You call Jan 19 and book a week starting Dec 19 and thus Dec 25 is your last night in that reservation that has a Dec 26 departure date. You call Jan 20 and cancel Dec 19 and add the night of Dec 26, you keep doing that daily until you have Dec 25 through Jan 1. That is allowed and the term "walking" the reservation was coined on this site to describe it. In fact, it was only days after DVD originally announced that you could reserve by calling 11 (or 7) months out in advance of arrival date and book 7 nights that someone on this site figured out that you could walk the reservation.

 

[JKMJ441724]

You can call to reserve a room for 7 nights 11 months from date of arrival at home resort. Some seek to hedge theri bets by doing the following:

Assume you want Dec 25 to Jan 1. You call Jan 19 and book a week starting Dec 19 and thus Dec 25 is your last night in that reservation that has a Dec 26 departure date. You call Jan 20 and cancel Dec 19 and add the night of Dec 26, you keep doing that daily until you have Dec 25 through Jan 1. That is allowed.

Very interesting. Thanks for the info.

I learn something new every day on the DIS.

 

[Tammi67]

Thanks for the help. I didn't even think about not getting a night here and there. I'm already booked at SSR for those dates, my home resort, on borrowed points as it is. I think I'll just keep my fingers crossed and book at 7 months. I think that will alleviate any headaches I might run into.

 

[Sandisw]

Thanks for the help. I didn't even think about not getting a night here and there. I'm already booked at SSR for those dates, my home resort, on borrowed points as it is. I think I'll just keep my fingers crossed and book at 7 months. I think that will alleviate any headaches I might run into.

That would be my suggestion. As mentioned, walking at 7 months does not work the same way as it does at 11 months because there are DVC owners who can book those nights while you are walking.

Unless you are interested in the split stay option, you could begin the reservation only to find you can't complete it and could be stuck with a piece meal trip.

Good luck!

 

[CarolMN]

That would be my suggestion. As mentioned, walking at 7 months does not work the same way as it does at 11 months because there are DVC owners who can book those nights while you are walking.

Unless you are interested in the split stay option, you could begin the reservation only to find you can't complete it and could be stuck with a piece meal trip.

Good luck!

I agree. Walking a reservation at 7 months is virtually always a waste of time.

Getting a Boardwalk view at 7 months for one of the Easter weeks is a long shot. Book what you can (most likely a Pool/Garden view) and then waitlist for the Boardwalk view. You might get lucky!

 

[Breyean]

We've been members since 1993 but until this year OKW was all we owned.

We just bought VGC (we live in AZ and go to DLR at least once a year) and are looking at our first booking experience there next month for a vacation in September 2012.

We'll be going for the DL 1/2 Marathon, which is also during Labor Day weekend. So I'm assuming it will be a popular period.

So, given the small number of rooms at VGC, do you guys, eho have a lot more experience in this than I, recommend I walk that reservation? I'd book from the Sunday to the Saturday the night before the race (7 nights) then add on a night the next each of the next two days to cover Sunday and Monday, which is Labor Day. We really only want the reservation to be from Friday through Tuesday, but seeing this thread made me think maybe I should lock up each we want as soon as possible.

Is that right? Think it's a good idea for VGC for those dates?

Thanks.

 

[Anal Annie]

I don't know what size unit you're shooting for but I can tell you that I called at 9:00 am sharp yesterday to check the availability of studios at both BLT and BWV for 6 nights from 3/29 - 4/4 (we're planning to go & get out before Easter and this plan puts half our days in "magic" season). There were no std. view studios available at all at BWV but they did have the preferred view available. We ended up booking a LV at BLT however because we figured with the crowd volume it would be the best to walk home from MK at night rather than to wait on a bus. The last time we went over spring break was in 2010 and I called at around 6 1/2 months out and there was nothing consecutive available at BWV by then so we ended up at Kidani. Hopefully if you call right at 9:00 you'll find something but I think it's good that you've already booked your SSR. Knowing that there are some still available leading up to Easter you might be able to walk it but I think that seems like a pretty big hassle. Good luck!!