Strategy for room stalking

[Electron_si]

For those that room stalk should I be using the “modify reservation” option every time to look for availability or just use the normal plan your trip on the main page to search availability and then modify if I find something that works?

Background:

We recently bought a PVB resale contract and booked a 5 night trip right away at ~4 month mark for the end of September. I was able to find a good split stay option (AKV Kidani Savannah 1BR + SSR 1BR) except for the last night (AKV Jambo 1BR) so I’m trying to stalk that room (looking for PVB, BCV, VGF, BRV, or CCV). I’m hoping to not have to go back to AKV and find a third resort. Last night a room came open and by the time I tried to modify my reservation it was gone.

I also seem to have issues sometimes where my dashboard just shows a spinning wheel and I have to refresh to populate my current reservations to select which one to modify.

Any other room stalking suggestions are welcome.

 

[Stargazer65]

So...to understand fully...do you have 3 reservations spanning 5 days? 2 night AKV + 2 nights SSR + 1 night AKV?

 

[Electron_si]

So...to understand fully...do you have 3 reservations spanning 5 days? 2 night AKV + 2 nights SSR + 1 night AKV?

Yes that’s correct, I wasn’t sure how much detail I needed to provide since I was just asking about the last night.

We originally had 1, 3, 1 (BCV, SSR, AKV) but I was able to stalk the first connecting AKV reservation to make it 2, 2, 1. Now I’m wanting to swap the second AKV res for the last night. A studio would be fine but I know 1 BR is probably easier to get.

We are only doing 1 to 2 park days this trip. Really just looking to explore resorts we haven’t stayed at yet knowing late September availability is tough since we booked pretty late.

Edit: I am waitlisted for a PVB studio and BCV 1BR for the last night but we are a DEC UY so I can only carry that PVB waitlist until JUL 31 or I will lose those points if it comes through after.

 

[Sandisw]

I have done it both ways but am usually fortunate to have enough extra points to book new and cancel the old when looking for just one or two nights.

But, when what I am hoping to find is anything else, I usually do the modify feature.

 

[Stargazer65]

Now I’m wanting to swap the second AKV res for the last night. A studio would be fine but I know 1 BR is probably easier to get.

Can you waitlist the last night at a resort you want? Ah...never mind answered.

 

[Electron_si]

I have done it both ways but am usually fortunate to have enough extra points to book new and cancel the old when looking for just one or two nights.

But, when what I am hoping to find is anything else, I usually do the modify feature.

Our 22 contract didn’t have full points so unfortunately I can’t do that. That’s good to know for the future though as opposed to modifying every time. Thank you.

 

[Stargazer65]

If you have just a single night at PVB as a waitlist I think you have a good chance of that coming through at least.

 

[Electron_si]

If you have just a single night at PVB as a waitlist I think you have a good chance of that coming through at least.

Ok that’s good to know. I haven’t seen anything for PVB open up at all during our travel window so I was assuming it was a very low chance it would come through.

 

[Sandisw]

Ok that’s good to know. I haven’t seen anything for PVB open up at all during our travel window so I was assuming it was a very low chance it would come through.

One night waitlist tend to be very successful. I just had one fill at RIV for earlier in September thst never showed up and I stalked 10 times a day!!

 

[karatstravels]

I just recently managed to put together a 4 night stay at the VGC 2 months out - pretty proud of myself. Only took 2 weeks of everyday stalking multiple times per day and then member services merged all my separate nightly reservations into one. I know they cannot always do that but it was for a 2 bedroom, so pretty sure they didn't want us to switch rooms any more than we wanted to. Good luck! But it can be done and it was pretty painless.

 

[gobeavs8]

I recently was trying to add one night on the Monorail loop for our trip in early august, searching around twice a day. Over the course of a month I probably saw every studio at DW become available (excluding Value/Club AK) until I got Lake View at PVB.

 

[Electron_si]

I typically try to check around 5 times a day or more. Last night a VGF room came open but it was gone before I could get through the modification process because I was searching under book a trip instead.

This would probably be easier if I had additional points this UY and could book and then drop as opposed to having to modify.

 

[JELLYROLLS4LIFE]

Honestly it makes more sense to search using the modify option in your case. I often use the regular search if I don't have anything specific I want to find, and usually I find if I find it that way it doesn't USUALLY disappear that fast. But this case is a little different. Just be careful using modify that you don't accidently cancel your days.

 

[Electron_si]

I’ve continued to stalk this reservation and now I’m at 1 BR Kidani night 1, 1 BR BCV night 2, SSR 1BR night 3-4 and 1BR Jambo night 5.

The BCV 1BR on the first two nights has opened up several times for one of the two nights over the past few days so I took the one that was open and I’m trying to stalk that first night. It’s a wed night so I’m pretty confident it will open up again.

 

[Sandisw]

I’ve continued to stalk this reservation and now I’m at 1 BR Kidani night 1, 1 BR BCV night 2, SSR 1BR night 3-4 and 1BR Jambo night 5.

The BCV 1BR on the first two nights has opened up several times for one of the two nights over the past few days so I took the one that was open and I’m trying to stalk that first night. It’s a wed night so I’m pretty confident it will open up again.

Did you have a waitlist for that first night? It is possible it a waitlist grabbed it for you! This happened to me when I had a one night WL...I saw the nights around it show up and when I did chat, sure enough, that night went to me!!!

 

[Electron_si]

I just waitlisted for the first night. I previously had 2 waitlists for the last night hoping one of the two would match.

I’m hoping between stalking and WL that first night at BCV will get reserved.

 

[Electron_si]

I just waitlisted for the first night. I previously had 2 waitlists for the last night hoping one of the two would match.

I’m hoping between stalking and WL that first night at BCV will get reserved.

Right after I posted this our PVB waitlist match email came through for the last night of our trip. This is our home resort and we are very happy it matched as we have not stayed at PVB, we’ve only toured the DVC rooms.

This has been a process to put our first trip together last minute. If I can get the last piece to fall of BCV 1 BR on the first night we will be set for a great trip.

Worst case we are moving from AKV to BCV at the start of our trip and will be at 4 total resorts in 5 days.

Summary:

Current: AKV Kidani 1BR night 1, BCV 1BR night 2, SSR 1 BR night 3-4, PVB night 5

Best case: BCV 1BR night 1-2, SSR night 3-4 and PVB night 5

I had AKV for the first 2 nights but BCV was our preferred for that so I switched over to a BCV that opened up for night 2 and waitlisted night 1.

Thanks again for the help and suggestions. I’ve learned some ins and outs of booking for this process.

 

[accm]

If you don't have extra points to play around with, and you currently have individual nights booked, I'd use the modify option. I'm currently waiting for my latest resale contract to show up so I can start doing the same for a September trip. We're currently booked at BR, but I'd rather stay at an Epcot resort. I've seen nights come and go, but haven't been able to book since I don't want to have to borrow.