The art of walking a reservation...?

[dvc at last !]

Please explain the art of walking a reservation !

 

[dvcdream4fld]

Not a good idea.

 

[greengeen]

Seven years DVC member, travel at all times of year, never walked a reservation. Never needed to.

 

[Chiomaca]

Not a good idea.

Why? I've seen a lot of discussion of it here but never really new how it worked or why.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Art? Not really much of that. You book before the time you actually want to stay and then keep modifying but always keeping at least a day of the reservation you are modifying until you reach the time you want to stay.

For all but a select few room types it's not needed and even then it's fairly select times that those few room types need it. For us, we're flexible so I just wait until a type is available or else I book something else so no walking. Where it's not good is that walkers are blocking a room during their walk that they have no intention of keeping and others who would like it believe they are shut out. If they don't check back and see it open up as the walkers go past it they never even realize they could have had what they want.

 

[crisi]

Why? I've seen a lot of discussion of it here but never really new how it worked or why.

Because its rarely really effective. There are a rare few room types at certain times of year where it will work in your favor, but generally, its either a waste of time, or not effective.

The idea is that say you want Christmas - December 24 - January 2nd. You want a Boardwalk View room during that time and you are an owner (this is one place where it might be effective). Instead of making the call on January 24th, eleven months out, you start calling on say, January 15th, booking what you can. Every day you call, drop the first day, and add another. You get a seven day jump on the night of the 24th by doing this, and the best chance of getting one of the few Grand Villas during a popular GV time of year.

At eleven months its almost never necessary to do so - there are a few situations where its good, but not many.

At seven months, it has a logistical issue - you get the jump on those people booking at seven months - but there is always the chance that an owner has already booked a night in the middle. Plus, the increased number of people looking for those rooms who walk will make it a less effective strategy even if there are rooms. For rooms where there is a very small inventory remaining at seven months - the chances of a hole in your reservation is pretty high.

So you go through a lot of extra work and tie up member services staff (increasing everyone's dues) to do something that generally isn't necessary and when it might provide an advantage has a large flaw when done at seven months.

 

[Breyean]

Because its rarely really effective. There are a rare few room types at certain times of year where it will work in your favor, but generally, its either a waste of time, or not effective.

The idea is that say you want Christmas - December 24 - January 2nd. You want a Boardwalk View room during that time and you are an owner (this is one place where it might be effective). Instead of making the call on January 24th, eleven months out, you start calling on say, January 15th, booking what you can. Every day you call, drop the first day, and add another. You get a seven day jump on the night of the 24th by doing this, and the best chance of getting one of the few Grand Villas during a popular GV time of year.

At eleven months its almost never necessary to do so - there are a few situations where its good, but not many.

At seven months, it has a logistical issue - you get the jump on those people booking at seven months - but there is always the chance that an owner has already booked a night in the middle. Plus, the increased number of people looking for those rooms who walk will make it a less effective strategy even if there are rooms. For rooms where there is a very small inventory remaining at seven months - the chances of a hole in your reservation is pretty high.

So you go through a lot of extra work and tie up member services staff (increasing everyone's dues) to do something that generally isn't necessary and when it might provide an advantage has a large flaw when done at seven months.

You don't have to call every day to roll the reservation forward one day at a time.

You just need to make that first reservation covering the REAL first day of your desired reservation. If you are doing this at 11 months, that room is then blocked from anyone else booking it until that REAL first day.

Then, on your REAL first day, since you already have the room for that night, you call and cancel the previous nights and extend your reservation for the next 6 nights (7 total).

Much less work for both you and MS.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

You don't have to call every day to roll the reservation forward one day at a time. You just need to make that first reservation covering the REAL first day of your desired reservation. If you are doing this at 11 months, that room is then blocked from anyone else booking it until that REAL first day. Then, on your REAL first day, since you already have the room for that night, you call and cancel the previous nights and extend your reservation for the next 6 nights (7 total). Much less work for both you and MS.

That assumes the person only starts walking a week or less in advance which then leads back to the question - did it need to be walked? Perhaps not and it tied up resources in some way while doing it.

 

[crisi]

You don't have to call every day to roll the reservation forward one day at a time.

You just need to make that first reservation covering the REAL first day of your desired reservation. If you are doing this at 11 months, that room is then blocked from anyone else booking it until that REAL first day.

Then, on your REAL first day, since you already have the room for that night, you call and cancel the previous nights and extend your reservation for the next 6 nights (7 total).

Much less work for both you and MS.

You have to walk every day, because your real second day could be booked out from under you by someone walking that reservation. If I call to book the 12 - 19 on the 12th of January, then don't call the next day to drop the 12th and pick up the 20th, someone else can call on the 13th to book the 13-20 - if that's the last room, the 20th is gone.

If its working for you by only calling twice, its because the reservation didn't need to be walked in the first place.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

You have to walk every day, because your real second day could be booked out from under you by someone walking that reservation. If I call to book the 12 - 19 on the 12th of January, then don't call the next day to drop the 12th and pick up the 20th, someone else can call on the 13th to book the 13-20 - if that's the last room, the 20th is gone. If its working for you by only calling twice, its because the reservation didn't need to be walked in the first place.

That would only be at 7 months. At 11 months I agree that you don't have to call every day, you just have to call before the "new" 11 month window opens.

 

[Chiomaca]

It does seem like a pain, but I'm buying at VGC, which has particularly limited availability, so I was curious. Thanks for the info.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

It does seem like a pain, but I'm buying at VGC, which has particularly limited availability, so I was curious. Thanks for the info.

Actually VGC isn't all that difficult right at 11 months. I'd be pressed to think of a time I'd think a reservation might need to be walked. GV's are limited to 2 units so perhaps that if I had some special visit planned and had fixed dates that couldn't change but otherwise I wouldn't spend much time worrying about walking there.

 

[MountainMouse]

I understand why people walk reservations and I may even do it myself someday, but I wish they would eliminate the ability to do this.

 

[twoj]

I haves used the strategy sparingly. Recently I was trying to book a grand villa at HHI in June. We want to arrive Saturday but the unit had availability Friday. I booked it at 7 months for the Friday. Called next day and dropped the Friday. It really helped me in this situation. Certain rooms later in the week were unavailable after I booked.

This is not something members want to wish away but merely a fact of ownership. To remove this would be we would be limited to cancellations or fees for phone reservations. The flexibility (aside from the fact that it is disney) of DVC is what makes it the best timeshare program out there!

 

[ziravan]

I just booked a two bedroom and three studios at BCV for early June at 7 months without walking a reservation.

We are having a large family vacation. Here's why it worked without walking:

Backup plan #1: AKV 2BR Savanna with 3 Standard studios. Benefits less points and a Savanna room.

Backup plan #2: OKW. Benefits: Larger rooms.

I'm very excited about getting my first choice, but I was flexible enough to be happy with a choice that would work anyway.

DVC requires some flexibility. If you don't have it, if you feel you MUST walk a reservation to be happy, then you're bound to be disappointed often.

To me, flexibility is part of the adventure. It's a requirement to get the most out of DVC.

I think walking a reservation is a bad idea. It's not nice to manipulate the system at the expense of others. Whatever, it's permissible even if it's inconsiderate. More important, it's a bad idea because sooner or later, not being flexible will disappoint.

 

[Millionaire2K]

You have to walk every day, because your real second day could be booked out from under you by someone walking that reservation. If I call to book the 12 - 19 on the 12th of January, then don't call the next day to drop the 12th and pick up the 20th, someone else can call on the 13th to book the 13-20 - if that's the last room, the 20th is gone.

If its working for you by only calling twice, its because the reservation didn't need to be walked in the first place.

No one can steal the room from under you. If someone calls and extends on 13th they will keep the same room Disney reserved for them. The 20th can NOT go away because no one can reach it except people with reservations. So if everyone with reservations extend 1 day they will all get 1 more night in the room Disney reserved for them. Your room is free for 6 more days unless you call.


A lot of people make this mistake and think they need to call every day.

PRO TIP: You don't have to.

Let me explain.

Lets pretend you book the VERY LAST room at your home resort 11 months out. You booked the 7 nights that Disney allows and every night is now booked in the hotel 100 percent at 11 months.

NO RESERVATIONS CAN BE MADE IN ANY ROOMS ANY NIGHT.

So now the next day comes.

ONLY the people that already booked can add on to their reservation as ALL the rooms are taken. Others can not steal your room from you because if everyone walks also they just walk the room they have.

So lets pretend EVEY person extends their stay 1 night EXCEPT YOU. Well everyone already has their room. AND NO ONE can book that 1 free night you didn't extend into except you because they can't get the first 6 days needed to book it.

When walking at 11 months you do "not" have to call every day to extend or change. 5-6 days is a good number.

I hope this made sense for you.

 

[MountainMouse]

The flexibility (aside from the fact that it is disney) of DVC is what makes it the best timeshare program out there!

Walking a reservation is manipulation of a rule (loophole) in the system. I don't blame folks for using it, but it shouldn't be considered flexibility built into the system. It gives an advantage to those who know the rules and are willing to exploit them.

 

[CarolMN]

Let's hope that "walking" remains something members do ONLY when absolutely necessary - and that is virtually never at 7 months. It is seldom necessary at 11 months.

If walking becomes an issue with MS, you can be sure DVC will "fix" their problem with something that most of us will not like. My guess is that we will see a fee initiated for reservation changes.

SO PLEASE USE THE RESORT RESERVATION TOOL and the expertise of the community to limit the practice as much as possible. It's in our best interests!

 

[MountainMouse]

Let's hope that "walking" remains something members do ONLY when absolutely necessary - and that is virtually never at 7 months. It is seldom necessary at 11 months. If walking becomes an issue with MS, you can be sure DVC will "fix" their problem with something that most of us will not like. My guess is that we will see a fee initiated for reservation changes. SO PLEASE USE THE RESORT RESERVATION TOOL and the expertise of the community to limit the practice as much as possible. It's in our best interests!

I apologize for continuing to stir this pot, but what constitutes an absolutely necessary use of reservation walking? There aren't enough rooms to go around at high demand times, folks use walking to have a better chance of securing those rooms, those who don't will be left out. What makes one persons reservation more necessary than another's? There's no limit to how far out you can start the walk, as more catch on the walks will start earlier and you're absolutely right that the issue will be fixed when it becomes an issue. Fees may be the way it gets addressed, but you can fix it without fees.

 

[Chiomaca]

Actually VGC isn't all that difficult right at 11 months. I'd be pressed to think of a time I'd think a reservation might need to be walked. GV's are limited to 2 units so perhaps that if I had some special visit planned and had fixed dates that couldn't change but otherwise I wouldn't spend much time worrying about walking there.

That's good to know. With the small number of rooms, I wasn't sure what kind of challenge it is - but the 11 month booking window is the reason I am buying there. Unfortunately (or fortunately for this distance runner,) the weekend my family always travels to DLR has just turned into the Avengers Race Weekend. It works for me - I get to run AND play, but I do worry that it might be tougher to get a reservation. We probably won't want a GV just yet though.