Trying to understand waitlist

[kniquy]

I am new to DVC and was just trying to get a handle on the way waitlist works. I tried searching the threads but didn't find a comprehensive list of how waitlist works for various scenarios -- if you know of one please send me the link!!!

Maybe i am making it more confusing than it actually is. Say the first day of the trip we want to book is not available --are we able to book the remainder of the trip (even if it is beyond our 7 month) and waitlist the first day or would you need to waitlist that first day and then wait another day until the 7 month mark to book the rest of the trip? I am thinking it is the ladder choice.

If you waitlist the entire trip? so if that first day does not become available does that mean someone could come along and book my other dates then nothing would be available?

 

[jerseyduke]

If you have the last 6 days already booked, only wait list day one, that will have the best chances.

If you WL all seven days, and all seven days are not available at the same time, it will never come through.

It is not like you are first on the list, so they get held for you. If 3 days become available and someone 100 places down from you WLs only those 3 days, they will get them.

If you are trying to book at the 7 month mark and day 1 is not available, you can not make a reservation at all. (unless it is your home resort)

I would make 2 WLs. 1 for day one, and one for the entire week - assuming points are not going to be borrowed to fill it. If points are being borrowed to fill a WL, you might want all or nothing.

 

[CarolMN]

I am new to DVC and was just trying to get a handle on the way waitlist works. I tried searching the threads but didn't find a comprehensive list of how waitlist works for various scenarios -- if you know of one please send me the link!!!

Maybe i am making it more confusing than it actually is. Say the first day of the trip we want to book is not available --are we able to book the remainder of the trip (even if it is beyond our 7 month) and waitlist the first day or would you need to waitlist that first day and then wait another day until the 7 month mark to book the rest of the trip? I am thinking it is the ladder choice.

If the first night of your desired vacation is not available when you attempt to book, you cannot book any part of it. You can waitlist the entire trip and try again the next day for the last 6 nights of your trip.

If you waitlist the entire trip? so if that first day does not become available does that mean someone could come along and book my other dates then nothing would be available?

All of the nights on your waitlist must be available before the waitlist will come through. DVC does not "hold" nights for you, anticipating that the others will become available. Any nights for your desired vacation that may become available (if they all aren't available at once) will go to someone else if they happen to match that person's waitlist or if no waitlist matchtes, those nights will go back into inventory and be available for anyone to reserve.

 

[DebbieB]

The thing to remember is for your multi-night waitlist to come through, all the nights have to become available at the same time. It will not match single nights. So you have the option of watching the website to see if some nights come through and try to book them and revise the waitlist. The less nights waitlisted, the better chance you have. I did this in November 2013. I had to change dates about 2 months out. I booked wanted a BWV pool/garden studio (I knew standard or boardwalk view would be less likely). None of the 5 nights were available, so I waitlisted the whole 5 and booked an AP discount room as a backup. A couple of weeks later, I saw nights 4 & 5 open, so I booked them and changed the waitlist to nights 1 to 3. A couple of weeks later, nights 2 & 3 became available, so I booked them and changed the waitlist to just night 1. Night 1 was filled on the waitlist about 28 days before check-in. Member Services combined all the reservations into one. I then cancelled the AP reservation.

It's a little risky doing this because every time you change the waitlist you go to the back of the line. I risked it knowing I had the AP discount room as a backup, although it was almost $300 a night.

 

[kniquy]

An you can only have 2 waitlists- correct?

 

[Dean]

An you can only have 2 waitlists- correct?

2 spots per UY per master contract at any one time. That might be 2 consecutive days or 2 view types at one resort. I tend to think that understanding and using the WL is key for those who don't know or can't reserve day 1 at 8 am 11 months out and it can be even then due to walking and competition. Just remember that they don't hold any days and that shorter stays (even single days) are easiest to match.

 

[3 DD love princesses]

I would wait list your first day only. then try to book the rest of your trip. you can always cancel your waitlist and change it to the whole trip if those dates become unavailable before you can book them. I've found my waitlists come through more often when they are single days vs. multiple days. good luck