Wait list - Wait list?

[knothead180]

I understand that MS matches wait list requests to available accommodations. Does anyone know if they attempt to match one party's wait list request to another party's request when the resort is completely booked?

My wife and I were booked in a studio at BWV last week for our annual F&W festival visit. Due to an unexpected set of circumstances, we wound up bringing our 19 yo son along. So 6 weeks before our trip I asked to be put on the wait list for a 1BR when MS told me that BWV was completely full. No surprise. Well, the wait list never came through and we made do with the studio, and had a great trip. Our son didn't even complain about having to listen to his parents snoring. The whole time we were there, however, I couldn't help wondering... was there a party in a 1BR who wait listed for a studio,wishing to spend fewer points, while we were in a studio wishing for a 1 BR?

Does anyone know if MS matches these types of complimentary requests, or can they only match you to an available room?

 

[Dean]

I understand that MS matches wait list requests to available accommodations. Does anyone know if they attempt to match one party's wait list request to another party's request when the resort is completely booked?

My wife and I were booked in a studio at BWV last week for our annual F&W festival visit. Due to an unexpected set of circumstances, we wound up bringing our 19 yo son along. So 6 weeks before our trip I asked to be put on the wait list for a 1BR when MS told me that BWV was completely full. No surprise. Well, the wait list never came through and we made do with the studio, and had a great trip. Our son didn't even complain about having to listen to his parents snoring. The whole time we were there, however, I couldn't help wondering... was there a party in a 1BR who wait listed for a studio,wishing to spend fewer points, while we were in a studio wishing for a 1 BR?

Does anyone know if MS matches these types of complimentary requests, or can they only match you to an available room?

To my knowledge they do not cross reference the wait lists. Say you have BCV and want BWV and I the reverse, they will not swap them. The reason is that there is also the item of wait list priority and the only way this would work would be if all parties were next in line. No reason you can't do it on your own if you can find the right person who wants to swap with you.

 

[knothead180]

To my knowledge they do not cross reference the wait lists. Say you have BCV and want BWV and I the reverse, they will not swap them. The reason is that there is also the item of wait list priority and the only way this would work would be if all parties were next in line. No reason you can't do it on your own if you can find the right person who wants to swap with you.

Thanks Dean. I thought that might be the case, but I hadn't considered wait list priority. When I think about it, however, I'm not sure that should matter. In your example, neither of those accommodations are going to become available anyway, so whoever is next in line in waitlist priority is not being cheated if you and I swap. But I guess I can understand if that's a can of worms that MS prefers not to open.

 

[Dean]

Thanks Dean. I thought that might be the case, but I hadn't considered wait list priority. When I think about it, however, I'm not sure that should matter. In your example, neither of those accommodations are going to become available anyway, so whoever is next in line in waitlist priority is not being cheated if you and I swap. But I guess I can understand if that's a can of worms that MS prefers not to open.

priority will trump the other options. So in the above example, if even one person were ahead of either party for those options, it would not happen. They will not skip over the higher priority individual for the overall good of the wait list group. If that means no one gets anything, so be it. I would disagree on your assessment of the person who got skipped over, IMO, they are being cheated because someone skipped ahead of them. But you could give up your reservation hoping that it would improve your chances of getting what you want if you like, a risky approach though for DVC.

I actually intend to use a somewhat similar version coming up with another timeshare system. I have multiple units (8 two BR) reserved where I can reserve 11 months out for 7 days or longer but only 5 months for 6 days or less. I can go on the wait list 2 months ahead (13 & 7 months out) so I'll wait list for 2 or 3 two BR units for 6 nights for the same dates 7 months out, 2 months before I can actually reserve them. Then a day or two before the 5 month window, I'll call to see what availability looks like. If it looks decent, I'll cancel 2 or 3 of the units I currently have reserved and amend my pending wait lists for a shorter stay specifically requesting the same units I just gave up. Dropping that single Fri night from 2 or 3 two BR units will save me enough points for a full 2 BR unit for a week later to use or deposit with RCI or II.

 

[knothead180]

priority will trump the other options. So in the above example, if even one person were ahead of either party for those options, it would not happen. They will not skip over the higher priority individual for the overall good of the wait list group. If that means no one gets anything, so be it. I would disagree on your assessment of the person who got skipped over, IMO, they are being cheated because someone skipped ahead of them. But you could give up your reservation hoping that it would improve your chances of getting what you want if you like, a risky approach though for DVC.

I supposed you're right. The concept of a "swap" sounds simple enough. The two units are booked before the swap, and they're both still booked after the swap. So I was thinking the priority list did not come into play. But from a reservation management standpoint, a swap cannot happen without dual cancellations and re-reservations, so then you have to consider the priority list.

 

[Dean]

I supposed you're right. The concept of a "swap" sounds simple enough. The two units are booked before the swap, and they're both still booked after the swap. So I was thinking the priority list did not come into play. But from a reservation management standpoint, a swap cannot happen without dual cancellations and re-reservations, so then you have to consider the priority list.

And with the automatic wait list in place, they'd likely lose at least one of the reservations even if they were trying to do what you were thinking. This is exactly how the II exchange system works but when you have 10,000 people or more offering various options and far more choices by each, it's more workable. Plus when you've already given up your week, it isn't as critical if you look at the common good and screw someone over who will likely never know it happened anyway.

Certainly DVC could function the way you are discussing but it'd mean that those who own more in demand resorts would have a MUCH higher chance of matching off the wait list than the rest. It would essentially give automatic priority to anyone with a high demand reservation over the rest.