Waitlist Advice

[Buckeye Fan]

I have very little experience with waitlists and I'm trying to get a summer reservation at either HH or VB for July 20 - July 31. When I called MS, they asked if I wanted to waitlist the entire ressie or night by night. I waitlisted VB night by night and the entire ressie at HH. When in doubt, try one of each!!!

Based on your experience, is it better to waitlist night by night or the entire ressie? I understand if the entire ressie doesn't come through, you may have to move for a night or two, but do you have a booking advantage with one versus the other? I'm not 100% sure how the waitlist works.

Thanks, all!

 

[SanDeeKath]

Correct me if I am wrong but if you waitlist nightly, you'll have a higher chance of getting some of the days but they may be broken up (some may not come through) so you'd have to find lodging elsewhere. That could be a pain.

If you waitlist for the week, you won't get it until a week opens up (which is less common than an individual day opening) but then you'll have your whole week in the same location.

Why not consider renting a week from someone directly and then renting your points out on the rental boards?

Katherine

 

[CarolMN]

I have very little experience with waitlists and I'm trying to get a summer reservation at either HH or VB for July 20 - July 31. When I called MS, they asked if I wanted to waitlist the entire ressie or night by night. I waitlisted VB night by night and the entire ressie at HH. When in doubt, try one of each!!!

Based on your experience, is it better to waitlist night by night or the entire ressie? I understand if the entire ressie doesn't come through, you may have to move for a night or two, but do you have a booking advantage with one versus the other? I'm not 100% sure how the waitlist works.

Thanks, all!

Take a look at this thread - it will help you understand how it works:

Is there any way to find out where you are on a waitlist?

Hope both your waitlists come through.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I have very little experience with waitlists and I'm trying to get a summer reservation at either HH or VB for July 20 - July 31. When I called MS, they asked if I wanted to waitlist the entire ressie or night by night. I waitlisted VB night by night and the entire ressie at HH. When in doubt, try one of each!!!

Based on your experience, is it better to waitlist night by night or the entire ressie? I understand if the entire ressie doesn't come through, you may have to move for a night or two, but do you have a booking advantage with one versus the other? I'm not 100% sure how the waitlist works.

Thanks, all!

The way you have done it, you can have 3 nights at VB booked, when the entire reservation at HH comes through. Do you have enough points to cover the 3 nights and the HH? Have you told MS what to do in that case? Do they know to cancel VB before booking HH? I don't know the answer, I'm just asking what you did?

Bobbi

 

[Buckeye Fan]

I told MS that my first preference is VB. So we waitlisted night by night. If the HH reservation comes through in it's entirety, then HH will automatically be booked and any VB nights will be cancelled. Had I waitlisted night by night at both resorts, I would have had to borrow points, and I didn't want to do that. Though I didn't ask, I think it would have also worked had we waitlisted both vacations in their entirety and just indicated a preference.

Thanks for all of the responses and for the thread link. I'll definitely go read up, as I am curious how the waitlists work. The only time I waitlisted was for SSR, and I waitlisted a dedicated 2-BR instead of a lockoff. I knew I had the lockoff for all nights no matter what, so to be honest, I didn't really care. It took less than 3 weeks for that ressie to come through for us. Unfortunately, not sure I'll be that lucky this time. Wish me luck and pixie dust!!!

 

[Deb & Bill]

Maybe I'm looking at this strangely, but you want to go to both VB and HH in the summer. What happens if you only get some of your days at VB and none at HH? Do you have a backup plan if you don't get any or some of your nights? You are about two hours from WDW at VB.

 

[Buckeye Fan]

Maybe I'm looking at this strangely, but you want to go to both VB and HH in the summer. What happens if you only get some of your days at VB and none at HH? Do you have a backup plan if you don't get any or some of your nights? You are about two hours from WDW at VB.

No, sorry if I didn't explain it better. We're looking to take a beach trip this summer (July 20 - 30) at either VB or HH. We won't go to both. I'm just trying to get ressies for all 11 nights at one resort. Since neither resort had availability, I waitlisted night by night at VB and for the entire stay at HH. If HH comes through, VB will be cancelled. If VB comes through, we'll be pulled off of the HH waitlist.

As for a back-up plan, the WDW/VB combo is a great idea. We were wanting to try something different since we are going to SSR for 7 nights in March, but if we have to, I'm sure we could get a room at SSR or OKW for a night or two.

Thanks for the suggestion. With the new banking rules, we'll have till the end of March to see where things are. If we aren't close, I always have the option to bank the points.

 

[Buckeye Fan]

Take a look at this thread - it will help you understand how it works:

Is there any way to find out where you are on a waitlist?

Hope both your waitlists come through.

Great thread. Thank you very much, Carol!