Waitlist one day within stay

[Mirabell Rose]

Wanted to share an experience with a waitlist within an existing reservation for a day. Several weeks ago I talked to a Disney 'expert' about availability at vacation club resorts. He told me that it was his understanding that back in the pandemic, Disney started the policy of not letting someone check into a room the same day as someone else checked out of it. This was because they had additional cleaning protocols in place, and for DVC essentially meant one less day's availability for renting the room out. For example, if someone checked out on Tuesday, they wouldn't use it for a Tuesday night reservation, it would be blocked until Wednesday night. I had a one night, Thursday, waitlisted. I had seperate reservations for Sunday through Wednesday nights, and Friday night. I called member services today on something else, and when she saw I had a one day in the middle wait list, she said that she could convert that and fill it. So she did. I was very happy as I had been waiting for some time on the list.

She said the system wouldn't automatically do it, but when members called member services, they could fill it and then they send it to have the reservations combined. Sure enough, it now shows as booked. (still 3 separate reservations because she said it would take 7-10 days for the combined one to show) Just wanted to post in case anyone else is in the same situation.

 

[Sandisw]

When a waitlist matches, it has to be processed by a CM and many times, that is what the phone CM sees….it’s matched but waiting to be finalized.

I am not sure what she meant by the system not doing it but I have had plenty of waitlists filled and processed without any such phone calls. In terms of leaving rooms open when the pandemic was happening, they would leave a room empty for a day in between guests if they could, but they never took DVC inventory out from booking…it’s just that travel was so low that it worked out.

Glad you got your room.

 

[Mirabell Rose]

When you have a waitlist for one day in the middle of two other confirmations, the system waits until there is an 'opening' and then, as you say, it automatically completes and emails you. However, you in fact have created your own opening but the system doesn't recognize it, but member services can. This is because of the 24 hours a room is taken out of service for cleaning. Before the pandemic, they would have someone check out, quick clean, and let someone check into that room the same day. Now the system blocks that night the day of checkout to give mouse keeping 24 hours for cleaning.

For example, I had a reservation through Wednesday night, and then another reservation to cover Friday night. I needed only the Thursday night. (this was a December booking). But the system sees me checking out on Thursday morning, and then blacks that room out for availability Thursday night to allow a night between reservations to give time to get the room ready for the next guest, so in the system it wouldn't be available until Friday night. However, if they let me stay in the room Thursday night as well, since I am the same guest, they do not have to do a cleaning after I check out Thursday morning and before I check back in Thursday afternoon.

Understand? They are now not putting the rooms back in to be booked until the night after the day of checkout via the system. Member services must manually get you that night, and can if you call. Of course you could just wait and try your luck at another unit of what you want coming open on the wait list, but why do that if you just need the room you have already booked for that blackout night the system sees between checkout and checkin??

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

When you have a waitlist for one day in the middle of two other confirmations, the system waits until there is an 'opening' and then, as you say, it automatically completes and emails you. However, you in fact have created your own opening but the system doesn't recognize it, but member services can. This is because of the 24 hours a room is taken out of service for cleaning. Before the pandemic, they would have someone check out, quick clean, and let someone check into that room the same day. Now the system blocks that night the day of checkout to give mouse keeping 24 hours for cleaning.

For example, I had a reservation through Wednesday night, and then another reservation to cover Friday night. I needed only the Thursday night. (this was a December booking). But the system sees me checking out on Thursday morning, and then blacks that room out for availability Thursday night to allow a night between reservations to give time to get the room ready for the next guest, so in the system it wouldn't be available until Friday night. However, if they let me stay in the room Thursday night as well, since I am the same guest, they do not have to do a cleaning after I check out Thursday morning and before I check back in Thursday afternoon.

Understand? They are now not putting the rooms back in to be booked until the night after the day of checkout via the system. Member services must manually get you that night, and can if you call. Of course you could just wait and try your luck at another unit of what you want coming open on the wait list, but why do that if you just need the room you have already booked for that blackout night the system sees between checkout and checkin??

What you were stating was understandable but not correct. The DVC "expert" you got that information from is not current on their information. Rooms no longer sit empty for a day and actually as Sandi said they never did IF there was a need for it. A room that is vacated in the morning will be given to someone else that evening.

Any waitlist is matched by the system but needs to be finalized by a CM. If it's an addition to a night you have it's become less likely for it to be merged automatically and you may need to contact MS to request that be done. Pre-pandemic the CM you spoke to on the phone would get it done while you were on the phone with them. Now they have to place a request to have it completed.

 

[Mirabell Rose]

Not talking about merging the reservation. I called for something unrelated to the wait list today, and when I asked the cast member about the hold she confirmed she could manually override the system. So I disagree that the default in the system isn't to block the room for 24 hours. There is nothing in the DVC agreement that required the hotel to refill the room the same day. It remains a DVC room, and it fills the requirement as it can be taken down for cleaning and servicing. The person told me that it originally started with the extra cleaning in the pandemic but is now used under the excuse of low staffing levels. He also stated that it may explain some of the lower booking availabilities, which would make sense. But you don't have to take my word for it. I posted in case there are others who are waiting for a day in the middle of their reservation so they could get it filled by calling and talking to member services rather than take the chance another unit comes open and fills for them off the wait list.

 

[dfisher9]

That doesn't happen. Let's say the average stay is 7 nights (probably on the high side). If what you are saying was true, every room would be out of service for 52 nights a year, which is ~14% of the time. That is way more points than Disney owns. What you are implying isn't legal.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Not talking about merging the reservation. I called for something unrelated to the wait list today, and when I asked the cast member about the hold she confirmed she could manually override the system. So I disagree that the default in the system isn't to block the room for 24 hours. There is nothing in the DVC agreement that required the hotel to refill the room the same day. It remains a DVC room, and it fills the requirement as it can be taken down for cleaning and servicing. The person told me that it originally started with the extra cleaning in the pandemic but is now used under the excuse of low staffing levels. He also stated that it may explain some of the lower booking availabilities, which would make sense. But you don't have to take my word for it. I posted in case there are others who are waiting for a day in the middle of their reservation so they could get it filled by calling and talking to member services rather than take the chance another unit comes open and fills for them off the wait list.

I don't say things are 100% certain very often but this is an exception. It is 100% certain that DVC is not setting aside rooms for 24 hours. People check out and back in on the same day. There are no holds.
Are you a new DVC member or have you not stayed recently?

 

[Sandisw]

Not talking about merging the reservation. I called for something unrelated to the wait list today, and when I asked the cast member about the hold she confirmed she could manually override the system. So I disagree that the default in the system isn't to block the room for 24 hours. There is nothing in the DVC agreement that required the hotel to refill the room the same day. It remains a DVC room, and it fills the requirement as it can be taken down for cleaning and servicing. The person told me that it originally started with the extra cleaning in the pandemic but is now used under the excuse of low staffing levels. He also stated that it may explain some of the lower booking availabilities, which would make sense. But you don't have to take my word for it. I posted in case there are others who are waiting for a day in the middle of their reservation so they could get it filled by calling and talking to member services rather than take the chance another unit comes open and fills for them off the wait list.

I think there is something that the CM didn’t explain well. If the night you were missing was able to be filled, and you were on a waitlist for it, then you got it because your waitlist matched.

If you did not have a waitlist for it and the CM told you she could book it, it means that the room was in inventory for all owners to book and she booked it for you.

You did not get your room today because the CM had a room set aside to give you solely because you had a reservation booked before and after that night.

Many times, when one has a waitlist in place and you call, the CM will say “hey, I see your night is here, let me book it for you”

 

[Mirabell Rose]

I am a long time DVC member and I have had recent stays. The remark about those rooms going under Disney points for the nights they are out of service for cleaning is incorrect. They do not become 'Disney' nights. The hotel can hold those nights as DVC nights as they have the right to hold the room for cleaning. It is absolutely legal. Review the contracts. It is a way of, if your 14% is correct, of lessening the number of nights the hotel has to service DVC guests and still receive the same amount of DVC money for the rooms. This was realized during the pandemic. Do you really think 'The Mouse', given the realization of this during the pandemic, would give up this kind of money?

 

[accm]

Regardless of it being legal, which I agree it's not, if DVC was actually doing this, why would there be so many instances of people not getting their rooms assigned until late? If what you're stating is true, most, if not all rooms would be ready early in the morning.

My understanding is that DVD needs to own a certain percentage of points at each property, and those points are used when rooms need to be taken out of service. DVC cannot take a room out of inventory without having points associated with it (other than at the 60 day mark when they can convert those rooms to cash rooms

 

[MagicDVC]

I am a long time DVC member and I have had recent stays. The remark about those rooms going under Disney points for the nights they are out of service for cleaning is incorrect. They do not become 'Disney' nights. The hotel can hold those nights as DVC nights as they have the right to hold the room for cleaning. It is absolutely legal. Review the contracts. It is a way of, if your 14% is correct, of lessening the number of nights the hotel has to service DVC guests and still receive the same amount of DVC money for the rooms. This was realized during the pandemic. Do you really think 'The Mouse', given the realization of this during the pandemic, would give up this kind of money?

Per the POS, there are only 51 use weeks available for points. Disney does holds some points to be a voting member, but they use those points to rent out villas through the central reservation system during their 11 month period. Other villas are rented at 60 days during the breakage period. That last use week are used when a room needs to be taken out of service for maintenace/refurb. Disney won't use their points to take a room out of service, just like DVC can't use your points to take rooms out of service either.

The night buffer you are talking about was only possible during the pandemic due to decreased travel demand and the rooms remained available. Once travel rebounded, DVC resorts have been booked fully as some rooms are not ready at check in time.

 

[Sandisw]

I am a long time DVC member and I have had recent stays. The remark about those rooms going under Disney points for the nights they are out of service for cleaning is incorrect. They do not become 'Disney' nights. The hotel can hold those nights as DVC nights as they have the right to hold the room for cleaning. It is absolutely legal. Review the contracts. It is a way of, if your 14% is correct, of lessening the number of nights the hotel has to service DVC guests and still receive the same amount of DVC money for the rooms. This was realized during the pandemic. Do you really think 'The Mouse', given the realization of this during the pandemic, would give up this kind of money?

They have the right to take them out of service for maintenance. That part is true…they cannot prevent an owner from booking a room that otherwise could be booked simply because they have decided they want to, whether to allow for deeper cleaning or not,

Even when it is out of service, it does have to be accounted for in terms of DVD and the points structure, which is why the rooms can only be booked by members 51 weeks a year…it gives 7 nights a year per room to allow for the above.

They did not ever purposefully take DVC rooms out of service in between guests because there would be no way for them to know which room to remove and when based on how DVC bookings work.

After things opened up, they certainly would leave a room vacant for a night between guests. Including upgrading people. But it only worked because occupancy was low. This happened to us and we got a 2 bedroom instead of a 1 bedroom…

But you still only got your room yesterday because either your waitlist filled, or it showed open from a recent cancellation.