Waitlist question

[smmast]

Do you ever ask where you are on th waitlist when you call to check on a waitlist reservation?
I just called checking on a night in January and wondered if i should have asked. I was not sure it was worthwhile or not. Any experiences with this?

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

Even if they know they won't tell you. Many have asked and MS never tells where you stand.

HBC

 

[CarolMN]

MS can't tell you where you stand on the waitlist - they don't know.

Since they don't hold open nights for you while they wait for the rest of your reservaiton to come through, even though you are 1st on the waitlist, you might not get your request before someone below you gets theirs.

For example, let's say you are waitlisted for the nights 1/6 -1/10.
Member A wants 1/10-1/12.
Member B wants 1/6 -1/9, but waitlisted for each day individually
Member C wants 1/8 -1/9.

Let's say you all got on the list in the order I listed and you all want the same resort and room type/size.

Now let's say that someone cancels the nights 1/8 - 1/10. Who gets the days?

Not you, even though you are first on the list.. It doesn't match your request and they don't hold dates.

Member B gets the night of 1/8 and the night of 1/9.

The night 1/10 goes back into general inventory. Member B still has a waitlist for 1/6 and 1/7, and everyone else is still on the list.

If you factor in the large number of waitlist requests and the various complications of how the waitlists are set up and for what, you can see why MS doesn't know where you stand.

Hope your waitlist comes through. Good luck!

 

[AdamJ]

CarolMN:

Thank you for the excellent example. Then it seems to me, that the key to increasing your likelihood of getting what you want (assuming you're willing and able to have a chopped up reservation) is to wait list for each day individually? Because otherwise if an existing reservation is cancelled, you not only have to be highest on the wait list, but you also have to have your reservation fit within the cancelled reservation's dates, correct?

Thanks!

Adam

 

[Buckeye Fan]

That's what my SIL/BIL do. Only once since 1993 have they had to move during a stay. In fact, she wanted a dedicated 2-BR this year during the week of 3/21 - 3/28. Every day was available except for 3/24. She waitlisted that day and it came through a week later. On the other hand, I went ahead and reserved the lock-off, as I didn't want to wait and waitlisted the entire stay. Though we made reservations the same day and were waiting for the same week, her request came through about 2 or 3 weeks sooner than mine (and that was at 5 months out). Per the example above, that makes sense why her ressie came through quicker.

 

[CarolMN]

CarolMN:

Thank you for the excellent example. Then it seems to me, that the key to increasing your likelihood of getting what you want (assuming you're willing and able to have a chopped up reservation) is to wait list for each day individually? Because otherwise if an existing reservation is cancelled, you not only have to be highest on the wait list, but you also have to have your reservation fit within the cancelled reservation's dates, correct?

Thanks!

Adam

Yes - you've got it! Waitlisting for each day individually makes it more likely that you will get your reservation. But that method also carries the risk of winding up with "holes" in the stay (and having to move back and forth between rooms or resorts). Each person must decide for himself/herself if they can stand the stress, LOL.

If a member has enough points (without borrowing) to hold a "back up" reservation at his/her home resort until the entire waitlist comes through, waitlisting each day individually hasn't any risk of moving back and forth. If the waitlist doesn't work out, you just cancel the days you did get and stay at your home resort. That's why many say you should buy a home resort where you don't mind staying if your preferred choice doesn't work out.

 

[AdamJ]

If a member has enough points (without borrowing) to hold a "back up" reservation at his/her home resort until the entire waitlist comes through, waitlisting each day individually hasn't any risk of moving back and forth. If the waitlist doesn't work out, you just cancel the days you did get and stay at your home resort. That's why many say you should buy a home resort where you don't mind staying if your preferred choice doesn't work out.

CarolMN:

Okay, so this brings up another question I've had, and now won't post as a separate thread:

When doing day by day at at the 7 month window, with a back-up reservation at your home resort - you really need to have enough points to do both at the same time without borrowing, correct? Because you usually would not want to bank or borrow just for this purpose.

Case in point - my wife and I are members at AKL - which we are very much looking forward to staying at. But let's say one year we really want to do BWV instead. If we don't want to borrow points - then we basically need to wait until the 7 month window and hope for the best.

All of this, as always depends on the room type and season. If you're booking 7 mo out for a 1BR at BWV during a slower time, then you might be just fine waiting until 7 mo out w/o having a "back up".

Is my logic above sound?

Thanks!

Adam

 

[dizplanner]

Actually, I would have a back up reservation. What you do is cancel your backup reservation day by day as you create your new reservation.
If you have no extra points at all without borrowing, here is how I would do it.
1. Make reservation at home resort at 11 months.
2. Call 7 months before second day (day after first day of vacation). Check for availability of room you want to switch to and ask what availability looks like for the rest of your stay. If you want to try and switch, cancel first day of your original vacation and make reservation for first day in new resort, using points freed up by the cancelation.
3. Repeat for each day. When you are done, your first reservation will be all cancelled and your new reservation will be in place.

A modification on this would be if you have enough points to make the one day reservation before cancelling the one day. This will remove the minor risk of someone grabbing the available day between the time MS checks for availability and making the reservation. You only cancel the original day after you have the new day booked - and you use these points the next day to repeat the process.

You will only go to this trouble if you think you need to call day by day at the 7 month mark. Otherwise wait until 7 months before your checkout day, check availability and if available, cancel first reservation and make the new reservation.

But if you don't have the backup reservation and there is no availability at your desired resort, you run the risk that there is no availablity at your home resort either. However, unless it is a very busy time, there is probably availability somewhere - but you have to be OK staying at OKW or SSR instead of your home resort.

 

[CarolMN]

CarolMN:

Okay, so this brings up another question I've had, and now won't post as a separate thread:

When doing day by day at at the 7 month window, with a back-up reservation at your home resort - you really need to have enough points to do both at the same time without borrowing, correct? Because you usually would not want to bank or borrow just for this purpose.

I agree with this in principle, but if you really want the reservation, it may be worth it to borrow. Assuming you get the reservation, you will free up current use year points when you cancel the home resort reservation. If you are within your banking deadlines, you could bank those points and use them for a trip in your next use year. However, you must use the banked points during the next use year or they will expire, so you do lose some flexibility. But if you really, really wanted that non-home resort reservation, it may be worth it to you. There could be some "complications" doing this if you don't get the non home resort reservation, so do think it through very carefully before you try it, if you do.

Case in point - my wife and I are members at AKL - which we are very much looking forward to staying at. But let's say one year we really want to do BWV instead. If we don't want to borrow points - then we basically need to wait until the 7 month window and hope for the best.

Personally, I would not borrow just to get a non home resort reservation. I'd waitlist for the entire thing and if I didn't get it, I'd just stay at my home resort and figure that's how it was supposed to be for that trip. Maybe next time. (I do not like waitlists and since they are now automatic and very dependent on MS inputting them correctly, I like them even less, LOL).

All of this, as always depends on the room type and season. If you're booking 7 mo out for a 1BR at BWV during a slower time, then you might be just fine waiting until 7 mo out w/o having a "back up".

Is my logic above sound?

Thanks!

Adam

I think your logic is sound.

As long as you would be OK with a Pool/Garden unit, you should be able to get a 1 bedroom unit at the BWV most times of the year. Standard View and Boardwalk view units will very seldom be available at 7 months.

Obviously, the best chance comes if you call as soon as the 7 month window opens.

January - mid-February, May and September are the easiest times to book BWV at 7 months, followed by the summer months.

Spring break isn't too much harder (except for the weeks surrounding Easter and while difficult, it's not impossible to get BWV during October, November or December, either. You do have a greater chance of needing the waitlist for those times, though.

1 bedroom units seem to book more slowly than the studios. 2 bedrooms or Grand Villas.

 

[AdamJ]

CarolMN:

Thank you for your reply.

So I've dived headlong (or at least it feels that way) into the DVC thing, and I still haven't gotten the paperwork from them yet... All that should arrive by Wednesday.

I think I've gotten too cute by half on this and agree with your perspective on this. I'm a big fan of Occam's razor - the simplest solution is often best. My wife and I book 11 mo out at home resort, we see if we want to do BCV / BWV or another place. We call at 7 mo, and if nothing is there, we waitlist. If we get in great, if not, fine, we're still going to WDW. I think in the end we have some things going our favor at 7 mo - we will usually do a 1BR, and probably won't need to book often at the more popular times (certainly not Easter or Christmas - besides for us we'll be home for Passover or Hanukkah during those times...

Thanks again for all your help Carol - much appreciated.

Adam

 

[Boardwalk Tigger]

When you are this close ( January) I wouldn't waitlist day by day. Too many things could happen. That could be one messy reservation. Plus they dont call and tell you about the waitlist coming through which personally I think is ridiculous. You are suppose to get the notification in the mail??? I would be in Disney by then and probably at the wrong resort LOL!