Waitlist questions from one of the new kids on the block?

[jaysue]

OK, can someone give me the lowdown on how waitlists work?

For example, called recently for a 2BR Nov 9-13 and all they had was OKW (which is cool with me since I do like it there). DW wanted to stay at BWV for this trip. I was a little surprised that at 5 months nothing was out there. For example BWV had only a 1BR for one night of the 4 I had in mind.

I booked the 2BR at OKW to make sure we had something for our trip. My question is, can I now waitlist for BWV or should I have just waitlisted to start with and not booked OKW

All in all, looking for waitlist strategy....

thanks
jaysue

 

[RobDoc]

Yes, you can waitlist for BWV now. Your options are am automatic day-by-day waitlist or an automatic full-stay waitlist or a full stay waitlist.

With the Full Stay waitlist- they will contact you by phone if your entire reservation becomes available. (They will not save individual days as they open up.) If they are unable to reach you to confirm, you could lose the reservation.

With the Auto Full Stay wailtlist- they will automatically book the reservation if it becomes available- without having to contact you.

With the Auto-Day-By-Day - they will automatically reserve each day as it opens up, without contacting you. This is the best way to find your dates, but does open the possibility that you could have a missing day in the middle of your stay, if all dates do not become available.

Once within 30 days, the waitlist is dissolved- but you can call back and be added again. The same thing occurs at 7 days.

(BTW- the names Full Stay, Day-by-Day, etc. are not official DVC names for the waitlist- but are descriptive terms I used to describe how it works. MS will understand what you want if use use similar terms, however.)

Good Luck!

 

[InstImpres]

I think Doc answered it the waitlist part great.

As far as your reservation at OKW, I would have done that to make sure you at least have somewhere to be.

Sandy


P.S. Depending on how many points you have, I would do the day by day...much better chance of getting it. You would need enough points to cover the current OKW and than the day-by-day at BWV. As you get closer you would than decide which to cancel. Often, if you have all but one night and are not going in the "prime season" they can call the hotel and clear one night from inventory for you.

Good luck

 

[CarolMN]

I think you were wise to book OKW. As Sandy posted, at least you have a place to stay (and OKW is a great resort, anyway).

Go ahead and waitlist for BWV - you never know when someone's plans might change. You can do that right now (or rather, as soon as MS opens, tomorrow, LOL).

As Doc posted, you have the best chance of getting BWV reservation if you are willing to waitlist for the individual days (rather than wait for all the days to open up at the same time). The "safest" thing to do is to keep the OKW reservation until the BWV days all come through. That way, if the BWV days don't all come through, you can cancel them and still have a place to stay. Of course, that method requires that you have enough points to hold more days than you need while you are waiting. Consider the ramifications if you do that - i.e., banking & borrowing deadlines, cancellation deadlines and point expiration dates.

FWIW, the time you have chosen is quite popular with DVC members, especially at the EPCOT resorts. It's often difficult to get a reservation at BWV (and now BCV) during the Food & Wine Festival (mid-October until the weekend before Thanksgiving). Since the 7 month window has been open since mid-April, it is not at all surprising that everything is now booked.

Good luck - hope the waitlist comes through for you!

 

[jaysue]

Thanks all for the great advice....

Cheers
Jason

 

[twinmomplus2]

Jaysue
I would keep your Old Key West reservation. And go on an automatic waitlist For your other choices. I have done this several times. And have always gotten lucky. Once I was changed to my waitlist accomadations less than a week before travel. I have every time been granted my request on the waitlist. You have 5 months out. Thats alot of oppurtunity for people to cancel. I waitlisted my first night at Boardwalk in December and got it, My last night and got it. And waitlist listed to nights at WLV in December and have gotten those met as well. Good luck!

 

[loveswdw]

Yup me too! We have a reservation at OKW Oct. 18-24 because all studios were booked for both BCV and BWV. We waitlisted for either place but they didn't ask me about day-by-day or automatic. She said they would call me when the stay became available. Maybe I should call them tomorrow and ask them for day-by-day with automatic confirmation? By the way, we have been on the waitlist for close to a month now...

loveswdw