Waitlist strategy

[ems_mom]

I know this has been the topic of many posts, but I was wondering if anyone had advice since online booking has happened. I know they are supposedly showing real time availability (online), but should I call at 9 am to see what MS shows as available? If 4 of the 7 days I want are available, (not consecutive), am I still better off booking them and waitlisting the other 3, since one or two day wait lists get filled before a 7 day wait list?

I really don't want to move resorts during our stay, but if the likelihood of my wait list being met is greatly increased by listing a day here and two days there, I'm willing to chance it over wait listing the entire week.

I hope this is clear...any advise? Thanks!

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Yes, there will be a greater chance that a 2 or 3 day waitlist would fill before a 7 day. But yes, there will be a chance you will have to move if it doesn't.

Whether or not it makes a difference to call MS I don't know. You would think it shouldn't but a couple of people have reported that MS was able to get them a room that was not showing online.

 

[puffkin]

I don't really know either!

We just booked at our 7 month mark for 1st week of October and I was trying for 1br standard at BLT. 2 of the 6 nights were not available so I waitlisted the entire trip and booked AKV 1br instead. We are perfectly happy at AKV, but we will have a 3 mo old infant on this trip so we really wanted BLT for the walk-in access to MK. I can't believe it but our waitlist already came through for BLT today. I am so happy

I thought about calling MS when they opened that day, but I ended up just doing everything online about 6:30am the day our window opened. Luckily it all worked out!

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

If 4 of the 7 days I want are available, (not consecutive), am I still better off booking them and waitlisting the other 3, since one or two day wait lists get filled before a 7 day wait list?

I really don't want to move resorts during our stay, but if the likelihood of my wait list being met is greatly increased by listing a day here and two days there, I'm willing to chance it over wait listing the entire week.

You really have to decide for yourself which of these two means more to you. Do you want to stay at this specific resort, or do you want to avoid a split stay?

We almost always do at least one move whenever we stay for more than a week. Split stays aren't a big deal to us, and we enjoy the feel of it being two vacations in one. (Initially, it was the quickest way to experience all 7 on-site DVC resorts, and we specifically scheduled multiple resorts for each vacation to do so. Then we just sort of got used to vacationing that way.)

One thing I don't like to do, though, is move multiple times. I especially never want to be in the position of having to move for one night, then move back. That's the experience you risk if you piecemeal waitlist nights.

 

[Kramer4208]

I don't really know either!

We just booked at our 7 month mark for 1st week of October and I was trying for 1br standard at BLT. 2 of the 6 nights were not available so I waitlisted the entire trip and booked AKV 1br instead. We are perfectly happy at AKV, but we will have a 3 mo old infant on this trip so we really wanted BLT for the walk-in access to MK. I can't believe it but our waitlist already came through for BLT today. I am so happy

I thought about calling MS when they opened that day, but I ended up just doing everything online about 6:30am the day our window opened. Luckily it all worked out!

Trying to do something similar next week. This will be our first DVC trip. If there is an availability issue at BLT and we book somewhere else, does the wait list automatically eliminate the other reservation if it comes through?

So your AKV reservation was cancelled? Is this easy to do online?

 

[puffkin]

Trying to do something similar next week. This will be our first DVC trip. If there is an availability issue at BLT and we book somewhere else, does the wait list automatically eliminate the other reservation if it comes through?

So your AKV reservation was cancelled? Is this easy to do online?

Yes, it was very easy to do online. First I went in and checked for BLT and saw it wasn't available. Then I backed out and went for my second choice which was AKV and made that reservation. Then, I went back in like I was making the BLT reservation and there is an option to check to waitlist. It gives you some different options (I chose to waitlist the entire stay up until 7 days before checkin as we didn't want to risk any split stays). You then enter the info from the existing reservation and authorize them to cancel it if your waitlist comes through. It is very easy and you can track everything on the member website.

The only time it is dicey is if there is borrowing involved and there is a big difference in points. This isn't an issue for us since we go often enough, but it can be for some people.

 

[lnevo]

I don't really know either!

We just booked at our 7 month mark for 1st week of October and I was trying for 1br standard at BLT. 2 of the 6 nights were not available so I waitlisted the entire trip and booked AKV 1br instead. We are perfectly happy at AKV, but we will have a 3 mo old infant on this trip so we really wanted BLT for the walk-in access to MK. I can't believe it but our waitlist already came through for BLT today. I am so happy

I thought about calling MS when they opened that day, but I ended up just doing everything online about 6:30am the day our window opened. Luckily it all worked out!

I have a wait list for October also, hoping to switch my 2BR LV to a Standard view. Your WL going through has given me hope

 

[minniecarousel]

Anyone want to take a guess on what are my chances from turning my SSR ressie to Boardwalk or BLT in early December? (one bedroom)

 

[peabody58]

!
I can't believe it but our waitlist already came through for BLT today. I am so happy

A lot of BLT owners often swap out there 11 month ressie at the 7 month for a different resort. I've done that before to help save points and to experience a different resort. That frees up a lot of rooms for waitlisters, and in my case, it's always a SV that opens up. Enjoy!!

So booking right at the 7 month at an available resort, and waitlisting for your desired resort is one of the the better statagies.

However, I am not giving up this years ressie BLT 1BR SV in October.

 

[Dean]

Anyone want to take a guess on what are my chances from turning my SSR ressie to Boardwalk or BLT in early December? (one bedroom)

Fairly good if you'll take any view, less so if you're set on specific view categories.