Waitlist with partial availability

[Salty5204]

Hi everyone. First off, you have converted another. I just bought my first contract at VGF. And based on what you all have written, it was go big or go home. So I now have 500 points! Woohoo!!!

My question is, if a desired reservation has three of four nights available, is it possible to waitlist all 4 as a group? I don’t see the option, and I don’t have enough points left (I know, add-on more, haha) to keep my current reservation, book the available nights and waitlist the donut hole night.

I will keep stalking, but it would be nice to have the waitlist working in the background as well.

I could call member services, but I’m hoping not to spend 2 hours on the phone this morning.

 

[CarolynFH]

Yes, you can WL all four nights - just put those dates into the WL dialog box. NB that a 4-night WL is less likely to fill than a 1-night, because all 4 nights would have to come available at once. If only one night becomes available, the system won’t save it for you - it will give it to someone who wants just that one night.

Others who WL a lot more than I do will come along soon, I’m sure, with suggestions on how to manage the WL in order to maximize your chances of success.

 

[Sandisw]

As mentioned, you go back into the calendar and choose all 4 dates. Be aware that the do not hold the rooms available now for you.

Waitlist is all or nothing so they will need all 4 at the same time to fill.

If you are willing, book what you can and waitlist the one night. Book a back up trip for two of the nights that are missing the one at the resort you want.

 

[Salty5204]

Thanks. I figured this was the case but was hoping there was a workaround so I don’t have to free up points to reserve the nights that are available. I guess it’s a game of chance at this point. Cancel, book the 3 available nights and hope the night frees up. Or keep the reservation and waitlist all 4 nights/stalk like crazy.

 

[Debbie Jean]

I’d book the 3 and see if the room is available for cash with DVC discount. Then waitlist and stalk to get that day. You can always cancel the cash booking if you get it but worse comes to worse you’d have all 4 days.

I’d never waitlist all 4 days for the reasons mentioned by others. When I waitlist anything, it is almost always single days at a time. I’ve put together whole weeks doing that along with stalking.

 

[EilonwyWanderer]

Definitely book what's available. When I was a young and dumb new owner I tried to get a week and two days weren't available. So I waitlisted the whole week thinking surely since the rest of the week was open as soon as those days popped I'd get it!

Lol no. Of course the other days in the week also booked up and in the end I had to completely rearrange my plans. As soon as I realized what I'd done I felt like the biggest idiot.

 

[Salty5204]

Thanks this is the newbie guidance I need! I cancelled my Copper Creek, booked 3 of 4 at Bay Lake and waitlisted the middle night. Fingers crossed. And if I fail, January is wide open!

 

[kboo]

Sometimes (like now) I modify my waitlists - I had been stalking a 4-night stay at a certain very popular resort. Waitlisted all 4 nights. Then snagged the first night through stalking. Then I canceled that 4 night WL and made two waitlists - 1 for the remaining 3 nights and 1 for just the next night. I have pieced together some decent-length stays by doing this, 1 night at a time.

 

[standardgirl]

Sometimes (like now) I modify my waitlists - I had been stalking a 4-night stay at a certain very popular resort. Waitlisted all 4 nights. Then snagged the first night through stalking. Then I canceled that 4 night WL and made two waitlists - 1 for the remaining 3 nights and 1 for just the next night. I have pieced together some decent-length stays by doing this, 1 night at a time.

Just wondering as we're facing a similar situation. When you piece together different nights - aka, when you have multiple reservations all at the same resorts, do you have to change room? or can MS combine them effectively into one reservation? My concern of piecing a 2 night stay, a 1 night waitlist and another 3 night would be that we'd have to change room within the same resort twice. Or is this not the case?

 

[SLThomas318]

Just wondering as we're facing a similar situation. When you piece together different nights - aka, when you have multiple reservations all at the same resorts, do you have to change room? or can MS combine them effectively into one reservation? My concern of piecing a 2 night stay, a 1 night waitlist and another 3 night would be that we'd have to change room within the same resort twice. Or is this not the case?

Nope, once you get all the dates member services will merge all the reservations into 1... they have to be all the same room type/view. You can request on chat or call.

 

[Sandisw]

Just wondering as we're facing a similar situation. When you piece together different nights - aka, when you have multiple reservations all at the same resorts, do you have to change room? or can MS combine them effectively into one reservation? My concern of piecing a 2 night stay, a 1 night waitlist and another 3 night would be that we'd have to change room within the same resort twice. Or is this not the case?

To add, they also need to be part of the same membership to be put into one single reservation.

If not, they will link and you should not have to change rooms. We never have even though they will say it not guaranteed.

 

[standardgirl]

Nope, once you get all the dates member services will merge all the reservations into 1... they have to be all the same room type/view. You can request on chat or call.

awesome! It looks like I will need to do that and also try to walk (extend) my reservation each day from now on by a day hoping that someone will "walk off" their reservation!

We want April 28 to May 6 in VGF. At the moment, all nights are available except for May 2 and May 3. Given that today is June 3, I'm guessing that some people will walk off those nights in the next couple days. Am I thinking correctly? We've never walked a reservation ourselves.

So is the best course of actions?
Book April 28/29/30 and May 1 now.
Then waitlist for May 2/3 (2 nights).
Then check again tomorrow?
Is it midnight Easter time that I need to check? Doesn't seem like there'd be a way for me to snap the nights May 4/5/6 right now though even though they are available as May 2/3 are not - or is there any trick?

Thanks a million!

 

[Sandisw]

awesome! It looks like I will need to do that and also try to walk (extend) my reservation each day from now on by a day hoping that someone will "walk off" their reservation!

We want April 28 to May 6 in VGF. At the moment, all nights are available except for May 2 and May 3. Given that today is June 3, I'm guessing that some people will walk off those nights in the next couple days. Am I thinking correctly? We've never walked a reservation ourselves.

So is the best course of actions?
Book April 28/29/30 and May 1 now.
Then waitlist for May 2/3 (2 nights).
Then check again tomorrow?
Is it midnight Easter time that I need to check? Doesn't seem like there'd be a way for me to snap the nights May 4/5/6 right now though even though they are available as May 2/3 are not - or is there any trick?

Thanks a million!

It is possible that people are not walking but actually traveling those dates or at least booking at 11 months in case.

If May 2nd didn’t show back up today, it lends itself more to that then walking.

Book what you can and then waitlist and stalk those other dates.

 

[standardgirl]

It is possible that people are not walking but actually traveling those dates or at least booking at 11 months in case.

If May 2nd didn’t show back up today, it lends itself more to that then walking.

Book what you can and then waitlist and stalk those other dates.

I've booked April 28/29/30 + May 1 for now and did 2 individual night waitlist for May 2 and May 3. Will try to book May 4-6 tomorrow at 8am Eastern.

Totally understand what you mean about May 2 not showing back up today. It just seems a bit weird that May 2/3 would be fully booked given those are Tuesday and Wednesday nights and there's no school holiday or major event as far as I'm aware. Fingers crossed, still keeping my hopes up for now

 

[Sandisw]

I've booked April 28/29/30 + May 1 for now and did 2 individual night waitlist for May 2 and May 3. Will try to book May 4-6 tomorrow at 8am Eastern.

Totally understand what you mean about May 2 not showing back up today. It just seems a bit weird that May 2/3 would be fully booked given those are Tuesday and Wednesday nights and there's no school holiday or major event as far as I'm aware. Fingers crossed, still keeping my hopes up for now

True. But many people do start trips during the week. I always do.

But some like to be there for May 4th for the whole Star Wars connection!!! Good news is that you are far enough out that a really good chance that it will happen for you!

Also, check later today because I have had luck getting something later in the day when it wasn’t there earlier!

 

[HappyDisneyWife]

It just seems a bit weird that May 2/3 would be fully booked given those are Tuesday and Wednesday nights and there's no school holiday or major event as far as I'm aware. Fingers crossed, still keeping my hopes up for now

I’ve noticed that too! May 2&3 are fully booked at several resorts that I wanted to book. It’s soooo odd!! I didn’t feel the need to rush to make those reservations, but now I am so bugged that I didn’t try harder… who would’ve guessed?!?

 

[Sandisw]

I’ve noticed that too! May 2&3 are fully booked at several resorts that I wanted to book. It’s soooo odd!! I didn’t feel the need to rush to make those reservations, but now I am so bugged that I didn’t try harder… who would’ve guessed?!?

Maybe people are guessing that a MM event might happen those nights based on this year?

 

[standardgirl]

I’ve noticed that too! May 2&3 are fully booked at several resorts that I wanted to book. It’s soooo odd!! I didn’t feel the need to rush to make those reservations, but now I am so bugged that I didn’t try harder… who would’ve guessed?!?

That's not good to hear! I did get lucky late yesterday afternoon to snap May 2 at VGF and cancelled the waitlist - another data point that waitlist isn't always as good as constantly checking! So we've now just got May 3 on wait list and have otherwise all nights before and after booked (booked May 4-6 at 8am Eastern today!). I'm hopeful given that we are 11 months away, that one single night May 3 waitlist will come through! Fingers crossed... Best of luck to you too!

 

[Nabas]

Maybe people are guessing that a MM event might happen those nights based on this year?

May the 4th (Star Wars) and May 5th (Cinco de Mayo) - that’s why we booked the week.

Plus it’s a lot fewer points than the week before.

 

[HappyDisneyWife]

But some like to be there for May 4th for the whole Star Wars connection!!! Good news is that you are far enough out that a really good chance that it will happen for you!

Maybe people are guessing that a MM event might happen those nights based on this year?

All great thoughts!! I hadn’t even considered May the 4th (my kids would be so ashamed!).

May the 4th (Star Wars) and May 5th (Cinco de Mayo) - that’s why we booked the week.

Plus it’s a lot fewer points than the week before.

I usually book mid/end of May, but decided to try for earlier in the month for lower crowds this year (assuming not as many families would be out of school yet)… & the lower points cost for early May might have been the final deciding factor for me too