Walking “fix” implemented? Problems booking a high value Villa.

[Sandisw]

I have had to delete several posts thst shared real time availability including the number of rooms.

We do not allow that information to be posted. You may talk about trends, etc. and thoughts, but no screenshots of the website, nor actual room counts that are showing.

Thank you.

 

[Sandisw]

I’m following you here… there is something weird going on.

Let’s pretend there is only 1 room available for booking as an example:

Someone has booked the room 4/19 to 4/26.

At 7.59 this morning, the 25th would be blocked and the 26th would be available. The 26th would unlock for booking at 8am.

The only way that 25th could suddenly become available at 8am if is the previous week is modified right at 8am to the new dates 4/26 to 5/3. Why would anyone wait until 8am to do that though as they would risk losing the walk to another person who gets in quicker. So that can’t be what’s happening.

If modified before 8am, the existing booking could only be changed to 4/25 to 5/2 at the latest, so that would leave 25th showing as blocked, not becoming available right at 8am as you describe. So also can’t be what’s happening.

Doesn’t make sense!

Because you can modify a reservation before 8 am, change the dates, and then hit continue right at 8 am….so, that is how the date gets released so quickly.

Using another example, let’s say I booked 4/26 to 4/30 today. I really want to start 4/27. I can go in and hit modify before 8 am…change my calendar to 4/27 to 5/1 before 8 am, meaning dropping the 26th.

I have to wait until 8 am to hit continue and as soon as I do, the 26th has been released for others because I technically released it before 8 am.

it only shows for others at 8:00 when I hit continue to finish my modification.

 

[Cfabar1]

A huge amount of this could be solved by just asking folks to check a box saying "this is a rental" so disney can go after those who abuse the system.

I'd personally prefer we go back to calling Lisa and asking her what is available and handling reservations that way, but Disney is never going to go back to that system.

Skip to 1:17 to meet Lisa to know what I am referring to:

 

[JackosinDIS]

Because you can modify a reservation before 8 am, change the dates, and then hit continue right at 8 am….so, that is how the date gets released so quickly.

Using another example, I have 4/25 to 4/30 booked, and want to modify it one day forward..I can go in and hit modify before 8 am…change my calendar to 4/26 to 5/1 before 8 am, meaning dropping the 25th, and then when 8 am hits, I hit continue and the room of the 25th, which I already released, shows back up that quickly..

Basically, I am releasing it before 8 am but it only shows for others at 8:00 when I hit continue to finish my modification.

Yes, that explains how the prior day is being released so quickly, but doesn’t explain the fact that the 26th was available prior to 8am, as in your example it would already need to be held as part of the res in order to modify.

I suppose it could just be combination of people modifying right at 8am, together with new reservations being made for the next day right at 8am.

It still seems strange that so many owners would be making these modifications at 8am when there is no need to do it at that specific time… but hey who knows what exactly is going on!

 

[Sandisw]

Yes, that explains how the prior day is being released so quickly, but doesn’t explain the fact that the 26th was available prior to 8am, as in your example it would already need to be held as part of the res in order to modify.

I suppose it could just be combination of people modifying right at 8am, together with new reservations being made for the next day right at 8am.

It still seems strange that so many owners would be making these modifications at 8am when there is no need to do it at that specific time… but hey who knows what exactly is going on!

For the night of the 26th, it was available last night because of the check outs.

So, you have two different situations going on that each impacts which day you are talking about differently.

The first was why the 25th, which was booked up yesterday right after 8 am, suddenly showed up so quickly this morning…thst can be from the modifying example I used ealrier.

The 26th disappearing so quickly this morning, when it was still showing prior to 8 am is due to check outs that got released and owners got them as day one of their trip… not as a modification.

Right now, the 27h is there and the 26th is gone…tomorrow, at 8 am, and a few seconds, the 26th with show up…if you have someone modifying…and the 27th will show booked with new bookings being done.

 

[robinb]

For the night of the 26th, it was available last night because of the check outs.

So, you have two different situations going on that each impacts which day you are talking about differently.

The first was why the 25th, which was booked up yesterday right after 8 am, suddenly showed up so quickly this morning…thst can be from the modifying example I used ealrier.

The 26th disappearing so quickly this morning, when it was still showing prior to 8 am is due to check outs that got released and owners got them as day one of their trip… not as a modification.

Right now, the 27h is there and the 26th is gone…tomorrow, at 8 am, and a few seconds, the 26th with show up…if you have someone modifying…and the 27th will show booked with new bookings being done.

I think that you're twisting yourself into a pretzel trying to come up with explanations of why this is happening.

I have witnessed the following two behaviors in the last 6 days:

(1) The current first check-in date is never available to book. That, in and of itself, can be explained away by walking. But the strange error messages in addition to the second behavior makes me think there is something else going on. In our examples we have said that it's 4/26/25.

(2) The previous check-in date shows booked until 8:00 am and then suddenly *poof* it's available one or two seconds after 8:00. In our examples we have that that it's 4/25/25.

A modification at 8:00 am to walk forward with 4/26 as the new start date cannot release the previous check-out date (4/25) soon enough to be available to book at 8:00:02.

If a human modifies EXACTLY at 8:00 am it will take at least 30-60 seconds for them to click through the buttons and finish the entire modification. In our examples, the 25th would NOT be released until that final checkbox is checked and the user submits the final OK. That's because they can back out at any time and their previous reservation would remain the same. In computer programming that's called a "transaction".

There was also talk about an automated system coming in and making the modification for a company that sells reservations. That would also finish soon enough to have the 25th available to book 2 seconds past 8:00 am. You removed my post that said I timed the processing of the website via Chrome's developer tool and I found out that it took over 3 seconds real-time processing for the modification itself to take place. That's in addition to the other processing time used to select dates and retrieve the results building a table which shows availability. Even if the program was lightning fast, it would have to wait for Disney's program to search, return results, verify contract information and finish the entire transaction before 4/25 would be released. That would take, just from my back of the envelope calculations, at the very least least 5-8 seconds for the system to finish the transaction.

The more I see this pattern repeat every day, the more I think that Disney is messing around with availability.

 

[Sandisw]

I think that you're twisting yourself into a pretzel trying to come up with explanations of why this is happening.

I have witnessed the following two behaviors in the last 6 days:

(1) The current first check-in date is never available to book. That, in and of itself, can be explained away by walking. But the strange error messages in addition to the second behavior makes me think there is something else going on. In our examples we have said that it's 4/26/25.

(2) The previous check-in date shows booked until 8:00 am and then suddenly *poof* it's available one or two seconds after 8:00. In our examples we have that that it's 4/25/25.

A modification at 8:00 am to walk forward with 4/26 as the new start date cannot release the previous check-out date (4/25) soon enough to be available to book at 8:00:02.

If a human modifies EXACTLY at 8:00 am it will take at least 30-60 seconds for them to click through the buttons and finish the entire modification. In our examples, the 25th would NOT be released until that final checkbox is checked and the user submits the final OK. That's because they can back out at any time and their previous reservation would remain the same. In computer programming that's called a "transaction".

There was also talk about an automated system coming in and making the modification for a company that sells reservations. That would also finish soon enough to have the 25th available to book 2 seconds past 8:00 am. You removed my post that said I timed the processing of the website via Chrome's developer tool and I found out that it took over 3 seconds real-time processing for the modification itself to take place. That's in addition to the other processing time used to select dates and retrieve the results building a table which shows availability. Even if the program was lightning fast, it would have to wait for Disney's program to search, return results, verify contract information and finish the entire transaction before 4/25 would be released. That would take, just from my back of the envelope calculations, at the very least least 5-8 seconds for the system to finish the transaction.

The more I see this pattern repeat every day, the more I think that Disney is messing around with availability.

I can only report what I have seen and from what I learned. While yes, someone can back out before clicking finalize, it can show up that quickly.

But, I admit I am basing it on what I have seen many times and this thing that you see happening, has happened to me many time with RiV and VGF rooms when booking for early December right at 11 months…room is there within seconds that wasn’t before the window opened.

I lost out on VGF rooms with the technical error message for my Dec 2024 trip.
In my experience, this is not something new.

And, just to clarify, posts were removed because they included data on the rooms, or quoted posts thst were deleted because of it.

ETA: the one thing that could happen is that any modifications that happen after midnight might be held by the system to only release at 8 am…but again, I don’t think that would be new based on what I experience with my home resorts.

 

[Cfabar1]

Sounds to me like a points reallocation is due given the early December problems at many resorts....

I still marvel at how much cheaper weeknights used to be.... surely they could address the early December issue if they wanted....

 

[Sandisw]

Sounds to me like a points reallocation is due given the early December problems at many resorts....

I still marvel at how much cheaper weeknights used to be.... surely they could address the early December issue if they wanted....

They have but remember, it takes several years to adjust since they can not change a night more than 20% up or down in any given year,

And, no matter what, the demand for early December is always going to be high…and summer is never going to magically be less hot and humid.

Now that they have had these charts for a few years….2022 to 2025…maybe they have info on how those changes played out.

 

[robinb]

And, just to clarify, posts were removed because they included data on the rooms, or quoted posts thst were deleted because of it.

The post I am talking about did include a jpeg, but it was not about availability. It was a screen shot of a modification that showed the processing time.

 

[CWTC]

The more I see this pattern repeat every day, the more I think that Disney is messing around with availability.

To what end? Also your data on modification processing time via chrome developer’s is fantastic!

 

[Sandisw]

The post I am talking about did include a jpeg, but it was not about availability. It was a screen shot of a modification that showed the processing time.

Which was showing information directly from the website. Any screenshots of those types can not be shared.

 

[robinb]

Today's entertaining adventures in trying to book a SV 2BR at BWV was completely brought to by the letter "W". I could tell it was going to be a bit hairy yesterday from the distribution of availability I saw for the next few days and it did not disappoint. Instead of becoming available immediately, yesterday's check-in date remained booked solid until someone walked their reservation and released it about 35 minutes into the day. Good thing I just spent a week on the east coast because 8:00 am eastern comes an hour earlier here in the midwest *yawn*.

Which was showing information directly from the website. Any screenshots of those types can not be shared.

Yes, sorry! I was unaware of that rule. Is that a DVC Board specific rule? I tried to find it after you mentioned you deleted things in an earlier post.

 

[Sandisw]

Today's entertaining adventures in trying to book a SV 2BR at BWV was completely brought to by the letter "W". I could tell it was going to be a bit hairy yesterday from the distribution of availability I saw for the next few days and it did not disappoint. Instead of becoming available immediately, yesterday's check-in date remained booked solid until someone walked their reservation and released it about 35 minutes into the day. Good thing I just spent a week on the east coast because 8:00 am eastern comes an hour earlier here in the midwest *yawn*.

Yes, sorry! I was unaware of that rule. Is that a DVC Board specific rule? I tried to find it after you mentioned you deleted things in an earlier post.

Yes. We don’t allow people to share informstion for the DVC site when it comes to availability, screenshots, etc.

We also don’t allow, on the boards as a whole, screenshots that don’t include the link to the website thst it comes from. If a site is filtered, or is a private site that can’t be accessed by anyone, then sharing details of those sites is not allowed.

Not to worry…it’s why I just deleted and didn’t issue any warnings…it’s hard to remember about the Availability rule since that is DVC threads specific.

 

[BuzzLightyr]

Super helpful post.
I finally got my SV 2BD at boardwalk. Each day I waited for drops and picked them up. Not always at 8am but lots of website stalking.

The wait list for reservations this far out isn't run often. I had single night wait list and it didn't clear. I was able to book the night I wanted before the wait list cleared.

Now I am in a celebration mode. Got SV BWV when I had budgetted BV in my point budgeting. My overall stay is shorter with the Waterpark admission incentive - spending first night at the MCO Hyatt and then checking in the next day. The remaining 2025 points in my account have stopped me from addonitis.

 

[wnielsen1]

The remaining 2025 points in my account have stopped me from addonitis.

Don't ever let anything stop you from addonitis

 

[kboo]

Super helpful post.
I finally got my SV 2BD at boardwalk. Each day I waited for drops and picked them up. Not always at 8am but lots of website stalking.

The wait list for reservations this far out isn't run often. I had single night wait list and it didn't clear. I was able to book the night I wanted before the wait list cleared.

Congratulations! I do wonder if there's more interest in BWV now that the refurb's end is in sight. Some people may be sitting on a year's banked points until they feel comfortable they're going to be in "new" BWV.

Regarding what @Sandisw was saying about how single night unavailability keeps "moving" with the 11 mo booking window - not everyone's booking is a walked one - there are some that legit end on the previous day. all the rooms that are NOT being walked are open for booking at 8am - it may be only 1 room, but if you're the lucky one, you will get a room, and it will look to *everyone else* who was trying for the same room that it was available until 7:59 am or even 8:00 and when they clicked to book... then suddenly gone.

I have seen this happen more than a few times, where I got the "last" room at 11 months at VGF and BLT, and a couple times at 7mo at AUL and VGC.

By the way, does anyone here remember the "RAT" ? when you were booking, it would hold the room for 10 or 15 minutes for you to complete the booking process, so it was definitely possible to get a room at 7 or 11 months in the hour after 8am because sometimes people would start booking and not finish, or change their minds as to room type, etc.

Does anyone remember the 2-window method of modifying reservations in the RAT?? I do not miss those days.

 

[Sandisw]

Congratulations! I do wonder if there's more interest in BWV now that the refurb's end is in sight. Some people may be sitting on a year's banked points until they feel comfortable they're going to be in "new" BWV.

Regarding what @Sandisw was saying about how single night unavailability keeps "moving" with the 11 mo booking window - not everyone's booking is a walked one - there are some that legit end on the previous day. all the rooms that are NOT being walked are open for booking at 8am - it may be only 1 room, but if you're the lucky one, you will get a room, and it will look to *everyone else* who was trying for the same room that it was available until 7:59 am or even 8:00 and when they clicked to book... then suddenly gone.

I have seen this happen more than a few times, where I got the "last" room at 11 months at VGF and BLT, and a couple times at 7mo at AUL and VGC.

By the way, does anyone here remember the "RAT" ? when you were booking, it would hold the room for 10 or 15 minutes for you to complete the booking process, so it was definitely possible to get a room at 7 or 11 months in the hour after 8am because sometimes people would start booking and not finish, or change their minds as to room type, etc.

Does anyone remember the 2-window method of modifying reservations in the RAT?? I do not miss those days.

I remember that! It certainly did work for most people! I think the whole part of trying to get something is that not every situation is the same....as you said, not every one booking is walking a reservation, and not everyone that snags one did so because they walked.

Some just get it the old fashioned way....some rooms, walking or not, are always going to book up quickly and never come back....I know some may not agree but the one thing that I have learned about walking is that when it is not an availability issue, then the rooms do come back and waitlists work.

 

[robinb]

Super helpful post.
I finally got my SV 2BD at boardwalk. Each day I waited for drops and picked them up. Not always at 8am but lots of website stalking.

The wait list for reservations this far out isn't run often. I had single night wait list and it didn't clear. I was able to book the night I wanted before the wait list cleared.

Now I am in a celebration mode. Got SV BWV when I had budgetted BV in my point budgeting. My overall stay is shorter with the Waterpark admission incentive - spending first night at the MCO Hyatt and then checking in the next day. The remaining 2025 points in my account have stopped me from addonitis.

I'm glad I was able to help you . I think I'm done booking for now. I realized that I needed a handicapped room which was WAY harder than a regular standard view. Today was a good day. Both the last day of my handicapped SV 2BR came off the waitlist and my Concierge studio at AKV came through.

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

I have been trying to book a standard view 2BR at BWV at exactly the 11 month window every day at 8:00 am for the past 5 days (since Monday). A 2BR is a lock off and includes a hard to book SV studio. When I look the evening before, the current day is not available but the next day is so I set an alarm to book starting the next day on my iPhone and iPad since we are traveling now.

Each time I try to book at exactly 8:00 (and even a few seconds past) I get a “technical difficulty” notice or the Dwarves. I refresh and the Villa is gone but the previous day is now available. At first I thought I was just being late to tap “Continue” but then I went to my iPad and watched my phone count down to 8:00 am and see if that helped. It didn’t.

I think the sane thing is happening to a Boardwalk View studio, AKV value and concierge 1BRs. They have dates before and after the current 11-month check in date but not the date itself. AKV value studios snd concierge studios are still booked out but that may be a remnant of walking that was started earlier.

I really do want to book for late April and I have been picking up the days that pop up behind the lead date but it’s a PITB.

Has anyone else notice this?

This is bot walking. While, in theory, you don’t need to walk every day at exactly 8 am because 11 month availability means your room will always be available, in actuality there is a small risk that a walk could break if a room is out of inventory for some reason (planned maintenance, etc). So the mega rental sites that use bots likely have them programmed to rebook 7 days out at exactly 8:00:00 AM to ensure that this doesn’t happen to them, and if someone’s walk is going to break it will be someone doing it manually and slower. This is why you are seeing the day before dropping at 8:00:01.