walking a reservation for Dec. 2017

[Maistre Gracey]

Just assuming a 7 night booking - you only need to call every 6 nights to walk.

And would you not want to walk every day?? Isn't that the only way to guarantee the booking?

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Indeed... but you can start walking months in advance. The old method was limited to the number of days booked.

MG

As I said, it really isn't necessary to start months in advance and I also don't think that most people who walk do that. I'm sure some do but they're creating their own excess work.

And would you not want to walk every day?? Isn't that the only way to guarantee the booking?

Nope. It's the +7 part of booking from check in that means you don't have to call every day. The one thing that has a small potential to foul it up would be if DVC had a room out of service for whatever reason and everyone else walking tied up all the remainder but for most room categories that isn't going to happen. When you book you have a lock on that room for all those nights and no one else can get in it until you're out so as long as you stay in front of the new 11 month window you're good.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

As I said, it really isn't necessary to start months in advance and I also don't think that most people who walk do that. I'm sure some do but they're creating their own excess work.



Nope. It's the +7 part of booking from check in that means you don't have to call every day. The one thing that has a small potential to foul it up would be if DVC had a room out of service for whatever reason and everyone else walking tied up all the remainder but for most room categories that isn't going to happen. When you book you have a lock on that room for all those nights and no one else can get in it until you're out so as long as you stay in front of the new 11 month window you're good.

Yeah, but that may not guarantee your booking. If someone books 7 days the day after you book, your first day is gone and you can't book.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Yeah, but that may not guarantee your booking. If someone books 7 days the day after you book, your first day is gone and you can't book.

No, and I"m not quite understanding what scenario you're presenting.

If you booked 7 nights a day before someone else books 7 nights you have one room locked in for a week and they have a different room locked in for a week but starting a day later.

I think you may have sold your DVC before the change to booking of +7 nights from check in? Or was it started before you sold?

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I guess just clarifying that you know the difference from what it was because that's the key.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

No, and I"m not quite understanding what scenario you're presenting.

If you booked 7 nights a day before someone else books 7 nights you have one room locked in for a week and they have a different room locked in for a week but starting a day later.

I think you may have sold your DVC before the change to booking of +7 nights from check in? Or was it started before you sold?

If you only refresh your ressie every six days, tons of folks can book during those days and book all of your future days and lock you out.
Not sure how else to explain it without getting overly lengthy.

MG

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

If you only refresh your ressie every six days, tons of folks can book during those days and book all of your future days and lock you out.
Not sure how else to explain it without getting overly lengthy.

MG

Sorry, I'm going to have to get a bit lengthy to explain with an example....

But keeping it a small example, say you have a category with 3 rooms.

On December 1st I book room #1 for a check in on November 1 and check out on the 8th.
You book room #2 on Dec 1st for a check in on November 1 and check out on the 5th.
On Dec 2nd Guest C books the 3rd and last room for a check in on Nov 2nd and check out on the 9th.

At that point Guest D want to book a room but there's none available and they can't start a reservation until the 5th when you vacate your room. They then book Room #2 for the 5th thru the 12th.

So as of the 5th
I'm still in room #1 until the 8th. Nobody else can move in and take my room.
Guest D is now in room #2 until the 12th.
Guest C is still in room #3 until the 9th.

Guest E is sitting in the wings wanting to get my room on the 8th when I check out.

But, because DVC allows a person to modify a reservation and drop nights without a complete cancel I can call on Dec 7th to change my check in date of room #1 to Nov 7th and check out on Nov 14th. At that time no one can book that room for a check in before Nov 14th but someone could book the room for the nights prior to my Nov 7th check in. However looking forward no one can book my room #1 until the 14th. I'm in the room and not opening the door. And if I call on the 13th and change to the 13th-20th then it's once again locked against anyone getting that room until the 20th and so on and so on. Other people can book rooms #2 and #3 as other guests vacate but they won't get my room #1 as long as I stay ahead of the 11 month window when a new person could finally book it out from me. If I were ever to fall behind and be trying to change on the same day that others could book their first night then yes, I might lose the reservation. But being able to modify a day before my check out means I keep the room and change the next date it will be open.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Sorry, I'm going to have to get a bit lengthy to explain.

But keeping it a small example, say you have a category with 3 rooms.

On December 1st I book room #1 for a check in on November 1 and check out on the 8th.
You book room #2 on Dec 1st for a check in on November 1 and check out on the 5th.
On Dec 2nd Guest C books the 3rd and last room for a check in on Nov 2nd and check out on the 9th.

At that point Guest D want to book a room but there's none available and they can't start a reservation until the 5th when you vacate your room. They then book Room #2 for the 5th thru the 12th.

So as of the 5th
I'm still in room #1 until the 8th. Nobody else can move in and take my room.
Guest D is now in room #2 until the 12th.
Guest C is still in room #3 until the 9th.

Guest E is sitting in the wings wanting to get my room on the 8th when I check out.

But, because DVC allows a person to modify a reservation and drop nights without a complete cancel I can call on Dec 7th to change my check in date of room #1 to Nov 7th and check out on Nov 14th. At that time no one can book that room for a check in before Nov 14th but someone could book the room for the nights prior to my Nov 7th check in. However looking forward no one can book my room #1 until the 14th. And if I call on the 13th and change to the 13th-20th then it's once again locked against anyone getting that room until the 20th and so on and so on.

Oh man... I will read that closer tomorrow when I wake.

That said, you can book days 1-7. The next day people can book 2-8. When you try to rebook on day 6 for days 8-15, you can't because folks already booked 2-8.

Too tired to go further, but I will earnestly look into your explanation when I can.

MG

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Oh man... I will read that closer tomorrow when I wake.

That said, you can book days 1-7. The next day people can book 2-8. When you try to rebook on day 6 for days 8-15, you can't because folks already booked 2-8.

Too tired to go further, but I will earnestly look into your explanation when I can.

MG

Yes, too late - I had to modify a couple of times to explain better!

But - on day 6 I could only modify from that day 6. And in order for the other person to book days 2-8 they had to have been in another room because we each booked our own room. My room I have until day 7. They have their room until the 8th. So I call on 6 and change it to 6-13 - I can't call on the 6th day and change it to 8-15 because it's further out than the 11 month window to start a new reservation. It can only be check in day plus 7 at the 11 month window.

 

[kristenrice]

That said, you can book days 1-7. The next day people can book 2-8. When you try to rebook on day 6 for days 8-15, you can't because folks already booked 2-8.



MG

Correct... but they are in a different room because the person who booked 1-7 is not occupying the same room as those who booked 2-8.

 

[Dean]

With the advent of member online booking, one could argue staffing has been decreased. Not enough data to surmise any real cost associated with walking.

Possibly, we don't know. But could it be potentially even lower or better service for other calls? The answer is clearly yes.

I was a fan of walking, but always liked the old way... Just go back to the old day by day.
It's walking in reverse, but it will yield fewer calls, as you can't start four months in advance. It is limited.

MG

Personally I think walking is better than day by day but personally feel neither are appropriate. Between the 2, I'd chose the current setup. Even better and more fair (a rare word to be able to use accurately with timeshares), would be to allow 7 or even up to 14 days but not be able to modify the reservation or to make every modification a cancelation and rebooking. The issue with day by day is your stressing every day for a week or so and might get some but not others while I have other days you need and vice versa. But I do realize no system is perfect.

How can you think that more calls to member services means we pay more in dues? Even if we all called to them tomorrow the staffing and therefore the costs are not increased. You will just wait longer

Because staffing equates to costs and ultimately we pay the costs even though it's a delayed formula based on a % of the dues.

 

[supersnoop]

Oh man... I will read that closer tomorrow when I wake.

That said, you can book days 1-7. The next day people can book 2-8. When you try to rebook on day 6 for days 8-15, you can't because folks already booked 2-8.

Too tired to go further, but I will earnestly look into your explanation when I can.

MG

If you have the first day locked up, then nobody else can book that room.

If there are five rooms and you have days 1-7, then tomorrow, only four rooms can be booked out from 2-8.

Obviously, this only applies to booking at 11-months. And fixed-week ownership could have an impact.

 

[mustinjourney]

Oh man... I will read that closer tomorrow when I wake.

That said, you can book days 1-7. The next day people can book 2-8. When you try to rebook on day 6 for days 8-15, you can't because folks already booked 2-8.

Too tired to go further, but I will earnestly look into your explanation when I can.

MG

Kathy is right on this one.

The key is that DVC does not behave like regular hotel operators in that there is no overbooking. When I book a DVC room for 7 nights (check in 12/1 and check out 12/8) -- not only is it taken out of inventory for those 7 nights, but no one else can book it for the next 7 nights because they can't book their first night until 12/8. Thus, as long as I call on the 7th and add/subtract, then I am good because no one else can grab that room until the night of 12/8.

If people could waitlist 12/7 and then book 12/8-12/14, then the walking plan would not work very well. But since a new reservation has to get their first day in before they can book the rest of the trip, those days after my booking inherently stay open.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

Kathy is right on this one.

The key is that DVC does not behave like regular hotel operators in that there is no overbooking. When I book a DVC room for 7 nights (check in 12/1 and check out 12/8) -- not only is it taken out of inventory for those 7 nights, but no one else can book it for the next 7 nights because they can't book their first night until 12/8. Thus, as long as I call on the 7th and add/subtract, then I am good because no one else can grab that room until the night of 12/8.

If people could waitlist 12/7 and then book 12/8-12/14, then the walking plan would not work very well. But since a new reservation has to get their first day in before they can book the rest of the trip, those days after my booking inherently stay open.

I do have one question. When I look at the resort availability tool, my arrival date is all booked ( no availability). Yet the days after are all open. You would think some of the other days would also be unavailable.

 

[Andyman33]

Possibly, we don't know. But could it be potentially even lower or better service for other calls? The answer is clearly yes.

Personally I think walking is better than day by day but personally feel neither are appropriate. Between the 2, I'd chose the current setup. Even better and more fair (a rare word to be able to use accurately with timeshares), would be to allow 7 or even up to 14 days but not be able to modify the reservation or to make every modification a cancelation and rebooking. The issue with day by day is your stressing every day for a week or so and might get some but not others while I have other days you need and vice versa. But I do realize no system is perfect.

Because staffing equates to costs and ultimately we pay the costs even though it's a delayed formula based on a % of the dues.

I get that we pay the staff. My point remains that more calls do not increase staff and therefore doesn't increase dollars. Just increases waits to talk to them

 

[Dean]

I get that we pay the staff. My point remains that more calls do not increase staff and therefore doesn't increase dollars. Just increases waits to talk to them

I would completely disagree. Staff is hired to accommodate the volume. If the volume is reduced, less staff is needed. If the volume increases, more staff is needed. Time is literally money in this situation. But for swings with the same staffing, increased wait times is a big problem and likely a bigger one overall.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Sorry, I'm going to have to get a bit lengthy to explain with an example....

But keeping it a small example, say you have a category with 3 rooms.

On December 1st I book room #1 for a check in on November 1 and check out on the 8th.
You book room #2 on Dec 1st for a check in on November 1 and check out on the 5th.
On Dec 2nd Guest C books the 3rd and last room for a check in on Nov 2nd and check out on the 9th.

At that point Guest D want to book a room but there's none available and they can't start a reservation until the 5th when you vacate your room. They then book Room #2 for the 5th thru the 12th.

So as of the 5th
I'm still in room #1 until the 8th. Nobody else can move in and take my room.
Guest D is now in room #2 until the 12th.
Guest C is still in room #3 until the 9th.

Guest E is sitting in the wings wanting to get my room on the 8th when I check out.

But, because DVC allows a person to modify a reservation and drop nights without a complete cancel I can call on Dec 7th to change my check in date of room #1 to Nov 7th and check out on Nov 14th. At that time no one can book that room for a check in before Nov 14th but someone could book the room for the nights prior to my Nov 7th check in. However looking forward no one can book my room #1 until the 14th. I'm in the room and not opening the door. And if I call on the 13th and change to the 13th-20th then it's once again locked against anyone getting that room until the 20th and so on and so on. Other people can book rooms #2 and #3 as other guests vacate but they won't get my room #1 as long as I stay ahead of the 11 month window when a new person could finally book it out from me. If I were ever to fall behind and be trying to change on the same day that others could book their first night then yes, I might lose the reservation. But being able to modify a day before my check out means I keep the room and change the next date it will be open.

Agreed.... amazing what a good nights sleep will do!
For some reason it slipped my mind that you can book seven days ahead.

I still don't like the booking method, but indeed you are correct about the walking frequency.

MG

 

[supersnoop]

I do have one question. When I look at the resort availability tool, my arrival date is all booked ( no availability). Yet the days after are all open. You would think some of the other days would also be unavailable.

Take a look at AKV club rooms. You'll likely see the second and sometimes third day unavailable. Since there are only 5 of those rooms, they're only available if someone is checking out that day.

 

[mustinjourney]

I do have one question. When I look at the resort availability tool, my arrival date is all booked ( no availability). Yet the days after are all open. You would think some of the other days would also be unavailable.

In order for a room to be unavailable, every single person that has the current day booked would also have to have the next day booked. Presumably, given such large numbers, it is probable that the current day is someone's last night.

In other words, it just takes one person checking out that night.

 

[ToddyLu]

I feel like I am listening to a physics class on string theory...what ever the heck that is and I only know those words because I watch Big Bang Theory. I am blonde and my mind cannot comprehend walking...so I will just get up the morning of 11/30 when the clock changes over on the website and try to get a value studio at AKV for next December. I have 78 points and it would be great if I could book one week at 69 points and then add a day, preferring a Sun thru Thursday which I could afford. Now my back up plan is to wait to 7 months maybe and book a standard at 81 points at Kidani and then buy the extra points needed for my reservation.

But I do give myself points for reading this thread and trying to comprehend all the scenarios so I can learn DVC nuances. This is the first year I see myself NOT getting the value studio I have always been able to get in the past. Even getting one for this past May took a little skill.