Walking a reservation

[mikeymc1115]

Kind of new to DVC and doing lots of research before buying our first resale. I came across the term called "walking" in my travels and was hoping for some clarity. I understand that it has something to do with "cheating" the 11/7 month window in a way. Can somebody dive into some detail for me? For sake of argument let's say I would like to reserve an OKW studio for a week checking in on Christmas Day and checking out on New Year's Day. (I know crazy right? I think that's why I gotta walk it!)

TIA

 

[rlovew]

You probably would not need to walk it as long as you owned at OKW and in December walking at 7 months is somewhat pointless from what I have seen. It is very small categories that people walk to make sure they get (like AKV value or concierge with than 10 villas in concierge and I think 20ish total in value, also Standard view at BLT, BWV, and lakeview at GFV).

Rebecca

 

[DMKEDM]

Personally, I don't view "walking" as "cheating"--it is manipulating, but it's perfectly legal...

Anyway...here's what it is:

Under DVC rules, the soonest you can book (up to a week), is the first day of your 11-month booking window (I don't see how walking works at 7 months, so I'll stick to home resort 11-month booking window/rules here).

So, if you want to go 12/25-1/1, the soonest you can book (at your home resort) is 1/25 ...but you can book 7 nights, i.e., 1/25-2/2--so it's really an 11-month plus a week booking advantage (for those booking a week at the start of the 11-month window)...so, to walk your rservation, you back up your desired week by a week, and then change it (day-by-day) til you get the week you actually want.

So, for 12/25-1/1, start booking on 1/18, and you book 12/18-12/25...then the next day (12/19), you drop 12/18 and end your reservation 12/26; then on 12/19, you drop 12/19 and add 12/20...you do this each successive day until you have your originally desired reservation of 12/25-1/1...

Some folks have figured out a way to do this w/out the daily calls (you can't do it online because you have to drop and add ad day at the beginning and a day at the end), but I've never been able to quite get my head around that...

Basically, what walking does is give you the to-the-day 11-month home resort advantage a week early...anyone and everyone can do it (hence, I do not believe it's "cheating")...it can mess with your points (you have to use points to book nights you don't want--you get them back in the end, but you most always will need a cushion, and it can get dicey if you're in a borrowing situation)...it takes time and some mental effort to figure out...but if you want a very limited room category at a high demand time and "nothing else will do" then it makes sense to put in the effort...

Good luck!

 

[hakepb]

You do not have to call daily to extend, but you do have to call no more than 6 days later to guarantee your extension because:

Using your example:

So, for 12/25-1/1, start booking on 1/18, and you book 12/18-12/25...then the next day (1/19), you drop 12/18 and end your reservation 12/26; then on 1/20 you drop 12/19 and add 12/20...you do this each successive day until you have your originally desired reservation of 12/25-1/1...

On 1/18 you booked 7 days 12/18-12/25. What happens if you wait 6 days?
On 1/20, Member B calls and books 12/20-12/27... Did Member B just take your room on 12/26-12/27??? No! Member B checks in on 12/20 and you have your room booked for 12/18-12/25.
On 1/24, Member C calls and books 12/24-12/31. Did Member C just take your room on 12/26-12/31?? No! Member C checks in on 12/24 and you have your room booked for 12/18-12/25.
Later on 1/24, you call and safely add 12/25-12/31.
You will need a 2nd call to add 1/1/15.

 

[Breyean]

Some folks have figured out a way to do this w/out the daily calls (you can't do it online because you have to drop and add ad day at the beginning and a day at the end), but I've never been able to quite get my head around that...

Good luck!

See if this makes it easier to understand...

It's not effective at all at 7 months because an owner at that resort could swoop in any day to book the days out from when your walking reservation ends and your real dates begin. That's because for resort owners, they are already within their booking period and don't have to wait for the first day of what the need to be available.

But at 11 months, you can't lose the room until the 11 month window opens for a day outside your walking reservation.

Say there are only two rooms available, like at VGC where there are only 2 GVs. You want a GV for 7 nights (lucky you to have that many points!) and you own at VGC.

Your dates are Dec 8-14. So you start walking the reservation by booking Dec 2-8 by calling Jan 2.

Now someone else calls the next day and books Dec 3-9.

Then I call on Jan 4. I want Dec 4-10. Guess what? I can't book because the FIRST day, Dec 4, is taken by you and the second person. So while I can see the dates at the end of my desired stay are open, the FIRST day isn't so I can't book anything. Not until the 11 months opens on Jan 8, when your walking reservation ends. That is, unless YOU walk it and extend your dates.

Those first two people who book are in total control of the GVs at VGC until they finish walking, if they do it right.

And even there was no second person, just you and me, it would still be true. Again, at VGC one of the GVs is HA. YOU book that one as above. When I call Jan 4 and I request it, I can't get it because you have the first days locked and they are unavailable. W/o the first day open, I have to wait until the day it IS open to be able to make that reservation.

It works with only 2 rooms; it works with many rooms. That's why people walk. By booking and locking up the FIRST days, no one else can book that room until there's an opening. It's not as obvious with most resorts, but believe me, I own and walk at VGC, and in fact did just this with a GV for next Feb.

You don't need to call each day. Only toward the end of your walking days. Just cancel and extend then because only you can control that room at 11 months plus 1 day.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Walking is why you want to own at a resort you wouldn't mind staying at if you couldn't change at seven months out. You like the place enough to try to get that tough booking at eleven months out. Nowhere else will do.

If you try to walk at seven months out, you should have owned at that place and booked it at eleven months out. It just doesn't work like at eleven months out.

 

[mikeymc1115]

Personally, I don't view "walking" as "cheating"--it is manipulating, but it's perfectly legal...

You are right; it is more of a manipulation. I guess I see it quite often on the threads and from what I'm hearing it seems as though it is only really necessary for very specific room types at very specific times of the year and not something that will be required all that often. Am I understanding that correctly?

 

[com_op_2000]

You are right; it is more of a manipulation. I guess I see it quite often on the threads and from what I'm hearing it seems as though it is only really necessary for very specific room types at very specific times of the year and not something that will be required all that often. Am I understanding that correctly?

Yes you are understanding correctly.
In over 20 years of DVC membership I have never walked a reservation.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Back in the old days when you booked your stay by check out day instead of check in day, members would book a day at a time when they wanted one of those harder to get villas. So they would book day one of a one day trip, the next day they would book day two and add it to the first day. And so on, until they had their entire stay.

Walking was just a variation of that process.

 

[Debby7]

So say I my reservation will be for only 4 nights. Do I still start walking a week ahead? Thanks for the help!