Walking A Reservation

BcIcemen

DIS Veteran
Joined
Apr 26, 2016
I have never done this before. Is it acceptable? Does member services frown upon it? Who has done it and if you havent why not?
 
In my experience Member Services does not frown upon it. In fact, they've been known to give tips on how to do it. As far as other members are concerned, it's a somewhat controversial topic. In my personal opinion it's OK because everyone has the ability to do it so the playing field is fair.

Have I done it? Yes, for my upcoming early Dec stay at BLT in a standard view studio. And I'm fairly certain had I not walked I wouldn't have got it but either way, I paid too much money for my timeshare to take the chance of not getting it.
 
Disney does not seem to care if you walk a reservation. I've read that some people just tell the cast member what they want to do, and the cast member will help make the reservation for future walking (so you can call back in a few days-week to walk it). However, you will likely get some dirty looks and grumbling from some DVC owners. There are no rules from DVC regarding this activity.

If you look into it some more, you will find that walking is not needed in most reservations you are trying to make since it's likely those rooms would have been available anyways. The extremely hard to get reservations (E.g. Value Studio or Club Level Studios at AKL for Christmas) may be the only reason to go through the hassle of walking a reservation.
 
In my experience Member Services does not frown upon it. In fact, they've been known to give tips on how to do it. As far as other members are concerned, it's a somewhat controversial topic. In my personal opinion it's OK because everyone has the ability to do it so the playing field is fair.

Have I done it? Yes, for my upcoming early Dec stay at BLT in a standard view studio. And I'm fairly certain had I not walked I wouldn't have got it but either way, I paid too much money for my timeshare to take the chance of not getting it.

Posted a bit faster than me, but pretty much the same as what I understand.
 


Not a DVC person, but I really want to know what walking a reservation means. Can someone explain?

Found this via Google:

This is a method some DVC members have devised to help secure some hard-to-get reservations, which involves reserving a room days or even weeks ahead of the intended travel dates and then continuing to add and delete dates over time.


Basically, book a trip, and "walk" it to the dates you really want, all while keeping the type of room you want to get.
 
Not a DVC person, but I really want to know what walking a reservation means. Can someone explain?

Without going into specifics; walking a reservation means you make a reservation for the days prior to the days you actually want to stay at that resort/room. You do this right at the DVC 11 month window. This causes that room to be "frozen" for the period you reserved and I think 10 days after (might be wrong on time period). Essentially locking out anyone that may try to make that same reservation for that room/resort when you want it. Then you call back to remove the 1st day(s) of the reservation, and add to the end of the reservation. You keep doing this until you get the actual days you want.
 


If you look into it some more, you will find that walking is not needed in most reservations you are trying to make since it's likely those rooms would have been available anyways. The extremely hard to get reservations (E.g. Value Studio or Club Level Studios at AKL for Christmas) may be the only reason to go through the hassle of walking a reservation.

I agree with this as well. In almost all circumstances, it definitely isn't necessary. I think that's the real problem actually. People (myself included - for the aforementioned ressie at least) fear not getting what they want so they walk when it really isn't needed. This creates the unique situation where the member's "cure" worsens the disease.
 
Would this be why the first day of the 11 month mark might always be gone? I've been watching the RAT for BWV standard view just out of curiosity (new member with nothing else to do for now) and it seems like many days the 1st day is gone but then it's open a few days later. So, September 1 - Oct 3 is actually pretty open right now, but if I log on and try to book 9/26 - 10/3 I cannot, because 9/26 is "gone". However, the same thing has happened multiple other days this month only for that 1st day to "come back" a day or few days later.
 
The first day at the 11 month mark being gone is because it's the only day that can be booked. Without it, no one can book subsequent days. If all the days after it are open, chances of booking one of them the next morning at 8am are good provided you're fast. This happens with hard to get bookings independent of walking.

However seeing the "first" day open up a few days later does indicate that walking likely happened.
 
Would this be why the first day of the 11 month mark might always be gone? I've been watching the RAT for BWV standard view just out of curiosity (new member with nothing else to do for now) and it seems like many days the 1st day is gone but then it's open a few days later. So, September 1 - Oct 3 is actually pretty open right now, but if I log on and try to book 9/26 - 10/3 I cannot, because 9/26 is "gone". However, the same thing has happened multiple other days this month only for that 1st day to "come back" a day or few days later.
Yes, that's exactly why. As people "walk past" the current date to when they want to stay, days open up behind them.

Say I want to book Nov 3rd. If I grab 7 nights on Oct 15 and walk them forward, nobody can beat me out of the room.

On Nov 15th (11.5 months out), I grab 7 nights Oct 15-22nd. Now, nobody can step in front of me until the 22nd because I have at least that one room occupied. And if nobody can get that room during the time I hold it, then nobody can use that room as part of their 7 night reservation.

On 10/22, I can call and cancel the six nights behind, and add 6 more ahead until the 29th. And then on 11/3, substract and add until I have my 7 nights starting 11/3.

From the moment I held the room on 10/15, I prevented anyone else from stepping in front of me until my reservation was walked into place.

You have to have that first day to book multiple days and that first day is tied off from my earlier booking.

In practical terms, if I wanted 11/3 and tried to start walking on 10/15, then I have multiple chances to grab a room at 8 am.

If not avail 10/15, I have about 17 more mornings/chances to secure and walk to my 11/3 reservation. If I'm successful on any of those days, then I can hold that room until I walk it into place.
 
Last edited:
I agree with this as well. In almost all circumstances, it definitely isn't necessary. I think that's the real problem actually. People (myself included - for the aforementioned ressie at least) fear not getting what they want so they walk when it really isn't needed. This creates the unique situation where the member's "cure" worsens the disease.

Beyond the hassle, it also risks unintended consequences. If DVC decides walking is getting out of hand and increasing personnel costs for MS (which is bad for the broader membership), it has been speculated that they may begin to charge a fee for each call to change a reservation (whether walking or not) to discourage the behavior...which might also ding members who were not trying to walk a reservation or possibly open the way for other fees being charged for using your membership.

other discussion can be found in this older thread:

https://www.disboards.com/threads/is-walking-a-reservation-unethical.3463509/
 
I've actually had the person make some comments about how it's not very ethical to walk the reservation. I had been walking it for a week for my early December reservation at BLT last year....
 
I know that this method is useful for snagging a club level room at AKVs, but what other rooms/resorts is this popular for?
 
Value rooms at AKV during high demand season most likely, as well as BWV standard view, BLT standard view early December, VGF studios during high demand season. Basically any of the most sought after, hardest to book reservations.
 
If it weren’t for people walking, you wouldn’t need to walk hardly anything. I’ve booked BWV and BLT standard studios at peak demand times without walking.

All I heard about for the months I've been on here researching is how you have to be online right at 8 am if you want a standard studio at BWV during F&W. Right now there are 5 days in all of September gone. One of the days is the 13th, which was available until maybe 2 days ago. So, it took nearly 2 weeks to sell out. Nearly every day, I'll log on and watch that 1st day available to book be open and then gone within a few hours only to come back again. It's usually back the next day. Today, the 28th was gone by like 11 am but I just checked and it is back open. I don't know. Maybe everyone's walking for October and they will all be gone for good on day 1. But, regardless, you could still have a standard studio during F&W if you want one. Yikes. And Boardwalk view,P&G, and Beach Club are all wide open. So, no panic necessary it seems.

Interestingly, I've been watching BLT, too and there are a lot more days really gone there.
 
All I heard about for the months I've been on here researching is how you have to be online right at 8 am if you want a standard studio at BWV during F&W. Right now there are 5 days in all of September gone. One of the days is the 13th, which was available until maybe 2 days ago. So, it took nearly 2 weeks to sell out. Nearly every day, I'll log on and watch that 1st day available to book be open and then gone within a few hours only to come back again. It's usually back the next day. Today, the 28th was gone by like 11 am but I just checked and it is back open. I don't know. Maybe everyone's walking for October and they will all be gone for good on day 1. But, regardless, you could still have a standard studio during F&W if you want one. Yikes. And Boardwalk view,P&G, and Beach Club are all wide open. So, no panic necessary it seems.

Interestingly, I've been watching BLT, too and there are a lot more days really gone there.
Of course there are days gone. Any member who wanted to book six days ago for seven nights has them booked. If they are walking the reservation you just go back and book the first night of your trip each day as they reappear. In the old days, members booked by the last day of their reservation so no rooms were booked before they could book them, especially if they were only booking one night. So members booked a night at a time, adding to the reservation until they got all the nights they needed. DVC changed that to the first day of your reservation a few years ago which resulted in members walking reservations that were hard to book.
 
All I heard about for the months I've been on here researching is how you have to be online right at 8 am if you want a standard studio at BWV during F&W. Right now there are 5 days in all of September gone. One of the days is the 13th, which was available until maybe 2 days ago. So, it took nearly 2 weeks to sell out. Nearly every day, I'll log on and watch that 1st day available to book be open and then gone within a few hours only to come back again. It's usually back the next day. Today, the 28th was gone by like 11 am but I just checked and it is back open. I don't know. Maybe everyone's walking for October and they will all be gone for good on day 1. But, regardless, you could still have a standard studio during F&W if you want one. Yikes. And Boardwalk view,P&G, and Beach Club are all wide open. So, no panic necessary it seems.

Interestingly, I've been watching BLT, too and there are a lot more days really gone there.

September is getting busier but it really isn't the busy DVC time. That will be more dates in Oct-Dec. So keep watching!

In the old days, members booked by the last day of their reservation so no rooms were booked before they could book them, especially if they were only booking one night. So members booked a night at a time, ......

Just to clarify - I think you menat that in the old days members were supposed to book on their day of check out which meant that rooms could end up booked before they could book them so some members began booking day by day. It was just the work around of that booking system. And had a big downside that even when booking day by day you could easily end up with holes in your reservation.
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!









Top