Walking a reservation

[melissa70]

Yes I know -I don’t want to do it! But if I want my week to begin on December 30 -January 6- I feel like I may need to because it’s in the middle of the holiday week. Could I just begin it earlier on December 20-Jan 6 and every day drop a day off until I get to the 30th?

I hate that this seems to be another stressor I’ve realized!

 

[Willow Ufgood]

Yes I know -I don’t want to do it! But if I want my week to begin on December 30 -January 6- I feel like I may need to because it’s in the middle of the holiday week. Could I just begin it earlier on December 20-Jan 6 and every day drop a day off until I get to the 30th?

I hate that this seems to be another stressor I’ve realized!

It's possible but you won't need to drop/add daily if you have a 7-night reservation secured. The bigger dilemma is whether you can even get in for a walk starting Dec 20. I'm seeing rooms being walked now for (I assume) Thanksgiving, early December or Christmas week. If the room you're looking for requires very few points and has is very limited in number (studios at VWL, BWV, BCV, resort view studios at pretty much every resort) you stand a very good chance of not getting in just to walk forward on Dec. 20.

 

[lowlight]

You’re definitely going to have to start walking a month early depending on resort. If all else fails, there are an absolute megaton of reservations for those weeks for sale every year from owners who have had “a last minute change of plans”.

 

[muppets3d]

If you want a resort view studio, good luck. December 2025 was a bloodbath when booking opened last year. All the resort view studios were walked, even at huge resorts like AKV. Pretty much all other room types were available however.

 

[melissa70]

I would want a one bedroom savanna view at AKL

 

[Wedgeout]

I don’t enjoy being up, right on time, so early. I don’t like that the website can malfunction or go under maintenance, at the wrong time. Go in early & practice. Once get the reservation locked in, will have options on getting the dates modified to where you want them, but you’ll have it!..& that’s a great feeling.

 

[lowlight]

Let me see if this link works. You are going for a room type that typically lasts longest so that is good. https://dvcfieldguide.com/akv-j-1b-savanna7

 

[muppets3d]

I would want a one bedroom savanna view at AKL

Honestly you probably won't need to walk that.

 

[Sandisw]

Based on what you want, I don't see it being a need to walk situation. But, the thing is that some will walk reservations, even when it is not needed and we know that because they come back and those who really want those dates get them.

The ones that do not is because supply outweights demand for those dates.....

You will only be allowed to book 7 nights at a time at exactly 11 months (same with 7 months) so you will never be able to hold more than that if the first night is exactly 11 months away.

As long as you can hold at least 2 nights, it can be walked. In your case, once you decide to start it, book the 7 nights and then just modify until you get to the dates that you want.

 

[AstroBlasters]

I’m walking a reservation at VDH for Jan 2027 now….

 

[lowlight]

The ones that do not is because supply outweights demand for those dates.....

Here we go again…

 

[Sandisw]

Here we go again…

No need for you to post responses of this nature.

Rooms that get booked and don’t come back indicates that enough people who booked them, wanted them for those dates because they are not being dropped.

When walking is happening and they do come back then it means those specific dates are not the ones people walking wanted.

So, for someone new, as long as DVC allows walking, which they do, then it’s good for them to know what it means when rooms do or do not come back.

In some cases, you can follow behind walkers to get your dates… and in some cases, even that doesn’t work because demand outpaces supply.

 

[Cfabar1]

So, for someone new, as long as DVC allows walking, which they do, then it’s good for them to know what it means when rooms do or do not come back.

Exactly... These folks are entitled to do so under the way DVC operates. And I say this as someone who has personally never walked a reservation. But, if I found I wanted/needed to, I wouldn't hesitate doing so one bit...

Should DVC have different rules around this - my personal view is probably. But, that doesn't matter.

 

[melissa70]

Exactly... These folks are entitled to do so under the way DVC operates. And I say this as someone who has personally never walked a reservation. But, if I found I wanted/needed to, I wouldn't hesitate doing so one bit...

Should DVC have different rules around this - my personal view is probably. But, that doesn't matter.

They should not allow it. I think I will just go in with a flexible mindset. It’s not worth the stress..if I can’t get the dates I want so be it. I only have a preference for NYE but I can be patient

 

[Sandisw]

They should not allow it. I think I will just go in with a flexible mindset. It’s not worth the stress..if I can’t get the dates I want so be it. I only have a preference for NYE but I can be patient

That’s a great attitude to have. I walked a few times and honestly, not worth the stress.

I book what I can at 11 months and use stalking and waitlists to get what I want.

I have also had success in getting a room that was being walked without having done it so sometimes non walkers will win!

 

[Sandisw]

Exactly... These folks are entitled to do so under the way DVC operates. And I say this as someone who has personally never walked a reservation. But, if I found I wanted/needed to, I wouldn't hesitate doing so one bit...

Should DVC have different rules around this - my personal view is probably. But, that doesn't matter.

For whatever reason, as of today, they have not chosen to make changes to the booking process.

But, if they do, then owners will need to adjust to whatever that new process is.

I check the documents regularly for updates.

 

[lowlight]

No need for you to post responses of this nature.

Rooms that get booked and don’t come back indicates that enough people who booked them, wanted them for those dates because they are not being dropped.

When walking is happening and they do come back then it means those specific dates are not the ones people walking wanted.

So, for someone new, as long as DVC allows walking, which they do, then it’s good for them to know what it means when rooms do or do not come back.

In some cases, you can follow behind walkers to get your dates… and in some cases, even that doesn’t work because demand outpaces supply.

That's like saying you threw someone off a roof but didn't kill them, it was just that the deceleration at the end outpaced their desire to live. You lose a reservation at 8 AM day of, you lost to supply and demand. You lose a reservation at 8 months before the 11 month check in day, you lost to people gaming the system.

 

[Sandisw]

That's like saying you threw someone off a roof but didn't kill them, it was just that the deceleration at the end outpaced their desire to live. You lose a reservation at 8 AM day of, you lost to supply and demand. You lose a reservation at 8 months before the 11 month check in day, you lost to people gaming the system.

My comment had nothing to do whether or not walking is or is not gaming the system.

My comment was that when rooms get booked and don’t come back, walking or no walking, there is more demand than supply.

And there are rooms and dates where demand outweighs supply which is the exact reason people walk in the first place.

As long as DVC has the booking rules they do and have decided that walking is allowed, then owners who choose to take advantage of it are playing within the current rules.

If DVC decides at any time that booking rules should be different that eliminate or limit one’s ability to walk, then they will update things for owners and let owners know things have changed.

Until then, owners are free to walk reservations if they decide it’s something they want to do.

ETA: be fair, AKV CL will always be a room in high demand and that has nothing to do with walking. Not all issues are simply because of walking.

 

[AstroBlasters]

I think you both are right. As long as it can be done then people who have very specific travel windows, coming from overseas, school schedules, birthdays/anniversaries/limited vacation windows, etc) are incentivized to do it at the hard to get rooms in certain resorts.

Yet…. I get why others think it is annoying. I was not trying to stir up anything this time…. I just wanted to let the OP know that it does happen and people can walk reservations for a LONG time….

 

[Sandisw]

I think you both are right. As long as it can be done then people who have very specific travel windows, coming from overseas, school schedules, birthdays/anniversaries/limited vacation windows, etc) are incentivized to do it at the hard to get rooms in certain resorts.

Yet…. I get why others think it is annoying. I was not trying to stir up anything this time…. I just wanted to let the OP know that it does happen and people can walk reservations for a LONG time….

The whole reason this is a hot topic is because it’s a very polarizing idea and it does frustrate people.

And, as I said, people do it because they are afraid of getting shut out because too many other owners want the same thing.

This comes up at this time every year because now is the time when people have begun walking in earnest toward those October to December trips!!!