Walking a resevation

[jockotaco]

If you are going to "walk" a reservation it means by definition you are booking at the 11 month window (or in this case cheating it a bit). I guess my question is do the resorts really have availability issues when you are booking this early?

 

[Pirate Granny]

We wanted OKW HH and we decided to walk it a few days before we needed to since there are only 2 GV HH. We recently walked a 2 bedroom lock off for VGF...which I had been stalking the site for three month before checking availability...when it became available two nights before we needed, I took a chance a walked it at the 7 month mark...it worked, but we were lucky!

I'm debating an 11 month walk for our VWL trip next December. I'll start checking the end of December. Since we only need a studio there, it may not be a problem.

 

[jockotaco]

I was thinking of walking at 11 months. Make more sense at 7 months, for some reason I wasn't thinking that.

 

[drusba]

Walking at 7 months is usually less likely to have success for the simple reason that owners of the resort can book dates before you can including those that could be at the end of your trip, e.g., you are not likely going to be able to walk into all of Christmas week by starting a week before Christmas week at 7 months out.

Walking at 11 months out is not usually needed but there are room categories with a limited number of rooms and times of year you might consider it: AKV club level studios and 2BRs almost require walking much of the year but even walking can be a problem because it can often be hard to find a date open on which to start walking. BWV standard view studios and 2BRs can have dates that sometimes disappear before 11 months out for the first week of Dec, DVC's highest demand week of the year, and time around NYE. AKV value studios and 2BRs can have like issues that first week of Dec, all of Christmas week, and the Wed through Fri of Thanksgiving week. BLT standard studios and 2BRs can have issues the same times as AKV value and also the second week of Dec (DVCs third highest demand week of the year) and time beginning just before Columbus day weekend through the Monday of the next weekend, and time just before end of October through Veteran's Day weekend (just yesterday, Dec 2, someone posted that he could not get Nov 2-4 in a standard 2BR at BLT). BCV and VWL studios might sometimes have issues the first week of Dec and for time around NYE if your actual start date is Dec 28 or after.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

If you are going to "walk" a reservation it means by definition you are booking at the 11 month window (or in this case cheating it a bit). I guess my question is do the resorts really have availability issues when you are booking this early?

The resorts do not have issues but sometimes a room category may. In general though walking is not required - especially not for the larger resorts and room categories that make up the majority of the resorts.

I've also had no issues getting a studio at VWL in the first week of Dec right at 11 months.

 

[joelnkelly]

I walked my reservation at the grand Californian because I wanted to make sure most of our days were booked. I didn't want to worry about calling every morning to book that day since the rooms go quickly at the seven month window. This was the first time I walked a reservation and luckily it worked for us. The entire week we Are there now in June is booked up.

 

[AppleDisneyDad]

Booked a 2 Bedroom CL at AKV yesterday at 8:00 AM.

Must be someone walking a reservation for a studio/2 BR since the day before my trip is now available while it wasn't yesterday.

I think I got lucky.

Food and wine plus race weekend w/o walking.

 

[jcjen519]

Booked a 2 Bedroom CL at AKV yesterday at 8:00 AM. Must be someone walking a reservation for a studio/2 BR since the day before my trip is now available while it wasn't yesterday. I think I got lucky. Food and wine plus race weekend w/o walking.

Sounds like you have what you want but just to let you know in case you need anymore days or someone else does we are walking a reservation for a cl studio.

Will be walking it until we have an arrival day of dec 14. Realize it's early but we really want it and thought we had better snag the dates to walk when we could.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[LSchrow]

we've been unable to get consecutive days (BWV studio BW view for October/F&WF) in the past (booked P/G or standard view - waitlisted to no avail).
so yes, we have started walking our F&WF ressies at 11 months.

 

[dparksfan]

Exactly how does 'walking a reservation' work? I am thoroughly confused how to do this, and I think I have to do this next week for a very desirable unit/time.

 

[WMorganS]

Exactly how does 'walking a reservation' work? I am thoroughly confused how to do this, and I think I have to do this next week for a very desirable unit/time.

People have different takes on "walking" a res. Some like to call every day, some like to start walking several weeks ahead, but here's the basic idea:

At 11 months + 6 days ahead of your first intended night, book a 7 night stay. Then 6 days later, your call MS and ask them to shift your reservation so it starts and ends 6 days later. If you need more than 7 nights, call back again 6 more days later and ask MS to add however many additional nights you need.

Why does it work? The 7th night of the res you made at 11 months + 6 days ahead, is the first night when searching for that room type at the 11 month mark. Which means that at 11 months, if that room type is sold out, then searches for 7 nights show only the first night as sold out but the subsequent nights as not bookable because the first night is part of your res.

You'll probably need this explained a few different ways before you get it, but once you do it's pretty simple.

Cheers!

 

[GrumpyPOTFH]

Exactly how does 'walking a reservation' work? I am thoroughly confused how to do this, and I think I have to do this next week for a very desirable unit/time.

I looks like you are wanting next Thanksgiving. That is the same time we are planning a trip. I have started waking my reservation.

WMorganS, explained it well.

I have been looking at the days before and after the current dates, for several weeks to get a idea how things are working and during the time for F&W I could tell when dates where being walked. I did chose to start two weeks early just to fully understand the process, since this is my first time walking a reservation. When I call MS some know exactly what I am doing and even have talked to me about it, They are totally fine with it.

In my pre-DVC days many years ago I had done this with cash stays at the regular resorts to get the days I wanted, It just seemed that then I was able to make changes easier when I had a reservation then when I did not.

Hope you get your wanted days.

 

[dparksfan]

Thank you for your replies. We will be going Thanksgiving week, so I just booked it, and will walk the reservation. I sure hope this works, never been so nervous to make a reservation before. I'm still worried that I won't be able to get what we need because I'm afraid someone will get it before me. Makes me think I should call each day, but seems like overkill and bothering the agents if I do that everyday for the next 2 weeks, instead of 6 days later!

 

[joelnkelly]

Thank you for your replies. We will be going Thanksgiving week, so I just booked it, and will walk the reservation. I sure hope this works, never been so nervous to make a reservation before. I'm still worried that I won't be able to get what we need because I'm afraid someone will get it before me. Makes me think I should call each day, but seems like overkill and bothering the agents if I do that everyday for the next 2 weeks, instead of 6 days later!

That's why the agents are there, not overkill at all. I will take them less than 5 minutes to update your reservation.

 

[GrumpyPOTFH]

Thank you for your replies. We will be going Thanksgiving week, so I just booked it, and will walk the reservation. I sure hope this works, never been so nervous to make a reservation before. I'm still worried that I won't be able to get what we need because I'm afraid someone will get it before me. Makes me think I should call each day, but seems like overkill and bothering the agents if I do that everyday for the next 2 weeks, instead of 6 days later!

I am calling each day, may be over kill but I feel better about it. The MS seems OK with it and I have had some nice conversations with them.

 

[GrumpyPOTFH]

Another question, once you start walking a reservation, is there any situation that you would not get what you want? Have been trying to think of one but could not come up with one.

 

[Disney Doc]

I am calling each day, may be over kill but I feel better about it. The MS seems OK with it and I have had some nice conversations with them.

Do what makes you sleep better at night, but there is NO reason to call every day - you have that room locked up until 11 months from your current checkout date. That's why you only need to call every six days, if walking a 7-day reservation (as WMorganS detailed above.)
This idea of daily calling is a holdover from years ago, when the policy was an 11-month window from CHECKOUT date, instead of check-in day. Then it was mandatory to call early each morning to walk a reservation.
Enjoy the holidays at WDW - no better time!

 

[dparksfan]

Ok, I'm booked in the unit I want, which I've walked 2 days now. But what Disney Doc is saying is at 6 days I can call because my unit is mine for 7, so that blocks others from booking MY unit. Am I understanding that correctly?

 

[DebbieB]

Another question, once you start walking a reservation, is there any situation that you would not get what you want? Have been trying to think of one but could not come up with one.

There was a case that someone posted where Disney took one of the AKV CL rooms out of service on a certain date.

 

[GrumpyPOTFH]

There was a case that someone posted where Disney took one of the AKV CL rooms out of service on a certain date.

I could see that, but what would cause them to take a room out of service 11 months out?