Walking discriminates against those who are "point challenged...??"

[Crystal_27]

I've read this (or similar) sentiment quite a few times and I just don't get it. If you are walking your reservation and are booking a period of time and then dropping off a day as you add one, why does it not benefit everyone and instead only benefit those who are not "point challenged?" I just don't get that statement at all... Anyone care to enlighten me?

 

[Chuck S]

In theory it is because those that are "point challenged" don;t have enough points to book a full week (including weekends) to be able to walk a reservation

 

[hellerjw]

I guess its because the "point challenged" wouldn't have any point to spare and therefore couldn't book extra days that were later canceled.

 

[bobbiwoz]

A 2 bedroom weekend night stay over the holidays is over 80 points. If you want the Friday that is NYE, well that's one thing, but to have to have booked the whole week when all you wanted was 2-3 nights besides that would be more than many members have available.

Bobbi

 

[twinklebug]

It's like fishing:

Standing on the shoreline, I want the fish that are WAY out in the center of the pond. I'll need a line long enough to reach out there, but mine is too short to reach.

If I get on a dingy and start paddling out (days progressing) I get closer to that location, but by the time I get out to a place where I can reach those fish, the folk with the longer fishing lines may have snagged up all the fish.

The shoreline is representative of today + 11months;
The Fish in center of pond are the rooms that are today + 11mos, 7 days out;
The Line represents the points we have available.

In my case, my "line" was too short to reach either the Value (the rooms I wanted) or the Concierge rooms at AKV. I had to book Standard.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

It's like fishing:

Standing on the shoreline, I want the fish that are WAY out in the center of the pond. I'll need a line long enough to reach out there, but mine is too short to reach.

If I get on a dingy and start paddling out (days progressing) I get closer to that location, but by the time I get out to a place where I can reach those fish, the folk with the longer fishing lines may have snagged up all the fish.

The shoreline is representative of today + 11months;
The Fish in center of pond are the rooms that are today + 11mos, 7 days out;
The Line represents the points we have available.

In my case, my "line" was too short to reach either the Value (the rooms I wanted) or the Concierge rooms at AKV. I had to book Standard.

Walking a reservation requires that you have enough points to book the 2 most expensive nights in your preferred accomodation size and view. This probably means you cannot use this strategy if you have fewer points than needed for 2 weekend nights. As a result, it may be difficult for you to book NYE reservations in some accomodations unless you are willing to waitlist. -- Suzanne

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I've read this (or similar) sentiment quite a few times and I just don't get it. If you are walking your reservation and are booking a period of time and then dropping off a day as you add one, why does it not benefit everyone and instead only benefit those who are not "point challenged?" I just don't get that statement at all... Anyone care to enlighten me?

You are correct Crystal - point challenged have just as much of a chance with walking as the point rich. Somewhere the idea has come up that to walk you must be able to book 7 days - perhaps because you are allowed to book up to 7 days. But, to successfully walk you only need to get the first day of your reservation and then have a second day as well that allows you to stay in front of the exact 11 month booking window.

If the walk was over a really high point day (premier weekend) then a point challenged person might have trouble and might either have to borrow and then use the borrowed points on the reservation or would have to wait to start booking. Now, if the eventual aim is a 5 day stay and you have to walk across a high point weekend you could walk fewer days until you reached the point to book all of your days and in most cases should still have enough points to do the walk. For example, if next year you want MK 2BR from Jan 2-7th that will eventually take 250 points. If you walk 3 days (I'd say 2 in many cases but with MS being closed on 1/1 you'd need to do 3 days) you'd still be able to do this across the NYE/NYD weekend points which are 223.

For the most part with a few exceptions walking is equal opportunity.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

It's like fishing:

Standing on the shoreline, I want the fish that are WAY out in the center of the pond. I'll need a line long enough to reach out there, but mine is too short to reach.

If I get on a dingy and start paddling out (days progressing) I get closer to that location, but by the time I get out to a place where I can reach those fish, the folk with the longer fishing lines may have snagged up all the fish.

The shoreline is representative of today + 11months;
The Fish in center of pond are the rooms that are today + 11mos, 7 days out;
The Line represents the points we have available.

In my case, my "line" was too short to reach either the Value (the rooms I wanted) or the Concierge rooms at AKV. I had to book Standard.

That's a bummer you couldn't get your desire reservation Twinklebug! (I'm right there with you actually b/c I decided to not try walking or others just were arriving before me) Did you try walking fewer days and not succeed or did you feel you couldn't walk since you couldn't book the +7?

 

[arthur06]

You are correct Crystal - point challenged have just as much of a chance with walking as the point rich. Somewhere the idea has come up that to walk you must be able to book 7 days - perhaps because you are allowed to book up to 7 days. But, to successfully walk you only need to get the first day of your reservation and then have a second day as well that allows you to stay in front of the exact 11 month booking window.

If the walk was over a really high point day (premier weekend) then a point challenged person might have trouble and might either have to borrow and then use the borrowed points on the reservation or would have to wait to start booking. Now, if the eventual aim is a 5 day stay and you have to walk across a high point weekend you could walk fewer days until you reached the point to book all of your days and in most cases should still have enough points to do the walk. For example, if next year you want MK 2BR from Jan 2-7th that will eventually take 250 points. If you walk 3 days (I'd say 2 in many cases but with MS being closed on 1/1 you'd need to do 3 days) you'd still be able to do this across the NYE/NYD weekend points which are 223.

For the most part with a few exceptions walking is equal opportunity.

I wouldnt really call this walking a reservations as much as crawling a reservation...

I guess a full walking of a reservation would be 11 months plus seven days... then daily calls and addition/subtraction of nights...

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I wouldnt really call this walking a reservations as much as crawling a reservation...

I guess a full walking of a reservation would be 11 months plus seven days... then daily calls and addition/subtraction of nights...

Most reports are that even people who are using the full 7 days to walk the reservation are then calling day by day even though they don't have to. If that's the case then there's no difference in the walk b/c both small and large point owners will call every day up until their actual check-in date. That's the exact same number of calls for both people who start the walk on the same day.

Only if the people using the full 7 days start calling every 6 days will it be less calls and that doesn't seem to be accepted as the way it can be done. I guess I'm saying that the main advantage large point owners have ie, not having to call as frequently isn't even being utilized in most reported cases.

 

[GuySmiley]

With enough points, you shouldn't even walk the reservation. "Walking" meaning making a reservtion, then calling back every day and adding a day and droping the first day. With enough points you shouldn't drop the first days until after you make dining reservations. You can call for dining a few days earlier too.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I don't think walking is a problem. I think the new method of reservation discriminates against the guests who want to book more than seven nights at single resort (because we kind of like to have at least one full cleaning for our stay).

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I don't think walking is a problem. I think the new method of reservation discriminates against the guests who want to book more than seven nights at single resort (because we kind of like to have at least one full cleaning for our stay).

You can call on the 2nd or 3rd day or whatever after the 11 month window and still book 8 or 9 days etc. So, still the same booking with one call if you don't want to book 7 days and call back to add a few days (and it doesn't have to be day by day to add the last few).

Previously calling from check-out day before there still could have been a lot of people who called before you who were checking out a day or two earlier so no real difference there either that I can see.

 

[Deb & Bill]

You can call on the 2nd or 3rd day or whatever after the 11 month window and still book 8 or 9 days etc. So, still the same booking with one call if you don't want to book 7 days and call back to add a few days (and it doesn't have to be day by day to add the last few).

Previously calling from check-out day before there still could have been a lot of people who called before you who were checking out a day or two earlier so no real difference there either that I can see.

I never had a problem getting what I needed. But I preferred calling once for a ten or eleven night stay instead of multiple times.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I never had a problem getting what I needed. But I preferred calling once for a ten or eleven night stay instead of multiple times.

As I said - you still can. If you call on your 11+3 or 11+4 day you can book your stay with one call.

 

[ftballfan7]

This (walking reservations) is the type of thing (finding ways to manipulate the system in ways that were never intended) that leads to "member enhancements". Then we all lose.

 

[Dean]

I'm sure DVC knew this would happen with the changes. At some point I do expect they'll make any changes a cancelation and rebooking instead. However, there are many advantages that large point owners have over smaller ones, the least of which is likely walking. Once you get to a full week's reservation of points, all are equal from a walking standpoint assuming you match up home resort points. However, if you have enough points you can book multiple resorts, multiple units, multiple size units and multiple weeks if you want. Current rules give no additional cost or risk assuming you aren't borrowing points and don't strand banked or borrowed points in doing so. Of course if DVC even establishes a VIP system, those advantages could be more still.

 

[keishashadow]

I'm sure DVC knew this would happen with the changes. At some point I do expect they'll make any changes a cancelation and rebooking instead. However, there are many advantages that large point owners have over smaller ones, the least of which is likely walking. Once you get to a full week's reservation of points, all are equal from a walking standpoint assuming you match up home resort points. However, if you have enough points you can book multiple resorts, multiple units, multiple size units and multiple weeks if you want. Current rules give no additional cost or risk assuming you aren't borrowing points and don't strand banked or borrowed points in doing so. Of course if DVC even establishes a VIP system, those advantages could be more still.

I thought all the members were VIPs

perhaps by design, it's intended to get certain sector of members to add on more points

Another disadvantage walking presents @ 11 months is to the DVC members who, while owning what would be considered a 'full contract'; enjoy home resorts @ 2 different resorts via an original resale/addon contract. Walking may very well require that those of us who have utilized this strategy in the past, keep banked points in account in order to compete for prime booking periods.