Walking res- unsure how and when to start?

[albarellic]

How early should I start to walk a reservation? This will only be our 2nd DVC trip and I'm not sure when to start. We want a dedicated 2-bedroom standard view at BLT for the 1st week in Dec. Since we want to stay 8 nights I would need to call MS to add the eighth night anyway.

When do I call to switch days? Is the whole room rebooked or do they just add days to the end and take ones from the begining? Thank you

 

[drusba]

Walking is a process that can only be done by phone. If you want, for example, Dec 1 to 9, the earliest you can call is December 26 (MS is closed Dec 25) and get Nov 26 to Dec 3, 2013 departure date thus capturing the first two nights you actually want. Then you can call daily therafter and drop arrival night and add a night on the end each time until you have what you want and while doing so you stay with the same reservation number and thus days you are keeping each day don't get canecelled before making the daily change. You probably don't need to actually call daily since you will have a room that cannot be taken by others who call in November after you do.

Walking is usually unnecessary except for AKV concierge. However, first week of Dec may be the exception since it is the highest demand week of the year and BLT standard can go quickly.

 

[Plutofan]

Be carefull about walking a reservation at the 11 month window. I successfully walked a reservation at the 7 month window. During that process I had a conversation with MS and a supervisor who is fully aware of how the inventory system works. They told me walking does not wortk at the 11 month window since the system requires them to cancel out the orginal reservation and rebook. At other times less than 11 months out they can modify the reservation. I can not attest to the accuracy of what I was told.

 

[CaliforniaDreaming]

I'm actually a bit shocked MS is letting this go on. It is making more work for everyone involved, and is playing the system around their booking guidelines. And, it doesn't seem to be uncommon anymore, either.

 

[drusba]

I'm actually a bit shocked MS is letting this go on. It is making more work for everyone involved, and is playing the system around their booking guidelines. And, it doesn't seem to be uncommon anymore, either.

Under the old reservation system, you could reserve 11 months (and or 7) from date of departure from WDW. To beat that one members did day by day calling starting 1 day past 11 months out from date of arrival, thus getting their arrival night with an initial departure date the next morning and then added days daily. Thus members found the way to beat that one too and MS readily accepted it and in fact when you called you would just tell them that you would be calling to add days so they wuold keep the same reservation number open.

When they announced the switch to the new system some years ago where you can call 11 (or 7) months from date of arrival and get 7 nights, it was no longer than a few hours before a member on this site figured out and posted the way to beat the new system with "walking." I can only admire the ingenuity of such members even though there is continuous controversy over the propriety of walking. MS allows it and thus it will be done.

 

[CaliforniaDreaming]

Under the old reservation system, you could reserve 11 months (and or 7) from date of departure from WDW. To beat that one members did day by day calling starting 1 day past 11 months out from date of arrival, thus getting their arrival night with an initial departure date the next morning and then added days daily. Thus members found the way to beat that one too and MS readily accepted it and in fact when you called you would just tell them that you would be calling to add days so they wuold keep the same reservation number open.

When they announced the switch to the new system some years ago where you can call 11 (or 7) months from date of arrival and get 7 nights, it was no longer than a few hours before a member on this site figured out and posted the way to beat the new system with "walking." I can only admire the ingenuity of such members even though there is continuous controversy over the propriety of walking. MS allows it and thus it will be done.

I'll admit, I did the day by day reservations before. I guess I just see that as different, because it wasn't holding up inventory that had no intention of being used. I guess my frustrations with this come from being unable to get a room (standard view studio at BWV) at 11 months for next year's F&W. I had a few sets of dates, and every time 11 months hit availability had fluctuated that the room was not available. I gave up and decided that I didn't need to go bad enough to try to play the game. It's one of the reasons I'm hesitant to buy any more points; DVC doesn't seem as flexible as it was years ago.

 

[TSMMANIAC]

You can't walk a reservation at 7 months. An owner can call at any time and books days within that window of time. To OP be aware when you are walking that reservation if you begin booking within the Thanksgiving holiday period it will require more points than you will need for the first week of December.

 

[Plutofan]

You can't walk a reservation at 7 months. An owner can call at any time and books days within that window of time. To OP be aware when you are walking that reservation if you begin booking within the Thanksgiving holiday period it will require more points than you will need for the first week of December.

It is risky but under certain very limited circumstances at the 7 month window it can and should be done.

 

[Chef Louis]

It is risky but under certain very limited circumstances at the 7 month window it can and should be done.

,

Yep, any owner could block you, however not the non-owners. So it does give you an advantageous.

Also I believe when you walk a reservation you do not need to call everyday, as your room can not be booked till the day of your departure. So you could call every 6th day, if you had a 7 night reservation.

I also find that standard rooms at BLT are hard to get and if I needed one I would walk it.