Walking Solutions Contest

[LAX]

I probably shouldn't participate in this discussion as I don't fully understand how "walking" works, but if it's a booking strategy that is equally available to all members, but requires lots of time & effort (based on what I understand), I would favor leaving it alone (maybe one day I will understand and put it to use!). There is really nothing stopping those complaining about walking not to do it themselves, right?

LAX

 

[Mikamarii]

I don't get the "disney does nothing to stop it so there is nothing wrong with it" defence.

There are lots of things i can do that disney doesn't have rules against and doesn't try to stop me from doing.

There's no stopping me dumping my bacon grease down the sink, leaving my ac cranked all day in the room, or taking up multiple seats on the bus when someone else clearly needs it.

There is an 11mth rule. If you start booking even 1 day before with no intention of ever using the night just to get your later, desired nights i don't see how anyone can argue this isnt circumventing the rule.

Even if it is only a small number of rooms during a specific time shouldnt that be irrelevant? Plastic cups in the rooms, resale restrictions, and the 2020 pts charts didnt effect me but the mantra of some dvc owners was this has a greater effect on the entire membership, affects us all, and should be spoken out against for what it could mean for all members.

I dont know how many people walk. I dont know if its a problem. All that i can say for sure is that it is being done. But if the number is greater than what we think then yes it could develop in to a huge problem for the entire membership. I dont know what the answer is. I like Dougs solution. I think its fair.
Lastly, before you tear my comparisons apart for not being the same thing i know there is no exact parallel to walking to compare it to. Im using the idea that if disney doesnt stop it than it must be ok.

 

[Tamar]

Disney used to make us book night-by-night. To secure a 7 day reservation we had to call 7 days in a row right at MS open. I don't want to go back to that, and I think the solution that Disney has come up with (to allow us to book at day of window opening + 7) is a good solution. If it means some walking of reservations happens...that's the trade off and I think it's okay. We still book the nights we want, and those we don't want are available for others to book.

 

[FRANKTSJR]

So the real problem is the lack of rooms, room categories and dates that members prefer. Walking is only a side effect of the real problem. Members get priority at their home resort. Why not get UY priority also? Lets say you are able to book at 12 months out at your home resort but only within the month of your UY. This would greatly increase the odds of getting the room you want. I'm sure this would make a lot of people unhappy if the month of their UY doesn't fit their normal travel plans.

 

[Liv&Leah]

So the real problem is the lack of rooms, room categories and dates that members prefer. Walking is only a side effect of the real problem. Members get priority at their home resort. Why not get UY priority also? Lets say you are able to book at 12 months out at your home resort but only within the month of your UY. This would greatly increase the odds of getting the room you want. I'm sure this would make a lot of people unhappy if the month of their UY doesn't fit their normal travel plans.

No no! I would much rather keep it as it is. Using the UY to open booking would put members at a disadvantage. Right now, everyone is on the same playing field. Walking or no walking, the available rooms will never change. If walking were eliminated, someone would find something else to complain about.

 

[cruisin5]

Other than people admitting to walking, is it even possible to confirm walking is effecting the ability to book a room?

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Other than people admitting to walking, is it even possible to confirm walking is effecting the ability to book a room?

Walking came about almost immediately with the booking change to check in +7. I don't think people give quite enough credit to the fact that it can also just be people starting a reservation before you do. So "walking", even though it was probably done very little to start with and still probably isn't that big of a thing was immediately to blame. DVC is really the only one who would be able to look at history and see what the affect is. Even anyone who walks a reservation reporting on it won't tell the full story. You'd have to also get input of everyone who tried to book for those exact dates and could or couldn't get the exact room they wanted although that still doesn't mean they would have even if there was no walking. You'd have to get info from everyone who waitlisted and did or did not get the room etc.

I think back over all my years of ownership and there always was an existence of complaints about not getting such and such a room. I had failures of BLT standard 2BR's and AKV concierge studios back then too. If I was booking a BWV studio I tended to focus on Boardwalk views because standards were gone very quickly at certain times. Or we booked more 1BR's and didn't have the same issues. And value rooms happened but the main one I remember was via a waitlist. So, either my experiences 10-11 years ago were unique or others have just forgotten or were some of the lucky few that always got those rooms at busy times. Now I also got some rooms that people claimed were impossible at 7 months - that's when I was one of the lucky ones.