Walking the reservation?

[jelwallace]

Can you walk a reservation? What I mean is the following:

Lets say I want a reservation from January 10-17. Can I call member services 7 months prior and book January 7-14 then call the next day and add January 15 and take away January 7 and keep doing that day after day until I get January 10-17.

Is that allowed or is it just working the system?

 

[OKW Lover]

Sounds like a lot of work for a not terribly busy time of year.

 

[Halle]

I too would like to know how walking the reservation works.

 

[bookwormde]

Yes it is allowed, but some members consider it “working the system” (although lots of other techniques that are commonly used might also be considered the same). There is a huge thread about the booking window changes that has lots of discussion and methodologies

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1861954

I am not sure it is worth the trouble though

bookwormde

 

[DVC Mike]

I think "walking" a reservation is a complete waste of time, in most cases, both for you and DVC MS.

 

[Anal Annie]

Can you walk a reservation? What I mean is the following:

Lets say I want a reservation from January 10-17. Can I call member services 7 months prior and book January 7-14 then call the next day and add January 15 and take away January 7 and keep doing that day after day until I get January 10-17.

Is that allowed or is it just working the system?

Yes, it's allowed but it's "working the system".

I shouldn't think it would be necessary for mid-January if you call right at 7 months...

 

[Chuck S]

Walking a reservation would really only be 100% effective right at the 11 month home priority window. At 7 months, it is possible your dates are already taken by owners at that resort, and there is no real advantage to walking.

 

[Muhlenberg]

Any one of the dates that you're trying to "walk to" might not be available, and then you'd have a ressie for dates you don't really want.

 

[jelwallace]

I only used those dates as an example as to what I am talking about. Lets say you want a Sunday through Thursday reservation not at your home resort. Wouldn't it be smarter to book at the 7 month window starting for the Friday and then drop the Friday and Saturday from the reservation a week or 2 later? Are you allowed to do that?

 

[Chuck S]

I only used those dates as an example as to what I am talking about. Lets say you want a Sunday through Thursday reservation not at your home resort. Wouldn't it be smarter to book at the 7 month window starting for the Friday and then drop the Friday and Saturday from the reservation a week or 2 later? Are you allowed to do that?

Once again, it really makes no difference at the 7 month window. It does not give you any guarantee as to availability like it does right at 11 months.

 

[jelwallace]

Doesn't walking the reservation give you an advantage at the 7 month window compared to others that are trying to book at the seven month window at the same resort? I realize the 11 month window is taken by the people who call that resort home and have the 11 month booking window there. I think walking the reservation has bigger advantages at your home resort at the 11 month window but I would think by the same logic it gives you a slight advantage at the 7 month window compared to others trying to book at the seven month window at the same resort....

Anyways my bigger question is can you walk the reservation? Has anybody done it?

 

[Chuck S]

Doesn't walking the reservation give you an advantage at the 7 month window compared to others that are trying to book at the seven month window at the same resort?

No it does not give any advantage at 7 months. At exactly 11 months it gives advantage because it guarantees availability, as the room can not be returned to inventory for booking, so you are guaranteed the ability to extend the reservation. There is no such guarantee at 7 months, or even 10 months, only exactly at 11 months.

Is it possible? Not necessarily, as the dates could already be taken.

 

[jelwallace]

True but if the rooms are available because they haven't filled by the home resort people at the 11 month booking window, then walking the reservation at seven months gives an advange over the other people trying to book at seven months who don't walk their reservations...right?

 

[Chuck S]

True but if the rooms are available because they haven't filled by the home resort people at the 11 month booking window, then walking the reservation at seven months gives an advange over the other people trying to book at seven months who don't walk their reservations...right?

Possibly, but it is a lot of work such a small advantage, especially since availability isn't guaranteed either way. Plus, you could possibly be selfishly blocking other members that actually want to book the dates you drop as you walk. I have no doubt if MS sees a lot of that, they will block the practice by making it mandatory to book a minimum number of days, or not allowing you to easily drop days until several weeks after the initial reservation was made, meaning you'd be tying up a lot of points.

 

[jelwallace]

That is true and I agree. I think it is a selfish move and it does block availability. I would be in favor of not allowing someone to cancel part of a reservation for a few weeks to prevent the practice of walking the reservation.
So from what I understand there is no penalty right now for walking the reservation. I would be interested to know how often walking the reservation is done and how much it hold up inventory from other members. As people become aware of the possibilities I think it will happen more often without some new rules from member services.

 

[DMKEDM]

OK, ready, aim, fire (at me): I have no problem with the idea of walking a reservation (and I've done so exactly once...at 11 months, to get Thanksgiving week 2009 at BCV)...I don't have a problem w/people using the rules as the rules are. It's a different issue if we're talking about what the rules "should" be...but using the rules as the rules are isn't, in my mind, cheating or immoral or in any way wrong.

OK...you-all can hate me (or not)...

Having said that, I'm not sure walking a reservation is really necessary...I did walk my 9-day BCV T-giving trip...and found out 2 months later when I called for another reason that villas were still available (at 9 months out) for all my dates, in a studio, at BCV...

Not sure if that would be true for Christmas week/New Year's Eve...but to find out that there were still villas available at 9 months out on the Wed before T-giving and T-giving itself at BCV suprised me a LOT...I won't be "walking" T-giving of 2010 (we go every T-giving), but I don't feel guilty about having done it for 2009...I "needed" those dates and that resort (and a studio)...I had no flexibility for that trip (for a variety of reasons)...for me, the "guarantee" was necessary as I didn't have an acceptable fall-back...

Yes, it works. As noted, not sure it gives anyone any real advantage...but it's legal and not all that hard to ... it takes multiple phone calls, but if you have the time to make the calls, it's an easy thing to do...

One thought, though: if you walk starting with Fridays and Saturdays, and aren't going to use those Fridays & Saturdays at the back end, you're tying up points...that could be an issue, depending on how many points you have and how you plan to use them...but that's "bookkeeping" ... if you have the points, you can walk; it works and it's legal...it may not be "necessary," but if it isn't, then no harm is done if you do it!

Happy planning...

 

[marynvince]

You do get an advantage over the 7 month people by "walking" the reservation. There are a lot more non-home resort folks trying to book at 7 months then home resorters at 11. You are following the rules as they are written and i applaud you.