What device and browser do you use to book a vacation successfully at the 'continue' screen?

[AlanBradley]

There have been a number of threads on here that ask what screen to be on for the DVC booking window open. With many stating that they have success preloading search results and clicking 'continue' at 8AM EST exactly. I have done this so many times and it has never worked so I was hoping that those who are successful could share what device/hardware, browser and browser settings they are using to successfully do this.

I have tried with a PC using Chrome and Edge and an iphone using safari with good download and upload speeds and have had absolutely zero luck. I have hit 'continue' at 8:00:00 exactly and waited as late as 8:00:30 using the clock on time.gov for reference. I have tried in private/incognito. And I have done it enough times that I should have had success by now. Every time I hit continue I get the 'reload the page' screen.

The only way I don't get the 'reload the page screen' is if I use the 'plan a vacation' dropdown and click 'book a vacation', then enter party details, dates and resort selection; then I click 'check availability' right at 8:00:00. I have had some success using this method - but if there are others a page ahead of me on the 'continue' screen, I am at a huge disadvantage which would explain my extreme difficulty booking VGC.

To those who succeed by hitting continue right when the window opens - could you tell me what setup is working for you? I am clearly doing something wrong..

 

[Sandisw]

It used to work for me using chrome. It no longer does. It seemed to stop this last go around for me when booking my early December trip.

So, for me, what Used to be possible isn’t. Don’t know if that was a change or not.

 

[gharter]

I haven't found one that always works. I switch between chrome and edge on my laptop and then go to the iPad if the others don't work. same thing with ADR's.

 

[petrola]

I have not done this that many times - as we are new members (last year) but I have done it a handful of times to book Aulani, AKV and DVB. I always use Firefox as my browser on a PC. I don't trust my iphone to book anything important, but that's just me.

 

[AlanBradley]

It used to work for me using chrome. It no longer does. It seemed to stop this last go around for me when booking my early December trip.

So, for me, what Used to be possible isn’t. Don’t know if that was a change or not.

Good to know. Please let me know if you are able to again - I would really appreciate knowing how it worked.

 

[AlanBradley]

I haven't found one that always works. I switch between chrome and edge on my laptop and then go to the iPad if the others don't work. same thing with ADR's.

Have you had success sitting at the continue screen lately?

 

[ehh]

I've also lost the ability to hit [Continue] right at 8:00:00. I use macOS and Safari.

I thought it was more likely to be something server-side/account-related rather than client-related, so one morning I tried all 3 search methods: from Dashboard, from Book a Vacation, and from the main page search (I thought this one might be different because it passes all parameters in the URL). All three still had the 8am block up at 8:01 when clicking [Continue]. Womp womp.

I'm still skeptical it would be based on browser/device (or anything else client-specific) and am now wondering what other factors might be in play that are server/account-side.

It's 5am for me to test, so I probably won't do this, but another thing I'd want to check: does waiting until 8:00:01 to click the disclosure triangle on the search page [Continue] help? There is a dynamic inventory check when you click that.

Also wondering if it's {gasp} Direct vs. Resale. I recall I used to have it and now I don't. I used to only have Direct points, now I also have Resale points.

Outside chance it's also a Mandela Effect thing and it just never existed.

 

[Ariel620]

This is getting really frustrating. I will add to this story that what used to work for me, no longer works. I have been trying for a week at my 11-month window to walk my home resort. The method that used to work for me was getting everything ready and using time.gov, and clicking "continue" at exactly 8:00:00. I have tried this for over a week now every day and still not successful. I see the 8:00 block still up at 8:00:01, 8:00:02, all the way to 8:00:05. Today I had 4 devices trying (using a mac with safari, an iphone, and a PC with chrome, and PC with edge...one incognito) and I got the 8:00 block up on all of them until 8:00:05. So I think it must be that the continue screen is not the correct screen to be on, because I feel like I've tried every permutation of that screen over the course of the week.

I will add, this is not because someone is faster than me. It is because the 8:00 block is still up. I know this because I am not getting the error that the room is gone until much later. The error I get is that I need to wait until after 8:00. But I've waited up to 5 seconds after 8:00 and still get that block.

 

[Ariel620]

It's 5am for me to test, so I probably won't do this, but another thing I'd want to check: does waiting until 8:00:01 to click the disclosure triangle on the search page [Continue] help? There is a dynamic inventory check when you click that.

This will be what I attempt tomorrow. So just to clarify, when you say disclosure triangle, do you mean the triangle that opens up the calendar for the chosen view type (ie. the triangle next to "studio - view 1" vs "studio-view 2".... basically the step right before the "continue" button that no longer seems to work.

 

[Cyberc1978]

The reason why none of these "tricks" work anyone is that Disney is time stamping either a cookie or other data perhaps in cache or just memory.

When you prepare your booking and hit "continue" at 08.00 then the system knows if you have pre-loaded your search results prior to 08.00 or not and if you did then you wont get it because of the time stamp.

I dont know how intelligent the time stamp functionality is, but you basically wouldn't get a reservation even if you waited until 8.10 if the search results was pre-loaded.

I wouldn't say my own success rate is 100% its more like 95%. I just load the search results at 08.00 and hit "continue", i'm focused and click as fast as I can. I tell my self that the reason why i'm able to get the reservations I want is because i'm Ninja-fast

One thing I dont recommend is using a cell phone not even on wifi. Tried to book a reservation while visiting London last year and dang the cell connection and wifi connections are super bad, felt like going back in time and using a dial-up modem In london I had zero success not even with my regular laptop and hotel wifi.

 

[AlanBradley]

The reason why none of these "tricks" work anyone is that Disney is time stamping either a cookie or other data perhaps in cache or just memory.

When you prepare your booking and hit "continue" at 08.00 then the system knows if you have pre-loaded your search results prior to 08.00 or not and if you did then you wont get it because of the time stamp.

I dont know how intelligent the time stamp functionality is, but you basically wouldn't get a reservation even if you waited until 8.10 if the search results was pre-loaded.

I wouldn't say my own success rate is 100% its more like 95%. I just load the search results at 08.00 and hit "continue", i'm focused and click as fast as I can. I tell my self that the reason why i'm able to get the reservations I want is because i'm Ninja-fast

One thing I dont recommend is using a cell phone not even on wifi. Tried to book a reservation while visiting London last year and dang the cell connection and wifi connections are super bad, felt like going back in time and using a dial-up modem In london I had zero success not even with my regular laptop and hotel wifi.

Thanks for the insight. I will try using my laptop from now on and see if that makes a difference..

 

[ehh]

This will be what I attempt tomorrow. So just to clarify, when you say disclosure triangle, do you mean the triangle that opens up the calendar for the chosen view type (ie. the triangle next to "studio - view 1" vs "studio-view 2".... basically the step right before the "continue" button that no longer seems to work.

Correct.

Ultimately I wouldn't be surprised if you had to click "Update" in the search area at the top then race to "Continue" to get it to work, though.

 

[Cyberc1978]

Thanks for the insight. I will try using my laptop from now on and see if that makes a difference..

Did it help?

I just tried to book a value studio at AKV from 2/1-2/3 and I was successful. Hit the button at 08.00.00 and then clicked continue and got the reservation.

 

[Ariel620]

Did it help?

I just tried to book a value studio at AKV from 2/1-2/3 and I was successful. Hit the button at 08.00.00 and then clicked continue and got the reservation.

Haha, you got my room! I was not successful, but at least this time it was because I was too slow. I did not get the 8:00 block, but the AKLval room was not avail by the time I clicked through the screens.

So do you really want that room? Or were you just playing around? If you aren't gonna keep it, maybe you could wait until a really random time of day to drop it, and I can try to snag it. (I realize a waitlist could snag it before me, but this approach has actually worked for me in the past).

 

[Cyberc1978]

Haha, you got my room! I was not successful, but at least this time it was because I was too slow. I did not get the 8:00 block, but the AKLval room was not avail by the time I clicked through the screens.

So do you really want that room? Or were you just playing around? If you aren't gonna keep it, maybe you could wait until a really random time of day to drop it, and I can try to snag it. (I realize a waitlist could snag it before me, but this approach has actually worked for me in the past).

Sorry about that.
I dont need it, let me know when you want me to release it. Im in CET time so please have that in mind

 

[DaveNan]

This morning, March 1st, is usually the best opportunity at getting the club (and value) rooms at AKV. For those walking, they needed a 5 night stay booked yesterday to "protect the walk". They needed to have 1/28, 1/29, 1/30, 1/31, and 2/1 booked. If someone walking a reservation does not enough points for a 5 night reservation, they might have lost it. 4 years ago I was able to get a club studio and again this morning I had success. 4 years ago, I could do the search before 8AM and could just hit continue at 8AM. This morning, because of the modified system, I waited until 8 to check availability, and then quickly hit continue.

 

[ehh]

Did it help?

I just tried to book a value studio at AKV from 2/1-2/3 and I was successful. Hit the button at 08.00.00 and then clicked continue and got the reservation.

What button did you press at 8:00:00?

 

[DaveNan]

What button did you press at 8:00:00?

Check availability.

 

[AlanBradley]

Did it help?

I just tried to book a value studio at AKV from 2/1-2/3 and I was successful. Hit the button at 08.00.00 and then clicked continue and got the reservation.

Still no luck… but I have given up on the preload and ‘continue’ at 8 method. It seems clear that is no longer doable.

 

[Sammie]

I booked mine without issues using Chrome or Edge, both worked. I don't go in the site though until exactly 8 am EST. I don't use check availability. I go to book a vacation.