When exactly does the computer match wait list requests?

[bookswin]

I'm wondering precisely when the computer matches wait lists.

Suppose you want to stay Dec. 1 for a week at WDW and you own at SSR. On Jan. 1, you reserve at SSR, with wait list at, let's say, BCV.

When do you first get a crack at matching for BCV?

Would it be May 1? If so, when? At 8:59 am, before the BCV owners get their first shot? That seems illogical. Sometime later that day? Or at the close of business May 7? Or when?

In light of the new "11 months +7 days" from date of check-in reservation policy, is this going to change, and, if so, how?

Does anyone know for sure? Thanks.

 

[RobDoc]

I'm wondering precisely when the computer matches wait lists.

Suppose you want to stay Dec. 1 for a week at WDW and you own at SSR. On Jan. 1, you reserve at SSR, with wait list at, let's say, BCV.

When do you first get a crack at matching for BCV?

Would it be May 1? If so, when? At 8:59 am, before the BCV owners get their first shot? That seems illogical. Sometime later that day? Or at the close of business May 7? Or when?

In light of the new "11 months +7 days" from date of check-in reservation policy, is this going to change, and, if so, how?

Does anyone know for sure? Thanks.

The 11 month priority now begins 11 months from the arrival date. For a December 1 arrival, owners at BCV can reserve beginning on January 1 (actually, Jan. 2 since MS would be closed on 1/1).

Non-home owners may begin reserving for BCV when MS opens on May 1 . Any available dates may be reserved using the same "+7" system available at 11 months and any dates not available would need to be waitlisted.

If you call on May 1 and find that December 1 is not available - you could waitlist for that date (Dec. 1) , but could not reserve any further dates until 7 months from that arrival date (Dec 2, Dec 3, etc.). You could call daily to reserve any available dates within the timeframe you want and have MS waitlist for the others.

Basically, the "11 months +7" becomes "7 months +7" seven months from the arrival date except now you are competing with owners at all eight DVC resorts - including BCV owners (who no longer have any reservation priority).

 

[bookswin]

The 11 month priority now begins 11 months from the arrival date. For a December 1 arrival, owners at BCV can reserve beginning on January 1 (actually, Jan. 2 since MS would be closed on 1/1).

Non-home owners may begin reserving for BCV when MS opens on May 1 . Any available dates may be reserved using the same "+7" system available at 11 months and any dates not available would need to be waitlisted.

If you call on May 1 and find that December 1 is not available - you could waitlist for that date (Dec. 1) , but could not reserve any further dates until 7 months from that arrival date (Dec 2, Dec 3, etc.). You could call daily to reserve any available dates within the timeframe you want and have MS waitlist for the others.

Basically, the "11 months +7" becomes "7 months +7" seven months from the arrival date except now you are competing with owners at all eight DVC resorts - including BCV owners (who no longer have any reservation priority).

I understand all that perfectly, but that's not what I am asking.

I thought that the computer automatically matches wait lists based on what has already been requested previously. In my scenario, if I enter a wait list for BCV on Jan 1 for a Dec. 1-7 stay, to occur if and when available, what happens and when?

Do I have to call back May 1 and reconfirm? Can I not make a wait list for BCV 11 months out as an SSR owner? I thought I could.

And I assume the computer matches first the wait list requests that were made first?

 

[vicki_c]

I understand all that perfectly, but that's not what I am asking.

I thought that the computer automatically matches wait lists based on what has already been requested previously. In my scenario, if I enter a wait list for BCV on Jan 1 for a Dec. 1-7 stay, to occur if and when available, what happens and when?

Do I have to call back May 1 and reconfirm? Can I not make a wait list for BCV 11 months out as an SSR owner? I thought I could.

And I assume the computer matches first the wait list requests that were made first?

I didn't think you could wait list for your non-home resort until the 7 month mark. Why would you -- you can't book it until 7 months, so until you call at 7 months you don't even know if you would need a wait list or not - it might be available.

As for the first come, first serve - I think that's right, but it's more complicated than that - you would only be "first" of all the people who had the exact same waitlist criteria as you. Given all the possible combinations of trip dates and room combinations, I don't think it's as simple as saying you called first, therefore you get the first available room. Know what I mean?

 

[bookswin]

I didn't think you could wait list for your non-home resort until the 7 month mark. Why would you -- you can't book it until 7 months, so until you call at 7 months you don't even know if you would need a wait list or not - it might be available.

If you are right, then that answers my question. Thanks.

 

[LisaS]

vicki_c is correct. You cannot call for a non-home resort until 7 months out. If some/all of your nights are not available when you call you can ask to be put on the wait list for your missing nights. There may already be people ahead of you on the list if your dates sold out at some point in the 11-month window and owners at that resort got on the list before the 7-month window opened.

 

[abeyst]

If you call on May 1 and find that December 1 is not available - you could waitlist for that date (Dec. 1) , but could not reserve any further dates until 7 months from that arrival date (Dec 2, Dec 3, etc.). You could call daily to reserve any available dates within the timeframe you want and have MS waitlist for the others.

Wouldn't this mean you'd be waitilisting by day? I thought that wasn't allowed anymore?

 

[RobDoc]

Wouldn't this mean you'd be waitilisting by day? I thought that wasn't allowed anymore?

No - MS will allow members to try to make a reservation - even if it means calling daily to do so. In this case, if you are calling on the first day you are allowed you can still reserve up to 7 days with one call. In the specific example used above, if the first day (December 1) was not available on May 1 - you could waitlist for that day and that day only. The next day, you could call again to reserve December 2 (plus 7 days) and if not available, you could waitlist 12/2 - adding it to your 12/1 waitlist. On May 3, you could repeat the same thing until you either have waitlisted the entire reservation or reserved some of the dates already available.

If you ended up with 12/1 and 12/2 waitlisted, reserved 12/3 and 12/4 and 12/5 wasw waitlisted again - you would really have 2 waitlists - one for December 1,2 and another for December 5.

...Can I not make a wait list for BCV 11 months out as an SSR owner? I thought I could.

No - you can't make any sort of reservation or waitlist at BCV using SSR points until 7 months before arrival. You could make a cash reservation - if available - 11 months ahead but nothing using points until 7 months.

 

[dzorn]

I did my wait list at the 7 month mark and they did allow me to wait list the entire stay with one call. They did not tell me if two through five were booked yet, but I did not want the hassle of calling every day so I just waitlisted all of them. I also did not want to switch resorts if not all came through. If it does not come through I am content to stay at my home resort. So you can do it with one call if you want all or nothing.

Denise in MI

 

[SuzanneSLO]

I did my wait list at the 7 month mark and they did allow me to wait list the entire stay with one call. They did not tell me if two through five were booked yet, but I did not want the hassle of calling every day so I just waitlisted all of them. I also did not want to switch resorts if not all came through. If it does not come through I am content to stay at my home resort. So you can do it with one call if you want all or nothing.

Denise in MI

Can you give exact dates of when you called and the dates for which your reservation was made? As you described it, this seems completely contrary to how MS is saying the WL system will work with the new 11/7 month + 7 booking system. Thanks -- Suzanne

 

[dzorn]

I called the morning of the 7/15 to change out my reservation for 2/15 through 2/20. I currently have a 2-bedroom booked at my home resort AKV and wanted to change to either BW or VWL. Neither was available and they let me waitlist for all the days. We were iffy about wanting to change since we have not stayed at AKV yet so I just wait listed for BWV-standard two bedroom for 2/15 to 2/20. I think this is another reason Wait list should be available on line to see if they are correct.

Denise in MI

 

[LisaS]

Can you give exact dates of when you called and the dates for which your reservation was made? As you described it, this seems completely contrary to how MS is saying the WL system will work with the new 11/7 month + 7 booking system. Thanks -- Suzanne

dzorn's description is consistent with what people are reporting on the "new booking policy" thread. If your first night is not available when you call MS will let you set up a wait list for up to 7 nights. You can call back on day 2 and if the second night of your stay is available you can book it, plus any additional consecutive nights that are available, up to 7 nights total. MS will then adjust your wait list as needed.