Why no online booking?

[Belle & Ariel]

I'm new here and wonder why reservations cannot be made online. It seems so much easier for us to see what is available, have 24 hour access, and would save so many payroll dollars.
Has it ever been done or considered? If so, why not?

 

[jdg345]

I'm new here and wonder why reservations cannot be made online. It seems so much easier for us to see what is available, have 24 hour access, and would save so many payroll dollars.
Has it ever been done or considered? If so, why not?

It's been requested for quite some time ... and it likely will come someday, but no announcements have been made. Apparently, the original DVC reservation systems weren't designed specifically for DVC, so there are plenty of logistical issues to get through. That, and apparently, it's really expensive.

My take? Add a one-time assessment of .10 per point on the MF's and that should pay for it in a year.

 

[Blahnde]

While I would totally love the ability to do online reservations -- I do it for every other type of reservation: hotels, air, rental car, etc. -- I really do not want to rush DVC with this. Based upon past experience, DVC (and Disney in general) is lousy at running and maintaining their internet sites. People on this board and others are constantly complaining about the DVC Member site; members not being able to see reservations, incorrect point totals, member news delayed or incorrect (the recent BLT point chart!), and I really do not want my reservations to be any more screwed up than Member Services already manages without a faulty website being involved.

Disney cannot seem to have their regular reservation site running flawlessly (I can rarely get a map to a resort to come up properly!), and so I do not trust them to figure it out with the DVC point system layered on top of it. So while I would love the concept, I'm not interested until they get better at their website management.

Blahnde

 

[DebbieB]

DVC is much more complicated than making a regular reservation. Multiple contracts, points from multiple use years, banking, borrowing. Alot of members don't understand the points rules and to put reservations in their hands could be a mess. It's been a big step to be able to view our reservations and points totals online. I wish they would at least make viewing availability online. That way you would know what's available before calling member services, that would save them some calls.

 

[bookwormde]

Just about all members would love to have a “non real time” picture of availability. Since this is such a simple thing to accomplish there must be some operational issue why they do not want to release this information (although the new thread is in a limited capacity helping with this info).

Full online booking is significantly more complicated.

bookwormde

 

[janni518]

I'm new here and wonder why reservations cannot be made online. It seems so much easier for us to see what is available, have 24 hour access, and would save so many payroll dollars.
Has it ever been done or considered? If so, why not?

Well, you see the current system of undertrained confused customer services members is working so well they are afraid to mess with it.

 

[Chuck S]

Also, while a snapshot of availablilty , say from the previous night after MS closes, would be great for most members, I aso see where there would be problems from a very vocal minority during peak times. If someoe sees there was availability at BCV for example, but it was gone 5 minutes after MS opened for the day, I can foresee some screaming that it shows avalability on the website. A potential problem for the MS reps.

The system works as it is, even though call volume it high certain times of year. Not perfect, but it does work 90% of the time. Please remember to try the 407 number if you have free long distance service, as the 800 number is billed out per minute to DVC, even if the caller has free long distance.

 

[OKW Lover]

Until Disney can do a better job of designing its internet sites, I'll stick to the phone.

If they were able to give me a site that remembered my preferences, didn't force me to watch flash video's, didn't insist on playing music and just let me go directly to the information I'm looking for then I'd consider on-line booking a good option.

 

[Disney_Villain]

The words "legacy systems" are the first issue. Migrating the computer system that MS uses to a newer one with more features would be very costly, as well as full of bugs to iron out.

The other issue is complexity. Many of us DVCers have multiple DVC contracts. Which contract points come out of, which get banked/borrowed and what they get booked into . . . oh, I can see many not-so-computer-savvy members making BIG mistakes in their bookings if the system were online.

Regardless, I too would LOVE an online booking system. I trust in my online bookings/orderings as too often a silly untrained monkey at the other end of phone line has made a mess of them.

 

[Kevin&Randall]

I trust in my online bookings/orderings as too often a silly untrained monkey at the other end of phone line has made a mess of them.

If there was an infinite number of them would you get the works of Shakespeare?

 

[DisneyDreamers2007]

DVC (and our dues $) would have to invest in quality computer engineers to initially create the program AND keep some of these people on to maintain it. My brother is a computer engineer just out of college and said it would not be difficult to create this system. Caskbill's wonderful DVC-Planner would be a great template for the program.

 

[twinklebug]

DVC (and our dues $) would have to invest in quality computer engineers to initially create the program AND keep some of these people on to maintain it. My brother is a computer engineer just out of college and said it would not be difficult to create this system. Caskbill's wonderful DVC-Planner would be a great template for the program.

What your brother forgot to take into account is that the program, while as a stand alone may sound simple, it would have a symbiotic relationship with Disney's current booking programs and billing. Ever make a cake from scratch? In theory it's easy... but add in a half dozen other cooks in the kitchen who've all been doing 'something' to the base group of unlabeled ingredients, an oven that is an entirely new interface (and changes every 10 minutes) and requires you to jump through flaming hoops just to get to it, and customers that change their mind on what flavor they want that cake to be when you're 3/4 of the way done cooking it and you have the general "feel" for what it'd be like programming it.

Right now MS has ~something~ they're working with, although you can tell y the way the MS reps need to keep switching screens it's not a perfect design, it still seems to work for those who know how to use it. Taking that system live on the web is the last thing Disney wants to do as it has too many controls. I do believe they will eventually have something in place for us to use, eh, maybe I'll even get the privilege of helping to bake that cake some day.

BTW - welcome your brother to the world of programming for me - may he not loose his hair too fast.

 

[wildernessDad]

If there was an infinite number of them would you get the works of Shakespeare?

Eventually.

 

[Lynne M]

DVC (and our dues $) would have to invest in quality computer engineers to initially create the program AND keep some of these people on to maintain it. My brother is a computer engineer just out of college and said it would not be difficult to create this system. Caskbill's wonderful DVC-Planner would be a great template for the program.

The system that DVC would require is in no way comparable to Caskbill's planner (wonderful though it is). That's like comparing Marriott's reservation system to Caskbill's planner. But this would be even more complex than your typical online hotel reservation system, because of multiple contracts, cancellation windows, banking windows, rooms booked for cash, linked reservations...ugh. Gives me a headache just thinking about it.

Technical feasibility isn't the problem here; while complex, it's certainly not impossible. FINANCIAL feasibility is the issue. A system of this nature would require a good-sized team of design analysts, engineers, database analysts, testers, etc. Those people don't just leave when the site goes live...there are bug fixes and enhancements to do. Then, you have to host the thing on servers than can handle the load when thousands of members decide to book the first week of December...all at the same time. Add in some people to manage the servers. Add in the cost of maintenance upgrades to the server's OS, and assorted 3rd party software.

In short....a system like this is very expensive to create and maintain. Very expensive. Where, exactly, does DVC recoup the cost? Yes, they can lay off some of their MS staff, but certainly not all of them. MS does more than just take reservations. I'm sure DVC has done the cost analysis for this backwards and forwards. If there comes a time where they think they can get their development and maintenance costs back, they'll do it. If not, they won't. Simple as that.

 

[DoOverDreams]

If there was an infinite number of them would you get the works of Shakespeare?

Oh man, coffee up the nose and all over the keyboard on that one...

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I would think the reason they have been reluctant to push this so far is because it wouldn't allow DVC to guide people through their usage.....which is a good thing considering that it can be used in different ways...

If they had online ressies....even if it were only for the DVC hotels.....people would be constantly tinkering with them....and there would be dozens...if not hundreds of problems a day with people forgetting the usage rules....pulling points without realizing it....cancelling in the holding window without paying attention to it.....claims the computer ate their grand villa at Contemporary for Dec 23-Jan2....

you know...the usual problems....

I think that online reservations might be too much rope for the membership to handle....and they might just end up hanging.

I do think the push over the last couple of years to get people to use the website is there way of polling the feasibility of this plan.....and i would bet that the amount of members actively using DVCmember.com is shockingly low

 

[jfinke]

1. Disney can barely keep their static websites up as it is. I wouldn't trust them to do online management of our accounts.

2. DISers are probably of the more educated people with regards to dealing with DVC. And there are plenty of what if and what happens and help questions on this board that repeat over and over.

 

[jagson]

Are there any timeshares that have online reservation abilities? If so, why can't DVC model a system like them?

 

[lvanleer]

I'm confused....I own at AKV and I made reservations for next June through the members' website.....and I didn't call Member Services.....received e-mails concerning my reservation and then received a confirmation e-mail and letter through the mail...for my trip next year....so there is a place on the members' site to put in vacation requests.....or was I just lucky?

 

[dvc_john]

Are there any timeshares that have online reservation abilities?

Yes. Both HGVC (Hilton Grand Vacations Club) and Hyatt Vacation Club have real-time online reservation systems.

I'm confused....I own at AKV and I made reservations for next June through the members' website.....and I didn't call Member Services.....received e-mails concerning my reservation and then received a confirmation e-mail and letter through the mail...for my trip next year....so there is a place on the members' site to put in vacation requests.....or was I just lucky?

That was not a real-time system. You just emailed a request thru the website, and as MS had time, they made the reservation (just as they would have if you had called.) You could not check availability before you made the request, and if the dates were not available, you would not have known until they emailed you back hours or even days later.