"Walking" reservation?

[Lincolnshire]

Help a newbie out: what on earth is a "walking" reservation? Why are people angry about them?

 

[Msmithmd]

Walking is booking a room to begin occupancy before you actually intend to travel, then every few days moving the dates forward until you get to your actual travel dates. It is a (somewhat tedious) way to book a room before the eleven month window. As long as you are modifying the reservation before it ends, you're effectively blocking another member from grabbing that room.

It should only be considered rarely, and only for the most desired accommodations (think AKV concierge or BWV standard studios during food and wine). I've never needed or wanted to do it, myself. But it is allowed and within the terms DVC has set up for the booking rules.

They really couldn't disallow it- imagine if you booked right at eleven months, then found out your spouse couldn't get off work until three days later. So there has to be a way to change dates. What could happen (and might, if this becomes a bigger/more frequent occurrence) is a change fee- say $50 every time you modify an existing reservation.

While members understandably feel distaste for the concept of reservation walking, I suspect they would feel much more negatively about the institution of change fees, so I expect the process will continue as-is.

 

[Lincolnshire]

Aha. That makes a lot of threads much more understandable. Thank you!

 

[chalee94]

While members understandably feel distaste for the concept of reservation walking, I suspect they would feel much more negatively about the institution of change fees, so I expect the process will continue as-is.

it's kind of a prisoners' dilemma, though. as long as a lot of members continue to abuse the system out of a conviction that it benefits them as individuals (especially at 7 months or for normal bookings at 11 months out), then i would think the risk of change remains. (even if it winds up annoying more people than the original issues from "walking.")

 

[LisaS]

Help a newbie out: what on earth is a "walking" reservation? Why are people angry about them?

I wouldn't say people are angry about it but there are people (myself among them) who dislike the practice. While someone is walking a reservation, they are temporarily holding on to room inventory they have no intention of using. Others who do want those nights are shut out until the walkers have released them as they continue to slide their reservation dates forward. It inconveniences other members, often unnecessarily because people are walking some reservations that do not need to be walked. I see it as similar to the people who put towels and personal items on pool chairs at 7am because they plan to use the pool at 2pm. Meanwhile if someone just wants to swim for an hour or so, all the good chairs are claimed even though there is no sign of these people the whole time.

The other reason for concern is what Msmithmd mentioned. If DVC decides this is a problem because of the extra calls to MS to add/drop days to reservations being walked, their remedy will likely cause pain for everyone. Possible solutions are a charge to modify a reservation or disallowing modifications altogether and making members cancel and rebook, subject to availability and the wait list grabbing your nights when you initially free them.

 

[Lincolnshire]

I am only just researching our DVC buy in so take this suggestion with a grain of salt, but it seems to me that instituting a one-free-change per reservation policy with a charge thereafter might be a good middle ground. I would think people who aren't abusing the system by walking a reservation would not often run into a situation where they need to change a reservation multiple times.

 

[jerseyduke]

Is the booking process bound by legal terms?

I have seen a lot of people mention the idea of change fees, but there is another way to eliminate it if it allowed within the terms of the contract:

Remove the "Day 1 must be available to book" requirement.

It is 12/29. If I want to book at the VGF for 11/29/15 for one week, right now, the first day is not available, therefore I can not do it. But, if I am allowed to book the remaining portion of that week, I in effect, and blocking one person from walking.

This would make walking much less effective. Question is, is it a legally permissible option?

 

[Dividends]

Simple solution. You cant rebook for 24 hours after a cancellation...

 

[Missyrose]

I am only just researching our DVC buy in so take this suggestion with a grain of salt, but it seems to me that instituting a one-free-change per reservation policy with a charge thereafter might be a good middle ground. I would think people who aren't abusing the system by walking a reservation would not often run into a situation where they need to change a reservation multiple times.

You can walk and only change the reservation once.

 

[WebmasterDoc]

Is the booking process bound by legal terms?

I have seen a lot of people mention the idea of change fees, but there is another way to eliminate it if it allowed within the terms of the contract:

Remove the "Day 1 must be available to book" requirement.

It is 12/29. If I want to book at the VGF for 11/29/15 for one week, right now, the first day is not available, therefore I can not do it. But, if I am allowed to book the remaining portion of that week, I in effect, and blocking one person from walking.

This would make walking much less effective. Question is, is it a legally permissible option?

Intricacies of the reservation system and not bound by the legal terms at all. There are some limitations spelled out in the POS (11 months for Home Resort with a 1 month guarantee over owners at other resorts vs a 4 month advantage now) but banking rules have changed over the years, transfer rules have changed over the years, reserving a week at a time from arrival date, etc.

In the example you mention, you would not be able to call (or go online) on 12/29 and make a reservation for 11/30 or beyond since you are not yet within 11 months - which is the reason "walking" has become a means of getting the dates wanted by some. In most cases, it is not necessary to "walk" a reservation unless it is for a limited or popular villa type or at a popular time of year (Club Level at AKV, Standard view at BWV, GVs at HH in the summer, Studios at VGF much of the year, etc.), but some are unwilling to take that chance with any dates and have chosen to take advantage of this process.

As LisaS mentioned, a possible solution would simply be to require that any change to a reservation would involve canceling and re-booking. Since individual days cannot currently by removed online (wihtout canceling and re-booking), I would expect this solution to appeal to DVC since it allows for fewer calls to MS - and possibly shorter hold times for those who do call.

I don't really know how popular "walking" has become and how much of an issue it really is for MS but, it is certainly something they can easily quantify since they know how many calls they get daily for such reservation changes (dropping days/adding others). When it reaches some level where DVC can save $$ by eliminating the option it will happen.

Stay Tuned!

 

[Dean]

They really couldn't disallow it

Sure they could, there are many ways. They could make each change a cancelation and rebooking, they could institute charges to do so, they could prevent you adding on to an existing reservation and many other options.

 

[supersnoop]

Remove the "Day 1 must be available to book" requirement.

Simpler solution: remove the whole +7 option. That would eliminate any benefit of booking a room you don't intend to use. The downside? Since you wouldn't be able to book past your arrival date at 11 months, some people will find it necessary to book each day of their vacation separately, causing them extra time and effort. I wonder if that would get more complaints than the lack of availability due to walking.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Simpler solution: remove the whole +7 option. That would eliminate any benefit of booking a room you don't intend to use. The downside? Since you wouldn't be able to book past your arrival date at 11 months, some people will find it necessary to book each day of their vacation separately, causing them extra time and effort. I wonder if that would get more complaints than the lack of availability due to walking.

That's definitely not a simple solution. They've been there and done that already. It created booking messes at certain times from posts seen here and I had personally found it stressful and had problems. What you can end up with is starting a reservation and getting a few days and then getting shut out part way thru. That's a big mess. I felt there were a lot more complaints on the boards with that system. In the end the rooms that have issues always will because of very limited availability and education before buying pretty much will point out the difficult options. Personally I'm very happy with the existing process, especially compared to the old. Do I always get what I hope to? Nope. But I want the flexibility that exists with this system and recognize what the trade offs might be and that I also have to be flexible to get that flexibility.

 

[delilah]

I have never "walked" a reservation, but I have had trips that for a variety of reasons unrelated to the specific DVC room, I had to modify reservations multiple times. I would have been really annoyed in those instances to have been limited to changing only once or being charged to change. Specifically, I had a reserved a 1 BR at AKV for spring break one year, with a wait list for BLT. My son then decided to do a class trip over spring break instead of a family trip. Our wait list for BLT came through the very day we made the deposit for his class trip, so we didn't use it. Instead, we invited friends of ours to join us, but, they weren't available for the entire spring break. Then they couldn't come at all, and a 1BR savannah view for just my husband and me was way too much room and too many points, so, we finally settled on a studio. I think we changed the reservation 4 or 5 times. But, that's not normal for us.

 

[Disneyepcot]

I have never "walked" a reservation, but I have had trips that for a variety of reasons unrelated to the specific DVC room, I had to modify reservations multiple times. I would have been really annoyed in those instances to have been limited to changing only once or being charged to change. Specifically, I had a reserved a 1 BR at AKV for spring break one year, with a wait list for BLT. My son then decided to do a class trip over spring break instead of a family trip. Our wait list for BLT came through the very day we made the deposit for his class trip, so we didn't use it. Instead, we invited friends of ours to join us, but, they weren't available for the entire spring break. Then they couldn't come at all, and a 1BR savannah view for just my husband and me was way too much room and too many points, so, we finally settled on a studio. I think we changed the reservation 4 or 5 times. But, that's not normal for us.

"LIKE"
I agree!!!! Currently, I have a reservation in September for 7 days. I will either drop the 1st or last day once I find out my husband's schedule. I am sorry that I need to hold that extra day out of inventory but September is still a long way away.
There are many reasons to modify a reservation.

I understand why people will reserve a week a few days ahead of time in order to get the days they need. If they do the initial reservation on line and then call to modify it a few days later; it only involves ONE call to member series. NO BIG DEAL (They do not need to call member services every day)

I bet there are some that walk in order to get a primo time in order to rent their points. I do not know for sure but haven't I heard that DVC could put a stop to renting points. That would probably free up some of the walking situation.

Just know the system and work the system, like changing our ways of using fast passes at the parks.

 

[Dean]

Simpler solution: remove the whole +7 option. That would eliminate any benefit of booking a room you don't intend to use. The downside? Since you wouldn't be able to book past your arrival date at 11 months, some people will find it necessary to book each day of their vacation separately, causing them extra time and effort. I wonder if that would get more complaints than the lack of availability due to walking.

There are significant savings to the system by doing the 7 nights at a time. My view is the best and fairest option is to make EVERY change involving the nights or room type a cancelation and rebooking. Still, as long as they're consistent, I'll learn the rules and use them accordingly to my advantage. I've never walked a reservation but wouldn't hesitate as long as that's the system.

 

[Msmithmd]

There are significant savings to the system by doing the 7 nights at a time. My view is the best and fairest option is to make EVERY change involving the nights or room type a cancelation and rebooking. Still, as long as they're consistent, I'll learn the rules and use them accordingly to my advantage. I've never walked a reservation but wouldn't hesitate as long as that's the system.

Completely agree. I grasp the emotional point of view of people who come to these boards complaining about others walking reservations. But it is a moot argument, unless and until DVC decides to modify the rules.

For the vast majority of booking, walking simply isn't necessary. But for the peak demand options in peak times, this is the proper strategy to be successful in securing what you wish to book. Deciding not to do this because of some moral "high ground" could result in not getting the reservation that you want.

As the song goes, "Don't hate the player. Hate the game."

 

[mkunichi]

What about the idea of allowing reservations with tail-end waitlisted days? So I'd go online and "book" a reservation on the day I want it to start and be automatically put on the waitlist for the remaining days.

Note: I'm sure ideas like this have been suggested and discussed in some other master "alternatives to walking" thread. Feel free to post a link if so!

 

[Dean]

What about the idea of allowing reservations with tail-end waitlisted days? So I'd go online and "book" a reservation on the day I want it to start and be automatically put on the waitlist for the remaining days. Note: I'm sure ideas like this have been suggested and discussed in some other master "alternatives to walking" thread. Feel free to post a link if so!

It's too complicated plus they don't have a good waitlist system. IF they wanted to do this, they'd just make it 14 days instead of 7 that one could reserve up front. I'm for most any system that discourages people from changing their reservations because people play games that affect other people like reserving multiple times or villas with the idea of canceling later.

 

[beer dave]

It's too complicated plus they don't have a good waitlist system. IF they wanted to do this, they'd just make it 14 days instead of 7 that one could reserve up front. I'm for most any system that discourages people from changing their reservations because people play games that affect other people like reserving multiple times or villas with the idea of canceling later.

Yup--- it's pay to play-- if you have enough points to book your trip 2 times, you can book options of room sizes depending on where or how many may be joining you, and cancel before 30 days. I don't do this, but also would walk if I needed to. ( AKV club, etc.)