"Walking" reservation?

[jo-jo]

This doesn't involve walking, but almost every trip, I book BLT and SSR. At seven months, I try for 2 days at another resort. If I get that, I try for another day, and so on until I end up with 1/2 trip at BLT and 1/2 at ????? So far we have not had to move three times, but that is the chance we take. However if there were change fees, I'd be spending a ton in fees with all those changes.

I'm not holding 12 days of rooms and end up only using 8 days, I'm just changing location.

 

[chainkid]

When you consider how small a percentage DIS Board members are in comparison to owners I find it hard to believe that this has much of an impact on the system as a whole. If you have more points you have more flexibility and you pay more to own . You can use your points to hold multiple reservations and then release them if you later do not need as many rooms. There will always be ways that one member can get a jump on another member just by having more knowledge of how the system works. The resort availability tool as made walking a reservation less of an issue than in the past as you can see the trend developing and act accordingly. I hardly ever call member services anymore even if walking a reservation. I remember the days of having to call each and every day at 9AM to secure another day and drop a day. That was a pain and you didn't have wait times of 40 minutes like you do now. The only bad thing about the tool is you can't add a day to get more than 7 days unless you book a new reservation and then call to link. I usually travel 10 days per reservation and that is the only draw back.

 

[Dean]

This doesn't involve walking, but almost every trip, I book BLT and SSR. At seven months, I try for 2 days at another resort. If I get that, I try for another day, and so on until I end up with 1/2 trip at BLT and 1/2 at ????? So far we have not had to move three times, but that is the chance we take. However if there were change fees, I'd be spending a ton in fees with all those changes.

I'm not holding 12 days of rooms and end up only using 8 days, I'm just changing location.

But you're pulling high demand rooms from someone else. In this situation you wouldn't necessarily have change fees unless you ended up combining reservation and then you might. Personally I think they should have minimum stays as well (3 days) until you get to the 60 day window which would affect you more.

 

[jo-jo]

But you're pulling high demand rooms from someone else. In this situation you wouldn't necessarily have change fees unless you ended up combining reservation and then you might. Personally I think they should have minimum stays as well (3 days) until you get to the 60 day window which would affect you more.

I don't understand your point. If a room is available, how am I pulling it from someone else?

 

[Dean]

I don't understand your point. If a room is available, how am I pulling it from someone else?

I'm not complaining but I am pointing out that you're holding one reservation while hoping/planning not to stay there. The truth is that essentially every reservation that any of us get is taking it or keeping it from someone else other than very last minute options, it's the nature of the beast. We are in fact in competition with each other.

 

[jo-jo]

I'm not complaining but I am pointing out that you're holding one reservation while hoping/planning not to stay there. The truth is that essentially every reservation that any of us get is taking it or keeping it from someone else other than very last minute options, it's the nature of the beast. We are in fact in competition with each other.

Yes, it true, I make a reservation in case I can't get a room elsewhere. As I get a few days at the other resort, I drop the days at the first. I'm not holding onto multiple rooms while deciding which one I like better.

 

[calleger]

Was unaware that a term had been coined for this. However, I put serious thought into doing this after noticing how big the competition was for the room I wanted. I was checking the website daily and getting very nervous. In the end, I ended up being on the website the minute my window opened and getting the reservation. However, for giggles, I went back and checked to see if the room was still available. Basically trying to show myself how silly I was being. And, the room was gone 10 minutes after the window opened up.

For the record I bagged a VGF Standard View Studio.

 

[Sandisw]

Wouldn't another option be that one could not modify, other than extend, for say thirty days?? So, you book your seven days and once booked, can not adjust the start date before thirty days...if so, it's a cancellation and rebook...You could extend as there are people who do want a longer stay then 7 days.

This would make it harder for those to walk. They could also make it seasonal where it's in effect for certain times of the year. I think most people who need to change things around who are not walking don't do it during that first month.

I tend to book what I might need and adjust when I have a better idea whose coming on our summer trip. I'd hate that I'd be forced into paying a fee or a compete rebook since some is based on airfare as well. That would certainly change the flexibility, IM O, of DVC, which is worse then dealing with walking.

 

[beer dave]

Yes, it true, I make a reservation in case I can't get a room elsewhere. As I get a few days at the other resort, I drop the days at the first. I'm not holding onto multiple rooms while deciding which one I like better.

Same-- I always book one of my home resorts at 11 months or so.... and sometimes change to another at 7 months. No harm imo.

 

[Snurk71]

Curious - why would Disney care enough about walking to even consider making a change? They already got the money from the point purchase, they get your MFs, they shouldn't really care if you're o hold for 30 minutes because of high call volume - or of they are they add staff, which owners pay for. If a room is held and then eventually dropped and not used - there's no money out of DVC's pocket - right?

 

[crisi]

Wouldn't another option be that one could not modify, other than extend, for say thirty days?? So, you book your seven days and once booked, can not adjust the start date before thirty days...if so, it's a cancellation and rebook...You could extend as there are people who do want a longer stay then 7 days.

This would make it harder for those to walk. They could also make it seasonal where it's in effect for certain times of the year. I think most people who need to change things around who are not walking don't do it during that first month.

I tend to book what I might need and adjust when I have a better idea whose coming on our summer trip. I'd hate that I'd be forced into paying a fee or a compete rebook since some is based on airfare as well. That would certainly change the flexibility, IM O, of DVC, which is worse then dealing with walking.

That would give a huge advantage to those with enough points to hold two or three weeks of rooms for a month.

Back when we called day by day (which had some similar issues in terms of working the system and taking up resources) I did it once - for a BWV Food and Wine trip where I wanted two Boardwalk View rooms for a family trip. So I can't say I'd never walk a reservation, but that sort of game playing is something I seldom have patience to do.

 

[Dean]

That would give a huge advantage to those with enough points to hold two or three weeks of rooms for a month. Back when we called day by day (which had some similar issues in terms of working the system and taking up resources) I did it once - for a BWV Food and Wine trip where I wanted two Boardwalk View rooms for a family trip. So I can't say I'd never walk a reservation, but that sort of game playing is something I seldom have patience to do.

I find these type of discussions interesting. Often you get the answers based on a given person's habits or wants rather than an honest appraisal of the overall situation or you get answers based on emotion because they'd hate for someone to actually miss out on their reservation. The idea is actually to have them risk not getting the reservation. I tend to look at it as if I were in management rather than how it'd work for me. Then you get in to what you'd like to do and the law of unintended consequences. It's much like the answers on how much is too much to earn or spend or how expensive a car is too expensive where from a certain subgroup the answer is anything more than what they have. So you often see people come up with a "solution" that's difficult or complicated but really doesn't help at all. That's why the 2 best answers to control this issue are to make each change a cancelation and rebooking (which they've done historically anyway with lockoff's) or add fees to do so (which is likely the best but a precedent that DVC likely wants to avoid). They could give a limited number of freebies if they wanted either per membership or based on how many points owned and still keep it simple. IF DVC ever initiates a VIP program, expect changes in this area.

 

[beer dave]

I find these type of discussions interesting. Often you get the answers based on a given person's habits or wants rather than an honest appraisal of the overall situation or you get answers based on emotion because they'd hate for someone to actually miss out on their reservation. The idea is actually to have them risk not getting the reservation. I tend to look at it as if I were in management rather than how it'd work for me. Then you get in to what you'd like to do and the law of unintended consequences. It's much like the answers on how much is too much to earn or spend or how expensive a car is too expensive where from a certain subgroup the answer is anything more than what they have. So you often see people come up with a "solution" that's difficult or complicated but really doesn't help at all. That's why the 2 best answers to control this issue are to make each change a cancelation and rebooking (which they've done historically anyway with lockoff's) or add fees to do so (which is likely the best but a precedent that DVC likely wants to avoid). They could give a limited number of freebies if they wanted either per membership or based on how many points owned and still keep it simple. IF DVC ever initiates a VIP program, expect changes in this area.

That would be interesting-- instead of a charge for changes, earn credits for non changes or something of the sort, like your rating on ebay...... making people strive for that almost unobtainable 100%...... Sally completed a vacation with only one booking..... made all of her ADR's on time, and all her FPP's.... oh, but wait... she returned those earings she bought at DTD... 65%

 

[Dean]

That would be interesting-- instead of a charge for changes, earn credits for non changes or something of the sort, like your rating on ebay...... making people strive for that almost unobtainable 100%...... Sally completed a vacation with only one booking..... made all of her ADR's on time, and all her FPP's.... oh, but wait... she returned those earings she bought at DTD... 65%

I would suggest nothing that complicated, just enough flexibility to cover when life happens but nothing that would cover walking. Something very simple and straight forward and easy for a simple program such as DVC uses to easily track. Now if they went this way there's a good chance they'd come up with a program where those with multiple short stays or split stays would have housekeeping charges, not necessarily a bad thing but something that would need to be considered up front.

 

[Sandisw]

I find these type of discussions interesting. Often you get the answers based on a given person's habits or wants rather than an honest appraisal of the overall situation or you get answers based on emotion because they'd hate for someone to actually miss out on their reservation. The idea is actually to have them risk not getting the reservation. I tend to look at it as if I were in management rather than how it'd work for me. Then you get in to what you'd like to do and the law of unintended consequences. It's much like the answers on how much is too much to earn or spend or how expensive a car is too expensive where from a certain subgroup the answer is anything more than what they have. So you often see people come up with a "solution" that's difficult or complicated but really doesn't help at all. That's why the 2 best answers to control this issue are to make each change a cancelation and rebooking (which they've done historically anyway with lockoff's) or add fees to do so (which is likely the best but a precedent that DVC likely wants to avoid). They could give a limited number of freebies if they wanted either per membership or based on how many points owned and still keep it simple. IF DVC ever initiates a VIP program, expect changes in this area.

Which is why my personal feeling is that I'd rather deal with those walking than lose the flexibility to make changes or adjustments without a fee or a cancel and re-book.

 

[Dean]

Which is why my personal feeling is that I'd rather deal with those walking than lose the flexibility to make changes or adjustments without a fee or a cancel and re-book.

I personally see it as a problem, esp in terms of MS time and the costs involved. So to me it's a problem in need of and worth fixing. My GUESS is DVC realized it be an issue but underestimated the usage, something they have a history of IMO. One thing I can be sure of is that what ever system is in place I'll learn it and avoid most issues. While I think a cancelation and rebooking approach is by far best, there are extremely few situations where the term ethics and timeshare can be used in the same sentence from a member usage standpoint as long as one doesn't have an inside track such as a friend who works there and gives special benefits.

 

[Sandisw]

That would give a huge advantage to those with enough points to hold two or three weeks of rooms for a month.

Back when we called day by day (which had some similar issues in terms of working the system and taking up resources) I did it once - for a BWV Food and Wine trip where I wanted two Boardwalk View rooms for a family trip. So I can't say I'd never walk a reservation, but that sort of game playing is something I seldom have patience to do.

Possibly, but do you really think that there are that many big points holders who are walking that far in advance that they'd want to tie things up? And, doesn't DVC have a limit on the number of nights in a reservation before its a new one?

From what I see, most start a week or so ahead of time, maybe 2. As already mentioned, the only true way to stop it is to make every change a cancel and re-book, or add a fee, which, for the majority of the time, would be more detrimental to the system than what walking is doing for the Dec time.

Of course, the another option is to change the point season for early December and make it Magic Season, and change some of the summer to the lower totals which may even out some of the demand. I am surprised this hasn't happened yet.