Should DVC eliminate walking?

[jarestel]

Yes, I'd like to see all loopholes plugged simply because they're loopholes and not part of the original design. Whether I am personally impacted by walking or not is irrelevant as far as I'm concerned. The fact that someone is booking rooms they have no intention of using seems to be the type of activity that DVC should probably look to eliminate.

If walking is not a problem as some have suggested, then eliminating it should pose no great hardship for anyone.

 

[10CJ]

Yes, I'd like to see all loopholes plugged simply because they're loopholes and not part of the original design. Whether I am personally impacted by walking or not is irrelevant as far as I'm concerned. The fact that someone is booking rooms they have no intention of using seems to be the type of activity that DVC should probably look to eliminate.

If walking is not a problem as some have suggested, then eliminating it should pose no great hardship for anyone.

how do you propose it be eliminated? I think the point most are making is trying to eliminate it would impose hardships and any solution would be worse than walking.

 

[Bearval]

As DVC is getting more crowded with more resorts and more owners, it feels like more and more people are taking advantage of walking to circumvent the 11 and 7 month booking windows. While not foolproof, it is the best way to provide insurance that you get a reservation when you want, but to the detriment of other owners.

What do people think about Disney restricting walking? Basically, some rules that allow you to make X number of modifications to a booking date for reasonable accommodations to changes in travel plans, then anything else must go through member services. I think restrictions like this would enable people to update their reservations if they need to change flights, or something happens, or whatever else while preventing walking since someone wouldn't be able to book a reservation and update it every day for months.

What cancel walking?!?!?!? I am pretty sure this is the only exercise some of the walkers get.

 

[Bearval]

Yes, I'd like to see all loopholes plugged simply because they're loopholes and not part of the original design. Whether I am personally impacted by walking or not is irrelevant as far as I'm concerned. The fact that someone is booking rooms they have no intention of using seems to be the type of activity that DVC should probably look to eliminate.

If walking is not a problem as some have suggested, then eliminating it should pose no great hardship for anyone.

The only way to fairly eliminate walking would be to require the entire current booking be canceled and resubmitted. This would not give an unfair advantage to someone who has a ton of points over someone else who has maybe just enough for a week. Will DVC do anything about it? I highly doubt it since they made it easier now that you can do modifications yourself online.

 

[jarestel]

how do you propose it be eliminated? I think the point most are making is trying to eliminate it would impose hardships and any solution would be worse than walking.

I propose that no changes to the initial checkin day be allowed for 15 days after the original reservation is made. One could add days to the tail end of a reservation but would be unable to change the checkin day until 15 days have gone by. What do you think?

 

[10CJ]

I propose that no changes to the initial checkin day be allowed for 15 days after the original reservation is made. One could add days to the tail end of a reservation but would be unable to change the checkin day until 15 days have gone by. What do you think?

Previous posts in this thread have shown the flaws in the method.

how long does this rule apply? Only at 11 months? If some makes a reservation at 10 months are they able to adjust the initial day whenever they want? Do you have to wait until 7 months before this restriction drops?

 

[DVC_HK]

So experimenting with walking for really the first long time other than maybe a day or two ahead of my dates. I loaded my points for this year so I can snag the week of October 1st next year by doing a full week and it takes me maybe a minute or two to move it along each day. Started soon as my points dropped

 

[JETSDAD]

The only way to fairly eliminate walking would be to require the entire current booking be canceled and resubmitted. This would not give an unfair advantage to someone who has a ton of points over someone else who has maybe just enough for a week. Will DVC do anything about it? I highly doubt it since they made it easier now that you can do modifications yourself online.

So anyone wanting more than 7 nights is going to be screwed. As soon as you drop the reservation to add an 8th night you'll lose the first night(s) and have lost the reservation entirely.

 

[JETSDAD]

I propose that no changes to the initial checkin day be allowed for 15 days after the original reservation is made. One could add days to the tail end of a reservation but would be unable to change the checkin day until 15 days have gone by. What do you think?

As previously pointed out, that then gives those with more points an unfair advantage plus you then have reservations being held for weeks/months before the unwanted dates are released.

 

[Philsfan77]

I've never walked and I think I would agree that I'd like to see the ability to make modifications online limited to a cool down of say once every 3 days. I think some serial renters who book highly desirable rooms/times to rent as confirmed reservations wouldn't like it as much. I own at BWV and Standard/Boardwalk views are often walked making them very hard to get without playing the same walking game. If no on can walk doesn't that make it fair for all?

To play Devil's advocate on your suggestions...once every 3 days won't really stop walking...unless they have a trip booked for 3 days or less...anything longer than that and they can still modify and walk it forward on that third day with no issues.

To your last statement...if everyone can walk right now...isn't that essentially fair for all as well?

 

[Philsfan77]

I think reservation changes should be limited to 5.

This won't stop walking

 

[CarolMN]

Based on past history, it's very unlikely that DVC will do anything about walking until/unless it negatively affects the system as a whole. Right now, it just doesn't. I'm hard pressed to see a time that it will.

The system doesn't care who gets a particular room, just that rooms fill. The vast majority of walking is accomplished online, so there is little to no impact on MS staffing ( i.e., cost to DVC ). Any change that eliminates walking will just result in a different set of Members who are able to book the concierge or "cheap" villas.

We Members will never agree on a definition for "fair". It's said that fair is a place to take your pig. In Minnesota, it's in August.

 

[n2mm]

The one impact that MS gets is combining a reservation after you piece 10 days together one by one each day after it’s dropped. Btw, this morning feb 13th I went online to book standard studio Bwv for January 13. Got it no problem. Hmmm. I’m not that fast either.

 

[jarestel]

Previous posts in this thread have shown the flaws in the method.

how long does this rule apply? Only at 11 months? If some makes a reservation at 10 months are they able to adjust the initial day whenever they want? Do you have to wait until 7 months before this restriction drops?

Well, we certainly wouldn't want a flawed system, would we?

Since walking is only viable at 11 months, I'd be happy to see it fall off after that.

 

[jarestel]

As previously pointed out, that then gives those with more points an unfair advantage plus you then have reservations being held for weeks/months before the unwanted dates are released.

Make the waiting period whatever makes sense. 21 days, or maybe no modifications at all within the 11 month window. Members would still be able to cancel and rebook whenever they want, they just wouldn't be able to hold onto the existing reservation.

 

[Sandisw]

Well, we certainly wouldn't want a flawed system, would we?

Since walking is only viable at 11 months, I'd be happy to see it fall off after that.

People can snag a room any time and move it forward. It works during the entire home resort time. It can even sometimes work at other times too

 

[Sandisw]

Make the waiting period whatever makes sense. 21 days, or maybe no modifications at all within the 11 month window. Members would still be able to cancel and rebook whenever they want, they just wouldn't be able to hold onto the existing reservation.

As a large point owner I could book a room for 3 to 4 weeks during home resort time and drop it off and modify at whatever window allowed to what I really want

Plenty of other points to book other stays. This would give me an advantage over smaller point owners.

Most people hold a room at most 6 days through walking now. A restriction would hold it much longer.

 

[Philsfan77]

If it's not broke...don't fix it...it's as simple as that.

There are some good ideas being floated around, but most have been debunked rather quickly with a new flaw that would come up from that proposed system. The idea that any system will be flawless or perfect is a myth.

The current system is fair...whether you agree with the practice is entirely a matter of opinion...but there is no way to dispute the fairness of it. The current practice of walking also impacts only the cheapest rooms and the busiest of periods. We all know when it's going to be tough to get those rooms...either join the walkers...or pick up their scraps when they move past, but the system isn't going away.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

The only way to fairly eliminate walking would be to require the entire current booking be canceled and resubmitted. This would not give an unfair advantage to someone who has a ton of points over someone else who has maybe just enough for a week. Will DVC do anything about it? I highly doubt it since they made it easier now that you can do modifications yourself online.

Previous posts in this thread have shown the flaws in the method.

how long does this rule apply? Only at 11 months? If some makes a reservation at 10 months are they able to adjust the initial day whenever they want? Do you have to wait until 7 months before this restriction drops?

Going back to the original booking method would eliminate walking, and is the most fair way to book.
Some don’t like day by day booking, but like walking, there is no requirement to do it. The option is there if you want a hard reservation bad enough, and iis 100% fair for everyone.

 

[a742246]

What I would be afraid of is if we bring this concern about walking to Disney. They may see this as a way to make money, such as charging a fee to change a reservation. I would rather keep things the way they are!