Should DVC eliminate walking?

I walked a VGF reservation for spring break in March 2019 because the boards made it seem like I needed to walk a standard studio at VGF, and it was completely unnecessary. Lesson learned for me. :)
Certain times of the year, walking is definitely a concern for a studio at VGF. First week in December a few years it has been tough at 8AM; but oddly enough it isn't an issue every December though.

Overall, I don't think walking is a huge issue DVC-wide, but I do think it's a problem at VGF and AKL Value. Luckily, it has not impacted us from being able to get the rooms we want when we want them at those two home resorts. I've seen walking happen in October and December for studios due to the limited # of them. I don't really have any solutions though because anything implemented would have other side effects DVC-wide or it would try to solve an issue only at a few select resorts and I don't see DIsney taking the effort to do so.

I do think DIsney should change the time to book. 8AM is an "OK" time for those of us on the east coast, but it's too early for other parts of the country. Why not make it 10AM? Whether it's 8AM or 10AM, I'm likely at work, but 5AM is sorta brutal for our friends out west.
 
Should DVC eliminate walking? Yes. How? No idea - well, maybe...

Look, think about ANY other lodging - would calling and revising the reservation every day for weeks, maybe even months on end be tolerated? NO WAY! Heck, I even know someone who has been put on a notorious list at Home Depot because they returned too much stuff.

How about if you can make your reservation on-line, but you have to call and talk to a human if you want to make a change to that reservation? That way you could make changes due to all of those "life happens" exceptions that are being mentioned in this thread, but would also be a lot less likely to do that more than once.
 
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?

I think those with more points have more power to walk.
 
Should DVC eliminate walking? Yes. How? No idea - well, maybe...

Look, think about ANY other lodging - would calling and revising the reservation every day for weeks, maybe even months on end be tolerated? NO WAY! Heck, I even know someone who has been put on a notorious list at Home Depot because they returned too much stuff.

How about if you can make your reservation on-line, but you have to call and talk to a human if you want to make a change to that reservation? That way you could make changes due to all of those "life happens" exceptions that are being mentioned in this thread, but would also be a lot less likely to do that more than once.
You do not have to call every day unless its a 2 day reservation. If it is a week, you have to call every 5 or 6.
You used to have to call to change and people did it. It didn't stop it then - they made it easier to do (sort of your point) by making the feature on line.
I walked a reservation in 2015 (I think), and I even got a comment about "what is your final desired date" they knew I was walking. Think I cared? Did not stop me, and if I wanted to walk a reservation and had to call to do it, I would. Let some cast member who I am never going to meet think what they want about me.

And yes, if a hotel had to change your reservation that often, they would, you dont turn away a cash paying customer. Your home depot example is turning away a customer you are losing money on.

Maybe it would be great if they could stop it, but any solution is like breaking out a sledge hammer to hang a picture hook.

Outside of VGF studios early december, you can pretty much get the room type you want at 11 months, just maybe not the view. But come on, AKV - what is there, 10 of those? CCV is also a bit of an issue in general
 


Certain times of the year, walking is definitely a concern for a studio at VGF. First week in December a few years it has been tough at 8AM; but oddly enough it isn't an issue every December though.

Overall, I don't think walking is a huge issue DVC-wide, but I do think it's a problem at VGF and AKL Value. Luckily, it has not impacted us from being able to get the rooms we want when we want them at those two home resorts. I've seen walking happen in October and December for studios due to the limited # of them. I don't really have any solutions though because anything implemented would have other side effects DVC-wide or it would try to solve an issue only at a few select resorts and I don't see DIsney taking the effort to do so.

I do think DIsney should change the time to book. 8AM is an "OK" time for those of us on the east coast, but it's too early for other parts of the country. Why not make it 10AM? Whether it's 8AM or 10AM, I'm likely at work, but 5AM is sorta brutal for our friends out west.

I agree with you. I think any solution is going to create different problems.

That is thoughtful for the start time. 5a is tough, but I don't think they'll change it.

What's even worse is the 4a FastPass+ and the 3a dining reservations! :headache:
 


I can still walk a reservation a few weeks....others, months. You're not eliminating walking, you're simply creating a tiered walking system.

Except at most people are going to walk a couple days because most people are not going to be using points simply for walking for weeks on end.

But you're wanting people to hold unwanted reservations longer than they currently do. If I need to walk 3 weeks I will but then I'm holding a few weeks of rooms that I have no intention on keeping....to me that is worse than having someone drop daily or every few days.

If you drop 3 weeks all at once the good thing here is that it goes to the first person with a wait list. So its actually BETTER than a system where you might drop 2 or 3 days at a time and people with a 7 day waitlist will never get their waitlist filled.
 
Should DVC eliminate walking? Yes. How? No idea - well, maybe...

Look, think about ANY other lodging - would calling and revising the reservation every day for weeks, maybe even months on end be tolerated? NO WAY! Heck, I even know someone who has been put on a notorious list at Home Depot because they returned too much stuff.

How about if you can make your reservation on-line, but you have to call and talk to a human if you want to make a change to that reservation? That way you could make changes due to all of those "life happens" exceptions that are being mentioned in this thread, but would also be a lot less likely to do that more than once.

Only if they actually enforced it which they likely wouldn't.

And yes, if a hotel had to change your reservation that often, they would, you dont turn away a cash paying customer. Your home depot example is turning away a customer you are losing money on.

Except hotels would actually put partial cancellation fees on rooms. I know a few hotels near stadiums that do 0% refunds. Meaning you book 12 months out and if a game is not that day you lost your money.

So hotels absolutely do their best to avoid this stuff. In addition that hotel may not give you the option to modify to specific dates or if they do they will jack up the price.
 
Certain times of the year, walking is definitely a concern for a studio at VGF. First week in December a few years it has been tough at 8AM; but oddly enough it isn't an issue every December though.

Overall, I don't think walking is a huge issue DVC-wide, but I do think it's a problem at VGF and AKL Value. Luckily, it has not impacted us from being able to get the rooms we want when we want them at those two home resorts. I've seen walking happen in October and December for studios due to the limited # of them. I don't really have any solutions though because anything implemented would have other side effects DVC-wide or it would try to solve an issue only at a few select resorts and I don't see DIsney taking the effort to do so.

I do think DIsney should change the time to book. 8AM is an "OK" time for those of us on the east coast, but it's too early for other parts of the country. Why not make it 10AM? Whether it's 8AM or 10AM, I'm likely at work, but 5AM is sorta brutal for our friends out west.
A bit off topic, but to touch on the time the booking window opens, some seem to think the east coast has an advantage at 8AM. I would argue it is actually a disadvantage. I, like probably most east coasters, am actually in the middle of my morning commute already at 8AM. Not so easy to book a room online when you are driving. I would actually much prefer to book at 6AM when I am getting up anyway. Luckily, I take the bus to work so I can easily book from my phone and it doesn't really affect me 🙂. Of course, 6AM on the east would mean 3AM in the west, so that's not helpful to anyone.....or maybe it is and I'll have less west coast competition this way while they are sleeping 🤔
 
I think those with more points have more power to walk.
Right now if you have enough points to book 2 nights then you have the capability to walk just as much as someone with thousands of points. The minimum number of nights needed to walk is 2 and the maximum is 7. The only advantage to being able to book 7 nights is that you don't have to modify as often.
 
Right now if you have enough points to book 2 nights then you have the capability to walk just as much as someone with thousands of points. The minimum number of nights needed to walk is 2 and the maximum is 7. The only advantage to being able to book 7 nights is that you don't have to modify as often.

If I want 2 nights at NYE and I can book out 7 nights (more points) and walk (trim my arrival) then I have an advantage of Booking NYE 6 days before, over someone who can only book NYE 1 day before because they can only cover their real reservation of 2 nights.

Both want to get 2 night that cost the same. The owner with more points has an advantage..
 
If I want 2 nights at NYE and I can book out 7 nights (more points) and walk (trim my arrival) then I have an advantage of Booking NYE 6 days before, over someone who can only book NYE 1 day before because they can only cover their real reservation of 2 nights.

Both want to get 2 night that cost the same. The owner with more points has an advantage..
Nope....all you need is to be able to book 2 nights. Let's say on December 20th you book 2 nights. You now have a reservation blocked off. The next day you change your reservation to be Dec 21-23....the next it becomes 22-24. Eventually you get it to your dates. It doesn't matter if someone has points for 7 nights because they need those first nights in order to start a walk/reservation but you have them.
 
If I want 2 nights at NYE and I can book out 7 nights (more points) and walk (trim my arrival) then I have an advantage of Booking NYE 6 days before, over someone who can only book NYE 1 day before because they can only cover their real reservation of 2 nights.

Both want to get 2 night that cost the same. The owner with more points has an advantage..
That is not correct.
You can book 2 nights 11 months out just like the other person. You now have that room BLOCKED from being booked on new years eve, because day 1 of the window (for that specific room) is not available. You just have to call more often.
Lets say you want 12/30 and 12/31.
You can book that at 1/30 (as can I)
you decide to walk it starting 1/1. So Do I. You have enough points to book a week. I have enough points to book 2 nights. We can both walk it with the same efficacy, I just have to modify my reservation every day, where you can do it as little as every 6 days. You do not have an advantage because you have more points, it is just less effort for you.
 
Last edited:
Only if they actually enforced it which they likely wouldn't.



Except hotels would actually put partial cancellation fees on rooms. I know a few hotels near stadiums that do 0% refunds. Meaning you book 12 months out and if a game is not that day you lost your money.

So hotels absolutely do their best to avoid this stuff. In addition that hotel may not give you the option to modify to specific dates or if they do they will jack up the price.

True about hotels. But DVC isn't the same. We are owners of a timeshare that gives us the right to book reservations and modify as often as we like without penalty, except when its done less than 31 days in advance.

DVC can absolutely decide to try and change the system to add fees or restrictions. What I don't know is if it would violate the POS to begin implementing those types of rules. It would be a massive change to the system because there really is literally no situation that can be put in place that can address walking without that having some level of impact on all changes to reservations.

I double checked today again at 10:00 am. Every resort had studios available for stays starting Jan 13, 2021.. Any DVC owner wanting to book in a studio at 11 months out today would have had no problem securing a reservation. Maybe not the view, but certainly, would not have been locked out of getting a room.
 
Day by day also created havoc within the system. Many ended up with holes in their reservations. It was especially difficult for those who wanted longer stays.

I originally absolutely hated the change and thought it "unfair", but soon saw that the change to " +7 " booking was much better for the system and better for most members.

We should also note that today there are many more small contracts / "studio-only" bookers than there were before the change was made.

I have been an owner for 10 years and if they went back to the old system I would immediately sell at least one of my contracts. As an owner who likes to stay in an AKV CL studio for a week every year surrounding marathon weekend, and who lives on the West Coast, the old booking system would make my AKV DVC contract unusable for my needs.

I would also hate any restriction on having to be an owner to check in for certain high demand periods, as was previously suggested. What if something happens right before my marathon trip and I can't go any longer, shouldn't I be able to gift that reservation to a friend or family member to avoid my points going into holding?

I have yet to see a walking fix that isn't worse than walking, I don't agree with any fix that makes the system less flexible, or rewards those with more points, I certainly disagree with any suggestion that would require any sort of payment for a reservation. I also see a lot of people describe frustrating behaviors with booking that they attribute to walking that quite obviously are not due to walkers, so it likely gets a worse rap than problems it actually causes...
 
Right, walking happens because certain rooms/times have demand >> supply. Normally, the way you fix that is to increase the point cost of the popular times and decrease the point cost of the unpopular times. Walking is just a symptom of the underlying problem. But changing the point costs probably would not be a very popular solution either since lots of people purchase contracts with the idea that they will be always book those low cost rooms.

Exactly...… let's have DVC fix the problem, not the symptom.

Although I want to go in the fall now, so please don't start raising the point costs for that time...
 
Exactly...… let's have DVC fix the problem, not the symptom.

Although I want to go in the fall now, so please don't start raising the point costs for that time...
Unfortunately I think we have seen the beginning of rise of fall points. The 2021 point chart being changed to least use time to most use time shows that. I think they just couldn't make it a huge jump for this year but we slowly start to see one
 
As much as we dislike walking a room, it would appear Disney doesn't really care. Otherwise, they wouldn't have made it so easy to modify through the app now instead of having to call.
If the policy were to change, I could see changing a room 3-5 times for free, then charging for each change ofter that. Unless it was a significant charge, not sure that wuold have a big impact on walking.
 
As much as we dislike walking a room, it would appear Disney doesn't really care. Otherwise, they wouldn't have made it so easy to modify through the app now instead of having to call.
If the policy were to change, I could see changing a room 3-5 times for free, then charging for each change ofter that. Unless it was a significant charge, not sure that wuold have a big impact on walking.

That might Keep walking down to 3 to 5 weeks In advance but it wouldn’t eliminate. Then you wonder is a change in resort considered one? Or just change in dates?

How about large point owners? They could technically just keep adding 7 days at a time without dropping, holding the room for several weeks.
Creates an unfair advantage for some owners.

Since one can’t book more than 7 days, would it be fair to count just adding days as a change since some people do stay for 10 to 14 days?
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!













Top