11 Month Reservations

[WolfpackFan]

We own at VWL, AKV and HHI. For the first time ever, I was unable to get a 11 month reservation this year at VWL. I wanted to checkin on Dec. 4th for 7 nights. I was on my computer right at 8:00 on the 4th of this month. I was unable to get the reservation. I kept trying each day for a week. But no luck. What I don't understand is how did this happen. Folks were saying people were walking reservations. I understand how this works. What I don't understand is how did the walkers get their day ahead of me every day for a week. I was on the computer right at 8:00. It took me perhaps 10 seconds to click on the search button and it still came up no reservation available. Do walkers have priority over others somehow? It really bothers me that I can't get a reservation at my home resort at 11 months. BTW - we did go on the waitlist.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

What I don't understand is how did this happen. Folks were saying people were walking reservations. I understand how this works. What I don't understand is how did the walkers get their day ahead of me every day for a week.

1. At VWL walkers were WALKING for that week, so there was nothing to sweep in after.
2. That is one of the most popular weeks of the year at VWL.
3. Demand is always higher for that week than space available.

Basically, the walkers took the units. The reality is that yeah, walkers DO get higher priority, though not as policy. They take the priority.

 

[Sandisw]

Basically, too many owners wanted that week and not enough rooms.

Walkers simply decide to start a booking for earlier dates than they want and move it forward for weeks and sometimes months to get the room.

Even if walking was somehow stopped, there would still be owners who are shut out.

 

[Marionnette]

We own at VWL, AKV and HHI. For the first time ever, I was unable to get a 11 month reservation this year at VWL. I wanted to checkin on Dec. 4th for 7 nights. I was on my computer right at 8:00 on the 4th of this month. I was unable to get the reservation. I kept trying each day for a week. But no luck. What I don't understand is how did this happen. Folks were saying people were walking reservations. I understand how this works. What I don't understand is how did the walkers get their day ahead of me every day for a week. I was on the computer right at 8:00. It took me perhaps 10 seconds to click on the search button and it still came up no reservation available. Do walkers have priority over others somehow? It really bothers me that I can't get a reservation at my home resort at 11 months. BTW - we did go on the waitlist.

Walkers have an advantage but not a priority over others. This is how it works:
The walker books a reservation for X number of nights, starting with a date that is well in advance of when they actually wish to book. They have now tied up the next X number of nights. At some point during the next X-1 number of days, they modify that reservation by dropping days off of the beginning and adding days to the end. They continue doing this until they have secured the exact nights that they want.

What I do, and a lot of others who want to book hard-to-get reservations at their home resort, is follow behind the walkers as they drop nights off from the beginning of their reservations. So, I end up adding one night on at a time until the walkers have completely moved past my desired dates and I have gotten my nights booked.

 

[WolfpackFan]

But what I don't understand is how do the walkers drop the old and add the new day so quickly. Are they able to do this before 8:00?

 

[_auroraborealis_]

But what I don't understand is how do the walkers drop the old and add the new day so quickly. Are they able to do this before 8:00?

They don't have to do it like that.

 

[Marionnette]

But what I don't understand is how do the walkers drop the old and add the new day so quickly. Are they able to do this before 8:00?

Let's say that I had a reservation for 11/28 - 12/4 but what I really wanted was 12/4 - 12/11.

I could then wait until the morning of 12/4 and change that to 12/4 12/11 as long as I did it before 8 AM EST. Chances are good that I would not wait that long to "walk" the reservation forward, owing to how wonky the member's website can be. But it's entirely possible.

ETA: It's also quite likely that when you see the room available at 7:59 AM and can't book it at 8:00, it's because there were other members who also want that room and they have a faster connection to Disney's computers than you have.

 

[WolfpackFan]

Oh, I see. So the walkers can make the change before 8:00. I didn't realize that. That really does give them the advantage. Well maybe our waitlist will come through. If not, we'll just make a 7 month reservation at SSR.

 

[Minniesgal]

As a former owner of a villa on Hwy 27 for 19 years

I would think Long & Hard before investing

Do you really Really wish to travel , to the same place , year after year for the next X years

WE loved going to our villa , , 2 times a year ( 3 weeks at a time ) but after 10 years

we had seen it all . & after 15 years .... even going travelling to both coasts . it was

hard to have the wow factor .

Remember there are Many Many places & Theme Parks , in U.K. & Europe AND Other Parts of U.S.A just as good

& easier to get to than Florida

Oh, I see. So the walkers can make the change before 8:00. I didn't realize that. That really does give them the advantage. Well maybe our waitlist will come through. If not, we'll just make a 7 month reservation at SSR.

Getting SSR the first week in December won’t be easy either

 

[Marionnette]

Oh, I see. So the walkers can make the change before 8:00. I didn't realize that. That really does give them the advantage. Well maybe our waitlist will come through. If not, we'll just make a 7 month reservation at SSR.

Seven nights at the beginning of December is going to a tough one to fill. All 7 nights would need to become available at a single time in order for that to happen. One- and two-night waitlists have a much higher likelihood of getting filled. Maybe you can put in a waitlist for the first night and then another for the 2nd and 3rd night. Then stalk the website for your nights. Book single nights as the come up and then call (or chat with) MS to merge them into one reservation.

 

[Sandisw]

Oh, I see. So the walkers can make the change before 8:00. I didn't realize that. That really does give them the advantage. Well maybe our waitlist will come through. If not, we'll just make a 7 month reservation at SSR.

The reason they can change prior to 8 am is because they already have that date booked.

So, I have booked my trip to be November 28 to December 5th, but really want it to start on December 3rd, I can move on January 3rd before the window opens is because I actually already have the 3rd and 4th booked.

For early December, depending on resort, you have to either walk, hope that you can pick up dates after people who want farther into December keep going or adjust your dates.

I had to do that and instead of going first week, I shifted to start my trip to Dec 11th start to get my SV rooms at RIV. I could not get them starting Dec 4th

 

[KVacc]

What I do, and a lot of others who want to book hard-to-get reservations at their home resort, is follow behind the walkers as they drop nights off from the beginning of their reservations. So, I end up adding one night on at a time until the walkers have completely moved past my desired dates and I have gotten my nights booked.

how do you follow behind? Like how do you know people are walking by the dates you want?

 

[igrsod]

how do you follow behind? Like how do you know people are walking by the dates you want?

I also usually get the dates I want by following behind the walkers and pick up their droppings (ewww that sounds gross).
Anyways, you don't know who or when they will drop... you just stalk the site multiple times a day until you see a day you need and pick it up.
I have found most walkers don't drop first thing in the morning (although I always check just in case). From my experience afternoon and evening have
given me the most success.

 

[gillep]

Basically, too many owners wanted that week and not enough rooms.

Walkers simply decide to start a booking for earlier dates than they want and move it forward for weeks and sometimes months to get the room.

Even if walking was somehow stopped, there would still be owners who are shut out.

But this doesn't sound like walking, it just sounds like missing out on the room due to competing with other owners at 8am for a very popular room (happened to me last week trying to get a CL studio at AKL). If the check in date is available at 7:59am but then not at 8:00am it is likely just someone else that wanted the room and was faster to snag it.

 

[Sandisw]

But this doesn't sound like walking, it just sounds like missing out on the room due to competing with other owners at 8am for a very popular room (happened to me last week trying to get a CL studio at AKL). If the check in date is available at 7:59am but then not at 8:00am it is likely just someone else that wanted the room and was faster to snag it.

Walking is done because there are too many owners wanting a particular room and view.

When you don’t see them show back up it means the original owners who walked got to their real dates.

So, when rooms are available before and after but disappear right at 8 am, walking is happening.

Certain rooms never show back up like AKL CL because of popularity which means you can never tell of walking is or is not happening.

As mentioned, first week in December is not only walked but also a high travel time so it’s really both.

It is why you can’t always follow behind a walker because the rooms don’t always get dropped. For example, it works to follow behind maybe in a October or some of November but won’t work as well for early December.

 

[gillep]

Walking is done because there are too many owners wanting a particular room and view.

When you don’t see them show back up it means the original owners who walked got to their real dates.

So, when rooms are available before and after but disappear right at 8 am, walking is happening.

Certain rooms never show back up like AKL CL because of popularity which means you can never tell of walking is or is not happening.

As mentioned, first week in December is not only walked but also a high travel time so it’s really both.

I am familiar with walking, I myself do so with the AKL CL studio booking, I was just pointing out that although this behavior could be walking, and people most definitely are walking for this time of year (posts on the DIS about walking pop up this time each year) there also could be open rooms that someone not walking snagged and the OP was just slower than that person.

 

[Meriweather]

We've always been able to get the first week of Dec. at BR too .....and couldn't this year.
So disappointing. Dec is the reason we bought points at WL.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

We've always been able to get the first week of Dec. at BR too .....and couldn't this year.
So disappointing. Dec is the reason we bought points at WL.

It is the reason a lot of people buy CCV or VWL.

 

[Cyberc1978]

I own at another resort and I wanted the first week of December too.

I knew it would be a headache if I waited until the booking window opened so I walked. My walk started late November for an October date.

every 3rd or maybe 5th day I moved my reservation forward.