What time does online booking really open???

[Debbru]

Today was my 7 month booking window for non home resorts. I "knew" the window would open at 8am but signed on around 7am(eastern) just to see what the screens looked like - I had never done this before and wanted to get a lay of the land before trying to get a Grand California studio, since I knew availability would be very limited or nonexistent.

Well guess what? It let me go thru the whole reservation process (no studios available for 9/28 or 9/29) but I was able to reserve a 1 bedroom for both nights at 7am today.

Now I have to wonder - should I have been online at midnight? When does the 7 month booking window really open?

 

[DebbieB]

Today was my 7 month booking window for non home resorts. I "knew" the window would open at 8am but signed on around 7am(eastern) just to see what the screens looked like - I had never done this before and wanted to get a lay of the land before trying to get a Grand California studio, since I knew availability would be very limited or nonexistent.

Well guess what? It let me go thru the whole reservation process (no studios available for 9/28 or 9/29) but I was able to reserve a 1 bedroom for both nights at 7am today.

Now I have to wonder - should I have been online at midnight? When does the 7 month booking window really open?

I tried it last Tuesday for 9/21 at 7:55am and it errored. I tried again at 8:00am and it worked. Maybe that was one of the updates.

 

[gdrj]

Well guess what? It let me go thru the whole reservation process (no studios available for 9/28 or 9/29) but I was able to reserve a 1 bedroom for both nights at 7am today.

Now I have to wonder - should I have been online at midnight? When does the 7 month booking window really open?

Shhhhhh! Now there will threads of it being unfair...

 

[luckyman_apd]

Shhhhhh! Now there will threads of it being unfair...

There was already a thread about it being unfair. The story I heard was that on your opening day for 7 months or 11 months, you were able to book 1 hour ahead of the time Member services opened. Not sure why it didn't work for the previous poster, but those have been the reports I've been hearing.

Also, once your window opens, online booking is open 24/7 as where you still have limited hours for the phone.

 

[Donna M]

Is there a possibility that you were one day late on the 7 month window?

 

[Debbru]

Is there a possibility that you were one day late on the 7 month window?

Nope - booked this morning 2/28 for 9/28, 9/29/12. The home screen said beginning booking today for 9/28 at non home resorts - was just surprised to see it work at 7am.

 

[boscoj]

I just made a reservation last night for the 7 month window at VGC for a 1bedroom. The amazing thing was I was able to get on at 10pm Hawaii time which was 3pm eastern and everything went through for our trip beginning 9/28.....

 

[wovenwonder]

6am EST and I am able to book or waitlist for a trip at my 7 month window with check in for 9/29/2012.

 

[luckyman_apd]

Looks like I'll be waking up real early next year when I need to make my next reservation to get online

 

[n2mm]

I tried it last Tuesday for 9/21 at 7:55am and it errored. I tried again at 8:00am and it worked. Maybe that was one of the updates.

Same for me too. I tried it on Sunday around 7:50AM and the schedule had not been updated yet. After 8:00AM I had no problem getting the room I wanted. I also got the error screen saying they were updating.

 

[RweTHEREyet]

Just to confirm what the OP said, I had the same experience yesterday. I needed to book on 9/28, and I was adding two nights to an existing reservation now using non-home resort points, so, yesterday was the first day of my 7-month window. I went on-line at 7:45 and the section that tells you what dates you can book at your Home resort and non-Home resorts had already rolled over to 9/28. I went ahead and booked just what I needed and was done and out of the system by 8:00.

So, I can confirm that at least on yesterday, on=line booking opened up prior to 8:00 a.m. for the next day.

 

[Breyean]

I made a reservation on line today but still had to call MS about it.

When we were done with my question, I asked the CM about the hours of the on line booking system. She didn't know; put me on hold while she spoke with her supervisor. Ten minutes later, NEITHER of them knew, so I just thanked her and hung up.

You'd think they'd post the rules on the member website so we'd have an idea of what they really are.

 

[luckyman_apd]

I made a reservation on line today but still had to call MS about it.

When we were done with my question, I asked the CM about the hours of the on line booking system. She didn't know; put me on hold while she spoke with her supervisor. Ten minutes later, NEITHER of them knew, so I just thanked her and hung up.

You'd think they'd post the rules on the member website so we'd have an idea of what they really are.

At 6:30 am this morning, my 11 month date was showing as Jan 29th, and 7 months at Sept 29th. Just out of curiousity, on a month like February that is short, Sept 30 or Jan 30 & 31st aren't open to booking until March 1 correct? and when you're in month with 30 days, the 31st 7 or 11 months out aren't available to book till the 1st right?

 

[Sammie]

Officially one hour prior to MS opening, so 8am Eastern.

Usually you get a error message stating you can't book at 7 months if you try before then.

Maybe Leap Day got it out of whack.

 

[boscoj]

Tried it again tonight just to see and sure enough my home screen changed at 10pm Hawaii time and said I could now make a reservation for 10/1/12. Looks like 3am eastern may now be the earliest you can make online?!

 

[vikkii19]

Booked online this morning for Oct 1st at 6am EST, I think it might be even earlier than that, because it was about 5:55am when I logged on and was finished booking by 6am.

 

[n2mm]

I tried again this morning after reading this tread again. It was 6:00AM and I got availability for March 1 and that was trying for an 11 month reservation or a 7 month reseravation. I guess it comes up when it wants to. I tried a couple of days ago and I got an error that the system had not upgraded yet. I guess all one can do is try. But with the 7 month windows openning now for October / F&W, every second will count for anyone trying to score a BW/BC reservation....btw, the availability was spotty, but workable, though that's probably changed by now -- 45 minutes ago.

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

I was told yesterday by MS that it opens at 8 am eastern. That is 7 am my time. I decided to try this morning around 6:40, and it had already rolled over the date. I was very lucky to be able to get what I wanted. Yesterday I was told availability was limited for one of my nights, and within a couple of hours today, that night was gone. I'm glad I tried early, but I can see how it's all a little unfair.

 

[gortman65]

Any recent experiences that corroborate the data in this old thread? Sorry for resurrecting it, but it's exactly the question I was going to ask.

Thank you!

 

[CarolMN]

Any recent experiences that corroborate the data in this old thread? Sorry for resurrecting it, but it's exactly the question I was going to ask.

Thank you!

For the online system, the 7 month and 11 month windows open at 8 AM Eastern. That has consistently been true for a long time now.

As you say, this thread is very old and from the time when online booking first became available.