Another question about walking a reservation!

[ksromack]

Help! We are new DVC owners at CCV and had NO idea how difficult it was going to be to get 3 days there the second weekend of December! We aren't even at our 11 month window but can see that our first day isn't even available right now. We only want Friday and Saturday Dec 13 and 14. The best I could do is get a reservation for Nov30 and Dec1 which is a Sat and Sun (the points will be the exact number of points we will need to finish up our 2019 year), we are an April use year. Is this even going to work for us to try and walk this reservation? Since it's only 2 days I guess I will need to be on at exactly 8am Florida time to do this? Am I even doing this right?

 

[Liv&Leah]

I am currently walking a reservation for Christmas and NYE. As quickly as I am dropping my days, they are getting picked up either by people stalking or waitlist and they aren't becoming available again. I honestly think it will be a long shot to get those days by walking this late. You could always try though. I would also check the availability multiple times times a day and create a waitlist. It took me a few days to even get a room to start a walk. December is a very tough month.

 

[rlduvall]

I have been a DVC member since 2006 and this is the worst year I have EVER seen for December reservations. I am locked out myself and I am very savvy about walking and such [which I personally don't like, but have to just to get a reservation]. Yes, I know December has always been troublesome, but I am even seeing some of the large resorts already locked down. Waitlist the minute you can and continue to stalk the website. I'm sure that Galaxy Edge potentially opening in early December [no guarantees, though] has created some of the 'hysteria.'

 

[meekey7197]

That’s not going to work if you don’t hold the dates in between if you want to walk (I’m assuming a studio?), you need to get on at 8:00am tomorrow and try to book the 8th-10th and then modify it each day until you get what you want.

 

[stlrod]

That's going to be very tough to get. I have friends who wanted 2 studios at CCV 12/8-14. I've tried the past several days to get one studio to walk and have been unsuccessful at exactly 8am EST. I keep getting an error message that says I can't book with my CCV points until May 2019. I called MS and they said this is the message you initially receive when your first day is sold out (probably due to walking.) If you try to do only the first night, it will offer a waitlist. They said your best bet is to immediately put in a request for a waitlist one night at a time and they have seen these come through the next day when people who are walking release them. The good news is you wont be competing with me anymore for the 13th because I convinced the friends to get a 2BR which will be a little easier to get (but surprisingly not much.) Even if I could get one studio, I am certain I couldn't get a 2nd by the time I complete the process for the first one. I've owned for 15 years and have never even tried to walk before. It's time to get back to the old days when you could only do one night at time. To get priority, you may want to start out making a reservation for only the 13th so you go straight to the waitlist option. If it comes through, you can then go back and see if you can modify it to include the 14th.

 

[Spartan86]

I've tried the past several days to get one studio to walk and have been unsuccessful at exactly 7am EST

Nobody can be successful at 7 AM EST. 8?

 

[ksromack]

Thank you all for your suggestions. Who knew it would be this difficult...sure didn't seem to be so when we sat in the DVC office signing our money away just 3 months ago!

 

[motherof5]

just curious how far in advance do people walk a reservation? I'm not interested in going for the holidays but just checked 1st week of Dec and all sold out.

 

[Liv&Leah]

Last year I think I started a week or so before. This year I am starting like 3 weeks early because the availability has been insane! It took me a few days to even get a room to start my walk.

 

[miTnosnhoJ]

Thank you all for your suggestions. Who knew it would be this difficult...sure didn't seem to be so when we sat in the DVC office signing our money away just 3 months ago!

If you bought direct 3 months ago, call your guide and ask if they can help. Sometimes they will help new members make their first reservation. This may be possible if there are some units at Copper Creek that are not declared. Until they are declared, they are not available online, but your guide might be able to snag them.
December is very tough, but this is worth a try.

 

[Liv&Leah]

If you bought direct 3 months ago, call your guide and ask if they can help. Sometimes they will help new members make their first reservation. This may be possible if there are some units at Copper Creek that are not declared. Until they are declared, they are not available online, but your guide might be able to snag them.
December is very tough, but this is worth a try.

I agree. They helped us book our first trip too when there was no availability.

 

[ksromack]

If you bought direct 3 months ago, call your guide and ask if they can help. Sometimes they will help new members make their first reservation. This may be possible if there are some units at Copper Creek that are not declared. Until they are declared, they are not available online, but your guide might be able to snag them.
December is very tough, but this is worth a try.

Thank you! So that's our sales guy, right? We actually are using 2 days in September so technically this isn't our first booking.....but it can't hurt to try.

 

[mmjm]

What do you mean by walking a reservation? is that getting an early date and then slowly adding to it as the 11-month window moves?

 

[Liv&Leah]

What do you mean by walking a reservation? is that getting an early date and then slowly adding to it as the 11-month window moves?

Exactly.

 

[CarolynFH]

What do you mean by walking a reservation? is that getting an early date and then slowly adding to it as the 11-month window moves?

Yes, you book the length of reservation you want but with check in date some time (weeks) earlier than what you really want. Then you periodically add days to the end and drop days from the start until you have the dates you really want.

 

[miTnosnhoJ]

Thank you! So that's our sales guy, right? We actually are using 2 days in September so technically this isn't our first booking.....but it can't hurt to try.

Yes. Your sales guy.

 

[DaveNan]

I have been a DVC member since 2006 and this is the worst year I have EVER seen for December reservations. I am locked out myself and I am very savvy about walking and such [which I personally don't like, but have to just to get a reservation]. Yes, I know December has always been troublesome, but I am even seeing some of the large resorts already locked down. Waitlist the minute you can and continue to stalk the website. I'm sure that Galaxy Edge potentially opening in early December [no guarantees, though] has created some of the 'hysteria.'

I think being able to "easily and conveniently" walk with the online reservation tool has also increased the practice. In the past you had to call in every so often which made it more work. Now, it is pretty simple to do. If you only need 2 days, you may be actually able to get the days you need in the "wake" of the walking people. On the 14th of Jan, the 13th of Dec may become available and so on... If everyone is walking to Christmas week for 3-4 weeks, you may see a doughnut hole appear where you need it. Stalk the RAT.....

 

[ksromack]

I think being able to "easily and conveniently" walk with the online reservation tool has also increased the practice. In the past you had to call in every so often which made it more work. Now, it is pretty simple to do. If you only need 2 days, you may be actually able to get the days you need in the "wake" of the walking people. On the 14th of Jan, the 13th of Dec may become available and so on... If everyone is walking to Christmas week for 3-4 weeks, you may see a doughnut hole appear where you need it. Stalk the RAT.....

Ok. So today whilst refreshing every second practically I GOT 2 nights....Dec 9th and 10th. So now tomorrow I need to add the 11th and drop the 9th? Here's the situation I'm in. I have 2 points left over but by the time I get to the 13th and 14th I'll have used up all of my points. I don't want to borrow against 2020 because if I do then I'll be forced to use them before April 2020 (April is our use year). We were actually planning on a trip to Europe in 2020. Will it work for me to add a day at the end and drop the first day in the same transaction?

Oh, and I hate the idea of having to walk a reservation...doesn't seem like we should have to do this. Of course, I'm doing it to be assured that we will get our 2 nights in. I looked at the disney website just to see what we'd be forced to do to get 2 more nights at WDW and I really didn't want to pay those prices oop!

 

[CarolMN]

Ok. So today whilst refreshing every second practically I GOT 2 nights....Dec 9th and 10th. So now tomorrow I need to add the 11th and drop the 9th? Here's the situation I'm in. I have 2 points left over but by the time I get to the 13th and 14th I'll have used up all of my points. I don't want to borrow against 2020 because if I do then I'll be forced to use them before April 2020 (April is our use year). We were actually planning on a trip to Europe in 2020. Will it work for me to add a day at the end and drop the first day in the same transaction?

Yes, but only if the night you are adding costs the same as the night you are dropping. If you are adding a Friday or Saturday night, but dropping a weeknight, you will need more points to complete the reservation.

 

[ksromack]

Yes, but only if the night you are adding costs the same as the night you are dropping. If you are adding a Friday or Saturday night, but dropping a weeknight, you will need more points to complete the reservation.

Cool. I'll be adding a friday and saturday but the points will end up being the exact amount I require for the weekend's stay. Thanks for your reply! Also, do I have to be on at exactly 8am now to walk this reservation? Since it's only two days I'm guessing I'll have to go through this every morning?