Relative to "walking", which of the following best describes your reservation activity?

[BeachClub2014]

There's been significant discussion across multiple threads about the practice of "walking" a reservation, with many great points being made and shared. On the one hand, some folks believe that "walking" of reservations isn't much of an issue and is not prevalent within the DVC system, while others believe it to be an issue and is prevalent on a larger scale. I thought it would be an interesting poll to launch to see what we can learn about DIS'ers and reservation "walking."

 

[kes601]

I've never walked an 11 month reservation but if I see something that might be available by "walking" it at 7 months I will do it for a few days.

 

[Grumpy by Birth]

 

[CWTC]

I've never walked an 11 month reservation but if I see something that might be available by "walking" it at 7 months I will do it for a few days.

Oh that’s a good point. The 1 reservation I have ever walked was for a 7 month reservation.

 

[kes601]

Oh that’s a good point. The 1 reservation I have ever walked was for a 7 month reservation.

To me, while technically I suppose it is walking, anybody who owns at that resort had 3.5+ months to book it, so I don't feel that badly about it.

 

[Genie+]

I haven’t walked yet but plan on it because it is near impossible to book certain rooms/seasons otherwise, and likely only gets harder from here. At some point on a 20 or 40 year contract I’m likely to want and try for one of those.

 

[robinb]

I'm an unapologetic "walker". It's the best way to get hard to get certain studios including AKV Value, AKV Concierge, BWV Boardwalk View, and to a lesser extent, BWV Standard View. It's unlikely that I would be able to enjoy the view of the boardwalk or the Kilimanjaro Club Lounge or save points on Value and Standard views without walking. IMO, we are all on equal footing when it comes to walking. If you choose not to walk a hard to get reservation, that's on you.

 

[JackosinDIS]

Never needed to as I love SSR! I might walk my next 2 BR preferred view just for fun though.

 

[Genie+]

I see this as a contract issue more than an ethics issue. Contract says we have equal shot to take our chance at 11 months. That’s not really true because walks are starting at 13 and 15 months out, forcing the act of walking to get that equal first come first serve footing at 11 months.

The second part to this debate is if the cure is worse than the disease. Well I think eventually the point comes where DVC feels a change is necessary. Cure is an abstract until DVC does anything. Does not necessarily mean the impact to owners is worse than the improvement to the system. This part comes down to whether we trust the ability of DVC to make wise decisions and whether we trust DVC not to put their own interests above owners.

 

[tom1944]

I do not believe I will ever walk a reservation but I do not care if you do.

You walking has no impact on me.

 

[TheDailyMoo]

I'm an unapologetic "walker". It's the best way to get hard to get certain studios including AKV Value, AKV Concierge, BWV Boardwalk View, and to a lesser extent, BWV Standard View. It's unlikely that I would be able to enjoy the view of the boardwalk or the Kilimanjaro Club Lounge or save points on Value and Standard views without walking. IMO, we are all on equal footing when it comes to walking. If you choose not to walk a hard to get reservation, that's on you.

I'm really asking out of curiosity and not as a means of a tutorial but,

I've almost never seen an AKV Value or Concierge available at 8 am. Of course I am not looking every day but that's neither here nor there. In order to start a walk on one of those there MUST be availability correct? In other words even starting a walk on those rooms means you have to get lucky one morning?

 

[Chuck S]

I have only walked reservations once. For a group of 11 people, and we needed a HA-GV at OKW (there are only 3) and a two bedroom unit over Thanksgiving week. That it the only time, so far, that I have felt it necessary to walk.

 

[Sandisw]

I have done walking a few times when I wanted more than one high demand room for specific dates

However, I realized that in one case, it was not needed and the other case, I realized I just needed to be flexible with my dates and adjust was walkers went on by.

So far, have always got what I needed in the less expensive rooms…and worst case, I adjust if we have to do the PV.

 

[robinb]

I'm really asking out of curiosity and not as a means of a tutorial but,

I've almost never seen an AKV Value or Concierge available at 8 am. Of course I am not looking every day but that's neither here nor there. In order to start a walk on one of those there MUST be availability correct? In other words even starting a walk on those rooms means you have to get lucky one morning?

Yes. It must pop up at the start of the 11 month window to snag it and start walking.

 

[disneydreamer781]

I'm more of a stalker. I kind of like the challenge if I already have a reservation in place anyway. I also usually book at 11 months. I've never walked a reservation but that doesn't mean in trying to secure a future hard-to-get reservation that I wouldn't consider it.

 

[GoingSince1990]

LOL. A context-sensitive ad for shoes has now appeared on this page in my browser with the tagline “Designed for All Day Walking”. I see why you did it, AI advertising algorithm, but you missed the mark with this one!

 

[lowlight]

LOL. A context-sensitive ad for shoes has now appeared on this page in my browser with the tagline “Designed for All Day Walking”. I see why you did it, AI advertising algorithm, but you missed the mark with this one!

Now I’ve got the song these boots are made for walking stuck in my head.

 

[denecarter]

For June of 2019 we had a group of 19 extended family members. I wanted the two OKW-GV that are the only Hospitality House GVs and next to each other. My dates were not flexible with so many work schedules and a military family. I needed them for a full week and I got them. I don't think I would have if I had not walked them.

 

[kboo]

Before I knew what walking was, I booked a Thanksgiving 2br standard right at 8am and as soon as I'd booked it, it showed as unavailable for the whole stretch I'd booked. So I got the last one. Someone clicking on the same one a split second after I did probably would have thought it was taken by a walker.

I walk for Christmas/New Year's, but I have gotten more relaxed about it. Mostly it's because with my new schedule I cannot usually be online at 8am any day - we've booked Thanksgiving a few times, too, and I haven't walked that. Other times, I don't even get on right at 11 months! I used to, when our contracts were shiny and new, because was super excited and wanted to make sure I got what I wanted. Now, we sometimes plan trips less than 11 months out, nd even if I book into a preferred room category, the waitlist usually fills sometime after so everything has a way of working out.

This Christmas, I have the almost perfect setup booked at VGF and Riviera, and ... the family wants me to try for DL or Hawaii for Christmas.

 

[davidhr]

I walked once a Value AKV room. I don't walk regularly because I'm flexible with the room, so if I don't get the one I want, I book another and waitlist the one I want. At 7 months I check if there's something better available.

If my dates/points are inflexible at some point in the future, you can bet I'll walk that reservation.