A solution to walking?

[_auroraborealis_]

Our DNR just created a new policy around campsite bookings. They call it "date sliding" but you will see what I see.

Would this be a solution to the walk? It is only applying to bookings at the furthest window (120 days in the case of campsites).

The DNR is also updating its reservation modification policy to prohibit “date sliding,” which will give everyone a fair chance to book the most popular campsites and dates. “Date sliding” was a technique some customers used to reserve a specific campsite before anyone else could by making use of a loophole in the modification policy.

The new policy effectively ends the practice by requiring visitors who make reservations at the maximum reservation window (120 days in advance of the arrival date) to wait 21 days before modifying or canceling their reservation.

 

[Sandisw]

It would not end it, but it could curb it. The big point owners like myself would not be impacted as I have enough to book 3 weeks so I’d just be adding the days...

However, it then decides is it just for trips booked exactly at 11 months...or any trips?

For example, if I book a trip at 10 1/2 months, can I then still walk? IMO, the entire nature of points based, first come first serve, and no penalty for changes 31 days or more is one of the big pluses of DVCM and for the small amount of times and room types that involve walking, any change that limits those things is not a benefit.

 

[JETSDAD]

It wouldn't work unless other changes were also made however those changes would also make it into a system where whoever has the most points wins. With being limited to 7 nights at the 11 month window the ability to modify to extend the reservation is needed for anyone wanting more than 7 nights. You would either need to allow people to book however long they want or to gradually add days but then those with more points could just make longer reservations and wait to drop the front end until the 21 days were up.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

It is already true that the people with tons of points have advantages, because they can walk across seasons more readily.

 

[JETSDAD]

It is already true that the people with tons of points have advantages, because they can walk across seasons more readily.

If you have enough points for 2 nights you can walk. That doesn't require a ton of points. The only advantage is how frequently you have to walk. With the suggestion above the system would really favour whoever has the most points and could make the longest reservation. Smaller point owners would have next to no chance of getting hard to get rooms at 11 months where right now they're on an even playing field at 11 months.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I don’t think there’s a level playing field at 11 months. I do think that MS needs to do something to stop the walking.

 

[JETSDAD]

I don’t think there’s a level playing field at 11 months.

Why not? Someone with 50 points has the same chance to book a studio at 11 months as someone with 1000 points.

 

[UrsulaWantsYourSoul]

I think modifying your reservation to change names of course is cool as often as needed - but it would be nice to make it that you can only modify a reservation *date* twice before needing to call MS for the next one. Just having to call in rather than an easy daily click click click would stop most people from doing it. And maybe a total limit of changes so MS doesn't have to have a daily call either. Then once you cancel it, the points don't get refunded to your account for 48 hours or whatever. There must be a collective set of rules to either completely stop it or severely limit.

 

[BillPA]

The 'fix" would be buy where you want to stay and book at 11 months.

 

[JETSDAD]

I think modifying your reservation to change names of course is cool as often as needed - but it would be nice to make it that you can only modify a reservation *date* twice before needing to call MS for the next one. Just having to call in rather than an easy daily click click click would stop most people from doing it. And maybe a total limit of changes so MS doesn't have to have a daily call either. Then once you cancel it, the points don't get refunded to your account for 48 hours or whatever. There must be a collective set of rules to either completely stop it or severely limit.

Walking was common when no modifications could be done online....it was just made easier when MS made the decision to go to online modifications which most people like. Walking doesn't have to be done daily...every 6 days is fine (unless you're a small point owner with only enough points to keep a couple nights booked in which case you would again be affected more by this sort of change) so you could still walk without much effort.

If there was something that could be done fairly that stopped walking and also didn't have a greater negative impact than walking does in the first place I'm all for it. The problem is that any solution that has been put forward is worse than the perceived issue.

 

[Sandisw]

Thinking about it the only real solution...which is not legal..is for owners to give DVCM permission to pull rooms out of service here and there to prevent walking and release them back at a later date.

But, even that solution blocks someone not walking. As mentioned, for every solution that some one comes up with, it creates a problem down the line for something else...and, I am just not sure that it’s up to DVCM to interfere with rules that in the long run make the program less attractive in terms of home resort rules and regulations.

 

[Travel60]

If the powers that be really wanted to stop walking they would charge something for each date change after 2 changes. Maybe the same $95 as using points outside DVC. People changes, even category changes still free. I've never been bothered by walking but can see how some could think it not quite fair.

 

[sethschroeder]

It would not end it, but it could curb it. The big point owners like myself would not be impacted as I have enough to book 3 weeks so I’d just be adding the days...

Except you essentially would have to use up however many weeks it is to get to the date in question. It also would cap it at the longest consecutive booking that you can have.

Very few owners like yourself exist and it would make it much easier for DVC then to manually review those who abuse the system. The system could more easily be programmed to monitor for this behavior as well.

Plus how many of your points exist at a resort with walking issues right now? I suspect most owners with lots of points have lots of reservations or expensive reservations so they cant be using up all their points on this restricted walking.

With being limited to 7 nights at the 11 month window the ability to modify to extend the reservation

Adding dates is fine it would be canceling dates on the front end of your reservation.

 

[sethschroeder]

Also I think it should just be stricter that if you cancel the first day of your trip then your whole trip is cancelled if you booked at 11 months. If you booked your trip at 10 months and 29 days then you can modify however you want.

If you screwed up your dates that on you and you did cause someone else to change plans because of it.

There could be possibly an exception at like 30 days out or something where the points go in to holding at that point.

People who want flexibility can wait until 10 months and 29 days.

 

[JETSDAD]

Except you essentially would have to use up however many weeks it is to get to the date in question. It also would cap it at the longest consecutive booking that you can have.

Very few owners like yourself exist and it would make it much easier for DVC then to manually review those who abuse the system.

Plus how many of your points exist at a resort with walking issues right now?



Adding dates is fine it would be canceling dates on the front end of your reservation.

Yes but again people can then just make long reservations, wait, and drop the beginning dates later on. Whoever can carry the room the longest gets it. I don't own a lot of points but could still book 3+ weeks in a Value studio. There are plenty of people with alot of points who rent out spec reservations....they could carry that a lot longer than myself.

 

[JETSDAD]

Also I think it should just be stricter that if you cancel the first day of your trip then your whole trip is cancelled if you booked at 11 months. If you booked your trip at 10 months and 29 days then you can modify however you want.

If you screwed up your dates that on you and you did cause someone else to change plans because of it.

There could be possibly an exception at like 30 days out or something where the points go in to holding at that point.

People who want flexibility can wait until 10 months and 29 days.

So many things can change over the course of 11 months. Flights, days off work, etc are simple ones. Just because you can make your 1 time reservation right at 11 months and not need to modify it doesn't mean others can do the same.

 

[Sandisw]

Except you essentially would have to use up however many weeks it is to get to the date in question. It also would cap it at the longest consecutive booking that you can have.

Very few owners like yourself exist and it would make it much easier for DVC then to manually review those who abuse the system.

Plus how many of your points exist at a resort with walking issues right now?



Adding dates is fine it would be canceling dates on the front end of your reservation.

It is where we disagree. It’s not up to them to micromanage the system for something like this.

If they want to make rule changes for any and all modifications, they can do that. But, that ruins the system. However, it applies equally to all.

That is why this discussion every year goes in the same direction. Any change that can be made to potentially stop walking will then impact people who may not be walking at all and makes the big benefits of DVC booking...unlimited changes...no longer there.

 

[sethschroeder]

I don't own a lot of points but could still book 3+ weeks in a Value studio

And you are going to tie up your points for a month to do it?

There are plenty of people with alot of points who rent out spec reservations....they could carry that a lot longer than myself.

And they can already walk a reservation for months and months because they know what reservations in 2022 and 2023 they are going to spec out already anyways.

If anything the new system would limit how many of those reservations they could carry.

 

[sethschroeder]

It is where we disagree. It’s not up to them to micromanage the system for something like this.

Its their job to stop it yes. Abuse of the system should not be allowed "because it's hard to stop".

Sorry the 11 month window is there for a reason.

That is why this discussion every year goes in the same direction.

Actually it doesn't you just don't see that walking can be stopped. Restrictions so the system blocks the majority of members reduces the number of people who can walk. At which point it can be more closely monitored and thus fully stopped as accounts are flagged.

Heck they could already be flagging accounts on number of modifications but they don't seem to do that either.

Give me 30 days and access to their data and we likely can identify a large majority of walkers.

Disney doesn't care and not enough members care because they don't know about it or don't understand it can be stopped if Disney wanted it stopped.

 

[JETSDAD]

And you are going to tie up your points for a month to do it?



And they can already walk a reservation for months and months because they know what reservations in 2022 and 2023 they are going to spec out already anyways.

If anything the new system would limit how many of those reservations they could carry.

Yes I'll gladly tie them up for a few weeks...I'm not going to be making other 11 month reservations in the meantime. If I need more time to ensure that I get something tough to get (such as a value studio for the 50th) I'll just borrow to carry that out longer and then bank the current UY points for next year once I make my one drop.

Something that I think a lot of people don't seem to understand as well is that if you eliminate walking there is still going to be plenty of availabilty issues for the rooms that are generally walked (that's why they get walked). Just because a room isn't available at your 11 month date or there is availabilty at 8AM but you don't get the room doesn't mean things are being walked. Eliminate walking and then people will have to find something else to blame for not getting those rooms.

MS knows about walking...they teach people how to do it. There have not been any solutions put forward that aren't worse than the 'problem'.