Help!! Is CM right about waitlist??

[Luvmyfam3]

Hi All!

We have reservations for OKW in January, but we are desperately trying to get into the BWV. We have been on the waitlist for many months, but haven't heard anything. I read on here about asking to be put on the waitlist for each day of our stay separately instead of being on the list with all the dates in one lump. So, my husband called to ask about switching our waitlist to each day separately. The CM told him that it would be much more difficult to get in that way, that we would have a much better chance of getting in keeping it the way it is. She also said that if we did switch, each day that was confirmed would take away from our points, and that with our reservation already at the OKW, we wouldn't have enough to do it this way. Help!!! Is this true?

P.S. She also said that we should consider ourselves lucky to even have gotten into any of the DVC resorts during this time. I guess the first week of January will be busy this year!!

Thanks for your help!! Kim

 

[Lisa F]

Well, you have a couple of issues here.

First, I am wondering if the reason your chances will be smaller if you change your waitlist request is that you will have to go to the back of the waitlist. So while you have been waiting for months, you have probably been inching your way to the front of the list... by changing your request, you will be at the end of the list for each day that you want rather than near the front of the list for the block of days that you want.

If you DO switch to going day by day, there is no guarantee that you will get all of your days. What the CM meant is that you should keep your whole OKW reservation to avoid the absolute worst case scenario which is only getting every other day at BWV. If you cancel your OKW days as you get your BWV days (in order to free up the points) then you run the risk of not having a continuous reservation anywhere. What the CM is suggesting is that you keep the OKW reservation until you have put together an entire BWV reservation... however, you don't have enough points (presumably without borrowing) to keep both reservations at the same time.

January IS a very busy time (especially first week) because all of the decorations stay up for a few days but it's a low points week. We go every year and we make our reservations day by day 11 months out. One day I forgot to call in the morning and by afternoon there were only a couple of standard studios left at BWV. While I'm not a big OKW fan, there are certainly much worse places (even on property) to have to "settle" for as second choice. Good luck on the waitlist, but if you don't get BWV, you'll still have a wonderful time!

Lisa

 

[Jenn]

We tried the waitlist thing for several months for a trip we took last May. We (like you) were booked at OKW but wanted BW. I was on the list, plus I called about once a week just to check and was always told there was nothing available. Well, about a week before we left, something opened up - we had to take the preferred view, but we got it. So, I would stay on the list but just keep calling even though it is a pain.

I don't know your dates but I called to inquire about 1/6 through 1/11 and BWV was booked, but WLV had a couple of those nights available (this was for a studio by the way).

 

[ducklite]

With new years eve on a Monday and the first on a Tuesday, and the Marathon the following weekend, it will be a very busy week in 2002.

Anne