How early is too early for walking a reservation?

[poppins79]

We just got back from a great, but very hot, July 4th trip. We like to go in the spring, but my kids' sports and school schedules make that impossible for the moment. So, July 4th it is for next year as well. We own at AKL and want to spend next year's trip as more of a resort stay. I've walked to book Concierge Level before, but that was for a one-bedroom and I didn't really have trouble getting it. But since I only have the points for a CL studio now, how early should I book five nights to walk them into the week I want? Is now too early?

 

[TexasChick123]

We just got back from a great, but very hot, July 4th trip. We like to go in the spring, but my kids' sports and school schedules make that impossible for the moment. So, July 4th it is for next year as well. We own at AKL and want to spend next year's trip as more of a resort stay. I've walked to book Concierge Level before, but that was for a one-bedroom and I didn't really have trouble getting it. But since I only have the points for a CL studio now, how early should I book five nights to walk them into the week I want? Is now too early?

I’d start walking now if you have a specific room you need especially since it’s a popular week. You’re only a couple of weeks out from the week you need. If you walk it but didn’t need to, who cares. If you don’t walk it and should have, you’ll be kicking yourself.

 

[lovin'fl]

I would have started a couple weeks back. I started walking Xmas in a studio at CCV in early Nov. Then forgot to flip it one week and lost my spot and could not get back in. If able to book tomorrow morning, do it. Just my advice.

 

[Marionnette]

Just be aware that you cannot walk across your UY. IOW, if you’re going in April (for example) then you cannot walk across August, September, October, December, February or March UYs if you were to start today, Only a June UY would work if you want to use current UY points.

 

[poppins79]

Just be aware that you cannot walk across your UY. IOW, if you’re going in April (for example) then you cannot walk across August, September, October, December, February or March UYs if you were to start today, Only a June UY would work if you want to use current UY points.

Ok, you lost me. (The UY always confuses me.) I’m borrowing points, have a September UY, and want to go in July. Does that work? Or will I get “bumped” by someone with a different UY?

 

[TexasChick123]

Ok, you lost me. (The UY always confuses me.) I’m borrowing points, have a September UY, and want to go in July. Does that work? Or will I get “bumped” by someone with a different UY?

This won’t apply to you for this trip as no one has a July UY because they don’t exist. You can walk. Just know that once you borrow points, that’s permanent. Don’t over borrow because you can’t put them back. If you can walk a portion of the vacation without borrowing, I recommend you do that.

 

[Marionnette]

Ok, you lost me. (The UY always confuses me.) I’m borrowing points, have a September UY, and want to go in July. Does that work? Or will I get “bumped” by someone with a different UY?

You have a Sept. UY and you want to go in a July of 2020? Not a problem if you start your walk now and use September 2019 points or Sept 2018 points that were banked forward. If you were to start a walk today, you would be booking a June 18, 2020 reservation. That falls in your September 2019 UY.

But let’s say you wanted to book a November 2020 trip instead and you wanted to walk that reservation starting today. It wouldn’t work. As soon as you get to the point where the reservation includes the night of Sept. 1, 2020 the online system will not permit it because you can’t have a single reservation that spans across 2 UYs.

 

[badeacon]

You have a Sept. UY and you want to go in a July of 2020? Not a problem if you start your walk now and use September 2019 points or Sept 2018 points that were banked forward. If you were to start a walk today, you would be booking a June 18, 2020 reservation. That falls in your September 2019 UY.

But let’s say you wanted to book a November 2020 trip instead and you wanted to walk that reservation starting today. It wouldn’t work. As soon as you get to the point where the reservation includes the night of Sept. 1, 2020 the online system will not permit it because you can’t have a single reservation that spans across 2 UYs.

Do you know the reasoning behind not being able to book online across 2 use years? I did not know that but just tried to book across my June use year in 2020 and could not.

 

[poppins79]

You have a Sept. UY and you want to go in a July of 2020? Not a problem if you start your walk now and use September 2019 points or Sept 2018 points that were banked forward. If you were to start a walk today, you would be booking a June 18, 2020 reservation. That falls in your September 2019 UY.

But let’s say you wanted to book a November 2020 trip instead and you wanted to walk that reservation starting today. It wouldn’t work. As soon as you get to the point where the reservation includes the night of Sept. 1, 2020 the online system will not permit it because you can’t have a single reservation that spans across 2 UYs.

Thanks! Wow, still learning all this stuff!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Do you know the reasoning behind not being able to book online across 2 use years? I did not know that but just tried to book across my June use year in 2020 and could not.

Because your points expire May 31. So the points from the UY ending May 31 cannot be used for a June 1 stay. It has to be done as a split stay, pulling points from two UYs.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Do you know the reasoning behind not being able to book online across 2 use years? I did not know that but just tried to book across my June use year in 2020 and could not.

MS can do it. It has to be just programming that restricts members from doing it online.

 

[badeacon]

Because your points expire May 31. So the points from the UY ending May 31 cannot be used for a June 1 stay. It has to be done as a split stay, pulling points from two UYs.

I don't think that is the reason. I tried to book May31-June 2 2020. I have plenty of points available in 2020 for the booking ,so my points do not expire on 5/31 and can borrow points from 2020 for the 5/31 date. It did not give me the option to borrow points from 2020. It said cannot book across 2 use years and to call MS. It must be some software limitation online to book across use years. I was just wondering if there some other reason why DVC has not given ability to book acrosss use years online but have to call MS to do.

 

[Disney Dad ADL]

I don't think that is the reason. I tried to book May31-June 2 2020. I have plenty of points available in 2020 for the booking ,so my points do not expire on 5/31 and can borrow points from 2020 for the 5/31 date. It did not give me the option to borrow points from 2020. It said cannot book across 2 use years and to call MS. It must be some software limitation online to book across use years. I was just wondering if there some other reason why DVC has not given ability to book acrosss use years online but have to call MS to do.

You would book 2 separate reservations.

Reservation 1 = 5/31-6/1
Reservatoin 2 = 6/1-6/2

 

[_auroraborealis_]

The software limitation is that the reservations need to be kept separate for accounting purposes.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

The software limitation is that the reservations need to be kept separate for accounting purposes.

Sorry but I am not following. All points with any reservation would need to be tracked properly of course. This would be no different.

 

[js]

Poppins, did you start walking?
Good luck!

 

[Marionnette]

Sorry but I am not following. All points with any reservation would need to be tracked properly of course. This would be no different.

I think it may have something to do with how the points are allocated in a reservation. When you make a reservation, it’s not as if each night of the reservation is paid for by a dedicated source of points. Consider the example of combining points from two home resorts at 7 months. It is not as if you must have an exact number of points from Resort A to cover all of X number of nights and the right number of points from Resort B to cover Y number of nights. They all get pooled at 7 months.

Now apply that logic to a reservation than spans across UYs. You cannot have points from the following UY covering a reservation in your current UY without borrowing and you cannot have points from the current UY covering a reservation in your next UY without banking. Since the system only recognizes the points as being pooled together for a reservation, you cannot book across a UY.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I think it may have something to do with how the points are allocated in a reservation. When you make a reservation, it’s not as if each night of the reservation is paid for by a dedicated source of points. Consider the example of combining points from two home resorts at 7 months. It is not as if you must have an exact number of points from Resort A to cover all of X number of nights and the right number of points from Resort B to cover Y number of nights. They all get pooled at 7 months.

Now apply that logic to a reservation than spans across UYs. You cannot have points from the following UY covering a reservation in your current UY without borrowing and you cannot have points from the current UY covering a reservation in your next UY without banking. Since the system only recognizes the points as being pooled together for a reservation, you cannot book across a UY.

That's my thought process, yes. Making them fully separate in system maintains "what points came from where" without having to execute a complex series of logic that would be hard to maintain. This is easy to maintain and audit.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I think it may have something to do with how the points are allocated in a reservation. When you make a reservation, it’s not as if each night of the reservation is paid for by a dedicated source of points. Consider the example of combining points from two home resorts at 7 months. It is not as if you must have an exact number of points from Resort A to cover all of X number of nights and the right number of points from Resort B to cover Y number of nights. They all get pooled at 7 months.

Now apply that logic to a reservation than spans across UYs. You cannot have points from the following UY covering a reservation in your current UY without borrowing and you cannot have points from the current UY covering a reservation in your next UY without banking. Since the system only recognizes the points as being pooled together for a reservation, you cannot book across a UY.

Since MS can do it it already is being done that way somehow. When you make a reservation there already are rules that are followed. ie, borrowed used first then banked etc. This would simply be a set of rules with basis in the nights to align with the points that can be used. It really isn't terribly complicated. Yes, it seems more complicated than the normal reservation but really isn't. It just has to have each UY considered separately in applying the rules.

 

[poppins79]

Poppins, did you start walking?
Good luck!

Yes, I started trying, but no I don't have a reservation yet. So, I can't get 5 days in a row right now. I called MS to ask if they could reserve the first two as standard studios and the last three as club level. That's a no-go. I thought the booking window opened at 8 am eastern time? But, when I got up at 6:50 central time today to check, I was already into the 19th. So, does booking start at 7 am eastern? Or midnight perhaps? Anyway, MS told me there is one studio available starting on the 20. My plan is to try tonight at midnight eastern and again at 6 am central tomorrow. If I can get that room, then I will have a reservation I can walk.