So, I guess December will be hardest to book next year!

[DisneyaholicRaquel]

A walker is someone who starts to book a reservation prior to the real dates they want and then walk it forward every few days until they end up at the actual date they want.

For example, say you want to go December 10 to 17…the 11 month opens on January 10th.

However, to get a jump on things, you decide to book Dec 4th to 11th on January 4th instead, Now you have the room locked in. A few days later, on the 10th, you modify and move it forward to your real dates.

Thanks, for explaining but, how is that beneficial if those are not the dates you really want to go?

 

[CarolynFH]

Thanks, for explaining but, how is that beneficial if those are not the dates you really want to go?

Because it locks in that room for you, if you're booking your home resort at 11 months. No one can jump ahead of you -- except Disney, if they take rooms out for maintenance, etc. So you keep modifying your reservation until you get the dates you really want to go.

 

[drjackal31]

I'm sorry to hear about everyone's troubles! So glad we own at Saratoga.

 

[sndral]

Thanks, for explaining but, how is that beneficial if those are not the dates you really want to go?

That’s why it’s called ‘walking’ you are walking your reservation forward until you reach the dates you really want.
Let’s say I want to stay in a high demand villa category 12/2 - 12/8 - normally on 1/2 @ 11 months I’d book that villa. But I’m worried that all of the villas in that category will be taken by others who started their stay on 11/29 or 11/30 or who are faster on the computer than I am, so on 10/2 I book it for 11 months later 9/2 - 9/8. Then on 10/7 I go online & modify my reservation w/ a new start date of 9/7 & end date of 9/13. On 10/12 I go online & modify it forward again. Every week I keep adding days at the end and dropping days at the beginning until I reach my real dates of 12/2 - 12/8. Nobody else can book a stay in this villa until after I’ve walked by. Note I’ve never done this, but that’s how I understand it is done.

 

[Sandisw]

Thanks, for explaining but, how is that beneficial if those are not the dates you really want to go?

It allows you to pick up a room during an earlier time when it’s not quite as busy to lock it in.

For example, the RIV SV studio is gone in milliseconds now so it’s hard to get even right at 8 am.

However, a month ago, it lasted at least a little longer so had I picked it up then, I would have had it to walk forward to my real dates.

Last year I did that and walked it a month. This year I decided to not worry and if I got locked out go for PV. It’s 3 points more a night and most I need is 3 nights. Plus I also needed the 2 bedroom SV so I did walk that a few days as it went quick too.

 

[brazzledazzler]

We moved our trip to the weekend before (Wed-Saturday) the first week of December. It may be slightly more points (1 day in November), but at least RIV SV Studio was available. Although, even PV studios are being gobbled up.

This definitely makes me want to think about adding on at Poly if we want to go there every Holiday season.

 

[keishashadow]

just booked a studio at BWV for early December with no problem 8days

What category? Have only seen GV availability there for early December

 

[dvc_john]

What category? Have only seen GV availability there for early December

I booked a 1-br standard view BWV beginning Dec 4 yesterday - did not walk.

 

[The Jackal]

Surprised there hasn’t been a point reallocation to mediate demand.

they haven’t done much for the last several years, because this was a slow time for WDW, not DVC. Hey it’s the busiest DVC time and yet pretty much the lowest point season. So they just ignored their fiduciary duties to regulate it by increasing points, so DVC members would continue to go and keep bodies in the park. Now that it was busier this year in the park due to pent up demand. How long will this demand last? Maybe some day they will re-align the point charts to DVC demand and not WDW demand. In reality most DVC rooms are booked all year round at WDW. There might be some open in the summer. So shouldn’t summer be less and the rest of the year be the same.

 

[ITGirl50]

Started walking BLT one bedroom yesterday for early December trip. No standard one bedroom because I started late. This morning I was able to walk it a day and get standard one bedroom. Yay! Just three more walking days to get standard view 1 bedroom at BLT. It will save us a lot of points over lake view.

 

[JETSDAD]

I gave up my December walk last night for a Value 1BR because I needed the points for another reservation. Was hoping a contract would show up in time for me to be able to handle both but it hasn't. I'll be playing the December stalking game once that comes through.

 

[disneygolfer1985]

I got a 2BR boardwalk view starting the week after thanksgiving right at 8am. I was dealing with the walkers for early December, but I was fine with a G/P view if that was all that was left. I thought about walking but decided not to as I was fine with either preferred view. I guess I’m happy I’m going a few days in November and missing most of the rush.

 

[brazzledazzler]

I got a 2BR boardwalk view starting the week after thanksgiving right at 8am. I was dealing with the walkers for early December, but I was fine with a G/P view if that was all that was left. I thought about walking but decided not to as I was fine with either preferred view. I guess I’m happy I’m going a few days in November and missing most of the rush.

The days after Thanksgiving are truly the best. Much slower & you get holiday decorations!

 

[disneygolfer1985]

The days after Thanksgiving are truly the best. Much slower & you get holiday decorations!

Ya in the past we have gone Monday thru Monday or Tuesday thru Tuesday of thanksgiving week and have noticed that the crowds start thinning out the Saturday after thanksgiving. The Sunday and Monday after have seemed like ghost towns, so that is why we decided to go the Tuesday after thanksgiving. I’m happy I pushed for it because we were thinking of going the following week. I have always enjoyed being there for thanksgiving, but not having the festival of holidays start until Black Friday makes to where it is better to start after thanksgiving honestly. I enjoy Epcot the most during the holidays.

 

[keishashadow]

I booked a 1-br standard view BWV beginning Dec 4 yesterday - did not walk.

Studios seem to b the first to go, especially lower point types (AK value & bWV standard)

 

[ScottOKW2K]

I've seen the same as everyone else has experienced. I own at ALK and wanted the value studio - no such luck. I was able to book a standard studio at that time for the 5 days I wanted. When I last looked even the standard studios for that first week in December were not fully available and the only category that was fully available was Savannah view.
I can't complain. I just returned 2 days ago from an 8 night stay over NYE in a Value studio. It took months to piece together this reservation but I was able to succeed on the hardest room to get on the busiest time of the year. I'm grateful and lucky to have done it!

 

[acebatonfan]

Surprised there hasn’t been a point reallocation to mediate demand.

At least with BLT, they're making December a higher-point period for 2023 (from a tier 2/second lowest time to a tier 3). Points have to be balanced between years, so January and post-labor day September will be the lower-point season for that resort instead of September and December.

All this is really making me consider booking my home resort 11 months out and then switching to a less-demand resort at 7 months (I've been eyeballing YC/BC just because of its proximity to IG/skyliner).

 

[disneygolfer1985]

At least with BLT, they're making December a higher-point period for 2023 (from a tier 2/second lowest time to a tier 3). Points have to be balanced between years, so January and post-labor day September will be the lower-point season for that resort instead of September and December.

All this is really making me consider booking my home resort 11 months out and then switching to a less-demand resort at 7 months (I've been eyeballing YC/BC just because of its proximity to IG/skyliner).

I don’t know how the availability would be for BC honestly. You may have a better chance with BW since it is a larger resort. However, I looked yesterday and noticed most rooms were already booked for the first week of December.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

Personally, I will let you all have December, and I will take the lower point months that they draw from and extend my stay by a day or two.

Enjoy your x-mas trips next year though!

 

[TinkB278]

Personally, I will let you all have December, and I will take the lower point months that they draw from and extend my stay by a day or two.

Enjoy your x-mas trips next year though!

But early December is the second lowest season this year behind September?