Stalking vs. Waitlist - Stalking Wins Again

[thegales]

Stalking 1 Wait list 0

I read this thread yesterday as I was trying to book a two day trip July 5 - 7. Our daughter is dancing in Orlando, so we wanted to stay DVC, but if not, we would just book a hotel closer to the venue.

Since only DW and I, we were looking for a Deluxe Studio. There was no availability for both nights, so I wait listed the entire trip. (I did not want to book one night, and wait list the other, since we did not want to move after the first night.) This morning, I looked at RAT, saw there was now availability for both nights. I went to the Book Online section and started the process. Both nights were still available, so I went to a different tab and cancelled my wait list (small lesson learned, I should have proceeded on the new booking until I got the "You have 20 minutes to complete this reservation" before cancelling. By canceling the wait list earlier in the process, if the new reservation had not gone through, then I would have had nothing.)

I continued with my reservation, and was able to book the two nights at Old Key West.

I strongly recommend stalking.

 

[Aron1012]

It is interesting how many different reservations come available every day. I just found a studio at AK for one night in Oct by stalking and looking to add two more. If I find the same type of room is there a way to combine that into the same reservation so we don't have to change? Or does it do that automatically? Would seem it would be in Disney's interest to combine it automatically.

I also added a couple of waitlist for the other nights. That process seems to work very easily. Now if it will just find us some rooms.

 

[TLinden16]

I had a three night stay booked at SSR for Food and Wine Race weekend. I'm not a fan of SSR, so I started looking for anything where I could get at least two consecutive nights anywhere except for SSR. On Thursday, a standard studio at the Poly popped up for my first two nights so I grabbed it.

After securing the third night at Kidani, I cancelled the SSR studio. I wasn't really thrilled about the third night at Kidani, so I stalked again (when the system came back up), and I was able to secure a studio at Boulder Ridge today.

I do have a waitlist for the third night, and also a waitlist for a standard studio at the BWV that I put in before the seven month window opened for that day. I'm hoping that all of this stalking will lead to a three night stay somewhere other than SSR or Kidani.

My previous post because my stalking has continued. Yesterday I canceled Boulder Ridge on night three in favor of a Lakeview studio at BLT. So that left me with the poly for two nights followed by the one night at BLT.

Today I found the first two nights in a standard studio at BLT, so I grab that and canceled the Polynesian. So now I have two nights in a standard followed by one night in a Lakeview for the three nights that I need for food and wine race weekend. I did put a waitlist to try to get all three nights in the same view.

Stalking DVC website has become a new hobby. Who knows where I'll end up sleeping those three nights.

As an aside, the poly nights showed up as available right after I canceled them and they disappeared within a couple of hours.

 

[TLinden16]

It is interesting how many different reservations come available every day. I just found a studio at AK for one night in Oct by stalking and looking to add two more. If I find the same type of room is there a way to combine that into the same reservation so we don't have to change? Or does it do that automatically? Would seem it would be in Disney's interest to combine it automatically.

I also added a couple of waitlist for the other nights. That process seems to work very easily. Now if it will just find us some rooms.

I have found that if I book something on my own I have to call to have it combined. If I get it threw a waitlist, it seems about 50-50 if it is combined automatically by Disney or if I have to call. They cannot do this through an online chat. I've tried that one before.

 

[mousestruck]

My previous post because my stalking has continued. Yesterday I canceled Boulder Ridge on night three in favor of a Lakeview studio at BLT. So that left me with the poly for two nights followed by the one night at BLT.

Today I found the first two nights in a standard studio at BLT, so I grab that and canceled the Polynesian. So now I have two nights in a standard followed by one night in a Lakeview for the three nights that I need for food and wine race weekend. I did put a waitlist to try to get all three nights in the same view.

Stalking DVC website has become a new hobby. Who knows where I'll end up sleeping those three nights.

As an aside, the poly nights showed up as available right after I canceled them and they disappeared within a couple of hours.

Perhaps your change in plans helped me! I waitlisted a LV studio at the Poly in early November. I have been stalking with no luck, but last night it came through! Now I have to stalk for my last night, which I recently added. Not waitlisting it because I want to buy one-time extra points instead of borrowing. Good luck in your request!

 

[wisconsinmom]

Grrr. Stalking almost worked for me this morning. I had the room I needed until DVC booted me back to the search page. What a bummer!! I just need one night at SSR for Labor Day weekend.

 

[Orsino]

Since we're keeping track. My waitlist came though this week. I tried stalking, but I'm just not good at it.

 

[TLinden16]

Perhaps your change in plans helped me! I waitlisted a LV studio at the Poly in early November. I have been stalking with no luck, but last night it came through! Now I have to stalk for my last night, which I recently added. Not waitlisting it because I want to buy one-time extra points instead of borrowing. Good luck in your request!

The room I gave up was a standard view on November 1st and 2nd. I hope you get your last night, too.

I've been having a good time with the stalking. It is interesting to see how things change so often. It will be interesting to see if I actually stick with BLT or if something else pops up that catches my eye

 

[mousestruck]

The room I gave up was a standard view on November 1st and 2nd. I hope you get your last night, too.

I've been having a good time with the stalking. It is interesting to see how things change so often. It will be interesting to see if I actually stick with BLT or if something else pops up that catches my eye

We got a lake view studio 11/6-11/11. I had very little hope, so I was quite excited. I just waitlisted that last night (after some creative point juggling), so hopefully I'll get lucky again. On this trip alone, we're 3 for 3 with waitlists. They do work! Good luck with your plans!!!

 

[wisconsinmom]

Well the waitlist acutally worked, the room that disappeared as I tried to book it apparently filled my waitlist! Now we have a SSR studio for Labor Day weekend!

 

[mousestruck]

Well the waitlist acutally worked, the room that disappeared as I tried to book it apparently filled my waitlist! Now we have a SSR studio for Labor Day weekend!

That's awesome! The waitlist often works... with a little patience. So glad you got the room you wanted!

 

[dzak1717]

I've now added the RAT site to my daily pages I have open during the day. It's interesting to see different rooms pop up and then disappear. Looking for marathon weekend which seems like a big dream but do have a room currently booked but hoping for something better. Fri and Sat seem impossible to find.

 

[Roxyfire]

I've now added the RAT site to my daily pages I have open during the day. It's interesting to see different rooms pop up and then disappear. Looking for marathon weekend which seems like a big dream but do have a room currently booked but hoping for something better. Fri and Sat seem impossible to find.

Agreed. I'll just randomly check it for my October dates just to see what's out there. I ended up finding Boulder Ridge villas for my first 2 nights so I picked it up.

 

[princessbride6205]

I've now added the RAT site to my daily pages I have open during the day. It's interesting to see different rooms pop up and then disappear. Looking for marathon weekend which seems like a big dream but do have a room currently booked but hoping for something better. Fri and Sat seem impossible to find.

Same here! I'm all booked, but I'm trying to get my sister's family a room and only have 1 night of it so far.

 

[elgerber]

Grrr. Stalking almost worked for me this morning. I had the room I needed until DVC booted me back to the search page. What a bummer!! I just need one night at SSR for Labor Day weekend.

Yep same for me, stalking worked a few minutes ago, 3 nights at Poly showed up for Labor Day weekend, and during booking the site went down again and I lost them.

 

[MouseOfCards]

Yep same for me, stalking worked a few minutes ago, 3 nights at Poly showed up for Labor Day weekend, and during booking the site went down again and I lost them.

Yep. Made 6 attempts this morning, before the system finally allowed me through, and by that time the room was gone.

 

[mousestruck]

Waitlist: 3 Stalking:1

After three successful waitlists, I stalked today for the one night at the Poly I was missing (which also had a waitlist)... and there it was! I did not snag it because I needed to use points from a different reservation - and didn't want to risk losing both. I called MS right away and they got it for me... and also linked my two reservations. Yay! Maybe the waitlist would have matched, or maybe not, but I got my room. Lesson learned... waitlist AND stalk!!!

 

[kmorlock]

I have waitlisted December 13-14 for a dedicated 2 bdrm at Kidani as we currently have a lock off then dedicated 14-16th. I check RAT constantly but nothing has come up yet. It's already a split stay so, hoping something will come through. I will say stalking gives you a good idea of how quickly availability changes.

 

[ACDSNY]

I've been trying for two nights in a studio for November 16 - 18 for VGC, the waitlist came through for one and I've been stalking the other with no luck so far. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Still kicking myself for not booking all 4 nights originally, but we were thinking we'd split our trip between DL and San Diego initially.

 

[schoen]

I have had several waitlist come through. I have tried stalking, and I have never once had it work. In fact this morning I checked online twice and my night was not there. I called member service to make some changes, and I asked her to search for the night, and it was not available. My phone call was pretty long, and about 45 minutes into the call, the agents says "oh! Your waitlist matched!". I believe in the waitlist. Every other year I like to stay at BCV during food and wine, and it has worked for me every single time. The only time it didn't work was when I waitlisted a whole week in the middle of the summer.