Waitlist game for Thanksgiving weekend

PrestonatorSR

Mouseketeer
Joined
Mar 5, 2016
Within last couple weeks I have been feverishly trying to piece together 4 nights over Thanksgiving (Thanksgiving night through Sunday). Somehow I've been able to piece together 3 different combinations to get all 4 nights covered--while remaining on waitlists to try put the whole trip together into 1 or 2 reservations.

Just wondering what your experiences have been with waitlists popping open for studios and 1BR (not including Saratoga and Old Key West) between now and Thanksgiving holidays. I imagine it's an extremely "hit and miss" scenario.
 
Within last couple weeks I have been feverishly trying to piece together 4 nights over Thanksgiving (Thanksgiving night through Sunday). Somehow I've been able to piece together 3 different combinations to get all 4 nights covered--while remaining on waitlists to try put the whole trip together into 1 or 2 reservations.

Just wondering what your experiences have been with waitlists popping open for studios and 1BR (not including Saratoga and Old Key West) between now and Thanksgiving holidays. I imagine it's an extremely "hit and miss" scenario.
If you are ignoring SSR and OKW, you are missing out on possible matches. Unless that is what you already have booked.
 
I realize that SSR and OKW offer (much) greater likelihood of matching and I included SSR originally. But now that I'm "safely" booked into reservations (albeit spread around at various venues), I am not willing to give up a preferred venue that I already have in exchange for SSR or OKW. I'm just hoping for a slightly cleaner booking--1 or 2 preferred venues over 4 nights vs. my current 3 venues.
 
Be sure to keep checking in on the website regularly. Things change so often that I have been able to get what I want by doing this. I had to switch my Dec trip from the 8th to the 12th, to the 15th to 19th, in August. At first, all I could get was SSR and an AKV room (two and two). I kept checking, about 4 or 5 times a day, and all of a sudden, got the first two nights in a 1 bedroom at BRV, and the last two at BLT, LV studio. I put in my wait list for BLT. Then, the first night of my trip opened up at BLT, so I booked that (didn't cancel BRV), and waitlisted just the 2nd night of BLT. Just last week, that night in Dec matched. So, I know have all 4 nights at BLT!!!

Good luck!!!
 


Thanks for the insights, Sandi! I have employed a similar approach and that is what made it possible to patch what I have together. You are absolutely right in asserting that checking the site multiple times a day can be beneficial to see a fleeting opportunity present itself. Getting the Saturday and Sunday after Thanksgiving proved to be the easiest part of the equation. Thanksgiving Day and Friday was tough, but I've managed to get very suitable options. Now, I'm just being a bit greedy--trying to unload 1 night of studio at AKV for a 1BR there or at Boulder. Even if nothing comes through, I'm more than pleased to have all 4 nights "covered" on Disney property. Last year we had to stay off-site and that was just not the same at all.
 
We had a 2 bedroom booked for that week and had to switch to a 1 bedroom around July when someone dropped out of the trip. It has been exhausting trying to piece a trip together. We just took what popped up and ended up with Beach club and Boardwalk, which is weird because at first I was assuming we would end up at SSR or OKW. Unfortunately, the reservations alternate 2x, so we will be moving a lot. At one point, we had poly for part of the trip but were able to drop that. I check almost daily and there was a fair amount of movement until about Labor Day. Since then I have seen almost nothing pop up. At this point I am resigned to moving around but also feel lucky with that. I agree thanksgiving night (1) and the next night, Friday, (2) have popped up the least, Thanksgiving night almost not at all. Good luck, but I have been watching since the summer and can tell you that you have done well to get rooms at all for those nights! 😊
 



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