Stalking bests waitlist

[GrumpyInPhilly]

I just picked up a studio @ HHI for 11/5 by checking availability on the member site and booking it. It was not available yesterday and I had waitlisted it. I guess the waitlist routine had not yet run to pick up the room for me.

Thanks to all from whom I've learned the strategy of following the walkers as I picked up a room for 11/3 the same way (11/4 was actually available when I went to book).

 

[Sandisw]

Did you cancel your waitlist? If so, did you go back to see if another one popped back up?

I have had that happen. Got it, canceled, and it showed up again

Meant I had it matched but not processed. But I love that we can do both!!!

 

[GrumpyInPhilly]

I did cancel the waitlist but didn't check if the room was again available. Just tried to do so but the site is crashing again for me as it has been off & on all week.

 

[TinkAgainU]

I’m happy for you that stalking worked. It has for me too. But just another example of needing to spend TOO much energy sometimes for our Disney Vacations.

 

[DVCSunDevil]

I just picked up a studio @ HHI for 11/5 by checking availability on the member site and booking it. It was not available yesterday and I had waitlisted it. I guess the waitlist routine had not yet run to pick up the room for me.

Thanks to all from whom I've learned the strategy of following the walkers as I picked up a room for 11/3 the same way (11/4 was actually available when I went to book).

Please explain the strategy. I am currently on a waitlist for BCV in October. We have a room booked and are trying to move the trip back one week. It’s BCV during F&W, so I would love to hear any and all strategies!

 

[bakerworld]

My success on WL is when I make a WL for 1 day. It can be a lot of work.

 

[GrumpyInPhilly]

Please explain the strategy. I am currently on a waitlist for BCV in October. We have a room booked and are trying to move the trip back one week. It’s BCV during F&W, so I would love to hear any and all strategies!

I needed to book HHI @ 7 months and when I went to do so the room was not available (owners had already booked it). Thinking that some owners may be walking rooms to Thanksgiving or Christmas, I waited until the next day to see if the room became available. And it did! I continued this daily for the days I wanted and will do so again tomorrow.

My understanding is that this works best one day at a time. I agree, BCV during F&W is probably a long shot.

 

[GrumpyInPhilly]

My success on WL is when I make a WL for 1 day. It can be a lot of work.

I agree on both statements.

 

[bakerworld]

Once I had 4 1-day WL's going and MS actually called because 2 of the 1-days came through and they noticed the others. We actually were able to get our 4 day vacation booked. It's always made me wonder about the true availability of the Villas.

Currently we have a vacation booked for December and 2 WL's for different locations around the same timeframe. I actually don't expect the WL's to come thru because they're both 5-day requests.

 

[DVCSunDevil]

I needed to book HHI @ 7 months and when I went to do so the room was not available (owners had already booked it). Thinking that some owners may be walking rooms to Thanksgiving or Christmas, I waited until the next day to see if the room became available. And it did! I continued this daily for the days I wanted and will do so again tomorrow.

My understanding is that this works best one day at a time. I agree, BCV during F&W is probably a long shot.

Got it. Makes sense. When you referenced walking I was wondering if it had to be a day by day booking, so you answered my question. Thank you!

For my situation, the dates we want are unfortunately just inside the 7 month timeframe. We have a resi for the second to last weekend in October and we want to move it to the last weekend in October. However, the 7 month mark for the weekend we want was 5 days ago. UGH!! Why didn’t we decide we wanted to change the date last week. Anyway, now that we are inside the 7 month mark I am guessing this “follow the walker” strategy won’t really work since no one is walking those dates. Would love your thoughts on that.

This is my first time doing a waitlist, so it’s all new to me. We are also watching flight prices, so if those get too high then we will need to cancel the waitlist anyway.

 

[TinkAgainU]

...
This is my first time doing a waitlist, so it’s all new to me. ...

Only point I would make is do NOT change your WaitList once in place, they are booked in the order placed so if you cancel and redo it, you'll drop to the bottom of the pile.

 

[Sandisw]

Only point I would make is do NOT change your WaitList once in place, they are booked in the order placed so if you cancel and redo it, you'll drop to the bottom of the pile.

Not if the new waitlist is for fewer days. If I have a 4 day waitlist, cancel and now do 2 days, I have a better chance to get it filled.

They don’t hold rooms so if 3 days open up, the 4 day waitlist gets jumped in favor of someone who has an exact match against any or all of those three nights.

 

[GrumpyInPhilly]

Got it. Makes sense. When you referenced walking I was wondering if it had to be a day by day booking, so you answered my question. Thank you!

For my situation, the dates we want are unfortunately just inside the 7 month timeframe. We have a resi for the second to last weekend in October and we want to move it to the last weekend in October. However, the 7 month mark for the weekend we want was 5 days ago. UGH!! Why didn’t we decide we wanted to change the date last week. Anyway, now that we are inside the 7 month mark I am guessing this “follow the walker” strategy won’t really work since no one is walking those dates. Would love your thoughts on that.

This is my first time doing a waitlist, so it’s all new to me. We are also watching flight prices, so if those get too high then we will need to cancel the waitlist anyway.

I wouldn't beat myself up if I was you. There may have been some who were walking BCV for Thanksgiving/December but a number of owners (like me) have a reservation for late Oct. - early Nov. and are keeping it since those are the days we want to go - so no walking involved thus no one (or few) to follow. Fingers crossed your waitlist comes thru.

 

[TinkAgainU]

Not if the new waitlist is for fewer days. If I have a 4 day waitlist, cancel and now do 2 days, I have a better chance to get it filled.

They don’t hold rooms so if 3 days open up, the 4 day waitlist gets jumped in favor of someone who has an exact match against any or all of those three nights.

Correct - fewer days have a better chance of being filled. I would add a second WaitList for fewer days perhaps. Keeping in mind, when they fill any WaitList they will automatically cancel your second WaitList (in the same Use Year), so you need to go back in right away and re-add what you still need. Then have them link your reservations when you're done so you are not room hopping. They warn they may not be able to link them all - but I've found they usually even do it automatically if you're far enough out.

 

[Simba's Mom]

I just picked up a studio @ HHI for 11/5 by checking availability on the member site and booking it. It was not available yesterday and I had waitlisted it. I guess the waitlist routine had not yet run to pick up the room for me.

Thanks to all from whom I've learned the strategy of following the walkers as I picked up a room for 11/3 the same way (11/4 was actually available when I went to book).

Wow! I'm very surprised that you even had to waitlist right at 7 months at HHI, even for a studio. We always get a 1 Bedroom at HHI for mid-November, and never had any trouble getting one at 7 months (or even a few days late). Why does everyone (including me) have to talk about how wonderful it is? Come to think of it, terrible resort! Yuck!

 

[GrumpyInPhilly]

Wow! I'm very surprised that you even had to waitlist right at 7 months at HHI, even for a studio. We always get a 1 Bedroom at HHI for mid-November, and never had any trouble getting one at 7 months (or even a few days late). Why does everyone (including me) have to talk about how wonderful it is? Come to think of it, terrible resort! Yuck!

It's Jersey Week, so maybe that's why?

 

[Simba's Mom]

I was so concerned about what this meant for our upcoming reservation (hopefully), so I went over and checked. The resort is completely booked through November 6th, including all of October, except for a couple days (only 1 Bedrooms, lucky for us). But it's a lot busier than previous years. Why go there? Yuck, icky poo!

 

[DVCSunDevil]

I wouldn't beat myself up if I was you. There may have been some who were walking BCV for Thanksgiving/December but a number of owners (like me) have a reservation for late Oct. - early Nov. and are keeping it since those are the days we want to go - so no walking involved thus no one (or few) to follow. Fingers crossed your waitlist comes thru.

And the other thing going against us is that the weekend we want is also F&W marathon weekend. LOL. I don’t feel good about my chances with this one.

 

[GrumpyInPhilly]

Just an update on securing this HHI reservation:

Today, I was not successful in following the walkers to get the night of 11/6. I had it for a second just around 9:05 but when I went to book it, I got the Oops screen. I kept trying throughout the day today but no luck. Then I got a Welcome Home e-mail and noticed that the waitlist I set up had filled! I chatted with MS and asked them to combine the four separate reservations into one stay. Assuming MS follows thru on that, it was worth the effort. Can't wait for our first stay @ HHI.

 

[GrumpyInPhilly]

Also, the website shows no availability for a studio 11/3 - 11/7 as it has all week so I must have been chasing a single room or a very few rooms.