I booked the wrong week…what would you do?

[KAT4DISNEY]

Hello. Long post, but I need and appreciate your advice.

Although we’ve been Disney-bound for years, we are only a few years into our DVC ownership and consider ourselves to be newbies. Our home resort is BRV and we usually book a studio.

We have always traveled to Disney on or about Thanksgiving, and stayed the full week after. Thanksgiving usually falls the 3rd full week of November, but this year, it falls in the last week of November. Here comes my mistake…at the 11th month mark, and in a pre-Christmas, auto-pilot, mommy-brain-haze, I booked the wrong week at our home resort. Instead of booking November 28, 2019 - December 8, 2019, I goofed and booked November 21, 2019 - December 1, 2019, one week earlier than I intended (not only did I goof for the first 7 nights, I repeatedly goofed when I added each subsequent night! Ugh).

I was so upset at myself when I discovered my mistake a month later. And now there’s no availability for a BRV studio during the timeframe I intended to book (we have no additional points for a 1BR, and we'd rather not borrow). For several reasons, we don’t intend to keep our current reservation of November 21, 2019 - December 1, 2019, but for now, we haven’t cancelled it.

I currently have one waitlist for December 1, 2019 - December 8, 2019 (since we already have the first 3 days that we want from our original booking, i.e. Nov. 28-30). MS tells me that it’s a “slow time of year” (not the case from what I understand) and that I should have "no trouble" with our waitlist coming through. I absolutely hold out no hope that a 7 night waitlist is going to come through for the first week of December (unless you all think otherwise?)

From time to time, a day here or there will pop up during the week that I want. MS has discouraged me from grabbing one day at a time, and piecemealing our trip. I feel like I should do what I can, instead of waiting on our waitlist to possibly (never) come through.

What would you do?

1. Would you just hang tight and see what happens with the waitlist?
2. Or would you grab day-by-day and see if you can patch together the week you need?
3. Also, I know it’s just a guess, but do you think there’s any chance of movement at the 7 month mark? In other words, current booked BRV home resort guests switching to a different resort at the 7 month mark, thereby possibly opening up the week for us?
4. Is there something else that I've not considered?

Thank you for sticking through this long post and for your thoughts and advice.

I'd modify the existing reservation and drop the nights now that you are not going to use. Keep the 3 nights you have that are necessary. Then I'd absolutely pick up nights that show up. Waitlist 2 individual nights if you pick up some nights in the middle and a 7 month waitlist no longer is needed. Or you can waitlist longer time frames that make sense around whatever you pick up. Right at this moment I'd have the 7 night waitlist and then create a second waitlist for the night immediately following the 3 nights you already have. If you get then I'd change the 7 night waitlist to a 6 night (first to give it priority) and then a second waitlist for night #5.

MS gave you bad advice in this case starting with the information that it's a slow week.

And at 7 months I'd book elsewhere if something is available and then change the waitlists to replace that.

 

[PeterPanFan123]

I'd modify the existing reservation and drop the nights now that you are not going to use. Keep the 3 nights you have that are necessary. Then I'd absolutely pick up nights that show up. Waitlist 2 individual nights if you pick up some nights in the middle and a 7 month waitlist no longer is needed. Or you can waitlist longer time frames that make sense around whatever you pick up. Right at this moment I'd have the 7 night waitlist and then create a second waitlist for the night immediately following the 3 nights you already have. If you get then I'd change the 7 night waitlist to a 6 night (first to give it priority) and then a second waitlist for night #5.

MS gave you bad advice in this case starting with the information that it's a slow week.

And at 7 months I'd book elsewhere if something is available and then change the waitlists to replace that.

Wow, I appreciate your detailed direction. Thank you so much!

 

[Sandisw]

I have had great luck with small waitlists. They are easier to fill and once it comes in you can do a new one for the nights you need. I think between that and watching website, and the 7 month mark you might have a really good chance of getting your week!

 

[PeterPanFan123]

I have had great luck with small waitlists. They are easier to fill and once it comes in you can do a new one for the nights you need. I think between that and watching website, and the 7 month mark you might have a really good chance of getting your week!

Thank you for the positive words. I am hopeful with your advice, and from others, this mess-up of mine will soon be a distant memory!

 

[Madame]

We do love BRV, but I'm keeping an open mind that we may need to split stay. As long as we have somewhere to land!

Now that you mention it, I thought I'd have to cancel and create a new waitlist(s). I actually just learned today after I called MS and got a really nice and seemingly knowledgable rep that waitlists can be modified, so that (in her words) I would keep my place. I hope she's right.

No. You cannot modify your waitlist.

 

[PeterPanFan123]

No. You cannot modify your waitlist.

Oh boy, ok, thanks for the clarification.

 

[NHLFAN]

Oh boy, ok, thanks for the clarification.

I made the somewhat same mistake this year and booked Dec 1- Dec 6th at BWV in a Boardwalk View studio not realizing Dec 1st was on Thanksgiving weekend this year! I have waitlisted the following Dec 8-Dec 13 and also Dec 29-Jan 2 in hopes of moving our travel plans to those dates instead.

Wish there was a way we could help each other out.

 

[PeterPanFan123]

I made the somewhat same mistake this year and booked Dec 1- Dec 6th at BWV in a Boardwalk View studio not realizing Dec 1st was on Thanksgiving weekend this year! I have waitlisted the following Dec 8-Dec 13 and also Dec 29-Jan 2 in hopes of moving our travel plans to those dates instead.

Wish there was a way we could help each other out.

Aww, bummer! We were both afflicted with some kind of calendar malfunction, haha. I thought the same thing, there must be someone out there that wants my (wrong) week and I need theirs! I wish you lots of luck, I hope you get what you are looking for!

 

[robinb]

I'd modify the existing reservation and drop the nights now that you are not going to use. Keep the 3 nights you have that are necessary. Then I'd absolutely pick up nights that show up. Waitlist 2 individual nights if you pick up some nights in the middle and a 7 month waitlist no longer is needed. Or you can waitlist longer time frames that make sense around whatever you pick up. Right at this moment I'd have the 7 night waitlist and then create a second waitlist for the night immediately following the 3 nights you already have. If you get then I'd change the 7 night waitlist to a 6 night (first to give it priority) and then a second waitlist for night #5.

MS gave you bad advice in this case starting with the information that it's a slow week.

And at 7 months I'd book elsewhere if something is available and then change the waitlists to replace that.

Can you have two waitlists for the same day/villa type? I really can't remember for sure.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Can you have two waitlists for the same day/villa type? I really can't remember for sure.

Yes. The only restrictions on waitlists are 2 active waitlists per UY. MS might discourage you from it but you can do it. They also discourage from single night waitlists if you are looking for a longer length of time but the system will allow it.

 

[DisneyLore]

Not so much advice as a ray of hope. I went to book my first visit home for October in January. (10 months out) and we are new to Copper Creek. Went to book and there was no availability at all. So I stalked and waitlisted here and there and by 9 months out I have an entire week in a studio at Copper Creek. I even had to give up one night at one point because I share with my daughter and she needed to borrow a few points from the UY I was using. I thought I would give it up for 1 minute and go back and get it but no such luck. It was gone in an instant. But I checked back over the next week and eventually got it again! All that to say stalking really worked. (waitlist never came through before I grabbed it by stalking) and don't lose heart!

 

[PeterPanFan123]

Not so much advice as a ray of hope. I went to book my first visit home for October in January. (10 months out) and we are new to Copper Creek. Went to book and there was no availability at all. So I stalked and waitlisted here and there and by 9 months out I have an entire week in a studio at Copper Creek. I even had to give up one night at one point because I share with my daughter and she needed to borrow a few points from the UY I was using. I thought I would give it up for 1 minute and go back and get it but no such luck. It was gone in an instant. But I checked back over the next week and eventually got it again! All that to say stalking really worked. (waitlist never came through before I grabbed it by stalking) and don't lose heart!

You're so sweet, thank you for saying not to lose hope. I'm glad you got the week you wanted! I'm still stalking!

 

[robinb]

Not so much advice as a ray of hope. I went to book my first visit home for October in January. (10 months out) and we are new to Copper Creek. Went to book and there was no availability at all. So I stalked and waitlisted here and there and by 9 months out I have an entire week in a studio at Copper Creek. I even had to give up one night at one point because I share with my daughter and she needed to borrow a few points from the UY I was using. I thought I would give it up for 1 minute and go back and get it but no such luck. It was gone in an instant. But I checked back over the next week and eventually got it again! All that to say stalking really worked. (waitlist never came through before I grabbed it by stalking) and don't lose heart!

For future reference it might have been worth a call to see if member services could have borrowed points into your reservation to free up points to be borrowed by your daughter.

 

[DisneyLore]

For future reference it might have been worth a call to see if member services could have borrowed points into your reservation to free up points to be borrowed by your daughter.

I thought that too, so I called them to make the change hoping I wouldn't have to let go of 1 of my nights. I don't know if the person I got wasn't knowledgeable enough or it just wasn't possible but he told me there were no other options. Our situation was a little weird as my daughter has a trip booked in March of 2019, which is our 2018 UY, and needed to borrow 5 points from our 2019 UY to make a change for one of her nights. But since I had booked my October trip already and used all our remaining 2019 UY points except 11 and she needed 16, there was no points available for her to borrow from 2019 unless I released one night. I would have been happy to borrow from 2020 to cover my night as it would only have been 5 points but he said that was not possible.

 

[DisneyLore]

Also it was January when my daughter decided to go in March and she booked 1 night at 8 different resorts at first in order to Frankenstein her way into a booking but over the course of the next 2 weeks she ended up with 5 nights at OKW and 3 at Poly (but could have done OKW for the entire week just decided to try a new resort) so once again don't lose heart.

 

[robinb]

I thought that too, so I called them to make the change hoping I wouldn't have to let go of 1 of my nights. I don't know if the person I got wasn't knowledgeable enough or it just wasn't possible but he told me there were no other options. Our situation was a little weird as my daughter has a trip booked in March of 2019, which is our 2018 UY, and needed to borrow 5 points from our 2019 UY to make a change for one of her nights. But since I had booked my October trip already and used all our remaining 2019 UY points except 11 and she needed 16, there was no points available for her to borrow from 2019 unless I released one night. I would have been happy to borrow from 2020 to cover my night as it would only have been 5 points but he said that was not possible.

They probably can't do it but it sounds like you're like me and gave it the old college try. I'll file that away for my own future reference . I'm glad you were able to pick up the day again!

 

[PeterPanFan123]

Also it was January when my daughter decided to go in March and she booked 1 night at 8 different resorts at first in order to Frankenstein her way into a booking but over the course of the next 2 weeks she ended up with 5 nights at OKW and 3 at Poly (but could have done OKW for the entire week just decided to try a new resort) so once again don't lose heart.

Thank you

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I thought that too, so I called them to make the change hoping I wouldn't have to let go of 1 of my nights. I don't know if the person I got wasn't knowledgeable enough or it just wasn't possible but he told me there were no other options. Our situation was a little weird as my daughter has a trip booked in March of 2019, which is our 2018 UY, and needed to borrow 5 points from our 2019 UY to make a change for one of her nights. But since I had booked my October trip already and used all our remaining 2019 UY points except 11 and she needed 16, there was no points available for her to borrow from 2019 unless I released one night. I would have been happy to borrow from 2020 to cover my night as it would only have been 5 points but he said that was not possible.

She could have purchased OTU points assuming that allotment hadn't already been used up. Or you could have booked a "dummy" reservation night in the 2019 UY that would have used the 11 points plus borrowed 5. Then cancelled it and reallocated the borrowed points to your reservation. At that point she could have borrowed back the 16 2019 points.

There's almost always a way.

 

[MommaBerd]

She could have purchased OTU points assuming that allotment hadn't already been used up. Or you could have booked a "dummy" reservation night in the 2019 UY that would have used the 11 points plus borrowed 5. Then cancelled it and reallocated the borrowed points to your reservation. At that point she could have borrowed back the 16 2019 points.

There's almost always a way.

Oh! That’s a great trick! I am definitely keeping that one in mind...

 

[luvmychaos]

L

She could have purchased OTU points assuming that allotment hadn't already been used up. Or you could have booked a "dummy" reservation night in the 2019 UY that would have used the 11 points plus borrowed 5. Then cancelled it and reallocated the borrowed points to your reservation. At that point she could have borrowed back the 16 2019 points.

There's almost always a way.

Seriously, I feel like I just need to stalk you to get the hang of this DVC thing (also, totally don’t mean to sound creepy )