Reservation Walking Banned by Disney

[jvmbmc]

I agree Disney doesn't have much incentive to change but also I think you listed the general argument for change:
"DVCMCs responsibility is to ensure that the home resort rules and regulations benefit the membership as a whole "

 

[AdamsMum]

I'm not a fan of walking, but I was forced to do it this year at 11 months due to rooms being renovated. I needed a 2 bedroom coming January. No hope of a standard view, and I wasn't willing to pay Boardwalk View points for Pool/Garden-which in my opinion is no view. So I watched and waited for about a month and finally was able to grab a day at 11 months about a week before our planned vacation. This was stressful, now I'm worried I might still get bumped because the reno is delayed. I don't consider this "gaming" the system. I hope they don't make the suggested changes.

 

[TikiRob]

I walked Jambo values so much I needed new shoes.

Seriously though, I’ve lost out on many reservations at 11 and 7 months. I don’t think anything needs to change. No different than any other commodity.

 

[tx911]

You already are, you can walk just as well as anyone else can...

True, but booking a room that you have no intention of ever staying in for a particular date is definitely in an ethical grey zone, if not frankly underhanded. Not to mention, walking reservations must surely be a pain in the ***.

The fact that anyone can do it or that DVC chooses not to do anything about it doesn’t make it right.

Everyone knows that there are certain room types and times of the year where not everyone will get what they want. It just feels different when you know that some people are booking rooms that they never plan on using and therefore shutting you out.

 

[DougEMG]

What I hate more than walkers is having to get up before 5am on the west coast in order to be online at 8am to book my room. Lets at least open the booking window at midnight EST.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I would be fine with a ban on walking. I wish they would do it.

 

[J-Dog]

Do we even really have any idea how much walking is actually happening? Sure there may be rental groups walking the hard-to-get reservations, but it seems like a stretch to me be assume that all, or even most, lack of availability is due to walking.

If you judge it based on multiple Facebook and other social media DVC groups, 50%+ of the people who buy-in don't even know that there is a DVC-based resale business, much less know anything about walking.

I just don't see DVD caring about this problem.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

I'm not a fan of people walking reservations, but I will admit that for certain important trips where we are taking family or friends, and a particular room is important, I have done it twice. That being said, I have no idea how you could ask Disney to limit the modifications to reservations. That just doesn't make sense. Personally, we take our best shot at days and dates 11 months in advance for vacation - but it's not at all unusual for us to tweak and adjust those reservations a few times before we actually visit - and that has nothing to do with walking.

I really don't think walking is a huge issue, but I could never prove that - just like those complaining about it could prove walkers are taking up most of the reservations they want! There just a some rooms in high demand and short supply that are hard to get, even at 11 months. We love the AKL CL rooms, and have had good luck getting a few nights about every 3-4 years. So be it.

 

[lowlight]

Do we even really have any idea how much walking is actually happening? Sure there may be rental groups walking the hard-to-get reservations, but it seems like a stretch to me be assume that all, or even most, lack of availability is due to walking.

If you judge it based on multiple Facebook and other social media DVC groups, 50%+ of the people who buy-in don't even know that there is a DVC-based resale business, much less know anything about walking.

I just don't see DVD caring about this problem.

Walking is very easy to discern. There is no mistaking it for a busy period. You can watch the day fill up and empty out as the next day opens for months. I’ve seen it at all 3 of my home resorts so I assume it’s going on at most of them. It isn’t just rental places doing it, a very large portion of this board does it and has taught others the practice. DVD doesn’t care about the practice, they need to be forced to.

 

[Genie+]

Walking is currently protected in the contract in the sense that it says there are no penalties for any changes 31 days or more.

Now, DVC can amend the home resort rules and regulations to penalize people for changing trips more often, or make everything a cancel and rebook, etc.

But that drastically changes the product and they have no reason to do that…nor would I want them to. This comes up every year and in the end, changes that could possibly be done to curb walking…it can never be stopped without making it that any changes require cancel and rebook..

No change will allow everyone who wants CCV studios in December to get them.

I meant walking is not specifically protected. It’s not prohibited but also not a ‘right’ as an owner. While DVC cannot remove something like home priority which is protected, they can remove the ability to walk endlessly.

CCV studios in Dec doesn’t matter to me nor any other very specific booking. What I’d like to avoid is having to waste my time joining the game otherwise getting locked out from majority of options. Eventually if walking and commercial drastically changes the product DVC may decide it is their right, possibly even responsibility, to do something about it that does not infringe upon owners’ rights.

 

[lowlight]

Think of the time you had to change a non walked reservation for whatever reason. Illness, weather, life, whatever. My top number of changes to one reservation was 4. Now consider how many times you have to add and drop a day for a walked reservation. For some it may just need a week. For in demand times maybe 15 changes. For AKL club level probably way more than that. How would it be hard to stop walking when no normal person changes a reservation 15+ times? Specifically date changes, not room and resort changes which would obviously be exempt because walkers don’t do those changes.

 

[J-Dog]

Think of the time you had to change a non walked reservation for whatever reason. Illness, weather, life, whatever. My top number of changes to one reservation was 4. Now consider how many times you have to add and drop a day for a walked reservation. For some it may just need a week. For in demand times maybe 15 changes. For AKL club level probably way more than that. How would it be hard to stop walking when no normal person changes a reservation 15+ times? Specifically date changes, not room and resort changes which would obviously be exempt because walkers don’t do those changes.

But I'm not seeing how would that solve the problem. Maybe I'm missing something?

If modifications were limited to 15 times, then there would still a free-for-all at, for example, November 5th(ish) for Thanksgiving week, as everyone started their walk at the same time. That wouldn't help people who don't walk in any way, just make walking even more competitive.

I guess it might help non-walkers with less in-demand times, as the walkers wouldn't be quite as likely to walk over those dates, but that doesn't seem to be the complaint here.

 

[JETSDAD]

Think of the time you had to change a non walked reservation for whatever reason. Illness, weather, life, whatever. My top number of changes to one reservation was 4. Now consider how many times you have to add and drop a day for a walked reservation. For some it may just need a week. For in demand times maybe 15 changes. For AKL club level probably way more than that. How would it be hard to stop walking when no normal person changes a reservation 15+ times? Specifically date changes, not room and resort changes which would obviously be exempt because walkers don’t do those changes.

You don't have to walk day by day so your 4 changes can walk a reservation nearly a month.

When walking is seen nobody knows how many rooms are being walked. There could be one person walking a reservation, or one person who simply dropped the reservation entirely, we don't know.

Any solution I've ever seen posted was worse than the perceived problem or made the system unfair, providing the advantage to whoever owns the most points.

I own at AKV so yes, I have room categories that most certainly get walked, but I have the same shot at those rooms as anyone else.

 

[Sandisw]

I agree Disney doesn't have much incentive to change but also I think you listed the general argument for change:
"DVCMCs responsibility is to ensure that the home resort rules and regulations benefit the membership as a whole "

And I believe they do. Being able to use your points on a first come first serve basis for whatever reservations you want and being able to change reservations as much as one needs to gives members a great program.

Limiting owners from modifications would be a step in the wrong direction and my guess is the majority of owners, if asked, would not want changes to that flexibility.

I’ll go so far to say that the vast majority of owners don’t even know about walking because outside of the fall into the holidays, even when it happens, it’s limited..

Plus, they do have a way to help with very popular rooms and that is the special list. I just believe any limits to modifications would be far worse.

 

[kilik64]

Plus, they do have a way to help with very popular rooms and that is the special list.

That a blue card bennie I'm not aware of?

 

[Sandisw]

That a blue card bennie I'm not aware of?

Hahah…no…it’s a list where you put your name for a room and they do it by random draw…it’s for those special times of the year…it’s in the home resort document if people are interested.

 

[kilik64]

Hahah…no…it’s a list where you put your name for a room and they do it by random draw…it’s for those special times of the year…it’s in the home resort document if people are interested.

Oh yea I remember seeing that mentioned before, have done it for like NYE in prior years I think?

Do they still do it?

 

[gmi3804]

Who's going to be tasked with differentiating between walking and changing one's mind? I wouldn't want THAT job!

 

[Sandisw]

Oh yea I remember seeing that mentioned before, have done it for like NYE in prior years I think?

Do they still do it?

They have never done it since I have been a member. But here is what it’s all about.

 

[Sandisw]

I meant walking is not specifically protected. It’s not prohibited but also not a ‘right’ as an owner. While DVC cannot remove something like home priority which is protected, they can remove the ability to walk endlessly.

CCV studios in Dec doesn’t matter to me nor any other very specific booking. What I’d like to avoid is having to waste my time joining the game otherwise getting locked out from majority of options. Eventually if walking and commercial drastically changes the product DVC may decide it is their right, possibly even responsibility, to do something about it that does not infringe upon owners’ rights.

In one way it sort of is…because we are guaranteed to have access to all rooms on a first come, first serve basis, subject to availability

Could saying I can’t grab a certain date because I made a reservation already for dates prior go against that?

Modification rules do need to be consistent and not too complicated depending on the date one books…and I am sure that most owners would want to see that.