Walking Why ?

[DougEMG]

About a week ago I was looking at making a reservation for BLT 2 bed standard view for the last week in Feb. I never could get the reservation as the room was disappearing right away every morning. Every couple of days though an earlier date would suddenly open up, so it appeared to be being walked. Today I took another look and 6 of the first 7 days are available so I booked them and waitlisted the last night. What in the world is someone walking to though, the only thing I can think of is Easter near the end of April 2025. That seems a long time to be walking something.

 

[lowlight]

Yes, people have made part time jobs of walking reservations. This means they have to start super early so they can later sell it for a higher price per point to the rental sites.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I’m glad you got most of what you want, and hope you can get the last night.

 

[Sandisw]

I don’t know why either….but I think people think they need to so they do…however, BLT is getting tefurbed next year so maybe some are worried about fewer rooms than normal?

 

[Noodlez]

Unfortunately, I think that warnings of walking are causing walking! I own at BCV, and thankfully have never seen any evidence of it there. Obviously, rooms are hard to get at 7 months, but there's never been any problem waiting for a few days after 11 months (or a few weeks at most times of year). I've seen so many warnings on these boards that if you own there you'll need to walk that it's going to cause it to happen.

I'm not suggesting that we should stop discussing it, or keep it as a secret trick for those in the know, but we really need to stop telling owners that it's a necessary part of booking when it really isn't in the majority of cases.

 

[JackosinDIS]

The standard view rooms are walked year round at BLT! I have checked pretty much every day for the past 6 months and there is never availability 11 months out. Not sure what people are actually walking to though… I think they just do it for fear of not getting the dates they want.

 

[tx911]

It's me. I'm just honing my walking skills.

 

[miTnosnhoJ]

It could be people who are targeting a certain week that they need for Spring Break and they may not have enough points to get anything but standard view.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

IMO Walking begets walking.

I was considering and watching the BLT standard 2BR for the 2nd to last week and could have gotten it but instead went ahead and picked up BWV standard 2BR following the walkers. I also don't understand what they were walking towards. Mine covered both Presidents day and the Princess race. It really isn't necessary for almost all room categories.

 

[drusba]

The earliest one can begin a walk is to reserve an arrival date that is the first day of the use year in which the desired trip will occur (cannot start earlier because points cannot cross into a different use year without banking them long before the end of a use year). BLT standard view studios and 2BRs (including dedicated 2BRs) have an 11-month issue, where rooms tend to fill instantly at 8 a.m., 11-months out, about 75% of the year, including for all the high demand season from late Sep to marathon weekend in Jan. it appears that many now begin the walk to wherever they are going near the beginning of their use year e.g., those walking through Feb could potentially be heading for October.

 

[Spivey378]

Because it is very good exercise.

 

[peabody58]

I just stalk and waitlist the standard studios I want. Been pretty successful so far in my late Jan 2025 hunt. Being retired and within driving distance allows for a lot of flexibility with our dates. I'm a point miser to the max.

 

[miTnosnhoJ]

The earliest one can begin a walk is to reserve an arrival date that is the first day of the use year in which the desired trip will occur (cannot start earlier because points cannot cross into a different use year without banking them long before the end of a use year). BLT standard view studios and 2BRs (including dedicated 2BRs) have an 11-month issue, where rooms tend to fill instantly at 8 a.m., 11-months out, about 75% of the year, including for all the high demand season from late Sep to marathon weekend in Jan. it appears that many now begin the walk to wherever they are going near the beginning of their use year e.g., those walking through Feb could potentially be heading for October.

You can walk across a use year boundary, but you have to call member services to help. I have December Use Year, and I have been able to book early December studios at VGF.

 

[drusba]

You can walk across a use year boundary, but you have to call member services to help. I have December Use Year, and I have been able to book early December studios at VGF.

Do you mean, for example, that you have walked a reservation to the end of November, and then contacted MS and it allowed you to move that into early Dec using the same points that are in that Nov reservation, meaning MS effectively lets you bank the points during the last week of the use year into that next use year? If so, that is something I have never heard of being allowed before.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Do you mean, for example, that you have walked a reservation to the end of November, and then contacted MS and it allowed you to move that into early Dec using the same points that are in that Nov reservation, meaning MS effectively lets you bank the points during the last week of the use year into that next use year? If so, that is something I have never heard of being allowed before.

Banking for a Dec UY would be July 31st but booking at 11 months would be happening in Dec/Jan for that reservation. One would just have to have both current points to start the walk and then next years points to continue or it also would be well within the banking window.
I've not tried this myself but just thinking of the logistics if MS can do it. I guess it shouldn't be surprising since MS can book across the UY and that I have done once.

 

[Chuck S]

I'm surprised people are walking one and 2 bedroom units, unless they need a very specific room type. The only time I've felt the need to walk is when I was booking an HA GV and a HA 2 bedroom at OKW for a large group over Thanksgiving week, right after COVID. as there are only 3 HA GVs at OKW. I warned them, I said, please let's not go over Thanksgiving it'll be a madhouse But did they listen? No. It was as crowded as you'd expect. But...never again over Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Spring Break or Easter.

 

[LadybugsMum]

I walked a stand 2 bed at BWV because I need part of Princess half marathon weekend. By sheer luck I was able to get it for the middle of Jan and I kept going from there.

 

[miTnosnhoJ]

Do you mean, for example, that you have walked a reservation to the end of November, and then contacted MS and it allowed you to move that into early Dec using the same points that are in that Nov reservation, meaning MS effectively lets you bank the points during the last week of the use year into that next use year? If so, that is something I have never heard of being allowed before.

Kat4Disney described the situation well.

 

[SL6827]

Because it is very good exercise.

That's funny.

 

[ocdb8r1]

As has been noted, walking begets walking and we're in a situation where everyone is trying to get the jump on someone else for that "hard to get week". As a result, more weeks become (or at least appear to be) "hard to get" as people walking make reservations for dates they never intend to stay (in an effort to start the walking process).

"Walking" exists in other timeshare systems (HGVC, for example) but I think there are a few things that have amplified its impact or visibility within DVC:

1) Disney guests (and particular, those of us who frequent the DIS...but I would say even "generally" now) tend to be types that are very adept or keen to employ "trip hacking" to use whatever tools and tricks they can to maximize their Disney trip enjoyment. For most of us, gone are the days of planning a Disney trip a couple of months in advance, focusing solely on booking a hotel. Now many of us analyze in great detail attendance calendars, points charts, dining reservation windows, virtual queue drops, Genie+ strategies...etc to create the perfect (or best we can) trip. This approach lends itself to employing strategies like "walking" that might in the past never been thought of or considered.

2) DVC has created a highly complex division of seasons and views with the aim of best matching points requirements with relative demand. The greater the complexity, the greater room there is for analysis to find "sweet spots" where DVC hasn't got it exactly right and excess "value" exists.

3) Compounding the search for value mentioned in #2, is the fact that DVC is slow (or perhaps reticent) to adjust points requirements in line with actual observed demand. Theoretically the logic behind the complexity of DVC's division of seasons and views/locations is to even demand across the whole portfolio (such that we shouldn't see pronounced spikes in demand or difficult to book....). However, DVC also needs to market and sell a product and those places where there is excess value or sweet spots provide a nice story to sell buyers with less cash or less interest on how they can stretch their vacation dollars with DVC. This, along with the way the reallocation of points is referenced in the CCRs, has created some barriers to DVC reallocating points even where they might want to (referencing the 2020 points reallocation that created member outcry sufficient that DVC reversed course).