2024 question

[Paulaparm]

Late spring until I can make 2024 reservations? Can anyone confirm or deny?
Thank you!

 

[bama_ed]

Confirm.

The new way of doing things.

It was always packages that were announced in the May/June timeframe and room-only always was on a rolling 500 day window if you called. Now room-only has been moved to the same time frame as packages.

Don't know when it will be as it moved around somewhat in the 2nd quarter time-frame but yep, everyone will overload the system once it's loaded online trying to make those early/first-half 2024 reservations.

Bama Ed

 

[Paulaparm]

Thanks, @bama_ed !

 

[bama_ed]

Honestly, I HATE this change as I've only made room-only reservations in every SINGLE stay I've had at WDW but if I have to "play the game", I'll quickly learn how to optimize the system.

Me

 

[jbrostek]

This change kind of sucks since these trips take some planning no matter which resort. I usually have small windows to work with for dates each year due to school and other schedules. I guess I will see how this pans out, I am going to guess either we will all find the best way to get the dates we want or ill just havebe prepared ff the dates I need are booked up, spend my money elsewhere.

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

I have several other ressies to make elsewhere that require an 11 month window. Now I am left hanging with 10 days potentially at Disney that I cannot confirm. Not easy to find 10 days anywhere when youre 1100 miles from home.

 

[jbrostek]

That would be the same for us, for a 900 mile one way. So I can't wing these trips. Usually we plan 2 years in advanced to take the RV. With DVC we get the 11 month window for home resort and 7 month elsewhere, but thats a limited pool compared to FW. I do think they are trying to stop the TAs from booking up the sites and sitting on them...I seen a lot fo that when I searched for a friend.

 

[bama_ed]

I have several other ressies to make elsewhere that require an 11 month window. Now I am left hanging with 10 days potentially at Disney that I cannot confirm. Not easy to find 10 days anywhere when youre 1100 miles from home.

You're right, BDD.

When this change was announced, I wrote that I can't understand why Disney didn't just go to a continuous 12-month rolling window. Maybe it's because of their Rube-Goldberg-Machine IT systems. But yeah, it's a helluva way to run a railroad.

Bama Ed

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

I couldn't agree more Ed. I have always been in awe of the poor quality of Disney I.T.
I cant count the times I have stood at the front desk at the Fort looking for tickets or issues with billing etc only to be told "its in a different system" WHAT ? You mean its not all interconnected ? I am just a retired fireman but I know that aint right. I have noticed in the past few trips an abundance of what we call the "Dockers team" of managers standing around doing nothing while the other CM's run their tails off. This was an issue back at the end of Eisners rule and I thought it had ended, apparently its been resurrected.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

You're right, BDD.

When this change was announced, I wrote that I can't understand why Disney didn't just go to a continuous 12-month rolling window. Maybe it's because of their Rube-Goldberg-Machine IT systems. But yeah, it's a helluva way to run a railroad.

Bama Ed

1. Alas, it is NOT the system.
2. The system is a Las Vegas hotel reservation and database program.
. . . it's literal copy.
. . . this is why the database is not changed.
. . . too complicated to change or do a major upgrade.
. . . it would cost many thousands of dollars to alter the database formats
. . . only the Front End "GUI" (aka: Graphic User Interface) gets upgrades.
. . . after an initial input, the operator goes to a "green screen" character system.
. . . think: the old DOS programs before Windows or Apple
3. This change was directed by Chapek and his GANG.
4. It is meant to control the ressie methodology (aka: weekdays vs weekends).
. . . with a ROLLING 500-day window, there is no convenient time to alter.
. . . when done at one time, the pricing/scheduling can be easily managed.

NOTE: Maybe Iger will change it back (Hope, Hope, Hope!).

 

[jbrostek]

I think the text interface reminds me more of the mainframe reservation systems that everyone used for decades from the few glimpses I got. I figured since networked dumb terminal to a mainframe was the norm for so many hotel, and airlines I have no doubt Disney used it to. I can bet the back end might still be on a mainframe with just a front end GUI which is not the most robust.

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

We used to say at work "a good idea that costs money will be viewed as a bad idea no matter how beneficial it is"

Bad show.... very bad show. And, just when I thought I couldnt dislike Chapek any more than I did

 

[bama_ed]

It feels like the program code was written in BASIC and then compiled into an executable file .

I'm old enough to remember when the personal computer was born. And Disney's reservation IT logic takes me back to those days. It's not the system so much as the logic that's programmed into it.

Thus it's still a Rube Goldberg system in my mind.

ED

PS - although I don't doubt the history lesson from Rusty about where the program code came from....