Number of People Walking

[SpaceMountain77]

It's not VGF or BLT, it is a Caribbean Beach resort.

Based on everything that I have read, through architecture, landscaping, and modified waterways, the Rivera will be thoroughly divorced from Caribbean Beach. Although it was built on the land that was previously occupied by Barbados and Martinique, it will be its own resort with a unique backstory. The Rivera will provide guests with European grander, complete with its own Skyliner station. Its architecture is purposefully not inspired by the Mexican Rivera, even though it would be fitting thematically, because Disney does not want the property to be associated with Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort in any fashion.

 

[JETSDAD]

More often than not, Disney's marketing speaks to memories and nostalgia. When a DVC component was added to each of the monorail resorts, I could not help but wonder how many purchases were driven by nostalgia and, specifically, a desire to purchase where memories from the 70s and 80s were made with families and friends.

To me, Disney's Rivera Resort will be an interesting sell to watch because it is being touted as elegant and similar to/better than Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. However, it is a new build with no historical connection to the Walt Disney World Resort.

The demand for EPCOT area DVC rooms is huge though especially during F&W. If the Skyliner proves to be a success then I think the easy access to 2 parks, with some Disney luxury (yeah, I know) and it could be quite popular.

 

[SpaceMountain77]

The demand for EPCOT area DVC rooms is huge though especially during F&W. If the Skyliner proves to be a success then I think the easy access to 2 parks, with some Disney luxury (yeah, I know) and it could be quite popular.

I have no doubt that the resort will sell and be a popular destination among those interested in staying at an Epcot area resort.

Contributors on other boards, with greater knowledge of TWDC, have noted the departure from the themed resorts constructed under Michael Eisner and the modern, decorated resorts constructed under Bob Iger. The Gran Destino Tower, Reflections, and Rivera are all departures from the days of resorts like Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge and Disney's BoardWalk Resort. Again, it will be interesting to see the response to a traditional resort with understated theming and no direct ties to the earlier years of the Walt Disney World Resort.

 

[ParkHoppers]

Pulling inventory right before the window and re-releasing it right after the window sounds an awful lot like trying to mess with walking.

Now it might be an IT problem. But if it’s deliberate then I don’t see how it can be anything BUT aimed at walking.

One can only hope Disney try’s to mess up the walkers. Walkers have clearly made the booking system a mess through their greed to put themselves in front of others. Walking is not in the true spirit of DVC and those who walk know it.

 

[twinklebug]

One can only hope Disney try’s to mess up the walkers. Walkers have clearly made the booking system a mess through their greed to put themselves in front of others. Walking is not in the true spirit of DVC and those who walk know it.

I can't say I disagree, but to block off a day (or more) interrupts everyone's chance at reserving a room and does not give an advantage to those who have less of a chance (those who for one reason or another cannot be logged in at the start of the day.) The more I study this the more it seems like a single person manipulating the system on the back end.

Note that in order for Disney to interrupt walkers, first a change would need to be made in the rules themselves which permit the practice and then followed through with some sort of deterrence/punishment, not the other way around.

 

[chainkid]

Highly unlikely it was aimed at walking since they put in the online modification tool to make walking easier for everyone. Since I always want to stay in grand villas and there are only 7 of them at BW , I can either decide to not get what I want or walk my reservation. I didn't walk my Aulani reservation this June as I had never had issues getting the more expensive rooms and almost got locked out of the time I needed to go. I ended up getting two rooms instead of one at about 100 more points for the 6 days . Walking is essential if you want a hard to get room but please stand on principal and let others get the rooms.

 

[LaurenT]

I had originally planned to book a room at BWV for Sept 30, 2019 at the 11 month mark. A few days ahead of time I started checking online to see what availability was like and what I noticed was it appeared that rooms were being walked. On Sept 27, nothing was available for Sept 27. Then on Sept 28, Sept 28 had nothing available but now Sept 27 became available. Same thing happened on Sept 29.

So on Sept 30 I made sure I was online right at 8am to book but the room disappeared before I could grab it. Sept 29 though suddenly became available. Bad luck for me. First time ever that I haven't been quick enough at opening to get what I wanted.

17 hours later I was a little bored and was curious how many rooms had opened back up for Sept 29th. So I started booking 1 night stays for Sept 29-30 (Sept 30 is still currently unavailable). After booking 4 rooms and there still being another room available, I quit that and released all the rooms.

So I was a little surprised at the results. At least 5 people walking rooms, all of who managed to modify/book at 8am before I got in at 8am.

Currently I have a waitlist for Sept 30 and plan to be online at 8am again on Sept 31 to see if I have any better luck. If I do get a room, at least one person walking is going to have their walk broken as I'm looking to keep the nights I book.

If the person who is walking is staying a week and dropping/adding daily, you won’t be able to break their walk because the day they’re adding will be six days ahead of the one you’re up to.

 

[ziravan]

Starting this morning was when the missing days started in the value studios and they extend for the full week.

Accordingly, if those numbers are right, nobody was able to book value studios at the 11 month window this morning and there is still no opening for when they can.

Nobody was able to book today; nobody will be able to book for at least a week, and counting.

The value studios have been taken off the table for 11 month booking in Dec, 2019.

 

[JETSDAD]

Starting this morning was when the missing days started in the value studios and they extend for the full week.

Accordingly, if those numbers are right, nobody was able to book value studios at the 11 month window this morning and there is still no opening for when they can.

Nobody was able to book today; nobody will be able to book for at least a week, and counting.

The value studios have been taken off the table for 11 month booking in Dec, 2019.

I've been emailing back and forth with MS regarding the booking patterns recently with Value and Club at AKV. They claim to not have the ability to book outside of the 11 month window but have yet to give any sort of explanation then as to how these booking patterns have shown up. At first they said that the rooms are being booked by Disney through their various avenues (developer points, breakage, etc.) which we know but then won't explain as of yet how these are then being booked outside of 11 months.

 

[DebbieB]

One can only hope Disney try’s to mess up the walkers. Walkers have clearly made the booking system a mess through their greed to put themselves in front of others. Walking is not in the true spirit of DVC and those who walk know it.

I bought BWV in 1999 with the intention of booking the first week of December. I just finished a walk for the first time for a boardwalk view (no problems). Never had a problem in the past. Sorry, I’m not going to sit back and be noble while my reservation is taken away. Until they fix it, I will do it.

 

[ParkHoppers]

I bought BWV in 1999 with the intention of booking the first week of December. I just finished a walk for the first time for a boardwalk view (no problems). Never had a problem in the past. Sorry, I’m not going to sit back and be noble while my reservation is taken away. Until they fix it, I will do it.

I totally understand where you are coming from. I guess I am just a bit sore at those who started this trend and thought it would have no effect on the booking system. I hope DVC does something about it at some point.

 

[deerh]

After posting about Early December and the dificulty booking BWV, I got 6 nights at a 2BR Boardwalk view!! I was online at 8 am, and BOTH standard and Boardwalk view was available at that time. We are taking 8 people, so we got the 2BR. My DW likes the BW view, so I booked it! When I looked at 12 noon EST, there was only 4 nights of BW view and Standard view available. So, you have to book early, and no walking our reservation for us.. I was very paranoid to do it, as I would have to borrow points, and not sure how that would work-Borrowing AND walking a reservation... So, it worked out... NOW, Star Wars Land should be open then!!

 

[JenniferYoung44]

How crazy is it to book a boardwalk studio for MLK week? This will be my first time trying. I wonder if walking will be needed to get that.

 

[CarolynFH]

How crazy is it to book a boardwalk studio for MLK week? This will be my first time trying. I wonder if walking will be needed to get that.

That time hasn’t been a problem in the past. After Marathon weekend ends, DVC demand lessens. We had no trouble booking a standard view BWV studio at 11 months last February for checkin on MLK day this January.

 

[TexasChick123]

How crazy is it to book a boardwalk studio for MLK week? This will be my first time trying. I wonder if walking will be needed to get that.

You should be fine. We have gone in MLK weekend multiple years and haven’t had any issues getting what we want. I agree with the pp that after marathon weekend it demand slacks off until President’s Day and the half-marathon in February quite a bit.

 

[Cyberc1978]

Starting this morning was when the missing days started in the value studios and they extend for the full week.

Accordingly, if those numbers are right, nobody was able to book value studios at the 11 month window this morning and there is still no opening for when they can.

Nobody was able to book today; nobody will be able to book for at least a week, and counting.

The value studios have been taken off the table for 11 month booking in Dec, 2019.

I've been emailing back and forth with MS regarding the booking patterns recently with Value and Club at AKV. They claim to not have the ability to book outside of the 11 month window but have yet to give any sort of explanation then as to how these booking patterns have shown up. At first they said that the rooms are being booked by Disney through their various avenues (developer points, breakage, etc.) which we know but then won't explain as of yet how these are then being booked outside of 11 months.

I have noticed the same. Can only guess about the reason but I expect the days to pop up anytime now.

Can’t remember who but someone was walking either club or value for earlier 2019 and all of a sudden the walk got broken because of missing days. After the dates was passed the days pop up in open inventory.

Guess the same will happen here.

Unless Disney is planning a refurb of value studios in December 2019

 

[ziravan]

I have noticed the same. Can only guess about the reason but I expect the days to pop up anytime now.

Can’t remember who but someone was walking either club or value for earlier 2019 and all of a sudden the walk got broken because of missing days. After the dates was passed the days pop up in open inventory.

Guess the same will happen here.

Unless Disney is planning a refurb of value studios in December 2019

It was me and I don’t think rooms opening in the wake will happen this time.

When it happened to me in October, I don’t think that it was all the rooms. I think the rooms opening was walkers passing through the rooms that weren’t blocked.

By all appearances, every value and concierge studio was blocked off from walking over the Dec 2/Dec 3 booking dates.

I don’t think there are walkers from the 2nd forward to drop nights.

Maybe this says something about the planned opening of Star Wars if DVC is taking this large a block of rooms out of commission right here and now.

Makes me wonder just how many rooms are being appropriated for this week in categories that don’t show their depletion so easily...

 

[Cyberc1978]

It was me and I don’t think it’ll happen this time.

When it happened to me in October, I don’t think that it was all the rooms. I think the rooms opening was walkers passing through the rooms that weren’t blocked.

By all appearances, every value and concierge studio was blocked off from walking over the Dec 2/Dec 3 booking dates.

I don’t think there are walkers from the 2nd forward to drop nights.

Maybe this says something about the planned opening of Star Wars if DVC is taking this large a block of rooms out of commission right here and now.

Makes me wonder just how many rooms are being appropriated for this week in categories that don’t show their depletion so easily...

I’m sorry to hear that :-(

Even if SWGE is opening during those dates why should dvc takes rooms out of inventory?

 

[ziravan]

DVC has 2% of points and can estimate breakage, etc.

If they knew SW:GE was opening the first week of Dec, 2019, they could exert quite a bit of pressure on this week.

Just like banking and borrowing could put pressure at one particular point if something big was happening.

So. The questions: Is DVC allowed to jump the 11 month window for its own bookings? If so, how badly are they raiding this week in categories that don’t show up empty quite as fast?

 

[Cyberc1978]

DVC has 2% of points and can estimate breakage, etc.

If they knew SW:GE was opening the first week of Dec, 2019, they could exert quite a bit of pressure on this week.

Just like banking and borrowing could put pressure at one particular point if something big was happening.

So. The questions: Is DVC allowed to jump the 11 month window for its own bookings? If so, how badly are they raiding this week in categories that don’t show up empty quite as fast?

Even if they can estimate breakage it wouldn’t make sense for them to book the value room as they are the absolute last rooms to be available as breakage.