For many Disney Vacation Club Members, walking a reservation has been a long-debated topic. This week, during the Quarterly Condo Association Meeting for the Grand Floridian Villas, the issue took center stage in what could signal potential changes to how this practice to book reservations is allowed in the future.
What is Walking a Reservation?
For those unfamiliar, walking a reservation is a strategy some Members use to secure highly competitive dates for their vacations. Essentially, it involves booking a reservation for an earlier start date than you intend to travel, then modifying it day by day until it aligns with your preferred dates. While this method can increase your odds of getting your desired reservation, it often ties up inventory, making it more difficult for other Members to find availability.
During this week’s meeting, Steve Whittington, Director, Strategy & Development for Disney Vacation Club, took a moment to explain the concept of walking to the room, despite some comical groans from the crowd (and probably a few of you reading this too). It was a necessary explanation to ensure everyone was on the same page before diving into the discussion.
Is a Change Coming?
Shannon Sakaske, Vice President Member Experiences and Club Management at Disney Vacation Club, addressed the elephant in the room by stating that Disney Vacation Club has been actively looking at the practice of walking and how it impacts the booking process for all Members. However, he emphasized that any potential changes need to be carefully considered to avoid unintended restrictions or consequences on how Members use their points.
Yvonne Chang followed up with a brief but intriguing “more to come” comment, leaving us to wonder what solutions might be in the works. Could we see changes that prevent walking altogether? Or perhaps new booking rules that strike a balance between fairness and flexibility? Only time will tell.
What Does This Mean for Members?
For now, walking a reservation remains an option for those willing to put in the effort. However, it’s clear that DVC is paying attention to the concerns surrounding this practice and exploring ways to make the booking process more equitable for all Members.
It’s worth noting that these Quarterly Condo Association Meetings are primarily focused on approving budgets for each resort, which dictate the Annual Dues Members pay. Still, the fact that walking was brought up in such a setting underscores its significance as an ongoing concern for many members.
As a Member myself, I appreciate the transparency and thoughtfulness DVC management is bringing to this issue. It’s encouraging to see that they’re taking the time to ensure any adjustments are well-thought-out and in the best interest of the community, without unintended consequences.
Stay tuned to DVCFan.com and the DVC Fan Facebook Group for updates on this and all things Disney Vacation Club! What are your thoughts on walking a reservation? Should it be addressed, or is it simply part of the game? Let us know!
Jim Schwerk
December 11, 2024I think walking should be totally gone. I own at Copper Creek and I recently had to wait and check daily to be able to book at the 11 month mark simply because someone or several members had ONE day over 45 total available days blocked out. Each day I looked as that single day was walking to the next, completely blocking me out for almost 10 days. My view is we all paid for our membership. I got up early to book the very first moment I could book only to find out I could not. So what is the point of having a “Home”? Eliminating it levels to playing field and forces all members to do their due diligence to book the room they want. The same thing happened to me a couple of years ago when I tried to book Aulani for my daughters birthday. It is incredibly frustrating watching that single day move each day until it walks past the dates you want and 2 weeks later see that same day still blocked.
Rick Blair
December 11, 2024I for one would welcome the change. I remember the old days when you could only make a one day reservation on the 11th month mark. I live on the west coast so I got up early every morning to make sure I could get the next day for my trip. Sometimes it was every day for 2 weeks, but it worked. I did not have to worry about walking the reservation or not getting the days I need. Now with the ability to reserve multiple days out from the 11 month mark, I worry if I can get all the days I want. I have never resorted to walking, but I see why it is popular. I am not advocating going back to the old days (ok maybe I am) but I think something has to be done.
Donna Borer
December 11, 2024As a member since 2001 I can say it’s only been approximately the past 10 years that we’ve ever had trouble booking our yearly reservations. Some years we know at 10 to 11 months out when we’ll be traveling and other years it could 6 or 7 months out. I should also note that we never travel to Disney during the summer nor over holidays….so usually not high travel periods. We’ve concluded this is due to two reasons…..walking reservations and the enormous amount of renting that goes on. I should note here in our 23 years of ownership we have rented our points out……once. I can certainly understand occasionally people need to rent their points for whatever reason. However, that said….some type of limits absolutely need to be set on both walking reservations and renting points. On my past few trips I’ve noted random conversations with strangers….in parks, in resorts, standing in lines, etc. If DVC is mentioned, 9 out of 10 times the other party will say “oh yes…we’ve rented here, here and here……And my friends/family have stayed at …….we rent all the time…”. So much so….that I now purposely bring up DVC to see how many times it happens. So, obviously it has become quite a lucrative business for some owners.