What luck... But not the good kind... (Just venting)

[TexasChick123]

At one point, wheren't you able to put a hold on a room in one browser, and then log into your account in a different browser and cancel a reservation. Then refresh the first browser to finalize the booking?
I know it would require 2 reservations as explained above, but can you still do that?

You can’t do this anymore. The new system won’t allow it. This is from personal experience last week.

 

[ILoveMyDVC]

It's not a scam. It is terrible IT practice.

HP They switched to HP years ago They have had a few name changes. Guessing, they are using HPE for WDW. Horrible company to work with.

 

[southerngirl528]

So I am wondering if its only a supervisor at this point that would have access to temporary hold a room or maybe they can just override the system.. either way this should not be something that only supervisors can do..

Supervisors do have access to some capabilities that advisors do not, and truthfully should not, but as for holding one room in order to simply rebook? Advisors SHOULD have that ability. Please tell me you are working on your letter. I am very happy (but not surprised) that they got everything worked out for you, but how much stress did it cause you until it DID get all tco'd??

 

[maburke]

You can’t do this anymore. The new system won’t allow it. This is from personal experience last week.

Oh noooooooo!!!

 

[Judique]

I don't know if I agree with you all.

When you go to change a reservation, and you want something new that you didn't have reserved before, you are not necessarily entitled to 'hold' a room that could be booked by someone else. It is your limitation that you don't have enough points for two bookings. The system is built on first come first served, so if someone else already had a waitlist for part of what you are looking at, or your previously booked reservation disappears because you in effect gave it up to try to get something else, that's a chance you are taking.

Changing a reservation is a chance you take. I've had a reservation disappear when trying to change. So I know the feeling.

The other thing I will mention is that the waitlist works to a certain degree. Expecting it to work for week long vacations may be a bit much but for a night here and there, the waitlist is a great tool.

 

[DSLRuser]

Disney IT at it's finest...... I thought they were working on this.......

It is not IT's fault. The Product Owner (DVC Web Site) set's the requirements as to how the site is to function. IT builds it. QA tests it per the requirements.

Welcome to political world of Application Development.

 

[fearthisinc]

When you go to change a reservation, and you want something new that you didn't have reserved before, you are not necessarily entitled to 'hold' a room that could be booked by someone else. It is your limitation that you don't have enough points for two bookings. The system is built on first come first served, so if someone else already had a waitlist for part of what you are looking at, or your previously booked reservation disappears because you in effect gave it up to try to get something else, that's a chance you are taking.

I think you are missing the point.. Even if I dont have the points readily available, I am still the "first" to find the reservation available.. Having the actual points available is a moot point.. I called and the dates were available. There should be no problem holding the room while I cancel 1 reservation so the points get put back into my account to use towards the new room.. What your essentially saying is that even though I was first in line to get something, someone behind me should be able to cut me because they have cash in hand while I find my credit card in my wallet.. No one is suggesting that you get to "hold" a room for no reason.. It is just putting a hold while you cancel the dates you need to replace.. the idea that you essentially have to cancel your vacation and be put in limbo for the few seconds it takes to book the new room is ridiculous..

I can't see how hard it would be to make this type of programming.. It should be part of the "Modify Reservation".. You go in and your current reservation dates are listed with a check-able box next to it.. You check which dates you want to see about replacing and then click continue.. Next screen brings you to the Availability Tool.. You see whats available for the dates you want to replace and click on it.. Then hit continue and the dates get swapped.. If for whatever reason the dates on the new resort happened to have been booked during that time, the transaction cancels and you still have your existing reservation.. The other option would be to go into the Availability Tool and find the dates you want.. Select the dates and hit next.. This would then start a 5 minute countdown clock.. The next screen you get to select something like "Replace part of existing reservation".. You select that and on the next screen you click the existing reservation and hit done.. Then the new resort replaces the old resort for the selected dates.. The latter option would make it more where you are guaranteed the new resort, while the first option would guarantee that you dont lose your original reservation.. Again, maybe its easier said then done.. But they have the waitlist system in place which effectively does this already.. Only it does it based on the entire reservation.. Which is why MS suggested that next time I book my resort in 2 sections so that I could waitlist 1 part at a different resort if I decided to.. The only thing I didn't like about this is that there would be the possibility that you would have to check out of your room for the first portion of the trip even if you are staying at the same resort and room category.. Probably a slim chance of it happening.. But the possibility is there.. Also, you run the risk of losing the last half of your trip at your resort if someone else books it before you have the chance..

I think the majority of people would be happy with any option DVC chooses to do, as long as they eliminate the risk of losing an existing reservation.. If when I called MS they attempted to do the swap at BLT but someone had booked in the meantime I would have been fine.. But the idea that I had to be placed in limbo was absurd.. And then the feeling you get in your stomach when you hear MS say "Uh oh" and start stuttering is just sickening.. Thankfully it worked out in the end.. but what if this had been during the peak months and we literally lost the entire trip.. There has to be a fix for this and I believe there are enough people that would agree that there needs to be a change to the system..

 

[disneynutz]

It's either cost or some other reason that Disney has. Maybe they don't want us to change reservations, just like the changes to waitlist rules to reduce waitlists. They also added the $95 trading fee, maybe they don't want us to trade but if we insist even with the poor exchange rate, they penalize the traders with an extra fee. Disney often uses things like trading as something that they brag about and use during the sales pitch when selling direct. It sounds great when you are hearing the pitch but Disney really doesn't want you to trade.

Bill

 

[Judique]

Having the actual points available is a moot point.

I don't think so.

If your points were available, you would not have had a problem.

 

[chicagodisneyguy]

I don't think so.

If your points were available, you would not have had a problem.

Well what about waitlists? In my understanding a waitlist that gets filled grabs the desired rooms and then a MS person has to finalize the reservation. In essence they place the new room on hold while they cancel/replace. So in the waitlist case you are holding a room while not having the points. I've never heard of someone's waitlist come thru to find out they missed the new reservation because someone grabbed it and also be out the original reservation. If this does happen please correct me. If not, I don't understand how holding the reservation in waitlists is doable but not in the case of a 7-month or less switch.

 

[Orsino]

My guess is that the 'member' that 'booked' the two days was actually you/MS. On the initial search you found what you wanted (or MS did) and at that point the rooms get held and taken out of inventory.
When MS had to go and cancel your previous reservation to free up points, you lose your grip on the rooms, but they don't necessarily go back into inventory right away. The middle days probably only had one room left and your phantom hold kept them from being able to be booked.

Then MS waitlisted you.
Then the rooms in limbo made it back to inventory
Then the waitlist triggered and you get what you want.

All this happened in a few hours right?
In other words, it doesn't really make sense that someone swooped in and took the room you wanted 3 weeks before a trip AND someone else gave up what you needed to fill your waitlist (their points would go into holding).

 

[Phatscott25]

I don't think so.

If your points were available, you would not have had a problem.

I agree this is true. Having a ton of points definitely makes this situation better. However, I still agree with OP that the system should be designed differently. I compare it to making an initial booking. As I'm sure you're aware, once you select your dates and find availability the system holds the room for 20 minutes while you type in the details. It most certainly should have the same feature so you could cancel an existing/replace existing etc. when making a replacement booking. I don't see why in that case you shouldn't be entitled to the same hold as with any other booking.

 

[Matty B13]

It is not IT's fault. The Product Owner (DVC Web Site) set's the requirements as to how the site is to function. IT builds it. QA tests it per the requirements.

Welcome to political world of Application Development.

Believe me I know this is the case, I’m an engineer (civil), it is usually at the managerial level that things fall apart and the people with the technology knowledge are ignored.

 

[Sandisw]

It really seems that they should be able to make it so the new reservation is on hold while the CM makes the switch. I have been told by a CM that they can hold it while making the switch. But, other times, I have been told it would be risky so who knows. But, when a waitlist matches for someone, they are able to hold a room and then replace an existing room. So, if it can be done through this process, it should be available when a CM is doing it on the phone with a member.

Glad that things worked out for you!

 

[drusba]

The issue appears to me simple. When you call to make a reservation change to another resort, MS cannot lock in the new reservation for the very short period of time it takes to modify the exisitng one and get points to fill the new one. Why is it that way? Arguing a first come first served position does not work because you are the one who got there first to make the reservation, and they do this for other events like when filling wait-lists; also one could make the same argument to wipe out the 20 minute hold time you get when you reserve online, i.e., under the first come first served argument someone who calls while your spending 20 minutes completing your reservation should be able take your room away because the reservation may be completed faster by phone.

Would the change cost a lot of money? I do not know and maybe those with IT experience can speak to what would be required, how long it would take to fix the issue, and how much it might cost. Ultimately, it just seems to me that it is something that members should be able to do and thus avoid the stress of making a reservation change, but is DVC management just too stupid to realize that, just too busy thinking about and doing other things, or did they just intentionally create this issue because they are sadists who like torturing members? The problem has existed for a long time and it would be helpful to have it fixed.

 

[4luv2cdisney]

I don't know if I agree with you all.

When you go to change a reservation, and you want something new that you didn't have reserved before, you are not necessarily entitled to 'hold' a room that could be booked by someone else. It is your limitation that you don't have enough points for two bookings. The system is built on first come first served, so if someone else already had a waitlist for part of what you are looking at, or your previously booked reservation disappears because you in effect gave it up to try to get something else, that's a chance you are taking.

Changing a reservation is a chance you take. I've had a reservation disappear when trying to change. So I know the feeling.

The other thing I will mention is that the waitlist works to a certain degree. Expecting it to work for week long vacations may be a bit much but for a night here and there, the waitlist is a great tool.

Nobody should have to have double the points they need for their travel habits just to have the ability to make a 7 month switch.

The original booking should remain intact for the few minutes it takes to secure a new room.

When I change my ADRs it holds my original until it secures the new one.

 

[zavandor]

When I change my ADRs it holds my original until it secures the new one.

This is the most compelling argument. Holding a reservation while modifying it is not just doable, it's the norm in the hospitality industry.
Hopefully they'll fix the feature in the website soon so we can do it ourselves.

 

[MJB62676]

If the system (MDE) is "smart" enough to recognize you double booking dining reservations and asking if you want to cancel the old after booking the new (meanwhile, holding the original reservation), I simply cannot understand why the same can't be done with rooms.

 

[Spartan86]

If the system (MDE) is "smart" enough to recognize you double booking dining reservations and asking if you want to cancel the old after booking the new (meanwhile, holding the original reservation), I simply cannot understand why the same can't be done with rooms.

It just dawned on me I have done exactly that on WDW,com with a cash/AP room. It has been a year or more but I’m fairly certain I got to a screen where it said “confirm you want to replace this with that”, or similar language. So, yeah I agree.

 

[PleasejointheFarque]

This is why once i book, i stay committed to those dates and resort, or i just cancel fully. I just cant risk losing the booking by moving it. Too many working parts for it to go wrong, and knowing my luck, it would.