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WKORV Check In Strategy

Ken555

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blujahz said:
SVN sure could use an upgrade in thir computer systems - it is an archaic reservation system - and especially sucks for us west coasters

Speaking of which, does anyone know if/when SVN will allow searching for availability online?
 

DeniseM

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Ken555 said:
Speaking of which, does anyone know if/when SVN will allow searching for availability online?

As far as I know, that's not even in the works.
 

KOR5Star

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Ken555 said:
Speaking of which, does anyone know if/when SVN will allow searching for availability online?

Please, don't give them any ideas. There are sniper programs (people use them on Ebay all the time) that can automatically log in and grab the good time stamps before you finish pressing the first number on your phone.

I'd rather have this stay aspect of the planning stay a little competitive and have human involvement.
 

Henry M.

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KOR5Star said:
Can I assume you typically make your reservations as soon as Orlando opens and have good time stamps?

No. I call probaly before the 10 month window, but not on the first day. I am flexible, though so I accept whatever week I can get within a month or so window.

Also, I usually request a specific room that happens to be in the category that I own. That is not really an upgrade to a different view.

Pharmgirl: Since you can travel any time, you should be able to get the view you purchased by not going during the highest demand periods. On a lark I decided to take my wife to Maui this past January. I called on a Wednesday for arrival on the upcoming Sunday. I reserved the studio part of my lock-off. When I got there we had been upgraded to the 1BR unit, on the 6th floor facing the pool and closest to the ocean.

SVN is the same as any other program. If there is availability you get it.
 

ciscogizmo1

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pharmgirl said:
Yes, you get oceanview but ONLY if in the 12 - 8 month window,otherwise you may get an island. That's my point, I own oceanview BUT only if planning 8 - 12 months out am I assured we will get what we own. I think the owners in Maui should get the views owned.

With Marriott(KoOlina), if you own oceanview,you can reserve at any time if an oceanview is available, not tied to 12 - 8 month, and you know you will get an oceanview. Actually you can do this online with marriott so can see availability on calendar. And yes, there is availability less than 8 months, actually we have reserved with less than 4 months and got what we wanted. Sometimes we need to do a Sunday, or Friday instead of a Sat but that's not a problem for us.
Using online calender for reservations is also helpful if trying to coordinate, e.g., ff tickets,trips with family or friends, Maui and Oahu vacations

More information is better information

Yes, that is true but since you are traveling off peak times I don't think getting the view you want will be a problem.

Honestly, with Marriott during peak times if you don't reserve at the 12 or 13 month window you won't get to go period. So I don't think you are comparing apples to apples here. Both programs have their pluses & minuses you just have to decide what works for you and your lifestyle. Also, Marriott doesn't even have an internal trade program like Westin. So nothing is perfect. I think Westin put in that 8 to 12 month window so at some point other SVN owners can reserve at other resorts. This program is also similar to the Disney program except Disney doesn't sell by view.
 

KOR5Star

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emuyshondt said:
No. I call probaly before the 10 month window, but not on the first day. I am flexible, though so I accept whatever week I can get within a month or so window.

Also, I usually request a specific room that happens to be in the category that I own. That is not really an upgrade to a different view.
We were talking specifically about the high demand July 4th week... a week that sells out within hours on opening day.

Here's my concern. It has been explained to me in painful detail that my 5 Star Elite status does not trump time stamps. The elite policy that has been quoted pertains ONLY to upgrades. Unit location within a view class is not considered an upgrade.

If other elites are being allowed to trump the whole time stamp system, even though I don't think it's fair, I want that too. :wave: (Hey, I also think Universal Studio is unfair with regards to their express plus pass system, but that doesn't stop me from buying the passes.)

In your particular case, you are going from wait list (You couldn't possibly get a unit for July 4th week at 10 months out.) to having the EXACT unit you requested.

In any case, it looks like I need to get on the phone with Orlando tomorrow and get a clear understanding of my rights with regard to unit location within the view class I own (OV). :annoyed:
 

Henry M.

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I think perhaps I was just lucky and called at exactly the right time. I was not waitlisted for the week, I got it when I called. This year the busier week was about two weeks after July 4 according to some villa personnel. I assume the room assignment for my week was later, but they honored the request I put in when I made the reservation. I do not believe they jumped through special hoops for me. This year I was 5 Star and didn't get there until July 8 but I was 3 Star in previous years.

Also, I didn't mean to imply I've gotten the July 4 week every single time, but I usually have gotten the one or other week surrounding it and always got a nice unit.
 
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KOR5Star

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emuyshondt said:
I think perhaps I was just lucky and called at exactly the right time. I was not waitlisted for the week, I got it when I called. This year the busier week was about two weeks after July 4 according to some villa personnel. I assume the room assignment for my week was later, but they honored the request I put in when I made the reservation. I do not believe they jumped through special hoops for me. This year I was 5 Star and didn't get there until July 8 but I was 3 Star in previous years.

Also, I didn't mean to imply I've gotten the July 4 week every single time, but I usually have gotten the one or other week surrounding it and always got a nice unit.
Busier than July 4th week?... very doubtful. The second week after is no doubt also very popular, as is every week in July, but the week of July 4th completely books out by around lunch every year. There's absolutely nothing left but wait list by early afternoon. I know, I book a couple of units every year, just in case. I grab the following week too, but that one doesn't book out so quickly.

This doesn't mean there are more people there during the July 4th week, it just means that every room is taken more quickly than other weeks. In the end, every week in July is at 100% capacity. Depending on the demographics there could be more heads at the resort one week versus another, therefore it could have been "busier" later in July.

I called Orlando today to talk about the view thing. They said it's up to the resort, so it it's one of those YMMV things. All they would say is I'd get a view upgrade if available, but wouldn't come down on either side of the fence concerning what elite meant for unit location. They kept saying it's up to each resort. Well... that's bunk. The benefit, or lack thereof, should be defined and be the same for everyone. I've asked for an e-mail from a manager to clarify the Elite policy with regards to unit location when there are no view upgrades available. Again, it was explained to me the last time I was at WKORV that the upgrade policy only pertained to view upgrade (when avialable) and did not guarentee best unit location... which made sense to me, seemed fair, so I felt satisfied. But, like everyone else, I don't want my mileage to vary. I want the same mileage as everyone else, so if you and other elites are getting best unit location, dab nab it, as a 5 Star Elite I want it too. :cool:
 

Henry M.

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Just this summer I reserved July 4th and the week after it in August. I came back from Maui July 25 and didn't get to call until the following week. I will also likely give up that week becuase what I really want to do is go to St. John in June but I won't know about that until October when I try to exchange 8 months out. If I get my echange, whoever calls for KOR will get my spot when they call in October.

I always request a specific unit. I suppose if you just said you want a high floor oceanview close to the ocean and I say I want unit 3623 then you might get something on the 4th floor while I get what I asked for and from the front desk's point of view they did everything we both requested.
 

KOR5Star

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emuyshondt said:
Just this summer I reserved July 4th and the week after it in August. I came back from Maui July 25 and didn't get to call until the following week. I will also likely give up that week becuase what I really want to do is go to St. John in June but I won't know about that until October when I try to exchange 8 months out. If I get my echange, whoever calls for KOR will get my spot when they call in October.

I always request a specific unit. I suppose if you just said you want a high floor oceanview close to the ocean and I say I want unit 3623 then you might get something on the 4th floor while I get what I asked for and from the front desk's point of view they did everything we both requested.
I think you fell in it, but don't appreciate your luck. If you call down to Orlando and ask, anyone will tell you the July 4th week books out really fast... in the same day fast.

If you'd like it, I've got the week by week demand chart from Interval International for Hawaii. Some interesting info. It shows July 4th week as the number one week by a fairly wide margin. No other week compares. Not even 51 and 52. In fact, if anyone would like it, just PM me and I'll send it out. I've also got timeshare demand versus inventory for locations around the world. The Virgin Islands are the highest demand versus inventory. The Hawaiian islands are second.

You may be correct about the request. From now on I'm going to request unit 3623 whenever you plan to visit. ;-) Only kidding.

After thinking about it these past couple of days, I'll probably stay with my nebulous request. So far, I've always been satisfied by the room and it leaves more flexibility for the management. ...and what happens if I didn't like that unit for some reason? I'd feel wierd changing rooms after I specifically asked for that one.

Most importantly, I know myself. If I requested a particular room and didn't get it, it would eat at me. I'll spare myself the grief and be satisfied with what they give me. Of course I'll complain if I get a bum room, but that hasn't ever happened and hopefully never will.
 

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KOR5Star said:
If you'd like it, I've got the week by week demand chart from Interval International for Hawaii.
Just curious: Is that the Travel Demand Index that's published in the II guide and website, or do you have something with more detail?
 

Henry M.

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KOR5Star said:
I think you fell in it, but don't appreciate your luck. If you call down to Orlando and ask, anyone will tell you the July 4th week books out really fast... in the same day fast.

I do agree with you about my luck. I wasn't really expecting to get it but grabbed it when I called. I did have to accept Sunday arrival and that is not the best for room selection since most people check in and out on Saturday.

I procrastinated too long and decided to check relatively late for weeks that I could rent out if I didn't get my trade into St. John. If I do get it and someone is interested in the week that starts July 8 PM me. I can let you know when I call in to exchange with St. John so you can request the week when I give it up. I'll probably keep the July 1 week for rental if I don't decide to go somewhere else.

I would be interested in the charts you mention.
 

KOR5Star

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BradC said:
Just curious: Is that the Travel Demand Index that's published in the II guide and website, or do you have something with more detail?
Perhaps. I've just been on intervalworld.com and it didn't jump out at me. How do you find it?

The info I have are two graphs that were given to me on paper. I scanned them into .pdf files. If there are updated, electronic format, versions available, I'd love to know how to get them.
 

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KOR5Star said:
Perhaps. I've just been on intervalworld.com and it didn't jump out at me. How do you find it?
Sounds like what you have is more detailed than what's available at II's website.

The Travel Demand Index on the II site is available from within the Resort Directory. For example, if you drill down to USA, then Hawaii, you'll see a link titled (somewhat cryptically) TravelPlanning Tools.

The Hawaii index probably isn't a very good example, since 50 of 52 weeks are listed as "peak exchange periods." But you can see by the index number that some weeks are even more in demand (or have less supply) than others.
 

KOR5Star

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BradC said:
Sounds like what you have is more detailed than what's available at II's website.
Yes, it is.

Thanks for the link and directions. I'm not sure I believe the numbers on the II site. They seem too uniform across the year. The chart I have (also from II) shows substantial drops in demand in late spring (between Spring break and the July 4th week) and late fall (between Thanksgiving and Christmas) and shows substantial spikes around the school holiday weeks.
 

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I made my reservation for spring break 2007 about 11 months out. I requested the villa we had last time, which was considered island view ( which is what we purchased), but somehow ( in 2005)we got one of the rare delux island views which was really pool and ocean view from the living room. I was told ( by a sales rep) that we really lucked out, and it is not likely to happen again. The only check in day they had was a Sunday, so it will be interesting to see what we end up with after reading everyone's comments. He also told me to call a week prior to arrival which is about when they do the room assignments, to request again. I have only to report back after spring break 2007!
 
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