I got my Bonnet Creek Thanksgiving reservation!!!

[FLDVCFamily]

I've been refreshing like crazy for days on end. Anyways, I just got a 2 bedroom for 4 nights (Tues.-Sat.) at Bonnet Creek for Thanksgiving week It was 62,500 points, so less than a third of our points for the year. I am beyond excited right now!! I did have to borrow the 77 HK credits and pay a $30 booking fee since I didn't have any more booking credits or whatever they're called, but it was worth it

BTW, it showed that 5 nights should have been available from Tues. on the calender (limited availability, light green color), but yet it said that no resorts were available for that timeframe?? Anyways, I tried 4 nights and it came up so I jumped on it. One night fewer isn't a dealbreaker for us. I don't exactly understand why it would say that there was 5 night availability on the calendar but yet show no availability below. Either way, we're going to Bonnet Creek for Thanksgiving

Now I just need to cancel the one night at Saratoga Springs that I ever managed to get with my DVC points I swear, we're **thisclose** to selling our DVC due to inability to get anything that is of any use to us with the points. We banked a bunch last week...first time ever. I knew that Bonnet Creek would come through for us, though

[Jya-Ning]

All right.

I think they may release a version with some bugs. Somehow, they calculation was broken from place to place. Maybe they show cancel immediately broken the calculation.

Jya-Ning

[BellaWyn]

Originally Posted by FLDVCFamily

I've been refreshing like crazy for days on end.

Good Jobbers!

Probably the mega-renters are letting stuff go now!

Totally pumped for you! Have a GREAT time!

[Sandy Lovell]

Wyndham's website displays availability if there is any unit available on that night, however when you go to book, it treats inventory in blocks, depending on that units checkin day.

So it looks like there should be availability, but 4 days are from 1 actual week, and the last day you want is from a second, different inventory bucket.

I wish they could figure it out. Hilton's works on a day by day basis not on inventory weeks.

[FLDVCFamily]

Originally Posted by Sandy Lovell

Wyndham's website displays availability if there is any unit available on that night, however when you go to book, it treats inventory in blocks, depending on that units checkin day.

So it looks like there should be availability, but 4 days are from 1 actual week, and the last day you want is from a second, different inventory bucket.

I wish they could figure it out. Hilton's works on a day by day basis not on inventory weeks.

Oh my, that is really confusing Basically you have to guess as to when it would allow you to check in even though it looks like the nights are available then. At least I know that I'm not going crazy. I must have clicked on the same "available" night 3 times before I gave up and tried for 4 days instead of 5.

[Jya-Ning]

Originally Posted by Sandy Lovell

Wyndham's website displays availability if there is any unit available on that night, however when you go to book, it treats inventory in blocks, depending on that units checkin day.

So it looks like there should be availability, but 4 days are from 1 actual week, and the last day you want is from a second, different inventory bucket.

I wish they could figure it out. Hilton's works on a day by day basis not on inventory weeks.

Sandy:

Are you sure?

I am constantly looking for 1 night on the middle of my Thanksgiving driving trip, and use 1 day 2 day 3 day. I think they only show the available that cover the range, and for 1 day, it has to be the exact left over. I have go to try reserve some than found out it covers 2 different units although it shows 3 day range.

However, yesterday look like the system is pretty bad. I have it show all dark green (high available) on whole month, than tell me that no unit available for the day I selected.

My first assumption is they are doing some "upgrade" and create a few bugs on the on-line system.

Jya-Ning

[FLDVCFamily]

Originally Posted by Jya-Ning

Sandy:

Are you sure?

I am constantly looking for 1 night on the middle of my Thanksgiving driving trip, and use 1 day 2 day 3 day. I think they only show the available that cover the range, and for 1 day, it has to be the exact left over. I have go to try reserve some than found out it covers 2 different units although it shows 3 day range.

However, yesterday look like the system is pretty bad. I have it show all dark green (high available) on whole month, than tell me that no unit available for the day I selected.

My first assumption is they are doing some "upgrade" and create a few bugs on the on-line system.

Jya-Ning

Jya-Ning, do you have unlimited reservation transactions from being VIP? I'm wondering if you could check this weekend or early next week (right at 15 days), see if you can get your entire reservation, cancel what you have and then book what you need right away? The way that they do the system seems very confusing. Your night looks like it's there but it's really not there. I think that Sandy's explanation is plausible, but I also think that there are bugs in this system yet too.

[BellaWyn]

Originally Posted by FLDVCFamily

I think that Sandy's explanation is plausible, but I also think that there are bugs in this system yet too.

I agree with Jya-Ning about the reservation system of late but Sandy is actually pretty accurate in how it is supposed to work! The reservation system has been a bit weird the last couple of days with how they are color-coding the calendar so it's not inconceivable that they are "de-bugging" some things. I kind of ignore the calendar (to some degree) and just keep looking for the dates I want. I always select 4 days +\- the check-in date because it seems to give a broad perspective of all the "possibilities" around the date I want. Also start with 7-days, then back off the number of nightly stays to see what the system comes up with. The only annoying part is when I have to keep "verifying" that I'm not a computer worm! Oy!

Also, I think the 1 and 2-night stays are resort-specific. Not ALL of the resorts will allow a 1 or 2-night until it's under 30 days. Many will, especially the newer ones. We have to remember that Wyndham used to be Fairfield and they still navigate in the background on a weeks structure. Hilton has ALWAYS been a hotel-based system so their internal structure is designed around nightly stays. Wyndham Resorts is not accepted as, or pretends to be, a Hotel-based system. The nightly stays are a recent addition in the last couple of years. We use them all the time!

JMHO.

[Jya-Ning]

Originally Posted by FLDVCFamily

Jya-Ning, do you have unlimited reservation transactions from being VIP? I'm wondering if you could check this weekend or early next week (right at 15 days), see if you can get your entire reservation, cancel what you have and then book what you need right away? The way that they do the system seems very confusing. Your night looks like it's there but it's really not there. I think that Sandy's explanation is plausible, but I also think that there are bugs in this system yet too.

Not even a VIP, only have 3 free transactions per year (need to be gold to have unlimited transactions). Sorry. I can go as far as hold it. But not confirm the reservation.

Jya-Ning

[Catira]

Originally Posted by FLDVCFamily

I've been refreshing like crazy for days on end. Anyways, I just got a 2 bedroom for 4 nights (Tues.-Sat.) at Bonnet Creek for Thanksgiving week It was 62,500 points, so less than a third of our points for the year. I am beyond excited right now!! I did have to borrow the 77 HK credits and pay a $30 booking fee since I didn't have any more booking credits or whatever they're called, but it was worth it

BTW, it showed that 5 nights should have been available from Tues. on the calender (limited availability, light green color), but yet it said that no resorts were available for that timeframe?? Anyways, I tried 4 nights and it came up so I jumped on it. One night fewer isn't a dealbreaker for us. I don't exactly understand why it would say that there was 5 night availability on the calendar but yet show no availability below. Either way, we're going to Bonnet Creek for Thanksgiving

Now I just need to cancel the one night at Saratoga Springs that I ever managed to get with my DVC points I swear, we're **thisclose** to selling our DVC due to inability to get anything that is of any use to us with the points. We banked a bunch last week...first time ever. I knew that Bonnet Creek would come through for us, though

Congrats on finally getting the days you needed I remember last week when I finally found the days I needed at bonnet creek I was on cloud 9. Can't remeber how many times I refreshed my computer

[carl2591]

cool... Thanksgiving at Bonnet Creek.. you must be tickled pink

seems like everyone is trying to out do each other with smiles on this post guess I should try as well


Bonnet creek is nice and you will have a great time there.. congrats

be sure to take a tour so you can get up dated on the latest stuff

anywho have a good one and safe journey.

wow that a bummer we are limited to only 10 images in a post and I have 12.

whom to kill ??

[Sandy Lovell]

That was my guess on how it displays availability. The reason is that sometimes it says availability, by light green and dark green boxes, but if you select it is does not display any units available as it indicates that there are minimum restrictions or some BS wording.

So what I do is go through this routine, by where I increase the days 1 at a time, until I find the inventory that the website thinks is there. Often time I will look for 1 day, then 2 days, then 3 days. I also do what a PP suggested in that I look for a range of days, by setting the +- to 4.

There is definitely something wacky between the greens on the calendar and the actual days you can book.

I think some are inventory block manifestations.

I also managed to upgrade from a 1 BR to 4 BR instead of taking the 2 BR I had in San Antonio for the days just prior to Thanksgiving. I was a bit of an idiot, as I booked the second booking (using some pooled points) then cancelled the original, now I have more points in 2009 instead of the future expiration of my pooled points. Oh well, I got a much better unit and a great upgrade.

[FLDVCFamily]

Originally Posted by Sandy Lovell

I also managed to upgrade from a 1 BR to 4 BR instead of taking the 2 BR I had in San Antonio for the days just prior to Thanksgiving.

Wow, how did you do that?! Are you VIP or something? I'd love to get a 4 bedroom!

[Jya-Ning]

Yeah, sometimes the way it display does not seems match the availability. My guess is they use one method to figure out the availability (which show those green code), and the other when you actually select them and try to see what is actual available.

I also notice that when it shows two different units in the same stay, it usually because the reservation is across the weekend. I think that is the boundary of the week starting (Friday, Sat, Sun), so you could see 2 units. But it seems that the system did not apply the same principle when you search period does not hit those week boundary. So there could be unit(s) available for 5 nights just belong to 2 different units, and when you try to see the detail, it will not show. But very unfortunately, they no longer display the unit number, so could not quite verify it.

Jya-Ning

[slabeaume]

We had a similar problem in oct. when we wanted a 4 night stay in Pompano starting on a particular Fri. There was no availability for a Friday start in any of the 4 resorts, but lots of availability for a 3 night Thurs. start. Plus 2 days starting on Sun. could be taken from the next week---but without a guarantee of staying in the same unit for all 5 nights. I didn't need Thurs. night since we were already booked in another resort that night but went ahead and double booked Thurs. for a total of 5 nights at one resort, 3 nights at another, 7 nights total. They weren't able to leave us in the same unit for 5 nights, but since we weren't checking in that Thurs., they were able to put us in the same unit for the following 4 nights. It turned out to be a great vacation, even with the stress of booking a week in 2 resorts.

[Sandy Lovell]

Originally Posted by FLDVCFamily

Wow, how did you do that?! Are you VIP or something? I'd love to get a 4 bedroom!

Yes I am VIP Plat. The only units available where a 1 BR and a 4 BR. Since the 1 BR was available for only 3 nights and the 4 BR was available for 4 nights, I booked the 3 nights in the 1 BR with the free upgrade to the 4 BR, then just booked the 4 BR for a single night. I know it was the same unit so it was easy to get it all aligned.

I have probably upgraded about 70-80% of the time, especially on my last minute checkins. I don't always get a upgrade when I book well in advance. I usually book well in advance only when I know units will be impossible to book at a later time, like Spring Break or large units that I have to get a large unit. I do have a tendency be a last minute bit of an opportunist. Can I get a unit with an upgrade, then that might help me decide to go then.

[FLDVCFamily]

Originally Posted by Sandy Lovell

Yes I am VIP Plat. The only units available where a 1 BR and a 4 BR. Since the 1 BR was available for only 3 nights and the 4 BR was available for 4 nights, I booked the 3 nights in the 1 BR with the free upgrade to the 4 BR, then just booked the 4 BR for a single night. I know it was the same unit so it was easy to get it all aligned.

I have probably upgraded about 70-80% of the time, especially on my last minute checkins. I don't always get a upgrade when I book well in advance. I usually book well in advance only when I know units will be impossible to book at a later time, like Spring Break or large units that I have to get a large unit. I do have a tendency be a last minute bit of an opportunist. Can I get a unit with an upgrade, then that might help me decide to go then.

That is really awesome!! The only way we're ever staying in a 4 bedroom presidential at Bonnet Creek is if we can somehow score a cheap reservation on Ebay, LOL! We're totally last-minute people for our short Orlando stays because we live locally. I wish that Platinum VIP transferred with resales so we could have that upgrade benefit. We'd be in a 4 bedroom presidential suite at Bonnet Creek on any and every weekend that the upgrade was available

[FLDVCFamily]

Originally Posted by Jya-Ning

Yeah, sometimes the way it display does not seems match the availability. My guess is they use one method to figure out the availability (which show those green code), and the other when you actually select them and try to see what is actual available.

I also notice that when it shows two different units in the same stay, it usually because the reservation is across the weekend. I think that is the boundary of the week starting (Friday, Sat, Sun), so you could see 2 units. But it seems that the system did not apply the same principle when you search period does not hit those week boundary. So there could be unit(s) available for 5 nights just belong to 2 different units, and when you try to see the detail, it will not show. But very unfortunately, they no longer display the unit number, so could not quite verify it.

Jya-Ning

You know, as much as all of this makes my head spin, the simple fact that we can book 1) online and 2) in real time re: cancellations with Wyndham puts it heads-and-shoulders above DVC in my mind. I really have no idea why DVC still hasn't come up with an online booking system. Wyndham's online system might be confusing and far from perfect, but it still gets the job done IMHO.

I really appreciate being able to book online with Wyndham. I don't think that I'd have gotten this Thanksgiving reservation if I'd had to call 100 times a day instead of just refreshing 100 times a day. Actually, I know that I wouldn't have because that is what I had to do with DVC and it was frustrating and a real waste of time since we never did get our reservation with them.

[Sandy Lovell]

Originally Posted by FLDVCFamily

That is really awesome!! The only way we're ever staying in a 4 bedroom presidential at Bonnet Creek is if we can somehow score a cheap reservation on Ebay, LOL! We're totally last-minute people for our short Orlando stays because we live locally. I wish that Platinum VIP transferred with resales so we could have that upgrade benefit. We'd be in a 4 bedroom presidential suite at Bonnet Creek on any and every weekend that the upgrade was available

The 4 BR are awesome. We stayed in the one in Orlando over Christmas a few years ago. Booked in advance and NO free upgrade. We did get 1 additional night in the 4 BR getting a free upgrade from the 1 BR. We needed an additional night.

But I have also booked the one in San Antonio about 5 - 6 times, all of them last minute and all of them FREE upgrades from either a 1 or 2 BR.

[Jya-Ning]

Originally Posted by FLDVCFamily

You know, as much as all of this makes my head spin, the simple fact that we can book 1) online and 2) in real time re: cancellations with Wyndham puts it heads-and-shoulders above DVC in my mind. I really have no idea why DVC still hasn't come up with an online booking system. Wyndham's online system might be confusing and far from perfect, but it still gets the job done IMHO.

Yeah, they are great, they have to carry old week converted resort into the system, and so many complex stuff, it is very hard to expect it can be done correctly without any bug. For most of the regular reservation, it is good enough. And that does put them high against a few other systems.

Just try to find where does the bug occur, than figure a way to get around the bug if need to.

Jya-Ning

[Sandy Lovell]

Originally Posted by FLDVCFamily

.. the simple fact that we can book 1) online and 2) in real time re: cancellations with Wyndham. Wyndham's online system might be confusing and far from perfect, but it still gets the job done IMHO.

I really appreciate being able to book online with Wyndham.

Amen to that.