Disney Closes DVC Reservation Loophole, Levels Playing Field

Walt Disney World has closed a long-standing loophole in its Disney Vacation Club (DVC) reservation system, known as 'reservation walking.' This strategy allowed some DVC owners to secure highly competitive reservations by booking early and gradually modifying the dates until they reached their desired stay.

Under the old policy, members could book their home resort up to 11 months in advance and reserve up to seven consecutive nights. By making a reservation for an earlier date, they could then modify it to include later dates, essentially 'walking' the reservation forward. This gave some owners an unfair advantage over others who waited until the traditional booking window.

Disney has updated its policy to prevent this practice by restricting modifications to travel dates and room types on confirmed reservations. Now, members can only make changes when the original check-out date falls within 11 months of the modification request date.

This change may not immediately solve Disney's inventory problem, as there are still limited rooms available for DVC owners. However, it does level the playing field by forcing all guests to compete during the same booking window.