Does early arrival = better chance of requested room

[disneybelle]

We will be arriving abot 10:00am at the Polynesian in August. Will that arrrival time make the chances better that we will receive our requests?

Thanks.
D

[Demosthenes]

In my experience it definately does. This is, admitedly, anecdotal, but I always make requests via CRO and a fax, and the only thing that has thus far made a difference for me is arriving early. It may depend on the room controller at each ofthe resorts, but the requests that I have made at each resort I have stayed at have only been honored when I have arrived early enough in the day to make my request again with the front desk. Each time that I've gotten my requests, the CM who checks us in has changed our room assignment to meet the specific requests.

[judi]

We have arrived both early and late and it's been about 50/50 getting what we wanted. We arrived late one night and was given an upgrade without asking.

[Dallas_Lady]

How early is considered "early?" DH and I land at 11am, and are hoping to be at POR by 1pm.

[gepetto]

I think that when you make a request when reserving a room, if it's available you will get it.:)

[Artemus]

Assuming the hotel is pretty full, I agree that the earlier "bird" gets that worm. Everytime we have had an early afternoon check-in we have been given more of our requests. Sometimes perfect! Then the late night check-ins were "something else". Look at it this way: most people will express a preference of somekind and if they were all checked-in before you, you get what is left. FAXing seems to help if not overdone.

Artemus

[Neeter]

Must agree with those that have said early arrival DOES make a difference. Before our Easter 2001 trip we did all the advised things to get our room choice. We made the request when we booked, sent the fax 3 days before, etc. Well, we arrive at ASMO at 9:00 am after a 12 hour drive to be told we were in the Love Bug section instead of the Toy Story section as we had requested. Let's just say we were not happy campers. We were polite but firm while saying this wasn't acceptable. The CM hunted and pecked around on her computer for about 5 more minutes and said... Nope, still not Toy Story but Mighty Ducks. Also, not the connecting rooms that were a must. Once again we were polite yet firm in explaining that we had made our requests on several occasions and we were sorry but the Mighty Ducks offer wasn't acceptable either. The CM tells us to hold on a minute and goes to the back room and is gone for about 5 to 7 minutes and .... wah-lah! "We have found two connecting rooms for you in the Toy Story section"! LOL!

Had we not arrived early... #1 I wouldn't have been quite so insistent that what we were being offered was not acceptable and #2 they could have much more easily have said "I'm sorry but every room in the Toy Story section is already reserved". So, being polite but insistent helped but I am sure that the main factor in the two rooms in the Toy Story section "magically appearing" was a result of our early arrival!

Hope you get your requests and that you have a great trip!

[Belle1962]

Interesting comment in Judi's thread...arriving late and being given an upgrade. I travel for business and on at least two occasions--people from my Agency who arrived later than me at hotels (for the same conference) were given upgrades......is it possible that when hotels overbook they give upgrades to the people who check in the latest (hoping there will be some no shows and last minute cancellations)??????? If so, then it seems like arrving early may help with room requests but arriving later may help with upgrades????

Just some food for thought.......

[ozziewags]

Our experience was not at a disney resort, but twice at hotels for conferences, we arrived late because of long drives and all the regular rooms were booked. We had reserved a reg. stand dbl. Well, we were put in a suite because that was all that was left. It happened twice. I guess they do overbook, because of cancellations. (By late, I mean late evening, 9 or so)
Carol

[corvair]

We are resort hoppping on Sunday form FR-QT to WL. We were going to go to AK until about 2:30 and then head over to WL. Should we go check in at WL before we go to AK? I know the room won't be ready but from what i have read here it sounds like it would be better to go check in , in the morning and then head over to AK. Can anybody give me some info on this???? Thanks ,,,Corvair

[cindyfan]

This has been my experience and IMHO.....
We have arrived as early as 10am and as late as 11pm.
I really don't think it makes any difference. But I think what Belle1962 says is probably the closest.
When we have arrived early....they give us what is FIRST AVAILABLE. Meaning, if what you have requested will not be ready because the room has to be cleaned, etc...then you won't get it. At that point you have to tell them specifically that you are willing to wait til later in the day in order to get your request, you may wait til really late in the afternoon!
Neeter....you said yourself you had to keep insisting on her looking for something in Toy Story??!!
Also, if arriving early....I doubt you will see any complimentary upgrades...they are waiting to see if anyone checking in asks to be upgraded and are willing to pay!;)
I think....and this is just IMHO....that the rooms are assigned first thing that morning and they try everything posible to just give out the rooms as they have assigned them with VERY LITTLE adjustments. As the day goes by and there are fewer guests to move around....it is easier to make adjustments.
We have found if we arrive mid-afternoon we have gotten all of our requests.

My DH travels alot and ALWAYS feels a later check in (like after 8pm) is better. There are fewer people in line. And he has had MANY, MANY times when he has been upgraded to a better room because his requests can't be met.....AND.....the better rooms are still available.
The resorts also figure if they give you a taste of a better room this time....when you come back you will be willing to pay for it.

I still think it is the luck of the draw!! :D

[skiwee1]

I was told by a WDW CM that the room assigner assigns the room three days out. So no matter when you check in, you get the room originally assigned to you three days ago. They take into account the requests you faxed in a week before and assign rooms as best as they can that way. If you get a room at check in that you do not like then they may give you a different room and that maybe how you get someone's room that was originally assigned to them. When we go to Atlantic City, if we check in early we get the room we requested, standard, smoking. If we check in late we get upgraded to a big suite. The clerk at the hotel said that late check ins will get the upgrades as the other rooms are sold out. So we always tries to check in later to get the upgrade. :)

[Poohbear123]

I always seem to get what I request when I arrive around 12-1:00pm. I use to check in after 4:00, but found my request not be honored!:rolleyes: So, I fax them 4 days before, and also TELL them I am arriving EARLY! ;) The last 2 trips I was able to check in and get my room right than!

[Neeter]

Originally posted by cindyfan

Neeter....you said yourself you had to keep insisting on her looking for something in Toy Story??!!


Umm, yea that's what I said. Your point? :) As I stated I feel that the only reason we felt that we could keep insisting that we wanted Toy Story as we had requested was because we knew it WAS early and that there was no way that all of those rooms were taken. Had we arrived later in the day I have no doubt that we would have been told "sorry all of those rooms are already taken". IMO, there was no reason for us to have had to keep insisting on our requested rooms in the first place... no one can make me believe that every person checking in that day had requested a certain building when they made their reservation and also sent a fax.

[tampafan]

I think that when you arrive early, you are more likely to get your request, PROVIDED you are willing to wait for your room. For instance, we checked into Riverside at 11am once, we could have taken a different room choice as early as 1pm, but waited until 4pm for what we wanted. They go ahead and give you your room keys, but you have to call back for the actual room number later in the day. We just leave our luggage in the car, or with the bellman and then proceed to a park, or Downtown Disney!

Just our experiences.:)

[cindyfan]

My point was that they were very reluctant to make a change! Which means they quite posibly had to move a few others around too.;)
Where as, later in the day....it would have been easier to make an adjustment....or maybe not.
But I still don't think arrival makes that much of a difference.
6 of one, half a dozen of the other. You can argue both ways.
;)

[AF Brenda]

Plus, unless you pay for a request (waterview, etc), there are no guarantees on room requests are there?

[Ratpack]

I haven't had any experience with this yet but hoping to in July when we arrive. However, I was told by a CM when I called that they assign rooms 5 days from arrival in the following order:

Handicap / Special Needs
Large "Families" needing connecting rooms
Reservations with requests
Plain Reservations

If this is true, then it will depend how many parties fit the first two categories as to what requests are available.

[Disneylvr]

The last 3 of 4 trips we have arrived after 11pm. The first two times we received a room that met most of our requests. The 3rd time we received a first floor room (we requested 3rd floor at Dixie Landings) and in our 2nd choice of buildings. But it ended up being an excellent and quiet location so we were happy. We will be arriving around 11pm again on May 11th (at Caribbean Beach) and I will report as to how many of our requests were met. But they are just requests and I arrive expecting none of them to be met so I won't be disappointed.

[CM Tinkerbell]

Disney will always say that although they will do their best to meet any requests that you may have, no requests can be guaranteed. It's pretty much been hit or miss with us. We almost always arrive very early.

[mirlow]

to be told we were in the Love Bug section instead of the Toy Story section as we had requested The same thing happened to us:p The only reason why we were staying there was because my ds is a Buzz fanatic and if we couldn't stay in Toy Story we weren't going to stay at all. She said the only connecting rooms available were in the Love Bug? I told her we didn't need connecting room, but rooms that were by each other if that would help. I politely told the CM that if we couldn't get the Toy Story bldg that we would just transfer over to the Polynesian early. Now this was in January. I don't know how well room requests come through when it's busy? She went in the back room for about 10 minutes and gave us our 2 rooms next to each other in the Toy Story bldg.
We did have another request that didn't come through. We arrived around 4pm and we wanted the first floor LV Concierge at the Polynesian. They put us in the 2nd floor. There was nothing on the first floor. We were there a wk earlier in a GV room and we thought the view was very good. I told them that we would rather have a GV room than a second floor LV room. They moved us and we saved $330.

[mirlow]

to be told we were in the Love Bug section instead of the Toy Story section as we had requested The same thing happened to us:p The only reason why we were staying there was because my ds is a Buzz fanatic and if we couldn't stay in Toy Story we weren't going to stay at all. She said the only connecting rooms available were in the Love Bug? I told her we didn't need connecting room, but rooms that were by each other if that would help. I politely told the CM that if we couldn't get the Toy Story bldg that we would just transfer over to the Polynesian early. Now this was in January. I don't know how well room requests come through when it's busy? She went in the back room for about 10 minutes and gave us our 2 rooms next to each other in the Toy Story bldg.
We did have another request that didn't come through. We arrived around 4pm and we wanted the first floor LV Concierge at the Polynesian. They put us in the 2nd floor. There was nothing on the first floor. We were there a wk earlier in a GV room and we thought the view was very good. I told them that we would rather have a GV room than a second floor LV room. They moved us and we saved $330.

[mirlow]

to be told we were in the Love Bug section instead of the Toy Story section as we had requested The same thing happened to us:p The only reason why we were staying there was because my ds is a Buzz fanatic and if we couldn't stay in Toy Story we weren't going to stay at all. She said the only connecting rooms available were in the Love Bug? I told her we didn't need connecting room, but rooms that were by each other if that would help. I politely told the CM that if we couldn't get the Toy Story bldg that we would just transfer over to the Polynesian early. Now this was in January. I don't know how well room requests come through when it's busy? She went in the back room for about 10 minutes and gave us our 2 rooms next to each other in the Toy Story bldg.
We did have another request that didn't come through. We arrived around 4pm and we wanted the first floor LV Concierge at the Polynesian. They put us in the 2nd floor. There was nothing on the first floor. We were there a wk earlier in a GV room and we thought the view was very good. I told them that we would rather have a GV room than a second floor LV room. They moved us and we saved $330.

[Dallas_Lady]

Originally posted by AF Brenda
Plus, unless you pay for a request (waterview, etc), there are no guarantees on room requests are there?

No, there are no guarantees. I think that point tends to get lost sometimes

[gepetto]

Originally posted by Dallas_Lady


No, there are no guarantees. I think that point tends to get lost sometimes

Got that right.:)

We usually arrive pretty early too. I may request a particular floor and always non-smoking.

[mousehut101]

Your room is pre selected 2-3 days before you arrive. It does nothing to get there early...

[AF Brenda]

On our last trip, we requested Cabanas, and got Casitas, and we were there at noon. However, our primary request was for connecting rooms, so I was much more concerned with that than I was with the section of the resort. I can't imagine putting in a non-guaranteed request, and then getting upset if it wasn't met.

[Neeter]

Originally posted by mirlow
The same thing happened to us:p ... She went in the back room for about 10 minutes and gave us our 2 rooms next to each other in the Toy Story bldg.


:D Geez, I'd like to see that back room! It must be full of magic! LOL! My 7 year old niece is also a Toy Story freak and we just couldn't imagine telling her that we were going to be in the Love Bug section and not Toy Story. :eek:

[elmo23]

I think it might have more to do with the day you arrive than the time. We arrived on Monday and had requested 5th floor facing magic kingdom for our stay at WL. We arrived at noon. They said there was nothing available on the 5th floor and gave us 6th floor. We had the enclosed balcony which you cant see anything from unless you stand up and look over. I went down to the front desk and asked for anything within my category (woodsview) with an open balcony, and was only given the choice of 2 different rooms (neither were ready yet). I was polite and so was the CM, she just said they were booked solid and that was all that she could come up with. I don't think there are a lot of checkins/outs on Monday, so I believe it was a disadvantage.

[wdwnutze]

CORVAIR
I would say check into your hotel before going to AK for the day. We checked in late in the afternoon at the BC and had a lot of trouble with our room assignment.(long story, but we didn't even end up with a room for 5 people which we needed.)We left the BC the next day and went to Poly before we went to our character breakfast or the park.(we were there by aobut 9:30) We knew our room wouldn't be ready but wanted to check in and let them know of our requests(3 rooms near each other, no smoking, garden view). We were assigned 3 rooms on the first floor in the Tahiti bldg with a lagoon view of the castle. I couldn't have requested anything better! The upgrade was amazing. Since you are already in WDW I think it is worth checking in early.

[corvair]

Thank you, I think we will head on over to WL about 8:30 and then go on over to AK. This way if we stay at AK longer than excepted, I won't have to worry about the room because will would of already checked in. Thanks,,,,Corvair

[raidermatt]

I can't imagine putting in a non-guaranteed request, and then getting upset if it wasn't met.

Good point. Its pretty much industry standard to consider things like a King vs 2 Queens, and Non-smoking rooms to be requests, and not guaranteed.


I didn't realize that at least some hotels do overbook until this past weekend. We drove up to Reno and were staying at the El Dorado. We were part of a group reservation of about 25 rooms. We checked in around 7:00pm on Friday night, and once we got to the counter, we had to wait about 20 minutes while the clerk tracked down a manager. Turns out they overbooked, and unless we were part of one large group in particular, assinging a room required manager approval.

I asked what happens later when the rooms are gone but guests are still trying to check in. I was told that they would walk the guest to another hotel.

Now, in this case, this might not be too bad, since the El Dorado is affilliated with and physically connected to the Silver Legacy and Circus,Circus, however, I still didn't realize that hotels intentionally over-booked like this.

[dcedwards]

Overbooking is common in the travel industry. Not only in the hotel/motel section but also in the airline industry. That is why often they are so generous, on airlines, in offering complimentary first class on the next available flight and/or travel vouchers.

One thing about Disney is that if you have a "guaranteed" request that your room is assigned 3 days out. Because of medical conditions we get non-smoking rooms. I always call the day before we leave to make sure the guaranteed request has been met. At that time, they will not tell you the room number, but do let me know that the rooms have been blocked and will not be given to anyone else. I can usually find out what building we are in, also, and if our connecting room request was met (it is always NOT guaranteed).

I have read some place in this forum that Disney was trying something new and not actually assigning all rooms to specific reservations until check in. Perhaps this has been abandoned but there was a lot of discussion about this issue this winter on the boards. Perhaps someone knows for sure.