Two rooms, one adult

[rcraw45425]

Guess I should have hiilighted and italicized what I was emphasizing, mine were on one confirmation number

[aaarcher86]

Disney policy is 1-2 adults with any number of kids requiring or requesting 2 rooms will have both rooms placed on 1 reservation number. They will guarantee the connection. Most will say it still isn't guaranteed, but IMO if Disney policy guarantees it that way then that's what I will expect. It's THEIR policy.

3 or more adults will receive separate reservations and the connection will not be guaranteed.

It HAS to be set up appropriately though by the CM. If it's not... who knows. You'll always have stories of it not working out that way for people, and others where it did. It HAS to be done correctly and it's a policy that trips up the phone CMs all the time (among other things!).

[buzznina]

Originally Posted by TXGRMAMA

Lots of people will give you advice on this forum. Some will be correct, some will not. In your case, there is only one thing to do. Call the Disney Reservation Center yourself anf speak with an agent. Do not use the Disney website or use a travel agent. Call the phone number and speak to someone there. They will give you the correct answer and make it official. There ARE cases where connecting rooms are guarenteed. But only DRC can tell if you qualify.

Do not believe an outside travel agent in this case because they cannot guarantee connecting rooms. They may tell you that you have them and then you get to the resort and do not.

This is not always correct either, I do not know how many times I have known more then the reservation CM did. Just the other day when I called to make a ressie, the CM mentioned that CBR was available, I told her that since they have full size beds, I would rather save $300 and just stay at a value. She then tried to tell me that CBR had queen beds and that all Mods have just been refurbed and queens were added. So, if told that you can't, I would try again and see what another CM tells you.

[pl4bby]

Originally Posted by nkereina

Look into renting DVC points. This will allow you to stay in a villa at the cost of (approximately) a moderate resort. I think it's better for you than a family suite, since you'd have more room, and it may even be cheaper.

This is what I do. We have 6 and it is great and spacious. love the privacy

[twinboysmom]

Originally Posted by aaarcher86

Disney policy is 1-2 adults with any number of kids requiring or requesting 2 rooms will have both rooms placed on 1 reservation number. They will guarantee the connection. Most will say it still isn't guaranteed, but IMO if Disney policy guarantees it that way then that's what I will expect. It's THEIR policy.

3 or more adults will receive separate reservations and the connection will not be guaranteed.

It HAS to be set up appropriately though by the CM. If it's not... who knows. You'll always have stories of it not working out that way for people, and others where it did. It HAS to be done correctly and it's a policy that trips up the phone CMs all the time (among other things!).

I am sorry but this is not completely accurate. I was a believer in that guaranteed connecting meant guaranteed connecting. It really doesn't. As I stated earlier in my post, they would not let my coworker book 2 rooms because of the very small possibility that unforeseen circumstances would occur. She took her children (and nephews, raising a siblings kids) for a once a once in a lifetime trip and had her heart set on staying on site. Repeated attempts and talking to supervisors did her no good. They wouldn't let her book it. This was within the last year. I have also seen TheRustyScrapper post on this matter numerous times. He is a cast member at WDW and has explained this situation a bunch. I too would be angry if I didn't get my guaranteed connecting rooms as well.

[rcraw45425]

Upon arrival our guaranteed connecting rooms were in fact, side by side, and connecting to the rooms on the other side of them! THankfully we arrived early enough in the day that the room assigner was able to move us to the other side of AKL and give us connecting, but we wound up with one regular room and one with bunk beds, miserable for my youngest teen that had to sleep on the bunk bed. I can attest to the lack of comfort on those mattresses!

[kaytieeldr]

Originally Posted by aarcher86

Disney policy is 1-2 adults with any number of kids requiring or requesting 2 rooms will have both rooms placed on 1 reservation number. They will guarantee the connection. Most will say it still isn't guaranteed, but IMO if Disney policy guarantees it that way then that's what I will expect. It's THEIR policy.

Their actual, official, permanent, printed-on-the-back-of-paper-confirmations (vs. verbal advice or computer-generated data) is that nothing is guaranteed except a room onsite.

[dansdad]

Originally Posted by kaytieeldr

Their actual, official, permanent, printed-on-the-back-of-paper-confirmations (vs. verbal advice or computer-generated data) is that nothing is guaranteed except a room onsite.

This!

[SA mom]

We like to stay at the Swan in a Deluxe Alcove Room. They aren't that much more than a regular room and they are big. We fit 5 of us in there easily, 3 adults. My husband and I in the king sized bed, the children on the queen size pull out, and aunt on the roll away. The roll away was really comfortable.

Also, the Swan is a Starwood Hotel and you can book it on points if you have the Starwood American Express card. We haven't paid for a room for the past two trips.

[maxiesmom]

Originally Posted by kaytieeldr

Their actual, official, permanent, printed-on-the-back-of-paper-confirmations (vs. verbal advice or computer-generated data) is that nothing is guaranteed except a room onsite.

Yup. Add to that, their own web site states connecting rooms are NOT guaranteed. Everything is subject to availability. And as Disney does not block out rooms when you book, they have know way of knowing ahead of time if there will be connecting rooms for you when you arrive or not. They will do their best, but nope, they are not guaranteed!

[aaarcher86]

Originally Posted by kaytieeldr

Their actual, official, permanent, printed-on-the-back-of-paper-confirmations (vs. verbal advice or computer-generated data) is that nothing is guaranteed except a room onsite.

Thats fine. It doesnt change their internal policy.

I doubt they have a different paper statements printed for the rooms that fall under guaranteed connections by their own policy... Just as dining reservations for 2 people say you might be seated at different tables.

Its printed on everything

[maxiesmom]

Originally Posted by aaarcher86

Thats fine. It doesnt change their internal policy.

I doubt they have a different paper statements printed for the rooms that fall under guaranteed connections by their own policy... Just as dining reservations for 2 people say you might be seated at different tables.

Its printed on everything

It doesn't matter if it is their internal policy or not, their stated public policy is that connecting rooms are not guaranteed. And they do not, in fact, have any way to guarantee them. An internal policy is what they try to do, stated policy is what they can (and do) fall back on when their internal policy fails.

Connecting rooms are never 100% guaranteed, and you do people a disservice by insisting they are. If Disney doesn't guaranteed paid for room types (and they don't) it is silly to think they would guarantee what they themselves label as a request.

Again, they try their darndest to give out connecting rooms when requested. But they cannot 100% guarantee them. They simply don't know what room set ups they will have available when you check in.

[aaarcher86]

Originally Posted by maxiesmom

It doesn't matter if it is their internal policy or not, their stated public policy is that connecting rooms are not guaranteed. And they do not, in fact, have any way to guarantee them. An internal policy is what they try to do, stated policy is what they can (and do) fall back on when their internal policy fails.

Connecting rooms are never 100% guaranteed, and you do people a disservice by insisting they are. If Disney doesn't guaranteed paid for room types (and they don't) it is silly to think they would guarantee what they themselves label as a request.

Again, they try their darndest to give out connecting rooms when requested. But they cannot 100% guarantee them. They simply don't know what room set ups they will have available when you check in.

There are different ways of booking 2 rooms for a reason. There is a reason people have 2 rooms with 1 confirmation number and others get 2 rooms with 2 reservation numbers.

It's not that tricky. If there are 10 sets of connecting standard rooms and they have 11 people coming that have requested connecting rooms with only 1 being guaranteed, they will make sure the guaranteed reservation is put into a connecting room and someone who was not guaranteed a connecting room will not receive one. Could there be 11 guaranteed sets of connecting rooms at one time? Sure. Disney would have to find an alternative to that just like the rare occasion someone gets downgraded.

It has to be booked a specific way and it has to meet the guidelines. In the case of a single mother with 4 children, it would absolutely fall under the policy to guarantee connecting rooms. Could something still happen? Of course. In the same rare occasion that someone books a room category and gets downgraded - but it doesn't change that Disney allows for guaranteed bookings, and if something did happen to this type of booking they would accommodate them accordingly.

They'll always have a clause covering themselves in case something happens in any situation. Always. And there is a chance that it could - but can they be guaranteed connecting rooms? According to Disney, yes they can. We don't tell people booking a garden view, 'you shouldn't bother, it's not guaranteed' even though the slightest chance is possible that they could be moved. They have a clause reserving the right to change prices at will, gratuities are not included on the dining plan (even though they are in a few cases), etc.

I'm aware of the policy on a person level, not word of mouth through a reservation CM or I wouldn't even bring it up to someone. All anyone can do is give the OP a heads up and let them make the best decision for them.

[Karebear]

Not sure if you checked into the AS Music suites--they are less expensive than the new A of A suites and they give you 3 beds in the living room and a queen in the bedroom. Maybe that could work for you?

[kaytieeldr]

Originally Posted by aarcher86

It has to be booked a specific way and it has to meet the guidelines. In the case of a single mother with 4 children, it would absolutely fall under the policy to guarantee connecting rooms.

You might want to explain that to the DISer who was in that exact situation but couldn't get connecting rooms.

Originally Posted by aarcher86

but it doesn't change that Disney allows for guaranteed bookings

They don't. That's why "GTD" is computer-generated, while information stating that things like connecting rooms are not guaranteed is stated on the Disney website and on the paper they consistently reorder and use for reservation confirmations.

Originally Posted by aarcher86

We don't tell people booking a garden view, 'you shouldn't bother, it's not guaranteed' even though the slightest chance is possible that they could be moved

Well, based on experience, at least one person in this thread would be within their rights to warn, "Don't book a preferred room at a Value because you won't get it - and they'll argue about refunding the extra money you paid!"