A Tale of Two Texts

[rocketmom]

I checked into All Star Music last Sat. for a short 3 night stay. I checked in early (9am) and was told that my room wasn't ready but I would receive a text message when it was ready. I was fine with this and went off to the parks. At about 1:30 I received a text that my room was ready. The text gave the building and room number that met all the requests I had put on my reservation. I was happy and saw no reason to leave the park and go to my room. At 4:30 I received another text giving me another room assignment in another building and a ground floor room, not as desirable as the original room assignment. The problem was that I did not see the second room assignment text and went to the room assigned with the first text only to find that my magic band did not work. It was late and I trudged on very tired feet back to the lobby to find out about the 2nd text that was on my phone and the new room assignment. I trudged back to the new room with very tired feet and my magic band worked. I was very unhappy with the appearance of the room, poor condition and not very clean. Trudged again back to lobby to request new room. After being told they were sold out, they finally found another room for me in better condition. I am guessing that someone requested a room change in the 3 hours between the first text and the 2nd. Because I had not used my magic band to open the door, then my original room was still available and I was switched. Is this a dirty little magic band secret? If you don't leave the park to open the door, then your room can still be assigned to someone else?

 

[loves to dive]

Hmmm, I've never gone back when I've received my text but I also haven't waited until late at night since I usually have to still unload my car. Good question though since if it is so I will certainly start going back from now on.

 

[trishadono]

I checked into All Star Music last Sat. for a short 3 night stay. I checked in early (9am) and was told that my room wasn't ready but I would receive a text message when it was ready. I was fine with this and went off to the parks. At about 1:30 I received a text that my room was ready. The text gave the building and room number that met all the requests I had put on my reservation. I was happy and saw no reason to leave the park and go to my room. At 4:30 I received another text giving me another room assignment in another building and a ground floor room, not as desirable as the original room assignment. The problem was that I did not see the second room assignment text and went to the room assigned with the first text only to find that my magic band did not work. It was late and I trudged on very tired feet back to the lobby to find out about the 2nd text that was on my phone and the new room assignment. I trudged back to the new room with very tired feet and my magic band worked. I was very unhappy with the appearance of the room, poor condition and not very clean. Trudged again back to lobby to request new room. After being told they were sold out, they finally found another room for me in better condition. I am guessing that someone requested a room change in the 3 hours between the first text and the 2nd. Because I had not used my magic band to open the door, then my original room was still available and I was switched. Is this a dirty little magic band secret? If you don't leave the park to open the door, then your room can still be assigned to someone else?

On Wednesday last week my room wasn't ready and they said i would get a text. That was at noon. I asked if i could be told the floor number ( I knew they wouldn't give room number). I was told 3rd floor. At 3pm still no text so I go back to check in desk and they say my room HAS been ready. It was on the 2nd floor so I think I might have had that happen too.

SO, I think they may be giving out rooms based on first come first enter.

 

[Sparkly]

We changed rooms 2 nights into our stay at OKW. For the first room we checked in at 8pm so it was ready straight away. Second one we dropped our bags off at Bell Services and then went to DHS for the afternoon but never got our room ready text. We knew it was in building 64, but not the actual room number so had to return to get settled in then back out.

 

[Aurora0427]

Same thing happened to us at AoA.... We spent our last night there bc it was cheaper to check out of the GF and do one night at AoA and fly out the next day. They assigned us a room about 11am. We showed up at 8pm. Magic bands wouldn't work bc the room had been given to someone else. The room they tried to give us faced the pool- which was the only room request I made- to NOT face the pool. It was also on the corner next to the elevators. Hello loud. I very nicely said I didn't care where they put us, but I wanted a room away from the pool. They ended up upgrading us for free to a Finding Nemo suite bc LM section was sold out. So it all worked out!

 

[jon18uk]

I checked into All Star Music last Sat. for a short 3 night stay. I checked in early (9am) and was told that my room wasn't ready but I would receive a text message when it was ready. I was fine with this and went off to the parks. At about 1:30 I received a text that my room was ready. The text gave the building and room number that met all the requests I had put on my reservation. I was happy and saw no reason to leave the park and go to my room. At 4:30 I received another text giving me another room assignment in another building and a ground floor room, not as desirable as the original room assignment. The problem was that I did not see the second room assignment text and went to the room assigned with the first text only to find that my magic band did not work. It was late and I trudged on very tired feet back to the lobby to find out about the 2nd text that was on my phone and the new room assignment. I trudged back to the new room with very tired feet and my magic band worked. I was very unhappy with the appearance of the room, poor condition and not very clean. Trudged again back to lobby to request new room. After being told they were sold out, they finally found another room for me in better condition. I am guessing that someone requested a room change in the 3 hours between the first text and the 2nd. Because I had not used my magic band to open the door, then my original room was still available and I was switched. Is this a dirty little magic band secret? If you don't leave the park to open the door, then your room can still be assigned to someone else?

Wow that is bad. In my opinion if they have given you, in writing, a room allocation then that should stand and it shouldn't get re-allocated until at least midnight. I would rather have no text than have the room re-assigned.

 

[AngiTN]

On Wednesday last week my room wasn't ready and they said i would get a text. That was at noon. I asked if i could be told the floor number ( I knew they wouldn't give room number). I was told 3rd floor. At 3pm still no text so I go back to check in desk and they say my room HAS been ready. It was on the 2nd floor so I think I might have had that happen too.

SO, I think they may be giving out rooms based on first come first enter.

This is a slightly different issue.
They do know what room you will go in prior to check in, provided nothing is wrong with the room when it's cleaned and readied for a new guests.
Sometimes things are wrong and the room can't be occupied so they do have to find a different room for you.
That's why they are not supposed to tell you the room (or floor/building) before it's ready to be occupied.

That doesn't explain what happened to OP though. That is unusual and rare, considering it would have been reported here by others if it happened often. Supposedly they will not assign a room to someone who asks for another room if it's been assigned already. That doesn't mean mistakes can't happen but I don't think it's common practice.

 

[Aurora0427]

This is a slightly different issue.
They do know what room you will go in prior to check in, provided nothing is wrong with the room when it's cleaned and readied for a new guests.
Sometimes things are wrong and the room can't be occupied so they do have to find a different room for you.
That's why they are not supposed to tell you the room (or floor/building) before it's ready to be occupied.

That doesn't explain what happened to OP though. That is unusual and rare, considering it would have been reported here by others if it happened often. Supposedly they will not assign a room to someone who asks for another room if it's been assigned already. That doesn't mean mistakes can't happen but I don't think it's common practice.

It happened to us at AoA on this last trip AND I'm pretty sure we took someone's room when we were at the Grand Floridian. We checked in at 9am on Sunday 10/25. No rooms ready. We came back at 4:30pm- still no rooms. I started crying- I'm 7 months pregnant and we'd been at MK all day and had the party that night. I was worn out and needed a break before the party. Plus I'm hormonal! The awesome CM miraculously found two rooms- one for our family and one for my mom. I'm pretty sure we took them from someone because the hotel was sold out.