Adjoining Room Drama

[6loversofdisney]

So, I need guidance!

I have always booked 2 rooms and have always been advised that the rooms may not be connected with a door.

I have ALWAYS gotten the connecting door so it's always been great!

Now, this trip my oldest is 18 and I was told by an agent that due to her being 18, I would very possibly NOT get the adjoining room because it's not a person who places people in rooms and rather a system and due to the "adult" they may place half of us in a room and the other half of us could be no where near us.

So what would you do? Wing it and demand they fix it if we are no where near each other? Lie about the oldests age and say she is 16 or 17? I don't know what to do and my kids are too old/big to stay in the family suites.

Us being all together in the two rooms is a HUGE part of the experience for us where we talk and be silly and plan the day!

 

[disnut8]

So, I need guidance!

I have always booked 2 rooms and have always been advised that the rooms may not be connected with a door.

I have ALWAYS gotten the connecting door so it's always been great!

Now, this trip my oldest is 18 and I was told by an agent that due to her being 18, I would very possibly NOT get the adjoining room because it's not a person who places people in rooms and rather a system and due to the "adult" they may place half of us in a room and the other half of us could be no where near us.

So what would you do? Wing it and demand they fix it if we are no where near each other? Lie about the oldests age and say she is 16 or 17? I don't know what to do and my kids are too old/big to stay in the family suites.

Us being all together in the two rooms is a HUGE part of the experience for us where we talk and be silly and plan the day!

Heh - you are like my mother-in-law as she loves having connecting (connecting rooms are where there is an interior door so you can walk between the two rooms without going outside - adjoining is not having that door so you do have to walk outside to get to the other room).

But then we went to Disney World with my mother-in-law's sister who had to have her own room so my mother-in-law wanted connecting rooms. But the sister wanted to stay in the 50s building. When we arrived, we were in the 70s so I asked for rooms in the 50s instead. I could get those but not connecting, not even adjoining but a room in between us. My mother-in-law did a big sigh, said the tri wasn't off to a great start and asked me about getting compensation. I suggested we just see how it went.

It went so well that my mother-in-law now doesn't insist on connecting rooms anywhere. What we did was to flip the door jam thing so each door remained "open" so the others could enter the rooms without the key (of course, we only did this when we were in the two rooms). Once one room was ready in the morning, the door jam was moved so the other room knew they were ready. And we had cell phones and room phones.

After the trip, my other-in-law said it was nice for her because once she was ready for bed, she could go to her room, shut the door and know the only other person that she would have contact with before the next day was my father-n-law who liked to stay up later and did so in our room.

So, you might have a totally different experience but it might be a good one.

 

[maxiesmom]

There is nothing to "fix" if your rooms don't connect. It is a risk you take by booking 2 rooms, as Disney does not guarantee they will connect. You can book a family suite and bring along an air mattress for an extra bed. Or book any other single unit that will hold you all--a Fort Wilderness cabin, a Treehouse Villa, or any 2 bedroom villa. You won't be able to lie, not that I think that is a good option at all. Disney will already have all of the ages of everyone in their computer system.

I understand the struggle--it is one we go thru a lot. As everyone has grown we usually go with 2 rooms and then keep our fingers crossed they connect. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Wing it and demand they fix it if we are no where near each other?

This is unlikely to be a successful strategy. It's not always something they can presto-chango your rooms to get a connection, and CMs don't tend to go out of their way for "demands."

 

[terri33inne]

We traveled 2 years ago with my brother & his family. His room was under his name, and my room was under my name (we are both WELL over the age of 18 . We linked the reservations, and requested adjoining, and that is what we got. I think they really do try their best to accommodate such requests. Just go into knowing there are no guarantees. Are you traveling at a peak time? FWIW we were staying at POP. Is a suite at AofA not an option?

 

[chloelovesdisney]

It's taking a chance, I'd go with the suite to make sure we're all together.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

All you can do is put in your request and hope for the best. Because you have 3 adults, a large family with only 2 adults is going to probably be given a higher priority on the connecting rooms. But there is always hope that they have enough to go around. Demanding that they fix it when you get there won't work. If they don't have 2 connecting rooms available, they aren't available.

 

[6loversofdisney]

We always visit at non peak times.

 

[mickeynut1]

As others have said, connecting or adjoining rooms is only a request and is not guaranteed, especially when there is more than 1 adult. If you don't get connecting/adjoining rooms, you can always ask if different rooms are available. It's not guaranteed they can move you, but they will do everything they can to accommodate you. With that said, if being all together is a priority, you might want to look into accommodations that fit your party size in 1 room as that's the only way to be guaranteed that everyone will be together. Good luck.

 

[6loversofdisney]

What if I booked the parents and the 18 year old in one room under one reservation? I wonder if that would work.

 

[maxiesmom]

We always visit at non peak times.

Unfortunately you have no way of knowing who is booking what rooms and making what requests at the same time as you. The only thing for certain is connecting rooms are not guaranteed and it is not a given you will get them. Knowing that, you have to decide what works best for your family and if any risk is acceptable.

 

[maxiesmom]

What if I booked the parents and the 18 year old in one room under one reservation? I wonder if that would work.

You would then be paying the extra adult fee per night. And it still wouldn't guarantee connecting rooms.

 

[6loversofdisney]

I guess I'm so spoiled because in all the visits, I've always gotten it but now I'm scared due to the oldest turing 18.

She IS still a kid after all..

 

[maxiesmom]

I guess I'm so spoiled because in all the visits, I've always gotten it but now I'm scared due to the oldest turing 18.

She IS still a kid after all..

I get it. We always let out a little sigh of relief when we get connecting rooms. When we don't we make it work. Cell phones work great for keeping everyone moving at the same time.

 

[6loversofdisney]

This is unlikely to be a successful strategy. It's not always something they can presto-chango your rooms to get a connection, and CMs don't tend to go out of their way for "demands."

It actually seems like they always go out of their way to make every family happy with their trip. I've never asked for anything but have heard stories of how they try so hard to make guests happy.

 

[dansdad]

I guess I'm so spoiled because in all the visits, I've always gotten it but now I'm scared due to the oldest turing 18.

She IS still a kid after all..

It's got absolutely nothing to do with her being 18. We've had to split up, my wife in 1 room me in another, with 2 adults and 5 kids under 12. Both times our rooms were nowhere near each other. Once in 2 separate buildings the other 2 separate floors.

 

[maxiesmom]

It actually seems like they always go out of their way to make every family happy with their trip. I've never asked for anything bit have heard stories of how they try so hard to make peple happy.

Not always. I have been downgraded twice by Disney, and been told to take it or leave it. Even paid for room types are not guaranteed. I've been told by the manager at POR, when I was complaining about the featured pool being unexpectedly closed for my whole stay, that they didn't have to notify me of the closure and I was free to walk to POFQ and use their pool. Sometimes there is a bit of a lack of pixie dust at WDW.

 

[6loversofdisney]

I mean I understand the theory "if it's not available they can't give give you what they don't have" but surely there would be something they could try to do.

 

[6loversofdisney]

Not always. I have been downgraded twice by Disney, and been told to take it or leave it. Even paid for room types are not guaranteed. I've been told by the manager at POR, when I was complaining about the featured pool being unexpectedly closed for my whole stay, that they didn't have to notify me of the closure and I was free to walk to POFQ and use their pool. Sometimes there is a bit of a lack of pixie dust at WDW.

That sure would be upsetting!!!

 

[gwynne]

It actually seems like they always go out of their way to make every family happy with their trip. I've never asked for anything but have heard stories of how they try so hard to make guests happy.

Sometimes they can, sometimes they can't. It sounds like this room issue is a #1 priority. I think you may be happiest by booking a family suite.