AKL Check in

[julesindisney]

I have booked a savannah view room at AKL in November. I have hear alot on various forums about how important it is to check in early as rooms are allocated on a first come fist served basis. How early will you check in? Has anyone had any experience of this?

Thanks for your help

 

[CoolDisneyCat]

Wecome to the Disboards!

Since you have a savannah view booked, that is what you will get. It doesn't matter what time you check in. If you want to be on a certain savannah or a certain trail, that might be easier if you check in earlier. But as far as not getting a savannah view at all, don't worry about that.

AKL is a great place. You will love it!

 

[brentalex]

when we stayed there last April, we checked in around 7pm. We got the savannah view we had requested and the bunk beds we had requested. The hotel was very crowded, but we still got all that we had asked for. Make sure to have it entered on your reservation and you hopefully will not have any problems

 

[Ilovestitch]

We are checking in at AKL on Sunday and we have savannah view. We will arrive at about 10-10:30 am. I'm requesting a room facing the Arusha Savannah but honestly I really don't care what location we get. I'm just gonna be happy to be there!!!

 

[BostonRob]

I have booked a savannah view room at AKL in November. I have hear alot on various forums about how important it is to check in early as rooms are allocated on a first come fist served basis. How early will you check in? Has anyone had any experience of this?

Thanks for your help

I think its just hit-or-miss. We checked in at 11:00AM last week and although they couldn't have a room ready for us until 3:00 PM, they still couldn't give us the King bed we requested, the trail we requested, the savannah we requested, or the floor we requested. We made all these requests on our reservation. I'm not sure why Disney even takes such requests as it just results in disapointment for many. So my advice would be to expect the worst room in the place - that way you won't be disapointed.

 

[Danvers]

I think its just hit-or-miss. We checked in at 11:00AM last week and although they couldn't have a room ready for us until 3:00 PM, they still couldn't give us the King bed we requested, the trail we requested, the savannah we requested, or the floor we requested. We made all these requests on our reservation. I'm not sure why Disney even takes such requests as it just results in disapointment for many. So my advice would be to expect the worst room in the place - that way you won't be disapointed.

WAH!! Disney can't make each and every request you know. You DID request a savannah view room and you DID receive one, THAT is a guarantee. Just because you REQUEST to have something doesn't mean you're going to get it.

 

[cranbiz]

I have checked in as early as 8am to AKL. No the room was not ready nor did I expect to be.

They were full up then and could not honor my requests for a connecting room, but did get us 2 pool view rooms with a savannah view also.

 

[SqueakyMouse]

I've always heard that the rooms are assigned around 2 weeks ahead of time.

 

[BostonRob]

WAH!! Disney can't make each and every request you know. You DID request a savannah view room and you DID receive one, THAT is a guarantee. Just because you REQUEST to have something doesn't mean you're going to get it.

Will you stop rolling your eyes at me and sighing at me? I suspect you aren't actually reading my posts because you're too proccupied with going on a 'request' tirade. I'm not complaining about my requests. At this point all I'm complaining about is your responses.

Please listen carefully. I RESERVED a savannah room. That is what I paid for - that is what I got. Since they take REQUESTS, I requested
1) King Bed
2) Arusha Savannah
3) Zebra Trail
4) 3rd floor

They gave me
1) Queen beds
2) Sunset Savannah
3) Kudu Trail
4) 4th floor

So are you trying to tell me that out of their 1293 rooms, they couldn't have assigned me a room that fulfilled ONE of my requests? I don't believe it. They could have, but they didn't. NO BIG DEAL. I had a great time. I'M NOT COMPLAINING ABOUT MY REQUESTS BEING IGNORED. All I'm saying is that if they're going to ignore requests, which they clearly did in my situation, why take them at all?

 

[Lewisc]

Rob--I thought I already posted this. There are very few K rooms. You probably were requesting a specific room. I've read when the requests are that specific some CM just give up, if they can't meet all your requests, and concentrate on other guests with requests that can be filled. I think we all agree a guest that asks for a specific room is not being reasonable. UNINTENTIONALLY that's what you were doing.

Too many requests can backfire. A request like Arusha Savannah, third floor if possible would been more reasonable.

I've found that if you want a K room at Disney don't make any other requests.

Will you stop rolling your eyes at me and sighing at me? I suspect you aren't actually reading my posts because you're too proccupied with going on a 'request' tirade. I'm not complaining about my requests. At this point all I'm complaining about is your responses.

Please listen carefully. I RESERVED a savannah room. That is what I paid for - that is what I got. Since they take REQUESTS, I requested
1) King Bed
2) Arusha Savannah
3) Zebra Trail
4) 3rd floor

They gave me
1) Queen beds
2) Sunset Savannah
3) Kudu Trail
4) 4th floor

So are you trying to tell me that out of their 1293 rooms, they couldn't have assigned me a room that fulfilled ONE of my requests? I don't believe it. They could have, but they didn't. NO BIG DEAL. I had a great time. I'M NOT COMPLAINING ABOUT MY REQUESTS BEING IGNORED. All I'm saying is that if they're going to ignore requests, which they clearly did in my situation, why take them at all?

 

[BostonRob]

Lewisc, I made a response to your well-reasoned post on my AKL Housekeeping thread.

 

[SeattleMark]

At all Disney resorts, rooms are assigned 3 days prior to your arrival. It doesn't matter what time you check in.

See good info here: http://allearsnet.com/acc/cro1.htm

 

[doodlebug]

We were there 2 weeks ago and we were moving over from POFQ so I called and verified that they had the Arusha Savannah w/bunkbeds that I had put on my request and they said my room was waiting for me... So we did to whole bus system all the way there by 11am to be told they had no Savannah Bunkbed rooms until tomorrow I was disappointed because we were actually just going to stay at POFQ because we were loving it but the kids really wanted the bunkbeds and the savannah view.. So the nice lady went and got the manager who was so INCREDIBLE... I guess when he heard that we were just about to just stay at POFQ he must have went out of his way to get us what we wanted.. Well he found us an Arusha Savannah view on the 2nd floor with bunkbeds!!!!! What an great bit of magic that was!!!

 

[Lewisc]

At all Disney resorts, rooms are assigned 3 days prior to your arrival. It doesn't matter what time you check in.

See good info here: http://allearsnet.com/acc/cro1.htm

I saw the good info in the link you posted.

All rooms are not pre-assigned before the arrival of the guests. There are many times that the Front Desk CM selects the room from a pool of available rooms at the time of check in.

Resorts are pre-assigning some rooms based on special needs but many rooms are assigned at check in. The theory is to give the guest a room that meets their requests FROM THE POOL of available rooms. It doesn't make sense to have empty rooms waiting for guests that aren't arriving until much later in the day while other guests are waiting for guests that have late checkouts.

Further a room that was pre-assigned can get re-assigned if necessary to accommodate a guest that's not happy with their assignment.