Anyone ever warned about PO's 5th person?

[Sammie]

I don't think Bicker is being uncaring, he is being realistic. Yes everyone regardless of family size most would love to stay at Disney but that is not realistic.

Disney has made their parks available to everyone and priced them equally. You do not get a discount on tickets to the parks for staying with them. So you can stay offsite and enjoy the parks. If Disney was to say you can not visit our parks unless you stay in our resorts then that would be unfair, but that is not the case.

However not all their options for larger families of more than 4 are what everyone can afford. But then not all families of 4 can afford what is available either. So where does it stop. You can't make it affordable for everyone which is Bicker's point.

As to the connecting rooms, I am not sure about value resorts but not all deluxe rooms are connecting.

Also Disney's daily occupany is extremely high and being able to match 2 rooms connecting to each and every request is sometimes just not possible. So while a husband and wife would much prefer to be in the same room, it is their choice whether to stay on site and possibly be in seperate rooms or offsite in the same room. There is a choice.

 

[maxiesmom]

Disney has made their parks available to everyone and priceed them equally. You do not get a discount on tickets to the parks for staying with them. So you can stay offsite and enjoy the parks. If Disney was to say you can not visit our parks unless you stay in our resorts then that would be unfair, but that is not the case.

However not all their options for larger families of more than 4 are what everyone can afford. But then not all families of 4 can afford what is available either. So where does it stop. You can't make it affordable for everyone which is Bicker's point.

Disney's daily occupany is extremely high and being able to match 2 rooms connecting to each and every request is sometimes just not possible. So while a husband and wife would much prefer to be in the same room, it is their choice whether to stay on site and possibly be in seperate rooms or offsite in the same room. There is a choice.

That is exactly my point too. People want more choices for their larger families, but they are unwilling (unable?)to pay for the choices that are already provided by Disney. And to think that they will build rooms that cost the same as a value but will hold larger families is not realistic.

 

[DisneyPhD]

If Disney would just make more of an effort and or promise to have rooms book together and requested as such acutally conecting rooms there wouldn't be a need. All budgets would be accomodated.

What choices are you talking about that they are unwilling to pay for? DVC and home away from home. Actaully a 1 bedroom (2 rooms total) still only sleeps 4 people. A family of 5 would have to rent a 2 bedroom. Have you ever looked at the rack rates for a 2 bedroom? I belive they go for over 600 a night if not more. Hardly the same as 2 mod resorts. (that may or may not have conecting rooms.)

PORS used to be a good option for families of 5, now they are being told that is not the case if your family of 5 are all over 10 years old. What about Con, are they going to go that way too? (and beach club another I have heard you can have 5 at, one sleeps on the day bed.) So that really isn't a choice anymore. 2 rooms if not conected are not really a good choice either. I mean really if your room is in a different building, floor or even 5 doors down that just is not realistic. Even if the parents are willing to sleep in differnt room they could be so far about it would be a major nusance every day of the entire vacation. (I just read a trip report from a friend who this happened to.)

Heck the policy "if you have less adults then kids doesn't really work". Hello you would have to be an single adult traveling with 2 or more children to bennfit from this. Why would a single parent with 2 kids want 2 rooms? They could all sleep fine in one. For any couple it wouldn't help at all because there is no more then 2 contecting rooms. So more then 2 rooms really doesn't matter.

I am not 100% postive, but I am pretty sure that the great majority of rooms do have conecting doors. Only ones single (no room next to them to contect to) or are "special" in some other way (suite or jr suite) do.

I have never stayed in a room at WDW that didn't. (read my sig, I have stayed all over, no value though.)

I am not talking about me afording it personally. Like I said I have DVC and a fmaily of 4. However my family might not always be 4 and I know a number of people this has been a major and difficult area for them.

 

[bicker]

If Disney was to say you can not visit our parks unless you stay in our resorts then that would be unfair

I disagree. Their park; their rules. There is nothing inherantly unfair about restricting the parks to hotel guests. It wouldn't be a good business decision, but it wouldn't be unfair.

You can't make it affordable for everyone which is Bicker's point.

Yes. Beyond that, there is no obligation to provide affordability for everyone. The obligation is to price offerings so as to maximize shareholder value. That's a solemn promise that Disney made, and are legally obligated to live up to.

Have you ever looked at the rack rates for a 2 bedroom?

So again it comes down to the price, and the public's willingness to pay for what they want, at the price the supplier is willing to sell it for.

 

[tlbwriter]

That is exactly my point too. People want more choices for their larger families, but they are unwilling (unable?)to pay for the choices that are already provided by Disney. And to think that they will build rooms that cost the same as a value but will hold larger families is not realistic.

I don't think anyone expects Disney to build rooms that hold 5 people and cost the same as a value resort. They just want additional options for larger families in a variety of price ranges. Right now, there aren't that many options, and they are all on the high end of the price scale. If there are only 5 of you, you can get a deluxe resort or POR. If there are more than 5, your options are limited to suites and the like, or to two rooms. By limiting the options for larger families and refusing to guarantee connecting rooms except under specific circumstances (and even then, are they really guaranteed?), Disney is effectively pushing these families into more affordable off-site lodging. This seems to conflict with their business plan, since right now they appear to be trying very hard to encourage people to stay on-site. That's why the value suites are such a good idea, both for Disney and their customers, so I certainly hope that rumor turns out to be true. It doesn't affect me either way, since there are only three of us.

 

[maxiesmom]

So where do you draw the line? 5 people to a room? 6? If it was 6 then the families of 7 would complain it was unfair. Have you not traveled anywhere else? Most hotel rooms accomodate 4 people, this is not just a Disney thing. And how do you know that there was not an effort made to accomodate your request? Just because they couldn't does not mean the effort was not made. We can say that Disney should do this or that but in the mean time you have to deal with what is. You know the choices that are available to you now, so book your vacation accordingly.

 

[tarmand]

I don't think anyone expects Disney to build rooms that hold 5 people and cost the same as a value resort. They just want additional options for larger families in a variety of price ranges. Right now, there aren't that many options, and they are all on the high end of the price scale. If there are only 5 of you, you can get a deluxe resort or POR. If there are more than 5, your options are limited to suites and the like, or to two rooms. By limiting the options for larger families and refusing to guarantee connecting rooms except under specific circumstances (and even then, are they really guaranteed?), Disney is effectively pushing these families into more affordable off-site lodging. This seems to conflict with their business plan, since right now they appear to be trying very hard to encourage people to stay on-site. That's why the value suites are such a good idea, both for Disney and their customers, so I certainly hope that rumor turns out to be true. It doesn't affect me either way, since there are only three of us.

Finally someone who understands what I'm trying to say. No, I don't HAVE to stay at Disney. Heck, I never stay on property since I prefer staying offsite. It would just make better business sense if they tried harder to accomodate the adjoining rooms request. Then more people who need larger accomodations and choose to stay offsite might give Disney that money instead.

 

[bicker]

It would just make better business sense if ....

Here's where you get in trouble, IMHO. Such a determination could only be made with a lot of relevant market data, and a lot of interal costing information. Disney has that information, and the experienced professional who's job it is to analyze that information and come up with the right answer -- we don't. Disney doesn't always get it right, but their decisions with regard to what is better business for them are more reliable than our, perspectives as consumers, which are understandably biased towards our interests, rather than the business'.

 

[tarmand]

Here's where you get in trouble, IMHO. Such a determination could only be made with a lot of relevant market data, and a lot of interal costing information. Disney has that information, and the experienced professional who's job it is to analyze that information and come up with the right answer -- we don't. Disney doesn't always get it right, but their decisions with regard to what is better business for them are more reliable than our, perspectives as consumers, which are understandably biased towards our interests, rather than the business'.

Well, we will just have to agree to disagree. I work in finance for a global company that doesn't always do what's best for the bottom line and I imagine it's probably the same with Disney. I'm not saying that both companies aren't making glowing profits. However, just because they are making money doesn't mean that they are doing everything right. I honestly don't care enough about this topic to continue to debate this with you so I will bow out of this thread now.

 

[DisneyPhD]

Well, we will just have to agree to disagree. I work in finance for a global company that doesn't always do what's best for the bottom line and I imagine it's probably the same with Disney. I'm not saying that both companies aren't making glowing profits. However, just because they are making money doesn't mean that they are doing everything right. I honestly don't care enough about this topic to continue to debate this with you so I will bow out of this thread now.

I have to agree.

I also wonder what all the impassioned arguring is about. All we were saying is "gee it would be nice for familys larger then the stanard 4 people not to be so stuck." "woudln't it be great if WDW would take this into consideration and make sure families did get contecting rooms."

I am out too.

 

[Sammie]

Finally someone who understands what I'm trying to say. No, I don't HAVE to stay at Disney. Heck, I never stay on property since I prefer staying offsite. It would just make better business sense if they tried harder to accomodate the adjoining rooms request. Then more people who need larger accomodations and choose to stay offsite might give Disney that money instead.

That would be true if rooms were remaining empty due to their lack of trying harder to accomodate the connecting rooms request. However I don't think that is the case, hence the reason they have not offered more options.

I truly think what some of the DIS complain about whether it be the price of CRT, or the cost of rooms for over 4 guests, or BRP, is that they want Disney to cater to them, personally instead of someone else.

As long as Disney can fill CRT with the price increase, keep their rooms filled with families of 4, and have success with BRP on their standards Disney is successful.

 

[ElleBelle]

I have to agree.

I also wonder what all the impassioned arguring is about. All we were saying is "gee it would be nice for familys larger then the stanard 4 people not to be so stuck." "woudln't it be great if WDW would take this into consideration and make sure families did get contecting rooms."

I am out too.

I completely agree with this statement. I have been following this thread for a while now- and just have to ask something. Where is all of the overpowering passion for this subject coming from? You would think some on these boards are "Stepford Vacationers". We all love disney, people. It's why we visit these boards! No need to jump all over people's suggestions!

 

[tarmand]

You would think some on these boards are "Stepford Vacationers".

Okay, I know I said I wasn't coming back to this thread, but I love this statement and I couldn't have said it better if I tried for a month!

 

[bicker]

As long as Disney can fill CRT with the price increase, keep their rooms filled with families of 4, and have success with BRP on their standards Disney is successful.

That's really it. No one is "jumping on" anyone's suggestions. Some folks asserted some things; other folks disagreed with them. That's all good. Discussions are what this place is all about.

Since I started participating here over five years ago I have always made a point of drawing the distinction between consumers expressing frustration with things not being to their liking and business managers not managing their business well. I think it is important that both sides of such issues get highlighted, because otherwise this place becomes simply a haven for bashing "The Man".

Regardless, I tend to bow out of discussions that get this long, anyway. We've hit Page 5 so I'm gone. Nice chatting with y'all.

 

[Philly81]

They will guarantee connecting rooms when there are fewer adults than rooms booked.

While this is true you can also get guaranteed connecting rooms if you let them know that one will have only minors in it. We stayed at POR and our group consisted of 4 adults, 3 teens, and 2 children. We had 3 rooms and since I told CRO that the 3 teens would be in one room they said they'd guarantee us connecting rooms. We had no problem.

 

[disneyfreakjackie]

Connecting rooms ARE guaranteed for families. There are six of us, I just booked two rooms at CSR for April. The CM specifically said, "... connecting rooms are guaranteed for families with children."

We have had four children/two adults since our 5/2000 trip, always booked two rooms, always received connecting rooms. With all four children, we've stayed in value and moderate Disney resorts. The only thing is you may not get your requested building. SO WHAT?!?!

Hope this helps!

 

[frayedend]

Another warning, If you book a room for 4 and actually have 5 in the room using an inflatible bed, one of your party will not get a Resort ID and not be allowed to use Early Entry or Extra Magic Hours.

I didn't read all of the posts, so this may have been said, but...

It would be really irresponsible to bring a child in that is not listed in the room. They need accurate guest lists in the case of emergency, fire, etc. What if there was a fire and you all passed out from smoke and they got you all out, but didn't see one child. Their count would show that all guests were accounted for. However unlikely this may be, you just have to list all guests!

 

[kutchyone]

Yes, this is exactly what I was told by two different Disney Travel Specialists and 2 different CM's. I know for a fact that they have all your info on the computer once you have stayed at WDW. Last year once I gave my name they could tell me the ages and names of my kids based on past travel. So, I am going to keep the two rooms because even if I got a CM that said it was ok I'd hate to take the chance the computer would "spit out" my reservation and once we got there be told we'll have to have 2 rooms at rack rate. That is how my luck would run.

Since ID's are never checked for kids Couldn't you just have the 18 year old registered under another name? Betty Jones is a nice name for the 17 year old friend of one of your other childern. Patty Smith is also a good one too!

 

[Sammie]

Connecting rooms ARE guaranteed for families. There are six of us, I just booked two rooms at CSR for April. The CM specifically said, "... connecting rooms are guaranteed for families with children."

We have had four children/two adults since our 5/2000 trip, always booked two rooms, always received connecting rooms. With all four children, we've stayed in value and moderate Disney resorts. The only thing is you may not get your requested building. SO WHAT?!?!

Hope this helps!

The problem is and this has happened to some that post here on the DIS, is CRO or actually the Disney Reservation Center (DRC) will guarantee this but some have gotten to the hotel to find out they did not have the rooms connecting. As Disney does not block them out at the time of the reservation; they do that when they assign rooms. If they don't have any available for the dates you need you don't get them. I know it does not happen often, but it does happen.

Of course some may be requesting other things that are restricting them getting them. For example if the room assignment teams see that a guest wants Oak Manor and connecting rooms and that is not available; I am not sure they then try to find connecting rooms in any building or try to give them the building of choice.

I always advise those that need connecting rooms to make this your only request other than possible NS.

 

[Sammie]

Since ID's are never checked for kids Couldn't you just have the 18 year old registered under another name? Betty Jones is a nice name for the 17 year old friend of one of your other childern. Patty Smith is also a good one too!

ID's are now checked for everyone, including children that want to use the Extra Magic Hours at night. You have to have the ID for each person to get a wristband and that person has to be present.

Also one night we were asked for photo ID as well as our resort ID and this included an 18 year old in our group.