Anyone make a reservation recently?

[Beth]

I'm just curious, with the new check-in procedures, if they've stopped taking room requests....

I spoke to a supervisor while we were at OKW the beginning of December. We had made the same request we "always" - a few different buildings down in the SouthPoint area.

Instead - we got a room at the extreme opposite end of the resort.

While waiting to speak to him, a couple next to us was checking in, and was expressing their delight about getting their room requests - and their surprise, since they had only made their reservation a week or two earlier.

We made our reservation at 11 months out.

When I questioned him about it, he said, "Well, sometimes it will work out that way. It's really just the luck of the draw, since we no longer 'block rooms'."

I know many of you don't care about the ability to make special requests, and think that those of us that "do" are silly - but I enjoy staying in that area - as I would always get up early each morning and walk the path to DD.

So - if these are the new procedures - are they taking any requests, <i>at all</i> - other than smoking/non-smoking?

 

[Pa@okw95]

When you check in you can now ask what is available. There should be a whole bunch of choices. South Point is one of the least popular areas, next time ask what is available before the clerk gives you a room. They should be able to give you a choice!!

 

[Beth]

I checked in at 11:00 that morning. I called at 1:15, and my room was ready. When I was given my room number, I asked if there was anything in that area - and I was told, "No - there is no other room in the entire resort - it is full."

Which would indicate that people "aren't" getting "bumped" out of their pre-assigned rooms by those guests who may arrive earlier then them. But - if their rooms aren't assigned based on requests - then what does it matter?

While I'm sure there are those who would prefer to get into their room prior to 4:00 as opposed to getting their special requests, I, for one - would rather wait, if it meant I could stay in that area.

It just didn't make much sense to me...

 

[Pa@okw95]

Beth--most people would like to get their room when they check in, it makes no sense to have a room assigned to you that may not be ready until 4 oclock when there may be 20 or 30 rooms ready before then. It is that simple. One of the problems is that sometimes things are said by a cm or management just to get through the situation. This is the way in works in most resorts, I think the whole situation at DVC has gotten way out of hand by all the different requests. Other than BWV all the rooms are the same and the same points with the exception of smoking and the elevators at OKW. The problem with OKW for us members is that everyone is coming over to OKW because the points are cheaper. I find it hard to beieve that any resort is at 100 percent capacity most of the time. If you were told that it must have been a very busy week. You should have been able to get a room at south Point, no problem. People that have not checked in yet would never know the diffence. The first thing out of your mouth when you go to check in the next time should be" what rooms do I have to chose from." try it, it should work under this new situation. i am assuming you were not asking for a GV.

 

[yesdisneyfool]

Faxed over a request yesterday.
All I asked for was a Non Smoking Smoke Free Room near the HH. Let's see.

 

[EROS]

Our only request is for NON-SMOKING........which has been honored to date .......

 

[Terry S]

The way this was explained to me at BCV, (which is much smaller than OKW), is that it was first come first serve so that you could get in to a room quicker. Well I checked in before 11:00, so I figured my Epcot View request would be granted. The Manager I spoke with kindly explained to me that about 40% of the rooms have some type of Epcot View, so I thought, okay, I have a pretty good chance. He told me "no, the chances are actually small because that would mean that someone would have to be checking out of those rooms today and they are not". He said it is really the luck of the drawl and a lot of people are not happy.

I did have a choice of rooms as you mention, but none of them were the view that I wanted and I still didn't get into the room until almost 4:00.

 

[jcodespoti]

I almost always get what I "ask" for at BWV..top floor far away from the elevators...I think its the "far away from the elevators that does it.

Joe in CT

 

[Granny]

Joe in CT...LOL...I understand there's a great dumpster view at VWL that you can probably get if you request that too!

 

[Cruelladeville]

Granny--there is a dumpster at BWV that I'm sure anyone could request, and have their request honored, too. I don't ever request it, but I seem to get it anyway. Now if I only could get that kind of service with a boardwalk view...

 

[WDWCRAZY32]

Just returned from trip 12/9-12/13. 3-1BR villas at OKW booked 7 months out. My original requests were to have all the rooms in the same building or area, non smoking, near HH and 1 ground floor. I checked in at 7 AM and was told my first request had been met but could not get the rooms til 4. I actually got all 3 rooms about 3 PM in the same building #18, non smoking, pretty close to HH and 1 on each floor (3 story building). I was told at 7 AM that I could get rooms now but forget about requests. I feel all my requests were met and the rooms were blocked, checking in at 7 may have helped. It sure seems to me they are blocking rooms which seems to be contrary to what a lot of people are saying. CM also said they were 100% booked.

 

[jcodespoti]

yep thats me "far away from the elevator as possible joe" I find that I am a liittle different that most

Joe in CT

 

[wdwendyd]

We just got back from our trip last week. I booked VWL at the 7 month window. We requested non-smoking, on the Bay Lake side, high floor. We got a second floor SMOKING room facing the dumpster. They said for rooms becoming available that day, we were the last booked so we got the worst room. This has soured me on staying at VWL in the future.

 

[Beth]

pa@okw95,

I was checking into a 2BR, on Saturday, November 30th. I'm sorry that my preference to "wait 'til 4:00 for my desired location vs. taking what was already available" makes no sense to you - but that is how I feel. I "did" ask him to check the inventory - he put me on hold - then came back and said "Sorry - this is all that is available." He kept saying that the new process is like "working a big puzzle." It's a very intricate process...

We've stayed at OKW over 20 times - this is the first time we didn't get the location we requested. I was disappointed. THAT is what is "simple" to me...

 

[ncligs]

I agree with Beth on this one.If I make a ressie at the 11 month window at OKW, I would rather wait and get my request honored,if there is an opurtunity to do so.
We always arrive on a friday or saturday, so we have been fortunate to always get our request(non-smoking,top floor,Bldgs 11-14).

 

[zulaya]

I just made my ressie at BCV. The agent at MS asked if I wanted smoking or non-smoking. I asked for non - smoking. I also asked, "If it is possible, may I request an upper floor and Epcot view?" The agent said she wasn't sure if there were any Epcot views but would place the requests on my reservation for me.

I made this reservation at exactly the 11 month window so I'll tell you in November how well it pans out.

I don't think she was going to ask me for any other requests though, other than smoking preference. But when I asked, she didn't hesitate to place my requests in the computer.

 

[DebbieB]

When I made my reservation for BWV Standard last January for Dec 7 to 13, I put in a request for "fireworks view". The cm said there were no fireworks views from the standard views. I said we had one last year so he said he would put it on. When we checked in at 10am on Dec 7 I asked if we got a fireworks view. The front desk cm said we were already assigned a room on the first floor. I asked if there was anything available on an upper floor. She found us a room on an upper floor but said it probably wasn't a good view. Since the room was not ready, she didn't give me the room number. Our room was ready about 3:15 (I called the first time at 2:45 and it wasn't ready), we got to the room (4103) and it had a perfect view across from the bus stop (I knew you could see the fireworks over the convention center). So when I make the reservation for next year, I'll be more specific (4th floor, across from the bus stop).

 

[mikesmom]

Folks...sometimes it's not about what time you are checking in or who is checking in. It's about who is checking OUT. You could be arriving at 10 AM, you could have made ressies at 11 months out with your requests - BUT if you are requesting a certain building and no one is checking out of that building, there is no way you can get your request. It's the guy whose ressie began 2 or 3 days before yours that has the desired room.

I can understand why the CMs will not guarantee requests. With properties that are more full than not (unlike many hotel chains) it's probably a nightmare to match up everybody.

 

[ncligs]

Originally posted by mikesmom
Folks...sometimes it's not about what time you are checking in or who is checking in. It's about who is checking OUT. You could be arriving at 10 AM, you could have made ressies at 11 months out with your requests - BUT if you are requesting a certain building and no one is checking out of that building, there is no way you can get your request. It's the guy whose ressie began 2 or 3 days before yours that has the desired room.

I agree with the above, but since most of the time we check in on a friday or saturday(high points) , we have a better chane of getting our request than someone checking in on sunday(low pts).It does have a lot to do with timing, but we have never been dissapointed yet at OKW in 4 years, making the ressies at the 11 month window.