Bad OKW checkin

[goldilocks_63]

Hi, we arrived yesterday.... I was still in Chicago, and my parents arrived to checkin at OKW at 4:30 p.m. - half hour after stated time to check in... and it is Spring Break! But...

I had requested 1st floor for medical reasons (4-bypass and diabetic DGP - can't walk), and smoking for my chimney mom (also in the 70+ish).

With the priority of the 1st floor... and don't you know, they assigned them 3rd floor "smoking / optional " room.

Took a day to get them moved to 1st floor, and now we're in NS... No problem, Mom will just have to smoke on the balcony, per instructions from MS.

I don't get it..

At any rate, next time I'm going to try and lock down the room by going thru the special needs coordinator, not sure who that is, but I'll find out!

Horrible waste of everyone's time (ours, MS, bellhops, front desk, etc).

Goldi

 

[punkin712]

For the sake of us non-smokers, please please please make the "smoking room" your 1st priority! We just came back from SSR and our non-smoking room smelled very badly of smoke. Obviously, the previous guests were smokers and couldn't get a smoking room so they either smoked in the room or on the balcony (which doesn't keep the smoke out of the room).

 

[extraredstuff]

Sorry your requests weren't met, hopefully the rest of your stay will be pleasant.

As for making smoking a first request, I'd respectfully have to disagree. IMO if there's a medical need, that should come before a smoking preference. I am a non-smoker and so far have stayed in only N/S rooms at Disney (both DVC and the hotel resorts). Hopefully my luck will continue..... but I realize things don't always work out with requests.

I don't know about booking using a special needs coordinator, but hopefully someone else can help out.

 

[DiznEeyore]

For the sake of us non-smokers, please please please make the "smoking room" your 1st priority! We just came back from SSR and our non-smoking room smelled very badly of smoke. Obviously, the previous guests were smokers and couldn't get a smoking room so they either smoked in the room or on the balcony (which doesn't keep the smoke out of the room).

Did you stay in the room the entire trip? Or did you ask to be moved?

There's NO way I would ever accept a smoked-in room, no matter what. It drives me crazy that they only consider it a "request", when for many of us, it is a definite necessity for medical reasons. I'm really hoping WDW follows DL's lead in going totally smoke-free.

To the OP: we were also once assigned a smoking room by a nasty check-in CM at OKW. She was rude during the entire check-in, and I even confirmed with her twice that it was a non-smoking villa. When we walked into the villa, ds and I immediately couldn't breathe. There were ash trays everywhere. Needless to say, we called the front desk and were immediately moved to a *true* n/s villa.

 

[punkin712]

Did you stay in the room the entire trip? Or did you ask to be moved?

We were anxious to get to the parks and, due to the lateness or our check-in (6pm) we stayed in the room. Unfortunately, we later found other problems with the room and never got to the parks that night (a story for another thread...)

We bought air freshener and opened the balcony door to air out the room so that helped a little.

I might be wrong, but I think the number of smoking rooms in a resort is fewer than the number of 1st floor rooms. That's why I suggested making a smoking room the OP's first priority.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Since 1st floor or elevator units are few at OKW and smoking villas are even fewer, I think your request of "smoking" was the most difficult of the requests to meet, so they probably felt they were satisfying the request most important to you.

 

[pb4ugo]

For the sake of us non-smokers, please please please make the "smoking room" your 1st priority! We just came back from SSR and our non-smoking room smelled very badly of smoke. Obviously, the previous guests were smokers and couldn't get a smoking room so they either smoked in the room or on the balcony (which doesn't keep the smoke out of the room).

how selfish of you to put your sake beyond the importance of the medical needs of the guests of the op. shame on you!

 

[dianeschlicht]

how selfish of you to put your sake beyond the importance of the medical needs of the guests of the op. shame on you!

Pretty bold statement for a new poster on these boards. It is also selfish to put a smoking person in a non-smoking room and have them smoke there. When we make requests and don't specify medical necesity, it is still just that a REQUEST.

 

[dustysky]

There's NO way I would ever accept a smoked-in room, no matter what. It drives me crazy that they only consider it a "request", when for many of us, it is a definite necessity for medical reasons. I'm really hoping WDW follows DL's lead in going totally smoke-free.

Ohhh that would be soooo cool and I might even consider staying on prorerty if they ever did this.

 

[LisaS]

Sorry about your check-in hassles. I hope the rest of the trip goes well. I'm especially interested in hearing about the pool temperatures. I don't know if you saw it before you left but supposedly pool temps are going to be increased to 82 degrees. Not as pleasant as 84 degrees, but much better than 78! I hope you get a chance to check it out and report back on whether or not there has been any improvement.

I hope you have a great trip!

 

[punkin712]

how selfish of you to put your sake beyond the importance of the medical needs of the guests of the op. shame on you!

I explained in my subsequent message why I suggested that the OP request the smoking room as their first priority. A point that seems to have been substantiated by another poster.

Not that it's any of your business, but I too have a medical condition that is aggravated by smoke - that's why I always reconfirm our non-smoking reservations. You shouldn't be so quick to judge.

 

[beachblanket]

DVC needs to get with the program. With firms like Marriott now guaranteeing non-smoking accomodations, the days when a high end resort can continue to get away with this this "request" crap are coming to a close. I don't pay four figures a year in dues so I can get to worry about a stay being ruined because I'm forced into a villa someone just smoked in.

 

[ClarabelleCow]

DVC needs to get with the program. With firms like Marriott now guaranteeing non-smoking accomodations, the days when a high end resort can continue to get away with this this "request" crap are coming to a close. I don't pay four figures a year in dues so I can get to worry about a stay being ruined because I'm forced into a villa someone just smoked in.

I just booked a 2 bedroom suite at the Mariott/Residence Inn in Saratoga Springs NY for my daughters horse show, I requested NON-SMOKING, all they had left was smoking, I could, not have a room and sleep in the horse trailer, or book it knowing its a smoking room, i have no choice, so I booked it and will hope then when I arrive a non-smoking is available! Just will pack lots of Febreeze!!

 

[Chuck S]

Chains can say they "guarantee" all they like. They do not. For a business convention in Los Angeles my boss and I booked a "guaranteed" 2 bed hotel room with a major chain, pre-paid in full, weeks in advance. Guess what, when we arrived, they said they had no room. When presented with the pre-paid confirmation they then said, "OK" and gave us keys....to a room that was being used as a small conference/break room...no BED AT ALL. Then they "found" a king room, not two seperate beds. It was all they would do...saying that they simply "guarantee" a room, not a specific type...so no, at least Disney is honest stating it is a request...they aren't taking $$$ in advance then changing their tune like other major hotel operators. No refund was offered, not even by the chain itself.


Other chains simply bank on having a number of vacant rooms/cancellations. If that doesn't happen, then their guarantees are worthless.

 

[DiznEeyore]

Chains can say they "guarantee" all they like. They do not. For a business convention in Los Angeles my boss and I booked a "guaranteed" 2 bed hotel room with a major chain, pre-paid in full, weeks in advance. Guess what, when we arrived, they said they had no room. When presented with the pre-paid confirmation they then said, "OK" and gave us keys....to a room that was being used as a small conference/break room...no BED AT ALL. Then they "found" a king room, not two seperate beds. It was all they would do...saying that they simply "guarantee" a room, not a specific type...so no, at least Disney is honest stating it is a request...they aren't taking $$$ in advance then changing their tune like other major hotel operators. No refund was offered, not even by the chain itself.

Wow! That is terrible ... makes you wonder why the hotels even give you a "choice" of room when booking, doesn't it?

 

[La2kw]

For the sake of us non-smokers, please please please make the "smoking room" your 1st priority! We just came back from SSR and our non-smoking room smelled very badly of smoke. Obviously, the previous guests were smokers and couldn't get a smoking room so they either smoked in the room or on the balcony (which doesn't keep the smoke out of the room).

I agree. I have made many complaints to Disney regarding the practice of encouraging smokers to take a smoking room and "just smoke on the balcony". Some people take that as a license to smoke in the room.

 

[wdwstar]

Oh, Goldi I am so sorry your parents had an unpleasant check in, that bad OKW. Sending pixie dust your way for a hugh turn around of surprising Magic !

 

[Sammie]

This is an issue I don't understand.

To me this is a much more serious health issue for many reasons than cooler temperatures in the pools. But you don't see the mass emailing to DVC about it.

They need a clearer cut policy on Smoking and Nonsmoking. Either go totally NS and enforce it with heavy fines for violations, or have both and place those that want smoking in these rooms.

This current policy is not working, as I see more and more posts about getting NS rooms that have been smoked in. The last 2 trips to Disney this happened to us.

 

[LisaS]

This is an issue I don't understand.

To me this is a much more serious health issue for many reasons than cooler temperatures in the pools. But you don't see the mass emailing to DVC about it.

They need a clearer cut policy on Smoking and Nonsmoking. Either go totally NS and enforce it with heavy fines for violations, or have both and place those that want smoking in these rooms.

This current policy is not working, as I see more and more posts about getting NS rooms that have been smoked in. The last 2 trips to Disney this happened to us.

I agree that the current policy is not working. I think the difference between this problem and the pool temperature issue is that the pool temps will affect everyone who goes to WDW in the cooler months of the year who hopes to go swimming on their trip. Getting a N/S room that has been smoked in happens to a small percentage and those of us who haven't experienced it are just hoping that we never do. But if we do, we will be joining the ranks of those raising the issue with management. But I do agree with you that it would be better to be pro-active on this in hopes that we can bring about a change in policy so that it never happens to anyone again in the future.

 

[goldilocks_63]

So I lost one day on vacation, but now we have a 2BR on 1st floor, and for the smoking, I've asked Mom to go to the designated smoking areas by the boat dock at HH, and that's worked so far.....

But we don't want to break the rules, or be a burden on others, so why does the room booker just blow off the requests... and at 4:30, everything is gone?

I'm here for 10 days in a 2BR, so maybe because I'm here too long it's hard to plan...

I don't know.... but I'm going to call the special needs dept next time.

As to the pool, I'm going tomorrow so will let you know what I think.... I can't believe it, but I think I forgot my thermometer. (Was going to check it out).

At any rate, weather is great, resort is beautiful, and believe it or not crowds not too bad considering we were at MK.

DD-7 likes BTM, and wants to ride by herself like a big person, so she hogged all our fast passes and rode it three times in a role. You go girl!

Goldi

As my father used to say: "A bad day at Disney beats a good day at work".