Best way to make a room request....

[xdan0920]

Has anyone had any consistent success with room requests? I feel like I must be doing it wrong, because I never get what I ask for. Do you call the resort directly? DVC chat? Call member services? What actually works?

 

[RMDVC24]

I put a room request for the first time. I did it through the chat on the DVC site. I requested 4 different room numbers. We check in on Sunday. I will report back and let you know if we got what we asked for.

I don't think there's a wrong way to request a room. I assume they do their best to accommodate, but there's a lot that goes into assigning rooms so I imagine it's difficult to fulfill all the requests. If you have a longer stay, that would make it even more difficult to have 1 specific room be available for your entire. Plus if it's a desirable room/view, I'm sure you're not the only one requesting that specific room.

 

[Brian Noble]

You have two different questions.

One: What's the best way to make requests? I think chat is probably slightly better than calling, b/c they might be able to cut and paste your request.

Two: Is there a way to have consistent success with requests? No.

Because of #2, I try to keep my requests pretty generic. "Upper floor" is almost always in my list, plus maybe a general area of the resort. For example, at OKW-General, my request is usually "Upper floor with a water view." At SSR-Resort, it is "Upper floor, near pool." CCV it was "Upper Floor, away from elevator." For Jambo-Savannah, I'm either going to just take my chances or ask for Arusha.

 

[RivGirl]

Has anyone had any consistent success with room requests? I feel like I must be doing it wrong, because I never get what I ask for. Do you call the resort directly? DVC chat? Call member services? What actually works?

I have had success, but I haven't had consistent success. Both as cash guest and DVC. I think there are just too many factors across the Resort.

I used to use chat. Now I just use the online checkin request as early as possible, and keep it as simple as possible. If there are two request options in the app, I prioritize one and leave the other blank.

Another thing to consider when using the app for checkin, whether or not you make a room request, is the time you say you will arrive. IME, if I say I am arriving before 4PM, I get a room assigned to me the second I touch down in Orlando (slight exaggeration), and I *think* I'm less likely to get a request match that way. If you don't care about going straight to room, say you are arriving later to give them more time to match your request.

 

[Brian Noble]

I deal with that last bit by stopping at the front desk before I get the room number and ask if they can tell me roughly where the room is "in general." Usually, they are willing to do that, and that's enough of a hint to know whether it is at least in the ballpark of what I was hoping for. And, if the room is assigned and you don't like it, you can always stop by the desk before going to the room and see if they can swap. I don't think I've ever bothered doing that, because I've never had a truly awful location.

 

[RivGirl]

Same. The one time I wished I had asked for a change, I was at SSR and they put is in the Carousel, which made for a very long walk to and from the Springs with little legs in tow. But we were only there for two nights and the lobby was also far...so I didn't bother.

 

[Wedgeout]

I like to call and have a personal contact. (Most trips I go without a request). Last WDW trip had a stay at BRV prior to a cruise. One bedroom request for 5th floor. (Two of us and not having a murphy bed didn’t matter). Got 5th with an upgrade to a two bedroom.

After the cruise was Jambo AKV resort category studio. Request was end of Kudo trail. Got the last studio on the trail. Great savannah viewing & hallway stroll is not bad at all.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

I deal with that last bit by stopping at the front desk before I get the room number and ask if they can tell me roughly where the room is "in general." Usually, they are willing to do that, and that's enough of a hint to know whether it is at least in the ballpark of what I was hoping for. And, if the room is assigned and you don't like it, you can always stop by the desk before going to the room and see if they can swap. I don't think I've ever bothered doing that, because I've never had a truly awful location.

This is what we do - it's proven to be the best approach to potentially get a room location we're hoping for. The assignment requests are very hit and miss, and I understand why. But checking at the front desk the morning of check-in has proven to be our best bet. Several times the cast member has been able to adjust our room to something we like better, even if we have to wait longer to get into it.

Lately, we make most of our requests via MS Chat, but have also done it if I need to call MS for some reason. But I don't usually call just to get the room request on the reservation.

 

[GrumpyInPhilly]

You have two different questions.

One: What's the best way to make requests? I think chat is probably slightly better than calling, b/c they might be able to cut and paste your request.

Two: Is there a way to have consistent success with requests? No.

Because of #2, I try to keep my requests pretty generic. "Upper floor" is almost always in my list, plus maybe a general area of the resort. For example, at OKW-General, my request is usually "Upper floor with a water view." At SSR-Resort, it is "Upper floor, near pool." CCV it was "Upper Floor, away from elevator." For Jambo-Savannah, I'm either going to just take my chances or ask for Arusha.

I use this method and follow up with a call back about a month out. Pretty good success.

 

[GrumpyInPhilly]

I deal with that last bit by stopping at the front desk before I get the room number and ask if they can tell me roughly where the room is "in general." Usually, they are willing to do that, and that's enough of a hint to know whether it is at least in the ballpark of what I was hoping for. And, if the room is assigned and you don't like it, you can always stop by the desk before going to the room and see if they can swap. I don't think I've ever bothered doing that, because I've never had a truly awful location.

I do this as well.

 

[chicagodisneyguy]

I've always used chat and have always had decent success. Was at BLT last week and asked for an even number room facing MK and that's what we got.

OP, do you have any examples of requests that have been unsuccessful....and also what resorts?

 

[Mle8308]

I put a room request for the first time. I did it through the chat on the DVC site. I requested 4 different room numbers. We check in on Sunday. I will report back and let you know if we got what we asked for.

I don't think there's a wrong way to request a room. I assume they do their best to accommodate, but there's a lot that goes into assigning rooms so I imagine it's difficult to fulfill all the requests. If you have a longer stay, that would make it even more difficult to have 1 specific room be available for your entire. Plus if it's a desirable room/view, I'm sure you're not the only one requesting that specific room.

It is better to make a more general request than specific rooms numbers, that way they know why you want a certain room. Better to say "upper floor, close to elevators, facing pool, close to transportation, away from elevators, etc" . If you give them room numbers, and most likely those rooms are not going to be departing on your arrival day, they won't know why you requested that specific room and what to potentially assign you to meet your needs. It's always a possibility to get the specific room you asked for, but it's more likely you won't.

 

[sndral]

This is what we do - it's proven to be the best approach to potentially get a room location we're hoping for. The assignment requests are very hit and miss, and I understand why. But checking at the front desk the morning of check-in has proven to be our best bet. Several times the cast member has been able to adjust our room to something we like better, even if we have to wait longer to get into it.

Lately, we make most of our requests via MS Chat, but have also done it if I need to call MS for some reason. But I don't usually call just to get the room request on the reservation.

I suspect those who have the luxury of a morning arrival requesting to move rooms is why sometimes those of us who fly cross country & arrive early evening end up no where near our requested location . I had a long string of pretty successful AKV Jambo requests met, but the last 2 trips have received the opposite of what I requested (first requested Kudu trail was given Zebra, second requested Zebra trail was given Kudu .) At VGF I prefer & request upper floor & so far I’ve been on the 3rd or 4th floors every time - I’d prefer even higher - but @ least I’ve not ended up at ground level there.
I do sometimes wistfully think wouldn’t it be nice if they had a way to prioritize requests - so someone booking @ 11 months at their home resort would get priority w/ their requests being met by the room assignors & that folks staying for 10+ nights would get priority - I mean you spend a lot of time in the villa w/ long stays v. the short stays, but I realize that’s not logistically possible

 

[Brian Noble]

I suspect very very few early arrivals go to the front desk and ask for a change. I would not lose a lot of sleep over it.

 

[sndral]

I suspect very very few early arrivals go to the front desk and ask for a change. I would not lose a lot of sleep over it.

I’ve learned that after that initial twinge of disappointment that I didn’t get what I asked for, I invariably discover things I really like about where ever I end up .

 

[thanxfornoticin]

I suspect very very few early arrivals go to the front desk and ask for a change. I would not lose a lot of sleep over it.

Agreed - and some of those changes probably have little to no impact on others. 75% of the time we just get a confirmation at the front desk that our requests were somewhat met and we'll have a nice room for the stay. It's only occasionally that we'll change, and that often comes with it being available for us to move in later in the day....