BWV Room Request - How do we get better luck?

[rillsung]

Hi we are owners at BWV. Has anyone figured out the secret to getting most of what you request? We seem to have very little luck getting our room requests. We go for a long time every time so we'd hope that would help us some vs someone that's there for just a few days, but nope! We also wonder if it's because we always end up arriving at the resort stupid late (like early the next morning usually) because of flights. I call member services when I'm making the reservation at 11mo (to extend for more than the week) and make my list of requests. I also usually call a few times during the year to change things or check on things and always check the requests again. This time, instead of "quiet, top floor room" we ended up with elephants above us and a slamming ice machine/vending room door all the time. Instead of "larger, sheltered balcony like room xxxx", we got a small exposed one down the hall. I might try actually calling the resort people about 3 weeks to a month out? The front desk this time suggested this...

 

[tjkraz]

Late arrival definitely does not help. As the old saying goes, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. If any guest happens to complain about their assigned room, the front desk could technically move them into any matching unoccupied villa. If you haven't checked in yet, that makes your room a candidate. Not saying this HAS happened, but it CAN happen.

Arrival day likely plays some role. The greatest turnover in rooms seems to occur Friday - Sunday. Mid week, fewer guests depart. That means fewer rooms are vacated, which leaves them few options for where you are placed. Imagine you are arriving on a Tuesday with a reservation for a Two Bedroom BoardWalk View. Only three guests are checking out with rooms in that matching category. You WILL get one of those 3 rooms, regardless of floor, location, etc.

Everyone has their own philosophy on room requests. Personally I tend to keep things very simple. At boardwalk I usually request an upper floor and a room "close to Hollywood Studios" (or "far from elevator.") When you ask for a "quiet" room or a specific balcony type, you're assuming a knowledge of the resort which a room assigner may not have; there are hundreds of rooms at every resort and I doubt such aspects are formally documented. I don't imagine there is a large chart they can refer to which lists all of the Garden View Studio rooms on upper floors that are not below the ice room and have a large balcony.

And there's always the risk that the simply don't have enough rooms being vacated on your arrival to satisfy all of the incoming guests with similar requests.

You can always inquire at the front desk about switching rooms. They may charge you a one-time room cleaning fee in association with the move, but that may be a small price to pay compared to spending a week or more in a room that is not to your liking.

 

[supersnoop]

I think you need to be more general in your request. Asking for a room “like xxxx” doesn’t mean much. If that room isn’t available, what’s the next best room, and how does the room assigned know? “Top floor” would be a good request.

I don’t think the late arrival affects you too much. The long length of stay is probably a bad thing. Folks on short stays can turn over a highly-requested room, making it available more often.

 

[Dtw002]

We used touring plans room request and got THE EXACT ROOM NUMBER we requested. Was at BCV in mid December. For $14 a year and other perks it was with it.

 

[n2mm]

Op, you are not alone. There are a lot of us Bwv owners who don’t get our requests. I generally just ask for higher floor now. Not getting anything I request about 90% of the time over the last 10 years broke me. I’m at the “just give me a higher floor room” stage now. Good luck.

 

[Debbie Jean]

Op, you are not alone. There are a lot of us Bwv owners who don’t get our requests. I generally just ask for higher floor now. Not getting anything I request about 90% of the time over the last 10 years broke me. I’m at the “just give me a higher floor room” stage now. Good luck.

I had to laugh when I read your response since this is me exactly. When I saw the title of the thread, I thought "someone is getting their room request at BWV????" Don't know why or wherefore but it just never happens for me there. And I don't arrive late or ask for specific rooms... usually something simple like upper floor or near the elevator. I keep my request general and arrive "on time". Still nada. So if there's a secret, after all these years, I'd love to know!

 

[disneynutz]

Check in and asked to be moved the next day. Late check-ins get the left overs after others have asked for your room.

Bill

 

[cruisin5]

Get there early and be willing to wait for the room you want to be ready. My only request in usually upper floor.

 

[DebbieB]

I used Touring Plans fax for my trip last month, requested 4029. Got 3029.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I have no special suggestions because I make the requests the same way I do at any other resort but BWV is the one that tends to meet them the best. I don't have near the luck at any other resort so somethings working but I do nothing special for it. We haven't always gotten the request but more times than not. At almost all locations I keep it fairly general. High floor and at BWV I ask for something like near elevator, near tennis courts or near Swan/Dolphin depending on what view we have and what we're looking for. And - we are late arrivals coming from the west coast. I personally think that matters much less than some people think. In your case I'd probably just request top floor which gives a lot of latitude for the room assignor and would mean no one above you. Of course you can't determine what your neighbors will be like and we've had quiet ones where we couldn't have said anyone was even staying in the room and other times they have been loud. I always bring ear plugs to help with that. Good luck with your next trip!

 

[miamimama]

I have no special suggestions because I make the requests the same way I do at any other resort but BWV is the one that tends to meet them the best. I don't have near the luck at any other resort so somethings working but I do nothing special for it. We haven't always gotten the request but more times than not. At almost all locations I keep it fairly general. High floor and at BWV I ask for something like near elevator, near tennis courts or near Swan/Dolphin depending on what view we have and what we're looking for. And - we are late arrivals coming from the west coast. I personally think that matters much less than some people think. In your case I'd probably just request top floor which gives a lot of latitude for the room assignor and would mean no one above you. Of course you can't determine what your neighbors will be like and we've had quiet ones where we couldn't have said anyone was even staying in the room and other times they have been loud. I always bring ear plugs to help with that. Good luck with your next trip!

 

[rillsung]

Glad I'm not the only one! The first couple times we stayed at BWV, we got exactly what we wanted. One time we switched from a newly refurbished 1bdrm and squeaked all week about the studio we were changing to. They did not assign the room until that morning and we got the worst one in the building, down in the basement and one of the few unrefurbished rooms left at that time! We were in the 1bdrm after a very bad experience in 2 different studios at BLT and they moved us to BWV early.

 

[Dean]

Hi we are owners at BWV. Has anyone figured out the secret to getting most of what you request? We seem to have very little luck getting our room requests. We go for a long time every time so we'd hope that would help us some vs someone that's there for just a few days, but nope! We also wonder if it's because we always end up arriving at the resort stupid late (like early the next morning usually) because of flights. I call member services when I'm making the reservation at 11mo (to extend for more than the week) and make my list of requests. I also usually call a few times during the year to change things or check on things and always check the requests again. This time, instead of "quiet, top floor room" we ended up with elephants above us and a slamming ice machine/vending room door all the time. Instead of "larger, sheltered balcony like room xxxx", we got a small exposed one down the hall. I might try actually calling the resort people about 3 weeks to a month out? The front desk this time suggested this...

I'd plan to arrive earlier and/or ask to be moved. Be willing to pay the fee to move as it is appropriate in this situation. If arriving that late, I'd stay off property or set up a separate reservation just for the 1 night.

 

[AdamsMum]

Op, you are not alone. There are a lot of us Bwv owners who don’t get our requests. I generally just ask for higher floor now. Not getting anything I request about 90% of the time over the last 10 years broke me. I’m at the “just give me a higher floor room” stage now. Good luck.

Me too! Still love my Boardwalk Villas though.

 

[crisi]

I have gotten a request once in the twenty years I've owned - we are BWV owners who almost always stay at the BW. We always end up at the resort fairly early - about noon.

 

[icc2515]

I think with BWV's you have to just count yourself lucky that you get a room by check in time. Adding a room request just mucks up the water.

 

[pooh2001]

We would arrive at 11 PM after a late fight
So maybe we stay "off site" the first night - near MCO, then in the AM take the DME to the BW - check in (maybe a Wedneday AM) - drop off luggage and go to the park.

 

[Judique]

I make no requests and get the same area every time except once. Standard view down by the tennis courts.

The one time I didn't get this they assigned me a handicapped room in the garden view section near the elevator. I checked in after 9pm that trip.

Just so happens I like the tennis court end and I'm perfectly happy there.

I've never booked garden view but on occasion I've booked boardwalk view and it's been okay. BW view has accounted for only 3-4 of my 40 plus stays.

I just wish they would trim out the trees. They've let them grow too much and have obscured the standard views of the little pond and fireworks.

 

[DebbieB]

I think with BWV's you have to just count yourself lucky that you get a room by check in time. Adding a room request just mucks up the water.

In 18 years of owning BWV, I’ve only had to wait until 4:00 once. Last trip I got the text while in line for DME, around 2:00. Time before 1:00. I always have a request.

 

[PleasejointheFarque]

we always now do two reservations for 2 separate room categories IE. STD and LV @ BLT, one for the day we check in, as we are always a late arrival, the std is our arrival room, then we are up early the next morning checking in for our long stay (8-14 nights) in our LV room which is always in the location we want. We have used this method at BW, AKL and BCV....seems to work for us most of the time. The only down side is having to get the husband moving after a long haul flight , move our stuff and check in is at 4.....so a bit of a pain, but when you are in a room for over a week+ the location can be everything.
We learnt that after BWV car park/ garbage bin fiasco of 2011.
Good Luck.