Checking in at our resort late at night... Quick question

[IggyLans]

Our first DVC trip in December, and our flight is scheduled to arrive at MCO at 11pm. Are we doomed to get the "bottom of the barrell" room? How about if we requested a room in a particular section? I know requests are just that - requests, and are not guaranteed, but are our chances slim to none due to late arrival?

 

[CraftyMouse]

Our first DVC trip in December, and our flight is scheduled to arrive at MCO at 11pm. Are we doomed to get the "bottom of the barrell" room? How about if we requested a room in a particular section? I know requests are just that - requests, and are not guaranteed, but are our chances slim to none due to late arrival?

The resorts tend to be booked solid during December so I do think you'll have little choice of room with a late arrival. That doesn't necessarily mean you'll get a bad room though.

Remember that requests in a particular section are not guaranteed. We've had about a 50% success rate in getting our requests met, no matter what time of day we arrive. That percentage has been much less at the busiest times of year, even with an early morning arrival.

I wouldn't worry about it too much. There are very few truly bad rooms and all sections have their pluses & minuses. Go into it with a positive attitude and I'm sure you'll be fine. And if you do end up with a truly unacceptable room (not just in a different section or on a different floor than requested) then let the front desk know ASAP.

Have a great trip.

 

[IggyLans]

Thanks! I wasn't really worried about it that much, just wondering what to expect. From reading some of the posts, you would think arriving late is the worst thing you could do.

Only 88 more days to go!

 

[jdkdorn]

We are arriving at 7 pm on Oct 16th and decided to stay at SSR for one night and them move over to BCV the next day for our 10 day stay. We are always tired when we start the vacation so staying at SSR for one night in any location is no problem. We will be closed to DTD for transportatin and meals and we can rest. The next morning my husband and I will go over to BCV and check into a room and hopefully get the general area we requested. We have never done this before but a members services rep suggested it as an option.

Judy

 

[Shelly S]

We almost always arrive at our DVC resort around midnight on a Friday night. We have never had a bad room yet but I don't usually make any requests except non smoking. In april, our BWV standard studio was in the best location for us, only halfway down the long hallway and right across the stairs to the pool. On the plus side at least your room will be ready when you arrive.

 

[IggyLans]

Thanks Ladies!

 

[jahut2002]

We arrived at 2:00am during Easter week and had a wonderful 1 bedroom waiting at the BCV. Don't worry.

 

[kimpossible]

We arrived after midnight once. I had requested a (preferred view) view of the pool on the 1st floor of the BWV.

I received a Stunning View over the courtyard, with excellent views of the BW and Illuminations and a dedicated studio (with the day bed).

Go figure. I couldn't get that again if I tried.

Go and enjoy.

 

[beachblanket]

Our first DVC trip in December, and our flight is scheduled to arrive at MCO at 11pm. Are we doomed to get the "bottom of the barrell" room? How about if we requested a room in a particular section? I know requests are just that - requests, and are not guaranteed, but are our chances slim to none due to late arrival?

While the prior examples show good space can pop up late in the day, I strongly suspect that isn't the norm.

Let me put it this way: while you are not necessarily "doomed" to a dumpster view closet in an undesirable section, arriving late does lower the likelihood of getting exactly what you want. Why?

Unfortunately because of people like me.

We reserve 11 months out to the day, making very specific requests for a top shelf accomodaton. On check in day, we arrive by 7am and (a) re-state our requests, (b) tell the desk CM that since we are heading directly off to a park to be there at opening we are in no immediate hurry to get into the villa and consequently (b) are willing to "wait" as long as necessary for whatever villa is opening up that day that comes as close as possible to meeting all those requests.

This -- in terms of "who gets what" -- pretty much negates the impact of the so-called "room ready" policy others may be mentioning. Trust me, because we booked early, arrived early, "raised our hands" and reminded the room assigner of our desires, he/she isn't going to give away a villa we specifically re-requested at 7am to someone arriving six hours later.

Consequently, because early birds like us are "getting into line" before later arrivals, most of the "better" villas that are opening up on given day are being spoken for by noon-ish. So by late evening most of what is often left over (outside a handful of slower seasons like early September) are those accomodations "nobody was particularly asking for."

Are they necessarily terrible? No. But don't expect that upper floor killer view villa with the extra balcony space, or something close to the elevator, etc. Even if it opened up that morning, someone who arrived before you (who had previously requested that precise type of space) got it.

 

[CarolA]

My first DVC stay ever I checked in close to midnight.

OKW. Got one of the buildings that is now the "perferred hospitality house" location LOL! It's the only time I was ever that close to the HH!

The truth is that while "early arrival" gets a lot of 'attention' on here. There are other factors. Lenght of stay, when the prior guests FINALLY decided to pack up, etc...

I don't ever bother to arrive at the crack of dawn. In most cases the room won't be ready until 4 anyway. I can't say that I have ever had a horrid room.

I actually do NOT believe that "arriving early" gets you what you want. There too many folks on here trying it. There too many folks on here attempting the "act like a two year old" method. There was a poster on here recently that apparently managed to pitch enough fits to get to pick from FOUR BCV studios. Considering how busy that place is, do you really think that just to shut them up they didn't "reassign" someone who wasn't standing there acting out? And to beachblanket what are you going to do? There's no way to PROVE the "killer" unit you wanted was EVER going to be assinged to you????

(And yes I have stayed at Carousel. I walked that extra 0.05 miles and LIVED to talk about it LOL!)