Checking in earlier, better chance of getting a room request

[Lynne M]

Wow, such a bag of mixed reviews. You just never know I suppose. I will just do what I feel like on the morning of, and report the results in April.

It really does depend heavily on what's been requested. That's part of why you're seeing mixed results.

If someone asks for "not first floor," chances are they'll get their request no matter what time they arrive, because most of the rooms at the resort are not on the first floor. There's tons of rooms that meet their request.

If someone asks for "connecting rooms, third floor, close to lobby, overlooking the pool, not near an elevator," there might be two rooms at the entire resort that would satisfy that guest's requests. Their odds are not good. No matter what time they arrive.

Also, the reason a guest *thinks* they didn't get their request isn't always the actual reason. It's easy to believe, if you arrive at 11 PM, that that's why you didn't get your requests. But maybe you would have gotten that same room if you'd arrived at 8 AM.

 

[SCDizFan]

Having a twenty year background in the hotel business I can tell you for a fact it doesn't matter what time you check in.

If you have a specific request, you can certainly check in at any time and let the front desk know you are willing to wait for your requested room.

There are a million reasons why hotel rooms are taken out of inventory.

 

[ninafeliz]

Having a twenty year background in the hotel business I can tell you for a fact it doesn't matter what time you check in.

If you have a specific request, you can certainly check in at any time and let the front desk know you are willing to wait for your requested room.

There are a million reasons why hotel rooms are taken out of inventory.

But doesn't this support the theory that checking in early increases your chances of getting any requests you may have granted? If you get there at 8 AM they have more rooms to move you into than if you get there at 11 PM. It's just the way it works - more people have arrived and moved in, so less rooms available to move to.

I think also people are confusing/mixing up increasing your chance of having the room you are initially assigned to meeting your requests vs the chance of being able to be moved into a room that meets your requests. I agree, what time you arrive has no difference on the room Disney initially assigns you. But I still think arriving to the resort early increases your chances of being able to be reassigned a room that is more to your liking if you don't care for the initial one you were given.

 

[SL6827]

With our one night stay at POR the only request I am going to make is ground floor. And while I would prefer a ground floor at SSR as well, I am not even going to mention that as being either in Grandstand or near a pool will be my preference.

 

[SCDizFan]

But doesn't this support the theory that checking in early increases your chances of getting any requests you may have granted? If you get there at 8 AM they have more rooms to move you into than if you get there at 11 PM. It's just the way it works - more people have arrived and moved in, so less rooms available to move to.

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No, it makes no difference. Forty years ago when hotels relied on walk in business, it would have made a difference but now 99% of a hotel's revenue is advanced reservations.

That hotel knows who is checking in at 8am and 11PM.

It doesn't matter what time you check in as to whether or not your preference is met.

Now the later you check in the higher your chances of getting walked to a hotel if the hotel is over booked.

 

[SL6827]

That hotel knows who is checking in at 8am and 11PM

How do they know this?

 

[maxiesmom]

No, it makes no difference. Forty years ago when hotels relied on walk in business, it would have made a difference but now 99% of a hotel's revenue is advanced reservations.

That hotel knows who is checking in at 8am and 11PM.

It doesn't matter what time you check in as to whether or not your preference is met.

Now the later you check in the higher your chances of getting walked to a hotel if the hotel is over booked.

Disney resorts are not the same as other resorts. They don't handle their reservations in the same way. They only pre-assign rooms a few days out. And that assignment can be changed up until you are in your room. Heck, I've been told I had one room number at check in (which wasn't quite ready) only to end up in a different room.

Disney tends to cater to the guest in front of them, not the one that will show up in a few hours. If Sandy Sue wants the exact room type they have you pre-assigned to, and none other will do, guess what? They will move you to make Sandy Sue happy.

Twice I've even been moved from a paid for room type to a lesser room, as there were none of the rooms I had booked available when I arrived. One time the CM told me it was because whoever was in the room I had been pre-assigned decided to extend their stay and they let them keep that room.

 

[SL6827]

I am just going to ask if we could be placed in building #15, #16,# 9 or #10. And if they don't have anything available in those then I will just take what they do have and be on my merry way.

 

[SharonZ]

I'm another person who never puts in a room request, and I've never been disappointed!

 

[Moliphino]

I'm another person who never puts in a room request, and I've never been disappointed!

I'll use the drop downs at online check-in if they're available, but I've never called/faxed in requests. It's usually fine, aside from our last two trips: at CSR they initially put us in the building directly next to tower construction and last year at Pop they stuck us in the 90's building. Literally any other building in either resort and I would not have asked to move.