Checking in--What time to get best room?

[pixiechick]

We will arrive at BCV on Sunday. With the current room assignment process, what time should we checkin?
I have conflicting thoughts on the best way to approach it. Getting there early doesn't help if there were no "good" rooms open the night before. But getting there later may mean the better rooms have already been given out.
We have a 1 bedroom with no overly specific requests. I just want the best possible location for my family's vacation.
I thought booking 11 months would have made this part easy...

Any thoughts, suggestions, or recent experiences? Thanks!

 

[Terry S]

pixiechick... this is a very good question. With the new policy, your guess is as good as anyones. I still think checking in early would probably be your best bet. I am not sure if they are going to give the option of "nothing meets your requests now, but if you want to wait there is one that meets your requests that we can assign you now and you can call back later to see if its clean". Worse comes to worse, if you check in early and nothing meets your requests and they won't let you take a room that isn't clean yet, you could take a gamble and leave the desk and come back an hour later.

 

[spiceycat]

I check in no matter what time I get there - get it out of the way - if your room is not ready they will give you a card with a phone number (you might have to ask for this) - so you can call them instead of coming back to the front desk - then go enjoy the parks, the resorts, SALB, BW - whatever.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

I am not sure I understand the new room request deal...
If it is first come, first serve, then why does MS still take requests? I just requested a specific cottage at Vero two days ago.
Also, do you have to accept the first room givin to you, or can you hold out for a better one by telling the front desk that you want the first available [fill in your request here] room?

Thanx...

 

[spiceycat]

I don't think anyone understands the new systems - especially not the front desk.

I always make request - if you don't request - you get what the room controller had left over.

but like at OKW - at lot of members and guests want to be near the HH - this is impossible given the number of people who request this site.

I generally request non-smoking, near a quiet pool or near a bus stop - water view at OKW. Most of the time I get at least one of my request - sometimes I get all 3 - just depends.

You have to be careful what you are willing to take - once you leave the front desk - the room is yours regardless!!! unless you are willing to pay the room cleanning fee. I am not.

 

[lampy]

pixiechick


I must agree, I have had the same thoughts. Why check-in early with the new policy? You will only get what is left over from the night before, which is probably not the best viewed rooms.

So it may be better to check-in between 3:00-4:00, since that is when most of the rooms will be cleaned from departure.

I would think with the new policy that MS will still be writing down your requests (until they get trained what to say) but the controller will simply ignore them completely, except for medical reasons.

No one knows for sure until some people start coming back from their stays under the new policy.

I know a lot of people will say "well in the past" this happened to me, BUT, that is in the past and this is a new time! Time will tell.

 

[Eeyore2U]

Special Room Request Procedure

As a reminder, the established procedure and appropriate time for making special room requests is when you make your reservation with Member Services. If you have any additional requests, or changes to your original request, call Member Services directly. Please do not call or fax the resort where you'll be staying. To be fair to all Members, the only information we use when trying to honor special room requests is that which comes from Member Services.

With so many Members having special requests, it's important that everyone follow this established procedure. As you can imagine, the number of Members asking for particular rooms, views, floors, and buildings makes it impossible to honor all of the requests. We do our best to honor your requests, but please understand that we cannot guarantee them.

I just pulled this off of the member site. I don't see a change from what's been going on. Can someone tell me what I'm missing?

 

[lampy]

Here is a link to the OP.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=417365

The DVC website has been updated since.

 

[spiceycat]

okay back when - boy do I feel old - OKW was the only DVC resort - what was on your reservation confirmation was generally the room you got - the room request were done in the order that the requests were received (another words if you called ms and make you request at 11 month you generally got what you wanted)

Now I don't think anyone would object if they went back to that system. They are not!!!

Then for a while if you send in a fax you got some of your requests. So now they are trying to stop that system. However if I have a special request - such as different rooms that need to be together - then I am still going to fax.

What the room controller do now and what they say they do are not the same - you can get there at 7:00am (which I have done) and still not get any of your request.

they should (in my opinion) go back to the old way - you make your request when you make your reservation - then if you want to know why your request were not meet - MS or the front desk can say that all those building/views/close to request were already taken - they will have a problem with someone (like me) for instance who does this at 11 months but still does not get what they want.

I say want not need - now the times that I travel with my mother we need a first floor - the first couple of times I did not request - but boy she had such trouble with those steps - just her (I carry everything) she would take as long as 15 minutes to come up the steps to the second floor. Now when I take her I will not take anything that is not on the first floor. but that request is for health reasons and is generally made - when I travel with her.

I have yet to see what the criticea is for getting your request. AS I say what they say and what happens are too very different things. Now if you are surpose to tip the room controller I wish they would just say so.

you know maybe I just better write a request to DVC and quit complaining here - thanks!!!

 

[Eeyore2U]

I read that post when it was posted and when I went to the member site I got what I copied and pasted. Does anyone have have any other confirmation of a change? Anything recently in writing from MS?

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Originally posted by Eeyore2U
I read that post when it was posted and when I went to the member site I got what I copied and pasted. Does anyone have have any other confirmation of a change? Anything recently in writing from MS?

I am also confused about this. If it is truly 'first come, first serve', than why did MS let me make specific requests just two days ago?

 

[Eeyore2U]

Originally posted by Maistre Gracey
I am also confused about this. If it is truly 'first come, first serve', than why did MS let me make specific requests just two days ago?

I think this is like when we were young and played Ghost. When the teacher told the first person something and by the time it got the last person it was a totally different story.

 

[lampy]

I agree Eeyore2U, a lot of confusion.

DVCMC puts it on their website then another statement and the whole time MS continues to take requests (which the site would be first come, first served)

Now you see the dilema of the OP.

 

[spiceycat]

I send a letter to MS - I will try to copy it here - if I remember that is - you know what happens when you get old!

 

[SafariTigger]

Originally posted by spiceycat
However if I have a special request - such as different rooms that need to be together - then I am still going to fax.

Spiceycat, I have requested a 2bdrm and a studio at HH and I'd like them close together. Also I need it to be a dedicated 2bdrm with 2 queen beds not a lock-off with one bed and one couch. I check in on Sunday, do you think I should fax them a reminder anyway? It is written on my reservation. This is my first DVC trip so I'm not sure how this is usually done.

 

[spiceycat]

I would.

just be polite and say this is in your reservation but it is very important that these particular request be meet - if there are any problems give them a telephone number to call you. send a copy of your reservation with it.