Concierge/Club Level Information - Part II (Sept 2009)

[kaffinito]

I just had to send Poly IPO a request for them to send me the questionnaire. I'm sorry to say that so far I'm not hugely impressed with the Poly IPO. BWI seemed more on the ball to me.

Maybe it will get better?

 

[Aristocath]

I just had to send Poly IPO a request for them to send me the questionnaire. I'm sorry to say that so far I'm not hugely impressed with the Poly IPO. BWI seemed more on the ball to me.

Maybe it will get better?

I got the email from Poly IPO at 190 days out. So far they've been great and very speedy.

I hope they get better for you!

 

[hstrickland]

Okay, so I received the initial email from the Poly IPO with the link to the questionnaire (that has the place to request child care, ADRs, spa services, etc). I completed it and clicked "Submit." I didn't get any kind of receipt saying they received it. Was I supposed to? What kind of turnaround time should I give before I contact them to ask if they received it?

You should get an automated response...like a generic "we received your email". Each time I have emailed the Poly IPO (which is very often) I have gotten one of these. And usually within the hour they personally respond. I have been very pleased with their services.

 

[blondinkaya]

I didn't receive an automated response to the form, so I sent an email this afternoon, asking if they'd received it. I haven't yet received a response to that email.

I figured I'd give them tomorrow, in case they're backlogged, but I'll call on Friday if I haven't heard anything. My ADR window opens next weekend, and I'm hoping I can get what I want! I'm so stressed out with my school, work, and life in general (I work full time, have two kids--one in high school and the other in 1st grade -- and their activities, and go to school full-time myself) that I really don't want to have to concern myself with ADRs, kwim?

 

[luvthemouse71]

I just had to send Poly IPO a request for them to send me the questionnaire. I'm sorry to say that so far I'm not hugely impressed with the Poly IPO. BWI seemed more on the ball to me.

Maybe it will get better?

Not sure if I'm reading your post right, but I have had to initiate the first time. I think this is because of how I booked, I think if you book online, they often don't get your email automatically.

Once that was done though, they got right back to me, made my ADRs in a timely fashion and got me Le Cellier for dinner, no less!

What I did was email the Poly IPO with my name, reservation number and dates..then it worked fine. I think TikiMan has the adress on his site. HTH.

 

[mmmears]

I just had to send Poly IPO a request for them to send me the questionnaire. I'm sorry to say that so far I'm not hugely impressed with the Poly IPO. BWI seemed more on the ball to me.

Maybe it will get better?

I agree with the PP. Also, I've been told that if you book through a TA you will probably need to initiate contact with the IPO office. This has to do with the TA -- they could give the IPO office your info and ask them to call you, but many TAs don't.

I've initiated contact at least 75% of the time, regardless of which IPO office I've used. I have found that the Poly IPO is good at getting the ADRs I've asked for.

 

[SyracuseWolvrine]

I didn't receive an automated response to the form, so I sent an email this afternoon, asking if they'd received it. I haven't yet received a response to that email.

Have you checked your mail filters and your junk mail folder?

 

[mmmears]

I didn't receive an automated response to the form, so I sent an email this afternoon, asking if they'd received it. I haven't yet received a response to that email.

I figured I'd give them tomorrow, in case they're backlogged, but I'll call on Friday if I haven't heard anything. My ADR window opens next weekend, and I'm hoping I can get what I want! I'm so stressed out with my school, work, and life in general (I work full time, have two kids--one in high school and the other in 1st grade -- and their activities, and go to school full-time myself) that I really don't want to have to concern myself with ADRs, kwim?

IMO you should call them -- my guess is that they are not receiving your emails. The automated response is just that -- automated. It is automatically generated as soon as your email is received, whether or not the CMs are busy. If you didn't get one, chances are there was something wrong (like wrong address, or something wrong with their email system). You're so close to your ADR date that I would make sure to get on their list ASAP.

 

[gretchenohar@hotmail]

Would anyone by chance have descriptions (or pics) of the view from the first floor Lagoon View Rooms in Hawaii?
We loved our 3rd floor room last year, and will hopefully get a 1st floor room this year since the 3rd floor seems to be mainly TPV. Of course, 2nd floor would also be fine - since we WILL be staying at the Poly.
TIA!
Gretchen

 

[kaffinito]

I agree with the PP. Also, I've been told that if you book through a TA you will probably need to initiate contact with the IPO office. This has to do with the TA -- they could give the IPO office your info and ask them to call you, but many TAs don't.

I've initiated contact at least 75% of the time, regardless of which IPO office I've used. I have found that the Poly IPO is good at getting the ADRs I've asked for.

I did initiate contact, but did not get a form. I'm glad for these threads, or I wouldn't have known to ask for one! As it turns out, I didn't need the form after all.

My next trip to BWI CL isn't until the end of August, but I've already received an e-mail from their IPO.

Maybe I sounded a bit peevish earlier, but I was just afraid that I was missing something by not getting a form.

 

[RachaelA]

I did initiate contact, but did not get a form. I'm glad for these threads, or I wouldn't have known to ask for one! As it turns out, I didn't need the form after all.

My next trip to BWI CL isn't until the end of August, but I've already received an e-mail from their IPO.

Maybe I sounded a bit peevish earlier, but I was just afraid that I was missing something by not getting a form.

We've never got a form and I've always emailed the club level team at AKL a couple weeks out from my 180 days. I don't take it personally. I always get an automated response and then an email response within a few hours.

 

[heatherlynn444]

I just wanted to say BWI IPO staff is awesome. I emailed them about adding an ADR and within an hour they had emailed me back with an updated itenerary!

 

[KimDis]

My experience so far has been varied... and I always call in to make own hotel reservations. Poly IPO was a great help and sent my form out right away (the 1st time) and I found AKL IPO just okay. I had to call both AKL and GF for the form but they were very helpful and responsive.

I would definitely call and speak to someone directly. Best part is you reach someone directly without the forever and a day phone tree ("if you've visited more than 5 times" )

The biggest value for me in the past for CL was having IPO's assistance in making my ADR's. The whole 180 day ADR has changed the value of that to me. This year I wasn't ready to book my resort at that point but I did want to secure my ressies for Ohana, Crystal Palace breakfast, & Rose & Crown prior to Illuminations, etc so I made them myself and got everything I wanted, when I wanted it.

After staying CL I'd say the convenience of the lounge for breakfast, snacks and pool nibbles still makes it a value enough add for me to spend the extra $$$.

I made a ressie two weeks ago for BWI and haven't heard a thing yet from IPO so I'll probably just call them and have them pull up my ressies into the PDF format for my records.

 

[gretchenohar@hotmail]

Would anyone by chance have descriptions (or pics) of the view from the first floor Lagoon View Rooms in Hawaii?
We loved our 3rd floor room last year, and will hopefully get a 1st floor room this year since the 3rd floor seems to be mainly TPV. Of course, 2nd floor would also be fine - since we WILL be staying at the Poly.
TIA!
Gretchen

Looking back at this post I realize it doesn't make much sense - sorry. That's what I get for staying up so late reading these boards!!!

My dilemma is:

We would like to have a nice view - don't expect the $1,000,000 View, since we're not paying TPV.

Only the 3rd floor rooms at Hawaii have balconies. We won't be able to stay there, unfortunately....

I assume the 1st floor rooms have patios?

Would like to stay somewhere where we can sit outside the room while grandchildren are drifting off to sleep - maybe have an adult beverage or 2, and relax.

Questions:

1. Can you see the Castle or any part of MK from a 1st floor room? What about the EWP? Or Wishes fireworks? We had a great room on the 3rd floor last year & could see each of these! (Didn't realize how lucky we were - before they changed the room designations!) Or would we be better off just forgetting the LV designation and booking GV to save the money?

Don't know anything about the 2nd floor- have really not considered it, since we'd like to have a place to go outside the room while the kids are sleeping, yet still stay nearby since they are only age 4 & 7. Are we making a mistake here?

For those of you who have stayed on any of these floors at the Poly, what are your views?

Or is there another option that I haven't considered?

Right now we're booked Club Level Lagoon View. We're a group of 2 families traveling together - and we'd like to have adjoining rooms - tho this is not a top priority.

What are your ideas?

Thank you!

Gretchen

 

[lomillerin]

I made my own ADRs online. Will IPO put it all together in one itinerary for me?

Also, can I request a room location from IPO? I already put a request in when I made my ressies.

Thanks.

 

[kaffinito]

We would like to have a nice view - don't expect the $1,000,000 View, since we're not paying TPV.

Only the 3rd floor rooms at Hawaii have balconies. We won't be able to stay there, unfortunately....

I assume the 1st floor rooms have patios?

Would like to stay somewhere where we can sit outside the room while grandchildren are drifting off to sleep - maybe have an adult beverage or 2, and relax.

Questions:

1. Can you see the Castle or any part of MK from a 1st floor room? What about the EWP? Or Wishes fireworks? We had a great room on the 3rd floor last year & could see each of these! (Didn't realize how lucky we were - before they changed the room designations!) Or would we be better off just forgetting the LV designation and booking GV to save the money?

Don't know anything about the 2nd floor- have really not considered it, since we'd like to have a place to go outside the room while the kids are sleeping, yet still stay nearby since they are only age 4 & 7. Are we making a mistake here?

For those of you who have stayed on any of these floors at the Poly, what are your views?

Or is there another option that I haven't considered?

Right now we're booked Club Level Lagoon View. We're a group of 2 families traveling together - and we'd like to have adjoining rooms - tho this is not a top priority.

What are your ideas?

Thank you!

Gretchen

My understanding is, and my observations from being there are that you can see EWP and Wishes from the patios at Hawaii longhouse. Some of the views are obstructed by trees, but having a patio means that you can just walk onto the beach area from your room to view wishes. Remember that the Castle is a ways off in the distance, so the view you'll have of Wishes is of a little tiny castle surrounded by lights. You can certainly hear it and see it, but is is a ways off.

We're booked for Poly LV CL too, and have requested the first floor. But honestly, I'd be happy with second floor too.

Just my two cents.

 

[ljcrochet]

I made my own ADRs online. Will IPO put it all together in one itinerary for me?

Also, can I request a room location from IPO? I already put a request in when I made my ressies.

Thanks.

I wound up making ADRs online myself. The computer froze and I didn't know if they went though. I emailed AKL IPO explained what happened including what the ADRs were for (date and time) and one other ADR i need them to make for me. When they emailed me back my itinerary, they included my boma reservation which I had not told them about.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I made my own ADRs online. Will IPO put it all together in one itinerary for me?

The times when my family and I made ADR's before we arrived when we checked in the Club Level Cast Members at the Contemporary gave us a print out of them. However those ADR's were made over the phone when we called WDW-Dining ourselves, so I am not sure what happens when you make them online and when you check-in.

 

[kaffinito]

Hi!

I have a question about the sliding glass doors in the Poly rooms. I don't remember from our last visit, but do the doors have locks on them?

I'll need something to keep DN4 from opening the door, so is there a portable bar or something I could bring to put on the door to keep DN4 from opening it? He gets up in the middle of the night sometimes and wanders, and I'm worried he might try to get out through the sliding doors.

TIA!
Karen

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Hi!

I have a question about the sliding glass doors in the Poly rooms. I don't remember from our last visit, but do the doors have locks on them?

I'll need something to keep DN4 from opening the door, so is there a portable bar or something I could bring to put on the door to keep DN4 from opening it? He gets up in the middle of the night sometimes and wanders, and I'm worried he might try to get out through the sliding doors.

TIA!
Karen

Yes there are two locks on those doors.