Connecting rooms - anyone with kids ever NOT get them?

[Jackie H.]

We are 2 adults and 2 kids. Kids are DS 14 years old and DD 11 years old. My son is a very athletic boy who is 5'8" and 160 lbs....my hubby is 205....they CANNOT share a double bed. He doesn't want to sleep with me (mom) and he and DD don't sleep together. We need a queen bed or something larger (like a daybed for DD). But two rooms at POP is WAY cheaper than one at a deluxe.

But I would have to be guaranteed connecting rooms.

I know lots of folks have requested connecting rooms and did not get them...but what about in my situation? Two adults in one room and two kids in the other? Will they guarantee me connecting rooms then?

Thanks

 

[kitty2kidz]

BUMP!! We got "guarunteed " connecting rooms for our trip in Oct. --I hope that guarunteed really means guarunteed--it is on all of my reservation papers from WDW

 

[zurgswife]

If you reserve at a deluxe you will get a queen.

Otherwise how about at a Moderate....1 room and request a roll away. You and your DD share a bed and dh gets the other double and your ds gets the roll away..I'd check to see if there is a charge but I only think they charge if you need it for an extra person...

 

[DiscussDisney]

Well, we are a family of 5 (3 adults 2 kids)....and we got guaranteed connecting rooms on our reservation. All I had to do is ask and the CM added it to our reservation. The confirmation says: "Guaranteed Connecting Rooms".

 

[Everyyeardisney]

Every time we have requested connecting rooms at POP (3 or 4 different times) we have gotten them. So chances are good that you will also especially that there will be kids in the other room.

 

[bicker]

The confirmation says: "Guaranteed Connecting Rooms".

That is the key. It needs to say precisely that, on the Disney resort reservation itself (not just on a travel agent's confirmation).

 

[taximomfor4]

My story has already been "out there" but just wanted to mention, since you asked. Yes, we had "Guaranteed Connecting Rooms for families" on our confirmation. Double, triple, and quadruple-checked (at our pre-checkin at 4:30am, again when I called for our room assignment from Epcot at 3pm) -- was told that we got connecting rooms.

Nope. We were assigned to rooms with no connecting door. When I posted my story, we got a number of PMs from people who also didn't get their "guaranteed" connecting rooms. DOubt that this happens often, though.

We were 2 adults (me and dh), and 4 kids (dd11, special needs dd6, ds5, and dd2). We are going into our next trip with a back up plan.

Beth

 

[Barb A.]

Just made ressies today for 2 standard rooms at WL for DH and I and 14 yo neice and friend in other room. CRO told me we could only get connecting rooms if we had anything other than standard view. I'm hoping on check in we can get an upgrade.

 

[Jackie H.]

Yes, Beth...I asked! I asked because I wanted to know. There are a lot of things I could take going wrong without it really messing up my vacation...but not being in connecting rooms would NOT be one of them. This would really ruin our vacation! That is why I wanted to know....

So, what did the CMs say to you when your confirmation said "Guaranteed Connecting Rooms" but then they didn't give them to you? Which resort?

Thanks again

 

[triplefigs]

Yes, Beth...I asked! I asked because I wanted to know. There are a lot of things I could take going wrong without it really messing up my vacation...but not being in connecting rooms would NOT be one of them. This would really ruin our vacation! That is why I wanted to know....

So, what did the CMs say to you when your confirmation said "Guaranteed Connecting Rooms" but then they didn't give them to you? Which resort?

Thanks again

Here's a link to her post about the ordeal her family went through at AsMu. I am still horrified how badly WDW CM's and management handled it during TaxiMom's trip and then afterwards.

AsMu Woes

 

[Sammie]

As Beth said it "can" happen, especially when there are two adults in the party that could split up. I know no one wants to do that.

The guarantee means to me they will give them to you if they have them to give. That does mean you could check in and literally there not be any available.

So it is rare you don't get them, but it does happen.

 

[taximomfor4]

Correct, Sammie!

Just from reading this board, I would guess that NOT getting the connecting rooms is rare.

Triplefigs posted the link to my original thread about it. The story is very complete, I kept it updated as I spoke with people. It's hard to get, from the thread, though, how horrible the people at ASMu front desk were when we went to get our connecting rooms! The first clerk we got to complain to insisted to my dh that I had never even REQUESTED connecing rooms. DH called me over, and I showed my confirmation letter. He still told us that we were just going to have to make our rooms work. I went through the options -- let me out of ressie with no penalty, move us to a resort that DID have room for all of us (which really was 5 + a toddler so one room in a deluxe would have worked) . We did end up in rooms with connecting door, but they were rooms that did not match our Special Needs. Any of them. But with DH gone part of the week, I HAD to have that connecting door.

I will say that once I got someone high up to speak with, she reiterated that the guaranteed connecting rooms are still NOT REALLY guaranteed. Because they "guarantee" them for every family with only 2 adults and needing more than one room. That number might exceed the number of connecting rooms available. Therefore, someone will be splitting up.

By the way, this happened to my friend too. Her family ended up split up (not even next door to each other) on a Disney Cruise!

About WL not giving connecting rooms for standard view, we will see. We have WL standard view, with Guaranteed Connecting Rooms for Families booked in a few weeks. Yes, we are gluttons for punishment. Actually, I am super-curious to see what "Lucretia" will do to make sure this stay goes as booked! Should we place bets on whether our rooms connect this trip? Hehe.

This trip, dh will not be gone any of the nights. So if we don't get the connecting rooms, we will cancel however many nights we can without penalty, and stay with his friends nearby. Why pay to split my family up?

Beth

 

[DiscussDisney]

I will say that once I got someone high up to speak with, she reiterated that the guaranteed connecting rooms are still NOT REALLY guaranteed. Because they "guarantee" them for every family with only 2 adults and needing more than one room. That number might exceed the number of connecting rooms available. Therefore, someone will be splitting up.

I wonder why Disney uses the term "guaranteed" on their confirmations? If connecting rooms are "not guaranteed", then it should simply say "connecting rooms requested". Am I missing something?

 

[taximomfor4]

Maybe to prioritize need for connecting rooms? I raised that question quite relentlessly with the woman I dealt with after my trip. She just promised that "They take it on a case by case basis and do their best." There were other similar answers each time I asked. Never got her to say that they were CARVED IN STONE though!

 

[DisneyMom5]

We had a very bad experience with a hotel (NOT Disney) not giving us our guaranteed connecting rooms. It was a complete nightmare. There were no rooms to be found anywhere. We ended up driving 4 extra hours before finding a hotel in a town we were sort of familiar with. DH gave our sob story to the night clerk at a Quality Inn (Findlay, OH -- HIGHLY recommend it!) and she took pity on us and rearranged some reservations and found us connecting rooms.
We have connecting rooms booked for our trip down and back (in Tennesee), and at Disney. If any of these mess that up, my dh may not travel again for awhile.
I am worried because several of our requests that are listed as guaranteed are high priority (non-smoking and frig for medical reasons, connecting for minor children), that I am worried they will be annoyed with all my requests.
I THINK I read that Pop C. has more connecting rooms than the All stars.
Here's hoping for some Pixie Dust.

Edited to add: I agree with the poster on the other loop that saying "guaranteed" on a confirmation when its not REALLY Guarenteed is a BAD (False?) Business practice. Maybe if enough people complain....?
Then they probably won't guarentee at all. But really, why offer something as a perk if you aren't going to follow through?
We can live without the frig, as I can put his meds on ice, but non-smoking and connecting are crucial!!!

 

[jjohnson]

I wonder why Disney uses the term "guaranteed" on their confirmations? If connecting rooms are "not guaranteed", then it should simply say "connecting rooms requested". Am I missing something?

It's just like there new wording for a PS. Advanced Dining "Reservation" but it's still not a "real" reservation is it.

 

[DiscussDisney]

It's just like there new wording for a PS. Advanced Dining "Reservation" but it's still not a "real" reservation is it.

I agree with that. But the difference is that Disney is putting it in writing on their confirmations (regarding connecting rooms). Why do that if it is truly not a guarantee? I find it difficult to understand how a CM can argue that "guaranteed" doesn't really mean "guaranteed"...

 

[Jackie H.]

I agree with all of you....why not just say "requested" unless it is truly guaranteed? This seems simple enough to me. If the confirmation reads "guaranteed" why wouldn't a reasonable person think it is guaranteed!???

Beth, I went back and read about your experience. This is just terrible in my opinion. I really don't think this would've happened a few years ago at WDW. I've personally had such opposite treatment. (We were moved to the Disney Institute once from the All Star Sports at $49 per night - the then all star rate - when we showed up a day early! WDW really didn't do anything wrong...they were just that dedicated to customer service then). I hope Disney doesn't lose that Disney magic....it may save them money or effort in the short term, but it will cost them in the long run.

But, being put in non-connecting rooms is something I'm not willing to take a chance on....so we will be staying elsewhere (with queen beds). That is why I asked in the first place! Hubby & I have decided on the WL...and we will take a visit over to PC since my DD really wants to see it.

Thanks again,
Jackie

 

[DisneyFans4]

I just started last year getting connecting rooms because my teenage boys are now 16 and 18 and no way are we going to double up in a bed anymore, they need their own bed.
Just ask for it when you make your ressie and you should get it. Tell them it's a must have!

 

[taximomfor4]

Beth, I went back and read about your experience. This is just terrible in my opinion. I really don't think this would've happened a few years ago at WDW. I've personally had such opposite treatment. (We were moved to the Disney Institute once from the All Star Sports at $49 per night - the then all star rate - when we showed up a day early! WDW really didn't do anything wrong...they were just that dedicated to customer service then). I hope Disney doesn't lose that Disney magic....it may save them money or effort in the short term, but it will cost them in the long run.

jackie,
I completely understand why you asked the question. We were completely blind-sided when that whole situation happened. This time, we split our stay in the hope that if ONE of the places screws up, at least it won't be bad for our WHOLE vacation, lol.

Thanks for the good thoughts... this board really did help me out when that all happened. Everyone was so positive, and I got very useful advice.

Have a wonderful trip, Jackie!

Beth