Couple of questions
1) We've already booked, didn't realize I should have made requests of where to stay. When we do an online check in can we do a request then?
2) We will be travelling with DH's 70 year old father, who has bad legs after alot of walking, gets alot of swelling. What would be the best place for us to request. We want to be close to pools as we do have 2 little kids, and to food, if possible?
3) Wanting to see if I read it right, but if we eat at Pepper Market for dinner, it's a TS credit, not QS? Where can we use QS for dinner at the resort. We will be eating dinner there once at least?
Good to know about the 10% thing, otherwise we'd be like WTH when it comes to us.
If they offer refillable mugs there, where does one fill'er up?
You can call back and add a room request, or you can do it during online check-in. Rooms are assigned a few days before arrival, so if you make your request online, don't wait until the day before you arrive to do online check-in.
Preferred rooms are a separate booking category and a higher price, not a request, but they are closest to the main building. Preferred buildings are casitas 1,2 and 3. Those buildings are 5-10 minutes to the Dig Site pool, but there is a quiet pool in each section of the resort (the casitas quiet pool is near casita 4).
The first bus stop picked up and dropped off when going to the parks is the casitas stop, so it might be worth booking a preferred room if you want to ensure your DFIL has a seat on the bus in the mornings. We have only stood once on a CSR bus, and it was leaving MK after Wishes. We generally get on at the cabanas stop and have always had a seat in the morning.
We like the cabanas because they are in between the Dig Site and El Centro, but it is a popular request with families. If you decide not to book a preferred room, it is helpful to request what you want instead of a specific building (e.g. close to Dig Site, close to bus stop, etc). If your DFIL has medical issues, you can mention those when making your request.
Park buses stop at casitas, ranchos, cabanas, then El Centro, so you could take a park bus to El Centro if your room is far from the main building. Downtown Disney buses stop at El Centro first, then casitas, ranchos and cabanas, so you could take a DTD bus back to your room if you happen to see one (they are not as frequent as the park buses).
Pepper Market is always a QS location. It is a buffet for breakfast and lunch and a la carte for dinner. It is a great value on the
DDP. Many people have reported not being charged 10% on the DDP, but I think your server would not receive anything if you are not charged, unless you left something on the table for him. You will be seated, your drinks will be brought and refilled, and you will have real silverware and cloth napkins. Kids usually get coloring pages and crayons. The level of service is similar to a buffet, although dinner is a la carte. The 10% surcharge applies only at dinner, and it is not charged if you take your food to go. There are several tables out by the lake if the weather is nice and you want to eat outside.
Other QS locations are Cafe Rix (grab n go - breakfast, lunch and dinner), Laguna Bar (outside with outside table seating, so fine for kids - lunch and dinner) and Siesta's (at the pool - lunch and dinner).
Refillable mug locations are Cafe Rix (open 6:30 am - 11 pm or so) and Siesta's (open lunch through late evening).
As far as I know, Pepper Market is QS even at dinner. The difference is that breakfast and lunch is a buffet, and dinner is ala carte. 10% gratuity is charged unless you take your meal to go at dinner. They seat you and a server refills your drinks, so it is a little different in that way. We have requested cabanas to be close to the Dig Site. I believe in order to guarantee being closer to the food (El Centro), you may want to request a preferred room. Someone with direct experience can verify, but I believe there are internal busses that can get you to El Centro.
Hope it is not messed up when we check-in on the 24th! We will be arriving early to get to AK before 10am.
