Does the early bird get the best room?

[fla4fun]

EDITED TO ADD: I believe I get these ground-floor rooms at WL because I am solo, and my theory is that they assign solos the unusued & left-over king bed handicapped rooms - basically whatever is left that isn't used by a family truly needing a handicapped-assessible room. I bet anything that my original room 1165 was king/handicapped-assessible.

Do you book room only, or do you book a package? I always book room only (because I have an AP) and go solo a lot. However, when I travel anywhere that it costs the same to have one or two adults in the room, I always add one of my immediate family as another adult in the room on the reservation. One, this keeps people who might overhear me checking in from knowing I'm alone, and two, it does help prevent the scenario you mention above. I also typically request an upper floor room if I'm alone. If you are requesting "not ground floor" they could just be seeing the "ground floor" part and thinking they are doing you a favor. I have stayed on the ground floor solo, usually at BC so I have easy Epcot access without having to backtrack to an elevator, and felt perfectly secure. But I think WL would be a little different.

 

[tinknsnow]

Last October, we decided to do the drive down in one shot, which meant we'd arrive close to midnight. We'd always split the drive to arrive early am, and we'd always had good luck with room requests. I was certain we'd not get our request of a Magic Kingdom view at the CR (Atrium Club, so MK view is not guaranteed).

My travel agent had put the request on our reservation, which was made over a year in advance. I debated whether or not to call to reiterate the request (or fax) but opted not to, for fear it would be annoying. LOL

Anyway, we arrived just before midnight. Although the lobby was very bare (only one guy working) we were granted our Magic Kingdom view without even having to ask. The room was centrally located with the most amazing view!

So, people who have to arrive late, don't lose hope!

 

[Princessbaby]

I requested a particular room at Animal Kingdom Lodge when the reservation was made -- and then I sent an e-mail reiterating that. Here is what concierge wrote back:

"Room assignments are mostly based on how the check outs and arrivals
match up but I see there is a comment already in your reservation."

My understanding is that room assignments are made days before you check in. In fact, I remember reading in someone's trip report that they were told this when they checked in -- their room was preassigned.

This makes sense because when we checked in at 8am they were able to tell us what building and what room we were in. It just wasn't ready until after 3pm. It never occured to me that we could have at least walked by the room to see where it was- we were just too anxious to get to a park!!

 

[sandym718]

We've only gone once, so I can't compare, but we had great results with early check-in. About 8AM. The thing with early check-in, more likely to get a choice - we got to choose, take a room available at 8AM (not our requests), or wait until our request was available. We waited (went to the MK), they gave us a # to check if our room was ready, then came back about 3 PM (naptime) and got a PERFECT room. We drive down and last time stayed offsite that first night (about 12 hours). I debated for 2009 about checking into the Poly right away. For several reasons I've decided against it ($$$), but better chance for our request is one of them!

 

[CanadianGuy]

I have the BEST luck by making a simple request:

- Ground Floor Room

Or..

- Corner Room

Or..

- Balcony Room

I request ONE thing that's important to me.. and for the past four trips.. I got that one thing.

Rooms are generally assigned by hand and from my talks with a CM who has done room assignment, they make every effort but sometimes the known availabilities just don't match the requests at the time the assignment is done... which is generally 3 days before check-in or so.

Obviously a lot can change in three days.

Knox

 

[stellablue]

I don't think time of check in makes a difference. We checked in at 7:30am and only got half our request filled (we did a floor request and a view request).

I honestly just think it depends on how busy the resort is and luck of the draw....and maybe an exceptional CM who goes out of the way to help you. There happened to be several people staying at our resort for a conference and I think that had something to do with it.

My best advice to you is-be polite and don't come off as too demanding. Our CM did what she could, but could only get our request partly filled. We were ok with that because we know she tried and we had a pleasant experience overall.

 

[Renee1061]

Last April, we checked in at WL at around 5:30 p.m. We had booked a standard room, made no special requests, and were upgraded to an inner courtyard view!

 

[Knavey]

Both times I have booked at AKL and paid for a savanna room. The initial room assignment has been pretty bad...restricted view areas of the savanna. These were rooms in my opinion that should NEVER be given out until the bitter end. They honored our request to move each time but it is a bit of a burden.

We are going back in April and I fully expect to be stuck in a bad room until I complain about it! I may be a bit disappointed if they do give me a good room assignment the first time.

I might add that both times we arrived around noonish.

 

[AnninIowa]

We fly in from Iowa, and have no choice but to arrive in the evening as there are no direct flights from Iowa. First time I believe we arrived at 6 pm, second time almost 8 pm....both times we were upgraded!

 

[Smile4Me]

I find that no matter what time I check in, my requets are always ignored and clearly never even viewed by anyone. It's become a running joke with me.

My recent stay at WL was predictably very typical of my luck. I paid for a courtyard view, and requested a balcony (a non-ground floor room). I was traveling solo, and didn't want ground floor, partly for safety reasons, and partly for privacy. A balcony sounds like a simple request, right? I checked in early at 11:00 am, and guess what? I got assigned room 1165 or something - very end of the hall, ground floor, closest room to the pool bar, and directly next to an entrance and exit!!! I almost cried at check-in. Last time at WL, I got a ground floor room next to the loading dock. This time didn't sound like much better!

But fortunately I was prepared with a map of WL's rooms, so I knew right there that this room was a ground floor room near a major door, so I started politely begging for a better room - pleading that I was alone and didn't want a ground floor room. The lady CM went in the back, and then returned with a different room - a 3rd floor balcony room overlooking the inner courtyard and the spring, and near the lobby. And it was ready, even! I happily took that, and it was a GREAT room (even got towel animals every day!), and loved my 7 nights there.

But I just couldn't believe that a simple request of a non ground-floor room could be ignored - it leads me to believe that requests are ignored in general, and the computer just spits out a random room. I pretty much have had it with requests after that experience. What's the point? They make no difference. Seems better to beg at check-in. Oh well!

EDITED TO ADD: I believe I get these ground-floor rooms at WL because I am solo, and my theory is that they assign solos the unusued & left-over king bed handicapped rooms - basically whatever is left that isn't used by a family truly needing a handicapped-assessible room. I bet anything that my original room 1165 was king/handicapped-assessible.

HugsforEeyore- are all kingsized bed rooms at WL like this? I requested a kingsized bed for me and my bf for our trip at the end of the summer...and would really like some help if you know where a decent king is located at WL for me to request! We really lucked out last year and had a great king size bed room in building 5 at POFQ. Hoping for a little luck again...we currently have a woodsview reserved....any ideas or advice for me? (of course I'd be willing to change views for a great room if need be!) Thanks!

 

[HugsForEeyore]

HugsforEeyore- are all kingsized bed rooms at WL like this? I requested a kingsized bed for me and my bf for our trip at the end of the summer...and would really like some help if you know where a decent king is located at WL for me to request! We really lucked out last year and had a great king size bed room in building 5 at POFQ. Hoping for a little luck again...we currently have a woodsview reserved....any ideas or advice for me? (of course I'd be willing to change views for a great room if need be!) Thanks!

You know, I am beginning to wonder myself about where the good king bed rooms are! I only seen lousy ones! I have read that almost all king bed rooms there are handicapped-assessible, and there are only like 35 king rooms in the whole building? Both times I been at WL, I was placed in ground floor rooms and at the end of hallways (I believe the second time was a king bed, I switched before I found out!).

Sadly, the king bed room I did have back in 2004 was a woods view, and it was awful - directly next to the loading dock!! Trucks and workmen steps from my patio. Not too relaxing or private! Here is the view (I did step out a couple of steps), looking left:

Ugh!! I think it was room 1034 or something - so flee if you get that!!

I am wary to ever stay at WL again, since I can't seem to avoid the ground floor! So I wonder too where the good ones are! Oh well - hope you have far better luck with king rooms that I did!

 

[HugsForEeyore]

Do you book room only, or do you book a package? I always book room only (because I have an AP) and go solo a lot. However, when I travel anywhere that it costs the same to have one or two adults in the room, I always add one of my immediate family as another adult in the room on the reservation. One, this keeps people who might overhear me checking in from knowing I'm alone, and two, it does help prevent the scenario you mention above. I also typically request an upper floor room if I'm alone. If you are requesting "not ground floor" they could just be seeing the "ground floor" part and thinking they are doing you a favor. I have stayed on the ground floor solo, usually at BC so I have easy Epcot access without having to backtrack to an elevator, and felt perfectly secure. But I think WL would be a little different.

You know, that's a great idea! I am probably going to start booking "phantom" people on my solo reservations, so I don't look like a solo! On my recent WL reservation, I remember I requested a balcony, so I never said "not ground floor", so there should have been no confusion - it clearly was never looked at or just ignored. I also book room-only, sometimes with AP.

Statistically speaking, there are FAR more balcony courtyard rooms than ground floor, but I seem to always wind up on the ground floor! I hate ground floor when I am solo - I feel like I am on display if I try to use the patio and have people walking by 2 feet away; and I just feel safer having a balcony with some privacy.

My theory is that WL puts the solos in unused king bed handicapped-assessible rooms. Since there are only like 35 in the whole building, and assuming some are occupied and some are reserved for people who truly need them, it probably leaves an inventory of only a handful of rooms that I could possibly be placed in. So I wind up in the left-overs - ground floor in undesired locations.

I may try your method of booking extra people so to not appear to be solo! At this point, I am willing to try anything to just get a decent room! Thanks!!