Dumb Noob Question: Room Requests

[J-Dog]

Sorry for the dumb question, but we are brand new DVC owners and just made our first booking.

I hear talk of people making room requests. How does one go about doing that? When I booked yesterday online, I didn't see any option for making comments or room requests. Do I need to call MS? If so, do I call immediately, or wait until a certain amount of time prior to the reservation date?

Thanks. Sorry...

 

[CarolynFH]

Sorry for the dumb question, but we are brand new DVC owners and just made our first booking.

I hear talk of people making room requests. How does one go about doing that? When I booked yesterday online, I didn't see any option for making comments or room requests. Do I need to call MS? If so, do I call immediately, or wait until a certain amount of time prior to the reservation date?

Thanks. Sorry...

I like to use the chat feature or the email under Contact Us on the member website, and I usually do it as soon as I know what our requests are for that stay, on the theory of “first come, first served.” Online checkin does have a request section but it’s often irrelevant or incomplete for DVC villas, so leave that section of online checkin blank (it will overwrite any requests you make through MS). BTW you can call MS to submit requests but there’s no need to wait on hold to do so.

 

[J-Dog]

I like to use the chat feature or the email under Contact Us on the member website, and I usually do it as soon as I know what our requests are for that stay, on the theory of “first come, first served.” Online checkin does have a request section but it’s often irrelevant or incomplete for DVC villas, so leave that section of online checkin blank (it will overwrite any requests you make through MS). BTW you can call MS to submit requests but there’s no need to wait on hold to do so.

Thanks so much for the help!

So, if you do the online chat, you just mention your member number and that you want to request a room, and they will make a note of that somewhere?

 

[CarolynFH]

Thanks so much for the help!

So, if you do the online chat, you just mention your member number and that you want to request a room, and they will make a note of that somewhere?

You chat via the member website, so it’s in a conversation format but easy to follow. I type in the reservation number (actually I copy it from my dashboard and paste it so I know it’s right) and that I’d like to make a request. Type in what the request is (I try to make them generic rather than a specific room number, so they know why I’m asking) as clearly as I can. For instance, a year ago we had two 2 BR at BWV booked for our family. I typed in the two reservation numbers and asked them to put us close together with a view of the quiet pool.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I always email unless I happen to be calling in for something else. It's rare that I see chat available anymore.

 

[J-Dog]

Thank you very much for the help. I will do that!

 

[WilsonFlyer]

I've maintained a TouringPlans account for years and years. I'm not even really sure why. It's another one of those, "It's just $20/year (?)." things, I guess.

Anyway, one thing they're really good at is compiling views from all the resorts on property and posting pics, views pics, and room numbers. You can't see from every room, of course; but you can get close enough to know what a view from a particular room is likely to be. One of the primary benefits of this is that they will submit an email on your behalf, essentially requesting the very room you're looking at or request very close proximity to it if it's not available. I've used it for years to pretty good success.

Anyway. Just thought I'd throw that out there. To me, it's easier and more convenient than trying to do it myself and the online booking request is so useless, it might as well not even exist.

 

[J-Dog]

I've maintained a TouringPlans account for years and years. I'm not even really sure why. It's another one of those, "It's just $20/year (?)." things, I guess.

Anyway, one thing they're really good at is compiling views from all the resorts on property and posting pics, views pics, and room numbers. You can't see from every room, of course; but you can get close enough to know what a view from a particular room is likely to be. One of the primary benefits of this is that they will submit an email on your behalf, essentially requesting the very room you're looking at or request very close proximity to it if it's not available. I've used it for years to pretty good success.

Anyway. Just thought I'd throw that out there. To me, it's easier and more convenient than trying to do it myself and the online booking request is so useless, it might as well not even exist.

Thanks so much for this! I have a subscription with TP, and knew that your could look at room views, but I didn't realize that you could make room requests through them. I will absolutely look into that.

 

[philharmagic fan]

We stayed at Bay Lake Tower over the New Year's weekend and made a request via chat 2 days prior to the trip for highest possible floor; we got 8. On our last trip we made the same request via chat 2 weeks prior to check-in and got 14. Don't know if timing had anything to do with it or it was just so hectic that weekend, but next time I won't leave it until the last minute.

 

[sjdrr1313]

I've maintained a TouringPlans account for years and years. I'm not even really sure why. It's another one of those, "It's just $20/year (?)." things, I guess.

Anyway, one thing they're really good at is compiling views from all the resorts on property and posting pics, views pics, and room numbers. You can't see from every room, of course; but you can get close enough to know what a view from a particular room is likely to be. One of the primary benefits of this is that they will submit an email on your behalf, essentially requesting the very room you're looking at or request very close proximity to it if it's not available. I've used it for years to pretty good success.

Anyway. Just thought I'd throw that out there. To me, it's easier and more convenient than trying to do it myself and the online booking request is so useless, it might as well not even exist.

So you can use the touring plan request feature even if you are booked as a DVC stay? I wasn't sure if we had to go through member services now that we are DVC members.
Thanks!

 

[J-Dog]

So, our reservation isn't until December 2022, but I did start to make a TP Room Reservation. According to their website, they make a note of the reservation and then send an email on your behalf to MS at 30-days prior to your booking.

I also went to the DVC website and used the chat feature to ask them to please document our room reservation. It was easy - I only waited about 3-4 minutes for the chat to come up - and the CM stated that my room request was noted in the system. She didn't specify WHEN that note would take effect, but she made it sound like she had put the note in immediately.

Of course, no one knows if it makes a difference, but in the interest of "first come, first serve", it seems better to me to get a note in ASAP via DVC chat, rather than wait for TP to do it 30 days prior to your arrival.

Again, who knows if it will make a difference...

 

[CarolynFH]

So, our reservation isn't until December 2022, but I did start to make a TP Room Reservation. According to their website, they make a note of the reservation and then send an email on your behalf to MS at 30-days prior to your booking.

I also went to the DVC website and used the chat feature to ask them to please document our room reservation. It was easy - I only waited about 3-4 minutes for the chat to come up - and the CM stated that my room request was noted in the system. She didn't specify WHEN that note would take effect, but she made it sound like she had put the note in immediately.

Of course, no one knows if it makes a difference, but in the interest of "first come, first serve", it seems better to me to get a note in ASAP via DVC chat, rather than wait for TP to do it 30 days prior to your arrival.

Again, who knows if it will make a difference...

I agree. I don’t use TP. I submit our requests to MS via chat or email as soon as I know what they are, on the theory of “first come, first served.” People report success and failures no matter how they submitted their requests.

 

[Sandisw]

I agree. I don’t use TP. I submit our requests to MS via chat or email as soon as I know what they are, on the theory of “first come, first served.” People report success and failures no matter how they submitted their requests.

Actually, I don’t think requests are even first come, first served, IMO, as long as they are in before they start assigning rooms, there is equal chance to get them.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I agree. I don’t use TP. I submit our requests to MS via chat or email as soon as I know what they are, on the theory of “first come, first served.” People report success and failures no matter how they submitted their requests.

Only once with DVC, and it was at VGC, did I have a front desk person tell me they pushed back on someone who had arrived earlier than me but had booked after me who approached the desk multiple times as they wanted the room I had been assigned. The front desk kept it for me. But that was based when the room was booked and not about when a request was added.

 

[sjdrr1313]

IDK why but I feel like I'd like to be a room assigner...that sort of mental workout/puzzle solving appeals to me

 

[CarolynFH]

Actually, I don’t think requests are even first come, first served, IMO, as long as they are in before they start assigning rooms, there is equal chance to get them.

Only once with DVC, and it was at VGC, did I have a front desk person tell me they pushed back on someone who had arrived earlier than me but had booked after me who approached the desk multiple times as they wanted the room I had been assigned. The front desk kept it for me. But that was based when the room was booked and not about when a request was added.

Well, I hope that the combination of booked earlier, requested earlier, would mean priority on getting a request filled, assuming everything else was the same (including checkin date). But room assignments are so complicated that it must be very difficult!

 

[sjdrr1313]

Well, I hope that the combination of booked earlier, requested earlier, would mean priority on getting a request filled, assuming everything else was the same (including checkin date). But room assignments are so complicated that it must be very difficult!

I just sent an email for my May 29th check in, which I feel like will be tricky because it's the sunday of memorial day weekend, just seems like not many people will be checking out that day...
But I told them it was our first visit "home" as DVC owners and my husband's birthday is May 31 and he really really wants a view of Disney springs (staying preferred at saratoga) so just asked them to do their best and at least try to not give us a parking lot view, lol. I actually got 2 emails back saying they would do their best and the second one said they were making note of our birthday celebration as well and "sending pixie dust our way" IDK if that means she is actually working any pixie dust or that was her way of saying "good luck, hope you get what you want!" lol

 

[DVCSunDevil]

Sorry for the dumb question, but we are brand new DVC owners and just made our first booking.

I hear talk of people making room requests. How does one go about doing that? When I booked yesterday online, I didn't see any option for making comments or room requests. Do I need to call MS? If so, do I call immediately, or wait until a certain amount of time prior to the reservation date?

Thanks. Sorry...

I have used the email option. MS responds back within a couple days with confirmation of my request. I like that option because then I have email confirmation from MS. Not like that would really matter...if my request isn't granted it's not like the email will magically do anything. But still, it's nice to have the emailed confirmation.

 

[bnlbebes]

I just used CHAT to add requests for reservations in November and December. I've also used email, but prefer the instant gratification of request confirmation by using CHAT.

 

[DebbieB]

I email 5 or 6 room numbers and also do touring plans. I’ve been pretty lucky. I don‘t put anything on online checkin for requests.