Here is the start of my trip report, for our 3/27--4/2 stay in 2 rooms at the ASMu resort. We oopsed, and drove the Ohio-Florida drive too quickly, so arrived in WDW at 2:30am, btw. I have a special needs dd 6, so CRO had transferred my original ressie to Special Services (whatever they are called). The rep there was very thorough about our needs...non-smoking, quiet location (facing AWAY from pools or parking lots), semi-close location to bus stop in case of episode, and a connecting door btw our rooms since its just me, dh, and 4 kids under 12 and dh would not even be there for several of the 6 nights. She froze our room assignment for us, only telling me the bldg and that the rooms ended in 2 and 3. OK....so we arrive 3/27 at 2:30am at ASMu.
Anyway, we went to McD's drivethru, watched a movie in our van, and did pre-checkin at 4am at ASMu. They confirmed our bldg, that the rooms ended in 2 & 3, and I double checked a higher floor and connecting door AGAIN (I had done so EVERY time I made a payment on my ressie, prior to arrival, and prior to canccelling my DTD SUITE I had also booked.) They said nope, its ground floor. But it DOES have the connecting door. We looked at which bldg, it was pretty close and faced away from the pool. So we bought 6 mugs for $72 (what a bargain) since we could easily refill a lot. We had to call at 3pm for the exact room numbers, though. No problem.
At 3pm, I called from a store in EPCOT, wanting to get something sent to me at the resort. Got the room numbers (which DID end in 2 & 3, of course). Asked again if someone made SURE there was the connecting door. OF COURSE THERE IS! At 8pm, arrived at the hotel, filled our mugs, went to our Non Smoking rooms. First room ok, second room REEKS of TONS of smoke. Asthma. No way. Then we notice NO connecting door. WHAT?! With my dd's care needs, it is ESSENTIAL to have access all night, while still having access to my preschooler and toddler! We call front desk. After 30 minutes of no answer, we load up the kids (who had been up sionce 2:30am now!) and walk to the lobby. I stand (and then SIT) in the unmoving Guest Svcs line, while DH stands in the slow-moving checkin line. The kids fall asleep on the bench. Finally, DH gets to a CM who insists that we NEVER requested a connecting door. WHAT?!!!!????!!!! I run over there, re-tell the tale, etc. He looks at our family and says that with our 6 people, 4 being young kids, we are pretty much stuck since we have to have a connecting door but they are at 100% capacity and won't have one for us. We almost started back to Ohio that night!
He called around, they finally found us connecting rooms in the Country Fair bldg. They were apparently available still because the carpets were soaked -- they had just shampooed them! One room had no remote control, a broken clothesline, and a running bathtub (VERY annoying in the night!!) But we had the connecting door so I had access to all the children while DH was gone! .............
I KNOW, since the lobby CM was so kind to point it out, that Connecting Doors is "ONLY" a request. But with the several months of dealing with Special Services about the disability needs (of which quiet but not excessive trekking was a part), getting these"perfect" rooms promised, WITH connecting doors which I was told are MORE than a request when 2 or less adults are part of the large party, and then having it turn into THIS mess was very disheartening. Especially when the ressie said "Guaranteed Connecting ROoms for Families." I had to convince my dh to try a WDW vacation as it was. He was decidedly UNIMPRESSED.
I got a really nice CM on the phone with CRO (about my upcoming trip with stepmom), started to vent to him ( he was WONDERFUL at defusing my anger, BTW). He gave me an email addy for Guest communications, which I have emailed in detail. I know that responses are slow or nonexistant, but I really need them to do SOMETHING to make my husband believe they want to make this all right!
Thanks for listening, all! Any questions, lmk!
Beth
It just would not work! 
