Getting room requests....or not!

[jaiminee krikit]

Usually I've had pretty good luck! CBR I requested Jamaica and upper floor- got both. POR Royal Room I requested upper floor and corner room - got upper level. Pop I requested 50's section and top floor - got both. POFQ I requested ground floor and near transportation - got both. Pop I requested ground floor and 50's section - got both. CSR was the worst. I put in my arrival time at online check-in. I requested upper floor and Ranchos section. When we arrived they told me our room was ready so I assumed I got both requests - that's how it's always been for me in the past. The CM told me our room location. Ground floor, Cabanas section. I politely informed her that I had requested upper floor and Ranchos section and I asked her if there was any way to get a different room. She looked at me like I had asked for her first born child and then told me she would have to make a phone call to see if another room was available and she just stood there looking at me. I politely told her "I hate to be an inconvenience, but if you could please check I would really appreciate it." Again she just looks at me. And again she tells me "I'll have to make a phone call to see if another room is available". And again she just stands there. So then I politely said "If you could make a phone call, that would be great". I was just in shock at the encounter. Then I swear she put me in the room farthest away and didn't tell me where I could find help with my luggage. I hated that resort and that was just the beginning.
Usually I'm not too picky. I make the requests and just hope I get everything I ask for, I never expect to. I love it when I'm pleasantly surprised. It's a good way to start the trip - a small dose of pixie dust. I prefer upper floor so I don't have anyone above me. The times I've requested ground floor I was traveling with my DMIL and she has bad knees and I didn't want her to have to climb stairs. I don't like ground floor myself because I've heard of people having snakes in their rooms on the ground floor. I can handle just about anything, but I think a snake would do me in.

 

[Jennasis]

On our last trip, we stayed at BLT in a standard view studio. I requested High Floor, close to Sky Bridge. We got there and were put on ground floor...

We LOVED it. Heck, we plan on requesting ground floor from now on. So close to elevator, lobby and parking! Disney knew us better than we knew ourselves.

 

[ggdvc]

When you do online check-in, make sure you're not checking the box that says you'll take an available room at the time you check in - that will override all of your other preferences. I made that mistake at BWV - requested close to transportation, and got the very last room on the 5th floor overlooking the quiet pool - the furthest from transportation you can be on the 5th floor - the wing on the other side of the quiet pool only had 4 floors. We were actually closer to the Swan (or is it Dolphin) than to the Boardwalk lobby.

 

[kdisser]

Hi,
We have stayed onsite three times and have never got our room request - are we doing something wrong?

I have put it on my online check in (60 days) and also faxed it to the resort a few days before

The POFQ one didn't make much difference as it is a small resort - but we requested close to the lobby and got the second furthest away building

POR - we requested Alligator Bayou area and got the Mansions (a totally different theme!)

Coronado - can't remember what we requested but we were basically put as far away from our request as was physically possible!

The only thing I can think of is that, coming from the UK, we dont arrive until mid to late afternoon. But if it is "first come first served" that sort of makes prior room requests pointless. Also, we have already checked in 60 days before.

Any ideas or tips?

Thanks

I made 2 requests when I booked the package 5 months before the trip:

Oh goodness yes requested anything but the last building. And got the very last building. It took us 20 minutes round trip to get to and from the lobby....after a day at the parks we were beat!! Also requested a pack-n-play. We were informed the room was ready and the pack-n-play was in there. We got to the room at 3 and no pack-n-play. Called the desk and informed us we would have it in the room by the time we got back from the parks. We got back at 9:30 and still no pack-n-play, called again and they said "well it'll be there" we waited another hour before we got it.

Next time to assure we aren't out in the middle of nowhere I will pay the extra for a preferred room. Without a doubt to make sure we have at least that!

 

[writerguyfl]

You are in the UK so a phone call to Disney probably won't work for you but it might help to explain WHY you NEED a certain request. If there's not a need for something (like first floor because of having a person with limited physical capabilities), then your request is like everyone else's and the computer will assign the room.

Explaining the need for a request isn't going to help. Cast Members select requests from a pre-defined list. They can not add supplemental information.

Also, if a guest needs something due to mobility issues, they should book an accessible room and/or discuss the specifics with the folks at the Disney Reservations Center. There is a whole team of Cast Members that receive specialized training to help guests with mobility/medical concerns.

 

[wildcard898]

On my trip to POR in August last year, we were a party of 6 in 3 rooms. We requested Alligator Bayou as highest priority, followed by adjacent rooms, followed by rooms as close as possible to the hotel facilities. I submitted these requests over the phone when the trip was booked 16 months in advance, then again phoned at 60 days to ensure the requests had been made, then sent a fax at 5 days reiterating the requests.

On arrival at POR (after 20 hours travelling...) we found that we were given rooms on 2 separate floors, at the far end of Acadian House - the furthest possible part of Magnolia Bend from the facilities! I recognise that requests are just that and that they can't be guaranteed. However, I was very unhappy that two CMs told me that my requests had never ever been logged against the reservation! The only change they could offer was to move the third room nearer to the other two and onto the same floor.

We certainly didn't let it ruin the trip, and in fact the rooms we had (8027, 8028 and 8030) turned out to be pretty great. They were in a very quiet part of the resort, 2 minutes from a quiet pool and less than 1 minute from the North Depot for buses. We had an amazing trip and I would stay in the same rooms again without hesitation.

 

[maxiesmom]

It does help too to request things that are easy for them to give you. For many resorts you have to pay for a preferred room in order to be near the food court. So requesting to be near the food court when you haven't paid for that upgrade makes it almost impossible for them to fulfill. Not trying to pick on the previous poster as that is something that I have seen happen many times. People request near food court and don't pay for the proper room type to get it.

Also, and this is for wildcard898, I understand that you would rather be in the Alligator Bayou section of POR. Me too! But I have been told while there that if they are busy they hold that section for larger families, as those are the only rooms at POR that will sleep 5. So when you request AB you are rolling the dice. I have done so a few times and some times I get AB some times I get booted out to the mansion houses.

 

[dansdad]

It does help too to request things that are easy for them to give you. For many resorts you have to pay for a preferred room in order to be near the food court. So requesting to be near the food court when you haven't paid for that upgrade makes it almost impossible for them to fulfill. Not trying to pick on the previous poster as that is something that I have seen happen many times. People request near food court and don't pay for the proper room type to get it.

After speaking with a couple different room assigners I would amend the above. It is 100% fine to request close to food court if you've only booked standard. The room assigner will then TRY to get you a standard room as close to the food court as possible. Now if you request a building that does not have any standard rooms, then you basically wasted a request.

At POR for example there are definitely standard rooms that are much close to the food court than some other standard rooms.

 

[Mousemommy1]

I never make a request that way I'm not disappointed.

I was just beginning to think we are the only ones who don't make a request, lol

 

[kwdw]

I almost always get my requests - but I usually request top floor! For the second choice of request - I usually pick a section far away from the lobby - so I tend to get it. I do think they need a FEW more choices to help clarify what folks want on their online room requests check boxes. Me - I like being in the most remote part of a resort - but since that's not a common request - there's no way for me to specify that. And gosh - I hate being in a room with a connecting door - but it seems like lots of folks who want those don't get them.

But, hey, they really can't do everything.

 

[maxiesmom]

After speaking with a couple different room assigners I would amend the above. It is 100% fine to request close to food court if you've only booked standard. The room assigner will then TRY to get you a standard room as close to the food court as possible. Now if you request a building that does not have any standard rooms, then you basically wasted a request.

At POR for example there are definitely standard rooms that are much close to the food court than some other standard rooms.

But the buildings closest to the food court will be preferred. That is just something to be aware of, requesting close to the food court when you didn't pay for standard will still get you a room that is not all that close.

 

[Disneylover99]

But the buildings closest to the food court will be preferred. That is just something to be aware of, requesting close to the food court when you didn't pay for standard will still get you a room that is not all that close.

Requesting to be near the food court is still a good request to make regardless of what category of room you booked. It's a request that would make sense to the room assigner.

 

[maxiesmom]

Requesting to be near the food court is still a good request to make regardless of what category of room you booked. It's a request that would make sense to the room assigner.

As long as the people making that request realize there is close, and then there is CLOSE.

 

[Sue M]

We've always gotten our requests at POR and POFQ, except once. But did get upgrade to a river view. I think POR resorts have prob the best room assignors, they're the only ones left who look at faxes.
AKL also was good at requests.
If room is totally unacceptable (YC over garbage dump and service entrance) I've gone back down to desk and politely ask if I could have another room, and I'm willing to wait. At Poly last year I really wanted a balcony, we didn't get it, but if I waited a day I could move rooms, we did.
At GF the only thing I didn't want was a dormer room. But walked into Dormer.! Even at desk I asked, is it a Dormer? CM says no!! I was able to change rooms.

I always put my requests on my reservation. Then make same request with online check in. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. But some resorts do have a higher % of giving requests.

I walk in room and don't touch anything. If it's not what I want, I go straight to Desk and ask if there is something else. Most of the time they'll work with you, if its at all possible. I go value season, not in the height of holidays, or spring break.

 

[disnut8]

Explaining the need for a request isn't going to help. Cast Members select requests from a pre-defined list. They can not add supplemental information.

Also, if a guest needs something due to mobility issues, they should book an accessible room and/or discuss the specifics with the folks at the Disney Reservations Center. There is a whole team of Cast Members that receive specialized training to help guests with mobility/medical concerns.

While I don't disagree with any of your experiences, I had a tremendous effort my a lot of different Cast Members when I had a family reunion thing happen and we needed four rooms. My father-in-law and my father were both mobility restricted but not to the point where they needed assistance 24/7. Both could use elevators and my father-in-law could walk up steps but going down was difficult. My father just walked slowly and it took him a long time on the stairs. So, I made reservations for four rooms and requested first floor because of the issues. And I explained why. The only thing I could get was pool view so I did that for the first floor. Then, a few weeks before the trip, I received an email saying that in order to get first floor, we would be moved to a standard room which was fine so I didn't respond. Until I got a phone call saying that four first floor rooms standard view were not available so what did I want to do? I called back and asked if my in-laws and my father's rooms could be first floor and the other two rooms wherever. The response I received was they would do what they could.

And then we all arrived. Three of the rooms were ready when we got there and all three were on the first floor and all in a row. Once the fourth room was released, it was right in that row and two of the rooms connected so it was perfect for us. None of the rooms were handicapped accessible and while we had concerns, none of us ever talked to people with specialized training. We (I) just made requests and gave the reasons why.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

We've been super lucky and have always gotten our requests, I thought it was the norm to get them unless it was impossible. This is good to know to temper my expectations in the future.

 

[maxiesmom]

We've been super lucky and have always gotten our requests, I thought it was the norm to get them unless it was impossible. This is good to know to temper my expectations in the future.

I'm horribly unlucky when it comes to room requests. For example at POR I asked simply to be near a bus stop. ANY bus stop! Was placed in a building smack dab in between 2 bus stops, and near neither. One trip requested top floor Raratonga at the Poly, got first floor Tokelau. Another time asked for any Alligator Bayou room at POR, ended up in Magnolia Terrace. And I could go on and on...

 

[ollyg]

We are a party of 3 and stayed a few times at POR in the AB section. I have always gotten my room request, even the exact room number. But I always book preferred. Last year there was no preferred available on the bounce back so I booked Riverview and requested AB and hoped I didn't get put in the Mansions. I got building 14 in rooms facing the river. I also visit during a slower time.

 

[dansdad]

All these posts just prove that requests are just that. Requests made the same way and some people never get them, some always get them and others vary. There is NO magic formula. This thread could go on for 100 pages and you'd see the same themes.

 

[1234lucky]

When I went to check in, I haven't gotten my request either. But I asked the CM is there was anything available in that area and she was able to switch us. Worth a try!