Here at CR and had a problem at checkin! Pics added pg. 5

[Desnik]

I want to say that when we first exited the DME bus we were greated by a CM named Judy who welcomed us to the resort. She was so nice and we were so really excited about being here! She got us more excited by her up beat personality and friendliness. She waited for us 4 families to exit and get our bags and walked us all into the resort. She made sure we all were helped at the front desk and we had no wait to check in. We get to the counter, give ID, and info and then the CM gets on the phone and I hear her say "well should I give them a choice" to the person she was talking to and then hung up and walked over to us and told us, "sorry we are all booked"!! I was like WHAT!!! She proceeds to say you can go to the GF or AKL. I said no way. She said you are a walk up right? I said no, I booked this hotel weeks ago and picked this resort specifically for the location and booked and paid for a MK tower room and I am not going anywhere else! I was so mad. I told her the AKL standard room is a down grade and a lot less than what I paid for and the GF room will not give me the MK view I paid for. I handed her my confirmation paper work which I thankfully printed out which said when I booked and exactly what I booked. She said I'll go talk to a manager and walked in the back room. She comes back out in about 3 mins. and says OK, everythings fine. You got your room. What! I couldn't believe she put me through that and then magically had a room 3 mins later! It got me thinking that if I wasn't a knowledgable DIS'er I would've taken her word for it and would've been moved to another resort for no reason. She wouldn't say what happened or why she suddenly had a room. We were just greatful to not have to go somewhere else. I am here with DH for just 2 nights for a romantic getaway without our kids and that MK view was all I wanted!!LOL Anyway, we are on the 6th floor and I am so glad I was adament about getting what I paid for because this view of the MK is amazing and worth it!!


The room is nice but I do have a few complaints about how mousekeeping cleaned the room. Well, I think they didn't really clean it when there are Froot Loops on the floor, and not in a corner either, right in front of the TV! There is so much dust over everything and you would never think this room was rehabbed a short time ago. We do like the room and all the lighting. The bathroom sinks are cool but really not practicle. The bed is comfy and I think there is a good amount of storage in the closets. We do feel the room shake when the monorail goes by but it really isn't that big a deal. There is a lot of construction here and we knew that when we booked so it really isn't bothersome to us for such a short stay. However, if we were here for a week and with our kids I think I would want to be somewhere that isn't in the middle of this much work. I do think it's needed and look foward to seeing it all done.

A word of advice, if you are going to DtD from here, give yourself enough time because it takes awhile. When we got to the bus stop we heard everyone complaining saying they had been waiting an hour and 10mins for a DtD bus. 10mins later it came. It had people from TL on it and was full once it picked us up. Then we went to the poly and the driver filled the bus to the brim and we were like sardines. Throw in a kid who had a meltdown temper tantrum screaming at the top of his lungs and you had a bus filled with unhappy people!!LOL I have to laugh about it now because it was so crazy at the time. It took what seemed like forever to get there. At that moment I wished we rented a car!

If anyone has any questions just let me know!

 

[cara loves the poly]

Isn't it amazing how suddenly "room is ready" comes out! Just goes to show, they NEVER tell the truth! How can they be competely booked and come back and say never mind!!!!!! Wouldn't you just LOVE a glance at their computer screen! LOL! Glad everything worked out!

 

[G8r4evr]

Very wierd that they magically had a room available 3 mins later....I wonder what their original intentions for holding back that room were.

Glad you got what you wanted!!

 

[Sammie]

Isn't it amazing how suddenly "room is ready" comes out! Just goes to show, they NEVER tell the truth! How can they be competely booked and come back and say never mind!!!!!! Wouldn't you just LOVE a glance at their computer screen! LOL! Glad everything worked out!

all it means is that they will offer the move to someone else, I can't imagine why anyone would think they would lie about it. Do you lie at your job

Someone else will take the Grand Floridian and be thrilled. I know I would.

 

[cara loves the poly]

all it means is that they will offer the move to someone else, I can't imagine why anyone would think they would lie about it. Do you lie at your job

Someone else will take the Grand Floridian and be thrilled. I know I would.

Well, to me it sounds that they could have a room when told NO originally. The CM said, I'm sorry, we are booked, you can move to ....., that is a lie. I'm sure it is not the CM at the computer, but someone somwhere is not being honost. (for reasons unknown to us customers)

 

[Desnik]

If you book a specific hotel and pay for a specific room then that is what you expect to get. If I wanted another resort like the GF I would've booked that. I could see if I had a standard wing room booked here. But when you have a tower MK view room booked, you obviously booked it for that MK view. I have stayed at the GF and will be at the AKV in Nov, so in my case what they offered wasn't acceptable, especially since I booked in advance and was not a "walk up". Who knows what happened but it really shouldn't have happened at all. If they were booked and were just going to offer the switch to someone else I would think it would take a lot longer in that back room to figure that all out. I don't know. Thanks to those of you who were happy for me to get in my room!!!

 

[Sammie]

Things happen at hotels all the time to take rooms out of inventory. Sometime as simple as someone getting really sick in the room and it needs special cleaning.

As to it taking longer, it is simply a case of the CM going to the back and speaking with a manager, who simply says fine, give her the room, we will offer something to someone else.

Many times that move will include an upgrade to a suite, or concierge etc.

My point is there is absolutely no reason to think anyone lied and truly if anyone believes that, why in the world would you do business with them.

Unless you work in the resort industry you might not realize this is a very common occurance.

In fact we have gotten some really nice upgrades by offering to be the one to move.

I am glad you got your room, I simply do not think there was anything underhanded in the offer, it is a common practice in the resort industry.

 

[triplefigs]

hope you have a great time! Can't wait to hear all about your trip. I'm sorry the room is dirty. Make sure to report it to a manager while there to make them aware of the issue.

 

[bavaria]

I have to agree with Sammie. The room could have been out of order (for a variety of reasons) or it could have been preassigned for guests with a particular need (such as adjoining or connecting rooms).

Usually guests who accept a relocate end up better off. I've often volunteered to be relocated and am always happy with the results. A few weekends ago I went away for a quick getaway - the hotel knew me and I offered to relocate when I saw that they were oversold. They insisted on paying for my room at a comparable hotel, even though I was willing to pay myself. I even brought THEM a box of chocolates to thank them.

I'm glad that the OP managed to get the room that she wanted - it sounds like she had a special want for that room. There may also have been someone arriving later who WAS willing to move.

 

[CanadianGuy]

I used to work retail where we frequently would have higher demand for an item than we had actual items.

Sometimes, I had to tell someone who had reserved an item.. "I'm sorry we're out.." And if they made a big enough stink, my manager would take one that was reserved for someone else and give it to the person making the stink.

Then.. we'd end up rain-checking that someone else or offering them something else (usually something better) at a comparable price.

This situation is exactly the same.

Either way, glad it all worked out in the end!!!

Knox

 

[Desnik]

In my case, an upgrade was not offered. I don't think they lied but the whole thing just seemed odd to me. I didn't have to wait for a room to be cleaned or prepared for us. It was ready. It isn't a connecting room either. But I am no expert on WDW check in policies so what do I know.

Thanks everyone for being happy for me! I just had my heart set on this view because it is DH and I and we are on a romantic getaway for just 2 nights!!!


Well, so much for romantic. DH fell asleep on me and I'm here Dising!!LOL

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

It's good things worked out for you with the room, even though you should never have had that problem since you had a confirmed reservation. I also agree with you about the bus to DTD taking forever, which is why when my parents and I go there we always have our own transportation. So when coming from the Contemporary we can get there in 15 minutes.

I also have my own story about a guest being told no rooms were available and all of the sudden they got the room they wanted. This past August around 11:00 PM my Dad and I were in the lobby because he had a question about something and while we were in line this guest was complaining that he had a Magic Kingdom view booked and they claimed he was in a Garden Wing room. Anyway the Cast Member kept saying we can move you to the Magic Kingdom view room tomorrow and he said no I want it now, despite the Cast Member saying there are none available right now. Well after going back and fourth a few times to the back, all of the sudden they got him a Magic Kingdom view room. So it's amazing how things always work out in the end for the guests, when they were 1st told nothing was available.

 

[bavaria]

As Knox so eloquently explained earlier, the squeaky wheel gets the room. At some point however there are no more rooms and SOMEONE must move.

It's amazing when that happens how many guests expect the hotel to get out the toolbox and construct a room for them then and there.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

As Knox so eloquently explained earlier, the squeaky wheel gets the room. At some point however there are no more rooms and SOMEONE must move.

It's amazing when that happens how many guests expect the hotel to get out the toolbox and construct a room for them then and there.

Well in the defense of the guest if they have a confirmed reservation for a specifc room and have the confirmation with them and they are told it's not available, or the whole Resort is sold out as in the case of the OP I would also be mad and demand that I get the room I reserved.

Since I am taking Hospitality & Toursim Adminstration in College this has been a topic we have talked about in some of my Hotel managment classes and the Hotel does their best to accomodate the guests.

 

[KristenHoneymooner]

From your description, it sounds like you didn't give her the confirmation paperwork immediately when you checked in. It is the confirmation that lets them know you have a reservation! If a person came to the front desk and gave ID but not their confirmation papers, I'd naturally assume they were a walk-up. It sounds like as soon as you gave her the confirmation papers, there was no longer a problem, which makes perfect sense if the whole problem was that they thought you were a walk up.

Maybe I'm just misunderstanding

 

[CDSTapisRouge]

Unless you work in the resort industry you might not realize this is a very common occurance.

In fact we have gotten some really nice upgrades by offering to be the one to move.

I am glad you got your room, I simply do not think there was anything underhanded in the offer, it is a common practice in the resort industry.

Agreed! I worked at 3 different WDW resorts and it sounds to me like it was a sold out situation where they had to "walk" to another hotel. This happens more often than you think. Basically the back office will hold rooms at other properties, they will then find the reservations with the shortest stay and flag them as a WALK (which maybe where the confusion about being a "walk up came"... it might have been a newer CM). When the CM pulls up the reservation and sees the remarks that it is a possible walk, they usually have to call the back office and find out what the options are and then present them to the guest. Your description to me says it was a walk gone bad. The presentation was bad, they should not have told you that you did not have reservation, I always presented it as the hotel is oversold and we would like to offer you an upgrade to whatever hotel...if you said no, I simply checked you in and continued on with my day... sooner or later someone will say yes, they always do. I have only had one time when I had to force the last check in to go and while it was not ideal, they still went understanding the situation. Being that you are only there for 2 nights and the way the conversation went with the phone call, the comment, the miracle room appearing, it sounds like this is what happened.

I am very glad that you stood your ground and got what you wanted though. Being a CM for 12 years, I understand the operational side of things but I also understand that you planned this, you researched, you had your heart set on something and it is your vacation. I would never question that! Your hard earned money, your decision to go to WDW, your vacation should be all that you hoped for and more!

Enjoy the trip!!!

 

[Ilovestitch]

I was going to say the same thing-- any hotel can walk you to a different resort. Just because you have a confirmation for a particular hotel does not mean you are guaranteed to stay there.

 

[kaytieeldr]

And 'walking' a guest is not limited to Disney. It's a standard procedure in the hospitality industry. I don't mean it happens every day, or at every hotel, but it happens often enough that there is a term and a method, AND it's taught - or at least mentioned - in Hotel Management courses.

 

[CDSTapisRouge]

I also have my own story about a guest being told no rooms were available and all of the sudden they got the room they wanted. This past August around 11:00 PM my Dad and I were in the lobby because he had a question about something and while we were in line this guest was complaining that he had a Magic Kingdom view booked and they claimed he was in a Garden Wing room. Anyway the Cast Member kept saying we can move you to the Magic Kingdom view room tomorrow and he said no I want it now, despite the Cast Member saying there are none available right now. Well after going back and fourth a few times to the back, all of the sudden they got him a Magic Kingdom view room. So it's amazing how things always work out in the end for the guests, when they were 1st told nothing was available.

Just wanted to comment on this as well: There is a lot going on behind the scenes... the CM at the desk checking you in is pulling up the available inventory and only seeing what is clean and vacant. It very well might be that there was not anything available in the location that they were asking for. If they call the back office or go back and talk to the room assigner they may have something that the check in CM is unaware of. The room assigner might have a room off the market for some reason or another, there could be a room that is dirty that they can ask housekeeping to clean, the room might already be assigned to someone else and the room assigner needs to rework the requests...there are many reasons why the front line CM might tell you that it is not available and then it miraculously appears. They are not lying to you, they are not trying to be shady or mean...they are supposed to offer the room change the following day in this situation as the first option, which is what you stated that they did. Asking the room assigner to check for rooms that might be held for what ever reason is not something that they normally do (as those room usually are not available for a specific reason).

 

[Joshua_me]

The room is nice but I do have a few complaints about how mousekeeping cleaned the room. Well, I think they didn't really clean it when there are Froot Loops on the floor, and not in a corner either, right in front of the TV! There is so much dust over everything and you would never think this room was rehabbed a short time ago.

I'm very happy you got your room, but ^these^ comments disturb me.

I can't comment on it personally, (we're 'Swan/Dolphin people' ) but in post after post I read how mousekeeping in going downhill. It's one thing to see a dusty light bulb or a cobweb in an out of the way corner, but to have cereal right in the middle of the floor and 'so much dust over everything' is really unacceptable for any hotel, and especially one that charges the outrageous rates that the CR does...

I know about the 'outsourcing' that is going on, but with the resorts steadily packed month after month these days, it would seem to me that record profits should translate into a more dependable housekeeping staff.

Ahh well.

Myself, I would have taken 'the WALK' to the GF, but I understand what it's like to have your heart set on a certain resort.