How Do I Get My Requests?

[ticofan]

Please help. Years ago when checking in I was told that guests were assigned their room requests by the date the ressie was made. I was checking into the Boardwalk, and when I asked about a lack of my request, the cast member checked in the back, then came out and gave me my request. He said I had made my reservation a day before the other person who had been assigned that room.

Then recently when I checked into OKW I asked why I had not received my request, I had made that reservation 11 months out -- I was told that the rooms were assigned when you checked in. And since I was checking in late, my requested rooms were all gone!

So how do I get the buildings or locations that I like. I travel from Utah and it is very unlikely that I will ever arrive at the resort before 5 pm or later. I used to always get what I requested, now it has been over a year since I have been assigned just what I had put down as preferences.

Thanks for your help! And Happy New Year!!

(P.S. I thought this subject would come up, but I have been watching the boards for awhile and haven't seen this subject. Sorry if I have just missed the discussion.)

 

[Chuck S]

Actually, it has been this way for a few years. It is referred to as room ready. If a room is ready when you check-in you get first dibs.

Generally, the earlier you check-in, the better. Try to have member services note on your ressie that you will be a late arrival, maybe someone in management at the resort will see that and block a room for you. The resorts used to have a person to pre-assign rooms. That position has been eliminated. Since we drive for most of our trips, we usually arrive a day early and stay at POP for one night, then transfer to OKW the next morning.

 

[vascubaguy]

We ran into this during our last stay, which was at OKW.

Normally we would have arrived mid-morning (11AM ish), and last time we checked into BWV we had a choice of rooms (all with our requests). We were assigned a room already, but she looked over the available rooms and said we'd like being closer to the elevators... so she changed it.

Well, we took a later flight when we were staying at OKW because it was significantly less expensive. By checking in that late, I think we got THE worst room at the resort (location-wise). The room itself was fine, but it was far far away with a view of nothing... But alas, it was a place to sleep!

We are arriving early again on Sunday and heading to SSR... so I'm hoping that my request for a DTD view comes thru (even though it's NYE)!!!

 

[Dean]

Your best bets are to make generic reasonable requests and pray a lot. Unfortunately DVC has taken to putting little emphasis on meeting requests the last few years. Ask for Smoking/NS and generic location. Our requests are generally NS and NOT to be a HC. If we have multiple units we ask they be as close as possible. On our recent stay at SSR we did add Congress park or the springs to the request. We actually got all our requests but the unit locations in Congress park had one unit with minimal view (first florr) and the other with absolutely no view at all (first floor on the corner by the parking lot. Still, we were happy as we got what we asked for and what was truly important to us and it would have been greedy and unreasonable to complain about view in addition to our other requests. It was ironic that the 2 BR exchange unit had the better view compared to the 1 BR points room.

 

[ticofan]

Thank you Dean, Vascubaguy and Chuck -

Your information was helpful. I hadn't thought of letting MS know we were coming in late and asking if there were a way to save a room.

I have always gotten a non-smoking room, but we love building 62 an haven't got that for a couple of years.

We too used to fly in a day early and stay somewhere else the first night. However we did this to save our points and not use them on a night when all we would do was sleep. We have since purchased more points and haven't been so conservative. Maybe we will try this to get the rooms we like.

Thanks again for your help.

 

[Muushka]

Even though we can check into our DVC resort very early in the AM (we drive and stay off site the night of arrival), I do not think it is fair to people who have booked at the 11 month mark to receive a not so great room just because they cannot get there early.

Wouldn't it be nice that if at each DVC resort they could figure out the nicest views (like the Boardwalk view at BWV) and allow the owners to book them at the 11 month mark?

 

[shellybaxter]

We come from the west coast too and always arrive in the evening. We don't stay at our destination resort that first night. We either stay at one of the value resorts or offsite near the airport and then check into our real "home" the next morning bright and early. We don't request anything other than non-smoking but have gotten some really great rooms with morning check ins

 

[Kupiecb]

I dont know how everyone gets to check in early morning? Every time we go we are told we can not check in until 3:00pm or even 4:00pm. We always arrive early and have to sit around until this time to check in. How can I get an early check in??

 

[dumbo71]

Even though we can check into our DVC resort very early in the AM (we drive and stay off site the night of arrival), I do not think it is fair to people who have booked at the 11 month mark to receive a not so great room just because they cannot get there early.

Wouldn't it be nice that if at each DVC resort they could figure out the nicest views (like the Boardwalk view at BWV) and allow the owners to book them at the 11 month mark?

They have that it is called BW view at the BWV as you noted.

Requests are just that request. Having rooms assigned by reservation date really sets things up for tons of complaints. They can't possible meet all requests so the person who had booked 11 months out would be furious to not have those requests met.

There is no perfect system but I believe Room ready is overall the best and a cost saver to DVC.

The only way I can relate this is that many busy restaurants have eliminated reservations. It creates more problems than it solves. The tables fill up on a first come first served basis. Nobody can get mad when they arive and there are no tables. If those same guests had made a reservation and arrived, having to wait, they would be furious.

First come first served is really the basis of Room Ready and very fair I might add. They try there best to meet requests on a first come first served basis based on what is available at the time.

 

[Chuck S]

I dont know how everyone gets to check in early morning? Every time we go we are told we can not check in until 3:00pm or even 4:00pm. We always arrive early and have to sit around until this time to check in. How can I get an early check in??

You can check-in anytime after the resort computers are reset for that day, usually 7:00 or 7:30 am. That includes doing the paperwork and issuing the room keys, park tickets, and dining (if on a package.) Your room may not be ready, and you won't receive the room number if it isn't ready, which is often 4:00pm or a little after.


If the resort wasn't filled the night before, they may have a room available for you that morning. I'd say we get our room in the morning about 35% of the time. But we don't check-in on Sunday (probably the busiest check-in day for DVC.)

 

[zulaya]

I usually don't get myself all wound up about requests either. I usually request non-smoking and one other to give CMs an idea of what I would like.

This year, I experienced a travel delay plus lost luggage before I checked in. So I wasn't in the most suitable frame of mind at check in. I always make my reservations 11 months out. This time, my additional request was for an upper floor.

Due to my travel issues that day, we didn't arrive at the resort until nearly 3:30pm. I had a 2BR lockoff at BCV. I was only offered 1 room and it was ground floor. It ended up being a good location, but I was very irritated at first (mostly because my day was already crappy). I really felt, "OK, I made my reservation 11 months out and it really didn't do much." I wondered who scored a waitlist at 2 months out, checked in before me, and was able to have a choice of rooms.

I, too, wish that those who travel from further distances weren't penalized with Room Ready. I purchased enough points to stay at BCV from the get-go. To me, it's additional out of pocket money and a waste of time to stay offsite or at a value the night before, just so I can rush to the check in desk at 7:30am for Room Ready. Why should members HAVE to do that? It's too much hoop jumping, especially if you are travelling with kids and family who just want to get settled and not have to move resorts.

I also don't have any suggestions to fix it other than to reinstate the Room Assignor positions/duties that have been eliminated. And while that could be a possibility at DVC resorts that share services (BCV, BWV, VWL), I am not sure that DVC wants to have that added cost. However, I would be pleased if some compromise was put in place in the near future.

Just my opinion...

 

[lisaviolet]

If the resort wasn't filled the night before, they may have a room available for you that morning. I'd say we get our room in the morning about 35% of the time. But we don't check-in on Sunday (probably the busiest check-in day for DVC.)

But I believe that the busy crowds of Sunday morning are probably cancelled out by Saturday night high points not being utilized.

We have always (100%) had our room ready on a Sunday morning. Well 100% is really only a 7 out of 7. Not all your years Chuck but still fantastic.

And this is BCV, BWV, SSR and OKW and some busy seasons.

 

[Muushka]

They have that it is called BW view at the BWV as you noted.

Yes, I am aware that BWV has this. My comment was that I wish all the DVC resorts had some great rooms set aside for the owners who book at 11 months and cannot arrive early in the day to check in.

Requests are just that request. Having rooms assigned by reservation date really sets things up for tons of complaints. They can't possible meet all requests so the person who had booked 11 months out would be furious to not have those requests met.

Like I said, the room ready works great for us because we can easily get there very early. I feel for those who cannot.

There is no perfect system but I believe Room ready is overall the best and a cost saver to DVC.

The only way I can relate this is that many busy restaurants have eliminated reservations. It creates more problems than it solves. The tables fill up on a first come first served basis. Nobody can get mad when they arive and there are no tables. If those same guests had made a reservation and arrived, having to wait, they would be furious.

First come first served is really the basis of Room Ready and very fair I might add. They try there best to meet requests on a first come first served basis based on what is available at the time.

Thank you Dumbo, for explaining everything to this very simple mind.

 

[Dean]

Wouldn't it be nice that if at each DVC resort they could figure out the nicest views (like the Boardwalk view at BWV) and allow the owners to book them at the 11 month mark?

Yes as it would benefit the owners at that resort who should get priority regardless of when they book. Smoking vs NS should also be a direct booking cat. Actually the computers are usually reset by 5 am, sometimes earlier.

 

[Chuck S]

A reminder that Smoking/Non-Smoking discussions are limited to this thread:

DVC Smoking Thread

 

[Muushka]

Yes as it would benefit the owners at that resort who should get priority regardless of when they book. Smoking vs NS should also be a direct booking cat. Actually the computers are usually reset by 5 am, sometimes earlier.

Yes, I agree with that too!