How do the resorts sort out requests?

[ShellyMouse]

is this on a first come first serve basis? if you check in at 8am, you will get your requests?......if you check in at 1pm, you might.....if you check in at 6pm, you don't?

i want to plan our way down according to this.

thanks!!

 

[Jalva22]

I think it's entirely due to availability at the time you check in. No check in time guarantees it will be met, because your requested location may be full of occupants that arrived on previous days. From what I've heard on podcasts and read in guides, Disney will do its best to meet any requests. Is it better to check in at 8am or right after check out time? I don't know. We will be arriving for our next visit about 8pm and I'm staying offsite that night. Then I will pre-register as early as possible the next morning and head to the parks. That worked fine for us in June 05.

 

[susieq76]

It depends- the last two times we went we checked in god awefully early- like 6am! The first time they didn't have a room where I had requested BUT they had a room available in prefferred at that minute so they took pity on my travel weary family, upgraded us and let us check in early. It was great.

The last time we checked in about 7am, they didn't have any rooms ready at all. We were fine- we checked in and headed to Magic Kingdom. When I called to get our rooms- they were not adjoining nor in prefferred (which this time we had paid for?) Huh? I complained- I have 3 babies- how am I supposed to have rooms a whole floor away from each other? They fixed it but made us move resorts to AS Sports from AS Movies. My kids really wanted AS Movies, I reserved AS Movies and still (thanks to large groups of cheerleaders) we had to be moved.

I really think it matters how full they are and yur luck of the draw with front desk people.

 

[safetymom]

It depends on your requests, how full the resort is, how many days you are staying, if there are any groups staying at the resort.

 

[ShellyMouse]

thanks for the replies!

we are staying @ POP! dec 16-26.

i paid for preferred, and requested: 60's section, building 5 (moogli & baloo), top floor, pool side.

it is x-mas time so it will be busy, but was hoping we would check in before ALOT of the x-mas crowd arrives mid-week. we are staying 10 nights, 11 days....maybe that would make a difference, since we are staying longer/paying more....maybe we would have a better chance of requests.

oh well, we will be at DISNEY so whatever happens can't be bad!!

 

[safetymom]

The length of your stay can work either way. It depends on how others are staying at the resort. Sometimes those with shorter stays get their requests honored.

 

[maelstrom]

The last time we checked in about 7am, they didn't have any rooms ready at all. We were fine- we checked in and headed to Magic Kingdom. When I called to get our rooms- they were not adjoining nor in prefferred (which this time we had paid for?) Huh? I complained- I have 3 babies- how am I supposed to have rooms a whole floor away from each other? They fixed it but made us move resorts to AS Sports from AS Movies. My kids really wanted AS Movies, I reserved AS Movies and still (thanks to large groups of cheerleaders) we had to be moved.

I hope you wrote a nice complaint letter.

 

[CareBlair]

Do a search for CDSTapisRouge's post on the resorts board. She is CM with extensive experience as a resort front desk CM. She is a wealth of knowledge on how the rooms are "assigned."

Basically, you will be assigned a room from the available inventory at the time you check in. The only "pre-assignments" that are done are for medical and groups traveling together. If a room which meets your requests is available at the time you check in for your length of stay, I'm sure your resort will be glad to give it to you.

If you don't like the room you have been assigned, ask if there might be one available later in the day and offer to accept that one, knowing you will not be able to get into your room right away. And clearly more "inventory" is made available on a day when a lot of guests are checking out.

This posting by CDSTapisRouge does a very good job of explaining how the room assignments work which may result in an upgrade:
http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=14170558&postcount=3

 

[TheRustyScupper]

. . . i paid for preferred, and requested: 60's section, building 5 (moogli & baloo), top floor, pool side . . .

1) As mentioned, there is a prescribed method to assigning rooms.
2) Even more so during such busy periods.
3) I would advise you to call CRO and reduce your requests.
4) Your list is pretty long, especially during a popular time period.
5) The more request, the less chance of fulfillment.

 

[ShellyMouse]

ok, ok!! so i'm high maintenance! so what? ....

so i will call and have them scratch off top floor. i was thinking we might see fireworks, that is the only reason i requested that.

i really REALLY want MOOGLI AND BALOO!!

since i paid for preferred, what does that give me? could it be a preferred in ANY building?

can i list my requests in order of importance, does this help?

1st choice: moogli & baloo
2nd choice: pool side

what do you think my chances of this are?

oh, btw, we are "room only" on the 16th. package starts on the 17th. maybe i can ask to be moved morning of 17th...then i can be there bright and early.

i booked through AAA, but i remember reading you can fax your requests right to resort 7 days in advance.....i will try that too.

so, i want it all.....whats wrong with that?!?!

 

[Tikiman]

You might be able to see what is available at check in but requests are reviewed and assigned before you ever get to the resort unless none are noted.

The room reservation comes from the DRC (Disney reservation
center) to the resort 5 days out. (they can’t see the reservation. in the computer until then) Then the rooms team go thru all the requests and try to meet those based upon what’s currently checked-in.

Reservations without a request don’t get assigned and at Check-In the
computer does what’s called a "auto-In House" (the computer looks at
the rack and sees what’s available) (holes) where rooms are empty and
comes up with a list that the Cast Member can select from before the
keys get cut.

If your a group/ Magical Gathering they (the rooms team) will really
try and book the rooms together "pre-assign (the reservation has room
#'s attached)" and find open rooms for this first. Again if the rooms have no requests then the computer grabs the room, suggests to the CM what’s available. The CM can select one of the 5 rooms that "pop up" or go into the rack and find a "working vacancy" and then check with the
Rooms Team if the new room works for a fit for the (holes) that are
in the system. Downside is when we are 100% occupancy the computer
will start issuing smoking optional rooms as what’s left.

 

[Cool-Beans]

The biggest risk when arriving late, IMHO, is getting walked. I've never been walked at Disney, but have heard of people who got "upgraded" to nicer hotels.

Except for BWI not giving me the water-view I paid for, I've never had a problem. I've actually called to reserve rooms after landing in Orlando, while driving to the hotel and received exactly what I wanted. I'm not very picky, though. Sometimes I want a King bed or a water view. That's about it.

A guy I know once forgot to turn off CRO and ended up walking almost 30 people. No, wait, he made the mistake, but the desk clerks had to do the dirty work.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

. . . i really REALLY want MOOGLI AND BALOO!! . . . since i paid for preferred, what does that give me? could it be a preferred in ANY building? . . .

1) At Values, "preferred" refers to the building, not the room or view.
2) Within the preferred buildings, you could
. . . be on a low or high floor
. . . be looking at the pools or woods or water
. . . be on the end of a building or near the center of a building
2) These are the rooms nearest check-in and the food court.
3) On the 60's section, only buildings 4 & 5 are preferred.

 

[goofy4tink]

1) At Values, "preferred" refers to the building, not the room or view.
2) Within the preferred buildings, you could
. . . be on a low or high floor
. . . be looking at the pools or woods or water
. . . be on the end of a building or near the center of a building
2) These are the rooms nearest check-in and the food court.
3) On the 60's section, only buildings 4 & 5 are preferred.

Ahhh, aren't blgs 4 and 5 the only bldgs in the 60's section?
I thought that now, since they changed the definition of 'preferred' there were parts of several bldgs that are considered preferred. Some of 50's, some of 60's (rather than the entire section) and some of 70's.

 

[Fintastic]

The biggest risk when arriving late, IMHO, is getting walked.

What does that mean?

 

[TheWog]

What does that mean?

walked means being moved to a different hotel because this one is booked and can not accomodate you.

 

[Fintastic]

Makes sense. We're going to be arriving late (we're driving), probably around 8:00 or 9:00 PM. I hope that doesn't turn out to be an issue.

 

[KathyRN137]

Makes sense. We're going to be arriving late (we're driving), probably around 8:00 or 9:00 PM. I hope that doesn't turn out to be an issue.

Call and have it noted on your reservation that you will be checking in late!
Good Luck!