How do they handle "preferences"?

[kristenrice]

I know that a lot of people have become more specific with their room requests, but how does Disney handle them? If I make a reservation at the 11 month window and say that I want 3rd floor, bldg XX, non-smoking, what are the chances I am going to end up with 1st floor, bldg YY, non-smoking? Does Disney really take into consideration what your preference is and weigh it against when you made it or do they just randomly assign rooms and reassign if you complain? If I request 3rd floor, it would only be fair if I got a 3rd floor room over someone who listed no preference. Also, is your room assignment based on when you check in? We'll be arriving the night before and staying at ASMo. Will it improve our chances of getting the room we want if we get up and check in to OKW first thing in the morning, or can we wait until the afternoon? We're travelling in January so I don't think the resort will be filled to capacity Anybody have any input?

 

[crisi]

Officially, DVC moved to "room ready" - you get a room that is ready when you check in - if they have one that matches your preferences (or sort of does) they should be giving you that room over another room that is ready.

Whether this means you are better checking in at 8am (when few rooms are clean) or at 11 am or at 3pm is anyone's guess - I wouldn't wait to check in until 8pm if you have a choice.

In practice, rooms often appear to be preassigned.

As far as being full in January, DVC is designed to run at something like 97% capacity year round - the resort may be a lot more full than you anticipate.

 

[Granny]

Will it improve our chances of getting the room we want if we get up and check in to OKW first thing in the morning, or can we wait until the afternoon? We're travelling in January so I don't think the resort will be filled to capacity Anybody have any input?

As crisi said, most resorts have officially moved to "room ready", which means they will try to get you into a room when you check in and meet some or all of your requests. Getting there early in the day seems to increase the odds of getting what you requested, though be prepared to not be able to get into your room until 4 p.m.

I agree that rooms seem to be pre-assigned when checking in, but the room ready policy probably gives more flexibility to the check-in desk.

 

[bobbiwoz]

We've booked OKW twice, and it is important for me to have either first floor or an elevator building. We've booked a studio and a 1 bedroom...and both times, we checked in, by 10AM, and we got what we wanted, non-smoking and first floor or elevator. Our room was ready for us both times. I don't expect the room to be ready so early every time, but that's what we've experienced. Our times were October, and June.

Bobbi

 

[JimMIA]

My advice would be to limit your requests to those which are really important to you. The problem is, if you make too many requests, they all may become equal in the eyes of whoever is assigning your room. They may fill less important requests and disappoint you on something that really mattered more to you.

For example, we need non-smoking for medical reasons, but we understand that is still only a request. Therefore, when I make my ressie N/S medical is the only request I make. When I check in, I'll often ask for a location preference -- sometimes I get it, sometimes I don't. But at least I get what is most important to me.

 

[CarolA]

And if no one is moving out of the third floor it does NOT matter when you arrive LOL!

I am with Jim, the only request I make is non-smoking. I have always gotten it.

I also don't get the "fuss", I did a check. All the rooms are at Disney (Unless i booked VB or HH) and that's what I want LOL!

And what are you going to complain about? It's a request (And how would you know someone got YOUR room, are you going to camp outside it and ask them "When did you get this room?" LOL!) I think that the CMs have heard every complaint in the book. (And some complainers should get sent to the new "Pop Century" DVC, based on the whining I have heard. That resort is geared towards kids, so if you whine......I once heard a mom use about 10 reasons why she needed something. The poor CM could not seem to convince her that while she WANTED to help, there was not a room avaialble, the house was FULL LOL!)

 

[kristenrice]

Thanks for all the input!
I LOVE OKW and the only preference I really have is that I do NOT want to be in the South Point(?) area. My 2 DD's want to play on the playground and so I want to be as close to the HH as possible. Building 23 has been recommended to me due to the bus stop(s) proximity so that is my preference. Is it better to tell them where I would like to be or where I would NOT like to be?
I'm not too concerned about when we get into the room. The policy says that it doesn't have to be ready until 4 so I am not planning on having a room until 4. I would like to get checked in though since we will be on the DDP and I'd like to get it activated. Thanks again for all the helpful info!

 

[beachblanket]

Getting there early in the day seems to increase the odds of getting what you requested, though be prepared to not be able to get into your room until 4 p.m.

In our experience, it does. We get to the resort early (7am-ish). We then "check in," politely reminding the CM at the front desk of our requests and (this is the most important part) the fact that since we are going to go off to a park before it opens that we are not in any particular hurry to get into a villa (while doing the "wink wink" to him/her). That has always resulted in our getting a villa that meets all our requests. I strongly suspect that this is because our early arrival puts at the "front" of the assignment queue for the villas with our preferences that are opening up that day.

 

[CarolA]

I keep hearing about "room ready" but my Oct stay at BCV pointed out it's not EXACTLY true. The manager finally admitted it when I asked why there had been NO studios open between 9 am and 5 PM????? (I had my one request so it wasn't like they were looking for the "perfect" room for me)

He kind of said "well it's a varation on room ready" WHATEVER!

 

[Dean]

IMO DVC has moved to s situation where they put LESS effort into meeting requests than in years past. I'd select the two or at most, three, requests that are most important to you and list them in order of preference. I would not make specific requests like specific buildings or units. I'd list smoking preference and general area or floor and little else. There is currently no priority given other than to medical related requests, it's just luck of the draw.

 

[pb4ugo]

I think that when the assignment wizard sees my name/request he pushes his chair away from the desk and has one good long laugh!

Seriously, we always ask for 1st floor for medical reasons and smoking - at check-in we ask for the 'neighborhood'. In three years/three visits we have gotten 1st floor and "I'm sorry, that's the best I can do." Am gonna keep going back 'til we get all that we want!

But who cares - we're at Disney!