How do you request a room and actually get it?

[bounceliketigger]

I have never gotten my request for a particular room or area even if I've requested it months in advance. I'm always told at check-in that it depends on who asks first at check -in. So, if I put in a request months in advance, but someone asks for the same thing at 7am & I check -in at 11am, I'm the loser. Am I missing something here? Has anyone else had this experience? If that's the case, what in the World is the point of making the request in the first place?

 

[ilovefh]

I've always gotten my requests, even when checking in at midnight. I think it depends on when you go maybe. Harder to get requests during busier times? I would think the room assignor would look at the request when assigning the room. I don't believe rooms are assigned at check in but before. Anyone know?

 

[Chuck S]

It seems to depend a lot on what time of year you visit. If it is a particularly busy season, they will likely pre-assign some rooms. If it is a slower season, they will go with "room ready" which is basically if a room is ready, whoever shows up first, get it.

Most seasons they seem to use a combination of the two. If you book more than one room, and request they be near each other, that will normally be pre-assigned, along with Grand Gatherings.

It is never a good idea to request a specific room, as the front desk will have no idea why you requested that room, in case it is already occupied. They'd have no idea of what your second choice would be.

Make as few requests as possible, and make them general, like (at OKW for example) Turtle Pond area or First Floor and you'll have a better chance of success, though you could still be out of luck.

 

[DebbieB]

It's possible that the rooms in the area you requested were already occupied. It's not like a cruise where everyone checks-in and checks-out on the same day.

My experience at BWV is rooms are pre-assigned. However, at OKW they were assigned at check-in.

 

[bounceliketigger]

Any ideas on a good location at BWV for mid June? First time staying there.

 

[DisDaydreamer]

I have never gotten my request for a particular room or area even if I've requested it months in advance. I'm always told at check-in that it depends on who asks first at check -in. So, if I put in a request months in advance, but someone asks for the same thing at 7am & I check -in at 11am, I'm the loser. Am I missing something here? Has anyone else had this experience? If that's the case, what in the World is the point of making the request in the first place?

You got it.... It only makes sense that DVC honors requests upon arrival. First come, first served..... requests ahead of time don't always show up.

 

[frodgeslovedisney]

When we booked our trip, we were originally going to have multiple units and the CM who took our ressies told us to call one month from arrival date to make request for room location and proximity. She also said she would call to double check 1-2 weeks out to make sure they have been noted on our ressie. That might be worth a try...

Good luck! I hope you get the room of your dreams!

 

[Cruelladeville]

Sometimes it's hard to understand if they honor requests at all It really seems to depend on the resort. At SSR, I always ask for Grandstand, and I never get it! When I was there a couple of weeks ago, they wanted to put me in the Paddock, even though they had a room available in the Grandstand. At Christmas, they wanted to put me in Congress Park. In both cases, rooms were available in the Grandstand, so I don't understand what is going on. Maybe they just don't like me at SSR.

 

[dianeschlicht]

We never make requests at OKW and just take our chances. If we do decide to request, we usually just request an area. Our favorite is South Point.

 

[dbragas]

I've found it never hurts to ask if anything else if available when I'm not happy with the room they try to give us at check-in, even with room requests noted in our ressie. Sometimes that 2nd look at vacant room lists by the CM turns up something better.

 

[castleri]

Just got back from WDW and had three different rooms while there. Checked into OKW on the 4th for 2 nights and had only requested near pool. Got building 56 which was the room she had ready at the time. It was on the road end and had some bus noise and a view of the road but it was near a pool so I was happy. While Checking in I told her we would be checking in again on the 11th and bringing friends and that I really hoped for building 55 or 56. While the room keys were printing she went in the back and brought out the room assigner who said my reservation showed a request for building 55 near turtle pond. I said " no it should have been 55 or turtle pond area." She said she would see what she could do and that I should join the "water baby club" ( those who want to be at the back of the resort along the canal). The original reservation was for HH area because it was the only thing available when I called. On the 10th we checked into SSR and she said we were assigned a room in a CP building- had only requested GS or CP. If we wanted the room right then we could have one in Paddock section. Said we would wait as wanted to be close to pool and DTD. Ended up with room on second floor overlooking bus stop - she called it a garden view. On the 11th at OKW we checked in and got my favorite 2 bedroom in building 55 on the second floor and it was ready at 11. I felt like I had really been sprinkled with pixie dust for that one. It does appear that they are assigning rooms a few days in advance but if there are rooms that are ready when you check in they will offer those also. It then depends on which is more important to the person checking in.

 

[Granny]

It seems to depend a lot on what time of year you visit.

And also which resort you are checking into. When we've stayed at OKW it was clearly Room Ready, which is the same as "First Come - First Served". Okay, technically it's not the same but in practice that's pretty much the way it works.

On the other hand, for our stays at BWV and VWL they have clearly assigned our rooms prior to check-in. We never are offered any choices, on the other hand we've had pretty good luck with our requests which are very general.

Asking for a specific room is pretty much asking for disappointment, IMHO. But as long as you aren't disappointed to stay in another villa, there's no harm in asking.

 

[Simba's Mom]

It seems to depend a lot on what time of year you visit. If it is a particularly busy season, they will likely pre-assign some rooms. If it is a slower season, they will go with "room ready" which is basically if a room is ready, whoever shows up first, get it.

This has been my experience, too, and you just explained to me why it's sometimes been room ready and sometimes preassigned. At OKW, it was always room ready-until last time. Now I realize that this last time we went at a different time of year, busier, which is probably why our room was preassigned. And at BCV, it's sometimes preassigned and sometimes room ready. What still puzzles me about room requests there is that one time my preassigned room wasn't ready, so I had to wait a couple hours. But then my preassigned room met none of my requests, so I politely asked the front desk CM, "Do you possibly have anything like room -", which met all my requests, and I'd had it on my last trip. She seemed so surprised and said, "Oh, would you like that specific room? It's available if you'd like." Of course, I took it and went off a little confused about getting room requests, but happy as could be.

 

[dbragas]

So at check-in, how do you know if your room has been pre-assigned or not?

 

[Chuck S]

So at check-in, how do you know if your room has been pre-assigned or not?

Well at OKW, as we check-in, if they simply say "Your room isn't ready, yet." Chances are they were pre-assigned.

If they are going by "Room Ready" we are given a choice of rooms, even though some of them may not be cleaned yet, either.

 

[abk96]

Last July when we went to SSR we requested CP location. At check-in we were put in the Paddocks. Was not happy with this so asked for something in Grandstand section. There were plenty of rooms to choose from so I don't understand why we were put out in the Paddocks in the first place.

When we went to OKW in Nov. our room was not ready at check-in but we were told that we were in building 24. We had requested a room near HH and only got that request because they have a special category for HH.

I sure hope we get something remotely close to our request for this summer at BWV. I know it's not guaranteed but being somewhere near the request and not out in left field would help out a lot.

 

[crisi]

We've had the worst luck at BWV. One year the request was "high floor/no smoking" - Low floor smoking room. The next year we went for "high floor/no smoking" - well, at least this one was non-smoking, but we could walk out to the pool from our ground floor room (well, standard view - we actually had to go across the hall and down a bit). We really liked being close to the pool, so last year said "ground floor" - and ended up on the third floor. Everytime the room has seemed to be "pre-assigned" (this year we checked in about 8am), and if I've ask if there is anything else, I'm told very politely that no, this is my room.

 

[jns]

what is a good good location at the BCV's for a 1 bedroom villa

 

[MegansMom]

On our past two trips (BWV and then SSR) we have put in simple requests and have gotten what we wanted. YEAH! However, this next trip we are staying at OKW the 2nd week in June as a Grand Gathering with my whole family. (We have 3 studios reserved) We have put in simple requests like close to HH and we would like to at least all be in the same building--I know we will not be next to each other since we are in studios. We are not going to be able to check in until later due to travel, and now I am worried that we are all going to end up all over the resort! Any advice or help on how to get what we want?

 

[Chuck S]

Close to HH is a specifically reserved room category at OKW now. As far as being close to each other, those requests, especially for Grand Gatherings, are usually pre-blocked, so there should be no problem with that.

The near HH location will be hit & miss, unless you given that location as part of your room booking category.