I must vent about SSR and my nephew!!

[Princess Stitch]

Usually I am sympathetic with the hotel in these types of threads, mainly because I too used to be a hotel manager at a luxury hotel. However, in this case I agree with both sides. There is absolutely no excuse that your sister should have had to wait, especially since Disney knew about your nephews needs. When I was in the business, if we had a VIP or a special needs situation, the VERY FIRST room that checked out that day was assigned to them and the room attendants cleaned it first. That room was not unblocked for any reason. This is what should have happened with your sister...

Doesn't this work differently at DVC resorts though because of the "room ready" policy? I understand if you need a handicapped accessible room, but just to need a room in general you may have 100 guests on any given day who "need" a room. I don't think it's fair to ask Disney to try and decide who "needs" the rooms the most and make everyone else wait even though they checked in earlier. How were they to know that your sister was going to show up at 4pm? What if a guest came at 3 to check in and they didn't give them the room because they were waiting for your sister to come, and then she arrived at 7pm. Well the first guest would have had to wait for the 6pm room to open up while your sister's room was blocked off and she could have taken the later room.

 

[Ellasgirls]

Yikes...this could be interesting in August when a lot us got the upgrades to OKW and SSR! I am getting into WDW (staying at POP) the night before the big upgrade starts...should I try to be over at OKW Sunday morning at 8...or earlier? I know this won't get me a room earlier but it will be out of the way and we can spend the day at a park. Good luck to all checking in on Aug 26 to OKW and SSR. If you have a special needs child (or even adult) are there any tips for people checking in on not only a Sunday but the 1st day of Free dining AND the 1st day of all the free upgrades?!

 

[rapisano]

Doesn't this work differently at DVC resorts though because of the "room ready" policy? I understand if you need a handicapped accessible room, but just to need a room in general you may have 100 guests on any given day who "need" a room. I don't think it's fair to ask Disney to try and decide who "needs" the rooms the most and make everyone else wait even though they checked in earlier. How were they to know that your sister was going to show up at 4pm? What if a guest came at 3 to check in and they didn't give them the room because they were waiting for your sister to come, and then she arrived at 7pm. Well the first guest would have had to wait for the 6pm room to open up while your sister's room was blocked off and she could have taken the later room.

So if you checked in a 4pm along with a guest that has special needs and they gave her your room first you don't think thats fair?? Her room was not blocked off 1st of all they didn't make any special requests for her. She had to wait just like everyone else. What I am saying is that she should have had the next available room based on his disability.. I would just be more than happy to do that for anyone whom had a difficult situation.

 

[Princess Stitch]

So if you checked in a 4pm along with a guest that has special needs and they gave her your room first you don't think thats fair?? Her room was not blocked off 1st of all they didn't make any special requests for her. She had to wait just like everyone else. What I am saying is that she should have had the next available room based on his disability.. I would just be more than happy to do that for anyone whom had a difficult situation.

Hm... looks like you didn't read my post OR the one I quoted. In the quoted post someone mentioned that at their hotel special needs rooms are blocked off all day. I said that's a bit unreasonable because Disney has no idea when guests are going to check in. Last year I had a late flight and didn't get in until around 6pm. It would have been unreasonable for me to have a room blocked off when someone else needed one at 4pm and I didn't show up until 6. I was just stating my opinion that unless you need a wheelchair accessable room, it is unreasonable to expect that Disney will hold one for you when there are other guests waiting to check in.

If I was there at the same time as somone with special needs I would GLADLY give them the first available room and wait for mine. I do expect however that if I check in at 2pm and someone else checks in at 4pm and is waiting for the same type of room, that I will get a room before them unless there are extenuating circumstances.

I don't think that's rude and I think it's rude of you to make me sound like a mean person because you didn't take the time to read and understand my post properly.

 

[maxiesmom]

My sister is currently at SSR and arrived in on Sunday she didn't get into her room until 6pm!! I know that this was very difficult for her and no she was not going into a park that day to by pass the time and not waste the day.. Her son has autism and she has to be careful about not overwhelming him at one given time. She was instructed to let the concierge know when she arrived to make there stay more pleasant. So she had to walk around for 3 hours and try to explain to him that we would be getting the room soon...

Who "instructed" your sister to check with concierge? Did the CM at check-in send her over? If that was the case, then it doesn't suprise me that you had to wait. But if Disney was notified ahead of time they should have tried to accomodate you. Was it noted on the reservation that she needed the room on arrival because she had a special needs child?

I too get impatient when I have to wait for my room. I know it must have seemed like forever to your sis and her son. But given the fact that it is high season for Disney, 2 hours is not really that far out of bounds.

 

[ducklite]

I interpert that policy to mean I can check in any time after 4p (4:01 for example) and get my room.

Some people interpert that to me Disney doesn't have to have my room available until some indeterminate time after 4p. Under that interperation Diseny could delay check in until 5 or 6p That interperation isn't reasonable since Disney wouldn't owe me a room until midnight.

Again a guest who arrives at the desk any time after 4p is entitled to check in.

I understand it takes an hour to clean a DVC room for the next guest. That means a housekeeper can only clean 5 rooms after check out and have the room available by 4p, less if you assume a lunch break.

Lewis, that's assuming that every guest checks out at the last possible minute. We know that chances are quite high that half of the guests will be out of their rooms and either on their way home or in the parks for a last day well before check out.

Anne

 

[rapisano]

Who "instructed" your sister to check with concierge? Did the CM at check-in send her over? If that was the case, then it doesn't suprise me that you had to wait. But if Disney was notified ahead of time they should have tried to accomodate you. Was it noted on the reservation that she needed the room on arrival because she had a special needs child?

I too get impatient when I have to wait for my room. I know it must have seemed like forever to your sis and her son. But given the fact that it is high season for Disney, 2 hours is not really that far out of bounds.

We called prior to let them know about her son and they instructed her to go to the concierge.. You would have thought they would have tried to take care of her and there special needs..

 

[Chuck S]

Lewis, that's assuming that every guest checks out at the last possible minute. We know that chances are quite high that half of the guests will be out of their rooms and either on their way home or in the parks for a last day well before check out.

Anne

But Anne, you are not taking into account that DVC resorts often operate at nearly full capacity. If two rooms are blocked because a large party wants to be near each other, and one room of that party hasn't checked in yet, I wouldn't want them giving that room away, even if it is ready for occupancy. The OP has no idea what other circumstances may be involved in this particular incident, whether it was late check-outs, a trashed room, or what...or even if other rooms were available.

What if the only other rooms available and ready for occupancy were in Congress Park (for example), and other guests requested that area, whose request trumps whose?

 

[rapisano]

Hm... looks like you didn't read my post OR the one I quoted. In the quoted post someone mentioned that at their hotel special needs rooms are blocked off all day. I said that's a bit unreasonable because Disney has no idea when guests are going to check in. Last year I had a late flight and didn't get in until around 6pm. It would have been unreasonable for me to have a room blocked off when someone else needed one at 4pm and I didn't show up until 6. I was just stating my opinion that unless you need a wheelchair accessable room, it is unreasonable to expect that Disney will hold one for you when there are other guests waiting to check in.

If I was there at the same time as somone with special needs I would GLADLY give them the first available room and wait for mine. I do expect however that if I check in at 2pm and someone else checks in at 4pm and is waiting for the same type of room, that I will get a room before them unless there are extenuating circumstances.

I don't think that's rude and I think it's rude of you to make me sound like a mean person because you didn't take the time to read and understand my post properly.

Sorry I must have misread the post I am just perturbed by those who are not at all compassionate for her and her family.. I feel as thou many are being insensitive and just to walk in her shoes for a day everyone would have a different opinion. Sorry for the misinterpretation of your reply.

 

[Chuck S]

We called prior to let them know about her son and they instructed her to go to the concierge.. You would have thought they would have tried to take care of her and there special needs..

Sounds like they did try to accommodate her, by letting her check-in at the concierge desk rather than waiting the normal check-in line. The concierge can't make a room appear if one isn't available. If guests had checked in earlier than your sis, they were waiting for their rooms, too...and they were assigned to them when they checked-in.

You really don't know everyone elses circumstances, either. They may have had some hidden special needs, too. A Sr. Citizen with high blood pressure, someone recovering from surgery...you really don't know.

Last December, I was released by the Doc one day before our trip, I was still recovering from an allergic reaction to a prescription that caused drug induced hepatitis, I "looked" pretty normal, but had very little stamina to stay in the parks more than an hour or so.

 

[rapisano]

Sounds like they did try to accomodate her, by letting her check-in at the conciege desk rather than waiting the normal check-in line. The concierge can't make a room appear if one isn't available. If guests had checked in earlier than your sis, they were waiting for their rooms, too...and they were assigned to them when they checked-in.

No no, she was told to tell the concierge when she was checking in however they told her no they coouldnt take care of her any sooner. She did wait in the normal line at check in.

 

[Chuck S]

No no, she was told to tell the concierge when she was checking in however they told her no they coouldnt take care of her any sooner. She did wait in the normal line at check in.

Interesting...I wonder what they expected the concierge to be able to do?

 

[MonoManBlue]

Interesting...I wonder what they expected the concierge to be able to do?

I was wondering the same thing.......While check-in is supposed to be after 3pm, I really don't see as anything was done wrong by Disney. SSR is a DVC resort, its almost always full, and they simply did not have the room ready for awhile. Its life.......

 

[mprewitt]

rapisano, you appear to be suffiently perturbed about this one incident to vent on both the Resorts and DVC boards. I'm sorry you are so upset, but let it go. Mistakes happen. As one member said in a response on the DVC board:

I think the folks here are really helpful and compassionate. I don't think we/they meant to give the impression that we are not sympathetic to special needs individuals. I just feel that all folks, even those traveling with disabilities must realize that break downs happen, even at Disney and because she is travelling with an Autistic child is not going to make her exempt. I'm sure adjustments have to be made when traveling with an autistic child but it goes both ways.

I agree with this. Another person said:

I sincerely hope that the rest of the trip for this family went well and that they can look at getting into the room late as only a small thing in an otherwise great trip.

Can we let this issue go, or is there still a need to keep on venting? I'm sorry your family experienced this problem. I hope the rest of their Disney vacation was magical!

 

[Deb & Bill]

Well said, mprewitt!!

 

[safetymom]

With this I am going to close this thread. It has turned into a debate and is not about resort planning. Thank you everyone.