I wish Disney would let us pick hotel rooms....

[HopperFan]

Even if they have more then 85, I am sure it is not even close to the number of rooms vs most WDW resorts and managing 10 times the rooms is much more harder. Plus, these Hampton Inns, are they running 90-100% room capacity pretty much every single day? I highly doubt it and that makes a BIG difference. The bottom line is why should they invest millions in doing this? They are already getting people to pay their exorbitant prices and are packing them in.

^THIS

There is zero reason for them to do this. They would have $ losses and complaints .... they have nothing to gain.

 

[IrishNYC]

It is nice to pick our room at a Hilton brand hotel, but I think it would invite a lot of complaints at Disney.

 

[Disneylover99]

I would love to book my exact room ahead of time! But I don't think it will ever happen. It would be a dumb move for Disney.

People would look at the rooms available and think, naw, I'm not going to stay here, all the good rooms are gone, so they would check out another Disney resort, only to discover, all the good rooms are gone at the next resort too. Disney would be stuck with a glut of less desirable locations, while people searched offsite for better rooms.

 

[kmb584]

I can see the complaints now...

I understand that other hotels offer the "pick your own room" service, but most of those offer no more than 200 rooms per property. WDW has over 26,000 resort rooms on property. If those 26,000+ rooms were spread out amongst hundreds of different resort properties all over the USA, it'd be a service for Disney to consider. But they aren't. Those 26,000+ resort rooms are spread amongst a mere 28 properties and are all situated in the same 40 square mile block. It just isn't feasible.

 

[writerguyfl]

Even if they have more then 85, I am sure it is not even close to the number of rooms vs most WDW resorts and managing 10 times the rooms is much more harder. Plus, these Hampton Inns, are they running 90-100% room capacity pretty much every single day? I highly doubt it and that makes a BIG difference. The bottom line is why should they invest millions in doing this? They are already getting people to pay their exorbitant prices and are packing them in.

I spent over a decade working in hotels (including at Disney World). I can confirm that once you get near sold out, you have to be very careful when assigning rooms. If you don't pay attention, it's easy to run into situations where you only have rooms available for X nights but all arrivals are staying for X+1 (or more) nights. As maxiesmom notes, it's a lot like Tetris.

Another huge difference between Disney World Resorts and hotels like Hampton Inn is length-of-stay. As the average length-of-stay increases, it gets harder to fit guests into available rooms. The average length-of-stay at a Hampton Inn is probably between 1 to 2 nights. I'm guessing, but that figure at Disney Resorts is likely to be more than 4 nights.

 

[Disneylover99]

Another huge difference between Disney World Resorts and hotels like Hampton Inn is length-of-stay. As the average length-of-stay increases, it gets harder to fit guests into available rooms. The average length-of-stay at a Hampton Inn is probably between 1 to 2 nights. I'm guessing, but that figure at Disney Resorts is likely to be more than 4 nights.

And the longer you stay, getting the perfect room location becomes even more important. Too many guests wanting the same popular location will be a nightmare.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Picking exact room is enticing but I do honestly agree unrealistic. It's true other brands do them (my husband has done it a handful of times for Hilton) and it is something Disney could do as in it's physically possible for them to do it technology-wise.....that being said though for their specific situation it's not something they would likely even want to consider. I will say it's nice that they allow you to put in requests in the first place even if it could really be considered a toss up coin on gettin those requests granted (depending on variables like other rooms available, etc)

 

[Kaytie]

but I don't think that programming is that hard

One of my stays at Pop, I was told they had over a thousand rooms turn over on the (Satur)day I changed rooms. Programming wouldn't be "that hard", it would be inconceivably more difficult.

It doesn't matter that Hampton allows it across the chain. Any individual selection is for an individual property of 50-200 rooms

So, an average turnover of seven to 30 rooms per night, vs potentially 54 (BWI) to 400+ (Pop).

 

[bumbershoot]

I really enjoy using it when I stay at Hilton properties, and although they have the standard disclaimer that your room can change

Ah, so there is a disclaimer. Figured there would be.

 

[bryanb]

I like the idea. But can you imagine the agonizing on Disboards if people were allowed to choose their own rooms?

People would be staying up late to hit their "room choice check-in window" and posting long stressful threads on pros/cons of the view from 2300 block vs 2100, and how disappointed that their ten first choices (thoroughly researched) weren't available for the length-of-stay, and how a WDW vacation now requires even more planning or you'll be left with the worst views of the dumpster if you didn't research it, and how Disney is so greedy because of a rumor that the entire block of rooms between 4350-4600 have been recategorized as "Preferred" rooms as of April 27 with absolutely NO notice at ALL, when they used to be Standard rooms (which someone will prove with a screenshot from April 26), which means that we're getting so much less for the same amount of money which is ALL Disney does these days, and if only I had been told that I would've changed my dates, and it's all Bob Iger's fault because he only cares about shareholders, and it made my trip less magical. Just for example.

 

[Laundress]

Good idea for us and our dream trip but nightmare for the CM

 

[mousefan73]

I like the idea. But can you imagine the agonizing on Disboards if people were allowed to choose their own rooms?

People would be staying up late to hit their "room choice check-in window" and posting long stressful threads on pros/cons of the view from 2300 block vs 2100, and how disappointed that their ten first choices (thoroughly researched) weren't available for the length-of-stay, and how a WDW vacation now requires even more planning or you'll be left with the worst views of the dumpster if you didn't research it, and how Disney is so greedy because of a rumor that the entire block of rooms between 4350-4600 have been recategorized as "Preferred" rooms as of April 27 with absolutely NO notice at ALL, when they used to be Standard rooms (which someone will prove with a screenshot from April 26), which means that we're getting so much less for the same amount of money which is ALL Disney does these days, and if only I had been told that I would've changed my dates, and it's all Bob Iger's fault because he only cares about shareholders, and it made my trip less magical. Just for example.

best comment ever!!! Sad but true

 

[_auroraborealis_]

It's also notable that using the Hampton Inn example, HI doesn't have bookable views. Not even at the Hampton Inn on Oahu.

 

[merrick]

as others have said, it seems like a daunting thing to implement and leave them open for some very unhappy guests.

but even if it could be done, i honestly don't want another "added fee" service which just automatically dumps me in the crappiest room because i don't want to pay more (than the $500/night i am currently paying).

 

[fla4fun]

It's also notable that using the Hampton Inn example, HI doesn't have bookable views. Not even at the Hampton Inn on Oahu.

True. However, when I book a Hilton hotel, it only shows me available rooms in the category I booked (king or queen, suite or standard room, etc.). So IF Disney was ever so inclined to do this, it should be the same way - if you booked a pool view at AKL then it should only show you the pool view rooms, not the standard view or the savannah view. Narrowing it down further, if you booked a pool view with bunk beds, then it should only show you pool view, bunk bed rooms. The actual programming might be a nightmare, but once it was set up, it should be fairly straightforward.

One thing no one has mentioned though is the possibility that something like this would cut down drastically on those magical upgrades. No more booking a parking lot room and ending up in a suite . . . (disclaimer - I am high enough in the Hilton program that I am entitled to upgrades, and if a property has upgradeable room types, those do appear for me to select).

I still don't think they will do it any time soon though. I'm just happy they are updating the app to show your room number. Now THAT is something I can use!

 

[siskaren]

I like the idea. But can you imagine the agonizing on Disboards if people were allowed to choose their own rooms?

People would be staying up late to hit their "room choice check-in window" and posting long stressful threads on pros/cons of the view from 2300 block vs 2100, and how disappointed that their ten first choices (thoroughly researched) weren't available for the length-of-stay, and how a WDW vacation now requires even more planning or you'll be left with the worst views of the dumpster if you didn't research it, and how Disney is so greedy because of a rumor that the entire block of rooms between 4350-4600 have been recategorized as "Preferred" rooms as of April 27 with absolutely NO notice at ALL, when they used to be Standard rooms (which someone will prove with a screenshot from April 26), which means that we're getting so much less for the same amount of money which is ALL Disney does these days, and if only I had been told that I would've changed my dates, and it's all Bob Iger's fault because he only cares about shareholders, and it made my trip less magical. Just for example.

Seriously. People here agonize enough over the "perfect" resort and the "best" request to make.

 

[Disneylover99]

One thing no one has mentioned though is the possibility that something like this would cut down drastically on those magical upgrades. No more booking a parking lot room and ending up in a suite . . .

I think the opposite would happen. The need for magical upgrades might actually go up drastically!

Think about how often rooms go out of service last minute for maintenance issues or other problems. Now they would have to upgrade people left, right and centre if actual rooms were bookable.

 

[fla4fun]

I think the opposite would happen. The need for magical upgrades might actually go up drastically!

Think about how often rooms go out of service last minute for maintenance issues or other problems. Now they would have to upgrade people left, right and centre if actual rooms were bookable.

Yes, it could go either way, either up drastically or down drastically. I guess it would depend on how comfortable Disney would be with moving someone who has selected a specific room when they don't know why the guest selected it. As it stands now, you could be booked in a standard category where your assigned, but yet unknown, room has a maintenance issue, and get relocated to a water view across the hall, and you would never know. You never knew about the first room, so you wouldn't be upset that you were moved. But if you selected that room because it was facing toward fireworks in addition to the parking lot, and now you are facing a busy pool, you might be upset. I've had a lot of Disney upgrades over the years from standard view to something else, and I don't know if it was maintenance, overbooking, or what caused the upgrade. It just was.

 

[Disneylover99]

Yes, it could go either way, either up drastically or down drastically. I guess it would depend on how comfortable Disney would be with moving someone who has selected a specific room when they don't know why the guest selected it. As it stands now, you could be booked in a standard category where your assigned, but yet unknown, room has a maintenance issue, and get relocated to a water view across the hall, and you would never know. You never knew about the first room, so you wouldn't be upset that you were moved. But if you selected that room because it was facing toward fireworks in addition to the parking lot, and now you are facing a busy pool, you might be upset. I've had a lot of Disney upgrades over the years from standard view to something else, and I don't know if it was maintenance, overbooking, or what caused the upgrade. It just was.

If you booked early and selected a prime room based on view and that room suddenly went out of service, I would think no move is going to be acceptable considering all the prime rooms would be booked. Disney would obviously have no choice but to move people, but guests would not be satisfied. They would have to start looking for alternate ways to satisfy their guests like comping them a night or two or a few meals which would be way too costly in the long run.

 

[kaytieeldr]

and how disappointed that their ten first choices (thoroughly researched) weren't available for the length-of-stay.

So IF Disney was ever so inclined to do this, it should be the same way - if you booked a pool view at AKL then it should only show you the pool view rooms, not the standard view or the savannah view.

Yeah. If they were going to go to all the trouble of programming this, limiting each guest's options to the exact number of nights they're staying wouldn't be much extra work.

Disney would obviously have no choice but to move people, but guests would not be satisfied.

Not necessarily. Given their standard room reservation disclaimer, the only thing the guest is guaranteed is a room. Not even in the category of at the resort booked. Decency would mandate refunding any update which should be automatic but isn't always.