If you do not get your room request...

[TDC Nala]

Book it and pay for it! Thats what I did....
I realize its a request and it was my 6 year olds request. I didn't promise anything. I just feel sometimes that Disney just puts you in a room and over looks the request part. Your opinion is every room is magical my kids haven't even seen fantasia so they were a little disappointed. It didn't ruin our trip but on the next visit it sure would be nice to get our request being I book the package the day 2008 prices came out.

You can't book and pay for a certain building. You can book and pay for a preferred location at All Stars but you still can't guarantee the building - there are several buildings in the preferred category. If they've overlooked the request part, it's most likely because they had no availability in the section you wanted. Then you can take a chance, ask if they will have availability later in the day, and wait for the room to be cleaned and ready if they have one, or you can take the room they offered you. It makes no difference when you book the package. They assign rooms based on availability a few days before checkin.

If you didn't get your request and you make it clear to the checkin desk that you are willing to wait past the stated checkin time to get your request, they may be able to find a room for you. Or, find out if you can switch the next day if you want to do that (but it's a pain).

If they have NO availability you have to take what's offered. I had to take a smoking room once at POP and it reeked (no more of that). They had no other rooms. My mother and I had to take a king bed room once at POR, it was all they had and they were adamant in stating that they had no other available rooms.

 

[lyzziesmom]

My request did not get honor and it was our first trip. My kids really wanted the buzz tower at All*Movies. I plan on calling the hotel and asking to talk to a manager and stressing how important it is for our kids and hope they show me the magic!

What are you planning to accomplish by calling the hotel, other than giving the manager a headache and possibly being labeled a problem guest? It sounds like your trip is over and done with, so what difference does it make now to complain that you didn't get the building you wanted? Did you reiterate your request upon check-in? Did they tell you there were no Buzz rooms available? Of course it's important to your kids... just like every other person's request is important to their kids, or their parents, or themselves. What makes you think they would consider your kids any more important than anyone else's kids? Did you expect them to kick someone else out of their room because your kids care that much about what room they are in?

When you say you "hope they show [you] the magic" it sounds like you're trying to get something for free.

 

[BamaFan121s]

Depends on what the request is. If it's not my preferred location, I may not care so much, depending on what resort. (OK, at CBR, I REFUSE to stay in Trinidad South...call me picky, but I don't like it.)
Really the only request that I am dead set on getting is connecting rooms--that is what is neccessary for us. (Unfortunately, that is not a request you can 'just book and pay for.' When and if it is, I'll be first on the list!) If they could not be provided, we wouldn't stay there...plain and simple. Thankfully, we have never had a problem getting them. <knock on wood>
I know nothing is 'guaranteed,' but what my family needs is what we need, plain and simple...doesn't make it any less of a 'need.'

 

[cheerforchelsea]

I normally request connecting rooms and always question if I have been assigned connecting rooms when I check in. Disney has always been great and most of the time they have been able to honor my request.

 

[2manypets]

Sweetly ask at check in and for the most part, the CM's will try their best to accommodate the request. I don't even bother requesting anything while booking, except for HA room this trip, as there is no guarantee.

 

[WDW Poly Princess]

1) Make sure to mention the request when you make the reservations
2) If you call back at any point to change or confirm your reservations, ask if your request is noted on there.
3) Mention it when you check in. Something along the lines of "We requested 3rd floor, is that possible?"

Usually, they will do whatever they can to grant your requests. Being the person who does most of the room assignments at my hotel, which is only 100 rooms, I can tell you, it is HARD. A resort like the Disney ones with 1000 + rooms must be really, really hard. With things like connecting rooms, the truth is that there are only so many, and often more people want them than there are sets available. Other things come in to play- say you requested building X, but the resort has a large group coming in the day after you that is scheduled to take up all of building X. Since your dates overlap, it won't work. Add rooms going down for maintenance at any time, and it gets interesting!

I usually do put requests on my reservations- I like 2nd floor at Animal Kingdom, certain buildings at the Poly, etc. But funny enough, I've found some of my favorite new locations as the result of not having any requests. I would never have thought to ask for a 1st floor room at WL, but ended up there by chance, and it was my favorite room EVER.

Another note- if you have a lot of requests, it's probably going to be harder for them to give you an upgrade!

Hope that helps! I know that some people believe, as someone said in an above post, that Disney should be able to do a better job of giving everyone what they want, but it's almost impossible to explain how complex it really is.

 

[AmyAllan&Eve]

What are you planning to accomplish by calling the hotel, other than giving the manager a headache and possibly being labeled a problem guest? It sounds like your trip is over and done with, so what difference does it make now to complain that you didn't get the building you wanted? Did you reiterate your request upon check-in? Did they tell you there were no Buzz rooms available? Of course it's important to your kids... just like every other person's request is important to their kids, or their parents, or themselves. What makes you think they would consider your kids any more important than anyone else's kids? Did you expect them to kick someone else out of their room because your kids care that much about what room they are in?

When you say you "hope they show [you] the magic" it sounds like you're trying to get something for free.

If you check Jenniww's siggie, I think he or she is talking about their next visit to ASMo. I think they just want to get that building if possible next time around.

 

[HugsForEeyore]

I stopped making requests. I gave up. I used to try, but I truly believe they were never even looked at. I know people here on the DIS say that the CMs try to fill requests, but I believe that for some of us "average folks" with no medical/mobility issues, it's all automated. The computer just sticks you in whatever room in next in the queue that fits what you paid for. Simple as that.

And even if I ask politely at check-in for my requests, I can usually tell that the CM doesnt want to hunt and peck for a room that matches the requests - they just assign whatever the computer spits out. It's more work for them to try to match requests, much easier to let the computer do it, and it finishes the transaction quicker. And not everyone can have Building 14 or be "close to the main building, bus stop, and pool". Well, that has been my experiences - no CM was going to go out of their way to match my requests. So I stopped bothering with them. I might add that I usually go solo, so I bet I am perceived as having few "needs", so I thinik I am low priority in terms of having requests granted.

So nowadays after I check-in and start treking off to my room in the boonies of nowhereland, I just sigh and accept it!

 

[MomOf2DisneyKids]

if you don't get it at check-in, I'd just nicely ask if they have it available. I've done this twice, and have ended up getting my request both times (once the room was ready and once I had to wait about an hour). This was at WL CL (requested a certain view) and at ASMovies (requested a specific building). It can't hurt to try!

 

[shellybaxter]

I don't make requests for things I don't really need. Then I request a certain thing "for medical reasons". Previously I've requested a non-smoking room for medical reasons. I've always gotten one. If I wouldn't have I would have had to go back to the front desk and look for options as I could not breath in a smoking room.

On my next trip I've only requested first floor or a building with an elevator because I will have an ECV. If I don't receive this request I will have to speak with a manager. I will need the ECV and will need to charge it in the room.

Because I really need my requests I don't make any other requests. If I made requests like "close to food court" or "close to pool" and those weren't fulfilled I wouldn't give it a second thought.

 

[Mr. Pig]

A tale of two Poly requests.
Last early December we requested a Samoa longhouse first floor facing the volcano pool. This may have been too specific. We did not get our request and instead got Rapa Nui which is one of the furthest from the GCH. We asked if there was anything closer but was told there was absolutely nothing available. We still had a good trip.

A couple years ago we had requested Tokelau. When checking in the CM was giving us a room in another longhouse and even had the room number written on the map. Then she looked at her computer and typed in some things and changed the room to Tokelau. I asked "Oh, not the other room that you mentioned first?" and she replied "No, because you requested this room". So I know they do (or did) look at the requests.

I am hoping that these were just two random events. I would hate to think, as others have suggested, that CM's just aren't trying any more.

 

[DisneyNotes]

I would hate to think, as others have suggested, that CM's just aren't trying any more.

I think they try very hard to do what they can, when they can. I'm glad to hear you actually saw the CM look at the request and honor it on the spot. How nice.

 

[Sammie]

I do always pay for the view I want. Each time I have stayed at a moderate, I have paid for waterview.

I was simply making a suggestion and wondering if it might help more families have their requests granted. Sorry I asked.

No reason to be sorry, I was simply answering your question as to why it would not be easy to do.

 

[NYDisGuy]

There are alot of times where my requests won't even be on my reservation. Its happened to me alot of times where I would ask if any of my requests had been fulfilled and the cm would have a blank face then say there were no requests attached. I don't mind if they can't fulfill the request, but at least write it down!

 

[DisneyNotes]

I don't mind if they can't fulfill the request, but at least write it down!

That statement made me wonder. I just called reservations, gave my res# and asked what was filled in for requests. My one and only request is on there. Now that I know it's written down, even if I don't get it, I'll ask if they CM can see it when I check in.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

If you do not get your room request...

1) Just go to the room assigned.
2) Requests are not guaranteed.
3) You are paying for a room, so just use it.
4) Are the requested items all that important, anyway?
5) They won't make or break your vacation.
6) If important, I am sure you would have paid to make sure requests were met.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

. . .I'll ask if they CM can see it when I check in . . .

1) Of course, your requests can be seen in the ressie comments section.
2) Still doesn't mean it will be granted.
3) Or that that CM at check-in can grant it.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

. . . I would hate to think, as others have suggested, that CM's just aren't trying any more . . .

1) Usually they try.
2) But, people are people.
3) When doing room assignments, you have seconds do do a ressie.
4) If the requests are too many or too specific, it takes far too long to do.
5) To look for a room to meet tough requests, it can take minutes.
6) Then, the person gets whatever room is handy.

NOTE: The room assigner has sometimes several hundred assignments in one day. That is a lot of work! If there are lots of requests, they simply cannot get their job done. And, you would be surprised at how many have room requests! (OK, so maybe you wouldn't be surprised.) They can't leave much for tomorrow, because they have several hundred waiting for them, again. If they get too far behind there are BIG problems. This is not a case of CM's not doing their job, but just the opposite. It is case of them doing whatever they can to get their room assignments for the day done.

 

[TDC Nala]

Oh, I totally believe that the room requests are extremely important to some people (I quit making them years ago because the room locations are just not important to me anymore, although I might try to get near a bus stop at a big resort like OKW - but I do that at checkin). But there's no way Disney can fill all the requests. That's why they are not guaranteed, there isn't any way they could guarantee that many requests. They've got a few categories where extra cash will net you a guarantee (preferred locations, park views, etc) but these don't cover everyone's preferences obviously. Like the OP did, you can get a guaranteed preferred location room at AS Movies - you just can't guarantee that it will be in the Buzz section. That is just a request. And the more requests you make, the less likelihood you have of getting any of them.

A guest who requests "the Toy Story section" is more likely to get the request than one who requests the Buzz Lightyear building, or one who requests the side of the Buzz building looking down at Andy's room, than one who requests Buzz, Andy's room and the third floor, than one who requests Room #3120.

I believe the only guarantees are for medical reasons (nonsmoking is now irrelevant but handicapped accessible rooms, first floor, etc might be relevant) and connecting rooms for a party consisting of one adult and several minor children.

 

[Quinn222]

If you do not get your room request...
4) Are the requested items all that important, anyway?
5) They won't make or break your vacation.
6) If important, I am sure you would have paid to make sure requests were met.

In our case they were that important and the room assignment did partly result in our worst trip to WDW ever. My mother was pretty much trapped in the room when we were at the resort and she got no enjoyment out of the resort, which is usually a highlight of her trip. She can walk, but not a mile round trip to get a snack or fill a mug or shop. We paid for water view and we did in fact, have a swamp outside the door. So we got the water view. In this case it resulted in us crossing POR off our list forever and a letter to Guest Relations, since besides being stuck out in the back of beyond with an elderly person the rooms were filthy and never cleaned properly despite repeated calls to housekeeping.