Interesting info from MS.

[dianeschlicht]

I called MS today to add a studio night onto our New Years ressie. The MS castmember was very knowledgable and helpful. I asked her to clear up some rumors for me.

1st, room ready:
Yes, this is the way all resorts are approaching the reservations any more. ALL rooms are assigned on a "room ready" basis, so the most important requests will be the ones you will have the most luck getting. I made sure she had my asthma noted on the ressie, and since I have no other requests, it should be the easiest one to meet. I also asked about checking in early versus late in the day. She said that was one of the "problems" with "room ready". It means that fewer choices are available later in the day.

2nd, smoking in a non-smoking and damage issues:
She said DVC does indeed charge occupants if there is a problem noted by housekeeping. That means, housekeeping has to report the smoking violation or excessive damage violation, and then the occupants are charged for the damages. It's good to know they will be charged, but I'm not sure relying on housekeeping to police this is the best policy. Maybe that's why when I complained about smoking in a non-smoking building in December, they said they would have housekeeping check on it. The next day, the smoking was not an issue, and the same folks were around, so perhaps they were "reminded" about the policy.

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

Thanks Diane. That is interesting info. Especially MS confirming that it is harder to meet your requests when you check in late. Something most of us had a feeling about but now we know it.

HBC

 

[NMW]

Very interesting info, thanks. We don't check in late, so I don't think that would be a problem. I too noted non-smoking as our only request. Both my son and myself have asthma, although smoke isn't a trigger for me like my son. We booked Boardwalk view for our stay in DEC, I really don't care what boardwalk view we have, I'm sure they are all great in their own way.
I guess I'll just always make sure we take early flights from now on to hopefully, get the non-smoking request!

 

[ErinC]

When I checked in to SSR (at 7 am.)on Feb. 6th, my room was pre assigned. I know they say room ready, but that wasn't the case with my room then. I wasn't really happy about being on the 1st floor, I was given 2 other options one handicapped, one with no DD view. I went ahead and kept the 1st floor room, and it was fine. You can't tell me that with checking in a 7 am. their wouldn't have been more options with room ready later in the day. Our room was definetly pre assigned. Not to argue, I just wanted to let you know.

I agree with less choices later in the day. I will always stay somewhere else my first night and then check in to DVC bright and early.

 

[ColoradoBelle1]

Thanks for posting Diane. It echoes what Epcotkids was told when she called the DVC satisfaction rep (Carlie?).

Do you think it would be also true that if you got to t he resort early, and a nonsmoking room wasn't available yet....that by their 'room ready' policy that you could just wait a while and be assigned the very next nonsmoking room when it did become available? Or that, better yet...you could leave and go to the parks and when the next nonsmoking room became available it would automatically be assigned to you (and not the person who was now standing in front of the CM?)

With this policy...would the MEDICAL nonsmoking rooms be held in reserve so that even if somebody showed up at midnight, if their ressie stated MEDICAL (whcih Disney says is guaranteed) that they too would get a nonsmoking room?

THe clarification as to 'room ready' policies seems to meet my needs pretty well because I will just fly in and stay off site the first day since most planes from Denver get in after 5 and then show up early the next day with my request.

I wonder how new the room ready response is cause they sure weren't using that in December at AKL. (then, it was preassigned and no changes allowed to whatever room you get...and we aren't letting you into any room until after 4....this wasn't only our room but about 15 others who were in line the same time of day @1PM)

OK....now I just have to get a ressie and GO!!!!
colorado belle

 

[Sammie]

As we all know because we spend alot of time at WDW, there is policy and then there is what really happens on a daily basis.

My understanding is that some rooms are preassigned and some are left open for room ready.

 

[JimC]

When we have had a medical request for an accessible room MS calls the resort to ensure that there is one available for those dates and I have been told it is assigned then.

 

[ClarabelleCow]

checked into SSR around 1:00pm on 2/21, there were about 6 people ahead of me, not one of them had a room ready for them, they were told to call back after 4:00pm. I checked in, they said my room was ready enjoy! My only request was non-smoking? Granted it wasn't a view at all 2nd floor facing the parking lot and another building. But not a big deal, very close to the quiet pool and easy walk to DTD. I wonder if I had requested non-smoking, 4th floor facing DTD would I have had to wait? Maybe because I was a simple request I was met quickly?

 

[Luckymommyx2]

Thanks Diane! It's good to have the info since our first trip is coming up very shortly. I was getting confused what the policy really was. Thanks again!

 

[DrTomorrow]

This is quite interesting. Now that we live in The Valley of the Sun (Metro Phoenix) we have one non-stop on Southwest from PHX to MCO: it leaves at 8:30 or 9:30 (depending on DST) and arrives at MCO at 3:30. After luggage, car rental and the drive, we end up at the front desk somewhere between 4:30 and 5 PM. Last December, when we arrived on a Sunday, the only request we'd made was NS, yet even that caused the CM to have to talk to a supervisor; none were available. We ended up checking with the couple travelling with us, then telling the CM that a S room was OK.

In May, we just added an extra night at a VWL Studio at the beginning of our trip - NOT because of check-in concerns - but we will be able to check into SSR "early". I'm going to be curious to see how that works out for us.

I understand the logic behind "room ready" - matching folks who are there early to rooms that are available - but it does seem to favor those who check in before the official check-in time of 4:00 PM. I guess I'd like to see rooms booked at ressie time; no surprises, and it would favor resort owners, but I can see the reduced flexibility to shift things around. Hmmmmm; since I'm in a Las Vegas mood lately, maybe MS can put a Big Six wheel in every DVC lobby; when you get there, you spin the wheel to get your room. Top Floor - CLICK. Near the elevator - CLICK. Great View - CLICK. Uh oh, you get the Dumpster View .


ETA: After reading Sammie's post, I'm now thinking that they already have the Big Wheel - it's just in the back room....

 

[DebbieB]

I think it's up to the discretion of the front desk. I stayed at BWV twice last year and both times were preassigned. Both times I think the resort was at capacity, which maybe a factor. If they have few check-ins that day, they may match them up ahead of time.

 

[MrsToad]

Forgive me for being confused, but can someone clarify something for me? If someone were to request, for example, a specific view (and I know they are never guarranteed), could checking in early actually work against you under the "room ready" format? If you check in at 10:30 am and a room is ready that doesn't meet your request but one that does meet it is vacant and awaiting cleaning, do you get the "ready" room or will they assign you the one that meets your request but not activate your key until later? Am I asking this in a way that makes sense?

Thank you!

 

[castleri]

In 4 stays at BCV always had to wait for room no matter what time of day we got there- usually had ns upper floor and epcot view on ressie - happy wilth ns upper floor but might as well go for it. Always got upper floor ns and 3 times got epcot view -worth the wait and enjoyed SAB while waiting. Feel very lucky that this happened. Only request at VWL was ns which was met - had to wait for room - got there early - BWV checked in mid day and got room right away ns handicapped. Only request was near pool. Couldn't understand having a handicapped accessible room with a blacony that had solid partitions instead of posts - how would someone in a wheel chair see anything from the balcony. Overlooked the main pool but you had to stand up to see it. Only there 2 nights so didn't stress out about being able to wash your feet while sitting on the toilet if someone had taken a shower and didn't stand right over the drain. Just thankful we don't have anyone who needs those rooms and hope we didn't prevent someone who did from having that one. OKW has been wait until after 4, room is ready now, give a call etc. Usually ask for NS upper floor near a pool. Got first floor once it was ns and near a pool so that was fine. Didn't seem to be a link between what time we got there and the time room was ready.
The earliest check in I did was 8 am Dec 27, 2003 at OKW with 2 rrequests NS and near a pool - The first thing the CM said was I'm sorry we couldn't give you a NS unit but my manager said to tell you it has been desmoked. It is ready - off I went to open all the windows and doors of our GV to let in the fresh air and get rid of the de-smoking smell before the rest of the family arrived. It was by far the cleanest unit we have stayed in. I think they must have been washing the walls, floor and carpets in the middle of the night or something. Twice I have gotten my requsts for NS near a pool that left soemthing to be desired - the pools didn't have any water as they were being refurbished. Twice I have been given a choice of rooms once at AKL and once at OKW. None of them were geat but they were ready then and we picked one and were glad to get in the room right away. Of course the AKL one was Christmas Day about 4:30 and OKW was 3PM. I thought that was what room ready meant - we have these rooms right now. if they meet your requests you can have one of them, otherwise you will have to wait until something else is available once more rooms are cleaned. I can only hope they keep the ones needed for medical reasons open for those who need them. This September we needed an extra day at the last minute - literally- since we were supposed to check into OKW the day hurricane Jean was to hit and we wanted to be there the day before since the roads were going to be closed. A call to the resort got us the extra night and when we got there at 10:30 am the line was long with all the people from fort wildrness etc. We were in building 14 across from the HH which was near a pool - no water of course. The room wan't ready until after 4 but that was fine as long as we had one. Went over to CSR and enjoyed the pool and had a good meal at the pepper market and then checked in and got the room number before heading out to walmart for groceries. I can't even imagine how they handled all the extra requests and checkins that day but they did and with smiles all around even though they must have wanted to be home taking care of their families. The system isn't perfect and sometimes we may be disappointed but hopefully no one has that happen on a regular basis. With all the good luck we've had I expect a bad experience the next time around - nah no day in a DVC unit is that bad that I wouldn't want to be there.

 

[sagwanamu]

I checked in BWV on Sunday around 3 pm and the room was ready, which the bell-man was surprised hearing that my room is already ready.

My request was met, which was non-smoking. But the room was end of hall on 5th floor. I should have asked near elevator. It is not fun walking from the parking lot to the end of the building after hours of walking at the parks.

After all, the view is good and the room is good. I can see the MGM from the room, although I see constructions and dumsters if I look down, luckly I don't spend of much of time at the room on this trip. It looks like there always is a trade off.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Folks, there seems to be a bit of confusion here. "ROOM READY" does NOT mean you will get the room at 8 AM when you check in. It means you will get the first available room with your request, and medical ones will be filled first. Check in time is still 4:00 PM, and you should NEVER expect to actually get into a room before then, and if you do, consider yourself lucky. Room ready actually means your room is assigned within the 24 hour period of your arrival. There is still a room comptroler for each resort, but they find this works best for them. I still think it isn't fair to those of us who can't get in much before the official check in time. She did say that medical requests are filled first, and that is why I suspect they actually have had specific rooms blocked out for us our last couple of trips. I have had to make several medical requests in the past two years, and the resort seems to remember what they are, even when I don't need those specific things anymore. A couple of trips ago, I had to have 1st floor or elevator because I needed an ECV. I have had first floor the past couple of trips beyond that too.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I checked in BWV on Sunday around 3 pm and the room was ready, which the bell-man was surprised hearing that my room is already ready.

My request was met, which was non-smoking. But the room was end of hall on 5th floor. I should have asked near elevator. It is not fun walking from the parking lot to the end of the building after hours of walking at the parks.

After all, the view is good and the room is good. I can see the MGM from the room, although I see constructions and dumsters if I look down, luckly I don't spend of much of time at the room on this trip. It looks like there always is a trade off.

Interesting, since she also told me they were going to top floors for smoking rooms in the resorts that were hotel style. Is this not true at BWV?

 

[SyrCinderella]

You know, the non-smoking issue is not just a DVC thing. We checked into a room at Dixie Landings many years ago which was supposed to have been non, but it most certainly was smoked in prior to our arrival. They sent maintenance, who changed filters and de-smoked.

On another occasion, some pipe leaked, also repaired. Last year at the Polynesian (Concierge level) our bathroom door didnt lock. They sent the maintenance guys up one evening.

My point is - this stuff happens at every resort, its not strictly a DVC thing. These rooms are BUSY, stuff breaks, and people dont always follow the rules.

 

[dianeschlicht]

No, but it's good to know that DVC might actually charge people for not following the rules and for causing excessive damage. She was talking about folks who really trash the place like when we noticed our new dishwasher in the 2 bedroom unit we were in last December looked like it had been beaten with a baseball bat!

 

[Dumbo]

Interesting, since she also told me they were going to top floors for smoking rooms in the resorts that were hotel style. Is this not true at BWV?

At Boardwalk Villas all the smoking optional villas are on the second floor.


Dumbo

 

[dianeschlicht]

At Boardwalk Villas all the smoking optional villas are on the second floor.


Dumbo

That seems strange, because having smoking on the second floor might give the folks on both 1st and 3rd a problem.