Jackie at MS confirmed that most room requests will be granted only at check-in

[TIdoublegaER]

I think that a good chunk of the members would breathe a sign of relief (NPI) if they could be guaranteed that, even with the "Room Ready" policy, they would get a N/S room, even if none of their other requests were granted. JMO.

I think you are right. This, above all else, would make me happy. At VWL last month, our only request was non-smoking and we were put in a smoking room. We asked if we could wait for a non-smoking room to open up later (there were rooms unassigned but marked unavailable) and we were told no. Now my inlaws who checked in a couple hours after us got a non-smoking room. Time of reservation had nothing to do with it. We made both reservations and my inlaws was made several months after ours. The smoking room was the only room clean when we checked in, so that's what we had to accept. I don't think guaranteeing a smoking or non-smoking room is really asking to much.

 

[OneMoreTry]

When we checked into OKW at 11am in June, we were told that "OUR" room (which strongly implied we had a room assigned to us) was not ready. We were given the opportunity to wait for that room or take another room which did not exactly meet our requests.

We had requested non-smoking, first-floor and near HH. Our daughter has severe seizures along with other associated problems, and she cannot climb steps well and is too heavy for us to carry. So we chose a second floor room in a bldg with an elevator. Our other two requests were met and I was very pleased.

I got the strong impression that we could have waited for an assigned room that met all our requests. Maybe our daughter's disability helped us get our requests. However, I don't think MS noted the disability on the original reservation -- I mentioned it on the fax.

When we go to OKW we either HAVE to have first floor or a room with an elevator. There is no other option for us.

The system in place in June worked great for us. And I think it would have worked well if we decided to wait for our assigned room.

PS are there no more room assigners?

 

[jmminarik]

Originally posted by leanne2255
I can't understand all this "pickiness" with the minutiae of the room assignment. It just sets you up to be disappointed if you do not get "exactly" what you want.

Keep in mind that that most people who have strong opinions will be quite vocal about them. The number of posters are a very small fraction of all DVC owners and _may_ not be representative of all DVC owners. Then again, they may, but there's no telling since there's no good way of statistically knowing unless DVC management does a scientifically valid survey of owners.

My guess is that most DVCers don't care or even _know_ about these changes...the DIS DVCers are just a vocal bunch.

For us, we don't make a request other than smoking/non-smoking and go with the crapshoot. Even the dumpster view at VWL is better than looking at my cubicle walls or the guy who sits across from me.

The smoking/non-smoking issue will be around for a while as that seems to be a particularly popular religious war around here. Hopefully those who truely have a medical condition or a severe addiction to nicotine can get their desired room types. Hopefully the 'I don't like smoke' and the 'I want a cigarette but can walk outside' crowds have a grip on the reality of the world when they don't get their preferred room types.

-Joe

 

[leanne2255]

Here's the way I look at things--- Maybe this trip you made your ressies 11 mos in advance and someone checked in earlier than you and got what they wanted and you didn't. Being DVC'ers, we all probably go pretty frequently, so maybe the next trip, you get everything you want. In the end, I believe it all evens out.

 

[JudithM]

Originally posted by OneMoreTry
When we checked into OKW at 11am in June, we were told that "OUR" room (which strongly implied we had a room assigned to us) was not ready. We were given the opportunity to wait for that room or take another room which did not exactly meet our requests.

We had requested non-smoking, first-floor and near HH. Our daughter has severe seizures along with other associated problems, and she cannot climb steps well and is too heavy for us to carry. So we chose a second floor room in a bldg with an elevator. Our other two requests were met and I was very pleased.

I got the strong impression that we could have waited for an assigned room that met all our requests. Maybe our daughter's disability helped us get our requests. However, I don't think MS noted the disability on the original reservation -- I mentioned it on the fax.

When we go to OKW we either HAVE to have first floor or a room with an elevator. There is no other option for us.

The system in place in June worked great for us. And I think it would have worked well if we decided to wait for our assigned room.

PS are there no more room assigners?

We had a similar experience Memorial Day weekend at OKW. I also request first floor or elevator building for medical reasons. Stairs & I are not a good mix most of the time. We arrived att he front desk about 1:30 p.m., & we were told our room was not ready. We were offered another room. I asked where the first room was located. The CM gave me a general idea. I suspected an elevator building, so I decided to wait. We had some lunch, went to a park for a awhile & when we came back our room was ready. It was sssooo worth our wait - third floor of building 64.

I would imagine there is still a need for room controllers to preassign the spceial requests like our medical concerns, etc.

 

[robinb]

Originally posted by disneyberry
the Room Ready system is in place at ALL DVC resorts, according to Jackie.
she said that BCV always used that policy.

I'm not sure that's true. The BCV manager checked me into my room at BCV in June and I asked for a non-smoking Epcot view and he said that he didn't have any available for me since I made my reservation so recently and that those rooms go to people who reserve them over 7 months in advance. I was also checking in at 11pm and ended up with a handicapped room, but that's another story that has already been told. I'm not sure why the manager would say that to me when "We don't have any available" would have been suffecient.

 

[The Lost Boy]

The problem here is Disney cannot meet all of the requests all of the tme. I can only imagine the nightmare of trying to placate the more "forcefull" customers when their requests have not all been met. Frankly it must be an impossible task.

However, I still think it is important that requests made for medical reasons should be met.

It is human nature - no one wants to be at the bottom of the pile (ie the dumpster view), but someone, somewhere has to. If we all took turns ... well that would be a whole different ball game with a huge bag of additional problems.

My advice is relax, go with the flow and let the magic do its work.

Regards
Macca

 

[pmcpmc]

I booked from Ireland at Boardwalk in July 2003.
I wasn't informed by Disney of any new policy.
I was not given for the first time since 1999 (12 visits) my requests.
From this discussion I now understand why .
I got a ground floor (trees in front)studio pool view .
Complained to member services why the subject requests were not met.
I was referred to no new policy but reminded of the old.
Told to contact the Hotel MANAGER at Boardwalk for a change.
The manager would not speak to me directly but acted thru the desk clerk and I was offered my request when the current occupier left 2 days later.
The reference to HOTEL MANAGER for the first time gave me the feeling that I had bought and paid for my membership but was no more important to Disney than the next walkin, perhaps less.

 

[lovesdisney]

This new policy dismays me. The only requests I ever make is a smoking room for DH. Just as I believe non-smokers have a right to a smoke free room, then the same right applies to smokers. I wholeheartedly agree with non smokers who say it is unpleasant to have smokers smoking on balconies of non-smoking rooms, but what is what will happen if people cannot be guaranteed a smoking room.

At every hotel we have ever stayed around the globe we have requested a smoking room and got it. I do not want to get into a debate about the rights or wrong of smoking, but it is as important to my DH (and our enjoyment of a vacation as a non-smoking room is to a person with a medical condition.

 

[PamOKW]

I was not given for the first time since 1999 (12 visits) my requests.

This is my concern. The system has worked quite well for the majority. Why make a change? The only reason I can see for the change is because people are becoming belligerent at the desk when they do not get their requests. I am at a loss, however, to see how the new policy solves that problem. I guess they assume immediate check-in placates the loss of requests?

 

[jmminarik]

Originally posted by PamOKW
I am at a loss, however, to see how the new policy solves that problem. I guess they assume immediate check-in placates the loss of requests?

Even with more and more people becoming 'knowledgable' about things Disney and DVC thanks to the Internet, I suspect lots more people who own DVC aren't making particular requests beyond s/ns/hc type rooms. I'd also suspect most non-smokers dont complain if they get stuck with a smoking room and given todays' persecutionary environment, most smokers might be disgruntled but will take a non-smoking room and just go outside like you must most places in the US.

Therefore, if my theory is correct, most people don't make special requests and most people don't care. I think most would be happy with a room when they check-in since they probably didn't make any special requests. Only examining the part of the DVC population that spends significant amounts of time on boards like these can't give a representative view of the population at large.

Of course, I could be wrong.

-Joe

 

[OneMoreTry]

I think we are misunderstanding what the current policy is. If BCV has always used a "room ready" policy, then the "room ready" policy includes preassigned rooms with an OPTION to switch to a ready room if available.

When we were at BCV we were NOT given any option. We were given our card keys and told to keep checking back (they gave us a phone number) to see when our room was ready. We got our requests, too.

 

[leanne2255]

Originally posted by TheLostBoy-"My advice is relax, go with the flow and let the magic do its work."


AMEN, Macca!

 

[BCVOwner2002]

When we checked in at BCV in June we had to wait for our room to be ready and we were happy with the selection. We had checked in around 1pm. When we checked in at VWL in July (around 4:30pm) we were told they only had smoking optional which is a problem due to allergies. The manager finally found a non-smoking room for us. I just wish Disney would have smoking and non-smoking as a standard not a request. This would cut the requests down by a significant number. JMHO Annmarie

 

[DeeP]

Considering that 95 -97% of the villas are non smoking I really don't see why so many people are so worried about this. The odds are overwhelmingly in your favor you will get a non smoking room. Why stress over something that most likely not even ever be an issue. I would be much more concerned if I wanted a smoking room since they are such a low % of rooms.
Relax go with the flow, any DVC villa view or location is better than being at home and going to work!

 

[rmontgo892]

<I booked from Ireland at Boardwalk in July 2003.
I wasn't informed by Disney of any new policy.
I was not given for the first time since 1999 (12 visits) my requests.
From this discussion I now understand why .
I got a ground floor (trees in front)studio pool view .
Complained to member services why the subject requests were not met.
I was referred to no new policy but reminded of the old.
Told to contact the Hotel MANAGER at Boardwalk for a change.
The manager would not speak to me directly but acted thru the desk clerk and I was offered my request when the current occupier left 2 days later.
The reference to HOTEL MANAGER for the first time gave me the feeling that I had bought and paid for my membership but was no more important to Disney than the next walkin, perhaps less.>

I understand we all don't usually like change but considering you had your "requests" met 12x in 4yrs then I would be pleased I got what I got...I hope people here realize DVC'ers can have a terrible reputation w/ CM's because of this sometimes sense of entitlement...I don't know how many times we have been reminded that requests are purely that..."requests"...

I am not picking on you, pmcpmc, but I honestly am surprised that your attitude or reaction was not more like...OK, no requests met this trip but at least I got 12 trips w/ requests granted...I don't get the problem...what about all the Members that haven't had their requests honored? We all can't get our requests all the time and I for one would never expect it all the time and would never feel a vacation was ruined or tarnished by not getting a request...Plus they more than worked w/ you and were given another room...I guess if you sincerely felt you are entitled to have every request met every time than I can see the disappointment and why others are also...

I always felt expectation sets one up for disappointment so while I do make "requests" once in a while...I always go w/ the knowledge it's not a "set in stone" type of situation and I am happy either way...
~Roxanne

~Roxanne

 

[CarolA]

Hmm....



This is one of the disadvantages of DVC. You DID NOT BUY A UNIT YOU BOUGHT POINTS! At other timeshares you may buy two weeks of Unit A from June 1 to June 14. Then you know that your unit will meet all your requests.

Personally I have checked and all the OKW, BCV, WLV and BWV units are at Disney. That is all I was guanteed. (Please read contract! I don't think it says that booking at 11 months guantees you your requests.) My only request is non-smoking which I have always gotten. I think that my chances of getting non-smoking have been dramatically greater becasue the CM was not also trying to put me on the third floor, with a golf course view, near the hospitalty houses, with quiet neighbors and recently refurnished and next too three other units. And I am certain there are LOTS of requests like this. (This may be a mild list!)

I had a cast member tell me how my fellow members treated him when their "requests" were not met. Personally if I was on the other side of that desk and the member treated me like that I would see if I could figure out someway to transfer them to the All Stars next to the cheerleaders.

It is a shame, but I am sure the behavior of a minority who never understood the meaning of the word "request" has created a nightmare for Disney.

Personally I really like having my room ready when I get there and find that outweighs most of the other issues.

 

[Sammie]

Originally posted by CRobin
Unfortunately for Gail, me, and maybe 3 other posters, this policy would probably become a non-issue if the rooms went 100% N/S. That probably won't happen, but it would sure make a lot of people happy and do a lot to defuse this "Room Ready" policy anger.

Don't get me wrong, I always book smoking optional, but never smoke in the room. The smell can be annoying to us smokers, too.

I think that a good chunk of the members would breathe a sign of relief (NPI) if they could be guaranteed that, even with the "Room Ready" policy, they would get a N/S room, even if none of their other requests were granted. JMO.

Otherwise, as already posted, MS is going to see a rash of "N/S for medical reasons" ressies, which appear will continue to be pre-assigned. All out of fear for checking in too late and getting saddled with a smoking room. And I wouldn't wish that on any non-smoker.

Time will tell.

Regardless of getting a NS room you will never be certain it has not been smoked in. As was the case to my family this summer at 2 Disney resorts.

Actually as they decrease the number of smoking rooms I think more smokers are smoking in NS rooms.

Another case of we have seen the enemy and he is us.

 

[pixiechick]

I'm just back from BCV last night. We checked in on Sunday 8/17 around 2pm. We did not get our requests. When I asked about waiting for another room, I was told that all the rooms that met my request had already been assigned to people who had checked in earlier. I quoted what Jackie has been telling members and the desk people looked at me like I was nuts. They again clearly stated that in order to get my requests, I needed to check in early and then wait for it to become clean/available.

I can live with the policy. But only if it is followed consistantly. On Sunday, the policy was NOT being followed. The front desk seemed completely unaware of what Jackie has been saying is happening. They, very specifically, told me the opposite is being done.

 

[ncligs]

Originally posted by Sammie
Actually as they decrease the number of smoking rooms I think more smokers are smoking in NS rooms.
Another case of we have seen the enemy and he is us.

This would not happen(smoking

in a ns room) if DVC would start charging $100-$150 on there credit card automatically for a "cleaning" like a lot of hotels do now.