Just a question - Why does Disney do its reservations like it does?

[FSUMARCHIEF]

Hey everyone. First, let me say that I have really enjoyed reading the posts on this site - very informative stuff. But here's my question. Why does Disney make reservations for resorts like it does? I read the CM's post about people complaining that they didn't get what they'd requested in rooms. Our story is probably much like other people. We've stayed at the ASMo resort 3 times. All 3 times we requested Toy Story. The first time we weren't told about the first come first served deal and we arrived LATE and were stuck out in The Love Bug Section. We'd requested Toy Story (apparently along with everyone else). We were allowed to move the next day.

What doesn't make sense to me is why not reserve a room and let it be just that - reserved. If I ran a regular hotel and had 10 rooms with a jacuzzi in them, and reserved all ten of them, then if someone showed up asking for a jacuzzi room I would tell them that I didn't have one available. According to Disney policy, if you showed up before I did, you'd get the jacuzzi - reservation or not. That just doesn't make sense. To me it seems to make less "Magic" if you're hoping for one particular thing for the 5 hour car ride down there and you show up and do not receive it, that's a disappointment. Why not just say up front, "We don't have that available, but here are your other options."

Just wondering what everyone else thinks.

God bless & Go Noles!
Mark

 

[BrianD]

Disney does their reservations just like every other hotel does. There are some things that can be reserved (for a specific price) like lagoon view rooms, concierge level room, etc. There are differences in the level of service and or the view from the room so there are different price points. In the example of the All Stars Movies, there are two different types of rooms that can be reserved, preferred location room (Fantasia buildings) & standard room (everything else), both carrying different prices. Everything else is simply a request. Requesting the Toy Story building would be the equivelent of requesting a high floor at the Hyatt, or a room close to the elevator, etc.

I guess they could break it down even more, but hotels just don't seem to break things down that specifically. Sometimes I wonder why they don't just do it like on a cruise, where when you make your reservation, you are assigned a specific room at that time. I guess they have their reasons though.

 

[betterlatethannever]

Cruises are easy. Everybody is arriving and leaving on the same dates.

Hotels can't designate a specific room unless it acts like a cruise line allowing only one week rentals stating on Sunday.

A person who books late for a 2 week vacation would end up having to change rooms many times during their stay.

 

[DebbieB]

It would be difficult because people arrive on different days and stay for different lengths. If they did what you propose, they could end up having to leave rooms empty to accomodate someone who would be arriving in a couple days rather than give it to someone who is checking in on the same day as the previous guest checked out. It would get too complicated. They don't even book smoking or non-smoking as some hotels do. A cruise is easy, everyone arrives and leaves on the same day.

 

[goofy4tink]

Also especially hard now that so many of us hold reservations and then change them, based on good codes. Or people wait until the last minute and then decide they aren't going. Too many variables. As someone posted previously....they would have empty rooms.

 

[poohandwendy]

Originally posted by FSUMARCHIEF
Hey everyone. First, let me say that I have really enjoyed reading the posts on this site - very informative stuff. But here's my question. Why does Disney make reservations for resorts like it does? I read the CM's post about people complaining that they didn't get what they'd requested in rooms. Our story is probably much like other people. We've stayed at the ASMo resort 3 times. All 3 times we requested Toy Story. The first time we weren't told about the first come first served deal and we arrived LATE and were stuck out in The Love Bug Section. We'd requested Toy Story (apparently along with everyone else). We were allowed to move the next day.

What doesn't make sense to me is why not reserve a room and let it be just that - reserved. If I ran a regular hotel and had 10 rooms with a jacuzzi in them, and reserved all ten of them, then if someone showed up asking for a jacuzzi room I would tell them that I didn't have one available. According to Disney policy, if you showed up before I did, you'd get the jacuzzi - reservation or not. That just doesn't make sense. To me it seems to make less "Magic" if you're hoping for one particular thing for the 5 hour car ride down there and you show up and do not receive it, that's a disappointment. Why not just say up front, "We don't have that available, but here are your other options."

Just wondering what everyone else thinks.

God bless & Go Noles!
Mark

I think they do it in the most fair way because they do not 'reserve' equally priced rooms by preference. They will note your 'request' and many times try to fill it. But if you ask ANY CM they will tell you, you are not guaranteed to have your request met. If you paid more to have your request met, then you should expect it to be met. But how could it be fair not to give the same shot to all who come for rooms that are equal in price? A request is not a reservation, (no matter where you go) I think people forget that and 'hope' turns into expectation.

 

[FSUMARCHIEF]

In those terms I guess it makes sense. Thanks for your answers everyone. I know I'm not the only one frustrated by it, but I also know after our first night at ASMo that this is the system. We weren't aware of it until then. We began staying onsite for our honeymoon 6 years ago at the Contemporary. We've stayed there twice and now at the ASMo three times. We're going back in September to the same resort - just going to arrive a little earlier in the day! hee hee hee

 

[poohandwendy]

I agree, it does frustrate people. But I think part of the frustration comes from hearing about strategies for 'free upgrades' and 'room requests' on boards like these. It is great to have all of this information at our fingertips, but the downside is that we also hear of all the wonderful extras other people 'get' and it raises our expectation level. The people who get requests met and freebies are fortunate, they were at the right place at at the right time. Unfortunately, it just isn't possible to grant all requests. I think that is important to remember.

IMO... the best approach is to ask for what you would like (never hurts to ask), accept that it may not happen and most importantly... do not reserve a room where your trip will be ruined if your room requests aren't met.

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

Originally posted by FSUMARCHIEF
What doesn't make sense to me is why not reserve a room and let it be just that - reserved. If I ran a regular hotel and had 10 rooms with a jacuzzi in them, and reserved all ten of them, then if someone showed up asking for a jacuzzi room I would tell them that I didn't have one available. According to Disney policy, if you showed up before I did, you'd get the jacuzzi - reservation or not.

Well... you're comparing apples to oranges.

At the All-Stars, they have two basic categories... Standard and Preferred. If you book a Preferred room, you are guaranteed a Preferred level room, regardless of when you check in. If you book a Standard room, you are guaranteed to be in a Standard room or above.

Building requests are nothing more than that... just requests, and not guarantees. Unless you specifically book a Preferred level room, you're not guaranteed a specific building.

Hypothetical situation... Bob books a Standard room, and Jane books a Preferred room. Hotel is booked. Bob arrives at 11am, but Jane wont be arriving until 10pm that night. Bob wants to go into a Preferred room, but there is only one left.

So who gets it? Jane does, since she has the reservation for it.

If we change it around... both Jane and Bob have standard rooms booked, and they both requested Building 15... and there is only one room left in 15... well, then yes, it would be Bob who gets it, since he arrived first.

 

[McCall]

Sometimes I wonder why they don't just do it like on a cruise, where when you make your reservation, you are assigned a specific room at that time. I guess they have their reasons though. [/B]

Just as a side note, unless I was booking a cheap guarantee cabin I would NEVER take and Assigned cabin.
I pick the Cabin, not the cruiseline.

There is way to much fluctuation in hotel reservations to do what you suggest, and the way it works is the reservations are taken based on numbers of rooms of each type available, then between 48 and 72 hours before your arrival date the actual rooms are assigned based on a first come first serve basis with regard to requests. So the person who booked the earliest and requested something gets it before the person who booked later, even if the second person did book 6 months in advance person one booked 6 1/2 months out for example.

They do many times hold out a few rooms to cover emergencies, so people can be switched if need be. But basically that is how it goes.

 

[DisneyFreaks]

Our veterinarian and I just pondered this same question this morning. She and her family have just returned from WL. They had two rooms booked and had requested connecting but ended up being several rooms apart. I really didn't know how to answer her and we both felt the same way as FSUMARCHIEF. Thanks for helping me to understand this a little better. But I have a question though. When someone is lucky and gets a complimentary upgrade couldn't this be at the expense of someone else's "request" not being met? For years when our children were younger we would always request connecting rooms and hardly ever got them because they were all taken already. This past trip we had connecting rooms with our DD and SIL that we did not ask for. I couldn't help but think that we were probably in rooms that someone else requested but did not get. Couldn't that very well be the case then?

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

Originally posted by DisneyFreaks
When someone is lucky and gets a complimentary upgrade couldn't this be at the expense of someone else's "request" not being met?

No... In that case, it's usually because we have not sold out of that type of room. For example, say we have 20 Preferred rooms, and 180 Standard rooms. Out of those 20 Preferred rooms we have only 10 booked. Out of the 180, we have all 180 booked up... or even it could possibly be overbooked. (Yes, just like the airlines, hotels will overbook) So, to even out "occupancy" they will upgrade to fill those rooms.

 

[DisneyFreaks]

Oh okay, I get it now. Makes sense when you look at it that way. Thanks for clearing that up Tyler.

 

[Cris]

and that is why people are upgraded. Not to just upgrade, but because they have to.

 

[Davids-Coco]

Now I'm worried...

So what you are saying is that if we reserved a honeymoon suite but don't get there until 6 pm, there is NO chance of them upgrading someone else into our room before we even have a chance to get there just because they showed up at 11 am.

If I am right, thank god!

 

[Cris]

Originally posted by Davids-Coco
Now I'm worried...

So what you are saying is that if we reserved a honeymoon suite but don't get there until 6 pm, there is NO chance of them upgrading someone else into our room before we even have a chance to get there just because they showed up at 11 am.

If I am right, thank god!

no because you reserved a honeymoon suite? Where are you staying?

 

[Lewisc]

Originally posted by Davids-Coco
Now I'm worried...

So what you are saying is that if we reserved a honeymoon suite but don't get there until 6 pm, there is NO chance of them upgrading someone else into our room before we even have a chance to get there just because they showed up at 11 am.

If I am right, thank god!

THEY WON'T UPGRADE someone if the room is reserved BUT you might want to call and have late arrival added to your reservation. I don't think Disney overbooks honeymoon suites BUT if a suite has to be taken out of service for repairs or if a guest refuses to check out there could still be a problem. This is no different than any other hotel. Disney has a lot of hotels and rooms to work with. If there is a problem Disney can (usually) upgrade a customer and make them happy.

 

[Davids-Coco]

We are staying at GF...

Good to know, thanks!