Just got booted from AKL

[Summer-Caitlin]

I am demanding to be moved as I don't want to take a chance, esp not this time. I mean I booked a wedding direct through Disney and I booked everything else (flights, accommodation, disney dining and park tickets)through the TA. You would think someone could help me out, I can't believe my TA aren't willing to move me I'm still waiting on a call from them, this is beginning to become a daily thing...

 

[DisneyBride'03]

Are you able to go to the TA's office and hang out til they do something????

Is your wedding an Intimate or Custom? Things may have changed, but we had an intimate and the accomodations, part of them anyway was part of the wedding package.

What are your cancellation policies with the TA? Can you "threaten" to cancel and say you will re book with Disney? There HAS to be something you can do

Who knows, perhaps once you arrive, AKL realizes you ARE a DisneyBride They may be able to make a change once you are there! Try talking to your cooridinator as well..Everything happens for a reason....try not to worry...you ARE getting married at the most magical place on Earth...you found your Prince Charming...hoping the best for you !!

 

[dsnylover]

Caitlyn sent you a pm

 

[abeyst]

With everything you said about the last daddy-daughter trip, I'd want to be as close to the parks as possible. I'm sure you can get a good view at CR, even if you are in a GW room. SSR/OKW are both VERY nice, but they're a more laid-back, relaxed feel. I don't know if it's something DD will like.

Just being close to MK is magical, even if it's not the ideal room.


Whatever room you choose, you will have a FABULOUS time!! Before you know it, you'll be doing last minute packing and rushing to the airport, and driving to Disney looking for the big "Welcome to Walt Disney World" sign. You'll be making more memories at the parks everyday then you ever will at the hotel. Enjoy!!

And congratulations on your soon-to-be family addition!

 

[mirlow]

I got the call today. I just booked two days ago. I was able to book a Deluxe CL room, but apparently the computer shouldn't have allowed it. I'm really disappointed. I love the AKL.

They offered a two bedroom at SSR for $124, but I didn't really want to end our stay there. Any other time I would probably give it a try. We got SL at the GF instead.

 

[grannyminnie]

I got the call today. I just booked two days ago. I was able to book a Deluxe CL room, but apparently the computer shouldn't have allowed it. I'm really disappointed. I love the AKL.

They offered a two bedroom at SSR for $124, but I didn't really want to end our stay there. Any other time I would probably give it a try. We got SL at the GF instead.

Were you able to get it for the same amount of $$?

 

[mirlow]

Were you able to get it for the same amount of $$?

Yes.

 

[ellenec]

My friend and I had the AKL booked for 3 nights August 23,24 and 25 then 3 nights at GF. I called today and the first two CMs told me no problem, I would have been called already. Then I called the Outbound number someone posted here(Thanks) and the CM said yes we were going to be called to move!! They offered us BWI,BC,Saratoga and Contemp. All great choices!!!! Beach Club here we come!!!!

 

[LVSWL]

Just a note, for those of you being offered a garden room in the Contemporary. My DH and DS stayed there last April and said it was one of the nicest rooms that they had ever stayed in on property. The whole wing had been renovated and they had a wonderful water view. It was so convenient to walk to MK and also to hop the monorail to Epcot or to the other resorts on the monorail for a great meal. I don't agree at all with the comparison of the savannah room and the room that they received. The CR is definitely the DELUXE hotel. Give it a chance.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Just a note, for those of you being offered a garden room in the Contemporary. My DH and DS stayed there last April and said it was one of the nicest rooms that they had ever stayed in on property. The whole wing had been renovated and they had a wonderful water view. It was so convenient to walk to MK and also to hop the monorail to Epcot or to the other resorts on the monorail for a great meal. I don't agree at all with the comparison of the savannah room and the room that they received. The CR is definitely the DELUXE hotel. Give it a chance.

That was very well said and I agree with you 100%. Just because the Contemporary seems to be the Deluxe Resort which always gets bashed because of the way it looks and etc, is no reason to think that a Garden View room is going to be end of the world. Maybe I am saying this because the Contemporary is my favorite place to stay, however I really mean what I say. Besides like I said before others who reported being asked to change from the Animal Kingdom Lodge were not even given the chance to stay at a Deluxe Resorts. Other reported getting offered Saratoga Springs and were not happy with it at all. So if you got the Contemporary as choice then you should consider yourselves very lucky about that. My guess is the OP was not offered a room in the Tower because it is sold out and it does sell out very fast. Maybe if one was available WDW might have offered that as a choice.

 

[metsno1]

We have friends who have ressies at the AKL starting next Thursday for 8 nights. I told them about this thread and suggested that they call to find out what was happening. When they got through to a CM, they were told that:

"Yes, there will be construction, and here's how it's going to be: We'll give you the phone number for the foreman, and if the noise disturbs you in any way, you should call him immediately."

You have absolutely GOT to be kidding me!! "Here's how it's going to be!!!????" They're on the Platinum Plan, paying over $7500 for a week in a Savannah View room. If I were paying that sort of money for a week (which I don't think I ever could....), I'd have replied...

"No, here's how it's going to be. I'm paying for the Platinum Plan. That means if I suggest that you should bark at me over the phone, you'll respond with 'How loud sir? Woof."

In all seriousness, and no disrespect to any CM's intended, I would think that Disney will be seriously remiss if their trip turns out to be anything but Disney-perfect in every way. That's just too much money to spend for a hotel whose amenities might not all be available or that might be in a state of inconvenient construction....I'm gonna suggest they call and demand to be moved. This is their very first Disney trip for the entire family. Personally, I think that for a first trip with a 9 and 7 year old, you absolutely can't go wrong with the CR! IMO, from a kids perspective, the monorail running through the concourse beats a zoo in the back yard any day!!

 

[LindyN]

If I can just make one suggestion.....

Call YOURSELF and advocate for what you want. For some reason, I just think it's easier for a Disney CM to "turn down" a TA's request. I'm using a TA for my September trip, but I wouldn't hesitate for one moment to get on the phone and continue to move up the ladder of Disney Mgmt. until I got a sympathetic ear with the power to make changes if I needed them. They're out there, but you have to be persistent, patient, and never ever stop being "nice" on the phone.

You're paying way way way too much money for them to do absolutely anything but ensure your complete satisfaction!! It's wrong that you have to fight for it-but it looks like you do! Good luck!!

You have the wrong TA!!! This is the job of your TA, and the TA must advocate for their guest. If you are unhappy with how the TA is handling this situation then speak to their manager. All TAs are not created equal but if you have booked with someone who does a lot of Disney then you should be able to have some sort of solution. If your TA is the local person on the corner and doesn't understand the Disney system then they may not have the skills to negotiate with Disney regarding your resort change. A busy agent with an EarMarked agency should know what to do here.

That being said, there is limited resort availability (they were already pretty full) and not all deluxe resorts will have rooms during your travel dates. You may not be able to get the same sort of deal that someone else here posted though but should get a similar type of accommodation to what you had booked at AKL. (Not necessarily an upgrade). The Epcot resorts are quite nice and personally I consider them an upgrade from AKL as rooms are larger and the location is "better". (No giraffe though, and I loved my savannah view room at AKL last summer and would go back there in a minute, but not during construction). The Contemporary has been refurbished and is on the monorail. The Garden Wing at the Contemporary is still not as long of a walk to the busses as the farthest Savannah View room at AKL; bus stop at AKL is below the store and can be quite a hike.

JMO, FWIW.

 

[LindyN]

We have friends who have ressies at the AKL starting next Thursday for 8 nights. I told them about this thread and suggested that they call to find out what was happening. When they got through to a CM, they were told that:

"Yes, there will be construction, and here's how it's going to be: We'll give you the phone number for the foreman, and if the noise disturbs you in any way, you should call him immediately."

You have absolutely GOT to be kidding me!! "Here's how it's going to be!!!????" They're on the Platinum Plan, paying over $7500 for a week in a Savannah View room. If I were paying that sort of money for a week (which I don't think I ever could....), I'd have replied...

"No, here's how it's going to be. I'm paying for the Platinum Plan. That means if I suggest that you should bark at me over the phone, you'll respond with 'How loud sir? Woof."

In all seriousness, and no disrespect to any CM's intended, I would think that Disney will be seriously remiss if their trip turns out to be anything but Disney-perfect in every way. That's just too much money to spend for a hotel whose amenities might not all be available or that might be in a state of inconvenient construction....I'm gonna suggest they call and demand to be moved. This is their very first Disney trip for the entire family. Personally, I think that for a first trip with a 9 and 7 year old, you absolutely can't go wrong with the CR! IMO, from a kids perspective, the monorail running through the concourse beats a zoo in the back yard any day!!

I was in AKL in May and had a tour of some of the resort rooms including the suites. Having been a guest there for a week last August, and seeing what it looks like now, I'd have to say that moving from that Savannah view is a very good idea. In August we could sit on the balcony and see animals... now there's fences and piles of dirt in some places. Its not very pretty, and as much as I love that resort I just cannot recommend anyone go there during the construction--unless they were NOT paying for a view. There are just much nicer places to stay at Disney right now than the Savannah view which may or may not be torn up. Don't get me wrong... I love this resort. But if Disney doesn't think its up to Disney standards, then you need to go elsewhere. There are still some decent rooms available, but you may hear construction noise during the day. For the amount of money people pay for a resort room at AKL it may be a huge disappointment to go there.

 

[dce123]

To everyone:

I (original poster) just wanted to say thank you to everyone who offered suggestions and support.
We are still scheduled to be at the CR, and we are going to have a great time.

My daughter and I will be at WDW for a week, then SeaWorld, Discovery Cove, and Universal/IOA for a week.
Now that the dust has settled over the AKL disappointment, we can get back to counting the days...9 and counting.

Thanks again to everyone.

-Darren

 

[John's Mom]

dce123,

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

To everyone:

I (original poster) just wanted to say thank you to everyone who offered suggestions and support.
We are still scheduled to be at the CR, and we are going to have a great time.

My daughter and I will be at WDW for a week, then SeaWorld, Discovery Cove, and Universal/IOA for a week.
Now that the dust has settled over the AKL disappointment, we can get back to counting the days...9 and counting.

Thanks again to everyone.

-Darren

You're welcome so have a great time in WDW. I also have a feeling you're going to like the Contemporary after you stay there and you might want to stay there again in the future.

 

[CoolPool]

Darren, I'm a huge, huge fan of AKL, but those CR rooms dwarf the AKL rooms by comparison and that can be a major positive. The CR is an original Disney resort so it carries its own magic plus you will be directly on the monorail (and the monorail is hard to beat.) You've got a terrific attitude and have a great trip!

 

[rainy~daze]

My main reason for choosing AKL was so that my daughter could have a savannah view room. She's a big animal lover, and was really looking forward to that part of the trip.
My understanding is that there will be few, if any, animals around the AKL during this time. So a pool view there is not especially appealing.

I've contacted my travel agent about getting a different location, but with only 2 weeks time, I don't have much hope of getting another resort.

My first request after I found out about this was the Polynesian. But they said nothing was available.
Not sure about the GF yet.
I'm going to ask my travel agent to check on Beach or Yacht club.

My daughter (Savannah) is 9, and has been to DisneyWorld before, but this is/was our first attempt at staying at AKL. We've only been to the All-Star resorts in the past, so I have no past experience with the Deluxe resorts.

Thanks for all the responses.
And any further suggestions are appreciated.

I am sorry to be so OT here, but I had to ask, your DDs name is Savannah? And she is a huge animal lover? How neat is that!!!!! Talk about being just like your name, I just wanted to say how cool I think that is!
Okay, carry-on!

 

[disprincess86]

dce123, it's so sweet that you're trying to make this vacation perfect for your daughter! I almost cried when I read your story. It reminds me so much of my own dad. I'm sure your daughter will love CR, especially since it's so close to MK. When my parents took me when I was that age, I would have given anything to be able to walk to MK! I'm sure your vacation will be perfect no matter where you are staying

 

[guelde96]

I would call back and demand they either move you to a tower room or give you a water view room at the Beach or Yacht. I would definitely say that CR Garden wing is a big downgrade from a AKL Savannah view.

From what other people have posted CR garden wing is actually a $10-20 upgrade from AKL savannah room. Personal opinion may be different, but dollar value is better.