Hi,
Just thought I would add my 2 cents, not that enough of us haven't, but her goes!
We drove straight thru from Fort Hood/Killeen, Texas last year about a 19/20 hour drive. We left at about 11pm and arrived at Disney World at about 7pm, but the time we arrived the children were pinging off the car doors and we, the adults, were exhausted. We told the kids we would swim and get a goodnights sleeps. I had paid for everything in advance and had checked with WDW before we left, explaining that we would be arriving at about 7/8 at night. We needed adjoining/smoking rooms, my mother who was with us smokes and we both agreed that she would smoke in one room, but not when the children were there, but I had to book smoking rooms. I was told they were guaranteed. I explained that my reservation confirmation sheet didn't say this, they told me it didn't matter, as long as it was in there computer. I CALLED 3 TIMES, about this issue. When we arrived we where placed in NON-Adjoining, non-smoking rooms. I was hot. The castmembers solution to this was for my mother to smoke on the balcony. We were at All Star Music, another words they wanted her to smoke on a common walk way, well, I'm sorry, smoking is not the best habit in the world and then you want us to inconvenience other guest by smoking right outside their doors
This wasn't at all expectable, by 11pm we had been moved to another resort, with all proper accomodations. Now, I have learned that WDW doesn't guarantee anything, BUT that was not what I was told three seperate times, by three seperate Castmembers, BTW I had all of there names, a tip I learned on these boards, when I had questioned it. Needless to say NO Swimming occured that night and by the time we got settled, it was midnight, we had Ressies for Cinderallas Royal Table for 8:30am. We were all exhausted. By Wednesday of our trip, I was ready to leave. We never fully recovered from that straight thru trip.
SO my bottom line, This year, I'm staying overnight, twice before arriving at WDW, once at the better than half way point and once in Kissimee. I will arrive at WDW at about 11am, 4 hours before required check-in, just in case!
Disney was wonderful about the whole thing, but like I said, initially they wanted us to inconvenience other guest and then it was almost 3 hours for them to straighten it all out, an inconvenience to us.
For those of you who can do this, you go, guys and girls!
Before you all start, Yes, I have lived and learned, nothing in ressies is Guaranteed, number 1 and number 2 when the people on the boards say it, it is usually true! (That is why I kept calling because the boards kept saying nothing is guaranteed thru ressies and I kept being told otherwise by Castmember on the phone.)
Thanks and have a great day!