MS now limiting room requests ???

[lisaviolet]

Thanks for the info. You're probably pretty well-placed to know. If this is the case, I almost wonder whether this is because of castmember confusion rather than every guest requesting savanna view.

On two specific occasions, we've asked at check-in about our savanna view requests for value rooms and had CMs be completely mystified about the possibility. "Savanna view?!? Oh no, we can't do that, those are more points!"

You should have seen the MS CM. She even got off the phone with me for a long time to prove HER point that there was no savanna view . Total ego because eventhough I told her there was - I had left it at that point in the transaction. But I guess because I wouldn't say - you're right - she was bound and determined. She was so pleased with herself when she phoned directly to the AKV front desk and they told her she was absolutely correct - there weren't any Value rooms that face a savanna.

This is despite me saying twice "I just returned from my Value unit that faced the Savanna so there obviously are". Priceless.

 

[MickeyPowered]

call back......she must have been having a bad mouse day!

 

[gkrykewy]

You should have seen the MS CM. She even got off the phone with me for a long time to prove HER point that there was no savanna view . Total ego because eventhough I told her there was - I had left it at that point in the transaction. But I guess because I wouldn't say - you're right - she was bound and determined. She was so pleased with herself when she phoned directly to the AKV front desk and they told her she was absolutely correct - there weren't any Value rooms that face a savanna.

This is despite me saying twice "I just returned from my Value unit that faced the Savanna so there obviously are". Priceless.

You'd think, going on three years since AKV opened at Jambo, that the front desk CMs would catch on

I'm just going to request ostrich trail next time

 

[locodemickey]

Actually, there is a slight chance that you would get a parking lot view in an AKV value studio. Of the 18 total value studios (dedicated and lock-off), 2 are parking lot view.

I can attest to that - we got a parking lot view

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I don't know. If almost everyone getting a Value room requests Savannah, and you don't, what are the chances you are going to get that view? If everyone wants a partial MK view out of their lake view, how many people not specifying are going to get surprised? The dumpster was an exaggeration - there aren't enough "dumpster views" to go around.

Funny but I'd have to say my experience would be considered by many to prove your point. IMO every room I had was perfectly fine, including the views but at AKV concierge I was assigned the pool view. At BWV pool/garden view I was assigned a ground level room looking at the under rehab Luna park pool. And at VGC I was assigned the pool view. But I've gotten "bottom of the barrel" when making requests too so it doesn't seem to matter which way I go.

I have read reports from posters that seem to indicate that non requesters get assigned "good" rooms too. There's a post right now for BLT LV. Rooms are such a puzzle that just a day difference in check in could mean your request may or may not be met. As long as everyone has the opportunity to make a request then my decision to not make a request means that I really am willing to take whatever is assigned. Otherwise when I would like something more specific I'll throw my request into the hat and see if it gets pulled out as a winner.

You should have seen the MS CM. She even got off the phone with me for a long time to prove HER point that there was no savanna view . Total ego because eventhough I told her there was - I had left it at that point in the transaction. But I guess because I wouldn't say - you're right - she was bound and determined. She was so pleased with herself when she phoned directly to the AKV front desk and they told her she was absolutely correct - there weren't any Value rooms that face a savanna.

This is despite me saying twice "I just returned from my Value unit that faced the Savanna so there obviously are". Priceless.

Oh wow - too funny!

You'd think, going on three years since AKV opened at Jambo, that the front desk CMs would catch on

I'm just going to request ostrich trail next time

I was going to suggest that! You might want to add a second request for even numbered rooms otherwise you might be staring at a parking lot.

Haven't some people reported problems requesting near HH at OKW if they don't have that category specifically booked? It seems like if DVC makes a room category then you can't request something with the same verbage with some CM's - even if it makes perfect sense.

 

[adminjedi]

As we fly in from the west coast and therefore arrive very late, we get what is left. Oh well, I know it is just a request, not a guaranteed booking. They are very clear in the literature, at time of booking, and at check in. I am ok if I don't get the request, and would be thrilled when/if I do!

I made several reservations today for Beach Club, AKV SV and AKV Concierge, and asked for views with no comment from the CM that they could no longer make notations on view requests.

 

[TisBit]

You'd think, going on three years since AKV opened at Jambo, that the front desk CMs would catch on

I'm just going to request ostrich trail next time

While you would think that they would have heard about the views, you have to realize that most front desk hotel employees have never seen the inside of most of the rooms, much less know what the view is like. Most rely on the maps they are given which show the room locations and they can only guess that it has a good or bad view. While it may look like it has a good view on the map, there may be dumpsters/construction, trees, etc blocking what otherwise looked good. Or on the other hand, the map might imply a bad view, but in actuality be one of the best views.

 

[suecait]

Add me to the list of people saying call back & talk to a different CM.

I called on Fri the 13th with just this request. I already had a 5 night stay booked for AKV Value & had asked to add a room request to it for Sav view. The CM first replied there are no Sav views in Value. I just replied that my understanding was there were parking lot, pool & sav views in value & I realize there are no guarantees. She then stated she would enter my request. I then proceeded to add a request to my BLT stay, which she entered. She never said there were no room request accepted just that she thought there were no Sav views in the Value rooms. I suppose I could call back to have my requests reviewed to see they were actually entered, but I didn't get a bad vibe from her.

We will be checking in on a Friday at AKV so who knows what will be available. It's pretty much a crap shoot.

 

[Nikisha421]

I am staying in a Value Room at Jambo House right now...when I made this ressie several months back...the CM on the phone insisted that no such room existed so therefore could not be a requested...well I called back and spoke with a different CM and low and behold my request was met we are not in a room with a VIEW...maybe our last chance for such a request, but hey you never know. I have a ressie for February and will call MS tomorrow to see if it can be requested on my 1bdroom value...but I doubt it since that trip is a Monday check in...

 

[CKDKMK]

My guess is they were still having a lot of people throwing a fit at the front desk if they didn't get the exact room they requested. I have witnessed some DVCer meltdowns over the years, that usually start with "I paid a lot of $$$ for this timeshare, and I pay your salary!" And they usually devolve from there.

People are no longer content to simply be at Disney is a great room, they need the "perfect" room.

Society has gone from Bridezillas to Travelzillas.

Me myself am happy just to be at disney. No complaints here. Only had to change a room once due to room not being cleaned (pizza box in room / other personal items, and bed not made).

 

[DVC-Don]

I have not made a request since the resorts went non-smoking.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I tried a room request for the weekend SSR trip. I requested Congress Park, but what I got was as close to being in CP as possible without being there. But more importantly, it was ready at 10:30AM.

I've gotten a savannah view value villa about 70% of the times I've booked value and consider myself lucky. If I get the parking lot view, so be it, it's still a value and I'm at Jambo which is such a marvelous experience. I would hate to think that I or anyone else ALWAYS get the parking lot view because we don't make a preference noted and are not pushy.

DVC has been fair in it's dealings with me. When a reservation was lost, they tried very hard and did eventually get us a room at VB which we had been trying to get when the BWV, and VB rooms were lost. I was once given a HA room in a resort that I had had one before in and in which I had a lot of problems walking on the bathroom floor when it was wet, they did change my room. We don't automatically refuse HA rooms, for instace in HHI, the one we had was fine. When we got a low floor at BLT which I didn't consider to be lakeview, they agreed and the points were returned. I have not always had the best views, or locations, but I will say that I am a satisfied member of DVC and willing to see how this "no request for value rooms" plays out. That is, if indeed there is such a thing as "no request."

Bobbi

 

[Dean]

I believe the ADA would require this.

I don't believe the ADA requires you meet requests or even that the rooms match the needs of the guest, only that X number of rooms are required to be in inventory for a given situation based on the resort specifics.

 

[ssawka]

I don't believe the ADA requires you meet requests or even that the rooms match the needs of the guest, only that X number of rooms are required to be in inventory for a given situation based on the resort specifics.

That's not entirely true. There has recently been a number of changes to the ADA regarding hotel reservations:

(e)(1) Reservations made by places of lodging. A public accommodation that owns, leases (or leases to), or operates a place of lodging shall, with respect to reservations made by telephone, in-person, or through a third party --

(i) Modify its policies, practices, or procedures to ensure that individuals with disabilities can make reservations for accessible guest rooms during the same hours and in the same manner as individuals who do not need accessible rooms;

(ii) Identify and describe accessible features in the hotels and guest rooms offered through its reservations service in enough detail to reasonably permit individuals with disabilities to assess independently whether a given hotel or guest room meets his or her accessibility needs;

(iii) Ensure that accessible guest rooms are held for use by individuals with disabilities until all other guest rooms of that type have been rented and the accessible room requested is the only remaining room of that type;

(iv) Reserve, upon request, accessible guest rooms or specific types of guest rooms and ensure that the guest rooms requested are blocked and removed from all reservations systems; and

(v) Guarantee that the specific accessible guest room reserved through its reservations service is held for the reserving customer, regardless of whether a specific room is held in response to reservations made by others.

So yes, Disney is not required to provide a ground floor room if someone requests it, but if the guest specifically reserves an accessible room, then Disney is required to hold that room for that guest.

 

[CrazyDuck]

That's not entirely true. There has recently been a number of changes to the ADA regarding hotel reservations:

(e)(1) Reservations made by places of lodging. A public accommodation that owns, leases (or leases to), or operates a place of lodging shall, with respect to reservations made by telephone, in-person, or through a third party --

(i) Modify its policies, practices, or procedures to ensure that individuals with disabilities can make reservations for accessible guest rooms during the same hours and in the same manner as individuals who do not need accessible rooms;

(ii) Identify and describe accessible features in the hotels and guest rooms offered through its reservations service in enough detail to reasonably permit individuals with disabilities to assess independently whether a given hotel or guest room meets his or her accessibility needs;

(iii) Ensure that accessible guest rooms are held for use by individuals with disabilities until all other guest rooms of that type have been rented and the accessible room requested is the only remaining room of that type;

(iv) Reserve, upon request, accessible guest rooms or specific types of guest rooms and ensure that the guest rooms requested are blocked and removed from all reservations systems; and

(v) Guarantee that the specific accessible guest room reserved through its reservations service is held for the reserving customer, regardless of whether a specific room is held in response to reservations made by others.

So yes, Disney is not required to provide a ground floor room if someone requests it, but if the guest specifically reserves an accessible room, then Disney is required to hold that room for that guest.

Sorry to get off topic... just curious... do any THV's have ramps or do they all have stairs?

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Sorry to get off topic... just curious... do any THV's have ramps or do they all have stairs?

Yes. Two of them do I believe.

 

[spiceycat]

think it was definitely for value rooms at Jambo House

have gotten a value room three times never requested anything - so my old request water view seems to be there. all 3 were of the pool - really the creek think close to Jiko.

got a water view even when did not request one.

so if never allowed to make another request - water view seems to be on my membership.

THANKS MS!

 

[y2kdave]

Bummer if they don't take requests anymore. I have had every request I've ever made granted with no problem at all at OKW.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I don't think the lounge would have the capacity for more rooms, unless they made a separate DVC lounge.

I would have been happy with the same number of rooms but in a different area of the Concierge classification and all Savanna view.

 

[csharpwv]

That's not entirely true. There has recently been a number of changes to the ADA regarding hotel reservations:

(e)(1) Reservations made by places of lodging. A public accommodation that owns, leases (or leases to), or operates a place of lodging shall, with respect to reservations made by telephone, in-person, or through a third party --

(i) Modify its policies, practices, or procedures to ensure that individuals with disabilities can make reservations for accessible guest rooms during the same hours and in the same manner as individuals who do not need accessible rooms;

(ii) Identify and describe accessible features in the hotels and guest rooms offered through its reservations service in enough detail to reasonably permit individuals with disabilities to assess independently whether a given hotel or guest room meets his or her accessibility needs;

(iii) Ensure that accessible guest rooms are held for use by individuals with disabilities until all other guest rooms of that type have been rented and the accessible room requested is the only remaining room of that type;

(iv) Reserve, upon request, accessible guest rooms or specific types of guest rooms and ensure that the guest rooms requested are blocked and removed from all reservations systems; and

(v) Guarantee that the specific accessible guest room reserved through its reservations service is held for the reserving customer, regardless of whether a specific room is held in response to reservations made by others.

So yes, Disney is not required to provide a ground floor room if someone requests it, but if the guest specifically reserves an accessible room, then Disney is required to hold that room for that guest.

I am pretty confident that Disney abides by this rule-
We were given a ADA Compliant room on our honeymoon, we hadn't requested one - we were staying club level as reserved- BUT we did have a view request and that was a view of the Castle/MK, and that's the view we had!
Then when we took my parents to Disney in 2008, we had requested adjoining rooms, one of them with a roll in shower for Mom- and that's what we got. And - I'm pretty sure they had to upgrade us to Club Level to honor that request. I'm not about to complaint about a View Upgrade - AND an upgrade to Club Level!
Finally, we left a day early for our vacation last December and called MS to see what was available and there was one room left at VWL - so we said YES - and it was an ADA compliant room with roll-in shower. I am pretty sure it was the last room in inventory, since we reserved it the morning we were to check in.

SO, I think Disney does a great job of giving you the room you request - but not "view" specific unless you are able to book a specific view (water view, Savanna View, Boardwalk View etc etc etc) We stayed at Saratoga in Jan. 2009 on Developer Points and requested to be in Congress Park - and that's what we got - but we didn't have much of a view LOL You had to step out on the patio and lean to the left to see Downtown Disney

But the fountain, gardens and courtyard were nice!