NEW POLICY: How Special Room Requests Are Honored

[Johnnie Fedora]

Many guests wouldn't feel the need to send a fax the room controller to double check their room requests if MS made sure they were printed on your confirmation. I have called to check to check on requests b/c they don't show up on the confirmation and just get the line..."it's noted in the system".

I guess we'll be seeing a lot more DVCers faking bum knees, allergies, etc. in order to make requests due to "medical necessity".

I think MS should honor requests (when possible) based on booking date and limit requests to 3.

The whole request system is just the illusion of customer service if it's policy that requests aren't honored based on booking date. Why not tell DVCers requests must be made at the front desk at check in. It would make phone calls to MS shorter and less frequent.

 

[sumessefui]

We always stay at OKW. Requests are NS, top floor, Turtle Pond area, nothing too difficult. The last trip we arrived at ~11:30 AM and the room we were given was not in the TP area but was ready. We asked if we could wait until later in the day to see if a room in the TP area would be avialable but DID NOT insist on one. The CM said he would look right then, and found one in the TP area for us and actually gave us 3 choices. So how can you figure out how they give out the rooms.

 

[kathleena]

First, guests requesting handicapped accessible rooms are assigned with priority. By ADA requirements we must guarantee these room requests.

Second in priority are those requests with medical need. These, like any other request are not guaranteed, but will most impact a guest's stay if not met.

Well, I guess I will have to contact them. I have a genetic lung condition which is, according to my genetic counselor, covered by ADA, and so the non-smoking room for medical reasons becomes an ADA issue for me. I thought the medical reasons were guaranteed.

I think this checkin-policy really stinks. It completely takes away that home resort advantage for booking early and favors those whose driving and flights can get them there early.

I would suggest that they make "room ready on check-in, expected to be by HH:MM o'clock" a room request and let the people who want early check in make it their first request.

As for me, I will store the luggage and wait for the BoardWalk view.....

 

[Ian.Whiteley]

I agree with those who think a maximum of 2 requests is adequate. Non-Smoking rooms should be a priority. If you get a smoking room it really stinks (literally) and would spoil our holiday. If you smoke and get a non-smoking room it's only really an inconvenience.
Looks like us Brits are going to get the short end of the stick with nearly all flights into Orlando landing mid afternoon at the earliest!!!

 

[disneyberry]

i would hate to see a 2-request-only limit... as for my stays at any WDW resort, i will make 3 or 4 general requests (such as upper floor, non-smoking, pool/water view, near bus-stop, etc.) i always give the requests to the CRO or MS CM taking my ressie info, but i have found that often times, that CM will not actually input the requests correctly. (for example when i say close to elevator, they input far from elevator... i don't know how that happened, but it did) in any case, i am not one to get upset if any requests are not met, i've always understood that they cannot be guaranteed. but that doesn't mean that i don't like having the ability to try and make some requests anyway.
as an aside, i can't imagine how those people who make a scene don't get embarrassed...

i think if any limits are imposed on room requests, they should not be a limited # of requests, but instead, they should be a limit to general requests only.

also, i don't believe it is the people who make requests that are causing problems. i believe it is those people who make a big fuss when they don't get their requests.
those fussy people are the ones that have caused front desk CMs to probably dread their jobs, and thus has caused DVC to post that message reiterating how requests cannot be guaranteed.

those of us who might make a handful of requests following procedure shouldn't be penalized just because of the other guests that get angry and cause problems.

 

[sgtdisney]

I have to agree with Disneyberry here. I do not think that there should be any limits on requests. What I do think needs to happen is a very strong reminder to all guests that ALL requests are noted, but are not guaranteed, ever. On the same token I think HCA and smoking rooms should become guaranteed catagories. That would take those 2 room types out of the mix entirely. Almost every other hotel chain allows you to specifically reserve a smoking/non-smoking or accessable/non-accessable room. You need a smoking room, use your 11/7 month window to ensure you get it. They already have to guarantee the HCA rooms for those who must have it so there has to be some kind of lock there already.. This way id you call at the last minute, you get what is left whether it is smoking, HCA or a combination of both. Then the member can make a choice if they want to accept that room or try for other days.

I am sure this has turned into a logistical nightmare for Disney with membership growing along with expectations for specific requests being made. It is partially Disney's fault for allowing it as long as they have. It is also a result of the popularity of the internet and people learning room 1234 is the best... Well only one of 70000 members can get room 1234 at a time.. Someone is bound to be disapointed.

 

[Lesley]

And as far as "the crappy rooms" comment -- I just don't think that's what DVC offers, although I can see that getting mismatched in a room could be problematic if you were a smoker or handicapped and needed a particular room.

Ugh....it was a joke. I was just saying that CM's might have the power to have a little revenge on difficult guests by giving them exactly what they don't want and saying "sorry, that's all we have"

And I think its silly to put limitations on what kinds of requests can be made, or the number of requests. Hey, the more requests someone makes the more likely one or more of them can be accomodated. Yes, I've requested a particular room for an upcoming vacation....and I'll be very, very pleased if I get it. But I know that its very likely that the particular room I want won't be available. They can't kick out someone who's been there 5 days and is staying 6 more just because I want it. A request is just a statement that "if a room that meets this description is available I'd like to be assigned to it".

I don't know what more they can do to make it clear that requests are just that....requests...and they can't always be filled, except to have a very no nonsense policy of not giving in to bullying at the front desk....and not giving the requested rooms of polite folks away to those who are being pushy.

Which also makes me think....even if you check in early and are told all your requests are met, until you are actually in the room they can change the room assignment. Really seems things may be more "luck of the draw" than ever.

 

[kathleena]

Second in priority are those requests with medical need. These, like any other request are not guaranteed, but will most impact a guest's stay if not met.

I just got off the phone with DVC (the woman that I've seen other people mention here - sorry, I've already forgotten her name) She said this above statement is not true. A medical request for non-smoking will guarantee a non-smoking room.

I didn't ask about all the other stuff.

 

[Lisa F]

I think DVC should stop taking requests, period, except for extra special medical request cases. Smoking/non-smoking and handicapped rooms should be confirmed room types, not requests. Of course, the whining would just increase at first, but in a while it would disappear as people get used to the new "you get what you get" system. As to what benefit the 11 month window gets you over someone who books 2 months in advance, at 11 months you are guaranteed a room at your home resort, which you presumably bought into because you prefer to stay there most of the time. That's the only "benefit" to the 11 month window.

My guess is that if they get away from the "those who whine the loudest get what they want" system (and no matter how they deal with requests, those who whine the loudest STILL seem to get what they want) that over the next 40 years or so everyone will have a chance to stay in some of the more choice rooms and locations at least some of the time. SOMEONE has to stay in the last room of the hall, but it seems like everyone thinks it shouldn't be them, EVER, and then they talk about how unfair things are.

If you want a guaranteed location, buy real property. Your location will be guaranteed until you sell it.

Lisa

 

[DebbieB]

I don't see anything wrong with general requests. At OKW for example, some people might like golf course views, some may like water views. Some people want to be close to the HH, we prefer Turtle Pond Road. Why not at least attempt to match people up with their requests, with the provision that they are not guaranteed of course. I think it's less important at the other DVC resorts at WDW because they are all in one building. The LONG walk complained about so much really isn't that far, probably the equivalent of walking down Main Street.

 

[lurontravel]

I think that it's pretty fair to dole out rooms on a first come, first served basis. The only exceptions being medical and non-smoking (non-smoking is a medical reason for everyone who does not smoke, and those that do, there is a balcony right outside of every room if you request smoking and don't get it). Think about it, folks, not EVERYONE who has the coveted "Epcot View" is going to be checking out at 5:00 am in time for housekeeping to get it cleaned up in time for the 7:00 am arrival who requested it. They may get stuck with the pool view instead. Meantime, the "Epcot View" room was checked out of at 11:00 am, and housekeeping might not get to it until 4:00 pm, and the person who checks in at 8:00 pm, 'cause their plane didn't get in until 7:00 pm (2 hours late...), will get their Epcot view. I think that this is the best way to do it. You take your chances. If you want room 417, and no other will do, b/c you bought it as a time-share, then go elsewhere! That is not the way DVC was set up. Sorry, I'm so tired of hearing how particular rooms seem to really get people going on these boards. We all want to enjoy our vacation, let's relax a little everyone... I don't mind the general requests, but particular ROOMS????
and remember, they are called "requests" because that is exactly what they are!

 

[childsplay]

I'm not sure they need to eliminate requests completely, however I could be persuded that some type of limit would be reasonable.
Especially if MS went to system where smoking/nonsmoking and handicapped/nonhandicapped were both desiginated as room types and not requests....within the framework of that type of a system I really don't think limiting members to 2 requests would be unreasonable.

 

[JimC]

First come, first served should be based on reservation, not check-in. We are not walk-ins.

Most of the hotel industry confirms and guarantees non-smoking and similar requests such as first floor or near elevator or near stairs. Disney is the only hotel operator that I know of that does not guarantee such requests or requires a statement of medical need to get a priority request. Since DVC has always met those needs for us, it has not become an issue (And in fact they work very hard to meet such requests in our experience). But the tone of the policy stated by the OP is not very reassuring.

I do not know about the extent of other special requests. Until this and similar threads, I did not even know that people would ask for a specific room. That does seem over the top. Maybe some limits should be instituted.

It would be very easy and minimal cost for DVC to ask each member to comment on our preferences regarding policy changes. An e-mail survey is an easy, practically no cost means to do this and can be automatically tablulated if set up properly. This has not been done. The poll on this board indicates we prefer getting the special requests, by a 4:1 margin. Since we are part owners and the folks who pay for the operation, the courtesy of getting our opinion seems very little to expect.

 

[LisaR]

Originally posted by kathleena
I just got off the phone with DVC (the woman that I've seen other people mention here - sorry, I've already forgotten her name) She said this above statement is not true. A medical request for non-smoking will guarantee a non-smoking room.

Maybe this is something new but I have had one time (thankfully only once) where we were told there was only a smoking optional room available. I had my confirmation with me that clearly stated non-smoking for medical reasons. I stayed as calm as possible because I knew something would be done to correct this but I was VERY firm and would not settle for a smoking optional room that they said they would clean with their ionizer machine thingy! That machine will not get the smell out of the mattresses where my kids will be sleeping for 8 hours a night. I asked for a manager when we weren't getting anywhere with the CM. By the time the manager got to the front desk, I had pulled out my kids nebulizer and a 2 gallon ziploc bag full of their asthma medication. I didn't say a word as he walked up. He took one look at the medication and said he would find us a non-smoking room right away. Within two minutes, we had a room available.

That being said, whenever someone asks me if we always receive a non-smoking room with DVC, I always say yes because we have (granted, one time was a little tense but we got what we needed). However, from that experience, I assumed that non-smoking for medical reasons was NOT guaranteed.

Lisa

 

[Sammie]

Originally posted by LisaR
I don't understand why DVC doesn't take surveys via their website. This would give everyone a chance to vote instead of asking 3 people that called MS what they thought and then calling it the "majority of DVC members." All I know is they better have our "non-smoking for medical reasons" room available when we check in at 6pm. Our airline changed our flight time so we don't have a choice but to check in late. Trust me, it won't be pretty if they attempt to give us a smoking room.

Lisa

You may very well get your request and get a NS room only to find that someone staying in the room before you smoked in it. This has happened to our family twice recently at WDW.

 

[wilderness01]

I also requested a non-smoking room for medical reasons. It was honored at 2 out of the 3 resorts. At VWL they put us in a smoking room. The room didn't smell too bad but the hallway was terrible. I went back down to the front desk and requested to see a manager. The CM knew we had to have non-smoking for medical reasons and had us wait 2 hours for the room that turned out to be smoking. The manager said she was sorry but there were no longer any villas available at that time that were non-smoking. We tried to check in at 1:30 pm due to a sick child and finally had a room at 3:45 pm. Since they couldn't help us at VWL they put us up at OKW. It was unfortunate that this happened but at least we went to a room that was ok to breath in. Just wish they would have told us and not made us wait over 2 hours for nothing.

 

[Dean]

Many people make very difficult requests like specific rooms. Working around those requsts and making all happy is not an easy task. I have a pretty close relationship with the guy who's the GM at one of the Marriott timeshare on HH. This last trip we had 3 floating units for the same week. One was an Ocean front, one an Oceanside that we own and one an exchange unit ocean side. There are 10 buildings but only 2 have both ocean front and ocean side units. I requested they be in the same building and as close together as possible. With roughly a third designated as saturday checkin units, I thought this was a pretty big request but it was important with 15 family members. I was talking to my friend telling him how it worked out, which was pretty well, and he said our requests weren't difficult, he wished everyone would do requests like that. He went on to say it was the people that wanted a specific unit that really drove them crazy. And this is a resort where you know they'll be checking out, when they'll be leaving and when a specific unit will be available.