New Preferred Room at CBR -- Re: Boardwalk View

[TroyWDW]

I thought it was interesting that there is a new booking category for 2004 at the Caribbean Beach Resort. They have created a "preferred" booking class for some of the buildings at CBR. They now have three categories: standard, water view, and preferred. The new "preferred" category is reportedly the buildings that were most frequently requested by folks.

This seems coincidental with how the "boardwalk view" is now being handled at BWV.

Maybe Disney is tired of all of the faxing of special requests at all resorts and have adopted a strategy to reduce this behavior. As has been speculated, they may also be changing the room assignment procedure to reduce workers.

Have any of the other Disney resorts adopted a similar change?

Troy

 

[PamOKW]

I was wondering whether this might be a new tack by Disney to handle the request-mania that has happened over the last few years. Sounds like it is. I imagine this will start happening at most of the resorts. Of course, the next step at the cash resorts will be to charge a premium for those rooms.

I'm guessing that the Room Ready policy will also spread to the other resorts (if it doesn't already exist).

 

[lenshanem]

How does changing the room assignment procedure reduce workers? I find thsi interesting. Thanks!

 

[Granny]

I believe it is already common at the WDW resorts (non-DVC) to charge a different room rate for various views.

I know that Wilderness Lodge, for example has a Standard View (parking lot, utility area), a Woods view (woods and VWL) and a Courtyard view (pool, Bay Lake, Silver Springs Creek, etc). They each have their own rate, with the highest being the Courtyard view.

So I don't think this is anything new. They just might have figured out that there are preferred views at CBR. And yes, they'll probably charge more for it in the future as any hotel does.

 

[DeeP]

The value resorts have had the preferred view buildings for about a year now. The buildings are closest to the main building/food court, main pool etc. These rooms cost slightly more per night ($10.00). The moderate resorts have also jumped on the band wagon and are now also have preferred buildings with the same criteria as the value resorts. The deluxe resorts have had these type of rooms/buildings and room price differences for years.

 

[LadyTrampScamp&Angel]

As you all probably know, CBR is HUGE! I was there in June and requested a room in the Martinique area, it's a great location as it's a short walk to the food court/shops/main pool. When I checked in the CM told me that Martinique had become VERY popular, many people request it, so that there would be a charge in the future for this preferred location. I got my Martinique room - and I'd probably pay for the preferred category in the future - as with small children I don't want a long hike when they are hungry. There is an internal bus but don't want to have to wait for that either. A bummer to have to pay extra but I guess that's what the demand created.

 

[TroyWDW]

Originally posted by lenshanem
How does changing the room assignment procedure reduce workers? I find thsi interesting. Thanks!

First, this is just speculation. Second, there are folks on this board who are quite knowledgeable about the process. Maybe one of them will chime in.

Historically at the resorts, there were people with the task of doing the planning of room assignments. The speculation is that with the new "Room Ready" policy there may be a much lower need for that task or the task has been greatly simplified with the reduction in the number of requests that are pre-planned.

Troy

 

[lenshanem]

Got it.

 

[crisi]

My suspicion....

I really doubt that THAT many people fax in room requests at the non-DVC resorts. Primarly they'd have to be very educated guests - mostly repeat visitors - and even there most people probably don't care enough to make requests. Keep in mind that this board appeals to compulsive planners. I doubt this is really the problem we think it is.

DVC resorts may be an different class - because all DVCers are repeat guests and well educated on their options.

My guess on CBR is that it allows them to raise the rates for a good portion of their rooms, while keeping room rates stable for other rooms. More money in Disney's pockets - but for those people for whom $10 a night is meaningful, it allows them to continue to book at the current rate. Changing the price across the board (particularly with the lack of codes) would create problems. This also allow allows them to market some locations as "premium" - capturing dollars from people not ready to move to Deluxe's but who will simply buy into Disney's marketing on what the "best" room is.

 

[DeeP]

Originally posted by crisi
My suspicion....

I really doubt that THAT many people fax in room requests at the non-DVC resorts. Primarly they'd have to be very educated guests - mostly repeat visitors - and even there most people probably don't care enough to make requests. Keep in mind that this board appeals to compulsive planners. I doubt this is really the problem we think it is.

DVC resorts may be an different class - because all DVCers are repeat guests and well educated on their options.

My guess on CBR is that it allows them to raise the rates for a good portion of their rooms, while keeping room rates stable for other rooms. More money in Disney's pockets - but for those people for whom $10 a night is meaningful, it allows them to continue to book at the current rate. Changing the price across the board (particularly with the lack of codes) would create problems. This also allow allows them to market some locations as "premium" - capturing dollars from people not ready to move to Deluxe's but who will simply buy into Disney's marketing on what the "best" room is.

I am really not trying to be flip or offend you but..............You obviously have not spent much time on the resorts boards! Many, many people fax requests to ALL WDW resorts not just DVC resorts. Matter of fact, I think this has been going on for years at the non DVC resorts before it became poplar with DVC resorts, at least I have been reading at about it for years on this board and radp, and it was long before DVC came on the scene.
I personally, think faxing room requests is really being too uptight about a room for vacation and some people need to get a grip, but that is just me.

 

[PamOKW]

Hey Dee, we agree on something! Yes, the "fax the resort" idea really grew on the Resort Board and I think it's probably more prevelant at the Disney Resorts. I also imagine many of the renters of DVC "follow-up" with their own fax to the resort (just like they report making phone calls). I had never even thought of faxing in my request. I always just gave my prioritized requests to MS when I booked. (I still have never faxed.)

Over on the Resort Board, they write stories, send multiple faxes, etc., etc. I think even the first-timers are paranoid about not getting one of the "ideal" rooms they read about. I can see where the whole thing is probably getting out of hand for Disney. I also imagine they'll have to start cutting back on the "special" things people sometimes report about happening. I've seen people drafting faxes and letters asking for the signed photos, balloons, etc., etc. In all my trips for several major milestones, we've never gotten anything from Disney. Not even when they also delivered items from the Disney Florist that friends had sent.