No more savanna choice for room requests?

[carlbarry]

A few weeks ago friends who I booked a stay at Jambo House checked in on line, and told me that they couldn't choose a particular savanna as a room request.
I just checked in on line for my stay in 60 days, and the drop down menu no longer has savannas, just floor (irrelevant to DVC members), near elevator, near lobby.
So what's going on here? I know it's only a "request, not guaranteed, blah blah" but still . . .

 

[DisneyNutMary]

I've noticed something similar with my upcoming stay. Last time I booked BLT there were quite a few choices for requests. This time it was upper floor, lower floor, near elevator and near skyway bridge. With the Poly my choices were upper floor and lower floor. It had me wondering if it's only DVC members who have these limited options or if all reservations have limited choices now.

 

[Ralphmiller007]

My cash reservation AKL-Jambo had the same options. There were no longer any specific savannah views listed, just generic floor/near lobby/near elevator.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I've noticed something similar with my upcoming stay. Last time I booked BLT there were quite a few choices for requests. This time it was upper floor, lower floor, near elevator and near skyway bridge. With the Poly my choices were upper floor and lower floor. It had me wondering if it's only DVC members who have these limited options or if all reservations have limited choices now.

It's everyone.

What happened was there was a radical expansion of the checkboxes across most properties, right down to "Connecting Rooms (Guaranteed)" at Saratoga Springs. Now, if you know Saratoga... how about NOPE. Not sure who signed off the deployment of the choices, but aside from things like sections or buildings at various resorts, they all got the same options. And the options were clearly generic but totally wrong in many cases.

Apparently, once someone noticed or something, they did a big rollback, and not to "what was there" but to a much more limited menu of options. So, for instance, at Poly right now for a booking on the hotel side, people can select Balcony, Upper Floor, Patio, Lower Floor, and one of the longhouses (Aotearoa, which just happens to be the first alphabetically).

This has happened across every resort.

Kwality Disney IT!

 

[disneynutz]

DVC doesn't decide on the online check in request categories, Disney does and the info comes from the cash reservation website. If they make a change, the DVC check in site also changes. That's why the DVC room requests don't make much sense for DVC members.

Bill

 

[Simba's Mom]

DVC doesn't decide on the online check in request categories, Disney does and the info comes from the cash reservation website. If they make a change, the DVC check in site also changes. That's why the DVC room requests don't make much sense for DVC members.

Bill

If that's the case, I THINK cash reservations at AKL Jambo can book by savannah-at least I think the Arusha savannah is its own booking category for cash reservations. But that still leaves the Sunset and Uzima savannah, and I don't know why you can't at least request one of those.

 

[wdrl]

Perhaps I'm missing something, but I always prefer to make room requests directly to Member Services. I don't use the room request feature when doing online check-in.

When dealing with Member Services, I've been able to make room requests that are tailored to each DVC resort.

I still do online check-in within 60 days, primarily to take advantage of the "direct-to-room" service. On our current trip we received a text about an hour before we got to Orlando telling us our room was ready and the room number. We were able to drive straight to our building at Congress Park, bypassing the front desk at SSR.

 

[disneynutz]

My understanding is that MS sees the same request check boxes as online check in does but they can add other requests in the notes field for the reservation. I have brought the request issue up on numerous occasions and each time I am told that they will look into it. Since it hasn't changed I doubt if it ever will, not an important web issue compared to other problems.

Bill

 

[freediverdude]

For my last trip to the Poly a few weeks ago, I had done online check in and checked the upper floor checkbox, and also proceeded to email member services to make the upper floor request (lake view). I got a reply back from member services that they were showing that I had already made the request. So apparently member services can see your online check in requests, and if it's one of those choices you don't need to email.

 

[Deb & Bill]

We had two nights at Jambo house on a CM discount about two weeks ago (to add to our OKW reservation). When I first did online check in, I could request a savanna. But it changed twice during the next few weeks and I had to go back and change my requests. I think they are changing things around a lot with the software these days.

 

[bwang123]

I have made all of our requests through the chat feature and email and have received them every time. Results my vary.

 

[carlbarry]

So now I'm wondering if instead of using the on-line for selecting "near lobby" I should call Member Services, and reference my meniscus surgery.

 

[disneynutz]

So now I'm wondering if instead of using the on-line for selecting "near lobby" I should call Member Services, and reference my meniscus surgery.

Email via the member website, "near lobby due to medical reasons".

Bill

 

[carlbarry]

Email via the member website, "near lobby due to medical reasons".

Bill

Thank you. I will also advise my friends who I booked for , or do it for them if necessary, as the wife has a balance problem due to chemotherapy for cancer, and walking distances is a problem.

 

[disneynutz]

Thank you. I will also advise my friends who I booked for , or do it for them if necessary, as the wife has a balance problem due to chemotherapy for cancer, and walking distances is a problem.

Rent an ECV!

Bill