Okay, tell me your horror story

[J'Adore Disney]

Don't stress it; I've requested connecting rooms and have always been accommodated. I admit, I also call a few times before my trip and confirm my connecting room request is noted on my reservation. Call 1-407-W-DISNEY

Upon your arrival, if you find they did not accommodate your request, politely ask if they have connecting rooms available. Chances are they will satisfy your request on the spot.

 

[Haygar2]

A few questions. Are the rooms booked as "traveling with"? Are the rooms booked under the same last name? Were the rooms booked at the same time by the same person? The initial room assignments are done by computer. If that's not acceptable, then a human will need to take over and that can be done at check-in. As stated, connecting room are not guaranteed.

The rooms were booked at the same time and my TA referenced the reservations on both. Yes, the last names are the same.

 

[JohnDaleswife]

Ok, I was thinking it was if you had one adult and the rest were under 18 you were guaranteed connecting rooms. But that is just what I was thinking.

 

[Boopuff]

We stayed at POFQ booked 3 rooms. Wanted connecting (2rooms) but we were 2 right next door (no connecting door) and the third room was 3 doors down all on the same floor. Worked fine. Especially since at POR the two next-door rooms had the doors sorta facing each other.

 

[Haygar2]

We stayed at POFQ booked 3 rooms. Wanted connecting (2rooms) but we were 2 right next door (no connecting door) and the third room was 3 doors down all on the same floor. Worked fine. Especially since at POR the two next-door rooms had the doors sorta facing each other.

I will be fine with next door or across the hall. Even a couple of doors down. I am keeping my fingers crossed for connecting, but also for, at least, being in the same building. We have awhile. Maybe I will win the lottery between now and then and I can rent a 2 bedroom villa. Problem solved.

 

[Lucius Best]

So, for those who have been split up how far apart were you? How many of you were forced to switch resorts? Were any of you eventually able to get your connecting room?

I've had bad luck with room requests. I actually can't remember the last time one of my room requests was honored. We'll check in at the front desk, be given a room that doesn't satisfy our request, but as soon as we ask for it, they have always been able to accommodate us.

For example, on our last trip, my parents and brother requested connecting rooms at CSR. They did online check-in, got the texts for two rooms in 7A, turns out the rooms didn't connect. After a trip to the front desk, they got two connecting rooms in 7B.

I was flying down 3 days later. As soon as I knew they were in 7B, I called to request to be in the same building. All of our reservations were linked. At front desk check-in, they have us in 9A, it was almost funny. But when we asked to be in 7B, they moved us no problem.

 

[Haygar2]

I did just find out that my TA booked it wrong anyway. Now to try and get a hold of her. When I looked at our reservation, it is 2 different numbers (and no room request or amenities listed on the bottom) and I wondered how people were telling me that it should be the same reservation number. I couldn't figure that out. So, I bypassed my TA and called Disney. Love the lady I talked to. She was wonderful. My TA should have booked us all on the same reservation but with 2 rooms. She told me that they can guarantee connecting that way. Because they know that mom and dad will be in one room and the kids in the other. Anyway, said if we keep it the way it is, there is a HUGE probability that we will not get connecting rooms. Since it is 2 reservations, I had to pay 2 deposits. She said that was ridiculous. If my TA would have booked it correctly, I would have only had to pay one deposit. I can't make any changes because I booked through a TA. If she doesn't get back to me, I will re book, myself, through Disney and then cancel the reservations I have through my TA. Hoping to hear back from her.

 

[WEDWDW]

Disney will do their best!

 

[dansdad]

I did just find out that my TA booked it wrong anyway. Now to try and get a hold of her. When I looked at our reservation, it is 2 different numbers (and no room request or amenities listed on the bottom) and I wondered how people were telling me that it should be the same reservation number. I couldn't figure that out. So, I bypassed my TA and called Disney. Love the lady I talked to. She was wonderful. My TA should have booked us all on the same reservation but with 2 rooms. She told me that they can guarantee connecting that way. Because they know that mom and dad will be in one room and the kids in the other. Anyway, said if we keep it the way it is, there is a HUGE probability that we will not get connecting rooms. Since it is 2 reservations, I had to pay 2 deposits. She said that was ridiculous. If my TA would have booked it correctly, I would have only had to pay one deposit. I can't make any changes because I booked through a TA. If she doesn't get back to me, I will re book, myself, through Disney and then cancel the reservations I have through my TA. Hoping to hear back from her.

As I posted earlier in the thread, we booked our "guaranteed" connecting rooms correctly twice, 2 rooms 1 reservation number. Both times we were split up and nowhere near each other. Connecting rooms are definitely NOT guarateed.

 

[Haygar2]

As I posted earlier in the thread, we booked our "guaranteed" connecting rooms correctly twice, 2 rooms 1 reservation number. Both times we were split up and nowhere near each other. Connecting rooms are definitely NOT guarateed.

What time of year did you go? It blows my mind that they would split up a family like that. I know you had said that they were full, but that's just crazy. You think they could have found a connecting room somewhere. Or at least in the same building and on the same floor.

 

[muenginerd]

Coming from a hotel background I can tell you there are very few things that a hotel can guarantee. About the only thing I knew we guaranteed at a major resort I worked at was an ADA room for those guests requiring it.

Connecting rooms are a very popular request and we do our best to meet every requests. There are sometimes we just can't do it. There are alot of things that come into play. It's a careful juggle between guests coming and going to make sure the right types of rooms are assigned to everyone. If I remember right, there was an issue last fall/winter when a winter storm delayed alot of people's travel plans home so they never left their rooms. When new guests arrived the room type wasn't available to them and they had to be moved to different room types. This is the kind of stuff why hotels can't guarantee rooms.

There's probably a very high chance you will get connecting rooms. If you don't, just let the front desk know it's very important to you and can they please move you as soon as connecting room become available.

 

[maxiesmom]

I did just find out that my TA booked it wrong anyway. Now to try and get a hold of her. When I looked at our reservation, it is 2 different numbers (and no room request or amenities listed on the bottom) and I wondered how people were telling me that it should be the same reservation number. I couldn't figure that out. So, I bypassed my TA and called Disney. Love the lady I talked to. She was wonderful. My TA should have booked us all on the same reservation but with 2 rooms. She told me that they can guarantee connecting that way. Because they know that mom and dad will be in one room and the kids in the other. Anyway, said if we keep it the way it is, there is a HUGE probability that we will not get connecting rooms. Since it is 2 reservations, I had to pay 2 deposits. She said that was ridiculous. If my TA would have booked it correctly, I would have only had to pay one deposit. I can't make any changes because I booked through a TA. If she doesn't get back to me, I will re book, myself, through Disney and then cancel the reservations I have through my TA. Hoping to hear back from her.

Even with all of that, they still cannot 100% guarantee you will have connecting rooms. Unfortunately the phone agents are not the best sources of into on what Disney sometimes does at the resort level. They will do their best to give you connecting rooms, but no matter how it is booked, it is never guaranteed. As previous posters have pointed out, sometimes you just don't get them.

I'm not sure who your TA works for, but I would dump her. A messed up vacation is no fun.

 

[Masonmj84]

On the one trip we requested connecting rooms, our request was granted (this was a split stay at Poly and BC and we received our request at both resorts).

But speaking of horror stories, my parents once requested connecting rooms with my sister's family at one of the value resorts. Not only did they not get connecting rooms but they were practically on opposite sides of the resort. But this wasn't the horror story.

On the day they were supposed to check out, my parents got locked in their room. They literally couldn't open the door to go outside (don't ask me how this can happen as I've never experienced this at any hotel anywhere). Called the front desk for a CM to help but got a recording that all of the CMs were in a staff meeting. And they couldn't remember the room number of my sister's family.

Meanwhile, they were due to catch their Magical Express bus in 30 minutes. After repeated calls to the front desk, they finally got a live CM who informed them that the resort was having computer problems. Finally, a CM opened the door about 5 minutes before they were due to catch their bus.

Interestingly, my sister's family didn't have the same problem. But they might have if they'd been in a connecting room (conversely, if they were in a connecting room and didn't have the problem, my parents could've presumably "escaped" through their room).

Afterward, my dad wrote Disney a compliant letter and they more or less refunded his entire hotel bill.

 

[Haygar2]

She has changed it over to one reservation number with two rooms. So that is done. As for the room situation. I am not going to stress about it. We will be at Disney. As for my TA, I will do the rest. Other than if a discount comes out. She can do that. I call her repeatedly when I know one is coming out. With my schedule I can't be on hold for long periods of time.

 

[luvpooh]

She has changed it over to one reservation number with two rooms. So that is done. As for the room situation. I am not going to stress about it. We will be at Disney. As for my TA, I will do the rest. Other than if a discount comes out. She can do that. I call her repeatedly when I know one is coming out. With my schedule I can't be on hold for long periods of time.

YMMV, but when the fall discounts came out a month or two ago, I was able to apply the discount to my existing reservation online. It took less than 5 minutes.

 

[mom2AidanAndEli]

She has changed it over to one reservation number with two rooms. So that is done. As for the room situation. I am not going to stress about it. We will be at Disney. As for my TA, I will do the rest. Other than if a discount comes out. She can do that. I call her repeatedly when I know one is coming out. With my schedule I can't be on hold for long periods of time.

Based on experience so far, are you sure you'd want to trust her with such a thing? Doesn't sound like the most competent TA ever!

 

[happymommy]

I agree. If it were me, I'd stop using your TA. Sounds like you have done the calling to Disney, know what you're doing, and have pretty much handled it yourself already.
I see no point in someone like me or you using at TA unless they have some magical deal that we can't get on our own.

BTW, once I was trying to book two rooms for me and my two kids connecting (I was going down without DH, which I've done frequently over the years since my kids were in preschool). Disney wouldn't let me do so, even with requesting connecting. They would not guarantee it, and would not allow me to book two rooms without another adult. I have no idea how a single parent with many kids would do it - I guess not stay at Disney? It was fine as we could do one room, but even the Swan and Dolphin has a category where you pay extra to guarantee connecting rooms (we did that once at the Dolphin).

Anyway, sounds like there is absolutely no need for this TA.