Resort Room Surprises

[mmausse]

What's the most exciting/different/pleasurable "surprise" you ever found waiting for you in your Resort Room? And did you ever find out who did it and why?

For me, it was a 6 foot Eiffel Tower made completely out of chocolate - given to me by the GM at GF. Just to welcome me back. It was a beautiful work of art and culinary delight - unfortunately, I couldn't bring it home, so I sent it to the Children's Hospital in Orlando! I even arranged for Mickey to deliver it!

Anyone else.......

 

[hulabird]

Six feet of chocolate????????????????????? Mmmmmm....
I think I'd gain 10 pounds just looking at it!

 

[GeekChic]

holy cow,now that's a surprise!

best thing that has ever been done for us in 44 trips in my lifetime (33 years) is that at Christmas in 1999, we checked into the contemporary and my daughter apparently really charmed our check-in CM Jeff. He kept saying how adorable she was. When we inquired about being close to the main building (we were booked in a wing) because i'm disabled he said "Oh, look, how did that happen? Your room jumped to the ninth floor in the tower!" He mentioned a moment later that he noticed on our ressie that dd was turning 4 on Christmas day. He asked me if it was okay for him to arrange a little surprise for her, I thanked him profusely and told him that what he had just done was already enough.

When we got to our room...we had MK view!!! The Christmas tree top was just below our room...it was incredibly breathtaking.

On DD's b-day in the morning, there was a knock on the door...there was Jeff with balloons, a stuffed mickey, and an autograph book for my little girl! We were very touched, even moreso when I found out later that when CM's do this kind of thing, it comes out of their own pocket a lot (if not all) of the time.

We got Jeff a special momento at MGM studios to remember us by, and wrote after our trip to tell MGMt. how special and perfect he had made our trip.

That is the best thing that ever happened.

Second coolest was when a check-in CM at WL found out we'd had to move resorts 3 times during a 5 night stay (long story LOL) and that it was our 42nd trip..he sent a HUGE fruit and cheese basket to our room.

Magic does happen...especially when you least expect it

thanks for telling about the chocolate eiffel tower...what is even cooler to me is what you DID with it! GOOD for you!!! (children's hospitals are my special charity focus personally so it really touched my heart).

geek

 

[Exp626]

mmausse, I have to agree with GeekChic, what you did is just as magical! As guests we often forget that we are part of the magic too and can make a 'Disney Moment' for someone else just like a CM does.

For me, it was at the Lodge on my birthday. It was one of those birthday's with a zero at the end and I was feeling a bit depressed about it. I thought the Lodge would cheer me up and I was right. Someone told the front desk about my b-day blues and when I returned to my room that night there was a stuffed cowboy Mickey and a stuffed otter watching the tv set in my room with a birthday card and balloons. My inner child decided to come out and play and hasn't left since.

 

[kwdietrich1]

Oh the Magic! In our recent trip to the World we stayed at the WL. When we were checking in, the very nice CM asked 'So how long?' We looked at him perplexed. He asked again 'So how long, 1 year? ' Then I remembered that I had it noted on our ressie that we would be celebrating our anniversary during our stay. I had almost forgot! We played the guess how many years game a while longer, until he arrived at the correct number (8 years).

Well when we arrived to our room on the 2nd floor, we realized that we had been upgraded to a Courtyard view! That night when we came back from dinner, we found our bed turned down, along with a picture card of the castle, signed by the CM and WL employees and a bunch of balloons! It was definitely a nice surprise! Those touches really have a magical impact on your Disney vacation!

 

[ctrabada]

In 2002, we stayed at AKL concierge in Sept. We arrived on my birthday. I was so excited about my first stay in concierge and making this trip for my birthday that I couldn't contain myself. The CM who checked us in was terrific (he did a wonderful Donald Duck impersonation!). Shortly after getting into our room, someone knocked on the door. The CM sent me a birthday cake, a bottle of wine, a birthday card, and balloons. It was the start of a wonderful vacation and of my now annual tradition of going to WDW for my birthday!

 

[mamamia]

We were staying at the Contemporary last September. When we came back to the room after a day at the park, there was an envelope with our name on it. I figured it was a bill or something, but it turned out to be an autographed picture of Mickey Mouse. Mickey wrote a message to us on the photo. He used our last name on it and everything I don't know how we got it. We were so excited. The kids thought I had arranged it, but I didn't. It was fun. I kept telling the kids that if I had arranged it, I would have let THEM open the envelope. We, of course, have it in a frame.

 

[jockey]

We stayed at GF when we were getting married, when we got to the room there was a mickey head basket filled with chocs, candles, picture frames soaps etc!!

 

[gilld]

We celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary At POFQ just after Christmas 1997. We hadn't mentioned it to anyone at check-in or when we booked. On "the day" we went to the parks as usual leaving a few anniversary cards from friends and family on the window ledge. When we got back, there was a card from"your friends at WDW" and a beautiful photograph frame. I was SOOO touched I cried.

 

[mmausse]

Isn't this what the magic of Disney is ALL about.........

I LOVE reading these other magical moments! Surely there must be more......

 

[disney2001]

We spent our 18th wedding anniversary with our kids at the CR.
I had already arranged for flowers to be delivered from the WDW florist.

When the flowers arrived at the CR, it must have tipped off a CM.
(we never boast about our anniversary)
Along with the flower delivery in our room, the CR gave us a wonderful anniversary certificate with Tinkerbell on it.
My DW was so happy she cried. Our kids were not sure why Mom
was crying.

We are planning our 21st wedding anniversary at WDW, again with our kids. Hey, they love WDW too.
I will still order flowers from the WDW florist, but maybe this time I will tell the resort (not sure where - POLY, WL, AK,.... DW has RAD) about our anniversary. So many great stories on this web-site.

Thank you !

 

[Disney's Deluxe Princess]

Originally posted by mmausse


I LOVE reading these other magical moments! Surely there must be more......

Actually, resort room surprises are not as common as you think. I'd hate for others to be disappointed if there is not a 6 foot tower of chocolate waiting for them in their rooms.

 

[stinkerbelle]

Originally posted by ctrabada
In 2002, we stayed at AKL concierge in Sept. ...The CM who checked us in was terrific (he did a wonderful Donald Duck impersonation!).

that HAD to be Don! He's one of our favorite CM's up at AKL concierge!

and he does do a GREAT Donald...pretty good Mickey too!

 

[EeyoreJMH]

On top of many magical experiences, we were fortunate enough to have a surprise left twice. First, while at BWV on our honeymoon, we arrived back from the parks one day to find balloons, a signed picture from Mickey and Minnie, and an adorable Mickey and Minnie "in love" figurine.

Then last year we were at BWV again, this time with my mom and my brother, who was on leave from the Navy. While at the resort, he had to have his "dress whites" cleaned, so he used the resort's laundry pick-up service. Well, the next day when we came back from the parks, we see his unform laid neatly on the bed with red, white, and blue balloons tied to the hanger and a note to him from Mickey. On top of that, BW did not charge for the cleaning. Mom was just thrilled and even my brother, not one known for expressing much emotion, was full of smiles, which made for a very memorable stay.

 

[mmausse]

Originally posted by Disney's Deluxe Princess
Actually, resort room surprises are not as common as you think. I'd hate for others to be disappointed if there is not a 6 foot tower of chocolate waiting for them in their rooms.

While they may not be common as you suggest, when they do happen, it makes a person's stay seem EVER so much more Magical. And isn't that what we all want to believe in - that magic does exist!

 

[mmausse]

Originally posted by Disney's Deluxe Princess
Actually, resort room surprises are not as common as you think. I'd hate for others to be disappointed if there is not a 6 foot tower of chocolate waiting for them in their rooms.

While they may not be common as you suggest, when they do happen, it makes a person's stay seem EVER so much more Magical. And isn't that what we all want to believe in - that magic does exist!

 

[Tinkerbell04]

Several years ago, we stayed at the POLY for a week before our cruise on the Magic for our honeymoon. We booked through a travel agent because it was the first time I had ever cruised and I was not sure how to go about booking on my own with transfers etc. When we checked in, they welcomed us and congratulated us, we thought that was great...even better when we arrived in our upgraded room, there was a beautiful flower arrangement and asnack basket wishing us happy honemooning and welcome to the POLY! I was shocked...it was great!

 

[GeekChic]

Actually, resort room surprises are not as common as you think. I'd hate for others to be disappointed if there is not a 6 foot tower of chocolate waiting for them in their rooms.

i think the problem comes in when people expect them and get huffy when they're not forthcoming.

like free upgrades at check in. a few people get them through luck and the kindness of a CM (and resort availability) then everyone wants one. same with anything from baskets to towel animals to chocolate eiffel towers.

if you have an attitude about it, i think you're a lot less likely to get anything. have you ever given a surprise gift? now think of that in contrast to a gift when one was expected, like a b-day. the joy of surprising someone is i think what makes it happen, and cm's do sometimes have to cover the costs of some of these things themselves, so no, they don't happen every day.

but they do happen, and it is random, and that's what makes it so wonderful.

i also find that genuine kindness to the staff and a real smile goes a long way too. i've made friends with a CM at the GF and we still keep in touch even when i'm not in WDW.

They're real people. be kind and a lot of times, they'll surprise you

geek

 

[Erin12303]

I went to Disney for a short 4 night vacation with my sister-in-law and niece.
I had ordered a gift bag for my niece as a surprise.
When they knocked on the door an hour after we had settled in, I was expecting Mel's gift.
Instead we received a huge fruit/chocolate/crackers/cheese basket from the WL general manager! This was after we were upgraded to a courtyard view room.

When we checked in, we were assigned a room. We went to enter the room and a woman had just walked out. We weren't sure what was going on but we tried our key...it worked.....and we walked in on another guest.
We told him what was happening and he checked his key---it didn't work anymore.
Big mix up with the system at the hotel and we had to wait a considerable length of time to get it sorted out.
Other people were getting crazy and mad at the cm....we just waited until they could figure it out.
We ended up with a great view and a gift for our trouble...pretty nice if you ask me!

 

[mmausse]

Originally posted by GeekChic
but they do happen, and it is random, and that's what makes it so wonderful.

i also find that genuine kindness to the staff and a real smile goes a long way too. i've made friends with a CM at the GF and we still keep in touch even when i'm not in WDW.

They're real people. be kind and a lot of times, they'll surprise you
geek

THANK YOU Geek I couldn't have said it any better!