Room Downgraded in MDE on Check-in Day? (Update on page 7, post #122)

[beesly]

It's Disney Day! My DGM, DD, and I will arrive at AKL this evening. I booked a Savanna view room for this evening, and have a separate reservation for Savanna view CL tomorrow and Friday night. I just logged onto MDE (because what else do you do when you're stuck at work waiting to head to WDW?) and noticed that tonight's reservation now says "Standard View." Anyone have any experience with your room being downgraded on your check-in day? I'm not freaking out just yet, and am prepared with my reservation confirmation to show at the front desk when I arrive, if needed. I just thought it was really odd and wanted to see if this had happened to anyone else before, and what your experience(s) were upon arrival.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

It's Disney Day! My DGM, DD, and I will arrive at AKL this evening. I booked a Savanna view room for this evening, and have a separate reservation for Savanna view CL tomorrow and Friday night. I just logged onto MDE (because what else do you do when you're stuck at work waiting to head to WDW?) and noticed that tonight's reservation now says "Standard View." Anyone have any experience with your room being downgraded on your check-in day? I'm not freaking out just yet, and am prepared with my reservation confirmation to show at the front desk when I arrive, if needed. I just thought it was really odd and wanted to see if this had happened to anyone else before, and what your experience(s) were upon arrival.

Hi there. I had a similar but different situation on my trip a few weeks ago. Longer, more complicated story, but I was assigned a different room/view category than I had booked. Yes, that new room type/view category (not the one I booked) showed up on MDE that day. It got me all confused because I was trying to pull up what I booked as I was going over things with the CM but it was showing the new room type on the reservation.

I guess there is a chance you've been downgraded (for which I hope you get adequate compensation), or it's just MDE acting weird (which is common) and there's no issue.

Let us know what happens, and good luck!

 

[SharonZ]

It might be a glitch in the system, or it could be a downgrade in your room category - it does happen. If you did online check-in and you were in fact downgraded, stop at the front desk and speak with a CM.

 

[siestakeys04]

Take your confirmation info for what you paid for and hopefully they will make it right one way or the other. I hope you have a safe and fun trip!!!

 

[AngiTN]

Yes, I have been downgraded.
I never look at the room info in MDE once I know I'm not changing resorts so I have no idea if it noted in that or not.
We did get a refund of the difference in the costs.
What really irked me was when I got the room text it said I had to stop by the front desk.
I believe at that point the CM I encountered was supposed to inform us that the room was not what was booked.
He didn't. He just gave us the room number and off we went. It was a new resort for us so I hadn't a clue until we started walking to the room and I passed the building I knew our room should have been in.
That's when I trudged back to the lobby to inquire and that's when I got an answer that we were not in what we booked. Our room included access to a guest lounge and without being in the correct building we didn't have access. Only after I asked did they explain they'd coded our band to allow us access to the lounge. If I hadn't asked, I'd known none of this, nor would we have gotten our refund.
It left such a bad taste in my mouth we changed our plans for a split stay and moved a day early. And we won't be back. It wasn't the downgrade, it was the way it was very poorly handled.

 

[beesly]

I'm at my home airport now and received a text with my room number. According to TP, it is a Standard View room. MDE still also says I've booked a Standard. I'll be stopping at the front desk when I arrive to inquire about a refund or a move.

 

[JKalai]

If Disney uses LMS for their booking system which I believe they do, it should show the previous room type that was booked if it was changed. A standard agent might not know to view it, so you might want to seek out a supervisor or manager.

I work on the same system here at a big resort in Vegas, and everything is logged in the system if anything is changed at all (room types, rates, names etc).

 

[AngiTN]

I'm at my home airport now and received a text with my room number. According to TP, it is a Standard View room. MDE still also says I've booked a Standard. I'll be stopping at the front desk when I arrive to inquire about a refund or a move.

Curious to hear what they ended up doing for you. Hopefully you can update when things slow down a bit

 

[beesly]

So I stopped by the front desk upon arrival and the CM confirmed that I'd been moved because the Savanna view rooms were overbooked. They had already credited the difference to my room account but I wouldn't have known if I hadn't stopped to ask. I was told that if my room charges are less than the credit when I check out (which will be the case since I'm checking out in the morning), then the remaining credit will be refunded to the card I used for booking. I'm okay with that.

 

[steviethegreat]

It still really sucks that you paid for a savanna view and they bumped you down to standard. :/ I mean, the hotel is gorgeous by itself. But that's not the best way to start a vacation. I hope things pick up for you and that you get some major pixie dust thrown your way! Enjoy the rest of your vacation!

 

[Choppygirl]

Did they at least give you a partial savannah view for your standard room rate?

 

[DVCMinnie2532]

How can Disney do this?

 

[dansdad]

How can Disney do this?

It happens more than you think. WDW resorts run at extremely high occupancy rates, especially at the DVC Resorts. If they have an issue with a couple rooms and they have to be taken out of inventory, the resort has to move those guests to other rooms. If that category was already at 100% occupancy, the guests will be moved to rooms in a different category that has openings.

 

[Hopefully]

How can Disney do this?

I agree with @dansdad It happens way more than the average person will acknowledge. Folks have even reported being moved to a different resort.
If you read the fine print on your reservation you are only guaranteed some room somewhere.

 

[Dug720]

I agree with @dansdad It happens way more than the average person will acknowledge. Folks have even reported being moved to a different resort.
If you read the fine print on your reservation you are only guaranteed some room somewhere.

This. And TBH the shorter the stay, the more likely it is to happen. Think about it - compensating for 1 night vs compensating for 7? No brainer.

And of course looking at trends, while upgrades are not as common as this board would lead you to believe, upgrades because of availability are also more likely for shorter stays for the same reason. Less of a loss on 1 or 2 nights vs 7 nights. (Which is why I am holding out ZERO hope for an upgrade for my 8-night late August stay.)

 

[BigredNole]

I only had one instance similar to this, but far worse. I was not downgraded, but Disney deleted my fully paid honeymoon at CR. Personally, I would not just accept the "price difference" for the downgrade. It is their responsibility to provide you with what you paid for and contracted (assuming they have not updated the small print in the contract). Disney is usually very generous when making someone whole when they force them to change.

 

[Hopefully]

I only had one instance similar to this, but far worse. I was not downgraded, but Disney deleted my fully paid honeymoon at CR. Personally, I would not just accept the "price difference" for the downgrade. It is their responsibility to provide you with what you paid for and contracted (assuming they have not updated the small print in the contract). Disney is usually very generous when making someone whole when they force them to change.

I beg to differ. (unless the fine print has just changed). It is not "their responsibility to provide you with what you paid for and contracted...". It is their responsibility to provide you with some room somewhere. I agree though that they do need to refund any price difference incurred.
Sorry about your Honeymoon reservation. No way to start your married life.

 

[dansdad]

I only had one instance similar to this, but far worse. I was not downgraded, but Disney deleted my fully paid honeymoon at CR. Personally, I would not just accept the "price difference" for the downgrade. It is their responsibility to provide you with what you paid for and contracted (assuming they have not updated the small print in the contract). Disney is usually very generous when making someone whole when they force them to change.

The fine print has always stated that your reservation guarantees you A room on property.

 

[jo-jo]

To the OP did you get anything beyond the room difference credit? Extra FP , free breakfast? I have savanna room booked especially because we'll have the grandsons with us. Looking at zebras or looking at a parking lot is more than just the cost difference. I would be tears if I told the kids we are going to see this and that animal and get to the resort and find out it's standard view.

 

[Dug720]

To the OP did you get anything beyond the room difference credit? Extra FP , free breakfast? I have savanna room booked especially because we'll have the grandsons with us. Looking at zebras or looking at a parking lot is more than just the cost difference. I would be tears if I told the kids we are going to see this and that animal and get to the resort and find out it's standard view.

Just as a note, while it is very likely that you WILL see animals from your savannah view room (thanks to strategically placed and disguised feeders), they ARE freely roaming animals and there are no guarantees that you will in fact see any. Which is why they are called Savannah View rooms and not Animal View rooms.