Room Priority @ Home Resort

[kjkelley]

I have been browsing these boards for a while and there certainly is a lot of debate about how important the 11 mo. window will become at your home resort when SSR reaches full capacity. I also know that many people place requests for Non-Smoking & Non-Handicap. My question is, can you make a request for location preference and make that your #1 priority (i.e. say Congress Park @ SSR for DTD views & proximity)?

Also, if location is your #1 priority, will you be granted that priority if reservation is made at 11mo. vs a NON-HOME resort reservation made at 7mo.? Or will the best location rooms go to the first party arriving that day (i.e. 7mo. reservation shows up at 9AM vs 11mo. reservation at 1PM for check-in)?

 

[BillM]

IMHO....I think DVC needs to get some consistency in their ability to guarantee certain requests. They do at BWV with Boardwalk views. They do it at all DVC resorts for HC villas. But why not when I make a ressie at the 11 month window why should not get what I want and where I want. As I said they have already shown they can do this at BWV. Why not at SSR with DD views. Why not at OKW with golf course view. Why not for NS villas. What am I missing here.

 

[tjkraz]

I have been browsing these boards for a while and there certainly is a lot of debate about how important the 11 mo. window will become at your home resort when SSR reaches full capacity. I also know that many people place requests for Non-Smoking & Non-Handicap. My question is, can you make a request for location preference and make that your #1 priority (i.e. say Congress Park @ SSR for DTD views & proximity)?

You can do that, but it's still just a request. The concensus seems to be that you have a better chance of getting the first item on your request list than the last item on your request list.

Also, if location is your #1 priority, will you be granted that priority if reservation is made at 11mo. vs a NON-HOME resort reservation made at 7mo.? Or will the best location rooms go to the first party arriving that day (i.e. 7mo. reservation shows up at 9AM vs 11mo. reservation at 1PM for check-in)?

Timing of the booking has nothing to do with the likelihood of requests being granted.

WDW resorts use two different systems to assign rooms. In some cases rooms are pre-assigned (meaning your room is determined before you reach the desk.) Other times they use a system called Room Ready in which guests are allowed to choose one of the rooms ready for occupancy when they arrive at the desk.

 

[tjkraz]

What am I missing here.

A large enough disgruntled population rising up to question the status quo. Heck, it's only been about 18 months now since the BW view was guaranteed.

 

[sagwanamu]

Just remember that all requests are NOT guaranteed.

I heard that a dvc member with severe asthma got smoking room although he specifically requested he needs non-smoking because of medical reason.

 

[DebbieB]

They used to assign rooms by date of reservation. But around 18 months ago (at the same time as the boardwalk view came out), they no longer did it that way. They sometimes use a system called "room ready" where rooms are assigned at check-in, first come first served. Sometimes they do still pre-assign, especially if the resort is at capacity.

 

[JodyTG]

What I don't understand is why everyone expects to get their "request". A CM told me that too many people want the same exact thing. Not everyone is going to be happy. She said that if ONE request is put on the reservation, then they can try. If more than one they usually just ignore them since people usually won't be happy unless they get them all...so why try.

 

[quentina]

Just be happy to be in "The most magical place on Earth"!! I will never complain of a room/view. First, I am just not a complainer. I believe in the everything happens for a reason phrase. If I am meant to have a dumpster view, so be it. I will take pictures of that great big dumpster and put it in my scrapbook.

I, personally, am just happy that DVC is able to provide myself and my familiy with the quality time together that we are sharing on vacation.

I can imagine the they are unable to grant the requests....How can they possibly make everyone happy when there seems to be 5 requests per reservation?

Just my thoughts.

Kim

 

[athenna]

Just be happy to be in "The most magical place on Earth"!! I will never complain of a room/view. First, I am just not a complainer. I believe in the everything happens for a reason phrase. If I am meant to have a dumpster view, so be it. I will take pictures of that great big dumpster and put it in my scrapbook.

I, personally, am just happy that DVC is able to provide myself and my familiy with the quality time together that we are sharing on vacation.

I can imagine the they are unable to grant the requests....How can they possibly make everyone happy when there seems to be 5 requests per reservation?

Just my thoughts.

Kim

 

[JodyTG]

I can imagine the they are unable to grant the requests....How can they possibly make everyone happy when there seems to be 5 requests per reservation?

The CM that I spoke to had just been ripped up one side an down another because the person before me didn't get her non-smoking, high floor, beach view room. How could anyone really expect that? I gave her a lolly pop and told her that I would be nicer as long a I got the non-smoking, high floor, beach view room. We laughed together and I happily walked away to my non-smoking, garden view room on the first floor.

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

The CM that I spoke to had just been ripped up one side an down another because the person before me didn't get her non-smoking, high floor, beach view room. How could anyone really expect that?

.....and so goes my theory that at some not too distant point we will not be able to make requests anymore. The only things we will be able to ask for will be things that can be guaranteed. I don't want to see this but I get the feeling it will happen.

HBC

 

[Dean]

What I don't understand is why everyone expects to get their "request". A CM told me that too many people want the same exact thing. Not everyone is going to be happy. She said that if ONE request is put on the reservation, then they can try. If more than one they usually just ignore them since people usually won't be happy unless they get them all...so why try.

That may be what they do but it is wrong. Any CM that felt that way should be fired, after a couple were let go, the rest would try harder. I do believe that requests should be reasonable and that DVC should refuse difficult requests or requests that are too specific. For example, if one is at OKW and has 3 requests:

1. Non smoking
2. not first floor
3. two units as close as possible

These should not be difficult requests to fulfill and DVC should be able to fill these and similar requests at least 98% of the time. Certainly if one requests specific buildings or even units, the chances will decline dramatically. But unless DVC has officially excluded certain requests, this would not be a legitimate reason for a CM not to try, that's their job.

Examples of requests I'd refuse if I were DVC:

• specific rooms or a range of rooms.
• first floor for medical reasons but not HC.
• Distance to bus stop unless HC unit.
• more than 3 requests in most cases and there are few situations where there should be more than 2 and they should be fairly broad general ones as I've stated.

Unfortunately those that have requested and complained about specific requests have been the ones that have gotten us to the negative point we are regarding room requests, IMHO.

 

[froinlavin]

And how in good faith can anyone refuse a first floor medical need request? The first time that happens, I'm sure someone would put it on the boards... and find the same types of arguments that we have with this issue...

 

[Dean]

And how in good faith can anyone refuse a first floor medical need request? The first time that happens, I'm sure someone would put it on the boards... and find the same types of arguments that we have with this issue...

The reference was a first floor NON HC first floor request for medical reasons. DVC should refuse this request as it is too restrictive, IMHO of course.

 

[dianeschlicht]

] Unfortunately those that have requested and complained about specific requests have been the ones that have gotten us to the negative point we are regarding room requests, IMHO.

I totally agree, Dean. I always request non-smoking for medical reasons (bad asthma). I used to request near Southpoint, but the last couple of years I have just been taking my chances at where we are placed, and I have not had anything horrible! My reasoning is that I'd be happy most anywhere at OKW as long as I didn't have to fight with the smoking situation.

Of course, I don't really enjoy being under a GV (noisy) or in the hemed in units on the first floor, but it has never ruined my vacation.

 

[Muushka]

If most of us are in agreement that requests have gotten out of hand, then why is it when someone comes on these DVC boards, saying that they are renting points and want to know which view to ask for-why is it that we (well, not me, but several DVC members) tell them exactly what is the best view/location? IMHO it only perpetuates the problem.

I cannot tell you how many times I read on these boards to ask for "close to elevator/lake view/pool view" at VWL. There are so few percentage of the rooms that fit the bill, but everyone knows to ask for them. So therefore, everyone expects them.

I will do my part for these problems.

1. I promise that if we are given a HA room we will not refuse it. We do not have children so the no tub will not affect us, or the low bed or the lack of counter space.

2. I promise that if we are given a smoking room even though we requested non-smoking, I will at least go to the room and if it smells OK, we will not ask to be moved. We don't like to be around smoke, but it is not a medical necessity.

There are some requests that we have (well, just one) that I will be pretty adamant about. Hopefully there will be another DVC member who won't mind what I would mind and be willing to take that.

 

[crisi]

IMHO....I think DVC needs to get some consistency in their ability to guarantee certain requests. They do at BWV with Boardwalk views. They do it at all DVC resorts for HC villas. But why not when I make a ressie at the 11 month window why should not get what I want and where I want. As I said they have already shown they can do this at BWV. Why not at SSR with DD views. Why not at OKW with golf course view. Why not for NS villas. What am I missing here.

Flexibility.

Lets take a small resort, VWL has less than 200 units. They come in four guarenteed types - studio, one bedroom, two bedroom lockoff and two bedroom dedicated.

For arguments sake, there are 50 studios (someone has a count, but I'm not looking it up). We believe 3% of the rooms are HA - so thats 1 or 2 of the studios. We believe 20% are smoking - so thats 10 of the rooms. Another 3% are "owned" by DVD and - as a population mean - will be pulled from service for maintenance at any time - another unit or two. So you book 9 out of ten of the smoking studios as guarentees, the 10th you have scheduled for repainting. And the plumbing in one of them breaks while the 10th still smells like wet paint. Now you have nine smokers showing up for their guarenteed smoking studio and eight rooms. When you run at a functional 100% occupancy, that is a real problem.

There are even fewer BW View or BW Standard view units - seven GVs at BWV (I believe one is smoking and one is HA - I could be wrong - but if I'm not, woe be a handicapped smoker, they have to choose). There are a number of two queens dedicated 2BRs at BCV, and a few with a bed and a couch - those are guarentees as well. By calling these requests, they have a lot more flexibility. When they call them guarentees, people actually expect to end up in a non-smoking non-handicapped room, believe they've been guarenteed them (as opposed to the current, expect it, but can at least understand the word "request") and are going to cause even more of an issue when there are logistics issues meeting the guarentee.

 

[Dean]

If most of us are in agreement that requests have gotten out of hand, then why is it when someone comes on these DVC boards, saying that they are renting points and want to know which view to ask for-why is it that we (well, not me, but several DVC members) tell them exactly what is the best view/location? IMHO it only perpetuates the problem.

I cannot tell you how many times I read on these boards to ask for "close to elevator/lake view/pool view" at VWL. There are so few percentage of the rooms that fit the bill, but everyone knows to ask for them. So therefore, everyone expects them.

I will do my part for these problems.

1. I promise that if we are given a HA room we will not refuse it. We do not have children so the no tub will not affect us, or the low bed or the lack of counter space.

2. I promise that if we are given a smoking room even though we requested non-smoking, I will at least go to the room and if it smells OK, we will not ask to be moved. We don't like to be around smoke, but it is not a medical necessity.

There are some requests that we have (well, just one) that I will be pretty adamant about. Hopefully there will be another DVC member who won't mind what I would mind and be willing to take that.

The monkey is on DVC's back to curtail the requests so as long as they allow it, why not. Unfortunately they have taken the cowards way out (typical) and essentially done away with requests for all practical purposes rather than tell members we'll only accept general requests as I posted above. Since smoking/NS should be booked rather than a request, they could curtail requests dramatically and still provide FAR more service to members than they are now.