Room Request-is it worth it?

[Mrs.AMC]

My question for this group is how do you make your room requests? Especially those of you talking about making a room request by room number etc.?
We have had mixed results to room requests over the years. Most at All Star Sports, but since covid we have stayed at Pop Century. We usually call CRO and ask for the connected rooms etc. This last time at Pop, we called CRO and lined up what we wanted and when we got there we were not even in the same building. But the more interesting thing was the desk told us there was not request on the reservation. I know I called, talked to a great cast member who took my info. The CRO cast told me to make sure I made my requests on line also. I explained to him that the online only gives you a general pull down menu with about 3 choices. Then at the front desk, she asked me the same thing... Did I put this request in my online reservation. I told her that connecting rooms is not a choice Disney gives you, and that the choices are very limited from pull down menu. She also acted like she had no clue that I could not make specific request on line. So what is the best way to make a room request and have it happen?
thanks

Touring Plans.
I never, ever, EVER request a specific room.
Floor, direction facing, building, that type of things only. Very general preferences which gives LOTS of room choices to fit the request.
I've always used online check in too, utilizing the same type of requests there that I used on the Touring plan request.
I always give an arrival time. Since Covid reopening I've 100% of the time, received a text at the same time I entered in the app for arrival. Some of the times (majority actually) I've gotten a room at that time also. But always gotten the notice.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

My question for this group is how do you make your room requests? Especially those of you talking about making a room request by room number etc.?
We have had mixed results to room requests over the years. Most at All Star Sports, but since covid we have stayed at Pop Century. We usually call CRO and ask for the connected rooms etc. This last time at Pop, we called CRO and lined up what we wanted and when we got there we were not even in the same building. But the more interesting thing was the desk told us there was not request on the reservation. I know I called, talked to a great cast member who took my info. The CRO cast told me to make sure I made my requests on line also. I explained to him that the online only gives you a general pull down menu with about 3 choices. Then at the front desk, she asked me the same thing... Did I put this request in my online reservation. I told her that connecting rooms is not a choice Disney gives you, and that the choices are very limited from pull down menu. She also acted like she had no clue that I could not make specific request on line. So what is the best way to make a room request and have it happen?
thanks

I call it in, leave the online check-in options untouched, and don't overthink it too much. I keep requests simple and general in nature (and short!). Like top floor, a building name, etc...something simple that can be conveyed in minimal words.

 

[Marionnette]

If you're renting DVC, you can't call it in to the regular Disney reservation number. DVC renters can ask the owner to contact member services to put their request in.

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

I don't follow how making a room request slows down getting a room. Submitting a request is merely stating a preference and if Disney can meet your request they will, if not they will assign one of the available rooms.

Because they may have a room available early that doesn’t meet your request, but they won’t assign it to you as they are waiting for your request to open up.

 

[SharonZ]

My last trip was the first time I ever did a room request and it majorly backfired. I made a semi- specific request for building and ground floor at CBR. It resulted in us waiting 2hr AFTER official check in time before we got a room. We had arrived about an hour early, BTW. After going to the front desk and waiting for about 30min there, they found a different room. They had a room set aside that met my request, but it wasn't clean yet, and we had dinner reservations to get to.

Long story short, it really turned me off from requesting a room. We are staying DVC rental at the Poly but I'd like to make similar room request. Am I going to be waiting for hours again? I'm really hoping my experience was a fluke. Has anyone else experienced this type of issue where they over prioritize room request and you can't get into a room until 5pm? TIA

I think you have to understand that while check-in "begins" at a certain time, that doesn't necessarily guarantee that your room will be ready eactly then - with or without a room request. Some people are lucky and have a room available to them early in the morning, it just depends. Getting into a room at 5:00 p.m. really isn't out of the norm, especially since check-in for DVC supposedly starts at 4:00 p.m.

 

[kylenne]

My question for this group is how do you make your room requests? Especially those of you talking about making a room request by room number etc.?
We have had mixed results to room requests over the years. Most at All Star Sports, but since covid we have stayed at Pop Century. We usually call CRO and ask for the connected rooms etc. This last time at Pop, we called CRO and lined up what we wanted and when we got there we were not even in the same building. But the more interesting thing was the desk told us there was not request on the reservation. I know I called, talked to a great cast member who took my info. The CRO cast told me to make sure I made my requests on line also. I explained to him that the online only gives you a general pull down menu with about 3 choices. Then at the front desk, she asked me the same thing... Did I put this request in my online reservation. I told her that connecting rooms is not a choice Disney gives you, and that the choices are very limited from pull down menu. She also acted like she had no clue that I could not make specific request on line. So what is the best way to make a room request and have it happen?
thanks

I use Touring Plans here, but just to be clear: Touring Plans' view finder map does list room numbers, and you can click to submit a request, but they are NOT submitting a request for that specific room number. If you take a look at the actual text of the request, it's always for qualities/features associated with that room number, and the room number is only given as an example of a room with the qualities you want. "3rd floor SW facing, eg room #4834". You can also edit that text with whatever you want. But the idea is that you always want to request general things like that, not specific rooms. And you very much can do so over the phone. Phone CMs are notoriously ill informed. Hang up and call back.

 

[JamesWinston]

I think you have to understand that while check-in "begins" at a certain time, that doesn't necessarily guarantee that your room will be ready eactly then - with or without a room request. Some people are lucky and have a room available to them early in the morning, it just depends. Getting into a room at 5:00 p.m. really isn't out of the norm, especially since check-in for DVC supposedly starts at 4:00 p.m.

Does that mean that checkout “begins” at 11 AM? Just because that’s when it begins, it doesn’t mean that’s when I’m ready to leave, it just depends. Sometimes I like to have a late lunch and leave at 130 PM, it really isn’t out of the norm.

 

[ktink]

We used Touring Plans room request for this trip. We checked in to BWI 1/21 and got the room that we requested. It was purely luck. We checked into GF 1/24 we didn’t get our desired location but we are happy all the same. We paid for the views we wanted at both resorts, of course.

 

[SharonZ]

Does that mean that checkout “begins” at 11 AM? Just because that’s when it begins, it doesn’t mean that’s when I’m ready to leave, it just depends. Sometimes I like to have a late lunch and leave at 130 PM, it really isn’t out of the norm.

If you want a late checkout, you can request one - it doesn't mean it will be granted.

 

[danceintherain]

Not every room turns over every day. If the only room available that meets your request is being checked out of that morning, then it may not be ready when you arrive.
I expect they don't change the room cleaning schedule based on projected check in times, so it's definitely the luck of the draw.

It really depends on what you consider most important. I would much rather wait on check in day for a room that meets certain requirements than deal with a super long walk to and from my room every day during the trip.

 

[JamesWinston]

If you want a late checkout, you can request one - it doesn't mean it will be granted.

That was my point, thank you.

 

[dusty]

I call in and then I call back a week before we leave just to verify my requests, because, as you have found out, sometimes they may not put it in I know a lot of people like to use Touringplans, where you pick the room/area you want and touringplans will make the request for you and supposedly fax it over as well. The bottom line is that there is no guarantee of getting what you want. I will say that if you call in a request, do not use the room request portion on disney's online check-in.

Do you call CRO or the resort directly?

 

[HopperFan]

My last trip was the first time I ever did a room request and it majorly backfired. I made a semi- specific request for building and ground floor at CBR. It resulted in us waiting 2hr AFTER official check in time before we got a room. We had arrived about an hour early, BTW. After going to the front desk and waiting for about 30min there, they found a different room. They had a room set aside that met my request, but it wasn't clean yet, and we had dinner reservations to get to.

Long story short, it really turned me off from requesting a room. We are staying DVC rental at the Poly but I'd like to make similar room request. Am I going to be waiting for hours again? I'm really hoping my experience was a fluke. Has anyone else experienced this type of issue where they over prioritize room request and you can't get into a room until 5pm? TIA

I would say my requests were granted about 80% of the time, and a few times they "upgraded" me to places that I didn't consider an upgrade so there's that. A couple times I felt the room was unacceptable and asked to be moved - and was refused.

I think your issue was CBR is a spread out resort and seems to be one people commonly request certain buildings. They are not big buildings so that limits the number of chances. THEN there are no elevators so LOTS of people request ground floor, that request just dropped your odds another 50% of getting what you want. In the end your request was very specific and had a good chance of you getting the result you got. The more narrow the request, the harder it is for them to fill.

 

[Laura's Dad]

We use TouringPlans and have had various degrees of success with them. One thing that we will do on our upcoming trip is to not do on-line check in. We live just south of Atlanta and dive down (takes about 6 hours) and have used the online check in with the room number being texted to us. I have recently leaned that this is not the best way to get the room area that you requested. This year we will be saying off-site the first night and checking in to the resort in the morning. I will then see if my request is near where we want or not. I will also ask for any possible upgrade.

 

[kylenne]

We use TouringPlans and have had various degrees of success with them. One thing that we will do on our upcoming trip is to not do on-line check in. We live just south of Atlanta and dive down (takes about 6 hours) and have used the online check in with the room number being texted to us. I have recently leaned that this is not the best way to get the room area that you requested. This year we will be saying off-site the first night and checking in to the resort in the morning. I will then see if my request is near where we want or not. I will also ask for any possible upgrade.

Your room is actually assigned something like 5 days out from your check in date and unless you put something contradictory to your Touring Plans auto request, online check in has zero effect on your chances of getting your request. I use Touring Plans in conjunction with online check in all the time and have always gotten the gist of what I requested. All you need to do is not put any requests when you do the online check in process.

 

[Mrs.AMC]

Your room is actually assigned something like 5 days out from your check in date and unless you put something contradictory to your Touring Plans auto request, online check in has zero effect on your chances of getting your request. I use Touring Plans in conjunction with online check in all the time and have always gotten the gist of what I requested. All you need to do is not put any requests when you do the online check in process.

Same here. I never skip online check in. Lines at the front desk are awful of late. I'd never purposely want to go there and stand in yet another line. It has zero bearing on getting your room request. Now, if you don't like what they assign sure you can go but waiting to check in won't change your odds of getting your request.

 

[Laura's Dad]

Same here. I never skip online check in. Lines at the front desk are awful of late. I'd never purposely want to go there and stand in yet another line. It has zero bearing on getting your room request. Now, if you don't like what they assign sure you can go but waiting to check in won't change your odds of getting your request.

Thanks for the info.

 

[DizneyFamof4]

Your room is actually assigned something like 5 days out from your check in date and unless you put something contradictory to your Touring Plans auto request, online check in has zero effect on your chances of getting your request. I use Touring Plans in conjunction with online check in all the time and have always gotten the gist of what I requested. All you need to do is not put any requests when you do the online check in process.

This is the key statement. If you have a more specific room request call it in and you can still use online check-in but skip the room request section.

Do you call CRO or the resort directly?

I call the reservation line and then I call back a week before we go to verify. It's not that big of a deal calling

 

[motherof5]

It's been my experience with DVC that checking BEGINS at 4 PM but rooms may not be ready to be occupied until much later. That is regardless of whether a room request was made or not.

Especially now with less help things have been taking longer. We used to get in early but now not so much. I usually ask when I get there if I did a room request would it delay me getting a room. I sometimes request earliest available room versus location.

 

[gorkt]

I have had a mixed record at WDW for room requests. On my last trip however, I got EXACTLY what I asked for. CBR, connecting rooms near the skyliner station. Couldn't have asked for better.