Room Requests Granted???

[SqueakyMouse]

Just curious...what room requests have you made in the past and were they granted? We've made many trips to WDW but have only twice made any requests. For our anniversary last year, dh and I requested a king bed at AKL. We did not get it. In May, we requested bunks at AKL for our kids. We had them in both the standard room we added-onto our reservation for the first night and in our savanna view room.

 

[AJKMOM]

We always request non-smoking, and always get it.

 

[HugsForEeyore]

This is a great question, as it seems EVERYONE gets every request while I never get anything!!! How many posts have I read of everyone getting Building 14 at POR or Cabana 9 at CSR? As for me, I have accepted I will always be in the boonies or in the last desirable location anywhere I stay! I know when I pay for standard view I should expect standard view, but some standards are worse than others!

Some examples:

Twice at POR, I made a request for Alligator Bayou, as I stayed in Mansions before a on prior trip. Each time I was denied and put in parking lot view of the farthest corner of Parterre Place. I paid for standard view so I definately got it!

At CBR, I asked for ANYTHING but Trinidad South. I was solo and did not want to be so isolated from the rest of the world. When I checked in, of course I got Trinidad South. I begged to be placed elsewhere but the CM said no - try it out you will like it. It was OK, but I felt so far out of the loop, and I resorted to driving to the food court. I will pay for preferred next time!

At AKL, I was traveling with my sister and her two girls, ages 8 and 10 and requested bunk beds. I picked AKL solely to get bunk beds. We had a pool view room reserved. When we checked in, got two queens, absolutely no bunk beds available. We made do, but I will bring an air matress next time, as I learned my lesson.

At WL, I had a standard view reserved, and they "upgraded" me to a ground floor woods view - directly next to the fence around the loading dock. For a solo female, this is the WORST location - just did not make me feel safe. I really wanted a higher floor but the CM said I have to keep my room, nothing else available.

At CSR, I did get a request once - I asked for the Ranchos!!! But when I checked in, the computer kept trying to put me in the Casitas (where I stayed on two prior trips), but the CM kept trying and finally did get me a Ranchos room, and it was great! Isn't that funny - I almost was refused the worst section of CSR!

I think alot of my "bad" luck has to do with traveling solo. I guess solos are the perfect candidate to fill up the least desirable rooms so the families can have the better ones? Guess it makes sense. And everytime I didn't get a room request, the CM checking me in was also female. Almost like they won't go out of their way to help you? Another DISer once wrote that when she checked in, the CM would not grant requests, but when her husband came to complain, he got everything they wanted. Tis the way the world works, I guess.

Nowadays, I stopped making requests as I feel they are competely useless. For moderates, I will only pay for the better views or preferred for now on, since "the luck of the draw" never worked for me!

 

[DebbieB]

King beds are hard to get, most of the resorts only have a small number. I've always gotten my non-smoking request. Other requests, maybe 75% of the time. I usually don't make hard to get requests.

 

[cara loves the poly]

At the poly, our first trip, we reserved a lagoon view and requested Tahiti 3rd floor, Tahiti 3rd floor was granted!

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

For my first trip I had no idea about requests so at CBR, we got Martinique room and loved it anyway. Parking lot view worked out well for me cause I had just bought a brand new car and was obsessive complusive about it, so I could check on it easily, we were also within a stone's throw of the bus stop.
For our last trip at Pop I requested 50's building, with 3 rooms, 2 connecting and 1 next to that. My request was granted, although the 1 non connecting room had to be cxled suddenly. We also had a great room on the 4th floor with a view of the bowling pin pool.
For our Dec trip I have requested building 4 at POFQ, I guess in 2 weeks I will find out if I get it or not.

 

[MrsTink04]

The last two times we went, I requested a King bed and got it both times. I requested castle view last time (as we got it without even asking for it in 2004). Not only did we get castle view, we got upgraded.

For this next trip, I have requested King bed and castle view again. We will see in February if we got them or not.

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

I'm almost afraid to say it. But we've always got our requests(knock on wood).
CR- requested upper floor MK view- got 11th floor MK view

Poly-requested 3rd floor when we stayed conceirge, got it.

POFQ-requested building close to the food court, got it.

BWI-requested lagoon view, not pool view, got a nice view of the Lake.

We have been very lucky! Always got non-smoking too, except 3rd floor conceirge, but we knew that going in. Keep in mind though, we always go in September, October or January, slow times of the year. Good Luck!

 

[Cinderella]

I have been lucky. The poly sent me a request form when i stayed there, and I requested a third floor room in Moorea and got it.

At WL i never requested anything but bunk beds and not only got them, but got upgraded to Courtyard view each trip without asking.

I did once get a bad room - v small at BC and they moved me but they did grumble that i had ap rate - thought this a cheek considering the amount i was spending in disney - probably averaging 2 two weeks trips a year at the time, so the costs mounted up!

 

[cdrn1]

I always request nonsmoking and have always gotten it. Beyond that...

CBR: requested Martinique and got it.

AKL pool-view: Requested connecting so we could help DD with DGD, not only did not get connecting, but also could not catch even the tiniest glimpse of the pool. After much discussion with AKL staff (who insisted that pool-view did not mean a view of the pool, just ACCESS to the pool) she offered to move us to a standard view 6 rooms apart and after requesting to speak with her manager and asking her name again, she upgraded us to Savannah connecting.

WL woods view: we were "upgraded" to courtyard, but it was facing the villas and all we could see was a sidewalk, so we requested to move to the woods view that we had reserved and got the most AWESOME room; it faced the lake and boat dock. It was sooo great.

I usually don't make requests beyond nonsmoking, and have almost always been pleased with the room.

 

[Candice30]

i have a lagoon view booked at GF. right now i only have non-smoking requested. should i request castle view if that's what we want? how do you make this request (via phone, email, fax)?

 

[somcgregor]

On our trip it was for our honeymoon and that was noted in the file, we requested non smoking king bed, and only got the non smoking, I really had wanted the king since that is what we sleep on at home, however we did get an MK view which made up for the king bed.

 

[anniebell]

I've read that a lot of posters fax requests directly to the resort. Does this really work? I mean, what happens to the fax once it's received (as if we know?) Who actually gets the fax?

I am wondering if this is worth a try? We are going to the WL the day after Thanksgiving, and staying in a courtyard non-smoking room. I never knew you could actually fax requests for rooms. Do a lot of you do this? I am just wondering if the CMs get those faxes and just think "oh, here's another one"

Thanks everyone, this is all such great advice!!

 

[Sammie]

I've read that a lot of posters fax requests directly to the resort. Does this really work? I mean, what happens to the fax once it's received (as if we know?) Who actually gets the fax?

I am wondering if this is worth a try? We are going to the WL the day after Thanksgiving, and staying in a courtyard non-smoking room. I never knew you could actually fax requests for rooms. Do a lot of you do this? I am just wondering if the CMs get those faxes and just think "oh, here's another one"

Thanks everyone, this is all such great advice!!

The best plan is to have your requests noted on your reservations by the Reservation Center. If you have not done this, call them back.

Many resorts are not accepting faxes for requests anymore due to the fact they became overwhelmed by them, some were misplaced, others the faxes did not go through, it's just not a reliable way to do this. Some were pages long and it just got to be too much.

Requests given to DRC are downloaded into the resort computer right along with your reservation. If you fax some CM has to try and keep up with your fax, and then match it to your reservation at the computer when they receive the download. If they are really busy, this is not going to happen.

And yes many receive the faxes and discard them. If they are in the computer with your reservation then it will be seen. Of course requests are never guaranteed, but at least that way you know it got where it needs to be.

 

[lifeasahampster]

HugsForEeyore - I am so sorry that you have not gotten any upgrades! That just seems so un-Disney. Next time that you go and don't get a simple request like bunk beds, call the front dest and ask to speak to the manager. Tell them your request and find out if they can do anything about it. Generally they can, and if you mention that this is you 10th time to Disney, and you feel that it is "just not right" they will probably do something for you. Keep your head up! I know you will get something soon!

 

[nluvwithmickey]

Well last trip I had asked for a specific building and non-smoking...I got it.

I think my fisrt priority is non smoking.....then the building. I really haven't had a bad room location...ever.

This trip, I asked for the 50's building 3rd floor, non smoking....I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

 

[HugsForEeyore]

Ok, this thread is really depressing me! It seems everyone who posted here almost always gets their requests! So there is a huge Disney conspiracy to keep me always in Trinidad South and wandering around the boonies of Paterre Place alone forever! I will never have a decent room unless I pay specifically for the presidental suite at the GF!!!

I been told before to be more assertive at check-in, but when I tried that, the CMs still would not budge! The CMs can't give in to everyone, and I guess a solo has the least needs of everyone, so I am an easy target to say NO to. Someone has to stay in the back corner of Trinidad South, and someone has to have a patio next to the loading dock - why not me, I guess!!

Next week, I am at POP Century in a standard room. I am going to check the POP map and find the worst room (3rd or 4th floor far from everything!), and that's what I will expect!!

 

[Sammie]

Checking in early helps, especially if you are willing to wait till later in the afternoon to get your request.

Also traveling when the resort is not full, makes it easier to move you into another room.

 

[bntlyclg89]

Didn't know what to request in 2004 but in 2005 we paid for a king room at POFQ and I requested building 7, 3rd floor. (Even though 7 is one of the furthest out, it's pretty close to the bus stop). We got 3rd floor but building 1. I really disliked building 1 as I thought it was really far from everything but the boat to DTD. My DH liked it. Go figure.

 

[LuckySadie]

Ok when I looked up the WL rooms when I was researching resort hotels, it said that some rooms were available with two queen beds and a pull-out couch. So when i booked the standard AP rate online for January, I put a note in the reservation that said I requested 2 queens and a pull-out sofa. I didn't realize that the pull-out sofa rooms are actually junior suites! So obviously I don't expect an upgrade like that but I will report back if I do luck out and get one!