Room Requests - How Much is TOO Much Info??

[PrincessV]

I've been thinking about what I want to add in the way of room requests for a few upcoming trips and started pondering the question of "how much is too much information?"

For many non-DVC WDW stays and one DVC stay, I requested nothing and wound up with mostly lousy rooms.

For quite a few non-DVC stays and 2 DVC stays, I made simple requests like "upper floor" or "near parking lot" and rarely got them.

So, for an upcoming SSR stay I was thinking of requesting "upper floor, Springs or CP, lake view," and see what happens.

Could it be that my problem in the past was not enough information? Could extra information in the request backfire and leave me with a ground floor view of the parking lot in Carousel? Or, do I just not have the WDW Room Magic gene?!

Just wondering what others' experiences have been with room requests and what you think about the subject...

 

[drusba]

We have generally gotten our requests, but it always a single one and one broad enough that it can be fairly easily met. For example, at AKV, with savanna view, we requested Arusha view last time and got it. If you make too many conditions what can happen is that they will try to meet them all and then when they cannot, all requests are then ignored and you are just given any room, i.e., if you request A, B and C, and they can meet A or B or C but not all of them, you can end with none of them. So I would suspect that usally giving too much information is worse than sticking to a single request.

 

[TisBit]

Sometimes certain requests can just be difficult/impossible to fulfill. Many times "upper floor" rooms may be a different category than the one you have booked, espcecially in higher class hotels. I would figure out what is most important to you and go with that simple broad request as already mentioned. Such as Springs or Paddocks with lake view. I think you can end up with too many requests and they may end up saying, we can fulfill two requests by putting you in Carousel with an upper floor lake view....if Springs was most important you lost it to your other two request.

I simply requested Springs or Grandstand...I figure it is a pretty easy request to fulfill and gives me a decent possibility. Also, when you reserved seems to matter a little with DVC....if you have your ressie in at 11 months seems to give you better odds.

 

[PrincessV]

Many times "upper floor" rooms may be a different category than the one you have booked, espcecially in higher class hotels.

Ooo, ooo, you just hit on semething I've wondered about... when I request "upper floor", what I really mean is NOT ground floor. My DS and I suffer tremendously from mold-induced asthma (I know - and we live in FL?? ) and ground floor rooms are the wrost culprits to set us off. But maybe the room assigners thinkg "upper floor" means a top floor?

I've always been afraid to say "not ground floor", thinking the room assigners might not see the "not", KWIM?

Or am I over-thinking this?!

 

[JimMIA]

Now that all rooms are non-smoking, we usually only make one request...and that's only if there is something specific we want. For example, on our upcoming May trip to SSR, I requested DTD view.

Most of the time, frankly, it doesn't matter to us because we spend little time in our room.

I think the more requests you make, the more likely you are to be disappointed. The CMs have no way of guessing which of several requests are most important, so I usually don't give them that problem.

I do, however, make occasional requests at check-in. Sometimes we get those, sometimes we don't, sometimes we have to choose between a room ready at checkin (usually around 11 AM for us) or wait for our preference until after 4 PM. Waiting is no problem for us, we just go to MK.

 

[TisBit]

Ooo, ooo, you just hit on semething I've wondered about... when I request "upper floor", what I really mean is NOT ground floor. My DS and I suffer tremendously from mold-induced asthma (I know - and we live in FL?? ) and ground floor rooms are the wrost culprits to set us off. But maybe the room assigners thinkg "upper floor" means a top floor?

I've always been afraid to say "not ground floor", thinking the room assigners might not see the "not", KWIM?

Or am I over-thinking this?!

That could do it. If you specify specific reasons for not wanting ground floor they might word it to keep from that confustion. Or if in the case of the villas specify second floor or above. You never know how someone will read your request, unfortunately they are not talking to you. But if you specify NOT ground floor and remind the CM checking you in...they will probably double check and than move you if they can.

 

[dgaston]

And remember they are just requests. We were placed in Grandstand when I requested CP at SSR, and got a studio next to the Preview Center at BWV when I asked for an upper floor.

 

[Granny]

I've been thinking about what I want to add in the way of room requests for a few upcoming trips and started pondering the question of "how much is too much information?"

For many non-DVC WDW stays and one DVC stay, I requested nothing and wound up with mostly lousy rooms.

For quite a few non-DVC stays and 2 DVC stays, I made simple requests like "upper floor" or "near parking lot" and rarely got them.

So, for an upcoming SSR stay I was thinking of requesting "upper floor, Springs or CP, lake view," and see what happens.

Could it be that my problem in the past was not enough information? Could extra information in the request backfire and leave me with a ground floor view of the parking lot in Carousel? Or, do I just not have the WDW Room Magic gene?!

I think that the time of day you check in has more to do with request success than how the requests are worded. At least for those resorts that operate under "room ready" policy...I think SSR is one of them. I'm not a fan of room-ready even though we always check in early in the day on our trips.

Other resorts like VWL and BWV have definitely seem to have pre-assigned rooms and there the requests through MS are probably more helpful. As others have said, the more general the request, the better they have a chance to meet it.

I'd be interested to know what would be considered "lousy rooms" at the DVC resorts you've stayed at.

 

[PrincessV]

I'm starting to think I just plain have bad room luck! 15 years of WDW-going and only 3 stays without a parking lot view... hmmm...

Granny, I really haven't had what I'd consider a "lousy room" at DVC yet, though plenty at non DVC resorts. My first SSR stay, I asked for "something near the Carriage House" and got Grandstand - it was one of my 3 greatest rooms! Next was BWV, where they completely misinterpreted my request for "across form the bus stop" and thought I meant all the way down the hall. It was a nice room, but the hallway was a bit much for my older mother. Last, I made no request beyond "upper floor" at SSR and got a room at the far end of Carousel. It wasn't horrible, either, though not particularly convenient location-wise.

That said, I'd had several nightmarish room debacles at non-DVC resorts, so I make whatever efforts I can to avoid any more of those.

 

[crisi]

If you've been going to WDW for fifteen years and have only taken two DVC trips and have always gotten parking lot views, you haven't been paying for views. We've never gotten a parking lot at a CRO hotel when we pay to look at the garden or the lake.

DVC however is different. With the exception of BWV and AKL, there aren't bookable views. And you are at the mercy of what the room assigner gives you or what is available at checkin.

In all our DVC stays we've never gotten ANY room request (other than non smoking, and we didn't always get that) met. If we ask for "high floor" we can walk out to the pool. If we want to be "close to the elevators" we are six steps from MGM at BWV. But I think BW is worse about this than other resorts (and we've never gotten a room we haven't been content with - being able to walk out to the pool was really nice! Much more of a perk for us than being able to glipse fireworks

 

[TinkGirl]

The two times we stayed at SSR I requested a certain section and upper floor. We have always checked in mid-morning and arrived via ME. The cm both times showed us on a map the room that he said was assigned when we checked into ME at the airport. We had the option to wait for that room or to select one that was ready. Both times we chose the ready room. At BWV the cm showed us what was ready and had us choose from those based on his recommendations. We weren't given the option to wait for something else, although we probably wouldn't have waited. That time we drove although I don't know if that had anything to do with it.

 

[eyeheartgoofy]

I've requested lake view at VWL the last 2 visits. We faced the bus stop both times.

I requested a specific area of OKW last time, but was assigned a room far away from it (I sent DH to check in with a map of the resort with acceptable buildings circled. It took the CM about 3 minutes to switch him into one of the preferred buildings. So, I don't know why we weren't assigned there to begin with.).

I'm thinking about making no requests this time ... they seem to try and avoid giving me any requests. I keep telling myself that it can't hurt to ask ... sometimes I wonder if I am hurting myself by asking though.

 

[mamatojon]

I've been very lucky in all of our WDW stays, both DVC and CRO. At the Ft. Wilderness cabins I always requested the loop nearest to the pool and always got it. Our first DVC trip I requested top floor at VWL and top floor Springs section at SSR, got both of those. The view from the room at SSR left a bit to be desired though, it was mainly of the construction going on at the Grandstand. Our second DVC trip was at VWL, I requested top floor pool view, and got that too. Our last trip to SSR I requested either Grandstand or Springs, we got ground floor Grandstand. I didn't really like the ground floor, but I loved the Grandstand section. One trip to SSR I didn't make any requests and got top floor Paddocks, which I loved for the view of the fountain. Our one night stay at POR I didn't make any requests either, and I got the mansion right across the bridge from the pool and restaurants. I'm sure I'm due for a change of luck soon, and my next SSR trip will probably be ground floor Carousel or dumpster view at VWL, LOL.

I have never checked in at the crack of dawn, but we always check in before 1 p.m., about half the time our room has been ready. If I am arriving late the night before I stay at a value or off site for the night.

 

[eliza61]

I've been thinking about what I want to add in the way of room requests for a few upcoming trips and started pondering the question of "how much is too much information?"

For many non-DVC WDW stays and one DVC stay, I requested nothing and wound up with mostly lousy rooms.

For quite a few non-DVC stays and 2 DVC stays, I made simple requests like "upper floor" or "near parking lot" and rarely got them.

So, for an upcoming SSR stay I was thinking of requesting "upper floor, Springs or CP, lake view," and see what happens.

Could it be that my problem in the past was not enough information? Could extra information in the request backfire and leave me with a ground floor view of the parking lot in Carousel? Or, do I just not have the WDW Room Magic gene?!

Just wondering what others' experiences have been with room requests and what you think about the subject...

Do you mean lousy views or lousy rooms. I have gotten rooms with less than stellar views (i.e. the dumpster view. ) and while it wasn't exactly a great view, the room itself was in no way lousy. I will add my standard disclaimer: generally, I'm so slap happy just to be in wdw that a bad view in no way affect my trip. The only request I generally make is if I'm reserving a 2 bedroom villa, then I usually request a dedicated 2 bedroom and not a lock off.
I would stick to one generally request and then remember request are not guaruntees and lastly unless the room is truly ghastly, enjoy your vacations.