Should DVC Do Away with Reservation Requests?

[threegoofys]

Taking away requests would be a bad idea in my opinion. Nothing against those who enjoy a smoke but I could care less what I am looking at as long as I don't have a severe headache and sinus problems because I am in a room that someone before me smoked in.

 

[sgtdisney]

I don't think requests should disappear. What I do think Disney must do is make Smoking and Non-smoking and Handicap and Non-Handicap rooms a reserved catagory. This would eliminate many of the complaints at the front desk right there. Other hotels do it, it is probably not any more complicated than making the Boardwalk view rooms a seperate catagory.

If you call in and they only have a smoking room left when you try to make a reservation you have a choice. Take the smoking reservation (and room) and accept it, or rearrange your dates. I am alergic to cigarette smoke. It isn't to the point that I need to get the doctor to write me a note, but when I am around cigarette smoke, I get terrible headaches. My wife is mildly asthmatic. Smoke bothers us. I will not accept a seat in the smoking section of a restaurant. It has never happened but if I checked in and there wasn't a non-smoking room available, I wouldn't want it, I hope I wouldn't turn into a 'naughty' member, but I would really want some other room, even if they had to move me to another resort.

If smoking/nonsmoking rooms could be reserved in advance I would re-arrange my dates if I couldn't get a non-smoking room. The same with handicap. Those will always book last, unless they are needed. If you call at the last minute and that's all that's left, take it or leave it.

I think requests for general views, locatations should be noted and given to the guest if available. If they aren't available when you check in, oh well. Requests have ALWAYS been, just that, a request, not a guarantee. Any member, or any other guest for that matter, should have this explained to them by the CM and if they are disruptive, they should be evicted from the property. Everyone knows this when they book, that is noted on every reservation. Maybe a letter from Disney re-stressing this will be helpful too, who knows. In no circumstance should Disney bend and re-assign someone because of view if there is no view available (i.e. bumping someone from a room, etc.) Doing this sets a horrible precidence.

 

[Deep-Thots]

CRO seems to be able to guarentee NS rooms when booking a regular resort.. why cant DVC do the same? I still hope they make s/ns reservation classifications.. I would be a very happy camper if when I called at 11 months and was able to confirm a NS room. By the same token, If i call at 7 months and all that is left is a stinky smoker room, I'll know that I need to leave the wife at home... she'll just be an inconvenience.

Actually, this isn't true. Smoking/non-smoking requests are noted by CRO, but not guaranteed. For example, we have an upcoming trip to CBR scheduled for April. When I called to make the reservation, I was told that N-S is put down as a request that they try to honor, but is *never* guaranteed. Same thing when we did CSR two years ago.

The possibility of being placed in a smoking room/villa makes me anxious. So, like kweaver, I, too, would change travel dates in order to get a non-smoking room guaranteed. In addition, I also understand the importance of being able to secure a handicapped room/villa when necessary.

To me, however, everything else (views, proximity to elevators, etc.) is unimportant.

 

[jimmytammy]

The last 2 trips our only request that was met was a non smoking room. I dont get upset if the other requests are not met because those tend to be a view of some kind.

But for me personally, I have to have a non smoking room for asthma reasons, otherwise I would be coughing my head off at night, keeping all my neighbors up.

So IMO, doing away with the view requests wouldnt be a big deal, doing away with medical reasons requests, that would bother me.

 

[cruise-o-matic]

Put me in the camp of making S/NS and H/NH off the "request" and part of the reservation itself. Personally, I hate the smell of a smoked-in room. Plus it gets in your clothes, so even when you leave, that stinky smokey smell is still with you. Smelling like an ashtray is a definite vacation ruiner. I would love it if DVC went totally N/S.

As far as other request, they should be first booked, first get, not based on your arrival time. If you own SSR, want a DTD view and book at 11 months out, you should be able to get that room over someone who books 2 months out but checks in prior to you.

 

[alsipd]

I have a sensitivity to Smoke of any kind (which is why I always check the direction of the wind before the fireworks) but do not have a doctors diagnosis. To get one all I would have to do is ask as my doctor is a HUGE proponent for banning cigarettes altogether. As for NHC, I am a big guy and the seat in the shower means I am partly out of the stall when I shower. Others have made the statement that they spent a lot of money for DVC; well we all did, and Disney will not be able to make all of us happy. The State of Florida is on a tear to abolish smoking in any public place due to the ill health effects to the general populace.
I would like to see Non-Smoking be offered as a guarantee, with my preference listed on my personal DVC profile as a necessity, so that MS can inform me as to availability for the time I am requesting. I have no problem with this policy. Either that or make the whole resort Non-Smoking.
I am not a reformed smoker, I just never started and I don't like it!

JMHO...... Dennis

 

[Frozenfingers]

Actually, this isn't true. Smoking/non-smoking requests are noted by CRO, but not guaranteed. For example, we have an upcoming trip to CBR scheduled for April. When I called to make the reservation, I was told that N-S is put down as a request that they try to honor, but is *never* guaranteed. Same thing when we did CSR two years ago.
.

Thank you Deep-Thots. I certainly may have been mistaken, it was my impression that whenever I made reservations it wasn't a problem securing a non smoking room. I don't recall specific dialogue about being unable to guarentee a non smoker.. but that is not to say it wasn't mentioned and I have forgotten. Perhaps I just didn't actively listen to the cm, since being able to specify a non smoking room is pretty much the standard in the hotel industry today.

In any event, thank you for correcting me and posting the right information.

 

[KNWVIKING]

...... another correct answer from a Joisey Guy.

 

[jarestel]

The only thing we EVER request is N/S and N/HC. Views are not important and we would never bother to beg, plead, or scream for a certain floor or room. Having said that, the N/S and N/HC requests are extremely important to me I wouldn't want to give up the ability to request them unless DVC made them guarantees. Then I would wholeheartedly say to ban requests if DVC thought about it and decided they couldn't come up with a better system for handling them.

 

[lllovell]

I am a newbie in the DVC world so someone help me here. Who do those CMs work for? Isn't it Disney itself? Or if they are at a DVC hotel, are they paid by DVC? What about the hotels that are mixed?

The reason I am asking is that unless they are actually DVC employees, I am not sure that DVC feels that obligated to fix this. I would HOPE they do, but I can see how it would come down to the person on the phone promising one thing and the person at the desk getting the heat for it not happening.
Do you guys send comments to Disney or DVC when you are unhappy? I know they are "in bed" as some would say, but they are a seperate entity right?

Sometimes it is easier not to fix something if you are not in the direct fire of its problems. I am sure hoping this is not the case here.

 

[Deep-Thots]

Thank you Deep-Thots. I certainly may have been mistaken, it was my impression that whenever I made reservations it wasn't a problem securing a non smoking room. I don't recall specific dialogue about being unable to guarentee a non smoker.. but that is not to say it wasn't mentioned and I have forgotten. Perhaps I just didn't actively listen to the cm, since being able to specify a non smoking room is pretty much the standard in the hotel industry today.

In any event, thank you for correcting me and posting the right information.

Sure. I can tell you that it was kind of a shocker for me to learn that -- especially since it doesn't actually indicate anything like that on your CRO confirmation letter (it only lists view, etc.). (I originally found this info out via a travel agent and later confirmed it with CRO.) Still, I have to admit that I've never been assigned a smoking room through CRO. I guess I just have to keep my fingers crossed for when DH and I plunge on our first DVC trips this year....

 

[Dean]

Dean,
I am not sure, but I think HC is a request, not a guarantee.

My understanding is that HC rooms are booked directly and guaranteed, though they do give themselves an out just in case.

 

[DebbieB]

I have had CRO room confirmations in the past that said "guaranteed non-smoking room". I didn't even mention medical reasons, just requested non-smoking. I never got stuck in a smoking room except one time at CSR. I arrived early in the morning with 3 friends and we were thrilled that they had 2 connecting rooms ready. They didn't tell us they were smoking....we found out when we got to the rooms. We were so excited to get to the parks we just called and asked for an ionizer. They delivered one but it really didn't help. Kind of got used to the smell. But when I got home and opened my suitcase I couldn't believe how it reeked of smoke.

 

[DisneySpence]

We have never had a guaranteed NS room and we have been explicitly told on each reservation call that they never guarantee them it is only a request and they do thier best to accomodate you.

 

[alsipd]

A guarantee of Non-Smoking would be nice though.

I am lucky that I have the flexibility to modify my schedule around a policy, and I can see where some folks don't have that luxury.

I wish I had a definitive answer for this issue, but then Disney would hire me, make me a manager, and cause me to have to leave this "snowy wonderland"(sic) that is my home for now!

 

[Dean]

I have had CRO room confirmations in the past that said "guaranteed non-smoking room". I didn't even mention medical reasons, just requested non-smoking. I never got stuck in a smoking room except one time at CSR. I arrived early in the morning with 3 friends and we were thrilled that they had 2 connecting rooms ready. They didn't tell us they were smoking....we found out when we got to the rooms. We were so excited to get to the parks we just called and asked for an ionizer. They delivered one but it really didn't help. Kind of got used to the smell. But when I got home and opened my suitcase I couldn't believe how it reeked of smoke.

One point I made was that even though it says "guaranteed" they give themselves an out plus they can't give you what they don't truly have.

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

I think that they should only take requests for things that they can say "yes" or "no" to at the time the reservation is made. This way you know exactly what to expect when you arrive.

After reading through the entire thread, this makes the most sense to me IMHO. That doesn't mean that DVC should eliminate requests, it's just that they should improve their system to say yes or no to some of the things that are currently requets, as they did with the Boardwalk view at the BWV (as was pointed out by TJK).

Thanks for your thoughts on the subject. It's obvious that the smoking issue is one that must make the CM's hair turn white.

HBC

 

[elfbo]

The only guarntees I would want is smoking and non-smoking. I mean who wants to spend "Vacation" in a room that has a worse atmosphere than at home? and HC, When I am on vacation I look forward to my nice long bubble baths, so i *need* a tub. For the N/S I would become a *naughty* DVC member, because my DH has mild asthma, and while he's ok in most public places, if he is around it too long, he could have an attack, and a visit to the ER is not on my Disney To Do List . As for the tub thing, If i am staying more than 4 days, I would ask to be moved the next day. If my stay is shorter than that, I would just deal with it. (And maybe pout in my room for awhile).

I will *deal* when my comfort is inconvienced, but I will not just deal with a situation if my health or familys health is negatively affected.