Special Requests?

[bytheblood]

Does anybody ever make special requests when staying DVC?

Example: Particular Savanna, close to the Hospitality House, close to a bus stop, etc?

Just curious if people do this as commonly as done for reservations through CRO.

 

[stopher1]

Does anybody ever make special requests when staying DVC?

Example: Particular Savanna, close to the Hospitality House, close to a bus stop, etc?

Just curious if people do this as commonly as done for reservations through CRO.

Definitely, yes. As you go through your various vacations, you'll discover places/views that you like/don't like. And depending on the resort, you'll find you have things that you might like better than others. Certainly requests are just that, they are not guaranteed - but so far we've had a 90% success rate with our special requests and can't really complain.

For example, if you were to stay at AKV in Kidani Village - the Pembe Savannah does NOT have giraffes. If they are an important part of your savannah view stay, request to be on the Sunset Savannah. If you were to venture out to CA and wanted to stay at VGC, and really wanted to be able to see the new World of Color show from your balcony, you would want to request an Upper Floor, Paradise Pier view (just saying a Theme Park view could put you overlooking the Redwood Challenge Trail with no view of WOC).

We stayed in the THV's this past January. I requested a "water view" because I wanted to be along the river. We didn't actually get that - but we did get a water view...we were directly overlooking the pool. At first we thought, ugh, but then we discovered we were a) right next to the pool, b) close to the bus stop, c) close to the walkway to the main part of SSR and d) close to the water taxi dock. We wouldn't have had such a convergence if we were actually right along the river as I had originally intended. Sometimes those requests will be interpreted loosely as ours was...but end up being better than you originally think/thought.

 

[bytheblood]

Thank you!

 

[crisi]

Have realistic expectations. Make general requests (the more specific you are, the less likely you are to get it). Some resorts seem to be better than others - we seldom get our requests met at BWV, for instance. And remember that some room locations are really popular and frequently requested - not everyone is going to get them.

But certainly make them - it doesn't hurt to ask!

 

[DebbieB]

Yes. For BWV boardwalk view, I always request top floor. Only actually got it once but usually get 3rd or 4th. Only one time got 2nd. The higher up, the quieter it is.

 

[disneynutz]

We make requests for each reservation averaging 4 per year. I would guess that we have about a 60% success rate. The secret is giving the room assigners room to work by not being to specific.

Bill

 

[dischick4778]

We have made special requests also and our success seems to depend on time of day we arrive. The few times we've arrived at night we have had no success with our requests. But when we have arrived early in the day and reminded them of the request at check in we have been 100% successful. It probably has to do with availability and whether or not they look at the special requests before you arrive at check in. I think the only guarantee is if you request near hospitality house.

 

[MrDisneyphile]

We always make room requests also. We have had a pretty high success rate but we go during the off-season. I am not sure that is directly related to it but I am sure it does not hurt. We have had really good luck at AKL getting locations like specific savanna on a specific side of the resort. Our last request was Arusha Savannah on the Zebra Trail side of the lodge and we got exactly that. We also got a great location at OKW the last time we when. The only place we have never got what we requested was the BWV, but it was only two times and to be honest, I am never disappointed in a DVC room.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Well, I did make a request for a specific room once, with the added "or something with a similar view". However, when I got there, I'd been assigned a villa with a VERY different view. They told me at the front desk that there were no villas with that view available. But when I went back an hour later because I had no tub, and my arthritic knees need a tub, voila! Now there was a perfect villa available with that view.
When I make more general requests-high floor, quiet area, etc. those get honored. For October's value studio, I requested a savannah view-I'm interested to see whether or not I get it. I'm not too hopeful.

 

[shortypots]

I make requests every time, some are as general as "close to the lobby", others are very specific.

For my trip this past April, I had a Jambo GV, and there are only 4 of them, so I requested 2 specific ones, and got one of them.

We have stayed at SSR a couple of times, and gotten our request for Congress Park DTD view each time. OKW I request specific bldgs, but a couple of them and have never been disappointed.

So I would say my percentage is close to 90-95%.

For my trip in Nov this coming year, for our VWL, I requested a specific room #, with a secondary request of the first floor. For our Kidani Savannah view we requested close to the lobby, and Jambo Standard view we requested a pool view. We'll see how that goes.

Again, the more generic you make it, the better your chances. Good luck to you

 

[gonzalez8530]

I will be staying at the DVC BLT using points for the first time. It seems from reading this thread that unless one makes a request, the worst option will be your first offering. I reserved a lake view, but it seems that unless I make a special request, instead of being offered the best offering (ie lake view) at the time of arrival, I can get the worst as long as I can see the lake?

 

[crisi]

I will be staying at the DVC BLT using points for the first time. It seems from reading this thread that unless one makes a request, the worst option will be your first offering. I reserved a lake view, but it seems that unless I make a special request, instead of being offered the best offering (ie lake view) at the time of arrival, I can get the worst as long as I can see the lake?

No, we've gotten great rooms with no request at all, and not so great rooms with a request (that wasn't met). We take what is offered.

But when we request high floor, we tend to be able to walk out to the pool. Close to the elevators (we generally stay at BWV) gets us find a convenient set of stairs that leads right to the pool.

When we had no request at all, we've gotten a high floor at VWL on the lake side (you can pretty much just see trees anyway...be we could peek at the lake), a really great standard view room on the third floor midway down at BWV, and when our only request was "close together" we got a fantastic pair of Boardwalk rooms with a great view of the fireworks.

 

[BEASLYBOO]

I will be staying at the DVC BLT using points for the first time. It seems from reading this thread that unless one makes a request, the worst option will be your first offering.

No, that has not been the case for us, we're members since 2000 and have had 30+ stays (all resorts except BLT & THV) and I never made requests. We've always had really good locations and views, till SSR that is. If you don't make a request for SSR you are apt to end up in the "no man's land" area called "Carousel". So for our June SSR stay I've made a request of the Congress Park area and we will arrive for early check in to help possibly insure a better location. Fingers & Toes crossed!

 

[2binak]

Yes. We always make a special request about location of our room and so far (knock on wood), our request has always been granted.