Staying in same Studio when extra guests arrive for 2-bedroom

[Hilary]

Here's the situation at present:

• DD and her BF are booked in a Studio in SSR for 3 nights while myself, DH and eldest DD are in VB.
• All 5 of us are booked in a 2-bedroom at OKW for the next 2 nights.

If I could switch the 2-bedroom to SSR (i.e. where DD and BF are already booked in the Studio), what are the chances of them being able to stay put and the 3 of us coming from VB move into the linked 1-bedroom for our 2 nights all together?

If it's unlikely, and the chances are that DD and BF would have to pack up and move rooms anyway, then there's no point me trying to amend the ressie and they can move resorts as planned. But if it's quite 'normal' to hold on to a Studio and add the adjoining unit to make a 2-bedroom further into the ressie, then it would be good for me to try to switch (which I realise may not be possible anyway).

Has anyone ever done this?

 

[Buckeye Fan]

FWIW, we have traveled with BIL/SIL and their kids several times to WDW, as they are DVC members, too. Every time, we have requested rooms next to each other. Until this last trip, there were no special requests other than we be beside each other. No special building or location, no floor preference, no special needs...nothing. In probably 4 trips, we've had very little luck.

The only request that they ever honored - At OKW, we were "technically" right beside each other, but had to go down a flight of stairs and back up to get to their room. It would have honestly been more convenient to be on the floor below or above them. This could be the way 1 & 2-BRs are set up at OKW (we had a 1-BR, they had a 2-BR). So, that may have been the best they could do.

Other times - Two other times we were in two totally separate buildings, at opposite ends of the resort. These upset me, because I don't think they could have tried any harder to put us further apart. I know it's a request and a request only, but come on!!!

Most recent trip in March - We were right across from each other, but only because of MS's mistake. Our original request was for a handicapped room. We had reserved a 2-BR lockoff at SSR and requested to be side by side with BIL/SIL, who also got a 2-BR. At the same time, we waitlisted a dedicated 2-BR. When the waitlist came through (about 2 weeks after the original reservation was made) and MS processed the waitlist, they didn't transfer over the handicapped part of the request or that we be located by BIL/SIL, even though both parties requested it on their reservation. Long story short, because of the mess up with our room, the manager found a way to put us right across the hall from each other. We did not get our handicapped room, though, which was terribly inconvenient as you can imagine. BTW, had we kept the original reservations, we would have been in The Springs and BIL/SIL in Carousel. Again, opposite ends of a resort!!!

Based on my experience, if you want to make the reservation and hope for the best, that's great. However, I sure would not count on it!!!

 

[Hilary]

Thanks, Buckeye Fan - sorry that things haven't worked out better than that for you with past requests! Now you've reminded me of one trip when we had three families travelling together and for part of the trip we each had a Studio at VWL and requested to be near each other. Considering VWL units aren't too spread out, we were probably about as far from each other as it was possible to be LOL! But that was nowhere near as far apart as some of your rooms!

I suppose the difference with the situation in the original question is that there are Studios next to 1-bedrooms to make up 2-bedroom lock-offs (there may not be Studios near to Studios, I don't know ) I just don't know how likely/unlikely it is that the room allocators would be able to match a Studio and it's adjoining 1-bedroom that are both available for the dates we want so that DD and BF could stay put.

 

[Nanajo1]

Here's the situation at present:

• 
  If I could switch the 2-bedroom to SSR (i.e. where DD and BF are already booked in the Studio), what are the chances of them being able to stay put and the 3 of us coming from VB move into the linked 1-bedroom for our 2 nights all together?
  
  If it's unlikely, and the chances are that DD and BF would have to pack up and move rooms anyway, then there's no point me trying to amend the ressie and they can move resorts as planned. But if it's quite 'normal' to hold on to a Studio and add the adjoining unit to make a 2-bedroom further into the ressie, then it would be good for me to try to switch (which I realise may not be possible anyway).
  
  Has anyone ever done this?

• 
  
  We have done it from starting with a 2 bedroom and downsizing to a studio and from a studio to a two bedroom.
  We have stayed in the original room both times. However,we still had to pack up and reregister. They didn't tell us that we what our room would be until 4pm!

 

[Dean]

It is a request, we've always been able to stay in the same unit whether it be from a 2 BR to a studio, vice versa or when changing payment types. One thing to note is that you must have a lockoff and not a dedicated unit to even have a chance of it working.

 

[Hilary]

Thanks for the replies At least I know it is possible, even if only as a request. Although having to pack up and check out and then back in again, like Nanajo1, defeats the whole point of trying to keep the same unit!

One thing to note is that you must have a lockoff and not a dedicated unit to even have a chance of it working.

I've checked our current ressie and we have a dedicated 2-bedroom, so I think I'm inclined to leave things as they stand, and DD and BF will have to switch resorts when we all re-group. At the time I made the ressies we picked the 'best fit' resorts for the type of trip we planned, and I'm happy to stay with that. 'Best fit' wins over saving DD the trouble of checking out

I'm really looking forward to this trip as we'll have both DDs with us - something we haven't managed for a couple of years.

 

[PEANUT1]

Hillary...sounds like a great trip...moving resorts when there are no kids is no big deal. It might be exciting for them to have a change.

 

[Dean]

Thanks for the replies At least I know it is possible, even if only as a request. Although having to pack up and check out and then back in again, like Nanajo1, defeats the whole point of trying to keep the same unit!



I've checked our current ressie and we have a dedicated 2-bedroom, so I think I'm inclined to leave things as they stand, and DD and BF will have to switch resorts when we all re-group. At the time I made the ressies we picked the 'best fit' resorts for the type of trip we planned, and I'm happy to stay with that. 'Best fit' wins over saving DD the trouble of checking out

I'm really looking forward to this trip as we'll have both DDs with us - something we haven't managed for a couple of years.

Not to confuse your situation but it's possible you could change your reservation to a 2 BR lockoff instead of the dedicated unit and still have a chance of your original request.

 

[Hilary]

Not to confuse your situation but it's possible you could change your reservation to a 2 BR lockoff instead of the dedicated unit and still have a chance of your original request.

Thanks, Dean. Yes, I did think about maybe doing that but, if we tried to switch units to make the lock-off request we'd also want to switch resorts - I can't decide whether it's worth 'rocking the boat' in the hope of keeping the Studio throughout the ressie, as that request might not come to anything anyway.

Time for a family DVC planning discussion?!