Success Rate in Getting Connecting Rooms for Immediate Family

[KayaWildfire]

And idea if this can be done via DVC owner request? We are renting points at Poly and have three rooms booked. Four kids between us and connecting rooms would be ideal but not sure I can call myself :-/

I would ask the DVC member to request connecting rooms for you. The linked reservation isn't a request, but you have to ask Disney to do it. Maybe someone on here knows, but I would call and try. Worst case Disney says no, contact your DVC person. Do be aware only two rooms can connect, not three, just an FYI.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I get plenty of alone time when I’m traveling for work. Vacations are family time and we want to be together. It’s much harder for large families to figure out suitable accommodations... I wish Disney would make it a little easier.

Disney has greatly expanded the number of rooms/options for larger parties.

I think the most important thing is to make it the first request on your reservation

Even better, have it as the only request.

And idea if this can be done via DVC owner request? We are renting points at Poly and have three rooms booked. Four kids between us and connecting rooms would be ideal but not sure I can call myself :-/

If all points are booked through the same DVC owner, then probably.

 

[saraheliz]

We asked for connecting room once, 9 year ago. When we first arrived we had not been assigned connecting rooms, however a quick chat with guest services and they moved us immediately with no issue.

 

[KTR]

January 2017 we requested connecting rooms at All Star Sports and a specific building. We received the connecting rooms but not the building. The connecting rooms were much more important to us so we were happy with that.

 

[Mickey's Best Girl]

I have only requested connecting rooms once in our many stays. It was to connect with my brother and his kids so not a necessity but a convenience. We received the connecting rooms. This was at Pop.

After reading these boards for many years and seeing these types of threads pop up it makes me crazy when we are given a connecting room without needing one. It’s happened about 4/5 times and I always think “surly someone else must need this room”.

 

[cheshiregoofy22]

We've always received connecting rooms without asking for our family of five (POP and All Star Sports - we stayed in one room at POR when the kiddos were little). Now that they're 21 and 22, we'll see how it goes at POP in May/June!

 

[KTR]

Hi all! We are a family of 6 and the best deal for us onsite is 2 rooms at a value. We are booked with a TA convention rate and not directly with Disney, so we had to book it as 2 linked reservations. Many people, including our TA have warned us that the connecting rooms are not guaranteed but I want to know real life experiences of people that have requested and NOT received connecting rooms...when they needed them. For example, 2 adults and 3+ children staying together. This does not include people's experiences when traveling with grandparents, extended family members, friends, etc as I am just trying to narrow it down to our situation. Thanks in advance!

I don’t know what kind of deal the convention rate is so this is probably a bigger price increase for you than it was for us, but we found that a family suite at All Star Music was less than $200 more over the entire 7 nights than 2 connecting rooms at the any of the All Stars. To us that $200 is worth it because it lessens the stress of worrying about being connecting. Plus we are on the dining plan and found it a big pain to have our dining credits split across 2 rooms. This way they will all be together. Added bonus is the suites are all in the front 2 buildings so they are basically preferred location rooms. Of course with your convention rate it may be quite a bit more to move to a suite.

 

[DebbieB]

And idea if this can be done via DVC owner request? We are renting points at Poly and have three rooms booked. Four kids between us and connecting rooms would be ideal but not sure I can call myself :-/

Poly rooms connect in pairs, so 2 could be connecting. The member would have to contact DVC.

 

[J'aime Paris]

We stayed at POP for our DD's sweet 16.
We booked 2 rooms, as DD and her BFF wanted a room, and myself and DH in the other. (we had to book it as 1 adult, 1 youth in each room)
We did receive connecting rooms as requested.

I hope it works out for you!!

 

[Tom P.]

FWIW, Dreams Unlimited Travel, which I'm sure everyone knows is who is behind Disboards, says that you *can* get guaranteed connecting rooms if it is an immediate family (i.e., parents and their children) and there are more children than adults. I know this has been touched on in this thread, and some have said that even that is not guaranteed. But I'm just telling you what Dreams says.

This exact issue was addressed on an episode of the Dreams Unlimited Travel podcast. Here is that video. The relevant portion begins at 4:47, which should be where this video starts.

 

[dansdad]

FWIW, Dreams Unlimited Travel, which I'm sure everyone knows is who is behind Disboards, says that you *can* get guaranteed connecting rooms if it is an immediate family (i.e., parents and their children) and there are more children than adults. I know this has been touched on in this thread, and some have said that even that is not guaranteed. But I'm just telling you what Dreams says.

This exact issue was addressed on an episode of the Dreams Unlimited Travel podcast. Here is that video. The relevant portion begins at 4:47, which should be where this video starts.

It's amazing how many people, whether inside WDW or out, keep passing on incorrect information.

 

[zoo2tycoon]

FWIW, Dreams Unlimited Travel, which I'm sure everyone knows is who is behind Disboards, says that you *can* get guaranteed connecting rooms if it is an immediate family (i.e., parents and their children) and there are more children than adults. I know this has been touched on in this thread, and some have said that even that is not guaranteed. But I'm just telling you what Dreams says.

This exact issue was addressed on an episode of the Dreams Unlimited Travel podcast. Here is that video. The relevant portion begins at 4:47, which should be where this video starts.

Not at all true... this is direct from the website

 

[bluezy]

FWIW, Dreams Unlimited Travel, which I'm sure everyone knows is who is behind Disboards, says that you *can* get guaranteed connecting rooms if it is an immediate family (i.e., parents and their children) and there are more children than adults. I know this has been touched on in this thread, and some have said that even that is not guaranteed. But I'm just telling you what Dreams says.

This exact issue was addressed on an episode of the Dreams Unlimited Travel podcast. Here is that video. The relevant portion begins at 4:47, which should be where this video starts.

Search these (and other) forums and you will find numerous people who fit that criteria and did *not* get connecting rooms at check-in despite a CM or TA telling them they were guaranteed. Disney does what they can, but they cannot guarantee connecting rooms. Many of the people who don't get connecting rooms initially are able to move to connecting rooms the next day -- Disney does what they can with the room inventory available at the time. If you read the fine print of a reservation confirmation you aren't even guaranteed a room at the resort you booked. The Disney Earmarked TA that I have used for over 15 years explicitly tells clients that no matter what anyone says, connecting rooms are only a request and not a guarantee.

 

[beck00]

Thanks to everyone responding! I actually had a dream about this last night...ended up we did not get connecting rooms and somehow i scored a room all to myself and DH slept in the room with the kids! Again it was only a dream.

But I guess it wouldn't be so bad if we were split up...all 3 boys would choose to stay with dad I'm sure and my 1 princess would want her mommy. Might be kind of fun actually!

Great positive outlook! We have received connecting rooms the three times we requested them. The last extended family trip I planned, we were actually given the five rooms in a room we requested at ASSp. That was an amazing accomplishment and I was sure to thank the resort staff! Best of luck!

 

[Tom P.]

Not at all true... this is direct from the website

What is not at all true? It might be not at all true that connecting rooms are guaranteed, but it's quite definitely true that Dreams says they can guarantee them in that one circumstance.

Did you check the video I posted? The key people at Dreams are right there discussing it.

 

[bluezy]

What is not at all true? It might be not at all true that connecting rooms are guaranteed, but it's quite definitely true that Dreams says they can guarantee them in that one circumstance.

Did you check the video I posted? The key people at Dreams are right there discussing it.

They can say it all they want, that doesn't make it true. And other people saying that it's accurate/true because a TA said it just sets people up for a huge surprise/disaster if they get to the hotel and don't get connecting rooms when they thought they were guaranteed. I just saw a post on a Disney FB group this morning about a family with 4 kids under 8 who were "guaranteed" connecting rooms at one of the Value resorts by their TA and guess what? No connecting rooms at check-in. They're supposed to be moving to connecting rooms today. There is no situation (outside of possibly a disability issue...but I'm not sure on that) that connecting rooms are guaranteed. None. No matter what the kid to parent ratio is.

 

[dansdad]

What is not at all true? It might be not at all true that connecting rooms are guaranteed, but it's quite definitely true that Dreams says they can guarantee them in that one circumstance.

And that is what is not true.

 

[zoo2tycoon]

What is not at all true? It might be not at all true that connecting rooms are guaranteed, but it's quite definitely true that Dreams says they can guarantee them in that one circumstance.

Did you check the video I posted? The key people at Dreams are right there discussing it.

Did you not see IN WRITING ON THEIR WEBSITE it clearly stated request basis only and are subject to availability.

No hotel guarantees a connecting room unless a bookahle category. How can a travel agent guarantee something even Disney can’t/doesn’t?

Reminds me incorrect info someone posted about an airline guaranteeing that even if you didn’t purchase seat assignment they wouldn’t separate parents/kids. Same thing not anywhere on website and totally contradicted what the website said.

 

[bluezy]

Did you not see IN WRITING ON THEIR WEBSITE it clearly stated request basis only and are subject to availability.

No hotel guarantees a connecting room unless a bookahle category. How can a travel agent guarantee something even Disney can’t/doesn’t?

Reminds me incorrect info someone posted about an airline guaranteeing that even if you didn’t purchase seat assignment they wouldn’t separate parents/kids. Same thing not anywhere on website and totally contradicted what the website said.

This!!! The travel agents don't assign the rooms, Disney does. And Disney does not guarantee connecting rooms.

 

[Dug720]

We asked for connecting room once, 9 year ago. When we first arrived we had not been assigned connecting rooms, however a quick chat with guest services and they moved us immediately with no issue.

Because there happened to be rooms available then that may not have been for the assigners when they made the assignments. If there had not been any connecting available, there is nothing that could have been done. They cannot go make a door where none exists.