Success with Concierge Requests

[my3kids]

Has everyone had good success getting their reservations and PS by using the concierge services? If the planning staff hadds your information in advance, have you gotten the tricky ones like Cinderella's Castle and the Illuminations cruises?

 

[bhillier]

Stayed @ Poly,cl in May. Got HDDR, center table and breakfast in the castle @ MK. The CM in the CL were great. I would never have expected that they could get us either ressie on such short notice. Even if they would not have been able to get those ressies for us I still would give them 5 gold stars for their part in the magical atmosphere @ the poly. I very much enjoyed my CL stay.

 

[MissionMouse]

I have researched this one too and found the concierge staff can not only get you into places that are "full" or hard to get a PS for, but into places at the last minute.

I recently read a report where a couple went to their resorts restaurant and were told the first seating they could get in was going to be at 8:20pm and it was only 5:15pm. They went up to their concierge lounge and just mentioned it to the staff, without request the CM picked up the phone, asked the couple when they wanted to dine and told them to go down to the restaurant at their desired dining time. They went down at 6:30pm and were escorted directly to their table.

Other cases commonly found were individuals getting Cinderella Castle PS with less than 30, less than 7 days out.

 

[Bracho]

The Polynesian Concierge staff has "NEVER" let me down!!!

 

[KerryCM]

The IPO staff for the Epcot resorts is awesome!! I have always gotten the PS I want at the times I want. We have had a patio seat at Rose and Crown each time we dine there and in March I got an Illuminations cruise at less than 90 days. I also have one for this trip coming up. I think it is worth staying concierge just for this reason alone. No getting up early and stressing over getting the PS you want.

 

[my3kids]

Thank you all so much. The cost is a lot, but it sounds as though we'll get a lot of wonderful help also.

Thanks for your time.

 

[micmacmissy]

We are staying in a 2 bdrm suite at the GF, concierge, in Dec. No one contacted us about our arrangements, we received nothing from Disney, and when I finally contacted the GF concierge about PS and other details, they weren't overly helpful.

The woman who answered told me there was close to NO chance for a seat at Cinderella's Royal Table, but even if she could get one (which she assured me, she doubted) she wouldn't know until a few days before we arrived.

Considering the cost of the suite (somewhere between astronomical and ridiculous), I expected a little more help with that...I was going to ask her more questions about PS's but decided to just email or fax my requests, as she was talking at warp speed and appeared to be in such a hurry to hang up the phone.

I hope it all goes well!!!!!

 

[Davids-Coco]

GF concierge was absolutely wonderful for us in doing things like that... what I was told is to contact them prior to reservation openings (before the 60 or 90 days or whatever). They have a list and are able to make the PSs on the first day they are avaliable before dinning opens to the public. Don't know how it works, but it does!

 

[Kimberle]

yes, they made my PS's BEFORE my 90 day mark.

If they don't contact you, contact them.

 

[TammiMcMan]

Micmacmissy, I'm sorry to see that the lack of service from the GF IPO department has caused you to miss out on some priority seating arrangements. Were you aware that you could call WDW-DINE for the CRT reservations at 90 days out, or did you make your resort reservation just recently? What they should be able to do is to place your request into their system and check for cancellations. I worked with Becky for our last trip and she was very professional. You might want to try addressing the e-mail to her and just outline that you had not been contacted in advance and see what kind of assistance she can offer you.

Once you do book a concierge room, you can send over all your requests and they enter them into their computer system as "pending". Even they won't be able to reserve anything until the 90 day window has opened up though. Being in concierge doesn't guarantee any recreation or dining reservations, but they do work hard in trying to get you exactly what you want.

Tammi

 

[VALDAN]

When I've told Poly concierge my reservation requests months in advance, they were able to fill them. But once we arrived, they never been able to help us with changes or new reservations. I once called and changed a dinner reservayion after the concierge desk told me nothing was available. I now make all my own.

 

[Mad4Mickey]

We got every PS that we wanted and it was very nice to just walk up and get seated. When I made my own Ps's in the past I had a short wait at least .
I dont know if it was luck or the concierge staff but it worked out wonderful !

 

[DutchsMommy]

As an FYI - and to all who might not know this - if you book through a TA online (and possibly the one at home too) they might not provide your mailing address to the concierge. The concierge then has no way of contacting you. They generally send out an Itinerary Planner where you would indicate all of your requests and they would then enter those into their system to book at the appropriate time. I just contacted AKL and Poly concierge via e-mail and telephone and the first thing they requested was my mailing address so they could fwd the Itinerary Planner to me. I would suggest that everyone with CL reservations contact them via telephone and/or e-mail to ensure they have everything they need to make your vacation memorable.

The way I figure it, it never hurts to help out a little, because concierge is there to help, but this is your vacation after all.

 

[sherry8253]

The ALK did NOT get an illuminations cruise for me. I finally started calling myself and booked on for our last night at Disney. Had I not called, there would have been no Illuminations cruise. I was NOT impressed with their service.

 

[TammiMcMan]

Unfortunately, the Illuminations cruise fell through for me also. We have a short vacation planned and there was really only one day that we could do it on. I was told that it shouldn't be any problem, but when the day came to make the reservation, they couldn't get it for me. I'm on the wait list, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I guess the cruises are getting more and more popular like CRT.

 

[VALDAN]

Originally posted by sherry8253
The ALK did NOT get an illuminations cruise for me. I finally started calling myself and booked on for our last night at Disney. Had I not called, there would have been no Illuminations cruise. I was NOT impressed with their service.

Glad to know I'm not the only one in which the concierge didn't help with.

 

[Beachangel]

No complaints from me about the AKL staff. Considering I wing it when I stay concierge, I'm always deciding where to eat the day of. Never been disappointed yet.

 

[bradpierce5]

I have been using the Beach Club Concierge extensively in preparation for our December trip. Alana & Amy have been AMAZING! They have helped with every single request, got us an Illuminations Cruise, and also secured an 8:30am PS @ CRT. All of this, and I didn't even have to lift a finger.

They have been wonderful and nice every time too. I had to switch a couple ressies around once they released December hours and it wasn't a problem at all. Plus, they give great advice on activities & meals.

 

[ead79]

I have had great success using concierge. The Polynesian concierge got me CRT a few trips ago, and the BWI concierge got me an Illuminations cruise last December. It is also my understanding that they can get you in at the last minute at restaurants at their resort (for example, Poly concierge can get you in at 'Ohana at the last minute).

 

[outahere]

When we stayed CL at the Poly in August, we had not made any PSs before we arrived. The concierge staff was able to get us every PS we asked for, a couple on one day's notice. Granted we weren't trying for CRT or an Illuminations cruise, but they were able to get every dinner PS. I did notice that we seemed to get seated much more quickly than others with a PS. When people were being told there was a 15 - 20 minute wait, we were always seated in less than 5 minutes, if not immediately.

We will definitely stay Poly CL again.