Touring Plans and Resorts

[Frozen2014]

I recently subscribed to Touring Plans for a year for our WDW trip end of next summer.
I noticed that it asks where you are staying and reservation # and resservation name.

Why would it ask for your reservation? Can you submit room requests via the website and they will request on your behalf? (Think I might have seen Touring Plans mentioned wrt room requests). Any advantage?

Thanks.

 

[SaintsManiac]

I recently subscribed to Touring Plans for a year for our WDW trip end of next summer.
I noticed that it asks where you are staying and reservation # and resservation name.

Why would it ask for your reservation? Can you submit room requests via the website and they will request on your behalf? (Think I might have seen Touring Plans mentioned wrt room requests). Any advantage?

Thanks.

Yes

 

[Dug720]

I recently subscribed to Touring Plans for a year for our WDW trip end of next summer.
I noticed that it asks where you are staying and reservation # and resservation name.

Why would it ask for your reservation? Can you submit room requests via the website and they will request on your behalf? (Think I might have seen Touring Plans mentioned wrt room requests). Any advantage?

Thanks.

Yes, a subscription includes the opportunity to create a room request that will be sent to a special email Len has been given - the email is sent 30 days in advance of your stay.

I do not know that there is any advantage - requests are only that. It is best to leave the pre-populated line as-is because that is the wording the assigners understand for locations. You can use the box to give a little more information such as why that is your request. It is best to keep it to 2 or 3 max and to prioritize them so the assigner knows what is most important (ex for my upcoming Pop stay: 1st priority - top floor; 2nd priority - 70s building; 3rd priority - lake view.

You can do online check-in if you want - just make sure that if you make requests there they do not contradict what you are asking for in the fax. Mostly do not check the box that early arrival is most important unless it IS the most important.

 

[Frozen2014]

Yes, a subscription includes the opportunity to create a room request that will be sent to a special email Len has been given - the email is sent 30 days in advance of your stay.

I do not know that there is any advantage - requests are only that. It is best to leave the pre-populated line as-is because that is the wording the assigners understand for locations. You can use the box to give a little more information such as why that is your request. It is best to keep it to 2 or 3 max and to prioritize them so the assigner knows what is most important (ex for my upcoming Pop stay: 1st priority - top floor; 2nd priority - 70s building; 3rd priority - lake view.

You can do online check-in if you want - just make sure that if you make requests there they do not contradict what you are asking for in the fax. Mostly do not check the box that early arrival is most important unless it IS the most important.

Thanks for the detailed response! We are from Canada and I have downloaded Google Hangouts so I can call in my request but have yet to do so as I haven't determined where to request yet. ..lol. (We booked just a standard room. I'm thinking 70s Lake View, but not sure. )

But if there is a way to put in the request online, even better as it saves a long distance all...or trying Hangouts that may not be as clear).

What do you mean by the above in bold? We'll be coming right from a cruise so would be nice if we had early check in (but from what others have said here, we can also use Luggage Services to store our bags and then just head out to the park).

 

[maryj11]

I have used touring plans room request the past 3 trips. The first time I got a room really close to my request the other 2 times no where near it. They need your reservation number on touring plans in order to send your room request. There is no where to add your room request on the Disney site so you have to call and have them add if.
If you do any requests make sure they are the same for touring plans and the one you call Disney to add.
If you get there at check in and your room is not what you requested always ask if they have what you want. The past 2 times we have had to ask at check in and they did change our room to what we wanted.

 

[zoo2tycoon]

I’ve used TP room request before. First trip location was what we wanted (I just requested a certain location). Second time at Poly nowhere what we requested (were CL and asked first or third floor non-connecting) - got second floor connecting. CM was great and got us non-connecting second floor at far end of hall lagoon view when we were garden view. I’d never request a specific room. We are trying again at Coranado tower in January (doing CL standard so I know limited rooms). Will just do generic higher floor, non-connecting, away from elevator

TP is a great tool!

 

[Dug720]

Thanks for the detailed response! We are from Canada and I have downloaded Google Hangouts so I can call in my request but have yet to do so as I haven't determined where to request yet. ..lol. (We booked just a standard room. I'm thinking 70s Lake View, but not sure. )

But if there is a way to put in the request online, even better as it saves a long distance all...or trying Hangouts that may not be as clear).

What do you mean by the above in bold? We'll be coming right from a cruise so would be nice if we had early check in (but from what others have said here, we can also use Luggage Services to store our bags and then just head out to the park).

If you do online check-in on the MDE site or app, there is the opportunity to select up to 2 requests from repopulated menus. There is also a check box to select if it is more important for you to if possible have your room ready early. If you check that box, the assigner will likely try to assign a room that is empty the previous night - yes, it does happen though rare - even if it does not meet your requests. If you would rather them try to meet your requests, it is better to not check that box.

 

[Frozen2014]

I have used touring plans room request the past 3 trips. The first time I got a room really close to my request the other 2 times no where near it. They need your reservation number on touring plans in order to send your room request. There is no where to add your room request on the Disney site so you have to call and have them add if.
If you do any requests make sure they are the same for touring plans and the one you call Disney to add.
If you get there at check in and your room is not what you requested always ask if they have what you want. The past 2 times we have had to ask at check in and they did change our room to what we wanted.

Is it worth making the room request twice (I e.obe via calling and once via Touring Plans)?

 

[Frozen2014]

If you do online check-in on the MDE site or app, there is the opportunity to select up to 2 requests from repopulated menus. There is also a check box to select if it is more important for you to if possible have your room ready early. If you check that box, the assigner will likely try to assign a room that is empty the previous night - yes, it does happen though rare - even if it does not meet your requests. If you would rather them try to meet your requests, it is better to not check that box.

Got it. Makes sense. Thanks .
If you request early check in, then your pool of rooms would only be ones where the previous people have checked out. So unlikely to get both.,

 

[Dug720]

Got it. Makes sense. Thanks .
If you request early check in, then your pool of rooms would only be ones where the previous people have checked out. So unlikely to get both.,

Right. IF they are able to block you into a room for early arrival, it would be from a small pool of empty rooms (if there even were any the prior night).

 

[maryj11]

Is it worth making the room request twice (I e.obe via calling and once via Touring Plans)?

Once is probably fine. In the past it seemed that we did get our request most the time from just calling Disney to add it. The past couple years I don’t even think they have checked for requests.

 

[ColoradoMom12]

Yes, a subscription includes the opportunity to create a room request that will be sent to a special email Len has been given - the email is sent 30 days in advance of your stay.

I think it’s more like 5-7 days before your stay. At least that’s when I tend to receive an “alert” email from Touring Plans that my room request will be submitted soon. I have a trip in October (28 days away), and I have not received anything yet that my request will be submitted soon. In fact, I didn’t even make a room request until last night!

 

[Dug720]

I think it’s more like 5-7 days before your stay. At least that’s when I tend to receive an “alert” email from Touring Plans that my room request will be submitted soon. I have a trip in October (28 days away), and I have not received anything yet that my request will be submitted soon. In fact, I didn’t even make a room request until last night!

No, that was the fax. The procedure has changed in the past month. Len posted on the forum about it. I suggested they send out an email to alert people about the change since not everyone is on those forums - but apparently they did not: Now it is emailed 30 days in advance - so I would firm up those plans now...and hope they see a request has been made and send it.

 

[Disneylover99]

No, that was the fax. The procedure has changed in the past month. Len posted on the forum about it. I suggested they send out an email to alert people about the change since not everyone is on those forums - but apparently they did not: Now it is emailed 30 days in advance - so I would firm up those plans now...and hope they see a request has been made and send it.

Thanks for the info. I just checked out the discussion on that forum, and you’re right. They really should notify subscribers of the change.

 

[Dug720]

Thanks for the info. I just checked out the discussion on that forum, and you’re right. They really should notify subscribers of the change.

Yeah. I repeated that again. We will see if it happens. I think they erroneously assume all subscribers are on the forums. I did not even know those forums existed until last years and I had been subscribed for several.

 

[Disneylover99]

Yeah. I repeated that again. We will see if it happens. I think they erroneously assume all subscribers are on the forums. I did not even know those forums existed until last years and I had been subscribed for several.

I had no idea about those forums til you mentioned them, so I’ve known for about 20 minutes now. Lol.

 

[_19disnA]

There is nowhere to add your room request on the Disney site so you have to call and have them add.....

That used to be the case, but several of the Disney resorts DO allow you to make a room request online with your reservation. We did it when staying at the Contemporary a few months ago and it worked out fine. Perhaps Touring Plans paid subscription offers other features, but doubt they are any more likely to get your preferred location vs. any other method.

 

[Frozen2014]

Any advantage to putting in a room request via phone call now (i.e. 11-12 months in advance)? Or when you request it doesn't make a difference? If no advantage, then may as well request via Touring Plans.

 

[ColoradoMom12]

No, that was the fax. The procedure has changed in the past month. Len posted on the forum about it. I suggested they send out an email to alert people about the change since not everyone is on those forums - but apparently they did not: Now it is emailed 30 days in advance - so I would firm up those plans now...and hope they see a request has been made and send it.

Thanks for sharing that. I had no idea about either the forums or that change to their procedure. We have another trip planned at Thanksgiving, so I will get our room request figured out a little bit sooner! Do you know if they still notify when the request has been sent?

 

[Dug720]

Thanks for sharing that. I had no idea about either the forums or that change to their procedure. We have another trip planned at Thanksgiving, so I will get our room request figured out a little bit sooner! Do you know if they still notify when the request has been sent?

You’re welcome!

Yes. They still do that. I got one after mine was sent.

Len has now said that if a request is set within the 30 days they will send it then - but who knows. I would try to make sure it is set before 30 days and just leave it be since I don’t know if changes would be sent after the initial one.