TouringPlans sunsetting room requests

[Tatebeck]

Yet the best rooms may have those that check out the latest and/or are the last ones cleaned. So when you arrive, you may only be offered the rooms available or as they come available.

Maybe for a single day. But all the rooms have the same check out time, it should average out to be about the same over time.

It is never a guarantee, it's just a room request. If every single guest requests a high floor, some won't get it for example. So it will be just the luck of the draw, but that is how it is designed. And IMO complaining until you get a high floor if you weren't assigned one at first is just silly behavior.

 

[PolyRob]

Yes there will always be situations where rooms have major problems or manual reassignment will be needed.

I just figure they want to try to avoid the avalanche of squeaky wheels that may come if guests figure they can just bug the front desk CMs until they get a better room every stay.

ETA:
If they assign rooms quickly and efficiently then they may not have better rooms to send them to anyway. They aren't going to kick guests out of rooms if they have already got the text messages with their room number. And they shouldn't downgrade another guest's assigned room from their choices of a requested room just because someone else is bugging the front desk. It should be a fair shot for everyone

I meant outside of maintenance issues though. You see it here all the time people escalate and are told you can't move today, but tomorrow we can place you in X room.

If you get there before 4pm very few texts are probably already sent out.

Yet the best rooms may have those that check out the latest and/or are the last ones cleaned. So when you arrive, you may only be offered the rooms available or as they come available.

MDE does have a checkbox asking if you'd like the first room available vs your request.

 

[Tatebeck]

I meant outside of maintenance issues though. You see it here all the time people escalate and are told you can't move today, but tomorrow we can place you in X room.

If you get there before 4pm very few texts are probably already sent out.


MDE does have a checkbox asking if you'd like the first room available vs your request.

I have gotten my text message in the morning, while still at home before going to the airport on arrival day multiple times in the last couple years. And I always prioritized my selections over the "first available" choice. So it definitely happens!

They need to crack down on that if it starts increasing anyway. It simply cannot work mathematically if too many guests are trying to complain their way into their preferred room. Room requests are not guaranteed, and they need to stand by that. For every guest that complains their way into a room they like, there may be someone else who got bumped.

And they need to make sure that none of their rooms should be in condition to complain about anyway! "I didn't get the exact room I wanted" should not be grounds for a room change. Only major issues should warrant that

 

[LadybugsMum]

I got an email from TP just awhile ago. If you have a trip on your dashboard with a room request configured then it will be sent out starting tomorrow. Here's the text from the email

"We normally send room requests to Disney starting 30 days prior to check-in. However, due to the upcoming changes, we are planning to send ALL Room Requests in our system over to Disney starting tomorrow (Wednesday, April 15). This includes room requests with check-in dates more than 30 days in the future."

 

[Simba's Mom]

Just remember, the "best" or "better" rooms are very subjective terms. I really learned that when, just before a trip to WDW, I read someone's glowing report of the terrific room she had-she just loved it. Then surprisingly when I checked in a few days later, I got the same room. I practically skipped to the room, thinking I couldn't wait. Sadly, it didn't take long for me to realize that her "wonderful" room wasn't my idea of a great room at all.

 

[smile5sunshine]

The one thing I would add for options is for the specific areas for the really large DVC resorts like OKW and SSRS

This! When I went to check in through MDE for my recent stay, the only available section to choose was Grandstand. It would be helpful if thy would expand the number of options to at least include all the sections We wanted Paddock, for example, and I had to chat just to get that added.

Bonus on this would be if they let you rank your TOP THREE preferences. It is quite easy to write an algorithm that utilizes ranked choice to do the bulk of room assignments. This increases the likelihood for guest satisfaction because you are almost guaranteed to get a hit one one of your requests.

 

[Sandisw]

Even with the not guaranteed, I have seen plenty of upset guests over the years.

Personally, I am okay if Disney is cutting back on this and I’d even be okay that changes by the front desk can only be for first available if your room that has been assigned is not ready.

 

[Cfabar1]

I like room request.... tried it for the first time on Sunday coincidentally... the MS agent was WONDERFUL and so thoughtful and helpful... honestly it made me very satisfied with my membership, and I completely understand nothing is guaranteed, but just her eagerness to help me and work with specific requests - I shared how much we loved our room last time we were at BLT, and she said let's include that room number in the request so they can understand the type of room we are looking for... I really viewed it as the "disney difference"... sad to hear they are getting rid of this...

and I fully understand we may have gotten there and not gotten the room... the point is there was a way to make that desire known and documented, and allow the CMs to try to put that extra little bit of Pixie Dust onto our stay...

 

[Genie+]

We’ve only asked to be moved once. It wasn’t ready until hours after check-in and when we got inside our eyes and noses were burning with menthol fumes. Don’t know what happened in there. They eventually found us another room which wasn’t easy. It was past 7pm and occupancy was high with Rise of the Resistance opening and free dining going on.

They have granted our requests many times. Other times we received something totally different, and often it’s a great room anyway. Last trip we asked to overlook The Green at BW, we ended up in a handicap room on the other side that was doors down from the lobby. The convenient location was great even if the room was a bit hard to use. Then we moved to Coronado and were assigned handicap again! We weren’t thrilled but kept it, still happy by all the other times our requests closely matched. It’s a 2 way street. They try, sometimes things don’t work out and sometimes they do!!!