Latest Room Request Strategy

[Nappy1380]

I have a 10 day, split stay trip coming up in next month and have been reading people deviating from the typical request via member services to initiating check in early and making room requests there instead. Can someone elaborate on why one is preferred over the other, and does one yield a better success rate than the other? If early check in via DME is the new preferred method, how early does one "check in"? How do you alert that you are on property if you have already checked in?

 

[thanxfornoticin]

Just my opinion with some experience. For DVC stays, contact MS (chat, email, call - your preference) well in advance of your trip, and have them enter a request on the reservation for you - in order of preference. If/when you do online check-in, do not enter anything for room preference at that point. We tend to do the online check-in weeks in advance. But we have found we have more options for specifics of our request via MS. Online check-in is extremely limited in what you can even request.

The rooms appear to be assigned a few days in advance by Disney. So what we'll do, if we have a particular room request (perhaps close to an elevator or high floor or low floor), we'll stop by the front desk and talk with a cast member. They will not tell you the exact room you've been assigned until the room is actually ready to use. But the front desk cast member can see what room you've been assigned, and will tell you if your requests have been met, are close, or are nowhere near what you hoped from! And since it's just a request and not guaranteed, not getting a request does happen! But for a few of our trips, the cast member was able to check and adjust the room for us upon check-in. The majority or our trips, we ended up with the assigned room. Many times it met our requests. Many times it seemed like the opposite of our requests!

Good luck with your requests and how you make them. Like I said, this info is from personal opinion and experience (as recent as a Dec trip and a Jan trip). Since you'll have 2 resort stays back-to-back, I'd recommend you make requests for both. Enjoy your trip!

 

[Brian Noble]

My primary request strategy is to not put too much stock in my requests being met. That way, I am unlikely to be disappointed!

My second strategy is to make my requests somewhat general, rather than specific rooms, so that it is easy for the room assigner to know the intent of the request.

Third, I will sometimes stop by the front desk to ask about general area. So far, the general area is within spitting distance of what I was hoping for--possibly because the requests are very general.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

I really agree with keeping them general. The most important requests we've made in the past was when we traveled with another party and needed 2 rooms. We noted 'traveling together', and just about every time that request has been met to keep us close together, sometimes next to each other - probably a higher priority for assigners than we want "room 1234"!

 

[DisneyHumbug]

A couple of years ago we requested “near elevator” at BCV. I arrived @9 ish before everyone else and stopped at the front desk. The CM happily informed me we would be on the 1st floor. I am scared to death of snakes and would never be able to sleep! I asked for a different room and she said no problem. I always felt I got punished for asking for a different room as it wasn’t ready until 6:30!

 

[LadybugsMum]

I usually do my requests through Touring Plans or MS. I try not to do both. I've noticed that some resorts are better than others at requests. BLT and VGF (original building) give me rooms close to my request. In Jan 2021, we got the exact request for Kidani. BWV is a different beast; I've never gotten anything close to my request and I try to make it pretty general.

 

[mort1331]

Only time we put in a request was at Aulani. EWE tower island garden view overlooking the Luau and high floor.
Blessed with all .

 

[Simba's Mom]

Last time, I had a split stay and at both resorts, my requests were pretty general. At BCV, my only request was "upper floor" and I was on he first floor. At Kidani, I'd asked for the side closer to Jambo and close to the Timon elevator. This time I was near the Pumba elevator, past the swimming pool. I'd Emailed MS with my requests and done on-line check in. I think in the future I'll go to the front desk.

 

[CarolynFH]

Long ago we learned to deal with disappointment when we didn’t get BW view, back when it was a request and not a booking category. So our requests are generally generic, like “high floor.” The most specific requests I’ve submitted were when we booked two 2BR P/G view villas for a big family trip that occurred back in the day of RotR 7 AM BG (VQ) frenzy. I asked for a “traveling with” notation and to be placed “near the tennis courts,” and we ended up right next to each other, the last two 2BR on the ground floor of that end wing, so when we got BG 2 one day and BG 10 the next, we could zip out that door and be halfway to DHS already.

That said, if in future I have an important request (such as for a single-level BWV GV for our visit with a toddler in January), I’ll submit via MS (chat or email) and plan to stop at the front desk on arrival if I’m not sure whether it’s been granted or not. (And if we can’t get the single-level GV, I’ll ask for baby gates for the stairs while I’m at the front desk.)

 

[Pens Fan]

We make our requests by contacting MS through the website a few months ahead of time, keeping them as general as possible. I've never stopped at the front desk to ask about our room. We just take what we get. One thing I have noticed is our success rate for getting our request is much higher for longer stays - especially for ones over a week in length. When we have a short 2 or 3 night stay we've rarely gotten anything close to our request. I've wondered if they assign the longer stays first and then fill in with the short stays, which would make it more difficult to meet those requests.

But who knows? Maybe they are just throwing darts at a dartboard.

 

[lilsonicfan]

When we checked in at VGC in Jan, I hadn't made any requests. The lady at check-in told me that requests are prioritized by the time/date order in which they are made and she said usually ppl make requests right at the 11 month mark at midnight. (I don't own at VGC so couldn't have done this anyway.) She then said that the most requested view is theme park and that I hadn't made a request but that she would see what she can do...and then got us a theme park view. Maybe a little bit of magic, I don't know, but I also don't know how much stock to put into the idea that they sort only based on the time/date in which you made the request!

 

[Stargazer65]

We still usually email MS to make a general resort area request ahead of time as soon as possible. I don't put a request in during mobile check-in.

But we also go to the front desk if something is not perfect, to see if we can get better:

• i.e. when we went to RR resort last year I email'd them ahead of time that we wanted near the Skyliner. We got the Skyliner, but it was the first floor which we dislike. So I went to front desk, told them I changed my mind about the Skyliner, and we just wanted to get as high as possible, and we didn't care where in the building they put us. They made a last minute switch and we got high above the restaurant section.

 

[AnnaS]

Don't usually ask for one (many stays are at OKW HH & BCV) - when I do for certain resorts - it is usually near lobby/elevator.

 

[SL6827]

I am a firm believer that arriving as early as possible and physically checking in at the resort, DVC or regular rooms, can up your chances of room request.

 

[Nappy1380]

Thanks everyone for the great input, it's greatly appreciated!

 

[GramMo]

Here’s another room request question. Has anyone ever used TouringPlans to request a room? I am planning to book a 1 BR standard view at BWV for 6 nights at 11 months out. Should I just roll the dice and request a particular floor when I call MS to book?
Are my odds better subscribing to Touring? We generally get a P/G view and only request an upper floor. This trip we would prefer to be as far from the bus and parking area as possible as well as an upper floor (too much to ask?)

 

[thanxfornoticin]

Here’s another room request question. Has anyone ever used TouringPlans to request a room? I am planning to book a 1 BR standard view at BWV for 6 nights at 11 months out. Should I just roll the dice and request a particular floor when I call MS to book?
Are my odds better subscribing to Touring? We generally get a P/G view and only request an upper floor. This trip we would prefer to be as far from the bus and parking area as possible as well as an upper floor (too much to ask?)

If you're DVC and booking the room at BWV 11 months out, I don't think Touring will do anything for you to help improve your chances of getting your request. Contact MS and have your request(s) put on your reservation. What we tend to do is try to get to the resort earlier in the day of check in (which may not work for all guests) and check with the front desk. They can't tell you the exact room you've been assigned until it's actually ready to move into. But they can see your room number and tell you if the room is anywhere near what you requested. If not, in some circumstances, they might have the option of moving you to a more appropriate location. But it's often luck of the draw on room assignments and requests. I don't think they intentionally ignore the requests - it's just that many times the rooms you might want are occupied and not available for you.

 

[jekjones1558]

Long ago we learned to deal with disappointment when we didn’t get BW view, back when it was a request and not a booking category. So our requests are generally generic, like “high floor.” The most specific requests I’ve submitted were when we booked two 2BR P/G view villas for a big family trip that occurred back in the day of RotR 7 AM BG (VQ) frenzy. I asked for a “traveling with” notation and to be placed “near the tennis courts,” and we ended up right next to each other, the last two 2BR on the ground floor of that end wing, so when we got BG 2 one day and BG 10 the next, we could zip out that door and be halfway to DHS already.

That said, if in future I have an important request (such as for a single-level BWV GV for our visit with a toddler in January), I’ll submit via MS (chat or email) and plan to stop at the front desk on arrival if I’m not sure whether it’s been granted or not. (And if we can’t get the single-level GV, I’ll ask for baby gates for the stairs while I’m at the front desk.)

We had 2 toddlers staying in a BWV GV and asked for a single level. 5 of the 7 GVs are single level but we didn't get one. We put the ironing board through the stairwell spindles to block the steps. We had NO complaints, however, because we had booked a GV, a 2 bedroom, and 2-1 bedroom BW view rooms for one week and we got them almost in a row on 5th floor. Every room had an awesome view of MK and Epcot fireworks. Now that is what I call some awesome service from the room assigners!

 

[CarolMN]

Usually book 1 Bed SV at BWV. I seldom bother making requests anymore. Over the past several years, no matter where we end up, I find something to like about the location. Since we can both handle stairs and seldom visit the lobby, it really doesn't matter. It's just one less thing to worry about.

 

[CarolynFH]

Here’s another room request question. Has anyone ever used TouringPlans to request a room? I am planning to book a 1 BR standard view at BWV for 6 nights at 11 months out. Should I just roll the dice and request a particular floor when I call MS to book?
Are my odds better subscribing to Touring? We generally get a P/G view and only request an upper floor. This trip we would prefer to be as far from the bus and parking area as possible as well as an upper floor (too much to ask?)

I’d just ask for High Floor. If you look at this map, the Standard view villas are along the green line, and you’ll see it’s difficult to be far away from bus and/or parking. A high floor will help reduce noise from those, and I think that may be the best you can do.
Post in thread 'BWV standard studio view - of what?'
https://www.disboards.com/threads/bwv-standard-studio-view-of-what.3498521/post-55476961