On our previous four trips, no problems getting non-smoking. I always add this to our reservations when making the reservation. We were in a smoking room that had recently been turned into a non-smoking room at POR, which we were informed of at checkin. It had a slight deodorizer smell, but it wasn't too bad at all. However, I did have a problem at Pop Century a few weeks ago. I was so upset, I even sent a letter to the resort manager when we returned. Here is the letter:
Dear Resort Manager:
I am writing in regards to my stay at the Pop Century Resort for one night on July 4, 2004 (reservation # XXXXXXXXXX). My husband and I were on our Honeymoon and were eagerly anticipating our stay at Walt Disney World after experiencing exceptional service on the
Disney Cruise Line and at Universals Royal Pacific Resort the week before. We realized our stay at the Pop Century was brief, however we were excited to experience Disneys newest resort before checking into the Polynesian for the remainder of our stay.
We arrived at the Pop Century around 9:45 a.m. and proceeded to check in. During check in, I was informed that a King Bed room had been assigned to us since it was our honeymoon, but that it was not ready yet. I was told nothing else about the room or its location and told to call after 3 p.m. to get my room number. We stored our luggage with Bell Services and headed to the Magic Kingdom for the day.
After a long, hot, and exhausting July 4th in the parks, we returned to the Pop Century around 11 p.m. and found out that our room was in the 1950s section. When I had made my reservation, I had made two requests; for a non-smoking room, and to be in the 1950s section. We have stayed in Walt Disney World resorts 5 times since 2001, so I realize that requests cannot be guaranteed. We had not requested a king bed, so that was a nice surprise.
When we got to our room, I was happy to see that our luggage was already there. However, as soon as we walked into the room, we were immediately overwhelmed by the smell of smoke. We had not been told that this was a smoking optional room, and the odor was VERY apparent. My husband and I do not smoke, nor does anyone in our family, so we are especially sensitive to the smell. I was very upset, because a non-smoking room was my primary request. Had I been informed that this room was smoking optional when I checked in at 9:45 that morning, I would have insisted on a different room.
I immediately called the front desk and asked to be moved to a different room. The cast member offered to have the room iodized and have air fresheners brought up, but that she couldnt give us another room because the resort was booked to capacity. I found this unacceptable because I did not want to smell smoke mixed with heavy air fresheners all night. I then asked to speak to a supervisor to see if I could get the situation rectified.
Vincent called me back in about 15 minutes and again offered to have air fresheners brought up to the room. I explained to him that this was not acceptable to me and that I wanted a new room. He said that the resort was booked and that they couldnt get us another room with a king bed. Although appreciative of the king bed, I had never requested it and all I was asking for was a non-smoking room. Again I was told no other rooms were available. After several minutes of this, I demanded to be moved to another resort with a non smoking room. I was told there was a room at All Star Sports that was non-smoking so I agreed to move there for the night.
When bell services arrived 15 minutes later, the cast member informed us there was a non-smoking room available in the 1990s section that we were being moved to. This had been all I asked for in the first place, yet I had been told numerous times that there were no non-smoking rooms available. The second room was satisfactory, and we had no further problems at Pop Century.
The reason I chose to inform you of our situation was that we have come to expect excellent service and problem solving from Disney. If I had been informed that our room was smoking optional when I checked-in, I would have had the problem rectified immediately instead of that night after a long and exhausting day in the Magic Kingdom. I realize that requesting a non-smoking room is not guaranteed, however I feel that if Disney cannot meet this particular request (especially with all the risks associated with second hand smoke), the guest should be informed immediately so that they have the opportunity to make alternate arrangements.
In closing, we still had a wonderful time during our stay at the Walt Disney World Resort and we are now in the process of purchasing the Disney Vacation Club at Saratoga Springs. However, after experiencing excellent service on our
Disney Cruise, at Universals Royal Pacific Resort, and at the Polynesian Resort, our negative experience at the Pop Century Resort really stands out and put a damper on our honeymoon for a few days. We wanted to make you aware of the problem to hopefully prevent it from happening again.
Thank you for you time. Should you have any further questions, you can reach me at XXXXXXXX or my email XXXXXXXXX.