Let me be of some assistance...
We have been instructed at the Reservation Center that ALL of the Disney Resort Hotels will no longer accept or consider any room request faxed or mailed to them. If you try to call the resort directly before you check-in, the switchboard is instructed to redirect your call to the reservation center, not the front desk.
The best time to make requests for specific rooms, buildings, bedding, ground-floor, connecting rooms, etc. is when you first book the reservation or as early as possible after your reservation is made.
Remember all request must also be made with your original reservation booking source. If you booked directly with Disney by phone or Internet, you can call us, if you booked with a travel agent you MUST contact them.
Please try to be general in your request avoiding requests for specific room numbers. If you simply request room 1004 (because you know it is the closest to the bus stop) and it is not available, the resort does not know how to honor it. If you simply request a room close to transportation, and room 1004 is not available, the resort may assign you room 1003 or 1005, honoring the general request you made. Also, bedding options are continuously being reviewed so the number and location of select bedding (i.e. king beds) may change at any time.
Be sure to ask your reservation agent to check to see if what you want is even possible. For example, if you are booked in 2 standard (parking) view rooms at Disney's Wilderness Lodge, and you want connecting rooms, it cannot be honored, as there are no standard view rooms with a connecting door at the Lodge. Many rooms now also have limited bedding configurations. Request for king beds, or bunk beds may not be possible because there are none in the room category you are booked in.
When you call to make any modifications, please have the reservation agent verify any requests you have made for your room are still listed. When certain modifications are made, the accommodations comment box on a reservation may clear when the change is confirmed, erasing any requests that were noted.
The resort room coordinators will do their best to honor as many request as possible, but will factor in the number of request made. For example if you have 10 different requests and another guest made 1 or 2 requests, you may get some of the 10 honored, and the other guest may get all of their request honored.
Please keep in mind, rooms such as the Preferred Rooms at the Value Resorts or at Caribbean Beach are charged a preferred rate because they are the closest to the main building with the Food Court, Bus Stop, Front Desk, etc. Please do not request to be near these locations if you are booked in a standard room. These type of request can not be honored or even considered as it is essentially asking for a free upgrade.
Although the Resort may start pre-assigning rooms up to 2-3 days prior to your arrival, your room assignment is never finalized or guaranteed until you have arrived and are checked-in to your resort. No one at DRC or the Resort itself will be able to disclosed what (if any) pre-assignments have been made, so please don't ask.
Finally, remember nothing will guarantee you get your requests; that really will always depend on what rooms are scheduled to be vacant on the date you check-in. Often there are only a few rooms in your room category for the room coordinators or front desk Cast to choose from.
I hope this helps and enjoy your stay with us!
