Best way to request a room location?

[Plowboy]

Mrs. P and I are seasoned Disney Worlders. We've been more times than I can count and have stayed at something like a dozen different resorts over the last 30 years. Most of the time we just leave room location to chance or request a particular location at the resort when we check in. For the most part it works out fine, however for our upcoming April trip (celebrating our 40th anniversary thank you very much) I'd like to try to request a particular location at OKW. (The last time we stayed there we were placed way the he** and gone at the very end of the resort in building #49. It was a nice studio, just the location sucked.) So, here's the question. In y'all's experience, what is the best way to request a room location instead of leaving it to the gods?

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

Do online check in and select location preferences.
Also call and have your specific requests noted on your reservation.
Wouldn't hurt to also drop in there that you're celebrating your 40th anniversary.
If you arrive and are not particularly pleased with your location you can alsways go to the front desk to ask if there's anything else.

 

[correcaminos]

For OKW I would request a specific area. When I check in online at OKW I choose Peninsular area even though we are booked in Hospitality House. Peninsular area actually have 4 HH buildings. Since I do it through DVC I also chat with MS to let them know my request. You can also call and let them know. If you want to be near the HH and sre not booked in that area you can request Peninsular or buildings 62-64 and 15 or 16. Both are pretty close without being HH category. If you are with Touring Plans, you can send your request there if you have the paid membership.

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

Make sure your request is noted on your reservation. Call the week before to make sure it's still noted on your reservation. Call the night before to reconfirm and make sure it's still noted on your reservation. Call the morning of check in and make sure it's still noted on your reservation - Ask to speak with the front desk manager and explain how important the location is to you. Be polite and let them know you understand there are no guarantees but anything they could do would be greatly appreciated.

Make sure you drop in "It's our 40th Anniversary" on every one of those calls.

 

[Polydweller]

Make sure your request is noted on your reservation. Call the week before to make sure it's still noted on your reservation. Call the night before to reconfirm and make sure it's still noted on your reservation. Call the morning of check in and make sure it's still noted on your reservation - Ask to speak with the front desk manager and explain how important the location is to you. Be polite and let them know you understand there are no guarantees but anything they could do would be greatly appreciated.

Make sure you drop in "It's our 40th Anniversary" on every one of those calls.

Rooms are actually assigned 4-5 days in advance by room assigners who aren’t at the hotel. They look at the info on their screens and that’s why it is important to have it noted on your reservation so they will see it. There is no point calling night before or day of cause you’ll still just get the call center not the hotel even though they answer that way. And, they are not supposed to pass things through to the hotel unless it’s very unique circumstances which this isn’t. It’s fairly rare to get through to the hotel

So, the best way at Disney is to call in and get it on your reservation along with any special circumstances at least 6 days in advance and then hope.

 

[correcaminos]

Rooms are actually assigned 4-5 days in advance by room assigners who aren’t at the hotel. They look at the info on their screens and that’s why it is important to have it noted on your reservation so they will see it. There is no point calling night before or day of cause you’ll still just get the call center not the hotel even though they answer that way. And, they are not supposed to pass things through to the hotel unless it’s very unique circumstances which this isn’t. It’s fairly rare to get through to the hotel

So, the best way at Disney is to call in and get it on your reservation along with any special circumstances at least 6 days in advance and then hope.

Reports are earlier than that for assigning.

Talking in person at the front desk during check in can help at times though if you don't do it early enough or don't
like what you get when you arrive. Though waiting until later in the day won't help either.