Connecting Room Fiasco

[captainkidd]

I swear, I need to become a travel agent. My friends always get these people on the phone at Disney who don't know what they're talking about. In this case, it's a lot of my friends fault for being paranoid, but regardless:

Another one of my friends is going to WDW in February and staying at ASMovies. He has one son (6 years old) who is autistic. The grandparents have decided to go as well. The grandfather is officially handicapped. Friend calls to book another room for his parents last night and says the rooms have to be connecting. Personally, I have my reasons why I don't think connecting rooms in this case is a big deal, but that's besides the point. He does and it's his trip. So, he calls to book 2nd room for his folks. Is told they will put request in, but can not guarantee connecting rooms. He calls back and speaks to a manager who confirms this, and tells him to stay at a Deluxe Villa if they all need to be together. He gets so angry, he cancels reservation.

I call and speak to someone and the lady says although they can't guarantee, they will make every effort, and given that son is autistic and father is handicapped, they should be able to guarantee connecting rooms.

So, as things stand now, my friend, who is incredibly stubborn, won't risk going and not having connecting rooms. Does anyone think if they didn't get connecting rooms that if he made a stink upon arrival, that Disney wouldn't rectify this? I know Disney CS has slipped some over the years, but they wouldn't just tell him "Sorry - Out of luck."

Ugggh, it's so frustrating trying to help people that don't want to be helped. New Years Resolution - Only help friends with Disney trips if they will let me book everything.

 

[G00fyDad]

Disney will never guarantee a room request, and I can't think of any hotel that I have ever stayed at that will. Guarantee's are dangerous should anything unforeseen happen and they can't make it work anymore. In that regard, Disney is very good with requests though and I have almost always been accommodated when I asked for something when I make my reservation.

^^ Agreed. Disney would like to be able to guarantee a room request but as the saying goes... *____** happens" and Disney would be caught in a bad way if they did this and then something came up and they couldn't honor the requests. I've never had any single room request denied, except maybe when I get stupid like I do some trips and request a specific room. You should see the looks I get. LOL

 

[drp4video]

Just out of curiosity, What if you are a single parent traveling with 5 minor children. I assume they would then guarantee connecting rooms.

 

[bullsforthewin]

Just out of curiosity, What if you are a single parent traveling with 5 minor children. I assume they would then guarantee connecting rooms.

Kids under 18 cannot have a room by themselves unless an adult is on the room.

 

[Pioneer Hall]

Just out of curiosity, What if you are a single parent traveling with 5 minor children. I assume they would then guarantee connecting rooms.

I don't remember for sure, but I think any room with a minor must have someone over the age of 18. So if that was going to be the case Disney might require you book a room that can accommodate everyone in one place like a villa or family suite.

 

[Hakunamatata]

As has been stated several times, it is very rare for a resorts with high occupancy, Disney or otherwise, to guarantee connecting or adjoining rooms. There are just far too many things that could go wrong at a resort that could prevent this from happening. That being said in all of the reservations that I have done with similar circumstances to your friends, I have never heard of the request not being honored. One thing that might throw a monkey wrench in to the request being honored is if an ADA accessible room is required by the grandparents. If he can use a regular room then their chances will be better.

There are times when regular hotels will not even guarantee you a room, even with a reservation. There have been many times I have Platinumed in at Marriott when a place was full.

 

[Monty]

There are times when regular hotels will not even guarantee you a room, even with a reservation. There have been many times I have Platinumed in at Marriott when a place was full.

Ah-HA! So that was you! :fork:

:lol:

Never actually been bumped by a Platinum member, but I've always known it was a possibility. I read my membership literature... Even though I've never even qualified for Silver, let alone Platinum!

 

[Hakunamatata]

Ah-HA! So that was you! :fork:

:lol:

Never actually been bumped by a Platinum member, but I've always known it was a possibility. I read my membership literature... Even though I've never even qualified for Silver, let alone Platinum!

I very rarely do it because I know someone who may have had a ressie for a long time gets bumped.

 

[captainkidd]

That's a promise you shouldn't make. I've read many reports of people requesting connecting rooms, not getting them, and all they got from the resort was "we're sorry".

The bottom line is, Disney does not guarantee connecting rooms, or any other request. If your friend absolutely, positively must have everyone together in connected rooms, they need a villa, or a family suite, or a Wilderness cabin.

The CM he spoke with knew exactly what they were talking about.

Sorry, but that's not accurate.

In his situation, dealing with a special needs child and a handicapped person, there is a separate number to call. I gave him the number, he made the call, and was guaranteed connecting rooms. The CM did not know what they were talking about, and this was confirmed by the CM at the Disability number he spoke to. What the original CM should have done is given him the number that I found for him.

Not having any special needs in our family, I've never had to deal with a situation like his, but there was no doubt in my mind, Disney would guarantee his request. One thing no place, ESPECIALLY Disney wants to do, is not go to every length necessary to guarantee any requests involving handicapped or special needs guests.

 

[drp4video]

Captainkidd: That is awesome that you went the extra mile and checked that out for a stranger. You don't see that much anymore, I am sure this family appreciates you very much, and glad you posted your kindness and the information on this board so that it can help other's in this situation. Bravo and Kudo's to you!!!!!

 

[captainkidd]

Captainkidd: That is awesome that you went the extra mile and checked that out for a stranger. You don't see that much anymore, I am sure this family appreciates you very much, and glad you posted your kindness and the information on this board so that it can help other's in this situation. Bravo and Kudo's to you!!!!!

Thanks, but it wasn't a stranger. It was a friend of mine.

However, I would definitely do it for someone I didn't know. I love helping people with their WDW vacations.

 

[drp4video]

I think it is still awesome for you to check, and post it here so other's can benefit from what you learned.

 

[captainkidd]

I think it is still awesome for you to check, and post it here so other's can benefit from what you learned.

Thank you. Very nice of you to say.

 

[LuLaSue]

Captain,

I had the similiar situation with a client this past November. Family of 5 and 2 Grandparents. Grandparents were taking autistic child in their room. I called the CBR directly 3 days before my clients were arrriving and explained their situation. It still was not a guarantee but, I felt better that another notification was made. The outcome.....They had adjoining rooms.

I think Disney takes situations like this into careful consideration. In the past I have personally requested an adjoining room for me and my parents and have yet to be disappointed.

I suggest calling the hotel directly a few days prior!

Good Luck!

 

[CRO-Magnum]

Disney has never guaranteed room options...

He calls back and speaks to a manager who confirms this, and tells him to stay at a Deluxe Villa if they all need to be together.

...including connecting rooms for one simple reason: the law. Florida Innkeeper Law requires hotels to allow a percentage of people to extend their stays, after they have already checked in, beyond their original check-out date. Disney uses this cushion to accomodate over-bookings when conflicts arise (only supervisors and managers in CRO can over-book, not just anyone). Thus Disney cannot control which rooms will be available and therefore what room options are available. Although they typically satisfy greater than 90% of requests, anything less than 100% is not a guarantee. So Disney has a pecking order in which they do room assignments and they start with 'needs' based requests. Indicating disabilities on the reservation and how the disability necessitates the request should put it at the top of the list.

Having a family of 6 we always need two rooms at WDW regardless of hotel. We used to go to WDW 2-3 times a year for a week or more. The only time we did not get connecting rooms, instead they were adjoining. We actually liked it so much we now request adjoining.

So although the hotel cannot guarantee, it's a 99.9% chance your friend would be okay. And the less busy the hotels are depending on the time of year, that percentage can go to as near 100% as possible without being a "guarantee". I have even known Disney to transfer people to other hotels and eat the cost difference to accomodate people who need connecting rooms for medical reasons and forgot to ask. I cannot think of a company more accomodating in this regard.

 

[CRO-Magnum]

That's good to know...

...there is a separate number to call...

...and makes sense. This was not true in the past when I worked at CRO and did consulting for them years later but it makes sense. I do know when room assignments are done, 'needs' based are given priority and I know of Disney moving people to other resort hotels to accomodate disability driven room requests.

Thanks for the info - I'll spread the word!

 

[jayhawkmickey]

Sorry, but that's not accurate.

In his situation, dealing with a special needs child and a handicapped person, there is a separate number to call. ...

Nice job, glad you were there to help this family, and glad Disney does have a way to help out in these situations.

 

[ddbowdoin]

Yeah, if I book the GF at $500 per night, I better either be staying there, or I'm off property with my money back.

same man... Ive got three hard earned nights at the Poly in July for my honeymoon, I would be rip ____** if I had to go somewhere else.

 

[BUZZCRUSH]

I think the point here is someone who has an autistic child and handiapped relative does not want to risk ( no matter how small the risk) having to deal with a situation where they don't have connecting rooms. I have no experience with either situation, but I have kids and have had the experience of dealing with relations that do not have kids and cannot understand why I don't stay up late (cause they get up early) or why I don't drink ( cause I can't keep up with my kids if I do ). So I assume this is a situation where unless you have the same circumstances in life we can't relate.

So even thought it's a 99% certainty they'll get what they want, it's not worth it to them in case they do not - as others have stated - if there is no room there is nothing Disney can do to produce one and the repercussions to this family are more than most. It's their choice, as long as they're comfortable with it then let it go.

Or as others have said, rent off site at a condo or house - problem solved.

 

[Jarienn]

Ok, unless things have changed since I was a cast member at CRO, as soon as a guest inquires about rooms for someone who is handicapped, the reservation agent should have immediately clarified if they needed an accessible room and if so, transferred the call to the Special Needs Department. Because of specific features in certain rooms, I know that Special Needs was able to block off certain rooms and in that sense "guarantee" the reservation. If the nature of the handicap or disability did not require an accessible room, then the reservations agent was correct in the statement that they could not guarantee the rooms would be connecting. There are just too many factors that can change - people could decide to stay longer, there could be a maintenance issue or in the case of one instance we encountered personally, a major plumbing issue. Just last month, we checked in to the Beach Club 2 days before our friends arrived and the front desk agent informed us that our friends would have the room next door to us when they got there, but the current guests didn't check out as planned so our friends got moved to a different room. Even in a span of 2 days, the room blocking had to be changed.

It certainly sounds like in this instance the guests were finally connected to the Special Needs reservationists an their issues were resolved, but sometimes it definitely takes a lot of calls to get the cast member who knows to ask the right questions. I was on the receiving end of a lot of frustrated guest calls myself and I've personally been a frustrated guest too.

 

[Laura]

Does anyone think if they didn't get connecting rooms that if he made a stink upon arrival, that Disney wouldn't rectify this? I know Disney CS has slipped some over the years, but they wouldn't just tell him "Sorry - Out of luck."

Unfortunately they would. Several years ago I was traveling alone with a baby and a toddler, but meeting up with 3 other family members who were coming in from another part of the country (grandmother, aunt, cousin) at All Star Movies. It was physically impossible for me to carry my luggage, 2 babies, strollers, and everything else by myself each day and I needed their help. I called several times to confirm that my room would either be connected to my relatives' room, or at least near it so that I would have some help. When I checked in, they placed me at the complete opposite end of the entire resort from the rest of my group. I told them I could not do this trip without the help of my family and I needed a room closer to them, but they basically said "too bad, so sad" and I was out of luck. It ended up being the worst vacation I've ever taken in my life. This was not a "peak" time either. It was early December when the parks were dead. My toddler (who is now 10) ended up getting really sick (throwing up, fever, etc.), and then I REALLY needed some help from my family, but I was still on my own. I spent half the trip sitting in the hotel room with the babies by myself. I was REALLY ticked off.