-
Welcome to the WDWMAGIC.COM Forums!
Please take a look around, and feel free to sign up and join the community.
getting resort reservations requests honored
- Thread starter seahawk7
- Start date
JasonDeyoung
Well-Known Member
Call the resort directly when it's with in 10 days if your arrival
3 steps:
1 - Make a written request about 30 days in advance of arriving. A real live letter in the mail to the resort's reservations desk. Give your confirmation number, trip dates, and specifics of your request.
2 - Then, at 10 days out, call the resort and confirm that they received your request. All the time being as gracious as possible ("I totally understand that you may not be able to honor our request" as many times as possible). Politeness pays off!
3 - If your travel plans allow it, try to get to check-in early in the day (we drive overnight when we travel, so we check in before 7am most visits) and when you check-in, verify the request once more and make sure to let them know that you would rather have the request than have first available room.
Based on lots of anecdotal evidence and a number of our experiences, it has not failed when you do all three of these things! Good luck.
1 - Make a written request about 30 days in advance of arriving. A real live letter in the mail to the resort's reservations desk. Give your confirmation number, trip dates, and specifics of your request.
2 - Then, at 10 days out, call the resort and confirm that they received your request. All the time being as gracious as possible ("I totally understand that you may not be able to honor our request" as many times as possible). Politeness pays off!
3 - If your travel plans allow it, try to get to check-in early in the day (we drive overnight when we travel, so we check in before 7am most visits) and when you check-in, verify the request once more and make sure to let them know that you would rather have the request than have first available room.
Based on lots of anecdotal evidence and a number of our experiences, it has not failed when you do all three of these things! Good luck.
Polydweller
Well-Known Member
With Disney you can't call the resort directly. Regardless of how they answer, and they will answer as though they are the hotel, you will be talking to a call centre not the hotel. If you could call the resort directly, everyone would do this and the front desks of the resorts would be overwhelmed.
The best you can do is make sure it's on your reservation and Central Resevations can do that. Then ask again when you checkin.
Tuvalu
Premium Member
Exactly this ^^^^.
Rob562
Well-Known Member
Your best bet is to not get too specific with your request. Don't ask for specific room numbers. Include why you're asking for something."Near the elevator" is more understandable to the Room Controller than "Room #1234 or 1236".
And if you whittle things down TOO much ("Room on the 3rd floor, near an elevator with a view of gardens") you have a far less chance of getting it.
When we stayed in Saratoga Springs a few years ago we asked for "Congress Park or near bus". They weren't able to get us in Congress Park, but we got a first floor room in the Paddock building that is immediately next to the Carousel bus stop. We were back in our room about 45 seconds after stepping off the bus.
This time at SSR in November I've asked for a unit in the Springs or the 8000 buildings of Grandstand. I figure a request that includes about 30% of the buildings in the resort has a good chance of getting fulfilled.
-Rob
And if you whittle things down TOO much ("Room on the 3rd floor, near an elevator with a view of gardens") you have a far less chance of getting it.
When we stayed in Saratoga Springs a few years ago we asked for "Congress Park or near bus". They weren't able to get us in Congress Park, but we got a first floor room in the Paddock building that is immediately next to the Carousel bus stop. We were back in our room about 45 seconds after stepping off the bus.
This time at SSR in November I've asked for a unit in the Springs or the 8000 buildings of Grandstand. I figure a request that includes about 30% of the buildings in the resort has a good chance of getting fulfilled.
-Rob
Last edited:
PoppinsFan
Active Member
We just got back from POR, I had called a few days before and asked to stay in the Magnolia Bend section. When we checked in we were given a room in Alligator Bayou, we asked if there was any way to stay in the Magnolia Bend section. Our CM made a phone call, and we were upgraded to a Princess Room in the Magnolia Bend section.
dreamfinder
Well-Known Member
As @Rob562 mentioned, request the reason for the room/location, not the specific room/location. If you want something close to water, or the staircase, or the ice machine, request that. They will do their best to accommodate you, but remember they have hundreds of people checking in/out daily, and that will greatly influence their ability to grant your request. If you happen to check in the same day as a senior citizen tour group, you may have problems getting first floor or by an elevator, but it never hurts to ask.
kelknight84
Well-Known Member
We just use the online check-in to select what we want. We've had success about 90% of the time.