Room Assignments at check-in

[disneycouple07]

When a family checks in at the resort counter, how are the rooms assigned? If a family puts a special request in, for example, specific view, building, or queen/king, is it first come first serve? Or are the rooms assigned within a certain amount of days before actual check-in based on when the reservation was made and the resorts fill the special request first?

Also, what are the advantages of checking in through the online system.

 

[UberPlannerMom]

Let me know if you have any more room questions.

Is it ok if we only request not something? For example, for the most part we don't care where our room is, but there is a section that just does not appeal to us for many reasons... can we ask to simply not end up in that section?

 

[epcot2004]

We always ask the Cast Member to show us where our room is on the resort map before we leave the counter and complete the check-in process. If we are dis-satisfied with location/floor we ask them to re-assign if there is availability. This started many years ago after ending up with a room at the back of CBR, very far from the main building.

 

[Master Yoda]

Is it ok if we only request not something? For example, for the most part we don't care where our room is, but there is a section that just does not appeal to us for many reasons... can we ask to simply not end up in that section?

Absolutely. Not near a pool it quite a popular request at the values and moderates.

 

[disneycouple07]

My previous experience was in Sept Last year, staying at POR-

I booked online but then called to request a room that was close to the main building because I was 7 months prego. Again, like many have said the CM said they will put the request on the reservation but no guarantees. I checked in online and highly recommend it. I had no wait compared to the long line of people that were checking in there. When we did pick up our packet and room keys I asked again to make sure if my request had been granted....they said there was no request attached to my reservation...but were very fast to change rooms for me and gave me my requested room. Even with the room change it took no more than 3-4 minutes to get checked in vs. waiting in line and then waiting for everything to printed out, signed, verified...etc.

Hope this helps....this was just my experience and we have planned do the same thing in September this year (check in online) oh but minus the prego.....and +1 baby

First, congratulations on the baby! How exciting being able to take the little one to WDW for the first time. I also plan on checking in through the online system. This will be my first time using it. Don't know if there are any "perks" besides a faster check-in process.

I'm hoping they will be able to accommodate our request. I'm trying to not come off in wrong, ungrateful way - whining about the size of bed we get BUT sleeping in a king size bed every night and going to a queen will be uncomfortable for the both of us. DH literally tumbles in bed while sleeping, I get elbowed, kicked, he's just a rough sleeper. I'm over the bed size issue and will just put up with anything we get at the Contemporary, but DH is determined to get his way or we're moving resorts. He said he wants me to be comfortable and if I don't get enough sleep, I'll be miserable. I've put the request in my reservation and have verified it's still in there. I've called the Contemporary inquiring how many king beds they have with the MK view, the CM said 3 not counting club level. We paid for the "regular" MK view, so our chances of getting a king bed is slim. I've been so excited about staying at the Contemporary, but we might be moving to the Boardwalk upon arrival.

 

[Master Yoda]

First, congratulations on the baby! How exciting being able to take the little one to WDW for the first time. I also plan on checking in through the online system. This will be my first time using it. Don't know if there are any "perks" besides a faster check-in process.

I'm hoping they will be able to accommodate our request. I'm trying to not come off in wrong, ungrateful way - whining about the size of bed we get BUT sleeping in a king size bed every night and going to a queen will be uncomfortable for the both of us. DH literally tumbles in bed while sleeping, I get elbowed, kicked, he's just a rough sleeper. I'm over the bed size issue and will just put up with anything we get at the Contemporary, but DH is determined to get his way or we're moving resorts. He said he wants me to be comfortable and if I don't get enough sleep, I'll be miserable. I've put the request in my reservation and have verified it's still in there. I've called the Contemporary inquiring how many king beds they have with the MK view, the CM said 3 not counting club level. We paid for the "regular" MK view, so our chances of getting a king bed is slim. I've been so excited about staying at the Contemporary, but we might be moving to the Boardwalk upon arrival.

That is pretty much it. They also try to have your room ready upon arrival as well.

 

[TOTGuy]

I'm hoping they will be able to accommodate our request. I'm trying to not come off in wrong, ungrateful way - whining about the size of bed we get BUT sleeping in a king size bed every night and going to a queen will be uncomfortable for the both of us. DH literally tumbles in bed while sleeping, I get elbowed, kicked, he's just a rough sleeper. I'm over the bed size issue and will just put up with anything we get at the Contemporary, but DH is determined to get his way or we're moving resorts. He said he wants me to be comfortable and if I don't get enough sleep, I'll be miserable. I've put the request in my reservation and have verified it's still in there. I've called the Contemporary inquiring how many king beds they have with the MK view, the CM said 3 not counting club level. We paid for the "regular" MK view, so our chances of getting a king bed is slim. I've been so excited about staying at the Contemporary, but we might be moving to the Boardwalk upon arrival.

If it's that important to you I would suggest changing to the Boardwalk now. With only three King Beds and the plethora of requests it doesn't sound very promising. I would save yourself the hassle and change now. We get a lot of people who request King beds at the Poly and never get them. Mostly because we don't have any. They then decide to change hotels. I would just nip it in the bud and change now.

 

[canada1414]

Hey TOT, we're staying at POFQ and we've requested either building by the main building. Do we have good odds of getting them? We learned last year to not ask for too many things as they begin to cancel each other out. Also when we get there it will be our anniversary. Will they maybe upgrade us at all? We arrive on our Anniversary day.
Thanks TOT

 

[CleveRocks]

Hey TOT, we're staying at POFQ and we've requested either building by the main building. Do we have good odds of getting them? We learned last year to not ask for too many things as they begin to cancel each other out. Also when we get there it will be our anniversary. Will they maybe upgrade us at all? We arrive on our Anniversary day.
Thanks TOT

I'm not TOT, but let me tell you my POFQ experience.

I always do my homework before a trip. I want to give my family the best experience possible.

So I put in a request for "room close to food court and transportation." We checked-in around 11 p.m., exhausted, with 2 small exhausted kids. I was SOOOO disappointed when the CM circled our room location on the resort map. Our room was in the far wing of Building 2, almost as far from the food court as you can get. Well, I was too tired to try to do anything about it, I said to myself that if it's a stinky location I'll come back in the morning and request a different room.

So we set out in the dark to trudge to our far away room. I timed it. TWO MINUTES. Our "far" room was a two minute walk from the front desk. Later in the week, I timed the walk from the very farthest point (the far end of Building 1, by the river) to the food court doors, at a very normal "vacation" walking pace, and I timed it at 3 minutes 20 seconds.

What you have to realize about POFQ is how pleasantly compact it is. Even the farthest room is still pretty close. I like to give an example: if you put into one room the Queen of England, Oprah Winfrey and Bill Gates, Oprah would be the "poor" person in the room ... even though we know she's really rich, she's the "poor" person in that room. It's the same with room location at POFQ ... even the "far" rooms are really close.

 

[canada1414]

Thanks for the heads up. I think we stayed in Building 7 and it wasn't far at all not that I think about it. I guess I'm just used to Pop Century and the mile long walks to the main building!

 

[RiversideBunny]

Just a comment-

We have had our best luck, primarilly at Port Orleans Riverside, by just letting Disney pick the room location. Had some very nice rooms that way.

On at least one occassion we sort of shot ourselves in the foot by requesting a change from what they were giving us at check-in. Turned out the room they initially assigned us had a nicer, more scenic location.

When travelling with another party, both parties have put 'need to be near xxx party, checking in on xx date', and we wound up very near each other, often with adjoining (common door) rooms).
Usually if travelling with another party you don't really need adjoining rooms, just rooms in the same building near each other.

 

[TOTGuy]

Just a comment-
When travelling with another party, both parties have put 'need to be near xxx party, checking in on xx date', and we wound up very near each other, often with adjoining (common door) rooms).
Usually if travelling with another party you don't really need adjoining rooms, just rooms in the same building near each other.

Remember Adjoining is next to each other, connecting has a door. Please be specific or else you may be disappointed. If we see adjoining we will put you next to each other without the door in between.


The thing with upgrades is it really depends on the time of year. Generally upgrades occur when a particular category of rooms is oversold (very similar to airlines). If we have available rooms that are higher category people will be upgraded based on the resort needs. (If we are oversold for only one night then only one night reservations will be upgraded usually.) This is mostly as a result of Revenue tightening the reins. Anytime we take a reduced revenue on a room it has to be explained.