WDW Resort Reservations: Are they truly reservations?

[Pappy Tom]

New to WDWMagic website; first time poster.

The thing that doesn't make sense to me is that the resort reservations seem like they don't reserve very much.

Not knowing what your room number is, not knowing what floor you're on, not truly knowing the bedding arrangements until you arrive at the resort... Imagine if buying a car was like this: it has an engine (not sure what size or HP), it has options (as per some of your requests), your colors are limited (brown only) and, oh, by the way, you're paying MSRP. It just seems that with what people pay for these vacations, you would know more about your accommodations than what resort you're staying in and what side your room is on.

I don't mean to come off as whiny or ungrateful (I have no doubt I'll enjoy my vacation), but you'd figure certain aspects of your resort reservation would be more defined and concrete; isn't that the whole reason behind making reservations?

I will now step off of my soapbox; thanks for listening and have a good day.
Pappy Tom
(416 days and counting...)

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Not knowing what your room number is, not knowing what floor you're on, not truly knowing the bedding arrangements until you arrive at the resort... Imagine if buying a car was like this: it has an engine (not sure what size or HP), it has options (as per some of your requests), your colors are limited (brown only) and, oh, by the way, you're paying MSRP. It just seems that with what people pay for these vacations, you would know more about your accommodations than what resort you're staying in and what side your room is on.

What uncertainty do you have about your bedding arrangements? You know your bedding arrangements when you book. Knowing your exact room is not anything that any "normal" hotel does either, so I'm not sure why you'd expect it at Disney.

 

[DisneyJoe]

You are reserving a room and a room type at that resort for your dates. 99.98% of the times, you will have a room, it is extremely rare that they overbook or have an issue where they need to move you to another resort - main reason is likely maintenance or some type of accident.

They cannot guarantee you a specific room number for the same reason - imagine the person before you creates a massive mess, is a smoker and really smells up the room, breaks the shower or the bed or a door etc etc - or just asks to stay another night or two and the front desk grants them that request.

Even someone checking in and going to their assigned room and not liking it and asking to be moved needs flexibility.

and using your car example, if you are renting a car, you have a similar uncertainty.

 

[nickys]

What uncertainty do you have about your bedding arrangements? You know your bedding arrangements when you book. Knowing your exact room is not anything that any "normal" hotel does either, so I'm not sure why you'd expect it at Disney.

Actually you don’t always.

Some rooms have a king bed, but those are not a bookable category at all resorts.

Same with day beds in some of the deluxe resorts. I believe most BC rooms have them, for example, but we did not know for sure that we would have one until we arrived. We had it as a request through our TA.

You cannot be guaranteed a connecting room.

However, I would like to know which hotel the OP has booked which told him the room number at the time of booking. Or even the floor you would be on.

 

[Weather_Lady]

I totally get your frustration, Pappy Tom. (Disney expects us to have to plan and book everything for its budgeting convenience months ahead of time, but won't do us the same courtesy by guaranteeing rooms, park hours, attraction availability, etc. in advance).

However, it's the nature of the beast. I've stayed at hotels all over the place, for business and vacations, and I've never been able to reserve anything beyond a room category. Sometimes, I've been able to make generalized requests (e.g., non-pet-friendly room, close to elevator, upper floor, non-ADA, etc.), and you can often call and have other requests added (e.g., connecting or adjoining rooms), but there's almost always some fine print someplace that although the hotel will do what they can to accommodate you, no request is guaranteed. And of course, there's always the possibility that even your room CATEGORY won't be available when you arrive, although this is almost always due to an unforeseeable issue(e.g., a mechanical issue in the room, or a party with a prior reservation that extends their stay at the last minute...)

In other words, I don't think there's anything unusual about the way Disney does it. You can always have requests added to your reservation by calling Disney hotel reservations directly, and if you show up to check in and are given a room that doesn't fit them (which has happened to us about 1 out of every 3 times we've made a request), you can always ask them to see if anything else is available.

 

[Pappy Tom]

Actually you don’t always.

Some rooms have a king bed, but those are not a bookable category at all resorts.

Same with day beds in some of the deluxe resorts. I believe most BC rooms have them, for example, but we did not know for sure that we would have one until we arrived. We had it as a request through our TA.

You cannot be guaranteed a connecting room.

However, I would like to know which hotel the OP has booked which told him the room number at the time of booking. Or even the floor you would be on.

Hello DisneyJoe and nickys... Thanks for your replies.

nickys,
I wasn't given a room number or floor level at the time of booking; I was just questioning why this isn't something that would be determined and confirmed ahead of just arriving at the resort.

Once again I'm whining so I'll just shut up...

 

[ThatMouse]

It's not that much different from any other hotel. In some sense it's exciting not knowing where your room will be. I've been pleasantly surprised a lot more than not and even upgraded from All Stars to Beach Club. So it's hard to complain when I get the "standard" room. I would definitely recommend checking in online, but also going up and asking if your room is ready and ask about if you have any choices. I don't recommend faxing over your room requests as a certain travel site does. That's a bit obnoxious and you may catch the CM's on a very busy day. Plus, when you do put in requests, that will take priority over better rooms that may be available.

 

[JIMINYCR]

It can be frustrating for some. In our situation DW is in a power w/c. We need an accessible room with a roll in shower. There are only so many rooms of that type available in our resort. We like a certain building thats located closer to the main building and bus stop. Even though we book reservations a year in advance and make specific room/ building requests with oiur reservations... we are not guaranteed it.
I run a business that takes reservations. If my customer asks to reserve a certain spot I can make sure that spot is open a day before their arrival or the day they arrive by proper advance planning. Theres no reason Disney could not do the same with advanced planning knowing when guests are arriving and departing.

 

[MomofPrincessGrace]

Hello DisneyJoe and nickys... Thanks for your replies.

nickys,
I wasn't given a room number or floor level at the time of booking; I was just questioning why this isn't something that would be determined and confirmed ahead of just arriving at the resort.

Once again I'm whining so I'll just shut up...

I have never been given a room number or even floor number at the time of booking at any hotel I have every stayed in. Usually the best you can do is request the # of beds. Usually, unless you are going at a very busy time of year they will make (or get close to) the accommodations that you requested. For example. Last year we stayed at Port Orleans Riverside. I really wanted to stay in the Alligator Bayou section so my daughter could sleep on the pull down. We put the request in prior to our trip. At check in we were given a room in the mansion buildings. I kindly asked if we could be moved to an alligator bayou room. A few phone calls to reservations was all it took and we were given a room in our requested area.

 

[Dave B]

J

Hello DisneyJoe and nickys... Thanks for your replies.

nickys,
I wasn't given a room number or floor level at the time of booking; I was just questioning why this isn't something that would be determined and confirmed ahead of just arriving at the resort.

Once again I'm whining so I'll just shut up...

Just curious, what hotels have you stayed at in the past that have given you your room number at the time you did your reservation?

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Some rooms have a king bed, but those are not a bookable category at all resorts.

Rooms with King beds are extremely rare and they have different capacity restrictions than the rooms with two queens. For example, a family of four WILL NOT get an Animal Kingdom Lodge king bed room because those rooms have a maximum capacity of 3.

Similarly, a guest might not know if they have a Magnolia Bend room (2 beds) or an Alligator Bayou room (2 beds plus a day bed) at PORS, but they always know they'll have at least 2 beds and if they have a party of 5 they'll be in Alligator Bayou.

So yes, different bed configurations exist within a booking category, but the configuration you get is almost entirely dependent on your party size and therefore predictable ahead of time. Also, those types of room requests are almost always honored.

Same with day beds in some of the deluxe resorts. I believe most BC rooms have them, for example, but we did not know for sure that we would have one until we arrived. We had it as a request through our TA.

You cannot be guaranteed a connecting room.

Loads of hotels don't even have connecting rooms. That's not a "normal" accommodation that any place should be slapped for not guaranteeing.

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[nickys]

Rooms with King beds are extremely rare and they have different capacity restrictions than the rooms with two queens. For example, a family of four WILL NOT get an Animal Kingdom Lodge king bed room because those rooms have a maximum capacity of 3.

Similarly, a guest might not know if they have a Magnolia Bend room (2 beds) or an Alligator Bayou room (2 beds plus a day bed) at PORS, but they always know they'll have at least 2 beds and if they have a party of 5 they'll be in Alligator Bayou.

So yes, different bed configurations exist within a booking category, but the configuration you get is almost entirely dependent on your party size and therefore predictable ahead of time. Also, those types of room requests are almost always honored.

Same with day beds in some of the deluxe resorts. I believe most BC rooms have them, for example, but we did not know for sure that we would have one until we arrived. We had it as a request through our TA.


Loads of hotels don't even have connecting rooms. That's not a "normal" accommodation that any place should be slapped for not guaranteeing.

I do think that bed configurations should be bookable.

We have two boys. Both adults now, but when we first stayed at the BC we had a 6ft 5” 14 year old and a smaller (perhaps 5ft 4”) 10 year old. No way were they going to share a bed. We requested a day bed and got one, but had we just had 2 queens it would have meant one of the boys sleeping on the floor. To my mind you should be able to book a room with a day bed. They know how many there are, why can you not just book one if you want one?

Connecting rooms - at most hotels if they have connecting rooms you can book them and have it guaranteed. Granted not many do, but my experience is that, certainly here in the U.K. and Europe, if you book rooms in a hotel,that has them you know whether or not you have one.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I do think that bed configurations should be bookable.

We have two boys. Both adults now, but when we first stayed at the BC we had a 6ft 5” 14 year old and a smaller (perhaps 5ft 4”) 10 year old. No way were they going to share a bed. We requested a day bed and got one, but had we just had 2 queens it would have meant one of the boys sleeping on the floor. To my mind you should be able to book a room with a day bed. They know how many there are, why can you not just book one if you want one?

Connecting rooms - at most hotels if they have connecting rooms you can book them and have it guaranteed. Granted not many do, but my experience is that, certainly here in the U.K. and Europe, if you book rooms in a hotel,that has them you know whether or not you have one.

The problem is that there are too many combinations of elements. You can't let a guest book a king bed, plus pool view, plus fourth floor, plus near the elevator, plus building 12, plus close to the lobby, plus pirate theming. That type of room might not even exist. This isn't an issue at most "normal" hotels because the beds are all that matter.

 

[nickys]

The problem is that there are too many combinations of elements. You can't let a guest book a king bed, plus pool view, plus fourth floor, plus near the elevator, plus building 12, plus close to the lobby, plus pirate theming. That type of room might not even exist. This isn't an issue at most "normal" hotels because the beds are all that matter.

I totally get that. I think the bed configuration though should be bookable. Not the rest of it, the various room categories they have just now are ways to upsell, let’s face it. But what really matters to a lot of people is their family dynamic and teens having to share beds.

 

[TheMouseFan]

I totally get that. I think the bed configuration though should be bookable. Not the rest of it, the various room categories they have just now are ways to upsell, let’s face it. But what really matters to a lot of people is their family dynamic and teens having to share beds.

It appears that is going to be an option in the near future for Caribbean Beach Resort. I would imagine they will probably roll it out at all applicable resorts.

 

[slappy magoo]

I have never been told what room number I'm getting at any hotel I've ever stayed at until I physically arrived...with the exception of disney texting my room # on check in day, once, when the room was ready unusually early and we requested if possible an early check in.
No Hilton or Hyatt or Loews or Marriott ever gave me my room number when I booked.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Are room reservations real?

Umm...yeah...in any sense that matters

A hotel is a complex grid of different travel dates. You get no guarantees so the rack is balanced and they don’t lose revenues with “holes” or “lockouts”.

People can’t honestly be that naive, right?

 

[slappy magoo]

They cannot guarantee you a specific room number for the same reason - imagine the person before you creates a massive mess, is a smoker and really smells up the room, breaks the shower or the bed or a door etc etc - or just asks to stay another night or two and the front desk grants them that request.

Not only that, but there's even the (remote possibility) someone requested the same room. Do they give it to the person who requested first? The person who arrived first? Make them Thunderdome it?

And this scenario is evermore slightly likely at WDW where 3rd party income is generated by people like Kingdom Konsultants and Touring Plans (not to mention this very site) where the minutiae of WDW is backhand knowledge and "the best rooms" in any resort can become common knowledge. To say nothing of creatures of habit who go to WDW frequently and always hit the same attractions, the same restaurants, the same out of park activities and the same hotels, where they request the room they had last time and the time before that they loved so much. Sis and BIL had 4 consecutive trips, all in same room at CB and needed to be "treated" to a Kidani room by a DVC relative to explore other options.

 

[Pappy Tom]

To All Whom Have Replied,

Thank you for your insight and direction in informing me how Disney resort reservations work.
According to some of the replies here, I have no basic rights to know anything concerning my reservation information prior to arriving at the resort itself. Being Disney, I was hoping that (for the money being charged for my deluxe resort vacation) that they would be a step above other resort hotels and provide me with a bit more information; I like to know what my money goes to when I spend it this way. I apologize for my ignorance...

This thread was never meant to be a rant; just an apparently unjustifiable concern.
I'm out of here. Good night... and good luck. <midcrop>

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

But even still...the reason I gave needs to be understood - because it is 100% the truth.

It has nothing to do with requests or trashed rooms...it’s about filling the rooms 100% which WDW hotels do like no others on earth.

People think of it like Marriott or holiday inn express...that doesn’t happen there.