WDW Resort Reservations: Are they truly reservations?

[Skibum1970]

To pick up on one point.

Rooms are assigned about 5 days prior to your arrival. That’s just how far ahead they work. Which is why Touring Plans send s the faxes at that point.

Assigning rooms has been likened to one giant game of Jenna. Officially, as @Master Yoda has said, the CMs are told to bin faxes. In practice, this will depend on the CM and who trained them. Clearly they don’t all just bin them.

However I still think the best way to make requests is direct with the reservation CMs. That way it is on your reservation. But the most important thing there is not to select any of the online check-in options. That over-writes anything written on your reservation.

I see nothing wrong with making requests. As long as people realise they are requests. What I think is out of order is complaining about a room assignment. Somebody gettimg angry about their room assignment is totally obnoxious. And if I were the CM, I would refuse to move you the minute you utter certain key phrases or raise your voice. Like “we’ve paid a lot of money”, “do you realise how long ago ....”. Thinking about it, I am going to correct myself. I would move them to the room over-looking the garbage dumpster instantly!

"Ah yes, I do see that we need to correct your room assignment. I have a very scenic view just for people like you!!"

 

[JennSmith]

I wasn't clear. You asked and they gave it to you, that's fine. My point was more that a family who doesn't want a king bed won't be stuck with one against their will.

Ah gotcha...I thought you were saying that a family of 4 would never be allowed to stay in a king bed room at AKL.

 

[TheMouseFan]

I thought all rooms at CBR had the pull-down?

No, all of the pirate rooms only sleep 4 and the trundle beds are scattered around the other sections interspersed with king rooms and two queen rooms.

What bothers me about the separate booking category is that I may not be able to get a room at CBR/ Port Orleans for my family of 5 if enough families of 3 or 4 decide they each want their own beds. I'm already limited in the number of resorts I can stay at, now I may not be able to stay there even though they have rooms that will fit my family.

 

[MomofPrincessGrace]

No, all of the pirate rooms only sleep 4 and the trundle beds are scattered around the other sections interspersed with king rooms and two queen rooms.

What bothers me about the separate booking category is that I may not be able to get a room at CBR/ Port Orleans for my family of 5 if enough families of 3 or 4 decide they each want their own beds. I'm already limited in the number of resorts I can stay at, now I may not be able to stay there even though they have rooms that will fit my family.

I wonder if they will have a certain amount of rooms outside of the separate booking category to fit 5? Like maybe they only have 100 rooms available to be booked through the category, and another 100 that would just be listed as regular

 

[TheMouseFan]

I wonder if they will have a certain amount of rooms outside of the separate booking category to fit 5? Like maybe they only have 100 rooms available to be booked through the category, and another 100 that would just be listed as regular

I highly doubt that since they are most likely going to charge more for the 5 person rooms.

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

I just called Disney and told them I want to make a reservation, provided:

I get room 8312 at POR and can be checked in by 9am on the day of arrival. Furthermore, I want to know the exact park hours including EMH for each park for May 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th. If these hours change I will consider it a breach of contract and will be demanding a full refund for the room and any tickets I've purchased.

I'd expect my FP to denote the exact time of arrival (as I don't like surprises) - I'd like to be on Splash Mountain at exactly 1:27pm on May 5th, and want to be seated in the front of the log, not the back thank you very much. For the money I'm paying, I expect nothing less.

Room Cleaning must occur between the hours of 9:16am and 9:33am. Except on May 4th where it needs to be done between 2:36pm and 2:54pm.

Any attractions that are undergoing refurbishment must be disclosed to me 90 prior and bus and boat service must be prompt and reliable. I'm not trying to bust anybody's chops - but I think 4 minutes would be satisfactory and should easily be attainable.

Disney laughed at me.

 

[MinnieWaffles]

Sometimes I honestly wonder if some people have ever been on vacation to, or stayed in a hotel before that wasn't Disney, because some people have strange ideas how about how they're run. Bonus points for thinking they're the only guest to stay at a resort and so every CM and housekeeper must attend to their every whim. Not happening.

 

[Jon81uk]

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.

This is normal for pretty much all hotels in the world. A few will confirm 24hrs out, or allow you to select a room on online check in yourself 24hrs out, but in general room numbers are not known until arrival day.
If you do online check-in and have a US cellphone Disney will text you the room number when it is ready on the arrival day so you can find out as soon as it is assigned. But as long as the room meets your requests and is the category you paid for (ie lake view etc) then what else do you expect?

I find rental cars more frustrating for this as they suggest the make/model for the class of vehicle you are getting but when you turn up and get the key it could be similar size but very different make from what you expect.

 

[Patcheslee]

This is normal for pretty much all hotels in the world. A few will confirm 24hrs out, or allow you to select a room on online check in yourself 24hrs out, but in general room numbers are not known until arrival day.
If you do online check-in and have a US cellphone Disney will text you the room number when it is ready on the arrival day so you can find out as soon as it is assigned. But as long as the room meets your requests and is the category you paid for (ie lake view etc) then what else do you expect?

I find rental cars more frustrating for this as they suggest the make/model for the class of vehicle you are getting but when you turn up and get the key it could be similar size but very different make from what you expect.

Agree on the car rentals. 2017 reserved a compact got a Kia Forte. Luggage fit well and didn't have to worry about backpacks next to DD7 this year booked same class got a Nissan Juke. Nothing close to the size of a Forte and we barely even got 2 suitcases in, the 3 backpacks had to go in the back seat so DD was crowded.

 

[ninjaprincesst]

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.

I'm not understanding why they can't share a bed just because one of them is taller, mu husband is almost a foot taller than me, so I don't understand that logic.

 

[Shouldigo12]

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>

"Captain America"... Just from reading your posts, you're not a very likable person (very condescending). Good luck with that in the future.

You're paying for location and convenience at Disney hotels, especially the deluxe. For some (myself included) it's worth it, but for others its not. Most of their resorts are not higher quality than what you can find off-property, so if you expect them to be a "step above" the other hotels you'll be disappointed. Plus as others have mentioned it is almost impossible for any hotel, expensive or not, to provide your exact room number and floor before you check in.
Edit: And it's fine to ask questions. The question was a bit naive maybe, but that's not a bad thing. And I'm sure all of us have asked naive questions at one time or another.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I'm not understanding why they can't share a bed just because one of them is taller, mu husband is almost a foot taller than me, so I don't understand that logic.

I’m also not sure why daybeds should be “on demand”

I’d you need more beds...it’s called “two rooms”...that’s pretty much an accepted standard.

 

[nickys]

I'm not understanding why they can't share a bed just because one of them is taller, mu husband is almost a foot taller than me, so I don't understand that logic.

Well at that tall, he doesn’t fit on the bed straight up and down lol! So he has to sleep at a diagonal angle. No room for wee brother, who wasn’t that far off 6ft either. Plus, let’s be honest, they would have kicked lumps out of each other. The younger one is slight and like a bean pole but he tosses constantly. Not a good combination. By choice, one of them sleeps on the floor if they have to share a bed, for both reasons.

We would have liked to be confident that we would ge5 a day ed. If that had been bookable, we would have paid the extra to get one.

 

[Patcheslee]

Well at that tall, he doesn’t fit on the bed straight up and down lol! So he has to sleep at a diagonal angle. No room for wee brother, who wasn’t that far off 6ft either. Plus, let’s be honest, they would have kicked lumps out of each other. The younger one is slight and like a bean pole but he tosses constantly. Not a good combination. By choice, one of them sleeps on the floor if they have to share a bed, for both reasons.

We would have liked to be confident that we would ge5 a day ed. If that had been bookable, we would have paid the extra to get one.

Not sure how well either would fit on a Murphy bed

 

[ninjaprincesst]

Well at that tall, he doesn’t fit on the bed straight up and down lol! So he has to sleep at a diagonal angle. No room for wee brother, who wasn’t that far off 6ft either. Plus, let’s be honest, they would have kicked lumps out of each other. The younger one is slight and like a bean pole but he tosses constantly. Not a good combination. By choice, one of them sleeps on the floor if they have to share a bed, for both reasons.

We would have liked to be confident that we would ge5 a day ed. If that had been bookable, we would have paid the extra to get one.

My husband is 6 foot 5 and he just bends his legs so there is room he does not take up a hole bed.

 

[deeevo]

Have you ever book a room other that at Disney? You don't know any of these things until you arrive... why would Disney be any different? Because is Disney?

 

[DisneyGigi]

I am very happy that they do not assign a specific room at booking...otherwise I would have gotten the standard room I paid for last week instead of the King Junior suite upgrade at check in at Coronado.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Well at that tall, he doesn’t fit on the bed straight up and down lol! So he has to sleep at a diagonal angle. No room for wee brother, who wasn’t that far off 6ft either. Plus, let’s be honest, they would have kicked lumps out of each other. The younger one is slight and like a bean pole but he tosses constantly. Not a good combination. By choice, one of them sleeps on the floor if they have to share a bed, for both reasons.

We would have liked to be confident that we would ge5 a day ed. If that had been bookable, we would have paid the extra to get one.

I’m 6’7”...what exactly are you talking about?

 

[nickys]

Not sure how well either would fit on a Murphy bed

The younger one fitted on a day bed back then. Not a Murphy bed. Older one sprawls across the bed. We actually ordered an extra long single bed for him.

Nowadays, they’re both adults anyway.

My point though has been lost. It would be useful for a lot of people to know they had 4 beds or sleeping surfaces in a room. Lots of people don’t want boys and girls to share, lots of kids don’t want to share with their siblings. Being able to book a room with 4 sleeping surfaces would be very popular.

 

[Jon81uk]

My point though has been lost. It would be useful for a lot of people to know they had 4 beds or sleeping surfaces in a room. Lots of people don’t want boys and girls to share, lots of kids don’t want to share with their siblings. Being able to book a room with 4 sleeping surfaces would be very popular.

Not many hotels at all offer quad rooms. In general you would need to book two or more separate rooms for that (that's what my parents did when my sister got too big to fit in a crib).