In 7 visits I've only gotten one request. Probably because it was the furthest most non-requested room in the resort!
Yes, they are still only requests. I've mostly been close (only once was a horrible miss - and the other as explained that there was a "tour group" - yes, a SATG, in the section I had requested (that time I was met by a CM as I got off the Magical Express as I'd done online check-in and they knew I was on the bus, they explained what the problem was with my request) and there were a couple of rooms not with the group, but...so I was fine with being moved to another section), but I find that I don't really do super specific requests like room numbers (their system will pre-populate the top line with your requested room and others like it along with hotel-speak that the assigners understand - like Fl 3,SE-Facing- It's better not to change that as those codes are easier for them) and I put things in preference order.
For example, the time I was staying at Sports in a preferred room, my request went something like:
"I would like to make the following requests in this order:
1st priority - Surf's Up section
2nd priority - Third Floor
3rd priority - Corner room"
That way the assigner knew from the top line the general direction I was facing, but from my wording could first look at the available rooms in Surf's Up, then see if any of those were on the top floor, then see if any of those were corner. I ended up Surf's Up, Third Floor, one door down from the corner.
The one time I haven't gotten close and it wasn't due to a tour group, I had a super late arrival, and while I did get a corner top floor room (that technically was an upgrade to a River View), it was the furthest possible building from the main building (and yes, even at POFQ as a solo adult at 1am, that far building is FAR in the dark). Because they don't send the room number until it's ready - and even then if you have a late arrival, you (or I) haven't gotten it until I'm on the Magical Express after my flight, I do suspect that someone else who arrived earlier and fussed about the distance so they got swapped into the one originally assigned to me.
The details added in may seem like overkill, but at least giving them a preference order or "I would like a room such as XXXX because..." helps the assigner know what you're looking for. If you just give them a number, or even that pre-populated text in that field, if that room/rooms on that floor and direction aren't available, the assigner has no idea why you requested it and will likely just go with any available room at that time. Even with that, it is possible that they simply cannot meet it - or in the case of my requested section where a tour group was, I would not have been happy knowing I was only one of two or so rooms not with the group (there were signs in their windows, so it was obvious that 99% of the section was them) and they knew that likely there would be a complaint/request to move rooms. But it never hurts to ask.