Resort Room Assignments: How do I make a request that actually works?

[Popouri DVC]

So I have been a DVC Member since October of 2014. My home Resort is VGF and we almost exclusively stay there.
Every year for our annual trip I request a room via Member Services on “the highest possible floor.”
I have both called-in my request and emailed.
Every time we stay, we either end up on floor two or floor three and once we were on the ground floor.
Anyone know what it takes to get a room on the sixth floor?

And yes, I know that requests are just requests, and that they are NOT guaranteed. I just wonder if the experts here know some secret to getting a room location request that I do not.

Thanks to you all, I love being a DIS Boards Member.

~John

 

[Marionnette]

So I have been a DVC Member since October of 2014. My home Resort is VGF and we almost exclusively stay there.
Every year for our annual trip I request a room via Member Services on “the highest possible floor.”
I have both called-in my request and emailed.
Every time we stay, we either end up on floor two or floor three and once we were on the ground floor.
Anyone know what it takes to get a room on the sixth floor?

And yes, I know that requests are just requests, and that they are NOT guaranteed. I just wonder if the experts here know some secret to getting a room location request that I do not.

Thanks to you all, I love being a DIS Boards Member.

~John

It’s all a matter of what is available on your check in day. If the only thing that matters to you is being on the top floor, then make that your only request and leave off any other requests such as “near elevator” or “monorail view”.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Some have also reported secret rituals involving Figment dolls and the dark of the moon, but... well, I'm not going to repeat what they said.

 

[Sandisw]

Sometimes the problem is that certain requests are really popular. High floor is one of them at many resorts.

What I have heard is that if you put in a request with MS, do not choose or change anything when doing online check in. It will override anything else you have put in.

The other thing that might help,,which may not be fair..is arriving earlier and asking if your request has been met, If it hasn’t, then asking 5e front desk to see what they can do to switch you, even if it means waiting longer, I don’t know if this will work...because as you said, requests are just requests...but that’s all I can think of,

My only request is at SSR where I request Grandstand. Other than that request first available

 

[Frederic Civish]

It’s all a matter of what is available on your check in day. If the only thing that matters to you is being on the top floor, then make that your only request and leave off any other requests such as “near elevator” or “monorail view”.

They will try to fill your request depending on what is available on Check In day (the day the reservation starts) but if you put in your request at least 2 weeks in advance, then at some point (and I have heard this happens about 3 to 5 days before the reservation starts) a Cast Member starts going through the requests, looking up check ins and check outs, and starts making arrangements. So, make sure you get the requests in at least several weeks early.

Also, DO specify that "This particular request (out of all the requests you are specifying) is most important. Fill this first, if possible, and then the others if they are also available.

I usually have excellent results with my requests, but I make specific requests such as:

Certain room numbers at Bay Lake Tower (I listed 8 specific room numbers).

Tokelau, Connecting Rooms (most important) in Tokelau on 3rd floor, if available (I got them all)

I ALWAYS get connecting rooms when I request them. And when I don't need connecting rooms, I have almost always been able to get close rooms. Once I was in a more preferred room and the people I wanted to be with with were at a more standard room, so I told them I would be willing to drop down to standard to be near them.

At Kidani Village I request 2nd floor, near the lobby, preferably close to the Timon elevator. (I usually have Savannah View Rooms)

At Jambo House, I request rooms along the Kudu Trail, looking out at the Sunset Savannah. This takes care of both Savannah View and Standard View rooms at Jambo.

Anyway, I usually get all those things so I don't see where the problem is.

 

[CMNJ]

I think it is really luck of the draw (after making requests). I’ve made the same requests at the same resorts and had fabulous rooms and not so great ones. We usually arrive early and if the requests aren’t granted will politely ask if a room would avail that day that does meet our requests. Sometimes that works but often there isn’t a room avail to give you other than what you were assigned

 

[bumbershoot]

What I have heard is that if you put in a request with MS, do not choose or change anything when doing online check in. It will override anything else you have put in.

Agreed. That has been the stated wisdom for years.

 

[Donna M]

I was pleasantly surprised when the cm called about the request I made because it was confusing to him. I had asked for certain rooms, all ending in the same numbers but different floors (at vgf) One number was on the other side of the building. He was able to give us a requested room. We were driving in when I returned the call, and then he was at the check in desk, so I got to thank him and find out what had happened. This trip I will use the chat feature.

 

[laura-k]

Sometimes the problem is that certain requests are really popular. High floor is one of them at many resorts.

The other thing that might help,,which may not be fair..is arriving earlier and asking if your request has been met, If it hasn’t, then asking 5e front desk to see what they can do to switch you, even if it means waiting longer, I don’t know if this will work...because as you said, requests are just requests...but that’s all I can think of,

My only request is at SSR where I request Grandstand. Other than that request first available

I try to do this and works great at BLT and not at all BCV -I usually say overlooking the quiet pool ,highest you can get me -
four times i ended up on the ground floor 2x's looking towards the quick service /store patio ...once looking at the quiet pool
and last year I got the 2 BR and invited relatives and ended up in the woods and smoking area
The good part is I have probably had 6 other times looking over the quiet pool ,just wish it wasn't when I invited the " Fam "

 

[BillPA]

The only way to be sure you get what you ask for is... don't ask for anything, unless your name is Disney you get what's available. Sorry

 

[gharter]

I don't know of anything that really works. We pick a room with Touringplans and they send in our request. Sometimes we get exactly what we asked for, sometimes close, and sometimes not even remotely close. As PP noted, I think it depends what is available when you arrive.

 

[Spridell]

I don't know of anything that really works. We pick a room with Touringplans and they send in our request. Sometimes we get exactly what we asked for, sometimes close, and sometimes not even remotely close. As PP noted, I think it depends what is available when you arrive.

I have used touring Plans about half dozen times. It's hit or miss. I have gotten Exactly or somewhat close sometimes, and other times not even close.

 

[skier_pete]

I have almost never gotten requests - so I have no idea what an effective way to get one is.

 

[JETSDAD]

We've done very well when we've made requests including our last 2 trips. We got the exact dedicated 2 BR that we wanted at Kidani (requested a certain area/floor and then mentioned a series of rooms '7X35') and got a dedicated studio as requested at BCV. We just email in our request once we know we're sticking with that reservation. We figure there's no harm in asking.

 

[PleasejointheFarque]

We always stay at BLT so YMMV, and usually for 12-15 night stays, and I always ask for top floor, overlooking contemporary, away from lifts. But, we have learnt that we may get a bad (aka not over looking contemporary marina view for our LV studio), so we just let them know we are willing to change rooms the next day for our desired room view, take the bad location for the first night and just not unpack til we are in our "forever home" for the next 14 nights. As long as my DH knows we may need to change next day, we are fine with taking "whatever" the first night. BUT we have the luxury of not traveling with kids, and being there a fairly long duration, I don't know how I would feel if I had 2 toddlers (apart from the DH),more luggage than a football team and only there 3 nights.

 

[Sandisw]

We always stay at BLT so YMMV, and usually for 12-15 night stays, and I always ask for top floor, overlooking contemporary, away from lifts. But, we have learnt that we may get a bad (aka not over looking contemporary marina view for our LV studio), so we just let them know we are willing to change rooms the next day for our desired room view, take the bad location for the first night and just not unpack til we are in our "forever home" for the next 14 nights. As long as my DH knows we may need to change next day, we are fine with taking "whatever" the first night. BUT we have the luxury of not traveling with kids, and being there a fairly long duration, I don't know how I would feel if I had 2 toddlers (apart from the DH),more luggage than a football team and only there 3 nights.

Did the charge you for the cleaning? I have heard that if you ask to change rooms, they will charge it, unless the move is due to an issue with room, it just based on a request.

 

[LAX]

I have almost never gotten requests - so I have no idea what an effective way to get one is.

Same here even though I have only tried twice. Sometimes I wonder if I was better off not making any request as I pretty much got the total opposite of what I requested (ie: highest floor at Kidani when I wanted lower floor; farthest away from HH at OKW when I wanted something closer).

LAX

 

[SL6827]

It is just luck of the draw. I am still in shock that we got what I call the "location lottery" at SSR in April. I did request it, but knew the odds were stacked against me, but we got it. I think I just went straight thru Members Service with the request.

 

[crisi]

I have almost never gotten requests - so I have no idea what an effective way to get one is.

I've gotten one request met in almost twenty years.

 

[DebbieB]

I’ve been lucky at VGC. I give them a list of 5 rooms facing the park and got one of them 3 out of 4 times. Other time was on the park side but a low floor and couldn’t see anything.