What Exactly is Room Ready ... ?

[jdg345]

I tried to do a few searches and wasn't able to find a description on this forum -- but what exactly is Room Ready?

I found a few threads regarding whether or not it actually works, but nothing to indicate what it was supposed to accomplish.

 

[MinnieGirl33]

When you arrive at check in, whatever room is ready (i.e. cleared by mousekeeping for occupancy) that matches any special needs is the room you get.

In theory, the earlier you check in, the better your chances for receiving your requests.

Lots of debate over whether this is actually the procedure in place these days or if rooms are being pre-assigned. Seems to vary from resort to resort based on what others have posted about their experience.

 

[jdg345]

When you arrive at check in, whatever room is ready (i.e. cleared by mousekeeping for occupancy) that matches any special needs is the room you get.

In theory, the earlier you check in, the better your chances for receiving your requests.

Lots of debate over whether this is actually the procedure in place these days or if rooms are being pre-assigned. Seems to vary from resort to resort based on what others have posted about their experience.

Oh ... I had just figured this is how it was supposed to work. FCFS-kinda-deal ... I didn't realize that there was the chance of pre-assigned rooms.

Sooo ... it's possible that when I go to check-in and they tell me my room isn't ready yet, that there might be a room available already that may or may not match my special requests?

 

[mwehttam]

My problem with this system is that someone making either last minute reservations or getting the room through CRO or, lately, an upgrade, can get a room that meets your requests because they checked in at 10AM. So even if you make your reservation at exactly the 11 month window but you check in at 5PM, oh well, you are SOL.

This method should be changed, giving Home Resort Members, when they make a reservation during their 11 month to 8 month booking window, first dibs on their request.

-Matt

 

[nbodyhome]

Sooo ... it's possible that when I go to check-in and they tell me my room isn't ready yet, that there might be a room available already that may or may not match my special requests?

Yes. (maybe!)

 

[jdg345]

My problem with this system is that someone making either last minute reservations or getting the room through CRO or, lately, an upgrade, can get a room that meets your requests because they checked in at 10AM. So even if you make your reservation at exactly the 11 month window but you check in at 5PM, oh well, you are SOL.

This method should be changed, giving Home Resort Members, when they make a reservation during their 11 month to 8 month booking window, first dibs on their request.

-Matt

Yah, that seems kinda unfair ... especially someone with Home Resort Priority. Maybe if they had Room Ready within a range of your requests. Like, if you wanted a 'Something View', you would get the first ready room with 'Something View' ?

 

[Pennyguy23]

I don't believe in the "Room Ready". I have been told multiple times that the rooms are already selected. I have also been the in HC rooms checking in at 2:00pm. I don't believe in such a thing.

 

[Granny]

What Exactly is Room Ready ... ?

A myth.





Okay, not a myth but an extremely inconsistently applied "policy". Haven't seen it yet since they announced it.

 

[jdg345]

Thank you all!

Much pixiedust to you and yours

 

[DisDaydreamer]

A myth.





Okay, not a myth but an extremely inconsistently applied "policy". Haven't seen it yet since they announced it.

I'm not sure what you all are talking about.... we have arrived at VB, BWV, BCV, and HHI with no requests and we almost always get the room ready reception. At 10 am to 11 am. If a room is ready that meets your requests then you get it. That is my experience over the last 11 years.

 

[tjkraz]

We've had several check-ins where Room Ready was clearly being used. The ones I most vividly recall were at SSR, OKW and AKL. At SSR, the CM told us there were 3 rooms in our class available, showed us the locations on a map, and let us choose. Had a similar experience during a second visit.

At OKW the CM was going thru a list of available rooms, finally came upon one that he felt met our requests and asked me to confirm that it was OK. AKL experience was similar with the CM going thru open rooms before settling on one.

I can appreciate the "fairness" aspect to assigning rooms based upon the date of reservation, but I suspect there are a LOT of people who put a higher priority on getting into a room immediately. While most sensible people will make contingency plans for filling their day until 4pm, things clearly work out much better if you can walk right from the front desk to your room. At least you don't feel that you've wasted time by even going to the resort to check-in.

Before Disney started openly using Room Ready (at least to some extent), it seemed like complaints about room availability were a daily occurrence. Now those complaints about arriving at 9am and not getting into the room until 4pm (or similar) seem to have disappeared. So I guess some people are happy with the current system.

 

[Granny]

I'm not sure what you all are talking about.... we have arrived at VB, BWV, BCV, and HHI with no requests and we almost always get the room ready reception. At 10 am to 11 am. If a room is ready that meets your requests then you get it. That is my experience over the last 11 years.

I can only go from my own experience. We have checked in 5 times since Room Ready was announced as policy. All check-ins were about 10:30 in the morning. We didn't get into our rooms until 3:30 or later in each case. I asked a couple of times if there were any non-smoking rooms available for us at check in and they said no and just handed us the card to phone in to check on the assigned room.

I'm sure Room Ready is out there...we just haven't seen the elusive beast!

 

[momba#9]

My problem with this system is that someone making either last minute reservations or getting the room through CRO or, lately, an upgrade, can get a room that meets your requests because they checked in at 10AM. So even if you make your reservation at exactly the 11 month window but you check in at 5PM, oh well, you are SOL.

This method should be changed, giving Home Resort Members, when they make a reservation during their 11 month to 8 month booking window, first dibs on their request.

-Matt

I can't agree with this. I love room ready. The stays I've had where room ready was in place have been far more enjoyable. I just don't feel like I can relax and start my vacation until I'm in my room. Room ready does just that, gets me into a clean room. With assigned rooms there is still a great chance your request WON'T be met AND you end up waiting until four or later for your room.

OFF topic: I'd also like to see ADR's done away with at WDW as well. The only time you should be able to make an ADR is for large parties of 8 or more. The busiest restaurants all over the US are going away from reservations. Why not WDW?

First come first served just seems like the fairest solution. Think of the staff that could be eliminated as well without all those ADR ressie folks and the room assigners. You'd still need some of each but far less. Complaints would be greatly reduced as well. I never get upset when there is a wait at a restaurant without ressies. I do get upset when I have a ressie and STILL have to wait which has become the norm at WDW.

Just some thoughts, I'm sure others have solutions as well. Really you can't please everyone all of the time.


Mike

 

[jennypenny]

It also depends when you are travelling. We always arrive early in the morning. We have received our rooms immediately at bcv most times. The only time we didnt was when we checked in on a sunday. She mentioned that since sunday was a big check in day for DVC, they preassign rooms to speed up the check in line. That made sense to me.

 

[Granny]

She mentioned that since sunday was a big check in day for DVC, they preassign rooms to speed up the check in line. That made sense to me.

Ah...that could be it! We always check in on Sundays so that's why we have had pre-assigned rooms. Makes sense..thanks.

 

[Simba's Mom]

It also depends when you are travelling. We always arrive early in the morning. We have received our rooms immediately at bcv most times. The only time we didnt was when we checked in on a sunday. She mentioned that since sunday was a big check in day for DVC, they preassign rooms to speed up the check in line. That made sense to me.

This is what happened to us at HHI last year. We checked in on Saturday and the CM said our room was not preassigned. However, she said that Sunday was due to be a BIG check-in day, bringing the resort to capacity, so she said that rooms were preassigned for those checking in on Sunday. Also, I found that if a room is available, even if it doesn't meet all your requests, it may be offered to you when you check in. That's what happened to me at BCV once when I checked in at 10:45 am. I had requested a courtyard view, but the CM said that all the rooms that were ready were other views (she specified the views and rooms) and she offered me one of those if I didn't want to wait. Since I was so anxious to begin vacationing, I took one of those rooms even though it didn't meet my requests (but at least I knew what I was getting).

 

[DVCAmy]

Then only time I think I got room ready was at VWL and only my non smoking request was filled. It was my worst rooms at a DVC resort as well but I'd still go back in a heartbeat!

 

[patsal]

From what I understood, and again it may be pure conjecture, the rooms for room ready would be the inventory that they have not preassigned--rooms that would not be occupied, but are clean and ready. If you have a reservation your room would be preassigned, but if when you check in they have one of these non-assigned, but clean rooms ready then you may opt for that. Then your preassigned room would become an available room and when finished cleaning would become part of the room ready inventory. You can choose to have your pre assigned room or a room ready room if it is available when you check in. However, I think that sometimes the preassigned rooms are "given" to others who may complain at checkin that their pre-assigned rooms do not meet their requirements.
I have had rooms given to me as room ready if I would prefer to take the room now rather than wait for my preassigned room--I have done this at VWL and OKW. I have also been at OKW and told my room is not ready and I'd have to wait. At BCV I was told my pre-assigned room was not ready but would be at 5pm, returned to find that indeed it would not be ready until the next day, but then given a room that was intended for someone else (gifts, balloons, beverages, pins, cheese, crackers, fruit)--I wonder why I have not been back there.

Personally, I have found that the preassigned rooms are worth the wait, and unless there is something that is drastic going on I wait for that room.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Ah...that could be it! We always check in on Sundays so that's why we have had pre-assigned rooms. Makes sense..thanks.

We always check in to VWL on Thursdays, and we've always had an pre-assigned room.

We generally check in at VB on Sundays, and again always have pre-assigned rooms.

In fact, we have never seen the room ready policy being used.
I'm not complaining, as I like the assigned method better.

MG

 

[Granny]

In fact, we have never seen the room ready policy being used.
I'm not complaining, as I like the assigned method better.

MG

I'm with you on both these statements.