Room Requests

Remember when guests used to send "room request faxes" to the resorts? It was an entire culture into itself. I think Disney probably just got fed up with it (most guests, including myself, have no idea what the room assigning process includes) and stopped honoring these faxes.

I'm still a supporter of getting to the resort as early as possible and working with the front desk to get the best room possible.

We have always found that it never hurts to ask for anything you might want. My wife told the staff at the AKL that it was my birthday while we were there one year and they filled our room with balloons, a card signed by Mickey and Minnie, and a birthday cake a dinner that night. It was awesome! So don't be afraid to ask. They normally do whatever they can to keep the guests happy.

They do a great job of doing things like that (Balloons, special treatment etc), but Brad has a point that something simple like "Can we be in the casitas" in Coronado Springs Resort has a much lower chance of being honored than most other types of requests. I suspect that it might be just too hard to honor all the requests people have about their room.

Most likely. Unless you've done absolutely no research and have never been to Disney World, you're going to have some sort of request. Even if you don't know the resort well, you still might want a king bed, a handicapped accessible room, a room close to the lobby, a room on a high or low floor, etc.

I do NOT envy front desk folks, that's for sure!

Perhaps not, but Annie's point of people knowing they want something very general like a king bed, accessible room, low floor, room close to the lobby, room close to the pool, etc. is pretty ubiquitous. Those requests go with folks just about anywhere and nearly all guests have them.

Hi,

I generally am so happy to be at WDW that I'm not picky about my room. Though I have cerebral palsy, the condition doesn't affect me severely. It pays to have a good travel agent who knows your needs. For example, in 2005 I stayed at Wilderness Lodge for the third MouseFest from November 30 to December 8.

I'm not a DVC member, but when I checked in on November 30, 2005, Jackie, the desk clerk, greeted me with, "Welcome Home!" Doing a double take, I was like, "huh?" She repeated it. I remember thanking her, then she asked, "King bed?" "Sure", I stammered. Here I was, thinking I'd get a standard room probably overlooking a parking lot. Instead it was an upgrade to room 1132 on the first floor, a handicapped-accessible "courtyard view" room with a king bed near the pool.

It was an amazing beginning to a fantastic vacation.

Jim

That's a great story! I love when that kind of "disney magic" happens...without even asking

Love it love it love it. Make it happen.

Actually, what DOES my "frequenting" Disney get for me? As an annual passholder, folks get some discounts and such, but I wish there was some sort of a "frequent flier" program for Disney World visitors...

Well, that's it, right? Disney still doesn't have a toll free number for the general public (and has disconnected the one that's been floating around the internet for years), they don't have free internet, they don't offer wireless in the rooms...why would they have a frequent visitor program? There's just no financial incentive...

I wonder how many people visit as often as we do. Disney for most folks is once-in-a-lifetime, right?

Hi bali,

You do know that your screen name is that of an Indonesian resort, right?

Seriously, though, for most people, especially those from outside of the United States, WDW is a once in a lifetime experience. I've only been there myself eight times (seven times since 2000), but I came into Disney fanaticism rather late. Orlando's a 2.25-hour plane ride from Philly. In fact, my first solo trip was from Friday, October 13 to Friday, October 20, 2000, almost two years before I realized that the internet teems with people whose Disney fanaticism exponentially exceeds mine.

Other than the annual pass (which costs big coin), Disney doesn't have a frequent-visitor program. Most hotel chains have them, and they're free to join. But I suppose Disney feels it can rely on its "cachet", for lack of a better term--its name recognition (Q rating) and all the emotions and connotations that associate with it.

Jim

Merry Christmas, Jim!

Agreed, but what's a Q rating?

@ SpaceAce:

Had a wonderful Christmas. Spent time with good friends and got some nice gifts.

A Q rating is a numerical score (I think from 0-100) that quantifies a celebrity's name recognition among the general public. The higher the Q rating, the more well-known or the more people have heard of. Mickey Mouse, for example, probably has one close to 100 (universally known).

Jim

I do, indeed! I've never been there, though...someday...

I think you're right about the Q-rating (new term for me as well, Brad!) of Disney. It also seems that they rely on different kinds of "incentives" that don't appear externally to be "selling out."