Room Requests

[nlenguyen]

When do you start doing room requests? We have a trip in January but I know that you can add what floor you would like or building at certain resorts. When would you recommend doing that in our process?

 

[Marthasor]

I would do it about a month prior to arrival or if you ever need to call in to do something else (make a payment, for instance), just do it then.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Or when you make your reservation.

 

[JM23457]

Do phoned in requests work better than faxes?

 

[Lynne M]

There‘s no specific time to make requests; you can do it when you make the reservation, or anytime after that. I’d try to get them in lo later than a week before your arrival date.

There’s no advantage to one method over another.

 

[doleddanielle]

I recommend requesting sooner rather than later so that the resort can have it on file for room assignments. In addition to doing it through the online check-in feature or by calling, you can also do it via the chat feature on MDE so that your request can be noted on your account.

 

[zoo2tycoon]

Remember a request isn’t guaranteed. They do their best but as stated there is no advantage to when you place your request. The more specific you are the less likely you are to get what you want. Don’t give a specific room number but a general area- if you only list room xxxx and it’s not available they have no clue why you wanted that room.

Have a fun trip!

 

[JM23457]

Yes, I understand there's no guarantee. It just doesn't hurt to ask. We booked a standard room at Pop Century and many of those face Hourglass Lake. I'm going to ask if they can put us in a lake-facing room, if available.

 

[nlenguyen]

Could you give them a couple requests?

 

[kaytieeldr]

You could, but the more and more specific your requests, the less likely that they could be met.

 

[chasgoose]

Remember a request isn’t guaranteed. They do their best but as stated there is no advantage to when you place your request. The more specific you are the less likely you are to get what you want. Don’t give a specific room number but a general area- if you only list room xxxx and it’s not available they have no clue why you wanted that room.

Have a fun trip!

I would second the advice not to request a specific room number, and possibly not even a specific building (depending if there are separate buildings at the resort you booked). That advice was solid pre-covid, but now where most resorts aren't going to be operating with capped capacities except the DVC ones which are contractually obligated to be open fully (and even then there will be plenty of cancellations so they won't likely be fully booked) it's going to be harder than ever for Disney to accommodate room requests. Given that most rooms will likely be taken off cycle for a more thorough cleaning after guests check out and they will likely be trying to do their best to keep buffer rooms empty between occupied rooms to the extent feasible, fulfilling room requests is likely going to be lower priority for room assigners until things get back to normal.

 

[Eastern]

I am going to request that I get a room.

 

[kaytieeldr]

OMG, I hope it never gets to the point where getting a room is a request!

 

[smallworldnh]

Yes, I understand there's no guarantee. It just doesn't hurt to ask. We booked a standard room at Pop Century and many of those face Hourglass Lake. I'm going to ask if they can put us in a lake-facing room, if available.

True, there is no guarantee, but I have had luck with my room requests. Granted I usually go at a "slower" time and once I had to wait most of the day, but they do try! Good luck!

 

[siren0119]

They usually do the preliminary room assignments about 5 days ahead of your check in date, so as long as you get them in the week before you're fine. That said, I tend to have the notes added to my reservation as soon as I think of it because otherwise I'll forget to do it at all LOL.

If you have more than one request, it is recommended that you prioritize them, and make no more than 2 or 3 total requests with the understanding that you may only get one of them. for example:

1st priority: Ground level
2nd priority: no connecting room
3rd priority: building XYZ

This helps the CM's making the room assignments know what is MOST important to you, so that if they can only meet one request they know which one to shoot for.

 

[kaytieeldr]

2nd priority: no connecting room
3rd priority: building XYZ

Probably better than even mentioning the "c" word when that feature is undesirable, request "end room".

 

[siren0119]

Probably better than even mentioning the "c" word when that feature is undesirable, request "end room".

Absolutely!
I've never cared about the connecting room thing, but I was short on examples when i typed the response lol. Not enough coffee after WFH and keeping up with my tweens all day LOL

 

[Fangorn]

Probably better than even mentioning the "c" word when that feature is undesirable, request "end room".

Yes! If at all possible, avoid a "negative" request. Using words like "not", "except", and "don't want", can too easily be misread/missed by the CM who is trying to make room assignments. Resulting in you getting exactly what you don't want.

Keep the number of requests to a bare minimum.

Keep each request short and direct

Prioritize multiple requests - and state that they are in priority order.

Steve

 

[fbarker]

Do phoned in requests work better than faxes?

I have found fax requests work better, plus you have documentation of your request. i would recommend you send one request early , one about 30 days and then one about 10 day prior to arriving.

 

[dreynolds1982]

FWIW, I just did room requests via the live chat feature in the MDE app and it worked pretty well. Was able to chat with a CM who got all of my requests and added them to my reservation file. I gave them three requests, in order of priority. Since we're staying in a CR garden wing garden view room, I asked for 1) ground floor, 2) water view, 3) king bed. I'll see what room I get when we go in August but this was a pretty seamless way to do it.