To the CM's on the board: what is the one "tip" you can give us?

[jennykay]

Originally Posted by Riverhill

Okay, it took me awhile to give share this tip since I have used it for the past few years. But, since this will be our last trip for awhile I will share:

Ask for a room near the laundry room. First, most CM's are sympathic towards any woman who has to do laundry on vacation. Second, rooms near the laundry are also near the pool and/or main building. I do laundry everyday on vacation and each time I have asked for this request we have gotten a great room location near pool and main building, even when these rooms are preferred and we paid for standard.

Genius! Do you ask as you check in? Or do you do online check in? I haven't been since they started that, and I didn't make a request when we went before. With a toddler in tow, I'm thinking a room near the laundry would be a good idea even if it wasn't close to the main building!

[Kurby]

I'm going to remember the laundry room request

We do a lot of laundry too and always lugging it around the resort

[minnie mum]

Originally Posted by jennykay

Genius! Do you ask as you check in? Or do you do online check in? I haven't been since they started that, and I didn't make a request when we went before. With a toddler in tow, I'm thinking a room near the laundry would be a good idea even if it wasn't close to the main building!

You would need to make this request by phone (I always make my requests at the time of booking). There wouldn't be anywhere to make this request with the online check in.

[jennykay]

Originally Posted by minnie mum

You would need to make this request by phone (I always make my requests at the time of booking). There wouldn't be anywhere to make this request with the online check in.

Thanks, minnie mum. Having never made a request before I'm not sure how to go about this- call the reservation line? Or call the hotel directly? And I guess I could go ahead and do that now?

[MikeyTex]

Originally Posted by maddiesmom0116

We had a nice family buy our meal for us w/ left over TS credits once, so we decided to do the same when on that trip we then had 3 left over meals. We do this with any left overs we have. We are on the deluxe dining and always have 1 or 2 left overs. It really suprises people- it is spreading a little pixie dust yourself!

Did this on a past trip with CSs.......ordered everybody in our party lunch and ordered a pizza for a table of teenagers next to us!!

[Mariep26]

Originally Posted by jennykay

Thanks, minnie mum. Having never made a request before I'm not sure how to go about this- call the reservation line? Or call the hotel directly? And I guess I could go ahead and do that now?

Looks like you are at Pop Century.. not sure what the process is there but remember sometimes when you think you are calling the resort, you are actually getting a call center (and that call center may not even be in Florida). I know POR has a fax number where requests can be sent --perhaps Pop has something similar?

[MikeyTex]

Originally Posted by bgohre

Ditch the schedule......

Couldn't agree more.......the only "schedule" I go with is the ARD's and plan to be in the park that I am eating at instead of hopping at the last minute....if I do hop, I'll do half-days........

[TPCShauna]

Originally Posted by jennykay

Genius! Do you ask as you check in? Or do you do online check in? I haven't been since they started that, and I didn't make a request when we went before. With a toddler in tow, I'm thinking a room near the laundry would be a good idea even if it wasn't close to the main building!

I handle resort guest relations, and deal with room request issues daily. The old method for making room requests was to fax them to the resort. The room assignment CMs have been instructed to ignore all such faxes.

If you are more than 2 weeks before check-in, call the reservation center to add your room requests. If within the 2 week mark, the best way to get your room requests added is to call the resort directly, and add them to your room reservation. As someone else posted, even if those calls go to a "Call Center", the call has to be transferred to the resort itself for those requests to be added to the reservation since call center staff doesn't have access to the reservation system.

The most important thing to remember about room requests is that they are requests, and not guaranteed, especially if you have a very long list of them. If you have more than one, list them in order of importance as we may not be able to fulfill all of them. Also, adding more than 2 or 3 requests max will almost guarantee that it will be unable to fulfill them all. Our room assignors work very hard to fulfill as many requests as possible, and they really are masters at juggling availability against incoming requests. They want to do everything possible to make your stay magical, but may still not be able to fulfill 15 different requests for the same room.

[jennykay]

Originally Posted by TPCShauna

I handle resort guest relations, and deal with room request issues daily. The old method for making room requests was to fax them to the resort. The room assignment CMs have been instructed to ignore all such faxes.

If you are more than 2 weeks before check-in, call the reservation center to add your room requests. If within the 2 week mark, the best way to get your room requests added is to call the resort directly, and add them to your room reservation. As someone else posted, even if those calls go to a "Call Center", the call has to be transferred to the resort itself for those requests to be added to the reservation since call center staff doesn't have access to the reservation system.

The most important thing to remember about room requests is that they are requests, and not guaranteed, especially if you have a very long list of them. If you have more than one, list them in order of importance as we may not be able to fulfill all of them. Also, adding more than 2 or 3 requests max will almost guarantee that it will be unable to fulfill them all. Our room assignors work very hard to fulfill as many requests as possible, and they really are masters at juggling availability against incoming requests. They want to do everything possible to make your stay magical, but may still not be able to fulfill 15 different requests for the same room.

Thanks!

[tkd27]

Originally Posted by TPCShauna

I handle resort guest relations, and deal with room request issues daily. The old method for making room requests was to fax them to the resort. The room assignment CMs have been instructed to ignore all such faxes.

If you are more than 2 weeks before check-in, call the reservation center to add your room requests. If within the 2 week mark, the best way to get your room requests added is to call the resort directly, and add them to your room reservation. As someone else posted, even if those calls go to a "Call Center", the call has to be transferred to the resort itself for those requests to be added to the reservation since call center staff doesn't have access to the reservation system.

The most important thing to remember about room requests is that they are requests, and not guaranteed, especially if you have a very long list of them. If you have more than one, list them in order of importance as we may not be able to fulfill all of them. Also, adding more than 2 or 3 requests max will almost guarantee that it will be unable to fulfill them all. Our room assignors work very hard to fulfill as many requests as possible, and they really are masters at juggling availability against incoming requests. They want to do everything possible to make your stay magical, but may still not be able to fulfill 15 different requests for the same room.

Thanks for taking the time to post! This is really helpful

Follow up question, though: Do you guys get a lot of requests for proximity to pools or buses or anything? Are the majority of those requests usually able to be honored, or do most people not get it because of the number of similar requests?

[jennykay]

Originally Posted by tkd27

Thanks for taking the time to post! This is really helpful

Follow up question, though: Do you guys get a lot of requests for proximity to pools or buses or anything? Are the majority of those requests usually able to be honored, or do most people not get it because of the number of similar requests?

bumping...because I'd like to know the answer to this, also. thanks so much CMs!!

[TPCShauna]

Originally Posted by tkd27

Thanks for taking the time to post! This is really helpful

Follow up question, though: Do you guys get a lot of requests for proximity to pools or buses or anything? Are the majority of those requests usually able to be honored, or do most people not get it because of the number of similar requests?

Originally Posted by jennykay

bumping...because I'd like to know the answer to this, also. thanks so much CMs!!

Sorry I haven't replied sooner. I didn't see the first post.

It depends on which resort you are staying at. At the Values, all the resorts have multiple pools, so adding on request to be "near pool" or "pool view" is more likely to be fulfilled. Plus, most pools are surrounded by buildings so there are several rooms to choose from to complete that request. If you tack on "near bus stop" and/or "near lobby", it's going to reduce the number of rooms our room assignors can choose from for you.

Honestly, yes, at the Values and Moderates, we get hundreds of requests for near bus stop, near lobby, near pool, and they are usually stacked like that. I would say around 10% who request all three might get all three, but a lot of times it will be an issue of fulfilling just one or two out of the three. For example, if you ask for all three, you might get just near the bus stop/lobby, but not close to a pool. This is very true in Art of Animation because the buildings are right next to the end of the lobby next to the bus stop, but that is the one section without a pool.

This is why we tell you to make your requests in order of importance. If not having connecting rooms will ruin your vacation, put that at the top of or as the only request on your list. Let me know if you have more questions.

[Googelibear]

Originally Posted by Shir Kahn

I also think this is probably one of the best tips I've come across so far!

nononooooo, if the ice cream serving is too big, then there's no room left for another treat. I would like the servings to get smaller everywhere so that I can have a treat at every single cart

[Cinderella's slipper]

Originally Posted by Kurby

I'm going to remember the laundry room request

We do a lot of laundry too and always lugging it around the resort

What a beautiful family you have! Love the pictures in your post.

[jennykay]

Originally Posted by TPCShauna

Sorry I haven't replied sooner. I didn't see the first post.

It depends on which resort you are staying at. At the Values, all the resorts have multiple pools, so adding on request to be "near pool" or "pool view" is more likely to be fulfilled. Plus, most pools are surrounded by buildings so there are several rooms to choose from to complete that request. If you tack on "near bus stop" and/or "near lobby", it's going to reduce the number of rooms our room assignors can choose from for you.

Honestly, yes, at the Values and Moderates, we get hundreds of requests for near bus stop, near lobby, near pool, and they are usually stacked like that. I would say around 10% who request all three might get all three, but a lot of times it will be an issue of fulfilling just one or two out of the three. For example, if you ask for all three, you might get just near the bus stop/lobby, but not close to a pool. This is very true in Art of Animation because the buildings are right next to the end of the lobby next to the bus stop, but that is the one section without a pool.

This is why we tell you to make your requests in order of importance. If not having connecting rooms will ruin your vacation, put that at the top of or as the only request on your list. Let me know if you have more questions.

Thanks! What I really want is to be as close to the coffee as possible so I don't have to walk forever to get it before I'm really awake.