I haven’t done the online check-in in almost two years so I don’t know if it has changed. In the past, online check-in allowed you to select some vague categories (near elevator, quiet, that kind of thing) but not specific room numbers.
The fax allows you to, in conjunction with Room Finder, find a room that meets your specific needs/desires and request that room and others just like it. Using just the online check-in, the room assigner may put you in a WL Woods View Bunk Bed room, just like you asked for, but on a lower floor away from the Contemporary because they had no way to know you like up and a view of Wishes.
When you request online it is a general request: upper floor, close to elevator, sometimes a certain building. The fax allows you to look at the views ( on the TP site) and request a particular room. I think the AKL standard view rooms are a perfect example. You can check in online and request an upper /lower room, or other available choices. Instead, I went on the TP room finder section. I looked at the map and views. I then requested a specific room. The fax gave a series of rooms with similar view. A standard view room could have a view of a parking lot, roof top…instead, using this tool I saw giraffes!
I am going to add that if you really do not care it you can have more options with just online checkin. For my last stay I did a split stay. It was real important that I get a specific view at AKL. I started my stay with a two night YC stay. I have had some really weird luck with upgrades on two night stays and doing only one request online. For YC all I requested was upper floor, online. I was upgraded to CL.
When using this service, we have 2 reservations for the same hotel because someone is coming in a day later and didnt want a dining plan for the night she wont be there, is it best to put this in the free form notes?(im thinking it is)
Should i remove my checked boxed on the online check in form on MDE? Basically i think i checked high floor and close to transportation for ASSports which is what i choose as my room requests.
Does anyone know where the Concierge rooms would be for AKL? Heres what im really asking lol. Id like a view of the animasl at most times when we are in the room, especially in the morning(saturday and a sunday) Id like to be close to the lounge. Does anyone know what floor thats on for sure? And are there rooms up there? I’ve been told they are all suites? If they are say on the 6th floor does anyone know the room number right next to it?
the reservation number is the package number is that fine to put in or do i need to call disney and request the room only 12 digit code?
This worked for us! Checked in to POR yesterday. I requested building 85, Ground floor and 5 examples of room numbers. The last room number suggested was the one we were assigned to! Next stop is Kidani Village, we’ll see if I can go 2 for 2! Thanks @len and touring plans!
I don’t know where I have been to have missed this amazing tool!!! And I am a touring plans junky for several years! I just learned about it on disboards on the POP thread! Thank you len! We are not going until November but I am definitley going to try it out.
The person that posted on disboards (I am not posting their user name since I do not have their permission) but they said they checked in today and got the exact room they requested using the touringplan fax tool! Thought you may want to know for your records!
TP fax requested room 4421 and we received room 4221 at AKL. Loved it! It was exactly what we wanted - close to CL lounge. The only thing that I didn’t realize when making our request was that the non DVC CL rooms are not on the same floor as the lounge. That was a bummer but it had nothing to do with our room request fax. Thanks, TP!
Is there evidence of success with this fax request tool at Beach Club and Beach Club Villas? People on the Beach Club disboards thread claim faxing in requests doesn’t work anymore at BC and that you should phone in your requests.
Thanks. I searched for the word ‘fax’ on that page and only found one mention, for something unrelated.
Can you quote the specific post within that thread that deals with BC no longer accepting faxes?
Also, the page has this line:
You can add a request when your trip is booked, or anytime thereafter. Requests should be made no later than 2 weeks before you will arrive at the resort.
This is incorrect. The room reservation doesn’t get transferred from Central Reservations to the hotel until 5 days before check-in. And we’ve successfully faxed in room requests 24 hours in advance.
This was the most recent post. (page 290). There have been others but the thread is 292 pages long
“My TA put in a room request for me but I wanted to know if I should call or fax something over a few days prior to arrival to ensure “full balcony” which is my only request? Or can I do that when I do online check in?”
“As previously pointed out, faxes don’t seem to work any more on room requests. The people in the know here on this thread stongly urge a phone call to CRO five to eight days out checking that your requests are on your reservation.”
Ah. Thanks. I don’t believe this is true. I’ll check with a few of our BC folks, but my room assigner contact was definitely working on one of our faxes when I spoke with her yesterday.
