Room Request Strategy

So, back in 2015, last time we went on a big multi-room family trip, Disney did NOT honour our room request and put me and the kids next to Grandma and Grandpa at POR. In fact, my family was in the Bayou, while my parents, and my brother and his girlfriend (who have no kids) were in the Mansions. We were about as far apart as possible.When we asked why they would not put us together, we got something about them trying to keep the Mansions adult-only, and putting families in the Bayou. I’ve since heard from friends staying at other resorts, that the one thing Disney doesn’t seem to be able to do is keep traveling parties spread out over multiple rooms together.

We’re going back this year, and we’d like to be close. Strategically, what is our best bet? Do we ask to be together? Do we just put in a strategic room request so we end up at least on the same side of the resort?

I would make close the ONLY request. It is still only a request, and the more rooms there are - unless booked as a special group - the harder it is.

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Make sure the request is on both reservations, each quoting “travelling with reservation # 12345678”.

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One possibly that just occurred to me…

You do not say how many kids you have. If you have 3 then at POR the Bayou is the only section you can be placed in. All families of 5 at POR have to be in that section. That is probably what the desk cm meant - just explained it wrong.

Also, the rooms with a 5th sleeping surface are (I believe - they are for sure at CBR) a bookable category, so those rooms have to go to people who book them.

If there were enough parties of 5 and/or parties who booked that category around your visit (does not have to be exact dates, just overlapping), then the assigner would be unable to put parties of 2 there.

So your options to increase your chances of being close (besides ensuring the reservations are linked) is to book CBR where the 5-person rooms are spread throughout the resort OR if you simply must stay at POR, then your parents and your brother and his girlfriend need to book the 5-person rooms, thus ensuring you would all be in the Bayou. (Ethically my choice would be to go to CBR so you are not taking up rooms true families of 5 need, but you do you.)

At any rate, ensure that all parties have a “traveling with” note on there. (I have heard of some larger groups where a room unconnected themselves from the room block to not have to be close by. Just saying…)

Only 2 kids. All rooms booked by travel agent on the same card, room requests were all reciprocal, citing each other’s reservation numbers. Checked in together.

There was a definite difference though. Many more young children in the west section of the Bayou, hardly any in the mansions. My brother and his gf (no kids) were next door to my mom and dad. It was just my family in the Bayou. And front desk said they were putting young kids in the Bayou, adults-only groups in Mansions, except, obviously not the Royal Rooms.

Interesting. So if you must stay at POR, looks like the options to increase the chance to be close are:

  1. Everyone books a Royal Room.

Or

  1. Everyone books a 5-person room.

Or

  1. You book a Royal Room and your parents and brother and girlfriend book their rooms and request Mansions. Because there ARE king bed rooms in Bayou, this is the riskiest.

Otherwise, I would look at other resort options.