Welcome back to another Tip Tuesday!
Well, as you may have noticed, the DisneyDaddy blog has become a Mouse Fan Travel affiliated web site. For me, this was a simple partnership. I've personally used Mouse Fan Travel for several years in booking my own trips to Walt Disney World (and now Disneyland -- yay!). Through this partnership, I'll be able to bring you some additional advice from some of the most respected Disney travel experts in the business.
Little did I know that I would end up needing that expertise for my own pending trip to WDW in just a few days. You see, I like to generally pay for my trips in advance -- that way most of the hassles of check in are already taken care of. It's just one less thing to deal with so I can get straight on to having fun and enjoying being in the World.
Well, it turns out Disney, like so many other companies and organizations around the world, occasionally experiences technical glitches. Shocking, I know, but true. When my Mouse Fan Travel agent (the wonderful Vicki Damanti) tried to apply the final payment to the trip a few days ago, there was some technical trouble in making the final payment. Disney asked Vicki to check back in a few days to try again.
If I were handling this on my own (which I would have to do if I had booked directly through Disney), I would have to be the one calling back again and going through the whole process to finalize the trip. But no. I have a travel agent and that's what they're there for. I don't have to worry about those follow up phone calls and double checking to make sure everything's taken care of. I have a travel agent and that's what they're there for.
Now picking a good travel agent takes some homework and some checking. Of course, as you can guess, I recommend Mouse Fan Travel, but there are many other good, reputable travel agents out there... but there are just as many (maybe more) agent and agencies that aren't so hot. In a future post, I'll help you understand what to look for in a good travel agent/agency and how to avoid being taken in by some less-than-reputable agents/agencies.
Have a great week!
Showing posts with label booking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label booking. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Tip Tuesday: Room requests
Welcome to another Tip Tuesday!
A common question many planners are asked is how guests can go about requesting a room in a certain area of a resort. Guests may want to be close to a bus stop, close to the main building (where the resort dining options are located), close (or not close) to the elevator, nearby the pool, or just want a good view.
I often make room requests - many times I'm trying to get a partial resort view (while still staying in the standard rate rooms). I enjoy the ability to watch fireworks from the convenience of my own room. Depending on where you stay, you can sometimes make your room that much more convenient without having to upgrade to a higher category room (like water view or preferred).
So when should you first make a room request? I usually include my requests when I (or, rather, my MouseFanTravel agent) makes the initial booking. Now keep in mind that when you're (or an agent) is making a booking, you're working with the central reservation system, not the individual resort. Your booking information (including room requests) aren't usually transferred to the individual resorts until about two weeks out from your arrival date.
So, it's a good idea to follow up your initial request with a phone call directly to the resort front desk about a week out to confirm your request.
Then, when you arrive at check-in, you'll want to again, triple-check with the cast member to see if the room you've been assigned meets with your request. If you didn't get the room you want, talk with the cast member and see what you can work out. Here is one place where patience and politeness can often be rewarded. You might not get exactly what you requested, but you just might get something pretty close.
Before you arrive on property, it's a good idea to do your homework. I mean go and look at resort maps to determine which area you want to be in. This will help you be more familiar with the resort when you talk with cast members to find a suitable room.
Room requests can be fairly simple. Just have some patience, politeness and understand you might have to compromise on your request.
So when you hear, "Welcome home!" you'll be starting a magical time at Walt Disney World!
A common question many planners are asked is how guests can go about requesting a room in a certain area of a resort. Guests may want to be close to a bus stop, close to the main building (where the resort dining options are located), close (or not close) to the elevator, nearby the pool, or just want a good view.
I often make room requests - many times I'm trying to get a partial resort view (while still staying in the standard rate rooms). I enjoy the ability to watch fireworks from the convenience of my own room. Depending on where you stay, you can sometimes make your room that much more convenient without having to upgrade to a higher category room (like water view or preferred).
So when should you first make a room request? I usually include my requests when I (or, rather, my MouseFanTravel agent) makes the initial booking. Now keep in mind that when you're (or an agent) is making a booking, you're working with the central reservation system, not the individual resort. Your booking information (including room requests) aren't usually transferred to the individual resorts until about two weeks out from your arrival date.
So, it's a good idea to follow up your initial request with a phone call directly to the resort front desk about a week out to confirm your request.
Then, when you arrive at check-in, you'll want to again, triple-check with the cast member to see if the room you've been assigned meets with your request. If you didn't get the room you want, talk with the cast member and see what you can work out. Here is one place where patience and politeness can often be rewarded. You might not get exactly what you requested, but you just might get something pretty close.
Before you arrive on property, it's a good idea to do your homework. I mean go and look at resort maps to determine which area you want to be in. This will help you be more familiar with the resort when you talk with cast members to find a suitable room.
Room requests can be fairly simple. Just have some patience, politeness and understand you might have to compromise on your request.
So when you hear, "Welcome home!" you'll be starting a magical time at Walt Disney World!
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