I recently booked a family vacation at the WDW Dolphin through the Dolphin reservation system. It was a last minute Millenium deal and I had lots of questions on room availability, package inclusions, room location, and so on.

The reservation agent was very friendly and in the course of the discussion she told me that the 20th floor in the Tower was being held for VIPs and long-term Millenium package holders (ie those unlucky souls who booked a year ago and paid full price in advance for a 7-day package).

I said, "But I'm a VIP! I want the 20th floor, too!" Subsequently, I faxed her a page with some corroborating details.

She faxed me back and said she'd made the notation in my reservation record. I called her back and said, "What's the notation?" and she said, "Special Attention."

Now, my questions are these: What IS VIP service? How do you let the hotel know you are a VIP? Is this one of those things that if you have to ask, then it's obviously not you? And does "special attention" really mean, "Look out! Pain in the ... is about to check in!"

(Note: On our New Year's Eve cruise last year, I faxed the same page to my travel agent, and we were invited to sit at the Captain's Table, so something happened, but then I'm not sure it wasn't because we had the most expensive cabin category on the ship.)

Please give details as to what the "corroborating details" were on the page you subsequently faxed. What was the context and details of the discussion you had with the reservation agent hwereby you "subsequently faxed" the corroborating info.

Details may help the rest of us to figure out a pattern so that we can also get the VIP treatment.

Sometimes just being nice to the reservations agent (who has lots of discretion) will go a long way.

A general question (don't take the wrong way): if you have to shout out "I'm a VIP!" are you really a VIP?

Heh.

Well, onedog, here is the context:

I asked for the best possible room there - for me that was the highest nonsmoking floor in the Tower, as opposed to the side wings that only go up to 8 or 9.

She said that those floors (20 and 21) were reserved for the VIPs and the long-term holders of reservations. I said, "I'm a VIP and I'll send you some stuff that supports that."

Then I faxed a page and she faxed me right back saying the "notation" had been made. When I called back, I asked what the notation was and she said, "Special Attention."

I'm skeptical, but when I get back, I'll let you know if I got the 20th floor and any "special attention."

Here's the page - I put it up for you:
http://ecommerce.vanderbilt.edu/hoffman/t&d_bio.htm

After our Science article hit (see the bio), the NYT did a followup profile with a large photo, and that was also faxed to the cruise line, but I forgot to send it to the Dolphin.

You can find it at the NYT:

Just go to site search at http://www.nytimes.com/, and enter "Donna Hoffman" in extended search.

It should be the first one that pops up.


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"Living well is the best revenge"

[This message has been edited by profhoff (edited 12-02-1999).]

[This message has been edited by profhoff (edited 12-02-1999).]

Astro:

That's my point exactly! If I have to TELL them I'm a VIP, then how important can I be?

OTOH, not every VIP is a recognizable movie star or has a household name that is immediately recognizable by reservation agents and desk clerks.

So it got me to thinking, when people who think they should get VIP treatment travel, how do they snag the treatment?

And in our celebrity obsessed culture, what's the use of getting your picture in the paper if it isn't good for a high floor?

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"Living well is the best revenge"

Forget the lousy Towers! Ask for the highest floor on the Eastern most side wing facing Epcot. Also ask for a balcony (only every other room has 'em). Great views of the park and the nightime Illuminations 2000 show. Get a Towers room and all you get is a view of the...Swan Hotel.

Great! I've stayed there many times and just assumed the Towers would give a good view of Epcot or the Studios because they were so high.

I found a map of the grounds ( http://www.wernermagi.com/resortmaps/swandolphmap.htm ), so now I can really obsess about room location on the phone with them.

[This message has been edited by profhoff (edited 12-03-1999).]

Why obseess? You're just staying for awhile- not moving in! And the place is huge, a bit tacky and best suited, it seems to me, for conferences. If you are concerned, you could always book the Disney Grand Floridian or even the Hyatt Grand Cypress where everyone is treated like a VIP!

Oh- Also, in the Towers, you get Towers amenities and service!

Alas, the Grand Floridian is booked solid and the Hyatt is not walking distance from Epcot or the Studios.

Why obsess? Surely you jest!

After reading some of the "mileage run" trip reports on this board, I hardly think I qualify as a true obsessive...

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"Living well is the best revenge"

This reminds me of an interesting new feature of the Departures magazine that AMEX Platinum card holders get, they have a section that they started doing this year called "Floor Plans" where they give you floor plans of various hotels and a write up of the best rooms in the hotel, so you know exactly which rooms to ask for when making reservations. Very nice feature ...

Oh dear - Epcot view or Tower amenities...

As long as we don't get stuck with one of those lower floor parking lot views, I think I'll be able to relax.

PremEx is right on this one. I stayed there for our sales meeting in 1997, and, after they messed up and gave me a room with a non-functioning lock, got a room on the north corner of the highest floor of the West wing, facing Epcot. Two balconies in those babies. I was literally right under one of those huge concrete fountains. Fantastic view of the evening fireworks from that location.

Of course, the downside to the whole thing was the climate. The end of July in Orlando is not very conducive to outdoor activities.

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Michael
OnePass Platinum

I pretty sure you want the Eastern most end of the property for Epcot view. The West end will get you a view of World Drive.
http://disney.go.com/disneyworld/popups/pdf/wdwmap.pdf

Oh, the stress, PremEx! But Michael assures me it's the West side!!

No worries - I'll just take BOTH maps (your PS map is very impressive) and we'll see what can be done.

[Though if the Japanese are right, I'm probably best off staying home.]

Happy New Year! We're back and it was awesome.

The Dolphin assigned us the CORNER king 9th floor in the far most EAST wing. As Premex notes, these rooms have two balconies.

We had perfect unobstructed views of Epcot, the "big ball", the fireworks, much of what lies beyond at a nearby hotel plaza (other fireworks on some nights), the Boardwalk, the "lake", and much of the Swan.

It was AWESOME.

I can't believe we got that room.

The hotel was only at around 60% occupancy until the 31st, when locals came in to take more of the rooms as walk-ins.

The parks were actually pretty dead and it was a weird week, crowd wise. Disney didn't seem to know what to expect, so at times it seemed there were more employees than guests.

On the 30th, all the WDW Resorts sent out a memo to the guests to get to Epcot or your chosen park EARLY (and since it was "early entry" day, this means 7:30am), get your hand stamped and ticket read by the computer, and then come back to your hotel to sleep and rest. THEN, go back to your park for the fireworks.

So, we did that along with every one else and THAT was crowded waiting to get in. But since we could walk, it was no problem. For the first time in the history of Disney, there were massive traffic jams on the roads around the parks and resorts and by mid-day they had to close the freeway exits off I-4.

People using buses to get around from the resorts were screwed and had to wait hours just to move a few blocks.

Anyway, that night was amazing - incredible Illumination Fireworks - perfect view only 1 row of people from the front, and so many people when we tried to leave you couldn't even move.

The Dolphin had gifts in our room all week for the Millenium Package and on NYE, a breakfast starting at 12:30am with champagne.

All in all, a wonderful last minute trip in a great room and lots of neat family memories.

Thanks for the room tip!