Do you have a Walt Disney World resort hotel stay coming up soon? A new EXCLUSIVE upgraded magic band option appeared on the site this week! There have also been some changes regarding room requests you might want to know!
There are multiple ways to express your preference on room location prior to your arrival at a Disney resort hotel. During the online check in process, you’ll find two drop boxes offering a handful of choices to pick from in terms of room location. Generally, you are allowed to specify if you prefer ground floor, higher floor, or being close to transportation. You can also select that you will be arriving early in the day and would like them to prioritize having your room ready earlier over your other requests. Unfortunately, I have often found that when I go to make my selections the drop boxes aren’t working and provide zero options for me to select. Today, they seemed to be functioning!
When it was first suggested to me that I fax my room request to my resort approximately a week before my stay, I thought, “But my stay is occurring in the 21st century, not 1987?” But outdated as it may sound, room requests by fax are still the best way to make your more specific preferences known.
Guests had advised each other to send these faxes approximately seven days prior to check in. However, the system has recently changed such that faxes sent to a resort are re-routed to a central location. The new recommendation floating around is to send your fax in around 30 days prior to check in to allow plenty of time for the sorting process. You can also call in your request to (407) 939-1936. List of fax numbers provided in the comments.
While you’re in there doing online check in, do check out the magic band upgrades that are offered! For $10-$20 (depending on which band you select) you can choose a specialty magic band to be shipped to your home or to have waiting for you at the front desk. This process has left many guests frustrated as the inventory seems to be inconsistent and not updated. I have attempted to place many orders where I add the bands we would like to my cart, only to be told one or more is out of stock. Rather than removing that option or tagging it as “out of stock” the option to select it remains.
I have a family of three and we each have gotten a specialty band this way, but we got them through three separate orders, on three separate resort room bookings. The main issue I have with this upgraded magic band option is that you must order a band for everyone in your party in a single order. You can’t decline bands for guests wishing to use their old ones and just order one specialty band for your child’s birthday. In that case, you would order the one birthday band and then you must choose specialty or the free colored bands for the other guests on the room reservation. If you wish to decline magic bands for your entire party, that option is now in the online check-in section.
When I looked this morning, there were several cute options available! The Figment Food and Wine one caught my eye, as well as this new castle magic band, which is exclusively available for pre-arrivals! I was able to add it to my cart and proceed to check out, so get it while it’s hot!
Have you been successful in ordering an upgraded band? Or did you end up giving up and just going with the free standard bands?
Is it too late for faxes? We arrive in 10 days. We also are staying 2 nights at aoa and 2 at yacht club. Thanks for your advice.
Not too late
I think this info was invaluable and I thank you for it. I intend to use the fax number for the Polynesian to make my request known for my next trip in March. Keep these wonderful hints coming. Very much appreciated. Thank you again.
What is the name of the magic band pictured?
It appears to simply be called “Castle Magic Band”
I, too, need the fax for AOA.
Thanks!
I added it above, must have skipped over it! (407) 938-7070
Why is it that Disney feels a need to make everything difficult? I am in a wheelchair. My agent has requested a first floor room close to transportation. I have spoken with a reservation person asking for the same thing and being assured it would be no problem. Now I have to fax them the exact same information again and still could arrive to a room that would be inaccessible? I hate to think badly of a corporation that is adored by so many but this is ridiculous.
We make our requests through Member Services when we make the reservation. It is noted and the CM usually refers to it but disability issues are followed! I make requests and explain them. “My husband and I use scooters. We do not want an ADA room since it is harder for short me. We do want a room that is in a place where our scooters can stay in the hallway during the day and not bother other people. We will take them into the room at night so they are not a hazard in case of an emergency.”
Thanks so much. They really don’t want me to arrive and discover that I don’t have a room that I have requested. Getting used to a wheelchair is bad enough.
For Accessibility requests, there is a special helpline that will try to accommodate everyone’s differing needs. Please call 1-407-939-7807 to speak to them. It is also possible for your TA to specifically book you into an ADA Wheelchair Accessible room, which is a much better idea than relying on subsequent requests for something that is vital to you.
No, this is only necessary for room requests that are more specific than what can be selected with the drop boxes. For instance, at the Polynesian some people want to request a specific longhouse. If First floor, close to transportation (or other options from the drop boxes in the online check-in page) meet your needs, there is no need to call or send a fax. Hope that clears things up for you!
Needing an accessible room with the appropriate accessibility features you need is different than wanting a room on a specific floor. However, if you are in a hotel without elevators and have requested an accessible room, they will absolutely provide a first floor room.
What hotel are you staying in? I usually stay at all star and they have handicapped accessible suits. They are good.
Can you share the fax number? :)
Hi Lorna! Currently each resort has its own fax number and I have not seen that there is a new number, so for now you’ll still fax the individual resort. The resorts receive the fax and then forward it on to a central location for room assignments.
All Star Movies Fax – 407-939-7111
All Star Music Fax – 407-939-7222
All Star Sports Fax – 407-939-7333
Animal Kingdom Lodge Fax – 407-938-4799
Art of Animation Fax-(407) 938-7070
Caribbean Beach Fax – 407-934-2736
Contemporary Fax – 407-824-3539
Coronado Springs Fax – 407-939-1001
Fort Wilderness Fax – 407-824-3508
Grand Floridian Fax – 407-824-3186
Polynesian Fax – 407-824-3174
Pop Century Fax – 407-938-4040
Port Orleans FQ Fax – 407-934-5353
Port Orleans Riverside Fax – 407-934-5777
Shades of Green Fax – 407-824-3460
Yacht Club Fax – 407-934-3450
According to other sources, Boardwalk, Wilderness lodge, Old Key West, Saratoga Springs and Beach Club Villas do not accept faxes for room requests.
Thanks for reading!
WOW! Thank you so much for this wonderful list!!!! :)
Do you have a fax number for Art of Animation?
(407) 938-7070 I must have skipped that one! oops!
The new Central Inventory Management team now handle advanced room allocations for all Walt Disney World resorts, and they have done since mid August when the last few Deluxes transitioned over. Many of the back office room inventory managers from the different resorts have been relocated to the new offices. (The Fort Wilderness Campground is currently a special case, but that should be on board with the new system by sometime in November I believe)
I recently updated my own website with info on how this affects Port Orleans guests, but as it’s a central system all resorts should be handled in pretty-much the same way now. https://www.portorleans.org/room-requests.php