New members disappointed in first trip to VWL-Caution,Upset

[Simba's Mom]

Or you could call this trip-"You want a bath ? Well, that will be $25 extra!" The CM didn't tell us anything at check-in about our bath. Only when we got to our room did we learn that we had a roll-in shower, no tub, no separate vanity, the sink was in the bathroom, and we had no closet. When I called the front desk, they said they could move us to a non-handicapped room but of course there'd be a $25 room-change fee. Although I explained to the CM that we'd not been told and would never have accepted a handicapped room and thus didn't feel we should pay the $25 fee, all she said was "That's our policy". It seems somewhat like false advertising to me-show the customers one type of bathroom in the model, then force them to accept something else or pay extra. And when we went to the DVC sales office to complain, all they did there was try to justify VWL actions, trying to convince us that the reason we hadn't been told is that they don't know which of their rooms are handicapped and yes, the room change fee is policy. And unfortunately, this was the beginning of a week full of errors on the part of VWL, and we learned that not one CM we came in contact with has ever learned to say "We're sorry" when they make an error.
It's really sad that we had such terrible service-it's such a beautiful hotel. But at the end of the week, we spent one night at OKW (just to "scope out"someplace different) and DH loved that.

[DebbieB]

I would have been upset too. I think they should tell you at the front desk if you are getting a handicapped room if you did not request one. The front desk knows which rooms are handicapped, I can't believe they said they don't know. I have a friend who checked into OKW last summer and their assigned room was not ready. When they checked for a ready room, they told her that they had one that met her requests but it was handicapped. She decided to accept it so they could get settled, but she was sorry she did. When we were assigned a first floor room last month instead of the requested second floor, that was the first thing I asked the cm and she checked the computer and verified it was not handicapped. If all they had left was a handicapped room and you got it is one thing, but if they had other non-handicapped available, they should not charge you to move. I would write DVC a letter so they have it on file. Sorry you had problems, especially on your first trip!

[Figment2]

Sorry you had such an experience! I would write Wilderness Lodge too. It can't hurt.

Cyn

[DeeP]

This is such a shame for your first visit as DVC members! There is no excuse for the rude treatment from the CMs and I think you should have been given a choice with the handicapped bathroom. If they overbooked and had you in a handicapped bathroom when you did not request a handicapped bath and this was a problem to your family you should have been moved to another villa at absolutely no cost! If they had to upgrade you to the next villa level so be it, it was Disney's error not yours!!
I would definitely write a letter to DVC and explain the whole story. I hope this very bad first visit does not sour you on your wonderful DVC home at VWL it is truely a wonderful resort and usually has very nice CMs. :rolleyes:

[PamOKW]

I was recently going to post a question asking whether they enforce the room change charge. I guess they do. :(

Your case is exactly the type of situation where I think there should absolutely not be a charge. You should be given the option of a handicap room and certainly not be charged if you immediately state it is unacceptable. It's especially disappointing since this was the first trip.

I would certainly write a letter to George Aguel, SVP & General Manger, DVC. Let him know of your displeasure with the policy and with the way CMs respond to guests. I wouldn't expect to receive any compensation but letting them know what is happening "in the trenches" may help them make decisions that improve things for all of us.

Funny, how they are quick to enforce this policy but seem to let the room occupancy policy go by the wayside. ;)

[JudithM]

Simba's Mom, I am VERY sorry you had problems especially on your first visit home. I know you & your husband were looking forward to this trip.

When I have made reservations for our stays at OKW since I was diagnosed with a knee condition, I specifically ask for a first floor room or an elevator building for medical reasons (I am not supposed to do stairs). I also state that I do NOT want a handicapped room - this type of room does nothing for my knees :).

Well, our first room in building 42 was a handicapped room. We walked in, & I immediately picked up the phone & called the front desk. The changed us to a room in building 44. I specifically asked if I was going to have to pay to change rooms, & the answer was no. Good thing since I specifically said no handicapped room.

As luck would have it, the room in building 44 smelled of mildew/mold, not good for allergies. Housekeeping & maintenance made several offers like spray the room & shampoo the carpet the next day. The maintenance guy suggested we call the front desk manager.

She was able to find us another room & sent a runner to bring us keys to a unit in building 36. Good idea on her part because I wasn't happy about going back to the front desk & standing in line again. Even the runner CM smelled the mildew/mold as soon as she walked in. The room is building 36 smelled clean & smelled like what we are used to at OKW. The unit in building 36 was pretty close to the road/bus turn around, but we never heard any noise.

[jbthi]

Similar thing happened to us last January at VWL. We were put in a handicapped room. Plus we were staying at DW for 12 days and in Florida for 2 months so we had a lot of clothes and there was no regular closet in the room. Just a chest that had space for a few things to hang. We called the front desk from the room and complained. At first they said there were no more rooms available and then they finally found one on the 5th floor. When the bellhop came up and we told him the room number he didn't think there was such a number. We found it but it didn't look like it has been used for quite a while. If smelled very stale, especially in the closet. I should have called and complained again but I didn't. I had not had much luck trying to talk to the CM here about anything. I did get the maid in the hall and borrowed some room spray but it didn't help much. Nothing was said about a charge for room change anyway.

I'm sure this was an isolated incident but it soured me against VWL where I never want to stay there again.

This is not my home resort so I called exactly 7 months out for a studio. I can't believe all the regular rooms were already taken if they are allotted on a first come basis.

[JudithM]

In the Winter 2001 issue of Vacation Magic it states that "if you have comments about Member Services or a recent stay, please contact our Member Satisfaction Manager, Jackie Lueders, by calling 800-********, sending an email to members@disneyvactionclub.com (subject: ATTN JACKIE LUEDERS), or write to: Disney Vacation Club, Attn: Jackie Lueders, 200 Celebration Place, Celebration, FL 34747.

I WOULD contact Jackie. I would not be happy if what happened to you had happened to me. You have a definite reason to be upset. Again, I am sorry this happened on your first visit.

[disneychic]

I am sorry that you had an unpleasant experience at VWL. I know what it is like to have a bad DVC resort experience, but mine was at OKW not VWL. I seem to have experienced the complete opposite siutation that you had. During our stay at OKW numerous things went wrong, all overlooked until the ceiling began leaking (then pouring down) water in the kitchen area, ruining food, leaving huge puddles on the floor, getting clothes that were in the closet wet, etc. and the staff there was nothing but rude and so unprofessional there I cannot even begin to tell you how upsetting it was - to the point where even though the ceiling was leaking all over and we obviously needed to have our room moved, but they didn't have another studio available and had the nerve to tell us that they wouldn't switch our room to an available 1 bedroom without us paying the difference in points or in cash. Just horrible, haven't stayed there since. Oddly enough we've never had anything but WONDERFUL experiences at VWL. The CM's there have been so great to us. Every CM we meet seems to be nicer and more helpful than the next. So, just like anywhere else, you can get the wrong people on the wrong days, etc.

Hope you give VWL another try. It really is a great resort.

[mic_KY_mouses]

Simba's Mom....Our first ever DVC trip taken earlier this month was split between Vero and OKW. While the Vero Inn room was wonderful, I was disappointed when we arrived at OKW.

We were told at check in that our room was handicapped and I didn't think anything about it. I didn't think about needing a tub and only having a shower. We didn't request a move or call the front desk, as we were only going to be there two nights and could make due. To make matters worse there were spider webs on the ceiling and the room looked like it could have used a bit more attention. :(

Looking back, I should have let someone know. I guess some assertivness training would be in order for me!

I hope for us both that these incidents are more the execption than the rule. I feel as if that is the case........because I would have heard about it more here on DIS.

[Mooobooks]

Simba's Mom,
When you demand service and can't get what you want from a cast member, immediately ask to speak with a manager. The managers are used to dealing with problems of exactly this type and are trained for it.
If that doesn't work, then ask to speak to the manager's boss, and so on. Eventually you will find someone who sees reason.
There is NO reason to put up with anything like that during your trip or let it ruin your vacation.
Remember that this is a service industry: YOU pay them, THEY provide service. They work for YOU.

[Lesley]

I'm sorry you had problems...if they had other rooms available they should have changed you without charge. The room change fee is supposed to be for cleaning, is it not? If you were only in the room a few minutes they would not have needed to have housekeeping redo it!

I saw a woman at the BWV in Jan. who was having a bad problem....as we were checking in. From what I could tell her family was given a room with soaking wet carpet...they had sent someone to take care of it (not sure how...wet vac and dehumidifier possibly?) and it still was so wet that the kids clothes were getting soaked just from doing normal kid things. It seemed they were having a great deal of trouble getting her a new room...managers were called over, etc... I wonder if it was a similar situation where they wouldn't give a "better" room without charging for the points or cash...or were insisting on charging a change fee.

Honestly, if I were very unhappy I'd probably just pay the fee (or points or whatever....) then contact whoever I possibly could to get it refunded after the fact...because these situations certainly don't seem to warrant a fee! Of course, I spent 15 minutes at the desk on my last trip getting a valet parking charge taken off my bill! I had to make the desk cm verify and reverify his information because I was quite certain that DVC members still get that free! I was right...but it shouldn't have taken 15 min. out of my day! The cm was perfectly pleasant though.....I was calm but firm...not taking "no, there is a charge even for members" as an answer.

I do think the handicapped rooms are a bit problematic....they have to provide them, yet most non-handicapped folks don't want them. So if the place is booked up and if none of those folks are handicapped someone has to take that room! I do think if they have anything else available they should offer it in the event a guest finds the room unsuitable. But what if the place is full? That's a tough issue to call....

[robinb]

I also had a problem with my studio at VWL. It was one of the very few studios that did not have a balcony! I picked up the phone, called down and was moved right away. I lost my "pool view", but I gained a balcony. I was not charged a thing.

[RweTHEREyet]

I, too, support you in being upset. I do not enjoy staying in a handicapped room at all. If I needed one, I know I would appreciate them being available. My Mom and I spent one night at HH on our trip back from the Disney Cruise. It was the first week in January and there probably were not 10 ten cars at the whole resort, so you know occupancy was very low. We checked in late and left very early the next morning, spending only 1 night there. When we got to the room it was a handicapped, even though I had not requested it. We were so tired we did not want to move any of our luggage and stayed in that room. I thought it strange that the front desk person did not tell us it was handicapped, even though the room was first one around the corner from the front desk--they had to know. The water from the shower went everywhere and the bed seemed to be lower to the ground. The microwave was lower than counter level, too. If I had been there for more than 1 night, I would have requested a change for sure.

I feel you should have been moved with no fee. I know you are glad that VWL is not your home resort. I have never had anything but wonderful experiences with the CM's at DVC, and I have had 6 stays since April, 2001. I hope you can get a resolution to this and that your next trip will more than make up for this one.

[Cinderella]

This is terrible and you should definitely complain. The front desk should have told you that the room was going to be a handicapped room before giving you the keys and you should have been given the option to move at no cost.

There is just no excuse for rude treatment from CM's. We put a lot of money up front to invest in DVC and they should not feel they have the right to treat us like this. I have also heard reports on the resort board about people being treated badly by CM's because they had SOG rate at the Contemp. Who do these people think they are? With bookings being low since September 11th, they are lucky to have jobs at all. I do wish Disney would pay higher rates to some of these people, then they might continue to get nice CM's who genuinely want to work there and not some of the types we have been hearing about recently.

[KNWVIKING]

DW and I have a knack for getting HC rooms- not just at WDW. We only stay in studios so it isn't that big a deal although we half jokingly insist they should let us park in HC spot at the resort. Probably one of the only reasons we would book a 1br unit for just the two of us would be the whirlpool tub. If we were unable to move to another room then I think DVC should at the least refund a portion of the points because without the tub we aren't getting what was presented to us,(did anyone tour the HC model ?).

There is no good answer to this problem. ADA laws require a certain ratio of HC rooms. I don't think they could be left out of inventory and only used on an as needed basis. It seems like as a resort starts getting to a certain booking level,CM's start issueing HC rooms to non-HC guests hoping that eventually someone will just accept it without complaint and they just breathe a sighe of relief.

[RLevy29]

Since it seems that most people do not want the roll in shower type of rooms, maybe they coiuld charge less points for them. I don't know how this would work, but it seems fair since you are not getting a closet or a bathtub. HC people should of course be given first priority, and then if they have HC rooms left ask people when they check in if they would mind being in a HC room. Just my 2 cents.

[lawgs]

we had a similar thing happen to us last year at the villas at wilderness lodge

here is the url for that

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=135047&highlight=villas+at+wilderness+lodge


at the time i said i might write to mr carter but i did not.....

but since seeing this issue brought up again, it seems the issue was not addressed re handicap rooms and not knowing which rooms are....???? ( surely with the sosphiticated computer systems they have there is some place to put a notation as to the type of "room" it is )


here are a couple more addresses you might try ...


Rilous Carter
General Manager
Disney Wilderness Lodge and
Disney Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground
901 Timberline Drive
Lake Buena Vista Florida
32830-1000

Phone 407-824-2942

Fax 407-824-5330


also

Jeff Korte
Guest Service Manager
Disney's Wilderness Lodge
Post Office Box 1000
Lake Buena Vista Florida
32830-1000

Phone 407-824-2952

Fax 407-824-3232

hope these will help you get a resolution to this problem, since it does not just affect one person....it potentially affects us all when we are "hostage" to the whims of the room assigner

please keep us informed

here

[Dean]

I would agree that you should have been told and/or they should have been willing to move you if they had a room, for no charge. When this issue comes up there are usually those that say something like "I don't want to take a handicapped room from someone who needs it". There are also those at OKW that request a first floor and even request a first floor for "medical reasons" but then will not accept a handicapped room. I also think the open shower is a real fall hazard. I would have asked to talk to a supervisor and would have insisted we be moved without the charge.

The fact is that there are more handicapped rooms than are normally needed and that means someone who doesn't need it and doesn't want it will stay there that night. I would not be particularly sympathetic to someone that reqested a first floor room at OKW for medical reasons then were upset that it was a handicapped room.

Let me change the scenario a little. Lets assume this were the only room they had that night and then could move you the next day. In that situation the room change charge would have been appropriate if you chose to move.

[dtuleya]

Let me first say that I am unfortunately not a DVC member. Maybe I'm oversimplifying this, but wouldn't the people that are handicapped who are DVC members be the only ones really interested in these rooms? When booking any of the DVC properties, wouldn't it make sense for the CM's to be able to tell you whether or not there were any non-handicapped rooms left in their inventory. If there weren't any standard rooms left, then they could offer you the choice of staying in a handicapped room. That way you would know upfront if that was acceptable to you or not. When a person calls to make a reservation for a 2-bedroom unit, can't they tell right away if there are any available or not? Maybe I'm oversimplifying this issue.

I believe it sounds like they are doing the bait-and-switch routine here. From what I understand from previous posts, you are not shown a handicapped unit when you buy into the DVC, so why is that even offered upon check-in. I know this would be very inconvenient, if no standard units are available in the resort you made your ressies for, would they offer to move you to another resort of your choosing for the same amount of points? It seems quite a few DVC members are not getting what they paid for.

[Simba's Mom]

You know, if only we'd been told at check-in that handicapped studios were all that were available as studios and that they would move us if that was unsatisfactory, we would have taken it and not complained. It was the fact that it was just forced on us, and then they wouldn't move us without paying the fee that upset us. DH travels often (too often, I say!) on business and he's always been asked before given a handicapped room. He could not believe when we were told "Well, they don't know if it's handicapped or not".
And thanks for all the names-I definitely will complain, now that I know who to complain to!
And unfortunately VWL is our home resort!

[Dean]

Denise, I think they have to have a certain amount of units that are handicap accessible by law. If I understand what you're saying, you are saying to actually reserve to the room type up front. While there are advantages to this, I don't think it's feasible and that the disadvantages far outweigh the advantages. Plus I'm sure they only want to argue it once and not over and over. Plus they won't know for certain who actually needs one until the day of checkin or at least the week of checkin.

[DebbieB]

Let me change the scenario a little. Lets assume this were the only room they had that night and then could move you the next day. In that situation the room change charge would have been appropriate if you chose to move.

I don't think a charge would be appropriate in this case either. Why should you pay to move to the room that you were shown when you bought DVC? I've seen people post on this board that they were given complimentary daily housekeeping for their entire stay because they complained the room was dirty. DVC could throw in one complimentary cleaning in this case, which the room change fee is.

KNWVIKING - I believe in a handicapped 1 bedroom you still get the whirlpool tub, the shower is just roll in instead.

[Dean]

Originally posted by DebbieB


I don't think a charge would be appropriate in this case either. Why should you pay to move to the room that you were shown when you bought DVC? We were not shown a 3 BR either or a studio separate. They changed the floor plan part way through though it was a minor change and for the better. I don't think the fact it's not exactly like the model has any bearing, at least not from a legal standpoint.

They can't reduce the points for one room over another. If so, in a few years they'd have to raise them to higher as we all get older and then we're fighting to get the HC rooms rather than avoid them.

I can't say for WL but at BW and OKW they know which is which. I don't think it comes up on the screen though, they have to look somewhere else or inherently know. WL is still pretty new so they many not be well familiar with which are and which aren't, yet. I do agree that they try to give them out and hope no ones says anthing. I always state up front I don't want one and then ask to make sure it's not one.

[minnie mouse]

I stayed at OKW for the first time this past May. I was also given a handicapped room which I did not want. So when we walked into the room and saw there was not tub I called the front desk right away and they switched me for no charge.

I can't believe they would charge you a fee for a room you are not comfortable in. I changed my room at Vero Beach last year and I was not charged then either. I would have been very upset if they told me I was going to be charged for a room less than what I expect.

[DebbieB]

Originally posted by Dean
We were not shown a 3 BR either or a studio separate. They changed the floor plan part way through though it was a minor change and for the better. I don't think the fact it's not exactly like the model has any bearing, at least not from a legal standpoint.

I don't think from a legal standpoint anything could be done, but from a good customer service standpoint they should have done it for free. Instead, they have a new member who was not happy with their first stay and it could have been easily corrected.

[Sarasal]

Are all HC rooms studios?

[TIdoublegaER]

We were placed in a handicap room two years ago at HHI. At check in they explained very kindly what the difference in the room would be, and they very pleasantly asked us if we minded this, or had any concerns. We didn't see that it was much of a concern at all. We did appreciate the way that the presented it to us though at the time.

I'm sorry that your experience was not the same, and I too agree that they should have discussed it with you up front, and been more receptive to your request. Hopefully you can write this off as a "fluke" bad deal and look forward to next time without a lingering bad taste in your mouth.


Tig

[DebbieB]

Originally posted by Sarasal
Are all HC rooms studios?

No, they are available in all room sizes.

[Simba's Mom]

TIdoublegaER-that's exactly the kind of service we would have liked and while we would have been somewhat disappointed, we would have understood that it was a busy time of year, and hoped for better luck next time. Instead, we're reluctant to try a "next time".

[Dean]

Originally posted by DebbieB


I don't think from a legal standpoint anything could be done, but from a good customer service standpoint they should have done it for free. Instead, they have a new member who was not happy with their first stay and it could have been easily corrected. Agreed, in this case with other rooms and since they didn't use the room; they should have been changed without charge. If there had been no other rooms that day and they then used the room, they should have been charged per current rules. The reality remains that some will get rooms they are not happy with. If it's just the luck of the draw for whatever reason, they should not be due compensation either in waiver or fees, free meals, etc. I'm always reminded of the family that went to Whispering Canyon for a meal and were very unhappy that they didn't get all the show that had been reported by others. They apparently expected to get every antic that had happened to others, all at one meal. Remember that requests are just that, even smoking vs non smoking and handicapped rooms. Though I've heard that they actually reserve the handicapped rooms specifically and directly so they know how many extra HC rooms they have days, weeks, even months in advance.

[GCM13]

When we stayed at OKW last August, we were in a handicapped one bedroom (2311). I was not too happy about it, but never thought about asking at check-in if it was a handicap room or not. After having that experience and hearing your story, I think I will ask when we check in if the room we are assigned to is a handicap room.

Sorry you had a bad experience.

[idontknow]

How do they not know which rooms are hc? What if someone really needs a hc room? Are they at the mercy of the "luck of the draw" scenario, too? It seems like this is just blatent lies. (JMHO) If you are wheeled in by your family, and have a reservation for a hc room, wouldn't you get it? Wouldn't they know what room to put you in?

We have reservations for Sept at the VWL. The person we rented points from made our requests for us. (I know that they are just requests) I am concerned about the idea of not having a closet. I do not want to trip over our suitecases. When we check in, as long as we are not on the first floor, we should not have a hc room, right? So, if they tell us that we have a first floor room, we should just ask right there if they have anything on a higher floor?

Wow, if we ever had a ceiling leak and they would not move us, I would be on the phone to the housing authorities or the board of health. Those are unsafe conditions. Thanks for posting the phone numbers. I am going to make sure I have them programed into my cell phone. If we have problems, I know who to call from the check in desk if the desk is unwilling to help us.

[Doctor P]

DW, DSD, and DFIL made the first trip using our points and were given a HC room at OKW. They were not happy with the room, but took it in stride. We now expliciitly indicate in our reservation requests that we do not wish to have a HC room. I'm sorry you had this trouble (and I too would have been upset), but you have 40 more years of great trips to look forward to. I hope your next trip is much better.

[robinb]

Doctor P, I was just about to suggest that.

For those of you who are worried about getting a HC room in the future just request a non-HC room when making your reservation. Although a request is just that, I have found that Disney does their best at placing you in a room that you will like as long as they have advance warning. A request will also remove some of the "luck of the draw" component and give you something to fall back on if you end up with a HC room and they want to charge you a $25 change fee. The fee that I voted against, BTW.

[Nanajo1]

I have to jump in. Not all folks who request first floor for medical reasons can use the roll-in shower or the lower bed. I can walk around the unit with my cane just fine, but need an ECV for the parks and getting around OKW. So I need a first floor to get my ECV in the unit. A roll in shower is only good if you have a shower chair or wheelchair you can take into the shower. Otherwise I need to take one of the balcony chairs in the shower. I can not stand long enough to shower. So the HP room is inappropriate for me. I always list no HP room as a request.
I think that there is something wrong with set up of the roll in shower if the floor gets flooded. The pitch is off and it sounds dangerous. I remember reading about someone who broke a toe slipping on the wet floor. Disney should fix that problem. We should argue the liability of the wet floors to get them remedied.
Also I was under the impression 1BR and larger HP units still have the whirlpool tub.

[DebbieB]

Originally posted by Dean
Remember that requests are just that, even smoking vs non smoking and handicapped rooms.

I think this is different than smoking/non-smoking or view requests, this changes the actual function of the room. In Simba's Mom's case, no tub in her studio. What if she wanted to soak in the tub after a day at the parks? I think when we bought DVC and saw the tub in the studio, we thought we would be getting a room that included a tub. I think they should have moved them for free, that day if they had a room or another day when a non-handicapped was available.

[PamOKW]

When we check in, as long as we are not on the first floor, we should not have a hc room, right?

Not necessarily. This is true for sure at OKW since there are no elevators but I'm not sure whether they might have a handicap room on a upper floor at the other resorts. Maybe not, for fire safety, but I wouldn't count on it.

[JudithM]

Nanajo, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! I could not have said it better - "Not all folks who request first floor for medical reasons can use the roll-in shower or the lower bed." I have found that sometimes individuals who do not have a disability or handicapping concern, don't understand what we need, how we feel, etc. Thank you for your comments :)!

[BillM]

To IDONTKNOW

As a DVC member who uses an EVC I always ask for a HC room. HC villas are confirmed when you make your ressie. So there is no issue when you show up to register. Also as PamOKW says, HC villas are not necessarily on the first floor. I have stayed at BWV and HH where we had HC units and we were on upper floors accessible by elevators. Oddly OKW refused to give me an upper floor in the new buildings that have elevators.

HC folks come in many flavors and it is almost comical sometimes to stay in very nice motels and hotels that give you a HC room. Their idea of what HC folks needs is sometimes ridiculous.

For example HHDVC thinks that every one who is HC is in a WC and needs a bed about a foot off the floor. If you aren't in a WC
but have bad legs, lots of luck trying to get up off the bed !!!!

[Dean]

I understand that not every person with a handicap is going to be ideal for the HC rooms as set up. They are intended to be as flexible as possible but it's a compromise. I also have no problem with one requesting a first floor non handicapped. The problem is that these rooms are also limited and are a request only, where the HC rooms are scheduled direclty from what I'm told. The examples given though do no make the HC rooms inappropriate, only inconvenient and different than requested. If one doesn't need a roll in shower, but needs handicapped access otherwise, that's part of the compromise that has to happen to have the rooms serve the most people possible. I bet DVC even has shower chairs and I seem to remember a fold down chair in one of the units we stayed in once at OKW.

The problem I have is when one expects to get a first floor non handicapped for medical reasons when a regular HC room would go empty or to someone who doesn't want or need it in any way and when the HC room be about as appropriate for that person whether they prefer it or not. That makes it truly a request and should carry no more weight than any other request. It is not appropriate for DVC to create an unofficial set of semi HC rooms. If they want to convert more rooms to HC over the years, that's different.

Nanajo1, I am not unsympathetic to your situation but there are other ways to deal with it besides the first floor none HC. It seems to me that you just don't like the shower. I can understand that but a shower chair would fix your stated concern, there may be others and that was only an example. Obviously the lower bed should not be a problem at all. What happens if you don't get a first floor room? You would have been guaranteed a HC room but now you're taking your chances. This is one of the problems with timeshares, what may be great at 30 may not at 60 and vice versa. This will be a real problem was the members age. Eventually there will not be enough rooms as are needed for HC. What if 20% of the rooms need to be HC in 20 years but only 10% are (numbers for illustration only). Will we then be discussing that some need a HC room and they are all full even though other rooms are going empty. I guarantee you it will happen eventually and that is what we bought into, we will take the good with the bad.

[lsutigger]

Sorry that I'm so late in this discussion. Oct 01 on our first visit as DVC members we were given a HC studio at VWL. I don't remember them saying anything at check in, but who knows. Between being excited to be there and tired from the trip, I was just glad they had a room available, It was noon-ish when we got there. often wonder if I had waited if a non HC/non smoking studio would have been available. We stayed in the room, as moving rooms doesn't sound like fun to me. I didn't realized it was handicapped until we had be in there a few minutes. The kitchenette and shower were the give aways. It was also a smoking room. I do have to say there was no smoke smell at all, thank goodness. Had there been I probably would have requested that they move us. Yes I was disappointed as the only two request I had were non-smoking and non HC! Didn't get either. I did email Jackie (name from one of the other posts) and she called me at home. Told me the resort was full and since I had reserved at the 7 month window and it was first come first serve ..... I reserved the room exactly at the 7 month window at exactly 9:00 am. I would love to know the types of rooms others who called later in the day got. She was very nice on the phone but there was no resolution to the problem.
But I still love my DVC. Going back in Oct 02 in a one bdroom at BCV. I'll ask at the desk what type of room it is before leaving the area and be more assertive in getting what I want.

[CaptainMidnight]

Well, I guess hindsight is easy, but if an extra $25 gets you the room you'd like, I would have gone ahead and paid the extra $25. After all, that's a drop in the bucket compared to what you'll probably spend on the vacation. Then, send in a letter with your bill and ask for a refund of the fee.

i know it's easy looking back, but $25 isn't enough to ruing your vacation over.

I confess, HC rooms are not my favorite, but I am glad they are available for members who need them.
Hope your next trip goes much better, and thanks for the heads up. We can ask if the room is handicap or not.

I guess not everyon'e vacaton can be perfect every time. I think you've got the best shot at it through Disney.

[KNWVIKING]

..did your HC room have a whirlpool tub ? I was under the impression they didn't,but another poster states they do.

[LindaDVC]

We have always stayed in handicapped units since DH is a power wheelchair user.
We requested info. on these unts prior to joining to make sure the bed would be lower and the bathroom accessible. Without the quarantee of there availabilty we could not book a reservation.

To me the real issue is making the unit functional for all!
They need to fix the bathroom shower problems. No one needs the floor of the bathroom wet especially the handicapped who often have decreased balance or strength. They also should add more shelving since many complain about the difference in counter space. People have been writing about the lack of closets??? We have always had closets in the accessible units.

Personally I find this thread very annoying. I wish people would count their blessings and accept a few accessible features to help everyone vacation!

Linda

[SueM in MN]

..did your HC room have a whirlpool tub ? I was under the impression they didn't,but another poster states they do.

The whirlpool tubs are in the 1 and 2 bedroom units, whether they are the handicapped accessible rooms or not. The part that is different is the shower. In a regular room, it has a shower stall with a small lip to step over. There is also a shower door. The fully wheelchair accessible showers are roll in showers without a step into the shower. The don't have a door.

[JudithM]

DVC studios generally come with a tub/shower whereas the one bedroom unit has the walk-in shower stall Sue described.

In a handicapped studio there is no tub, just a walk in, wheelchair accessible shower. Here lies a few problems - the shower curtain in the handicapped rooms we have stayed in at OKW did not go all the way to the floor. Therefore a cold breeze blows in on your feet & runs up your body (regardless of water temperature). Also, as others have mentioned the water from the shower tends to back out onto the floor which is a safety issue for everyone, not just folks with limited mobility.

Last month we stayed in a handicapped studio at the DVC at HHI. The shower curtain was much longer than the one I just described & none of the above mentioned problems occurred. We did have a nice size closet at HHI, too!

BillM, thank you for comments about the beds in a handicapped room - "If you aren't in a WC but have bad legs, lots of luck trying to get up off the bed !!!!" People with "good legs" should count their blessings!

[KNWVIKING]

.... I thought Simba was in a 1br but after rereading her original post I realized she never stated what her accomodations were. I've had HC studios and am very familiar with the screwy shower.

I'm curious about the problems people have mentioned about water getting on the bathroom floor. Is there something the non HC people are doing wrong to create this problem simply because we don't know how to use an HC shower ? I can't imagine disney is building these rooms any differently then industry standard.

[LindaDVC]

The water doesn't discriminate-- it is screwy for the handicapped and non handicapped folks!!! :(

[sumessefui]

Getting a HC room and not wanting it can be a problem at peak times. However rudeness from CM's to a reasonable request is not excusable. Is not part of the reason we joined the DVC the wonderful attention from CM's. Some time back at the Poly my sister told a concierge that a CM had messed up a reservation and was rude on top of it. The concierge responded that rudeness was not allowed by a CM at WDW. I guess times have changed.

[SueM in MN]

Linda is right. The water doesn't care if you are handicapped or not - it goes where it wants.

[jimmytammy]

Ya'll have got me a little worried with these replies. Reason is we bought into WLV as home resort and never even seen the place except from monorail(going home in Dec. for first time). Please somebody give some encouraging words.

[Mooobooks]

jimmytammy, here are your encouraging words. I bought at Old Key West and stayed there once. It was nice, but remote from the parks (but it IS so close to Downtown Disney).
I have never stayed there again. Have almost ALWAYS stayed at the Villas at the Wilderness Lodge. It is our favorite hotel in the world, not just in WDW. We have always had a great time, have never had any problems with rude cast members, and we are as happy as most of the other DVC members on this board.
I think that in relation to the overall number of people who stay in the resorts, bad incidents (which DO happen) are a miniscule percentage. It's really the luck of the draw and a lot depends on how YOU handle it at the time.
I would've paid the $25 to have the room changed immediately and then gone to see the manager, and kept going until I got a response that made sense. (And doing this without getting terribly angry is important.) Of course, if the hotel is totally booked and they can't change your room, then it's always wise to enjoy your vacation and make the best of it. The only person who suffers if you can't make the best of a bad situation is YOU! Not everything in life is perfect, not every vacation will be perfect. Whether or not you enjoy life, and your vacations, is really up to you.

[JudithM]

I think I described that the water from the shower tends to back out onto the floor which is a safety issue for everyone, not just guests with limited mobility.

Jimmytammy, hopefully the problems & concerns that members on this board had last week at VWL will be corrected soon :).

I received a reply this morning from a DVC CM in management. I forwarded both threads from this bb to her over the weekend. I highly encourage any member who has had problems or concerns at VWL to write to the General Manager, Mr. Rilous Carter. My contact assured me she would be sure Mr. Rilous Carter is aware of these problems & concerns. Disney cannot fix something if they are not aware. I would suggest you be as specific as possible in your letter & include as much info as possible - CM name, date, time, etc.

WRITE THOSE LETTERS NOW :)!!

[jbthi]

jimmytammy,

Don't forget this thread is about the people that have had problems at VWL. this is a very small percent of the total number. People that have had great experiences will not be posting here. :D

[Granny]

Many veterans on this board know that my family absolutely loves the WL, and now the VWL. We fell in love with the WL on our first trip there and DW quickly stated that she didn't want to stay anywhere else. The theming, the pool, proximity to MK and the great service and attitude by the employees sold us.

Then when VWL went on sale, we decided to buy there. Now we love the experience even more since the same benefits are still there from the WL with the added benefit of tremendous accommodations!

I really feel for those who have been treated rudely by CM's. But I must point out that this is the exception, not the rule. I don't know what the CM's problem was that treated Simba's Mom so poorly, but we have never encountered that! Thank goodness we haven't or I could see that souring us even with everything else this resort has going for it.

I hope the letters to management yield results. And if anyone has reservations for VWL, I wouldn't worry. The vast majority of DVC visitors to VWL have come back with glowing reports. I'm sure in the next 40 years of vacationing we will run into some rude CM's and poor attitudes. But taken as a whole, I'll bet the famous Disney service will be the normal experience we have.

We are going to stay at BWV next month as we sample the various DVC homes. I know we will have a great time, but if we end up with a rude CM, then I'll just chalk it off to a bad day for him/her. Now if every CM we meet there is rude, that will be different. But we know that will not be the case.

Best wishes to those who have experienced problems. I hope your future vacations restore your faith in the Disney "magic".

[bres@westernMA]

I was sorry to read that your first DVC trip wasn't totally wonderful. I hope your next trip will be up to DVC standards.

[idontknow]

Thanks for letting us know that the HC rooms are not just on the first floors. Like I said, it isn't the shower I am worried about, it's that darn closet space. LOL

As was mentioned before, I think some of us are worried about the attitudes because of what the SOG people are experiencing at the CR. Maybe Disney has a batch of bad CM's right now, but if everyone lets Disney know how they feel, that can change. ;)

[lawgs]

Originally posted by JudithM
I received a reply this morning from a DVC CM in management. I forwarded both threads from this bb to her over the weekend. I highly encourage any member who has had problems or concerns at VWL to write to the General Manager, Mr. Rilous Carter. My contact assured me she would be sure Mr. Rilous Carter is aware of these problems & concerns. Disney cannot fix something if they are not aware. I would suggest you be as specific as possible in your letter & include as much info as possible - CM name, date, time, etc.

WRITE THOSE LETTERS NOW :)!!

would like to add my observations here about "being aware" and in particular "Rilous Carter"...

have posted this earlier in "my vwl and assigning handicap" in this thread where i included a url to a post i did last year after we returned from VWL.....i will post the pertinent part here now instead of listing the URL



they put us in a handicapped room without telling us ....a one bedroom non smoking...when i went back down to ask about at least being given the courtesy of being told it was a handicapped room, ended up speaking to the "room assigner" who said it was the ONLY room he had available in the one bedroom category and rooms are all assigned according to requests and booking date....( there is a slight smell to that but who knows )....we were not checking in too early either.....anyhow i told him we should have at least been told that it was handicapped and he agreed but says it does not show up on their screens ( main one i guess).....POINT: what is the real procedure for assigning rooms .....is there discretion on the room assigners part or does he have to follow a process


we were in the room on the second day of or reservation when we had a knock on the door.....it was housecleaning and the general manager of the resort wanting to check the unit out........they THOUGHT the unit was empty so were shocked to see us there.....somehow there seems to be a communication gap at the front desk or at least the computer system ( must say our reservations was three separate ones linked .....since we did not get all our nights the first time we tried )

....anyhow i told mr carter about not being told about this unit being handicapped at check in and he agreed that SHOULD not happen....maybe he will check into that.....he did give me his card .....and we insisted since they were there that they view what they came to see.....that they were not intruding...



thus. having spoken directly to mr carter, my assumption was that he might address this concern ( how much more aware can i make him than speaking face to face with him and telling him the above concern about not being informed ) and when i got back home i did not write a letter but i did keep his card handy in case we ever had another problem

from this thread, it now seems the "issue" was not addressed and maybe it is now time to "hard copy" my concern to mr carter in a letter

call me cynical but in "general" dealing with "people from disney" they seem to have an ear for what you are saying.....but one never really knows what happens to "your concern" once you are done

just an aside, it took me over two years to get a response from a concern we had at epcot for which we spent the time to fill out a report for at guest relations asking specifically to have someone contact us ( was assured by the cast member it would happen ).....after two years of chasing this "report" down we did finally get a call from "someone" higher up in guest relations but generally received the "disney platitudes" as they had no "evidence of our written concern"

so at least on my end, i know mr carter was aware of our concern about not being given at least the courtesy of being told we were assigned to a Handicapped 1 bedroom ( at least we had the bath tub to use, we did not make use of the shower )

sorry for the long response, but felt it was necessary to add my insight to this "issue"

[jimmytammy]

mooobooks, JudithM and jbthi

Thanks for the replies. I don't feel so uneasy now. I have stock in Dis and often see a lot of discontent among castmembers written on message boards about working for Dis. I'm sure it's not always a bed of roses but in this day and time people should feel fortunate to have work. Just my 2 cents worth.

[Granny]

999ghsts....I'm sure I speak for others as well as I thank and commend you for coming on this board to help clarify some of the questions we have. My family has not had the negative experiences, though as frequently as we will be going I'm sure some will crop up.

And while the inconvenience of the HC layouts is understood, I think what this thread is really about is the lack of responsiveness to a DVC member's problem, coupled with an apparent poor CM attitude. Hopefully, Simba's Mom will have experiences in the future that are the same as the wonderful experiences my family has had at WL/VWL.

[lawgs]

Originally posted by 999ghsts


Just wanted to answer this question. I am a room assigner at VWL and while I don't think the situation was handled correctly, I can tell you that we are required by DVC contract to block rooms in the order that they were created. Basically room blocking works like this. The room assigner runs a report showing the reservations that are coming in, this report runs in the order that the reservation were made by Member services (so the first person to book for that day is first and the last person is last) the room assigner then goes through the report and looks for room request (smoking, non smoking, water view etc.) they will block the reservations in order. So if the hotel is sold out you may not get your resquests based on when you booked and what is left after the requests ahead of you are blocked. If you requested non smoking, the very last non smoking rooms that are blocked are the handicap rooms (as we understand they...especially the studios which do not have closests or bathroom counter tops... can be inconvient to a family of 4). Obviously the room will have to be occupied by someone if the resort is sold out. I don't think the attitude that was given by the CM's was proper, but you have to understand that if the resort is sold out (which it usually is) they might not have another room that they can put you and that they are following the DVC contract in the way that rooms are blocked.



thanks, finally someone who can explain what the procedure is

this procedure makes sense ( although i think it was posted by someone on the board that they had booked at the 7 month window and still "got what seemed to be the last dregs" and although not privy to the exact information if this is the case ...what did the people who booked at later times get when they checked in ). In our case since the vacation was more or a last minute booking and we were at the bottom of the list, i can understand more now what happened when we were assigned a handicap room....

in the above statement you say....."the non smoking rooms are the last to be assigned"....that being said ....the logic would also suggest that they will know then what handicapped rooms are in the computer ...would it be too hard to "note" that on the main screen with some kind of code so the cast member can then be afforded the opportunity to tell people yes it is non smoking but it is also a handicapped room thus preventing the "dismay" when the people get to the room and find out it is


we did happen to meet your mr carter by chance as posted in the thread you took my quote from

yes he was very pleasant and very apologetic for having interrupted us in a room that showed up as "empty" on the sheet the head of housekeeping had in her hand (wonder how that happened)....they said they would come back later but we insisted since they were there it did not bother us if they did the "tour".....and it was then i took the opportunity to discuss with him, when he asked if we had any concerns, how we had not been given the courtesy of being told it was a handicapped room when we checked in....

somewhere along the line, that concern seems to have been misplaced since there seems to be more than one thread now of people being caught unaware that they are being "assigned" to a handicapped room

might add in hindsight, we recall once checking in at OKW and being told the only studio they had for us at the time was a Handicapped smoking unit and did we mind taking that unit

since we were only going to be using it one night we said yes....but at least we were afforded the opportunity to say NO (maybe the computers used for checking in at OKW are different than the ones used by VWL and WL)

we do thank you for addressing the issue about the procedure used by the room assigner ....that was all we were asking for, and can see now when the resort is "sold out" you have to play by the "rules" in assigning rooms

[JudithM]

999ghsts, thank you for taking the time to explain your job as a room controller & what is expected with DVC. I know, from attending several OKW annual meetings over the years, that front desk CM require a lot more training than other front desk CMs.

Lawgs, I would encourage you to write a letter to Mr. Carter. You might tell him that you had hoped by meeting him & talking to him (on such & such a date & time) in your room that the info members are given by front desk CMs would have been changed for the better. However, from reading other member's experiences, perhaps it has not changed. Well, you get the drift ... WRITE that letter!

[sparkspeak]

Handicapped rooms and wheelchair accessible rooms are not the same thing. Most handicapped people do not use a wheelchair. Many handicapped people need to soak in a bathtub. In some cases a handicapped designated room is a handicap for a non-wheelchair handicapped person. Disney designers, architects and room assigners need to do some research.

[SueM in MN]

Handicapped rooms and wheelchair accessible rooms are not the same thing. Most handicapped people do not use a wheelchair. Many handicapped people need to soak in a bathtub. In some cases a handicapped designated room is a handicap for a non-wheelchair handicapped person. Disney designers, architects and room assigners need to do some research.

I'm not sure about VWL, but in the other WDW resorts, they have different levels of handicapped rooms. Some are fully wheelchair accessible, with the roll in shower, roll under sinks, etc. There are also handicapped rooms which are not fully accessible to someone with a wheelchair. Those have grab bars in the bathrooms, raised toilet seat, but don't have the roll in shower.
The one and two bedroom villas still have the whirlpool tub, even if they have roll in showers, so someone who needs a tub would still have it in those rooms.
Member Services can help DVC members to find and appropriate room, or you can work with WDW RESORTS/SPECIAL RESERVATIONS
(407) 939-7807 [voice]
(407) 939-7670 [TTY]

[lawgs]

thanks once again 999ghsts for clarifying the fact that the computer does tell them ( although they did say to me when i asked last december that that information was not on the MAIN screen, but on a subsequent "screen" if i recall correctly )

and when i did inquire at the main desk after having gone up to the room and back down ...the CM told me that information was not available to them, thus when i talked to the his supervisor who i think also said he was the room assigner ( Jeff, if the other card that i had with my december information is correct )

it was suggested that they should look into some means of adding this information to the "check in" screen so they could tell the guest that the room was "accessible"

this same point i made to rilous when we talked to him the day they were touring the "acessible rooms" at VWL ( we still wonder why the slip that the head housekeeper had in her hand said that our UNIT was empty when we were "assigned" to it )

from what you are saying then.....i can almost say we were in 3544 or 4544 since we did have non smoking...

thanks once again for taking the time to answers questions dealing with check in procedures

[AllisonG]

OK, so what 999ghsts said was if you stayed/slept in the room or used it somewhat you would have to pay the $25 moving fee. Simba's Mom never once said she DIDN'T use the room. She may have slept over night or taken a shower.

Simba's Mom: Please fill us in?

If she had used the room/shower, was the $25 moving fee admissible?

[Simba's Mom]

Yes, I did use the room. I called immediately (within a few minutes) but they said they wouldn't be able to move me until the next day. So I suppose they could say that since I'd used the room before they moved me, the fee was justified. However, since I only used the room because they forced me to, didn't give me a choice, I still don't think it was fair. BTW, my letter to Mr. Carter went out 2 days ago. I'll let everyone know his response.

And 999ghsts, your concern has meant so much to me. Thanks so much for letting me know that there are some wonderful CMs like you at WL. Like I told Mr. Carter, it's such a beautiful place, it's unfortunate that the memory of our bad experiences is overcoming the beauty.

[BobH]

My wife and I stayed at OKW in March of 2000. We had a cash reservation and went to determine whether we would buy into DVC. We did not know about the handicapped studios either. We were asigned one and called the desk to say it was unacceptable and we were changed after one night. The CMs were polite but I felt we really had to put the pressure on or they would have let it slide. Unfortunately the only way to make sure you get what you want is to study these boards and learn everything you can about the rooms. I always specify "non handicapped, non smoking and 2nd floor if I want a studio at OKW." We did purchase and are very happy. It is discouraging, however, to realize you "may" have a bad experience even though you are a DVC owner. On the plus side my daughter had a great experience at OKW and I have stayed at HIlton Head and Vero and had a very, very good experience. You should take names and let the "rude" folks know you will report them. This may help to snap their attitudes back in line.

[LindaDVC]

Still finding it amazing that folks get so stressed about a roll in shower and lower bed!
Traditional time shares (with assigned weeks and rooms) maybe more acceptable to some folks.

I pray that those who currently don't need a wheelchair accessible room will never know how necessary those featues are for the physically disabled!

Funny how thrilled people are with the roll in shower and accessible features on the cruise ship when the accessible room is offered to an able-bodied person! They all report how great the extra floor space is!

Linda

[OKW91]

What a horrible experience for your first visit, or any visit! We have always stayed at OKW, have been offer a handicapped room twice via the front desk, which we have always declined! I would definitly write a letter to your advisior, and see what they have to say about this, the least they should do is refund the $25 for the room switch! Write today, let them know what is happening or it will happen again! I hope you have a better experience on your next visit.

[MardiGrasDVC]

We had our first DVC experience at VWL last December, and we encountered similar problems to the original poster. We requested a Studio, non-smoking (for medical reasons) and were given a smoking adjoining Studio with chain smokers on the other side of the door. When we checked in, we asked several times if we were getting a non-smoking room and we were assured that it was definitely N/S. When we got to the room, it did not have the "N/S" decal on the door, it smelled like smoke (along with the entire hallway), and there was an ashtray prominently placed in the room. A call to the front desk revealed that there were no N/S Studios available, and they didn't expect any to become available during our trip unless someone vacated early. Better luck next time. Housekeeping suggested we put wet towels under the adjoining door. (Yeah, how about some plastic sheeting and duct tape all around it?)

We had more trouble ... because of wait-listing, we actually had 3 separate ressies tied together. At the end of each ressie, our room keys would stop working, our charging privileges would stop, parking pass expired, etc. It was a hassle to keep going back to the front desk to clear it up. And at the end of our entire stay, we didn't get our express checkout because all the charges were on the first ressie, which had already ended!

The front desk CMs never said sorry and the manager's attitude was completely unacceptable. No "sorry", no effort to help, just a "hope you'll try us again" ... NOT! He even claimed that our smoking room was designated N/S in the computer, and that couldn't possibly be wrong. I told him he should send someone physically to the room and update the computer, so this wouldn't happen to another guest, but he didn't seem to care at all.

We did write Disney when we got home, but there was no response. I was really upset, and did get physically sick from being exposed to cigarette smoke for 9 days. I definitely learned some lessons on this trip!

The room was also handicapped-accessible, but that didn't bother me at the time (compared to the smoke!!) because I didn't realize that it was different from a regular room. In the future I will try to get non-handicapped rooms, though. That tiny shower was very difficult to use.

Shawna

[TIdoublegaER]

Having an accessible room (especially a studio) is not always desireable or feasible for some. For example, where are you going to bath an infant or small child? When we stayed at HH a couple of years ago, we were given an accessible studio, were told about it at checkin and didn't have a problem with it. Hindsight is always 20/20, however, and given the chance again I would have preferred to have had a tub. My youngest DD was 2 at the time and bathing her in a shower with water going everywhere wasn't ideal and made a HUGE mess . The water on the floor was a huge issue for me, especially since a couple of months before this, 2yo slipped on the wet bathroom floor at home and needed 20 stiches in her forehead. The accessible room would have been totally inappropriate for my family had my children been any younger than they were at the time. Just my .02.

[lawgs]

mardi gras...

You have brought up some points....which were similar to our visit last december 4 - 7 also

because of wait-listing, we actually had 3 separate ressies tied together

our reservations were similar, because of wait listing we had separate ressies linked together.....and when you are waitlisted and get the "room" it is my understanding the lastest "confirmation" is what "rules" the room assignment, thus a lower level on the "assignment hierarchy ( perhaps 999ghsts can speak to that ) thus if it is a late wait list .... your requests would be the last to be fulfilled

He even claimed that our smoking room was designated N/S in the computer, and that couldn't possibly be wrong

yes i guess their computers are never wrong....probably why mr carter and the head of housekeeping "thought" our room was empty when they knocked on the door during our stay ...."their sheet said the room was empty" and why they said they do not know what "classification" a room is from the computer screen ( point being the room assigner told me "accessible" does not show up as an indicator attached to a room on the main screen )

And at the end of our entire stay, we didn't get our express checkout because all the charges were on the first ressie, which had already ended!

we went to the trouble of going down to the front desk to ask for express check out the night before giving them a credit card to apply to the account ( we do not use room keys to charge since some cast member "double dipped" their tip on a stay we had at OKW ) ...nothing was there in the morning... so we again went to the front desk .....only to be told by CM David that "express check out" was not available if your balance was "zero" ( which i can accept ) , but why was i not told that the night before when i took the time to stand in line to request "express" check out

We did write Disney when we got home, but there was no response

i had intentions of writing to Disney also but as i posted in a previous post have found dealing with "disney" and expecting a follow up requires persistance.

the reason i did not write was due to the encounter we had with mr carter when he came to "tour" the accessible facilities, at which time we voiced our concerns ( expecting since we had "talked" to the "head" guy that something would have been done to address "checkin" telling members as a courtesy that the room they have been assigned to is accessible )

as i can now see from reading these posts, it seems to be business as usual for some CMs at VWL check in......

so now i will write the letter i had planned on doing last december to mr carter expressing my concerns about "issues not being addressed"......

at least he gave me his card ( as his way of saying if i had any concerns, i could contact him ) ....who did you write to about this ....would another letter to mr carter be in order also...

if so his address is


Mr Rilous Carter
General Manager
Disney's Wilderness Lodge
Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground
901 Timberline Drive
Lake Buena Vista, Florida
32830-1000

Phone 407-824-2042 Fax 407-8245330

hopefully, it will be different this time and i will get a reply...

thank you for posting and adding your viewpoint also......not everyone has a positive experience at VWL....

my concern is that even after i "expressed" to mr carter concerns about check in treatment....... the process still seems to continue in the same "ways" for those not lucky enough to have had a 11 or 7 month window reservation ( the more i think about it, the waitlist aspect makes the most sense as to why "assignments" happen as they do

[Disneynut53]

Please E-mail George Aguel, SVP, Disney Vacation Development. Tell him your story. You WILL receive a response from him. They hold weekly meetings to discuss problems like yours.

george.aguel@disney.com

I have been a member of DVC for 9 years and have only experienced a few minor problems that have all been resolved to my satisfaction..

[JulesMom]

I would complain!

I will make sure I ask if I have a handicap room when I check in next year. I have back problems and soak in the tub to loosen it up. I could NOT be at WDW without a tub.

[POLLY ANN]

And when we went to the DVC sales office to complain, all they did there was try to justify VWL actions, trying to convince us that the reason we hadn't been told is that they don't know which of their rooms are handicapped and yes, the room change fee is policy.

I CAN'T believe that they would say they don't know which rooms are handicapped. WHAT?? How can they NOT know, especially if someone needs a handicap accessible room? I really don't get that.

And, Simba's Mom, I'm not doubting you that they said that, BTW. I'm also sorry that you had such horrible customer service. You should be compensated in some way.

[SamanthaL]

999ghsts- Since the rooms are assigned first come first served, do faxed requests or special occassions play into it at all? Also, is booking at around the 6th or5th month out put you at the bottom of the list, or is it the last minute ressies? Thanks for your insight. My DD would have a fit if I tried to shower her. A tub is a must for us as well as the guests around us;) . You know those little ones are born with quite a set of lungs:rolleyes: .

[Tigger1]

I am so sorry to hear you had such a bad experience. We have only stayed at OKW and have not had any major problems yet.

I bet that some members took advantage of changing rooms until they had to become to strict. They should not have ever given you a handicap room though when they had a nonhandycap room available.

I bet DH loved to have the golf course right outside. We enjoy watching the golfers in the mornings.

Tigger

[bub]

The same thing happened to us last year at WL (we were given a handicapped studio). The different configuration was a problem due to children who needed a tub, plus the fact that we cook most of our food in the room and the microwave in those units takes up all of the counter space.

We checked in at 4 and when we called the desk we were told no other rooms were available, too bad. The valet helping with our luggage suggested that we call back and ask for a manager. We did this, complained in detail and waited awhile for a response and finally were switched. There was no charge - we had not unpacked or used the room except for the phone. We did double the tip for the valet, since he had spent an hour with us by that point!

[LindaDVC]

Again -- the problems in these units are the same for the handicapped and non handicapped.
Example - no counter space .. ....

These issues of decreased counter space, decreased bathroom shelving, water on the floor, etc should be addressed rather than refusing to be in a handicapped unit.

I will agree that some small children and some adults REQUIRE a tub.

Linda

[baileybrad]

Bottom line if VWL staff cannot tell you whether a room is a handicapped set-up or not then their system is flawed. I would suspect that there were rooms n-h rooms available so this is really an extreme case of poor customer service on Disney's part. One of the reasons most bought into DVC was for customer service to the max. Like others have posted, I would have went right up the chain and stayed there at the front desk until the situation was resolved. NO excuse would have sufficed. Disney has plently of rooms and if that meant moving to another resort even it was non DVC for a few nights until a proper Studio opened up so be it. I have a 2 and 4 year old....they take baths not showers and if I were offered a handicapped room I would politely decline. If one were "forced" upon me and then I was asked to pay $25 or $5 dollars for that matter to get what I reserved and bought into the DVC for...then politeness would not even be in the room.

When DVC/Disney get it right...95% of time at least, we are all quick to sing their praises....They should make this one right and more singing would then be most appropriate. Right now they are bottom feeding in that murky 5% on this issue and that is definitely not a place the DVC should ever wish to find themselves. And they definitely have the power to clean up a mess caused by poor castmember behavior...in this case tub or shower, no preference. Just do it.

[MardiGrasDVC]

On the advice of Disneynut53 (earlier in this thread), I did email George Aguel at WDW and relayed the problems we had at VWL in December. I got a call the next day from his office saying he was on vacation this week, but that they were forwarding my email to the WL. Today (just a few days after I sent the email to Mr. Aguel), I got a call from one of the front desk managers at the WL. She was very apologetic and nice, and is sending us a voucher for a free night at the VWL! I didn't get any response when I contacted the general Guest Communications dept after our trip ... it definitely pays to complain to the right people!

Thanks for the advice!

Shwana

[lawgs]

mardi gras

we took the process of writing snail mail to rilous carter ...

sent it certified mail ( just to take the " we did not get your letter" out of the mix )

if we do not get a response from him, we will try the email route to george augel

[David in Manassas]

I did not read all 6 pages of messages, but I could swear that I wrote the first one myself. My daughter and I in our Junevisit to WLV also received the infamous "handicapped" room. I was not happy as my daughter loves to soak in a tub after a day in the parks...

I did not spol my vacation, but I sure would have loved the chance to know about it when I checked in at the front desk and given the opportuniy to select another studio if it was available...

David

[Simba's Mom]

Exactly our sentiments! And although I sent the letters to Mr. Carter and DVC, almost 2 weeks ago, I haven't heard yet. Don't mean to sound upset about that-what with vacations and all, I'm just being over-anxious for a response. Just curious, when did you check in? For us, it was Father's Day.

[David in Manassas]

Checked in 6/6...

I guess on my next reservation I stay there, I'll see if I can request a "non handicapped" room :)

David

[lawgs]

simba's mom

did you try emailing "george" at DVC too....or did you just write letters....

btw...did you get the email with the letter.doc that i sent....had not heard from you .....so did not know if you received it..

just did a check on my certified letter to disney...

Delivery Status


You entered 7002 0510 0003 7610 1690


Your item was accepted at 8:51 am on June 28, 2002 in BUFFALO, NY 14209. Status is updated every evening. Please check again later.


would seem they have not gotten my letter yet and it has been a week so far since i sent it


david

when did you book your vacation on points.....for June 6th ( the spiel from WL front desk that we "got" ... went .... since you were late in making your reservations ....your requests were the last to be ... "assigned" ) ...

[Simba's Mom]

I've snail-mailed Rilous Carter, General Manager at WL and also Jackie Lueders, Member Satisfaction Manager at DVC. Hopefully those 2 are the correct ones to get some satisfaction. Oh yes, and recently I rsponded to an Internet Survey on my visit where they said "Your feedback will be given our undivided attention, for we genuinely want to provide guests with the ultimate vacation."
I'd be very surprised if I didn't get a response of some type from one of those.

[JudithM]

Simba's Mom, I will bet my last dollar that YOU WILL receive some type of response/reply (& I'm not a betting person:) ).

I was talking to some friends who just returned from WDW yesterday. They spent 15 nights at a moderate resort & had three different rooms before they got one that was non-smoking & non-perfume sprayed. No one ever apologized for the inconvenience :(. I talked to another recent WDW guest who had trouble with CRO - bottom line -no one apologized for the troubles CRO caused. Disney needs to take a serious look at how things are run & I don't mean just DVC. If Disney does not provide the level of guest service that guests have grown accustomed to, the guests may start find other vacation spots. Both of these stories reminded me of you - a simple, "Gee I made a mistake" or "I apologize for your trouble/inconvenience" would have helped a lot.

[lawgs]

just checked to see what certified mail is.....

Certified Mail provides the sender a mailing receipt at the time of mailing and online access to the date and time of delivery. The recipient's signature is obtained at the time of delivery and a record of it is maintained by the Postal Service

as of today .......they still only have that my item was accepted in buffalo ......but as of yet no one from disney has "signed" for delivery....maybe they "only" pick up their mail sporadically....