Tell me a "COMP STORY" about complementary......

[minimahaki]

We have all heard about someone who had something go wrong while they were at Disney, and Disney some how reciprocated through a complementary something or other. I would love to hear the story. Please make sure your indicating if this is a DVC COMP STORY or NON DVC COMP STORY
OK
Now you can also tell me a story where something went wrong at DISNEY and there was nothing more than an apology given to you......

Lauretta
Minimahaki DVC Member since May, 1993 ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;)

[This message was edited by minimahaki on 04-27-01 at 05:37 AM.]

[mrsdon]

About 3 years ago DH and I booked 3 nights at the BWV.(about 6 weeks before the trip)
The trip was for the beginning of Dec.
We checked into the BWV about 4pm and got our room keys.
When we went to the room and swiped the key, we saw a camera and sunglasses on the shelf and shoes in the room. We quickly concluded the room was occupied.
We told front desk CM and he sent us to dinner at Spoodles(copliments of Disney)
After dinner we got our new room keys and found that new room to be occupied also.
At this time Im a little upset. We've tried 2x's to get our room(with confirmed ressies)
We get another room and it is OCUPPIED also.
Now at this point I am totally angey. Its 830 and we've tried checking in since 4 and we dont have a room and all oour stuff had been sitting in the lobby.
When we finally found a room it was after 9pm
I asked the manager how I could feel safe, knowing that I was given someone's room key 3 times.
I alos asked what could be done to compensate for all our troubles(dont flame please. I wasnt tryint to get something for nothing, but 3times to get an unoccupuied room is too much IMO)
Anyway she was smart and said we sent you to dinner.
Later that night she called and said she would give us one night.
I was happy with that.
When we got home my DH wrote to the GM of BWV and the head of DVC and I posted my story here on this board.
The very same day someond from DVC called and apolgized all over.
She offered us 3 free nights to make up for the 3 nights we had spent there.
So this is an example of how Disney can mess up and then make ammends.
BTW I thought as a manager of a 4Star hotel, would personally check the room the 3rd time before sending a guest up there.

[ttsui01]

Got occupied rooms 3 times in one night? WOW. That's either really bad luck or the system is messed up that day.

[minimahaki]

WOW
3 times this was extreme! I am so glad you were given an additional 3 days.
Did you book your original stay on points?
;)

[Chuck S]

We were staying at OKW (on points), in the 'South Point' area when those buildings were brand new. Well my Mom was in the bathroom when warm water suddenly started pouring onto her head from the area of the exhaust fan. It stopped after a few minutes, and we went to Olivia's for Breakfast. I stopped by the front desk on the way to report the problem. When we returned to the room after after breakfast, maintenance was just arriving at our door. They had already checked the unit upstairs, and said that the overflow drain on the tub was not sealed properly. They apologized, thanked us for reporting the problem (since if it wasn't fixed could have eventually caused major damage to the ceiling). They were going to be a little while in our unit cleaning the exhaust fan in the ceiling. I asked if we could get fresh towels, since we used our to soak up the water. He flagged down a maid and we got towels right away. We were heading off to one of the parks to get out of their way and let them work. They also bought us a full meal at Olivia's that night. I thought that was especially nice, since really, there wasn't a lot of inconvenience...except for Mom's hair, of course :D

Chuck
DVC '92 (OKW)
http://www.wdwinfo.com/sites/family/rainbow.gif

[Jimbo]

We were staying at OKW, and my wife and I drove to the Boardwalk in the morning. We had breakfast at Spoodle's and then visited Epcot for a couple of hours. When we stopped by the valet station to pick up our car, they couldn't find our keys. The attendant tore the place apart to no avail. After he looked for about 10 minutes, he told us that he didn't want to hold us up anymore. So he had an eldery gentleman dressed in a kind of greeter's outfit get the house Cadillac and take us right to our front door at OKW.

By the time we made it to our room, of course, there was a voicemail waiting for us. It was the attendant, saying that he had found our keys and to call him. When we did, he offered to make a reservation at any Boardwalk restaurant that evening for us, and the meal would be on him. We picked Flying Fish, and at the appointed hour the Cadillac was waiting outside our door to ferry us back to BWV.

We had a very nice meal, and ever since then we've been hoping that the valet would lose our keys again. No luck, though!

[minimahaki]

Two more great stories
I am glad to hear that DVC Members are being
Compensated for being inconvenienced
Even if you were not compensated please tell the story....
Lauretta
;)

[Cristopher]

well nice stories with happy endings...and Chuck if that happened to my mom you would hear her at the MK....while my dad would be laughing his head off!!! -Cris

Cris
Co-moderator of Tips Board (http://wdwinfo.infopop.net/OpenTopic/page?q=Y&a=frm&s=40009993&f=87009194)
cris@wdwinfo.com
http://www.disneyclipart.com/images23/Characters/Mickey_Mouse/mickey12.gif

[Paul in CT]

My story is similar to MrsDon. It happened during our second stay at OKW as members in 1996. We had our first 1BR reserved. When we arrived around 3PM to check we were told that the room was not ready yet, but to come back at the regular check-in time of 4:00 when it would be ready. No problem so far since I knew that we had arrived early.

So we went to Goodings to buy groceries. When we returned at 4:00 they gave us our keys and we went to the room. To our surprise, when we opened the door we found the room to be a mess. It had not been cleaned at all yet.

So we all got back in the car and drove back to report the problem. The CM apologized and offered us dinner at Olivia's so that they could clean it for us. Although this was not part of my carefully made plans, we accepted and enjoyed a very nice meal at Olivia's. It really helped to calm me down.

After the meal (about 6:00PM) we once again went to the room only to find that it was cleaner, but still not completely ready. Some dirty dishes were still on the table. This time I called Housekeeping and asked for the manager. She came over right away and promised to get it cleaned up right away.

This time they got it right. After we returned from the MK that evening, the room was perfect, but no more "comps". :(

I must admit since this was only our second visit as OKW members, I was a bit concerned that this was typical, but we have never experienced any similar problems since. In fact, on some trips we have even been able to check in earlier than 4:00PM. :)

Paul in CT

[TnRobin]

Not a comp story, but a "going out of the way" story. This past December we were staying at HH in a 1 BR. That evening around 8:30 pm, I went to enjoy the jacuzzi only to find that the drain was not closing. I called the front desk and a maintenance person was at our door with in minutes. He tried to fix it but couldn't. He said he had to go get a new drain plug. Just a few minutes after he leaves, we get a phone call. It is the maintenance guy, he says they do not have the part, but he is going to run down to Home Depot and get another. In 15 minutes he had returned and was fixing our drain.

I was not only impressed with him running to Home Depot, but with his calling us and letting us know what was going on. Some many places would have just left and let you wonder.

Disney Vacation Club Board Co-Moderator
DVC and Cruise Chat Hostess
Cruise Board List Mistress

<font size=4 color=blue font face="Comic Sans MS">Robin

[rbuzzotta]

About 4 years ago, we arrived at DxL (me, DH, DD then 5 and DD then 6months) only to find that the computer had us checking in the following day. My confirmation had us arriving on July 5 and theirs had us arriving July 6. We were only staying for 3 nights! Well, they had to search for a hotel for us. We ended up at CBR for the night and then had to go back over to DxL for the remainder of our ressie. It was very hot and we missed a day at the MK! The CM's moved our bags for us but it was alot of waiting around. We checked in at CBR around 6pm and had to be out at 11 am and couldn't check in at DxL again until 4 pm.

I wrote to the GM of DxL and explain that although the CM's were very helpful we lost a day in the parks, not to mention the inconvience. A few weeks later I recieved comp. park hopper passes (one day only) for 4 of us.

We've been back many times since and have never had anything else happen. Knock on wood!!

Rosemary
Off-site every year since 1985
PO '96, '97, '99
Coronado '00
WL '94, '00
CB '98, '00
VB '97, '98, '00, '01?
DVC member '00 OKW
DxL '97, '01
OKW '01

[Dean]

I've told this story before so anyone that has read it, please forgive me for repeating. I think it was 1995 or 96, not that long after VB opened. We had schedule a trip there, sort of a family reunion. My two kids were doing Space Camp that week so it was mostly an adult week. I had submitted preferences including being near the grills because we intended to grill out at least twice. I had even double checked that there were grills and had the response in writing from MS. We had bought steaks for 9 people for 2 meals, fillet and NY strip (frozen). I was just checking in with MS about a week and a half before and got the email back, no Grills.

I sent them the response I had previously received and they went nuts. Calling on the phone, what can we do, there are no BBQ grill at VB. I asked about them just furnishing a portable grill or if we could bring a small one and use it but that wasn't feasible, fire codes. They offered to take the steaks, grill them and return them but I declined. Since timing is so critical with steaks, I didn't trust them enough to expect things would go well and I didn't want additional frustrations. They were pleading, what can we do. Then they offered a lunch for the entire group which we accepted. We had lunch at the resort, the manager kept coming by. Everything was fabulous. We got to the end and they asked about desert. We first said no, then a couple said they wanted to share something. They wouldn't hear of it, made EVERYONE order their own. That's about the time I didn't see the mananger anymore, had to ask for him. I wanted to get an approximation of the value to know how much tip to leave as the young lady did a fabulous job. He said the tip had been taken care of also. I said, but she was great and I want to make sure she's appropriately tipped, he wouldn't hear of anything else.

Bottom line is that they went above and beyond, I estimated the meal with tip at just under $200. As relatively new members, it sure made an impression on us. I've heard they've since added grills but I'm not certain.

Dean

[Alysa]

These are wonderful happy endings - thank you for posting such positive replys!?

[mickey7861]

This is a non-DVC story but a good comp story. When AS Sports first opened (I forget the year) I wanted to try it since it was NEW! Well it was awful, loaded with unsupervised teenagers and just not the WDW magic we were used to. I wrote a letter when we returned home. They wrote back and offered us to stay again at $49 nightly. Since this was about half price I figured we'd give it another chance. We were already staying 8 nights at CS so we added 8 nights at AS Sports. We soon realized that the first time hadn't been a fluke and even $49 was too much too pay for that resort. Well Guest Services happened to call us and ask if our stay was going ok. My DH really held nothing back and told her our tales of woe.

Not only did she help us move to CS early, she offered us lunch at any Epcot restaurant (we chose le Cellier), 4 free e-night passes, 4 free 2 day park hopper passes, and when we checked into our CS room there was a huge thermal cooler bag filled with sodas and snacks accompanying a balloon bouquet. The card said "hope this begins your magical stay". We thought this was unbelievably generous.

[Lesley]

This is a very small, but nice non-dvc comp story.....on our 1999 trip we had lunch at LTT in the MK. I was 5 1/2 months pregnant at the time. My stomach can be kinda funny when I'm pregnant, or maybe its my tongue...sometimes things taste funny to me or taste wonderful but make me queasy when they're really fine. So, after ordering and receiving my lunch I began to eat...after about 5 or so bites I had my fill. I knew that this particular meal, though delicious, was too heavy for my stomach...I just couldn't eat any more even though I enjoyed the bit that I did eat. I know this can happen at any time while I'm pregnant, and it doesn't bother me in the least that sometimes we buy a great meal and I end up not being able to eat it. The waiter absolutely insisted that we not pay for my meal, after offering to get me something else, which I declined....and even after I explained to him that there was no problem at all with the food. It was one of those times when the cm went above and beyond for us...made us really feel like "guests" not "customers"...it wasn't even so much the money, but the way we were treated. I wish I would have written down his name so I could let the management know what a wonderful waiter they had there.

Lesley
http://www.wdwinfo.com/sites/clipartist/dvclogo.gif
1979 Contemporary
1992 Off-site
1994 Caribbean Beach
1999 Fort Wilderness & Coronado Springs
2000 Polynesian and Old Key West
2002 Boardwalk Villas

[Caskbill]

A simple Comp, but still appreciated. We got to OKW about 5:30 or 6:00 to check-in. The CM apologized saying the room wasn't ready. They had had an unusually high number of check-outs that day and housekeeping was way behind. She said our unit would be ready no-later than 7:00, and gave us comp tickets for Olivia's. We just walked across, had a nice dinner, walked back to the check-in counter, got our key, and went to the room. It was spotless.

Caskbill

[Scott5150]

A few years ago my wife and I went to BWV and signed up for the dining plan where you pay $50 per day and they give you $55 credit per day for food (It no longer exists). Well for some reason the computer got all screwed up and when we went to a restaurant it would take the 30 minutes to get our account squared away. After 2 or 3 times, I went to the front desk and explained my situation to them with the hope that they could fix the problem.

They were able to fix the problem and the COMPED us our 6 day Length of Stay passes (2 adults) That was a several hundred dollar comp which I was NOT expecting.

Needless to say that made me very happy.

Scott :)

DVC Member since 1996

2001 (Fall) Disney Magic
2001 Old Key West
1999 Disney Magic / Wilderness Lodge
1999 Vero Beach
1998 Disney Magic / Boardwalk
1998 Boardwalk
1997 Port Orleans
1995 Dixie Landings
1994 Carribean Beach

[Wes]

I was at Vero Beach for about a week the first Christmas they were open -- December 1995 -- paid $$$ since I was not a DVC member then. (They were offering discounts at WDW, since VB was new; so I decided to try it out.)

When I left, there was one drawer full of clothes that I forgot to pack. I didn't realize it until that night when I arrived in Titusville and found out that I had remembered all the other little things and forgotten half my clothes.

So I immediately called. Certainly the maid would have found the clothes and turned them in and they could send them to me ... NOT. Apparently the maid just pitched them or more likely took them home without telling anyone about them. The front desk had no report of any clothes found in the room. And they gave me no compensation at all.

I have not looked on Vero Beach at all fondly since then -- and of course have not gone back.

[minimahaki]

I had a bed Vero experience but it only had to do with one cast member. I asked the DVC rep in the lobby if it would be possible to see the rooms. He opened a book with pictures in it. I asked again if we couldn't go tour a room and got some sarcastic reply indicating that the pictures represent the room.. Another nearby cast member interrupted and said we should check back later on and she would see about allowing us to tour. But at that point I just wanted to run and hide and cry I was so humiliated!
One bad experience created a negative outlook towards the whole place. As time passes I realize I should have gotten his name and reported him. Well live and learn!
I guess what I am trying to say that both of us had bad Vero Experiences we should realize it was ONE cast member. Neither of us should allow the experience to keep us from a wonderful resort.
We both had a learning experience. No one will ever make me feel like that again without me creating one heck of a stink.... And you will probably never leave a hotel room without checking every draw ever again....
Live and Learn
Lauretta
Minimahaki DVC Members Since May,1993
:)

[jmatzen0106]

Prior to joining the DVC we camped at Ft Wilderness. We usually make reservations in Jan.
for a summer vacation, and request a large site
for out tent ( yes tent ) and screen house.
When we arrived our site was so narrow, you could not fit both the tent and screen house on the site. When we went back to the Check In area, we were shocked to find out they were completely booked up, with no other sites available.

We offered to stay in a non site area, as we were used to camping without amenities. They could not do that. We were exasperated ! We had just driven 20 hours, was looking forward to a great 12 night vacation, and no site. Finally, the Cast Member said he would get the Manager. The Manager apologized, and said he would like to put us in the preferred site area for our entire stay. I thanked him, and said I wasn't looking for any special consideration, I would be more than happy to pay the difference. He would hear nothing of that. It was his pleasure to be able to do that for us. WE HAVE BEEN HOOKED ON DISNEY EVER SINCE.

You know we did have a great 12 day vacation.

[horn10]

I actually have two "comp" stories..both lengthy but I'll try and keep it brief.
On my very first DVC stay in a grand villa I brought 8 of my high school girls basketball team. One of the parents had rented a pontoon for the Illuminations cruise. To make a very long story short...an unlicensed driver was provided to us by WDW and she almost put all of us in the water head first!! It's hard to explain but the pontoon was going wayyyy to fast and she had to kill the engine to get it under control, thus nosediving the pontoon. We all had to crawl to the back of the boat to bring it upright. To top it off...she did it twice!! We were all terrified and soaking wet in 55 degree weather!! After many phone calls and a letter I received 12 one day passes and $100 in Disney dollars.

2nd story--a year ago, on our check out day, we packed our bags, had bellservices take them and headed to Epcot to spend the afternoon before Tiffany picked us up later in the day. At Epcot I became very ill with the flu. DD and I headed back to BW at noon where I laid on the couch in the lobby. Due to a blizzard in Detroit our flight kept getting delayed. I would go throw up, call the airlines and then go back to the couch. Twice in an 8 hour period I approached the front desk and asked for help but got none for myself or my daughter. At 9:00 that night I approached the desk again and asked for any available room and spent 33 pts for a studio for 2 hours. We really needed to sleep until our flight which was now rescheduled 12:30 (which didn't take off until 5:30AM). Upon arriving home I wrote BW manager a letter explaining the callous behavior of the CM's at the front desk. The manager, himself, had just had the flu and could not imagine being in a resort lobby for 8 hours and staggering to the bathroom! He reimbursed our 33 pts for the Friday night 2 hour stay!


Neither time did I "ask" for anything. I just explained our situation. DVC and WDW takes care of their members!

[scottarcj]

Not really a Comp, but this shows the special touches WDW adds.

I planned a surprise trip to AK for my wife for her 35th birthday. She loves zoos and Disney, so this seemed like a perfect match.

When making the reservations (we stayed at ASSports) I mentioned it was my wife's birthday.

After a day at AK, we returned to our room to find a birthday balloon with the festive ribbons, a birthday card "signed" by Mickey and Minnie, and a mouse-ear frame with a picture of M&M in it. My wife was delighted. It was on that trip we purchased DVC.

On an earlier visit to CBR, we had mentioned this was an anniversary trip. When we checked in we were presented with an anniversary card and framed photo of M&M.

Nice touches.

Happy ºoº-ing
Alan & Cindy

1991 (Alan) - off-site
1992 - Dixie Landings
1995 - Dolphin
1996 (Alan) - off-site @ DL
1997 - Wilderness Homes & Caribbean Beach
1998 (Alan) - DL-Paris
1998 - DLHotel @ DL
1999 - All Star Sports (purchased DVC)
1999 (Alan) - Tokyo-DL
1999 - Contemporary Tower & BWV (first time as DVC)
2000 - DL-Paris
2001 (planned) - BWV

[MaryJ]

Three summers ago while we were vacationing in Disneyland, my daughters and I gave my husband our souvenir bags to hold while we went to ride Splash Mountain. While he was waiting, he placed the bags on the ground, and dozed off. When we came off the ride and asked for the bags, they were no where to be found. Apparently, someone stole them while he was sleeping! We checked with lost and found, but no one had turned them in, so we started going back to the stores to replace what we had lost. One of the items was a gift that my teen age daughter had bought for her boyfriend, and it cost around $20. She found another one and while she was waiting in line, she told her tale of woe to the woman behind her. When she reached the front of the line, the CM who had overheard her story, took the souvenir, placed it in a bag without ringing it up, and handed it to my daughter saying "I'm sorry this happened to you while you were here. There's no charge." We were amazed! To me, this is just another aspect of how Disney really does care about their guests. :D

Disney Inn (remember when?) 86
FW 89
CR/Cruise 91
VWL March 01

[BethA]

My story is one with not so happy an ending.Last Memorial Day we stayed at the Contemporary on one of the concierge floors. My sister in law who works at the Disney store went with us so we got a CM discount on the rooms.The service was awful. The first 2 days the room was not made up when we came back late in the afternoon. Everyday we had to remove any dirty glasses or dishes from the small snack available ourselves. We had to beg for enough towels each day-- there were 5 of us and got towels for 3. Had expected exceptional service and got very poor! They never made up the day bed and the room was very dirty. I'd never stay there again. After much complaining they gaveus something off 1 night only. When I wrote to complain after our trip I was rudely told--too bad we were with a CM and therefore don't get to complain! I couldn't believe it. The rooms still weren't cheap and we bought annual passes for the 4 of us prior to our trip--no free cm passes. To top it off at breakfast at Restaurantasaurus they lost my sister-in-laws cm id. We waited hours at the restaurant while they tried to figure it out and then had to wait til someone could get her a letter verifying her id and free admission for the rest of the trip. I expected breakfast to be for free after all that -- nothing. I guess I'm not lucky!! We won't ever stay at the Cont again. The staff in thsnack area was very rude and on 1 day they were all arguing in Spanish in the bsck instead of waiting on us.

[vacationman]

When we stayed at the Polynesian in 1997, my kids were playing in the pool on our fist day there and using the small waterslide. After going down the slide, my youngest daughter (5 at the time) stayed at the spot where the slide emptied. Along came my older daughter (8) down the slide and the two collided. One got a bloody lip while the other had a bloody head. The lifeguards quickly called the paramedics and took excellent care of my daughters. Now this accident was totally not Disney's fault and ended up causing no real damage other than slights cuts and a swelled lip but, apparently when the lifeguard was talking with my kids keeping them calm, she asked what their favorite Disney characters were. When we got back to the room, the lifeguard delivered a large stuffed version of each of my daughter's favorite character. I know the cynical will say that Disney was trying to make sure they did not get sued but in this case we had made it clear that this accident was not Disney's fault. That's when we began to love Disney and have since visited four additional times, cruised on DCL, and become DVC members.

Vacationman
http://www.wdwinfo.com/sites/family/pdd.jpg

[Wes]

minimahaki wrote:

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>I guess what I am trying to say that both of us had bad Vero Experiences we should realize it was ONE cast member. Neither of us should allow the experience to keep us from a wonderful resort.[/quote]

I have to disagree with you.

My problem was not just with just one person:
- the maid chose not to report finding my clothes and destroyed or kept them,
- the front desk would not reimburse me nor even investigate (if I recall correctly now)
- to me the entire environment which generated these two unsatisfactory responses from two different people at very different levels of authority/(ir)responsibility was a sign of deeper problems than just appearing as a coincidence that I may have received the one bad maid and the one bad front desk person/manager when I called :(

And the result in my case was not just bad feelings (though there were plenty of those) -- I lost the clothes and had to replace them (being at Titusville, I was quite prepared to drive down and pick them up). This cost me very real $$$. :( :(

There are plenty of other places to spend my time and money and enjoy myself. So I see no reason to submit myself to the CM environment at Vero Beach again.

[This message was edited by Wes on 04-27-01 at 09:52 AM.]

[DVCajun]

I love this post! Reading things like this give me that nice Disney feeling.

My comp story is not about me, but about a friend. He used valet parking at one of the Disney hotels and when he claimed his car the CM told him that they had put a dent in his car. He proceeded to guide my friend to a small almost unnoticable dent on the side of his car, apologized profusely and then offered his entire party a free day in the parks!

I also have a response regarding the problems at Vero. I had a similar problem at OKW. I purchased something at the general store as we were checking in. When the CM brought us to our room my bag slipped under the seat of the van. I noticed it was missing relatively quickly because I wanted to change into the shirt that I had bought before we headed for the parks. When I called the bell station they had not seen my bag and told me that the CM who brought us to our room was off for the day. They promised to keep and eye out for it. I also called lost and found to make sure they would keep an eye out for it. I left my name and room number everywhere I called. I was convinced that someone had stolen my bag as we waited!! I called the bell station several more times over the next couple of days-- apparently the CM was off for the remainder of the weekend. I had given up hope of ever finding my bag. A couple of mornings later we happened to walk down to the general store to catch the bus there instead of at the station by our room and I saw the CM who drove the van for us. My husband urged me to go ask him about my bag but at this point I was getting very embarrassed because I had asked SO MANY CM's about this bag I felt like I was harrassing them. So my husband went to speak with the CM and guess what!? He had given the bag to the bell station when he noticed it had slipped under the seat. He didn't notice it right away and had brought a large van full of people around to their room after us so he gave it to them in case someone called looking for it. It was in the lost and found room right behind the bell station, in full view as you went in the door!!! I can't tell you how many CMs told me they had "looked" for my bag and that they would "keep and eye out" for it, not to mention they promisd to asked that particular CM about it when he returned. I was not too impressed with OKW CMs after that trip, let me tell you.

So. Should this experience convince me that all CMs who work at OKW are terrible and I should never vacation there again? I like BWV better anyway! ;)

Pixie dust!!
http://members.aol.com/DisneyNnut/tink.gif

Audrey

[minimahaki]

Wes
I understand everything your saying. In fact I thought I would be hearing more non DVC comp stories (negative reports) than the positive ones. That is why I edited my original posting which said.
"This may prove to tell a deeper tale" Indicating that DVC Members are not compensated for their inconveniences. I didn't even post my problems I have had with NO COMPENSATION over the years.
I hope more DVC Members continue to post not only the positive but the negative.
Thanks for your input
Lauretta
Minimahaki DVC Members Since May, 1993
:)

[MinnieMe2]

I'll try to keep this as short as possible, but this is one vacation I've always thought I should share with Chevy Chase!!!

A number of years ago we pulled our pop-up down to spend a week at FW with our four kids. We arrived late on Mon., so didn't do much except settle in. Tues. we headed in to Epcot, fully aware that a storm was brewing off the coast. The first thing the boys wanted to do in the park was Innoventions, so in we went, the boys heading for whatever they wanted to do, DD and I sticking together. That's when the lights went out, along with all the computers, etc. CMs told us to wait just a minute, generators would kick in; but eventually they had to evacuate us from the building. To make a long story short, though some things came back on line, for the most part we were out of luck. (And for some inane reason, we were doing one day passes that year.) So we decided to head over to World Showcase. DH was getting concerned about the pop-up because the wind and rain were getting quite heavy, so we agreed to meet him in Japan at 2:00, and he went to zip things up at the camp site. The kids and I wandered around, met DH at 2:00 as scheduled, and that was when he told us Hurricane Erin was on her way. We continued with Epcot, finally leaving when the wind got to be way too much. As we boarded our bus, we were told by the driver that the campground was under mandatory evacuation. We were to close down, pack our sleeping bags, pillows, clothes, etc., catch a "Special" bus, and we would spend the nite at one of the convention centers. This was all fine, but I was afraid my nine year old had strep throat. While DH and the kids packed, I got on the phone trying to find a 'cheap' hotel for the night with no luck. I finally called the front desk and explained my dilemma, indicating that we would gladly go to a convention center, but would there be a quiet corner where I could quarantine my Lucas? After about 20 min., Jon told me he had found us a room for the night, that we would pay the same $38 we were paying for our camp site, and we would stay at the Beach Club. I didn't know anything about the Beach Club, just that we had a safe place to spend the night and that Luke would be okay. As we drove there, I told the kids I wanted no complaining about the room, even if it was a broom closet. Yeah, right -- some broom closet. We had a balcony overlooking Epcot, a lovely room, and never even heard Erin blow into town. The following morning, we took Luke to the clinic (he was positive) and checked with FW about getting back into our site. But they didn't think that was a good idea because of the residual winds and told us to check with BC. Sure enough, we got our room for a second night at $38!!!! Then, I went to Guest Services and explained what happened at Epcot the day before, asking if there was some way we could get our kids into the park just to do the three most important things on their list: Innoventions, some Aladdin thing, and Honey, I Shrunk the Audience. The CM asked what room we were in and told me he'd look into it and call me. About ten minutes later, there was a knock on the door, and there was the CM with six free passes: "Here you go. Bring the kids back on us!" I gave him a big tip. That trip could have been a disaster, but because we were treated like 'guests' rather than 'customers', it was completely salvaged. That was the trip that sold us on Disney.

http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/WeisKat/RAcroc.gif Counting the Hours Til We're Back in the World

Mother-of-Four (Five, If You Count My Husband)

[rbuzzotta]

I was telling me DD about this thread and she reminded me of the time my DH ran over her finger with the stroller at MK (remember the old blue strollers?). Well, it was an accident of course, it took off her fingernail!!! OUCH! Being a R.N. I carry a small supply of first aid items and quickly wrapped up her finger to stop the bleeding. A CM noticed what was happening and quickly came to us and got us some ice. The CM (I believe his name was Mike) got a wheelchair and escorted us to first aid. The CM's at first aid were absolutely wonderful and took great care of my DD. We spent about 3 hours away from the rides and in the first aid office and to compensate us they gave us 3 "front of the line" passes! It was July and the lines averaged 60-90 minutes. We couldn't have even gone on the 3 rides in that timeframe. We went to the front of the line for Winnie-the Pooh, Dumbo and Peter Pan (since that's the area of the "accident"). It was a true Disney moment, above and beyond the call of duty..........

Rosemary
Off-site every year since 1985
PO '96, '97, '99
Coronado '00
WL '94, '00
CB '98, '00
VB '97, '98, '00, '01?
DVC member '00 OKW
DxL '97, '01
OKW '01

[mzzbuzzlightyear]

On our very first visit to OKW with DH,DD,DSIL, and 3 DGS, 9,7,&4,we checked in and then left for the MK. We were told the room would be ready at 4pm.
DH and DD went back, checked into the room and went to the supermarket while the rest of stayed in the parks until about 7 pm. When I went to the HH to get our room assignment, the CM mentioned something about the room keys, and took them to the back to rekey them. DD later told me that they were told that there was a problem with our door locks, but the CM did not want to change the keys while we were still in the parks The next day I went back to the desk as requested and was told that at about 3 AM someone had managed to fix the problem. This never inconvenienced any of us in the least. When I got home, I found that the CM had given us back our 22 points for the night and put them in Holding for us!
In June of 2000, DH and I checked into BWV. We got there about 11AM, stood in a very long line, and then were sent to another long line at the side desk and finally registered. No keys were given because the machine was broken. We were told to call at 1PM for our room, which we did. We then stood in line again, got our room # but no keys because the machine was still broken. We were told to come back later, and go right up and ask the CM at the desk and our keys would be given to us then. The Bellman took us to our room, we unpacked and left for Epcot, returning at about 6PM. I went to the area of the front desk near the Bellman to ask about the key and was rudely told to go to the end of the line, so I went to another person, (while DH waited at the end of another LONG line) The CM made such a scene and then in a very nasty and loud manner,as he was looking in the computer, yelled, "Who let you into your room? You are DVC and you know that you aren't supposed to check in until 4PM!" He made the room keys and then literally threw them at me. This was in front of that entire line of people who thought that I had cut in front of them! Another CM was rolling her eyes in a sarcastic manner. I finally saw the original CM who registered me and he apologized, and said that "Gary" is always that way. He went and got the manager who apologized and said that the original plan was to put the keys in the rooms when the machine was repaired. She said that it was her fault that the CMs did not know about the key problem because she had been at a meeting and never got around to telling them. I did not get any sort of comp from this, only humiliation and embarrassment over a situation which could have been handled in a very different way.
June

[minimahaki]

Well did Gary let the cat out of the Bag? I haven't counted the times I was at WDW since I became a member in 1993. However, I can tell you that I NEVER EVER EVER got into my room earlier than 2-3PM and the only reason that happened was because I had a lock off and the studio was done.

I always thought that it was because I always book a 1-2 bedroom. UMMMMMMMMMMM does Gary know something we don't?
<IMG SRC="/infopop/emoticons/icon_confused.gif" alt="confused">

Lauretta

[minimahaki]

Well did Gary let the cat out of the Bag? I haven't counted the times I was at WDW since I became a member in 1993. However, I can tell you that I NEVER EVER EVER got into my room earlier than 2-3PM and the only reason that happened was because I had a lock off and the studio was done.

I always thought that it was because I always book a 1-2 bedroom. UMMMMMMMMMMM does Gary know something we don't?


Lauretta
<IMG SRC="/infopop/emoticons/icon_confused.gif" alt="confused">

[Peggy Sue]

Last September we went to HH for a week with my DH Sister and BIL to celebrate our anniversaries. A couple of nights before our anniversary, we attended the open house at the grand villa to check out what was new with DVC. As we were leaving, I asked the DVC guide if she would recommend a few romantic dining spots for our anniversary. She gave us several, and wished us a good time. (We tried them all that week..and all were fantastic!) The afternoon of our anniversary DVC sales delivered a beautiful basket full of goodies to our room with their best wishes for a happy anniversary! It took me awhile to figure out how they knew it was our anniversary. The DVC rep must have checked the sign up sheet when we attended the open house and found our name and room number! It was such a toughtful thing for them to do.

On the flip side, we stayed at BWV last May in a 1 bedroom. When we checked in, we were advised the floor we wanted (top) was going through carpet replacement and painting. We advised my DH as asthma and that we preferred a room away from this type of activity. We were given a 1 bedroom unit on the third floor. Our last day there was very hot and humid. We had decided to come back from Epcot early to get out of heat as my DH was having some breathing difficulties. When we opened the unit door, we were hit by a strong smell of paint! We walked into the unit and saw a wet paint sign on the wall next to the kitchen. We called the front desk, they knew nothing about it, and I asked them to please follow up with a manager and get back to me. Actually, they were kind of rude about the whole situation. DH went down to the pool and I attempted to air out the room openning up the balcony doors. At 6 PM we still had not heard from the manager. DH came back to the room to change for dinner and we stopped at the front desk to again try and find out what was going on. The CM was VERY rude telling us that they have every right to every our room and paint it whenever they choose. We were livid. Again, the manager was not available. We went to dinner and tried to find the manager again at 7:30..no luck. At 10 PM she finally called our room. I explained our situation and she apologized, stating that of course they would not just come in and paint without letting the guest know. She promised to check into what happened, but never called back. We checked out the next morning. This was the end of a wonderful 2 week vacation. We were never offered any compensation for my DH not being able to stay in the room on a very hot day. It wasn't a very magical moment!

<marquee direction = "right" align = "middle" behavior = "alternate">http://www.wdwinfo.com/sites/rmdan/dvcanim.gif </marquee> <center>Have a Wonderful day!</center>

[shelbyjosh]

Back in Feb 97 we took our 1st (family) trip to WDW. We stayed at CBR. We had adjoining rooms with other family members. The whole week they were rehabing our building. From 7 a.m. till 5 p.m. we would hear jackhammers and pounding outside of our room! Needless to say, our daughter did not take the quality naps she so needed! 2 days before we were to leave, my cousin and I went to the front desk and spoke with the manager. He offered to move us to a different building, but that was senseless since we would be packing up in 2 days. THe only thing my cousin had to say was "this is unacceptable!" He then credited us one night's stay to each room. Otherwise, we thoroughly enjoyed our trip. Ever since then we have been spoiled at OKW! :D

Michelle
DVC 2000
WDW...Been There, Done That, Going Back!
http://www.wdwinfo.com/sites/family/loveairdvc2.jpg

[GrammieMame]

On a tram to AK, the driver (going too fast, I thought), took a sharp turn and our stroller slipped out from under our feet. When they stopped to retrieve it, we found that they had run over the stroller and totaled it. We didn't ask, but in retrospect the least they could have done was offer to give us a free rental stroller in AK. But they didn't.

[mzzbuzzlightyear]

Lauretta,

We also had a studio, and by the time we went back to the desk to check into our room it was about 2 PM. By the way, those 2 nights in the studio at BWV were followed by 7 nights at OKW in a 2 bedroom and we had no problems with check in at all. CMs were friendly and polite!

June

[Paul in CT]

Wes,

We had the opposite experience at VB several years ago when we had to leave unexpectedly because our daughter who was at a cheerleading camp was injured. When we got home my wife realized that she had left a drawer full of clothes in the room. We called Vero and they said that they had found them and sent them back to us by FedEx at their expense. As always, a lot has to do with the CM's involved.

Paul in CT

[msdisney53]

During Christmas vacation 1996 we had a few comps. First, we were having lunch at the Portofino. We ordered,received our appetizers in a timely manner, and then things went downhill. Some time had passed and we hadn't got our entrees and the waiter was nowhere in sight. When he finally surfaced, along with our food, I asked him what happened.He replied that Tony would be right over. Tony, the manager,explained they had gotten busier than they expected and were not properly staffed. Because of this he said everything would be on him. When the waiter returned he told us to keep ordering (drinks, desserts,whatever) We never asked for anything except What happened? Truly a Disney moment! :D

http://www.wdwinfo.com/sites/family/loveairdvc2.jpg

[This message was edited by msdisney53 on 04-27-01 at 07:27 PM.]

[msdisney53]

When leaving one of the shows at MGM my 5 yo DD noticed that she had sat in gum. It was all over her new air brushed sweat shirt and her shorts. Since she was a little tired and a lot hungry she began crying. I went in the closest shop to see if they had anything I could remove it with. The CM said they could send it to wardrobe and see what they could do. We accepted their offer but my DD was still crying over the shorts. We were about to leave when the CM said he would come with us to find some shorts.We told him it wasn't necessary but he insisted. We couldn't find any but since we had PS at the Prime Time he said not to worry and he would find some and bring them to us. They sent over an entire outfit from the Poly.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/sites/family/loveairdvc2.jpg

[msdisney53]

While on this trip we changed from the Poly to the BC. Checked in in the morning, went to Epcot,bought Minnie and Daisy hats for our DDs and returned to BC. Room wasn't ready got comps for Beaches but in the shuffle lost Minnie and Daisy.Didn't realize they were missing right away but took a shot in the dark and filled out lost and found forms any way. Return to NJ. A week later package arrives with both hats. The look on my DDs faces as they got off the bus and seeing me with the hats on my head was, as they say, Priceless. Disney had smoothed out some possible disasters for us. :D

http://www.wdwinfo.com/sites/family/loveairdvc2.jpg

[Wes]

mzzbuzzlightyear wrote:
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>The CM made such a scene and then in a very nasty and loud manner,as he was looking in the computer, yelled, "Who let you into your room? You are DVC and you know that you aren't supposed to check in until 4PM!"[/quote]

And minimahaki wrote:
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Well did Gary let the cat out of the Bag? I haven't counted the times I was at WDW since I became a member in 1993. However, I can tell you that I NEVER EVER EVER got into my room earlier than 2-3PM and the only reason that happened was because I had a lock off and the studio was done.
I always thought that it was because I always book a 1-2 bedroom. UMMMMMMMMMMM does Gary know something we don't?[/quote]

Gary's statement is directly contradictory to what BWV manager Ed Beagler (sp?) said in the Q/A at the 2000 annual BWV meeting (http://wdwinfo.infopop.net/OpenTopic/page?q=Y&a=tpc&s=40009993&f=14009194&m=203093584):
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Q: Why does the Inn allow an earlier check-in time than the Villas? -- A: cleaning villas is more a more extensive process than the inn rooms; they are trying hard to make villas more available at check-in[/quote]
If I remember correctly when he said this, my impression was that it was their goal to eventually achieve availablity at check-in, though I also had the impression it was something that would never be 100% achieved but that they wanted to do it as much as possible.

[Niagara2]

Back in 93 or 94 we were at Pleasure Island for the evening, kids were not even born yet, and we did night life stuff (LOL).
We were at one of the clubs and standing to the side watching some of the dancers and all the activity. The server was rushing pass us with a tray full of fancy drinks when someone pushed into her and she spilled them on about six of us. I was, of course, wearing a white top and got the slow gin red drink all down my back. The server felt terrible and tried to help us, and we did our best to let her know it was an accident and to try to calm down. A manager came to the scene and only two of us were left. The guy yelled, screamed and stomped out, I said I understand, just feel silly and a bit wet! The manager walked me outside and told me to go into ANY store and pick a top out. Well - I had a choice of a disney/Pleasure Island store or the store that had all the designer merchandise. Guess what I picked!!! Went home with a greast Calvin Klein black shirt and got to thrown the gap white one in trash. Good trade and shows that being nice gets you more than screaming and demanding!!

[Lisa F]

this isn't a comp for a bad situation, but it was extra special treatment from the management anyway. On our last trip (first time trying out VWL) we found a parkhopper ticket in the parking lot of AK on our first day. My husband turned it into the front desk, not knowing if it was still active or what. It turned out it still had 3 days left on it and the CM thanked my husband for turning it in and we went on our merry way.

On our last full day there, we came back to our room to find a goody basket there with some really great goodies in it and a note from the front desk manager offering this token of thanks for our honesty in turning in the ticket. I was really surprised, especially since my husband hadn't given our name or room number. God only knows how they managed to track us down but they did! Of course we hadn't turned in the ticket expecting compensation but it was really nice to be thanked that way nonetheless.

On the same trip we ate at Artist Point. We ordered an appetizer expecting it to be small but it was a HUGE serving. By the time we finished it neither of us were THAT hungry and my husband didn't really care for his main meal (but if he was hungrier he probably would've eaten more). It's not that it was bad or badly prepared, we just enjoy trying new things and this one just wasn't something either of us liked. Anyway, the waitress took note of my husband's lack of enthusiasm and when she brought the bill explained that since he barely touched it, she took it off the bill. We didn't complain because making a bad choice isn't THEIR fault and we were actually a little flustered about having it taken off the bill.

Lisa

"You employ stone, wood, and concrete, and with these materials you build house and palaces. That is construction. Ingenuity is at work. But suddenly, you touch my heart, you do me good. I am happy and I say 'This is beautiful.' That is architecture. Art enters in."
-Le Corbusier

[genealle]

While browsing at the store at OKW, I picked up a copy of Toy Story 2, planning to watch it with my son that night after a day of park hiking. We all settled down in front of the TV, popped it in the VCR, and it promptly chewed up the tape. After choking back a few expletives, I called the Front Desk. Within 10 minutes, a nice young lady showed up with a new copy of the tape. Another 15 minutes later, a maintenance man arrived with a new VCR. Only a half hour after the VCR munched the tape, I was sipping a cold brewskie while my son giggled at the movie he had been hoping to see.

NICE SAVE DVC. :)

[DizMare]

My kids always enjoyed the way the housekeepers would arrange their stuffed animals everyday when we stayed at DxL. One trip, they made a point of thanking the housekeeper, Milka, in person, as she made up the room next to ours. That evening, we returned home to new Minnie and Mickey plushes in our window, and a note saying they were for "the little boy and little girl." I was just amazed at the generosity, and the kids just loved their plushes! Still do!

[Dean]

Was eating lunch at Akershus a few years ago when my son came back with his new camp T shirt all wet the font on one side and a big smile on his face. In his usual precise way, he hadn't gotten to the point of telling us what actually happened yet, he was still in the preliminaries when the waitress and a manager rushed up and the waitress said "I'm sorry I spilled beer on you". We were in the far end of the restaurant in such a way that we were between the staff kitchen exit and the buffet. The kitchen exit is around the corner from the buffet and apparently she had 2 tall beers on a tray. Best I could tell, they both came around the corner and both stopped but the beers didn't and one spilled all over him. They were like going nuts, they asked him for his favorite character and came back with a Goofy Norway T-shirt. It was their intention to launder his shirt and return it but I said just give us a bag and we have a washer in the room. Just gotta love these OKW 1 and 2 BR units. I think since then he's keeps looking for someone to bump into him at WDW. One of our fondest memories and hopefully the closest he'll get to a beer until he's of legal age or maybe root beer.

Dean

[DVCajun]

Am I missing something? I thought check in time was always 4-- if you get to check in early that's a bonus. ??

Pixie dust!!
http://members.aol.com/DisneyNnut/tink.gif

Audrey