WLV - some thoughts on the dumpster view rooms

[ehagerty]

Can't wait!!! Wilderness Lodge is my dream resort....

Wilderness Lodge is my "most favorite" - although all of the DVC resorts are very close seconds.....

I had another thread with many WL pictures - that became unlinked when sonyimagestation went out of business. I can see that I need to link them to the new site. Stay tuned for that.

As for THIS trip...

Given that I've been in DVC since '92, you'd think I would know by now to check my reservation for room preference. But, no. Because the Ironman triathelon was being held at Ft Wilderness the upcoming weekend, room preferences were limited to (a) a handicap room (second floor, halfway down the long, carpeted hall) or (b) a room with THIS view:

My thoughts on the rooms (which I will bundle up for the DVC - they really do listen):

(a) Handicap room - I don't have much experience with these rooms. I have requested them at OKW, but no other exposure.

First of all, I was surprised that a handicap room was halfway down a long carpeted corridor. Having personally pushed 6 different people around WDW for a week at a time, I would not have liked ending my walk to the room pushing through a well-padded carpet down a long hall. I would have expected them closer to the elevator. I'm sure some are - but a long, carpeted corridor could be a challenge if you are not in an electric device.

Secondly, I didn't care about not having a bathtub - but I didn't realize that nearly ALL of the closet / storage space was used for the handicap modifications. We had 4 people and enough luggage to get through a week-long cruise without doing laundry and no place to store hardly anything. The closet by the door and "half occupied" by a vacuum cleaner, folded-up baby-bed, half-ironing board and iron. Pretty limited storage.

It wasn't going to work for us - so, back to the desk - to accept the LAST room on a long hall, with the "dumpster view". We actually had the room across the hall during our first stay, and thought I'd learned my lesson. I guess I got too comfortable with my "room by the elevator" preferences and got careless with reservation checking.

Random thoughts how what to do about the "dumpster view" rooms:

(1) Provide a "point rebate" to people who accept these rooms - a unilateral (not use year bound) "credit" to anyone who accepts them. Clearly they have the computing capability to categorize room inventory - if the front desk offers this room early in the check-in day (and they always will....), then at least give them the bargaining chip of offsetting the view with something other than an apology. Apologies never change the view.

(2) Provide a "cover" for this "stage." Find a way!

(3) Build a small parking lot adjacent to the "end of the long hall" room (say, the last 4 rooms at the end of each hall) that is accessible only to those rooms via card key. I wouldn't mind being at the end of the hall, if it meant SOME advantage, like having easy access to my car. There is enough room there for a small parking lot....

If any of you have ideas, post them here. I will be bundling all suggestions to guest communications in a couple of weeks.

 

[Deb & Bill]

...(1) Provide a "point rebate" to people who accept these rooms - a unilateral (not use year bound) "credit" to anyone who accepts them. Clearly they have the computing capability to categorize room inventory - if the front desk offers this room early in the check-in day (and they always will....), then at least give them the bargaining chip of offsetting the view with something other than an apology. Apologies never change the view.....

I don't think they could do this because they counted the number of points this villa will require as part of the total. It will mean too many points have been sold.

The cover idea is a good one, though.

We were in a BCV one bedroom will a connected door to the adjacent studio. So no entry closet. Thus, the bedroom closet had the highchair, pack and play and vacuum cleaner. So I moved them all out into the entry area near the connecting door to the studio since we weren't using that studio (some other guest had that room and we didn't know them - the door between the two villas was closed and locked).

It would be nice if there was a closet or storeroom on each floor where they could keep all the pack and plays and highchairs, so guests who needed them could get them. And the guests who didn't, wouldn't be bothered with them.

 

[LisaS]

It would be nice if there was a closet or storeroom on each floor where they could keep all the pack and plays and highchairs, so guests who needed them could get them. And the guests who didn't, wouldn't be bothered with them.

I really like this idea!

 

[Dizny Dad]

The dreaded "Dumpster View" is available at every resort. DW and I don't spend much time in the room where the view is important. Yes we do use the balconies, but it is never for more than 20 minutes or so.

As long as the dreaded view is shared equally, it is something to accept. I would get upset if it seemed like that is all we get.

I would hate to be charged extra for the non-dumpster view.

 

[BostonDisneyKid]

Having had the dumpster view in the past at WLV we found it more comical than anything, mainly because of the disboards. We were aware of the view long before having stayed there and thought it was comical as somehow we knew we would be getting it... We have only stayed at WLV that one time and we loved the resort, dumpster view and all, and will surely stay there again.

The dreaded "Dumpster View" is available at every resort... As long as the dreaded view is shared equally, it is something to accept...

I agree completely.

I would hate to be charged extra for the non-dumpster view.

I believe this exists already and is done through booking categories - Correct me if I am wrong but I believe all the "elevated booking categories" (bw view, savannah view, etc) are exempt from dumpster/maintenance/service views.

 

[eliza61]

Having had the dumpster view in the past at WLV we found it more comical than anything, mainly because of the disboards. We were aware of the view long before having stayed there and thought it was comical as somehow we knew we would be getting it... We have only stayed at WLV that one time and we loved the resort, dumpster view and all, and will surely stay there again.

.

I've had the dreaded dumpster view also and like you pretty much just laughed about it. Generally, I'm just so slap happy to be on vacation at the world that it would take a lot to get me really upset. We used our balcony like we would any other place.

Not sure if I want to get into point rebates and higher points but I do think the cover idea is a good one. I image the "imagineers" at the world could come up with some type of "wildernessey" type of cover.

 

[jpeka65844]

I've had the dreaded DV as well, only on the ground floor. We laughed about it at checkin when we were presented with our key and DH said "Dumpster View!"

It didn't bother us, nor the people around us. The boys in the villa next to us used that whole area for a football game. Kind of nice to see.....

As for an HA room, I'd only been assigned one once. It was our first trip with DS, who was 16 mos at the time. We weren't told at check-in it was an HA so upon arrival, we figured it out. I really needed that bathtub, though. My 16 mo old was not up to a shower!

The HA room we had was also in poor condition. Chipped cabinets, crooked cabinet doors; it looked really rough. Hopefully it has since been refreshed.