Strong-armed over use year :(

[disneymath]

I have to say that I am currently staying in a 1 BR at BLT and it is nowhere near the quality of the rooms at any of the Marriott Vacation Club properties I have stayed at. Cracked tiles, loose fixtures, torn fabric, stained couch cushions, and a non functioning jacuzzi tub. All this in a room that's what, three years old? It's still a nice room and all, but it is showing its wear at an alarming rate. While not at the level where I would complain, as an owner I am not going to expose myself to more risk by purchasing any more than the 100 points I currently own.

Please do report the issues in your villa while you're there ... If problems are reported and taken care of there is less chance they will develop into bigger issues. Non-functioning jets on a Jacuzzi tub might not get noticed by housekeeping or subsequent guests that don't use the tub.

 

[ELMC]

Please do report the issues in your villa while you're there ... If problems are reported and taken care of there is less chance they will develop into bigger issues. Non-functioning jets on a Jacuzzi tub might not get noticed by housekeeping or subsequent guests that don't use the tub.

Perhaps I misspoke. I reported the tub issue, but what I meant was that none of these issues led me to complain about the room, they were just noticeable.

 

[staceymay00]

I have to say that I am currently staying in a 1 BR at BLT and it is nowhere near the quality of the rooms at any of the Marriott Vacation Club properties I have stayed at. Cracked tiles, loose fixtures, torn fabric, stained couch cushions, and a non functioning jacuzzi tub. All this in a room that's what, three years old? It's still a nice room and all, but it is showing its wear at an alarming rate. While not at the level where I would complain, as an owner I am not going to expose myself to more risk by purchasing any more than the 100 points I currently own.

That is disappointing to hear about BLT, it seems to be a common complaint. We have not stayed there yet. I should have noted that our only DVC stays have been at OKW, plus we just got back from a few nights at AKV Kidani. I thought our AKV 2BR was in great condition and Kidani is about the same age as BLT, right? It was nicer than the OKW 2BR villas (our home resort - we really like OKW, but it is 20 years old and it does show a bit in some areas, even after the refurb). We have stayed at several deluxe non-DVC resorts at WDW and we've noticed imperfections in all of those rooms, though nothing big enough to complain about. We have always been well aware that we are paying for location, and for the same money we could get nicer accommodations off site. We don't own other timeshares so I can't compare to Marriott, Hilton, etc.

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[Minniesgal]

We have certainly never had a dirty room. In fact at Kidani we found the rooms spotless and were impressed with the attention to detail. bLT we found everything perfectly clean nothing was dirty. There was a bit more wear and tear certainly and a bit less attention to detail but nothing significant enough to complain. We loved our 2 bedroom lake view at BLT.

 

[Dean]

That is disappointing to hear about BLT, it seems to be a common complaint. We have not stayed there yet. I should have noted that our only DVC stays have been at OKW, plus we just got back from a few nights at AKV Kidani. I thought our AKV 2BR was in great condition and Kidani is about the same age as BLT, right? It was nicer than the OKW 2BR villas (our home resort - we really like OKW, but it is 20 years old and it does show a bit in some areas, even after the refurb). We have stayed at several deluxe non-DVC resorts at WDW and we've noticed imperfections in all of those rooms, though nothing big enough to complain about. We have always been well aware that we are paying for location, and for the same money we could get nicer accommodations off site. We don't own other timeshares so I can't compare to Marriott, Hilton, etc.

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We own other timeshares and have stayed at or visited a number of other locations in Orlando and feel that a number are as nice or nicer than DVC ignoring theming and location which I know is hard to do. I'd point out it's difficult to make judgements along this lines from direct experience because the rooms will vary. One could go several times a year and even over a few years you wouldn't have enough info to truly generalize. However, when you get a forum such as this, it's a little easier to gather enough info to make some judgements.

To me the issue is the refurbishment schedule. Marriott was mentioned so I'll use them as a specific example. Their model is a soft refurbishment every 5 years combined with a hard refurbishment every 10 years. Poor timeshares generally run a 7/14 year cycle or similar. Eagle's nest on Marco Island does a hard refurbishment every 6 years from what I am told but they charge it directly to the owners at the time without building up reserves for it. By the 5/10 year plan OKW should have had 2 soft refurbishments and 2 full hard refurbishments across the entire resort and we're at what, 1 hard refurbishment at over 22 years out on the first buildings. Put another way, to match the competition they'd have to be doing about a fifth of the resort every year for one or the other.

 

[LSchrow]

I have to say that I am currently staying in a 1 BR at BLT and it is nowhere near the quality of the rooms at any of the Marriott Vacation Club properties I have stayed at. Cracked tiles, loose fixtures, torn fabric, stained couch cushions, and a non functioning jacuzzi tub. All this in a room that's what, three years old? It's still a nice room and all, but it is showing its wear at an alarming rate. While not at the level where I would complain, as an owner I am not going to expose myself to more risk by purchasing any more than the 100 points I currently own.

we didn't think the marriot near seaworld, where DB stays, was perfect either. aside from the little things that needed repair/maint around the resort itself (pitted stairs, garbage in stairwells, etc), the villa also had a soiled couch, pieces missing from the wicker, dusty fans, loose cabinet doors, etc.

considering the marriot was obviously pretty empty (we saw no more than 4 ppl in our few hours there - while at the BWVs there were many, many more -laughing and enjoying themselves), i would think the rooms would be perfect
bottom line is that we would still buy DVC. give us waking up to SSE beyond a sparking crescent lake, having a glass of wine while watching illuminations burst over the eiffel tower versus waking up to thick trees and streets, strolling to EPCOT/DHS on a whim versus leaving a large, but basic hotel room, walking down pitted concrete stairs to a parking lot in the middle of nowhere.
to us, a DVC resort is a vacation, and it makes us more than happy. the marriot was like many of the hotels i've stayed at throughout my life: a place to sleep, just so one could visit the fun and enjoyment elsewhere.

 

[chalee94]

By the 5/10 year plan OKW should have had 2 soft refurbishments and 2 full hard refurbishments across the entire resort and we're at what, 1 hard refurbishment at over 22 years out on the first buildings. Put another way, to match the competition they'd have to be doing about a fifth of the resort every year for one or the other.

ouch - and some of the "hard refurb" was painting over old furniture?

i want them to take care of my OKW...

 

[BEASLYBOO]

If your purchase was more than a couple of weeks ago, learn to love your UY. It's not that big of a deal -- just something to be aware of and to manage. Maybe...or maybe you just misunderstand what they are telling you.

That's my way of thinking, not a big deal! And I'm not one with the attidude of, "I'm the buyer and I should get what I want, fno matter the reason, sometimes that's just not possible! That's when you have to decide if what you want is of such important to you, that you need to back out of the deal or if you don't you'll have sour grapes over it the rest of your ownership period!! Only you can decide that! For me UY isn't that important, for you obviously so!

DVC ownerships works for me, I've never had a dirty room, I'm content with my DVC maint fees and the schedule of refurbishements! I've owned for 12+ years, and I've had constant enjoyment from my DVC, savings not so much but good times a plenty!

 

[staceymay00]

To me the issue is the refurbishment schedule. Marriott was mentioned so I'll use them as a specific example. Their model is a soft refurbishment every 5 years combined with a hard refurbishment every 10 years. Poor timeshares generally run a 7/14 year cycle or similar. Eagle's nest on Marco Island does a hard refurbishment every 6 years from what I am told but they charge it directly to the owners at the time without building up reserves for it. By the 5/10 year plan OKW should have had 2 soft refurbishments and 2 full hard refurbishments across the entire resort and we're at what, 1 hard refurbishment at over 22 years out on the first buildings. Put another way, to match the competition they'd have to be doing about a fifth of the resort every year for one or the other.

Just curious, are Marriott and other timeshares that refurbish more frequently more expensive to own than DVC? If not, where are the DVC dues going instead?

Our situation is that we prefer to stay on site when visiting WDW. We also prefer to have more space than a standard hotel room offers, so DVC made sense. We bought resale and did not finance in order to reduce our upfront costs, and so far I am satisfied with what we are getting for money. Maybe I will not feel that way in 10 years when our home resort needs a refurbishment and isn't scheduled to get one for another 5-10 years.

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[Breyean]

ouch - and some of the "hard refurb" was painting over old furniture?

i want them to take care of my OKW...

So only another 20 years or so until we can hope to get some carpeting back into the rooms at OKW?

 

[Dean]

Just curious, are Marriott and other timeshares that refurbish more frequently more expensive to own than DVC? If not, where are the DVC dues going instead?

Our situation is that we prefer to stay on site when visiting WDW. We also prefer to have more space than a standard hotel room offers, so DVC made sense. We bought resale and did not finance in order to reduce our upfront costs, and so far I am satisfied with what we are getting for money. Maybe I will not feel that way in 10 years when our home resort needs a refurbishment and isn't scheduled to get one for another 5-10 years.

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No, generally around the same or less, esp for Orlando. It is a little apples to oranges in some ways though. Historically and resale we're talking full week options floating for a season for Marriott. Comparing to say Marriott's Grande Vista resort would be a fair comparison for say OKW or SSR in a 2 BR for a week, say 300 points to be conservative and fair. One could buy SSR for say $50 a point or roughly $15K and roughly $1500 yearly. A top season (Platinum) Marriott GV unit can be bought easily for under $4000 with yearly fees around $1050. The numbers would vary a little by property. For example, Harbour Lakes would be cheaper up front and yearly, Cypress Harbour would be cheaper to buy but around the same yearly and is likely more comparable to OKW. There are ways to get cheaper still overall but they including exchanges from smaller to larger units and the use of bonus weeks, all very workable for Orlando though. The studios at GV are also much better than the DVC studios in that they are larger, have a king bed and actually have utensils and cooking materials.

There is the rest of the story though. DVC is more flexible in direct usage than is Marriott which is a week at a time during a season though the Marriott can be broken down into 3 & 4 day options and locked off into a studio & 1 BR. There would be a lockoff fee normally $75. For Marriott you could exchange directly to the other Florida club options (West Palm, Panama City, Doral & Ft. Lauderdale) and you could use the 3/4 day and lockoff options at those locations as well. You'd have to join II at your own cost to exchange it to other Marriott's and beyond but you'd have a lot more options, flexibility and better choices OVERALL than you would have using DVC for exchanging. So in the end Marriott maybe $1200 yearly and DVC $1500 without exchanging but with the ability to do so, if the difference forces a car rental, one would have to consider that as well.

What off property tends to do for the higher end options is given you more & better recreational options, more activities and more space for a somewhat cheaper price and more better exchange options. Ultimately it comes down to preference and how one will use it. In general DVC is more expensive yearly but it varies with usage patterns. Marriott is a much better trading tool. If you go up to the 3 BR at GV, the numbers are far more favorable to Marriott than DVC but you have the same basic limitations.

For those that know some of this well, I have ignored the newer Marriott trust points and the Destination points because they either aren't available or workable for this situation.

If you compare to the 2 main points mini systems for Orlando that I have some familiarity with (Bluegreen & Wyndham), you drop your initial buy in costs down to around $1000 give or take for enough points to get a 2 BR and dues in the range of the Marriott GV I mentioned and less than DVC (variable for Wyndham). You pick up a lot more options, have the exchange options internally and through RCI included other than the exchange fee if you go through RCI (like DVC but the costs tend to be higher but with more options). Plus you have the potential to exchange in to DVC as well. I can't speak for Worldmark or Hilton, the other 2 systems I'd include in this group. WM doesn't have the same level of direct Orlando options but is well suited out west. I suspect Hilton is more to buy in but the other principles would apply somewhat.

IMO it boils down to how much you want to pay for on property and how much one takes advantage of the full range of the flexibility inherent to the DVC system as well as how one wants to factor in non Disney trips. It pays to be informed. I think for many, owning both has it's advantages if you can get on a large enough scale to justify both.

 

[jade1]

I have to say that I am currently staying in a 1 BR at BLT and it is nowhere near the quality of the rooms at any of the Marriott Vacation Club properties I have stayed at. Cracked tiles, loose fixtures, torn fabric, stained couch cushions, and a non functioning jacuzzi tub. All this in a room that's what, three years old? It's still a nice room and all, but it is showing its wear at an alarming rate. While not at the level where I would complain, as an owner I am not going to expose myself to more risk by purchasing any more than the 100 points I currently own.

Yuck-please post pics since ur there.

 

[luckyman_apd]

I can get "used" to the use year. These cleanliness and disrepair issues may be enough for me to exercise my 10day rights....I'm pretty OCD and reading that dvc rooms are dirty (so deal with it) bc they don't treat us as we'll as cash customers has me nauseous.

You shouldn't "need" to get used to anything. This is a big purchase.....and at the current prices, a very big purchase for a long time. For a guide to force something on you that you weren't interested in is downright immoral in my book. Exercise your 10 day immediately and contact a guide that will get you your desired UY. The ONLY acceptable reason is if you are buying a sold out resort and have to wait for the UY. I'm disgusted to hear this. We bought resale after almost a year of research. We have friends that bought years before us, and they didn't know they COULD have chosen a different UY. If they had they would. You need to stand up and show them the buyer is in charge.

You will own this for many years, and spend a ton of money. You deserve to buy what you want to buy, not what someone is trying to sell. As far as room cleanliness? I've never had a problem in 4 trips. If I did, I would report it. It's up to us owners to take care of our own property. I'm not sure all owners understand this.

 

[Chuck S]

ouch - and some of the "hard refurb" was painting over old furniture?

i want them to take care of my OKW...

At least the repainted/refinished furniture is probably better than what they would have replaced it with. Most hotels now use really poorly constructed furnishings.

I really miss the carpet. It is so noisy/echo-y now.

 

[staceymay00]

No, generally around the same or less, esp for Orlando. It is a little apples to oranges in some ways though. Historically and resale we're talking full week options floating for a season for Marriott. Comparing to say Marriott's Grande Vista resort would be a fair comparison for say OKW or SSR in a 2 BR for a week, say 300 points to be conservative and fair. One could buy SSR for say $50 a point or roughly $15K and roughly $1500 yearly. A top season (Platinum) Marriott GV unit can be bought easily for under $4000 with yearly fees around $1050. The numbers would vary a little by property. For example, Harbour Lakes would be cheaper up front and yearly, Cypress Harbour would be cheaper to buy but around the same yearly and is likely more comparable to OKW. There are ways to get cheaper still overall but they including exchanges from smaller to larger units and the use of bonus weeks, all very workable for Orlando though. The studios at GV are also much better than the DVC studios in that they are larger, have a king bed and actually have utensils and cooking materials.

There is the rest of the story though. DVC is more flexible in direct usage than is Marriott which is a week at a time during a season though the Marriott can be broken down into 3 & 4 day options and locked off into a studio & 1 BR. There would be a lockoff fee normally $75. For Marriott you could exchange directly to the other Florida club options (West Palm, Panama City, Doral & Ft. Lauderdale) and you could use the 3/4 day and lockoff options at those locations as well. You'd have to join II at your own cost to exchange it to other Marriott's and beyond but you'd have a lot more options, flexibility and better choices OVERALL than you would have using DVC for exchanging. So in the end Marriott maybe $1200 yearly and DVC $1500 without exchanging but with the ability to do so, if the difference forces a car rental, one would have to consider that as well.

What off property tends to do for the higher end options is given you more & better recreational options, more activities and more space for a somewhat cheaper price and more better exchange options. Ultimately it comes down to preference and how one will use it. In general DVC is more expensive yearly but it varies with usage patterns. Marriott is a much better trading tool. If you go up to the 3 BR at GV, the numbers are far more favorable to Marriott than DVC but you have the same basic limitations.

For those that know some of this well, I have ignored the newer Marriott trust points and the Destination points because they either aren't available or workable for this situation.

If you compare to the 2 main points mini systems for Orlando that I have some familiarity with (Bluegreen & Wyndham), you drop your initial buy in costs down to around $1000 give or take for enough points to get a 2 BR and dues in the range of the Marriott GV I mentioned and less than DVC (variable for Wyndham). You pick up a lot more options, have the exchange options internally and through RCI included other than the exchange fee if you go through RCI (like DVC but the costs tend to be higher but with more options). Plus you have the potential to exchange in to DVC as well. I can't speak for Worldmark or Hilton, the other 2 systems I'd include in this group. WM doesn't have the same level of direct Orlando options but is well suited out west. I suspect Hilton is more to buy in but the other principles would apply somewhat.

IMO it boils down to how much you want to pay for on property and how much one takes advantage of the full range of the flexibility inherent to the DVC system as well as how one wants to factor in non Disney trips. It pays to be informed. I think for many, owning both has it's advantages if you can get on a large enough scale to justify both.

Thanks for taking the time to explain all of that!

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[Dean]

Thanks for taking the time to explain all of that!

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You're welcome. I tried to be fair and objective to both sides. The trouble with trying to use one timeshare to do everything is there's no single perfect system. For those that want to go to Disney almost exclusively and prefer to stay on property, and rarely look elsewhere they may as well buy Disney. For those trying to find one system to do Disney and other vacations routinely DVC is generally out of the mix, IMO. I simply feel the compromise using DVC for non Disney trips is far greater than the reverse but obviously there are variables. I prefer to consider the area of the country one lives in and lay out a list of planned trips/locations and see who covers those areas and start from there. I'd also consider how flexible one is and how variable their trips are likely to be in time of year, unit size and length of stay.

 

[luv2sleep]

We really wanted a particular use year for our first direct contract. They wouldn't give it to me - told us we didn't have a good enough reason. Should've walked away but the contract has been written. We already have an add-on planned but I found out there is nothing available in my use year and that DVC will absolutely NOT grant two different use years. Am I being played again??

I don't understand how they could say you don't have a good enough reason. ??? Why does anyone need a reason to pay a ton of $$$ to have the UY they want? I would have walked away and found another guide/seller. That doesn't make sense.

 

[bumbershoot]

Perhaps I misspoke. I reported the tub issue, but what I meant was that none of these issues led me to complain about the room, they were just noticeable.

Well, I want you to complain. " Cracked tiles, loose fixtures, torn fabric, stained couch cushions"? Those are worth letting them know about.

We recently had a horribly mildewy 2 bedroom at SSR. The entire place was filled with the smell. It even bothered the non-sensitives in our group. We made the awful mistake of staying one night there instead of moving the first moment we stepped in the room, and no one felt 100% the next day.

That HAD TO have been noticed as it built up. But maybe each person thought "oh maybe I'm just sensitive, I won't complain", etc etc. Housekeeping had to have smelled it as the problem grew. Who knows why they didn't fix it? When the housekeeping manager stepped in the room, he was aghast at the overwhelming smell throughout the whole villa.

The things you've mentioned aren't mildew, but the problems aren't going to fix themselves. So tell housekeeping, maintenance, the front desk, and DVC. I feel that they need to know.

You shouldn't "need" to get used to anything. This is a big purchase.....and at the current prices, a very big purchase for a long time.

The "get used to it" comment was saying that IF the OP was already beyond the recision period, they would need to get used to their Use Year. That's all. And if they were still within the 10 days, to cancel, get a new guide, and start over.

If they are already out of that 10 days, to sell would mean to lose quite a bit of money. Far easier to get used to a non-perfect UY.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

At least the repainted/refinished furniture is probably better than what they would have replaced it with. Most hotels now use really poorly constructed furnishings.

I really miss the carpet. It is so noisy/echo-y now.

If they had done that it would have only been because they were being cheap - there are good options out there too. The furniture at AKV and VGC and even Aulani are good examples of sturdy furnishings and the same could have been done at OKW. Most likely is that painting was just the inexpensive way to go.

 

[Sammie]

If they had done that it would have only been because they were being cheap - there are good options out there too. The furniture at AKV and VGC and even Aulani are good examples of sturdy furnishings and the same could have been done at OKW. Most likely is that painting was just the inexpensive way to go.

They bought Thomasville for SSR and it looks great.