Polynesian DVC Disappointment

[DougK]

It just makes booking and arranging rooms to satisfy all guests so much harder for Disney. Every time you subdivide rooms, it makes it harder to properly fill them all. I think they'd rather just deal with the complaints as they come, and maybe re-classify 1st floor rooms eventually.

Harder? My job is hard too. I think DVC charges us enough money for them to be able to have a few hard jobs to fill. Customer service in general is hard but Disney has a reputation for being very good at it.

 

[DisDadDVC]

Harder? My job is hard too. I think DVC charges us enough money for them to be able to have a few hard jobs to fill. Customer service in general is hard but Disney has a reputation for being very good at it.

I'm just saying why Disney would not be in favor of this.

 

[DisDadDVC]

Yes but if it was a category and I couldn't get it at least I wouldn't be spending more points for a view that I can't see.

What if they increased the pts for 3rd floor, and decreased them for 1st?

 

[dizfan]

But I only like the 3 flavors of ice cream and the bigger stores charge more.

Bill

LOL.
Why own at AKV then? 4 flavors of ice cream....I mean booking categories for most room types.

Wow, now that I think about it, AKV has a lot when you add up the studios, 1BRs, 2BR, GVs plus the value, standard view, savannah view, and concierge.

 

[Dean]

Once again I just want to say to everyone on here that I understand room requests are not guaranteed. I am just saying if Disney is getting more of a specific request on a consistent basis (in this case, higher floor) than they can handle they should change the booking categories so that the consistently requested view is bookable. And if they are not getting too many requests of that type then they should accommodate the ones who request it.

Not only are they not guaranteed, they don't put any effort into them officially. They pre assign rooms frequently and that does make it difficult to change around when they are fairly full. It would seem you were well familiar with the resort and any appropriate investigation into DVC should have let you know that requests are hit or miss at best. IMO they should put more effort into it but I understand why they don't. They have essentially given up in part because they have realized that they have realized the membership is just too difficult to please.

Yes but if it was a category and I couldn't get it at least I wouldn't be spending more points for a view that I can't see.

Spending more expecting a great view is risky with timeshares, doubly so with DVC. But the reality is you're paying for location and not view. Ultimately someone has to get the dumpster view.

 

[disneynutz]

Not only are they not guaranteed, they don't put any effort into them officially. They pre assign rooms frequently and that does make it difficult to change around when they are fairly full. It would seem you were well familiar with the resort and any appropriate investigation into DVC should have let you know that requests are hit or miss at best. IMO they should put more effort into it but I understand why they don't. They have essentially given up in part because they have realized that they have realized the membership is just too difficult to please.

Spending more expecting a great view is risky with timeshares, doubly so with DVC. But the reality is you're paying for location and not view. Ultimately someone has to get the dumpster view.

DVC rooms are assigned by Disney resort staff who get paid a small amount through our dues no matter how happy the guests are. For cash guests that want to keep you happy because they are being paid the room cost which is their main business.

Bill

 

[Dean]

DVC rooms are assigned by Disney resort staff who get paid a small amount through our dues no matter how happy the guests are. For cash guests that want to keep you happy because they are being paid the room cost which is their main business.

Bill

I have gathered a lot of info and experience over the years talking to management and room assigners at various timeshare resorts. It's a difficult and thankless job. They simply can't make most people happy and that's for the ones that actually try to do so.

 

[Don Duck]

I'm not sure I understand. You REQUESTED 3rd floor, but you know they can't guarantee a room on the 3rd floor. Or 2nd floor. So, I'm sure it is frustrating, but I think you managed to disappoint yourself with unreasonable expectations.

I think the OP was expecting a water view ... but received a view of bungalows. Though I have never stayed at that location, I would tend to agree that "bungalow view" is not the same as a water view. If I paid for a "garden view" at a Sheraton, but received a view of another building, I would want to be moved, or have my rate adjusted.

 

[DisDadDVC]

I see water....

 

[disneynutz]

I have gathered a lot of info and experience over the years talking to management and room assigners at various timeshare resorts. It's a difficult and thankless job. They simply can't make most people happy and that's for the ones that actually try to do so.

From talking to CM's over the years, working for Disney period is pretty much a thankless job.

I not saying that all room assigners don't try to match our requests, they just don't have the same incentives as they do with cash guests. I doubt that matching room requests is an appraisal/review item.

Bill

 

[dizfan]

I see water....

Using this logic, DVC needs to change several room types at other resorts. BWV has some rooms facing the green space that are not boardwalk view. BLT should have no standard views in front because they can see Space Mountain (theme park) and several rooms facing the tennis court should be converted from lake view to theme park view. I believe AKV has some rooms were were moved because of marginal descriptions that were clearly not as good as others.

Now that I think about it, PVB would even have to reclassify some of Tokelau to lake view.

The problem comes from past resorts show DVC/DVC have not followed your guidelines. Apparently it was appropriate to listen to owners of AKV, BLT, and BWV, but not appropriate to listen to owners of PVB.

 

[disneynutz]

Using this logic, DVC needs to change several room types at other resorts. BWV has some rooms facing the green space that are not boardwalk view. BLT should have no standard views in front because they can see Space Mountain (theme park) and several rooms facing the tennis court should be converted from lake view to theme park view. I believe AKV has some rooms were were moved because of marginal descriptions that were clearly not as good as others.

Now that I think about it, PVB would even have to reclassify some of Tokelau to lake view.

The problem comes from past resorts show DVC/DVC have not followed your guidelines. Apparently it was appropriate to listen to owners of AKV, BLT, and BWV, but not appropriate to listen to owners of PVB.

PVB was built under the DVC's new management, I have definitely noticed a decrease in service and an increase in fluff.

Bill

 

[dizfan]

PVB was built under the DVC's new management, I have definitely noticed a decrease in service and an increase in fluff.

Bill

I agree the new management seems to be different. If today's management is in charge of the other resorts, they could opt to make AKV, BLT, and BWV the same as they were before.

After all, many people seem to think it's good to have fewer categories, so why not follow the preference and implement fewer categories at other resorts?

 

[Donna M]

We stayed once and learned from that trip not to go back until they change categories around. We used a lot of points for a second floor bungalow view with slips of water between the buildings. There needs to be a garden view and then a parking lot view too (for the other building). Right now there is too much of a chance of getting a sub par view by chance. Booking categories should have similar views within each class.

Also agree with the wasted space in the second bath. I thought about how a washer and dryer could have been planned to fit.

 

[dcfromva]

I agree the new management seems to be different. If today's management is in charge of the other resorts, they could opt to make AKV, BLT, and BWV the same as they were before.

After all, many people seem to think it's good to have fewer categories, so why not follow the preference and implement fewer categories at other resorts?

One thing that these room changes/re-classifications have in common is that a lot of members spoke up and complained. I think in the case of BWV view (before it was a booking category), the CMs were getting quite a bit of immediate and profound feedback from the members who were not able to snag "the view" (and a lot of aggravation from the members who were willing to camp out in the lobby for hours in order to get the view). Having it predetermined at booking took all that out of play. I think in the case of BWV, it was the path of least resistance--it was way easier to designate the booking category than to have the chaos at check in time.

I think if enough PVB owners speak up, they will change it.

 

[DenLo]

The point charts for BWV never changed after the standard view rooms were added, they just added standard view with a different rate, but the other categories stayed the same. Therefore BWV must have originally been allocated the points for the standard view rooms. So I highly doubt that despite what is readily believed, members did not get DVC to really invent a new category at BWV, DVC planned that category all along otherwise the other room categories would have increased.

 

[dcfromva]

The point charts for BWV never changed after the standard view rooms were added, they just added standard view with a different rate, but the other categories stayed the same. Therefore BWV must have originally been allocated the points for the standard view rooms. So I highly doubt that despite what is readily believed, members did not get DVC to really invent a new category at BWV, DVC planned that category all along otherwise the other room categories would have increased.

True, they didn't change the number of points required for a BWV room, but before it was a booking category, you were not guaranteed that view.
They could do the same for PVB. They wouldn't have to change the point requirements. The question I would have is--would most PVB owners prefer it and would most owners feel it was a benefit?

 

[Dean]

From talking to CM's over the years, working for Disney period is pretty much a thankless job.

I not saying that all room assigners don't try to match our requests, they just don't have the same incentives as they do with cash guests. I doubt that matching room requests is an appraisal/review item.

Bill

Now days it seems that the entitlement mentality is alive and well and for DVC, on steroids.

 

[supersnoop]

Yes but if it was a category and I couldn't get it at least I wouldn't be spending more points for a view that I can't see.

Don't be so sure. Look at BWV where the a boardwalk view and garden/pool view costs the same number of points.

 

[quinnc19]

I'd rather risk spending LV points and get a bungalow view than spend SV points and get a parking lot view.