BWV 2017 Point Increase Explanation (Updated at Post #30)

[KAT4DISNEY]

The first time I booked boardwalk view after it became a separate category, I got 5051. I was disappointed but didn't complain because my mom was with me and not in good health, so I figured close to the elevator was good. Not only was it not directly over the boardwalk, it only had 1 small balcony, the bedroom was windows only.

That was my first thought when I saw this but then I realized it was a preferred to standard view that changed, I can't imagine them making that standard view. If they made it preferred pool/garden, it wouldn't change points.

And it's a small, single balcony! We had a room above it - either on the 3rd or 4th floor. We actually went back to the desk to say that we had been assigned the wrong room category, but learned it was Boardwalk view. Now, if it had a balcony like the lower studios in that section I probably would have stayed.....although I do think they ought to put loungers out on those balconies. The 2 standard chairs look a little silly out on those big balconies.

 

[dismedvc]

IMO this is an area where DVC excels, dealing with issues once they get to corporate. The problem is they could prevent many of the issues with a little forethought, planning and being upfront.

I am confused. Since drusba's post #30, there have been 9 posts speculating on which rooms were downgraded, there is Dean's post, quoted above, lauding corporate, and my post #37 saying the answer drusba got doesn't make sense.

Dean: I feel you are one of the most knowledgeable members on these boards, and you generally do not criticize other posters, but please give it to me straight; do you see an error in my calculations in post #37?
If my calculations are correct and the information drusba received does not make sense, then speculating on which rooms were downgraded based on the incorrect or incomplete information drusba received seems pointless. We should first focus on getting the correct and complete information from Corporate.

 

[Dean]

I am confused. Since drusba's post #30, there have been 9 posts speculating on which rooms were downgraded, there is Dean's post, quoted above, lauding corporate, and my post #37 saying the answer drusba got doesn't make sense.

Dean: I feel you are one of the most knowledgeable members on these boards, and you generally do not criticize other posters, but please give it to me straight; do you see an error in my calculations in post #37?
If my calculations are correct and the information drusba received does not make sense, then speculating on which rooms were downgraded based on the incorrect or incomplete information drusba received seems pointless. We should first focus on getting the correct and complete information from Corporate.

2 important points. First, my reference was to the response itself in that drusba was concerned he might not hear anything else. I'm betting their conversation was pleasant, up front and informative. Whether it was 100% accurate isn't an issue to me. Second, I responded before reading your post not that it would have necessarily altered my response. As for the numbers, it really doesn't matter to me if it's four 1BR or something else. I'll leave it up to others to try to work out the details on the numbers. It won't surprise me to find out it's a different number or also involves other villa types. It wouldn't change my response you quoted. I'll thus make 2 points. If it involves 2 BR villas as well, I don't believe the requirements for the lockout components are as protected as the whole lockoff or dedicated villas. The other point is you've got to look at the resort as a whole. We had this discussion ad infinitum with the last reallocation. The questions come up whether the lockoff portions come under the same protection (I don't think they do) and whether the numbers have to be exact or just close enough statistically (I assert the latter). Thus one question would be just looking at your numbers, what % does that represent of the total points for the resort. If it makes the numbers off by say 0.03% (arbitrary #) or less, I'd say it's close enough.

 

[dismedvc]

Thank Dean. You have once again added perspective. I just have a couple of comments.

With regard to your first point above, since corporate received a written inquiry and had time to research it before responding, if that response is not 100% accurate it is an issue to me. While it is great they responded, to respond with an incorrect or incomplete explanation is IMHO worse than not responding at all. Also interesting that they did not put their response in writing.

With regard to your second point, I agree it is a very small percentage and not really that relevant. However, since the post that started this thread was concerned about an unexplained 2,300 point change, and a quest to get an explanation, it seems strange that since the explanation received would cause an unexplained change that is over three times larger (about 8,000 points in the opposite direction) no one else is questioning that explanation. I find it interesting that when DVC made a change without explanation, members questioned the change, but when members received an explanation that did not make sense they just accepted it, at least so far on this thread.

ETA: (after reading Granny's post below) I now understand why members might just accept the explanation given, because the 8,000 point reduction works in the members favor, but I have to agree with @Granny that there is something additional corporate did not tell @drusba and "that Disney has somehow evened this out somewhere so that they don't shortchange themselves."

 

[Granny]

Thank Dean. You have once again added perspective. I just have a couple of comments.

With regard to your first point above, since corporate received a written inquiry and had time to research it before responding, if that response is not 100% accurate I it is an issue to me. While it is great they responded, to respond with an incorrect or incomplete explanation is IMHO worse than not responding at all. Also interesting that they did not put their response in writing.

With regard to your second point, I agree it is a very small percentage and not really that relevant. However, since the post that started this thread was concerned about an unexplained 2,300 point change, and a quest to get an explanation, it seems strange that since the explanation received would cause an unexplained change that is over three times larger (about 8,000 points in the opposite direction) no one else is questioning that explanation. I find it interesting that when DVC made a change without explanation, members questioned the change, but when members received an explanation that did not make sense they just accepted it, at least so far on this thread.

I believe that your math indicated that there was an overall reduction of 8,000 points by downgrading 4 1BR villas from PV to SV. I would think that the lack of ardor from posters regarding this is due to the appearance that the overall points went down, not up. And also because there is probably the feeling that Disney has somehow evened this out somewhere so that they don't shortchange themselves. No one sees Disney doing anything but staying within Florida timeshare laws. Just my two cents.

 

[mouseclick1]

We were once given a room that faced the Village Green when I had booked a 1br Boardwalk view room. It might have been 4051, though I can't exactly remember. You could seriously only see a sliver of the boardwalk between the trees when looking to the left of the balcony. I thought they put me in the wrong room and went down to the front desk to ask about it. The CM told me at first that yes, it was a preferred view room. She got on the phone with someone, and then came back and said that it was actually a Boardwalk view room. I asked if there were other rooms available to switch to but was told no. Had I known that my view was going to be mostly of trees and grass, I would have saved the points and booked a standard view when I first made my reservation.

When I went back to the room, I logged into my DVC account to look at my reservation on the DVC site. Though I had clearly booked a BW view room and had a screen shot to prove it, my account on the DVC website (after they checked me in) now showed my reservation as preferred view. I went back down again, and spoke with a manager and explained what I was seeing in my account. He was quite nice about it and said he would see what he could do. Finally, he said there was a BW view room that was just cleaned (it was late afternoon/early evening by now) and that they would move us.

I was thankful they moved us, but the whole thing seemed a little off to me. It was like it was officially classified as a preferred view room, but something they pass off as a BW view when they can. I was pleased with the outcome, but couldn't help feeling like it was a sneaky move, and that they would not have moved me at all had I not noticed the category change on my reservation.