OKW not up to standard

[Chuck S]

I have to say, I've read this thread with great interest. It is no secret that I personally find OKW to be among the best DVC has to offer. Putting that aside, here goes.

This attacking of posters who dare post bad reviews or dare to question DVC is too much.

Chuck has more or less questioned Yo ho's validity in so many words. He has valid points about taking care of the problem with management immediately. Problem is he didn't follow his own advice and as far as I'm concerned comes off as quite the hypocrite in this thread. He also could be indirectly blamed for the condition of the OP's room.

I just bumped his trip report from OKW. He also encountered problems with cleanliness. Did he follow up with management????? Nope, he wiped down greasy counters and laundered dirty sheets. Has he followed up and complained the OP may have gotten a clean room. The squeaky wheel might have gotten enough grease to have the head of housekeeping reprimand the staff. Instead in an effort to be nice Chuck just cleaned it up himself. This solves nothing and in fact makes it seem acceptable.

I have no problem with Chuck's advice I just wish he followed it instead of attacking posters with problems.

Sorry Yo ho ho that you had these problems. Whether you should have complained really doesn't matter. It shouldn't have happened to begin with.

And what major problems did I ignore, Dumbo71? The fact that the counter in the kitchen HAD been wiped off by housekeeping, but there was oily/sticky residue...big deal, I know how to wipe of a counter. And again, the unclean cooking utensils and soiled blanket...truthfully, if they had been put away that way by a previous tenant, I would NOT have expected a housekeeper to personally inspect every dish in the cupboard or a blanket folded on the shelf. Besides, washing dishes in a unit prior to use is probably something we should all do, even it they appear clean...you never know, maybe the housekeeper had a cold or flu. You are incorrect when you state I laundered dirty sheets, I did not. I did not wash the sheets, nor would I. I would have called for fresh ones. I said they looked and felt fresh. I washed a blanket.

And I did not pass those problems on to the next tenant, I corrected them. As far as being disappointed with the lunch/dinner menu at Olivia's...that is not a DVC or OKW problem, they have nothing to do with food services. I don't expect Disney food services to change for the better anytime soon (IMO), but I guess there are certainly some people that do like (or are at least satisfied with) the new menus, or they would have changed them again by now.

I did not have the concerns of dirty sheets or towels that yo-ho states. If I had felt our unit had dirty sheets and soiled towels, you can bet I would have called housekeeping immediately. Nor am I the person claiming that OKW standards are dropping, we occasionally have had some minor problems since the resort opened.

On the rare occasions where we've had major problems...no towels, no bedspreads and a flooded bathroom (all in a studio in a brand new building, when the South Point area opened) I called housekeeping immediately. The problems were fixed immediately (BTW the flood was not a result of our room, but an unsealed bathtub drain from the unit above...sloppy contractor). Maintenance thanked us several time for calling, as the leak could have caused major damage if left unfixed, and they gave us a dinner at Olivia's.

 

[dianeschlicht]

We just got back on the 16th of Dec and I would agree the standard has gone way down. The Bathrooms were not that clean the walls had what looked like coffee stains on them. We had a 2B unit and the bathroom not in the MB was really dirty in corners. Our electric did nto work in the kitchen we called 2 times and then gave up and went on with our vacation. The Air Conditioner did not work ( Didn't bother me but DH got quite annoyed). Then to top it off I threw away a disp razor wrapped in the bathroom and house keeping cut themselves on it. Now I have to provide them with blood samples. I have no problem doing that I feel bad she/he got hurt but why were they going through my trash??? Anyway I still like OKW for the value but one more trip like that and we will pick a new resort.

I'll ask this again.....WHERE did you call or WHOM did you call? If you called teh front desk, you called the wrong place. Calls MUST go to the proper place to be sure the message is received by the right people. A call to maintenance about teh kitchen electrical would likely have had it fixed immediately.

 

[yo-ho-yo-ho]

Thanks dumbo71 we all have different ways of dealing with problems and yes maybe i should have made a bigger fuss at the time, but i'll remember next time

 

[Deb & Bill]

Every single time we have had a maintenance problem, we have called Maintenance. And every single time we called, they responded in less than 20minutes and fixing it right away. That is why there are buttons for Housekeeping and Maintenance on the telephone instead of comment cards. Make the call, get it fixed right away. It's really not that difficult.

I think you are making mountains out of molehills. Fix those molehills as soon as you find them by notifying the appropriate person or doing it yourself.

 

[dumbo71]

Thanks dumbo71 we all have different ways of dealing with problems and yes maybe i should have made a bigger fuss at the time, but i'll remember next time

No problem.

Interesting poll results by the way. I find the polls done on this site to be very representative of DVC owners feelings. Polls here limit each registered user to one vote so we don't see the person voting 50-100 times in any one direction.

 

[dumbo71]

And what major problems did I ignore, Dumbo71? The fact that the counter in the kitchen HAD been wiped off by housekeeping, but there was oily/sticky residue...big deal, I know how to wipe of a counter. And again, the unclean cooking utensils and soiled blanket...truthfully, if they had been put away that way by a previous tenant, I would NOT have expected a housekeeper to personally inspect every dish in the cupboard or a blanket folded on the shelf. Besides, washing dishes in a unit prior to use is probably something we should all do, even it they appear clean...you never know, maybe the housekeeper had a cold or flu. You are incorrect when you state I laundered dirty sheets, I did not. I did not wash the sheets, nor would I. I would have called for fresh ones. I said they looked and felt fresh. I washed a blanket.

And I did not pass those problems on to the next tenant, I corrected them. As far as being disappointed with the lunch/dinner menu at Olivia's...that is not a DVC or OKW problem, they have nothing to do with food services. I don't expect Disney food services to change for the better anytime soon (IMO), but I guess there are certainly some people that do like (or are at least satisfied with) the new menus, or they would have changed them again by now.

I did not have the concerns of dirty sheets or towels that yo-ho states. If I had felt our unit had dirty sheets and soiled towels, you can bet I would have called housekeeping immediately. Nor am I the person claiming that OKW standards are dropping, we occasionally have had some minor problems since the resort opened.

On the rare occasions where we've had major problems...no towels, no bedspreads and a flooded bathroom (all in a studio in a brand new building, when the South Point area opened) I called housekeeping immediately. The problems were fixed immediately (BTW the flood was not a result of our room, but an unsealed bathtub drain from the unit above...sloppy contractor). Maintenance thanked us several time for calling, as the leak could have caused major damage if left unfixed, and they gave us a dinner at Olivia's.

Chuck,

No reason to get angry over this. People have posted that they notice a decline in the standards at OKW and other DVC Resorts. Those are simple observations. Leave it at that. You cannot dispute what others have experienced first hand. Maybe you have been the lucky one over the years and have had mainly gret stays.

I'm not agreeing that OKW standards have slipped and that is my view. Others including Yo ho Yo Ho disagree, fine.

My gut feeling is that you are a nice, considerate guy who simply found it no big deal to wipe a counter and wash a blanket. I've got no problem with that. Go ahead and do that just, then call the head of housekeeping so they can note it and follow up with there employee. By not reporting these things Housekeeping will never be hel accountable or try to maintain a higher standard.

Really, I felt it was simply wrong to grill Yo Ho Yo Ho for not reporting when you hadn't reported either. Nothing personal or more than that.

I love OKW as much as anyboby but I won't sit here and discredit posters who have had negative experiences at that resort.

That type of grilling is why we don't read more negatives. I've had people PM me thanking me for telling the truth and taking the flames on here. Many are simply scared or get ran off by the flamers.

You guys run a great forum here, lets not ruin it by flaming anyone who posts of a negative stay.

 

[Sammie]

No problem.

Interesting poll results by the way. I find the polls done on this site to be very representative of DVC owners feelings. Polls here limit each registered user to one vote so we don't see the person voting 50-100 times in any one direction.

Surely you don't consider 77 votes of 26 Yes standards are slipping at OKW, 28 No, and 23 have not noticed, to be truly reflective of the 100,000 plus members of DVC.

It is only reflective of those that voted, and 77 is not a lot even for the DIS. I can't imagine the problems at OKW to be horrible are surely those 23 others would have noticed.

We have had minor housekeeping issues at all Disney properties including nonDVC resorts due to the current shortage in housekeeping staff. As soon as we notified Housekeeping, they were immediately taken care of.

Discussing the problems here will solve nothing and Disney or DVC is not going to bat an eye at this poll.

Email them if you truly have problems but better yet deal with it while there, which is truly what the discussion was about anyway.

 

[Chuck S]

Chuck,

No reason to get angry over this. People have posted that they notice a decline in the standards at OKW and other DVC Resorts. Those are simple observations. Leave it at that. You cannot dispute what others have experienced first hand. Maybe you have been the lucky one over the years and have had mainly gret stays.

I'm not agreeing that OKW standards have slipped and that is my view. Others including Yo ho Yo Ho disagree, fine.

My gut feeling is that you are a nice, considerate guy who simply found it no big deal to wipe a counter and wash a blanket. I've got no problem with that. Go ahead and do that just, then call the head of housekeeping so they can note it and follow up with there employee. By not reporting these things Housekeeping will never be hel accountable or try to maintain a higher standard.

Really, I felt it was simply wrong to grill Yo Ho Yo Ho for not reporting when you hadn't reported either. Nothing personal or more than that.

I love OKW as much as anyboby but I won't sit here and discredit posters who have had negative experiences at that resort.

That type of grilling is why we don't read more negatives. I've had people PM me thanking me for telling the truth and taking the flames on here. Many are simply scared or get ran off by the flamers.

You guys run a great forum here, lets not ruin it by flaming anyone who posts of a negative stay.

I have no doubt that yo-ho encountered problems, and problems that should not have happened (although I can kind of understand food on the floor at Olivia's if they just had several messy little ones, but not if it had been messy for a while). Some of those problems could have even posed health risks; the leaky toilet seal and the sheets and towels, assuming they were dirty and not just holding a stubborn bleach resistant stain, even after the resort laundry.

As Sammie said, the point is, those types of problems need to be reported immediately.

My other point is that internet polls shouldn't be taken too seriously, on this or any other bulletin board, unless you can identify/restrict the poll to your demographic, and get a good cross section representing a fairly good sized sampling of that demographic.

 

[Muushka]

We just got back on the 16th of Dec and I would agree the standard has gone way down. The Bathrooms were not that clean the walls had what looked like coffee stains on them. We had a 2B unit and the bathroom not in the MB was really dirty in corners. Our electric did nto work in the kitchen we called 2 times and then gave up and went on with our vacation. The Air Conditioner did not work ( Didn't bother me but DH got quite annoyed). Then to top it off I threw away a disp razor wrapped in the bathroom and house keeping cut themselves on it. Now I have to provide them with blood samples. I have no problem doing that I feel bad she/he got hurt but why were they going through my trash??? Anyway I still like OKW for the value but one more trip like that and we will pick a new resort.

What?? Are they checking for AIDS and Hep B? I wonder if this is SOP for this issue?
Boy, things sure do get complicated, don't they.

 

[ruckartj]

Our family had similiar problems when we stayed at OKW in a 2 BR from 11/19 thru 11/22. There was multiple stains on the floor in the master bath, one of the sinks was clogged and the jacuzzi was not working properly. We reported all the problems and it was noted to be fixed. Of all the stays we have had, this is the only problem we have ever had though.

 

[Dean]

What?? Are they checking for AIDS and Hep B? I wonder if this is SOP for this issue?
Boy, things sure do get complicated, don't they.

That is exactly what they will check for, same if someone at a Doctor's office or hospital sticks themselves with a needle used on someone.

 

[wilderness01]

Chuck S wrote:

And again, the unclean cooking utensils and soiled blanket...truthfully, if they had been put away that way by a previous tenant, I would NOT have expected a housekeeper to personally inspect every dish in the cupboard or a blanket folded on the shelf. Besides, washing dishes in a unit prior to use is probably something we should all do, even it they appear clean...you never know, maybe the housekeeper had a cold or flu.

I thought the housekeepers ran all the dishes through the dishwasher when they were cleaning the unit. Am I wrong that this was a standard prior to a new occupant coming in?

 

[dumbo71]

Surely you don't consider 77 votes of 26 Yes standards are slipping at OKW, 28 No, and 23 have not noticed, to be truly reflective of the 100,000 plus members of DVC.

It is only reflective of those that voted, and 77 is not a lot even for the DIS. I can't imagine the problems at OKW to be horrible are surely those 23 others would have noticed.

We have had minor housekeeping issues at all Disney properties including nonDVC resorts due to the current shortage in housekeeping staff. As soon as we notified Housekeeping, they were immediately taken care of.

Discussing the problems here will solve nothing and Disney or DVC is not going to bat an eye at this poll.

Email them if you truly have problems but better yet deal with it while there, which is truly what the discussion was about anyway.

Certainly not a good representation yet.

Also, I never said I agreed with Yo ho yo ho. In fact I've never had isues out side of the elimination of to go food at Olivias and the menu change. Other than that I've always had excellent stays at OKW.

I simply agree with Yo ho's right to post about a bad experience.

 

[dumbo71]

I have no doubt that yo-ho encountered problems, and problems that should not have happened (although I can kind of understand food on the floor at Olivia's if they just had several messy little ones, but not if it had been messy for a while). Some of those problems could have even posed health risks; the leaky toilet seal and the sheets and towels, assuming they were dirty and not just holding a stubborn bleach resistant stain, even after the resort laundry.

As Sammie said, the point is, those types of problems need to be reported immediately.

My other point is that internet polls shouldn't be taken too seriously, on this or any other bulletin board, unless you can identify/restrict the poll to your demographic, and get a good cross section representing a fairly good sized sampling of that demographic.

Fair enough Chuck and I'm in COMPLETE agreement with reporting problems.

I'm also in agreement that OKW is a fine Resort, probably my favorite as a matter of fact.

 

[Chuck S]

Chuck S wrote:


I thought the housekeepers ran all the dishes through the dishwasher when they were cleaning the unit. Am I wrong that this was a standard prior to a new occupant coming in?

Actually, years ago, I thought that, too. But I think they only really wash the dishes that were obviously used and left out. I mean, when you think about it, there is no dishwasher for them to use in studios for the glassware...so assuming the hand wash those, and in one bedroom and larger units, I don't think all the dishware and cookware would fit into one load.

Either way, it is still a good idea to re-wash everything. Even if they were all sanitized, if the housekeeper did have a virus or something, it could still get on the dishes when he/she was putting them in the cupboard.

 

[mom2my3kids]

We stayed at OKW in october and loved it. So sorry your stay was ruined, it may of been a off day. We never ate at Olivia's so I can't say anything about that.

 

[crazy4claspooh]

What?? Are they checking for AIDS and Hep B? I wonder if this is SOP for this issue?
Boy, things sure do get complicated, don't they.

That is exactly what they will be doing.
As far as who did I call the mtc group is who I called about the Electrical issue they came out very quickly but after the second time of having them come out to fix the same problem they fixed the day before we stopped calling when it happened again.

 

[DVCconvert]

Would you demand that OKW dues increase substantially to hire CMs to sit inside and monitor each guests' activtity in the restrooms

Sounds like a plan to me!!

 

[Dean]

Actually, years ago, I thought that, too. But I think they only really wash the dishes that were obviously used and left out. I mean, when you think about it, there is no dishwasher for them to use in studios for the glassware...so assuming the hand wash those, and in one bedroom and larger units, I don't think all the dishware and cookware would fit into one load.

Either way, it is still a good idea to re-wash everything. Even if they were all sanitized, if the housekeeper did have a virus or something, it could still get on the dishes when he/she was putting them in the cupboard.

They don't wash the dishes, they don't consistently change the blankets and comforter and they don't tear off a portion of the TP or paper towels, they just fold them over.

 

[wdwfan1]

We stayed in a 1 br starting the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Everything was nice and clean. We had a great location and were very happy there. We did not eat at Olivias.