Vero Beach - Very Bad Start

[gscott8075]

I am a big DVC fan and a big Disney fan. This is the second time I have been to Vero - and the first time for my family.

We brought our best friends with us to introduce them to DVC. We have a studio on points (no larger units available). They rented 2 studios - ocean view - connecting in March.

We read about the Birnbaum discount somewhere on this board. My friend called and had it applied to his room.

Two stories unfolded at the desk.....

My family - the proud DVC members......

We got to Vero Saturday at 3:45 and my room was not ready. Hmmm, I thought, Disney already has a big window to get rooms ready since we are rushed out at 11am.

4 - 4:30 - 4:45 - I want my room! The desk clerk offered to send us to the Green Cabin room for snacks. Since we had nothing else to do, we took them up on it. 5:00 - 5:30 -- I went to the desk and told them that enough was enough - we wanted to unpack.

We finally got into our room at 5:45!!!!!

Meanwhile, at the next station, my friend and his family attempted to check in......

Sir, we have 2 garden view rooms for you. Uhhh, no, we reserved two ocean view rooms. No, you reserved 2 garden view with the Birnbaum discount.

Apparently, they changed him without telling him when the discount was applied. His orginal ressie has ocean view listed. There was no new one sent after the discount was applied.

He asked for the manager - who was not available. I stepped in and commented that I was a member and this was very embarrassing for me. The manager arrived and told him that he was SOL. She did not appear caring. She offered to make reservations for him at WDW in Orlando if he was not satisfied. Disney World? Give me a break. It was the most ridiculous solution I have ever heard. There ain't no ocean view there, either!

Finally, she took a whopping $10 off per night - and they were stuck.

Then, they found out after all of this at 4:30 that their room was not ready, either! They finally got in at 5:30 to discover a lovely view of the dumpster.

Hopefully, things will improve. To screw up my friend's ressie and have neither room ready by 4 is not acceptable.

The resort is beautiful and we are looking forward to the week - it can only get better!

 

[floridafam]

I agree. If I reserve an ocean view I darn well better get an ocean view.

This is not the first I have heard of people having trouble when booking with the birnbaum discount.

IMHO, the view of the ocean and the first impression can make or break a stay at VB-at least for us. It just isn't the same if you are stuck looking at a dumpster when you reserved and PAID for an ocean view.

The discount is good on ocean views. Your friend should not have been switched. I would keep checking to see if ocean view rooms open up. I think they will feel better if they do-make them give it to you with the Birnbaum discount.

Keep checking. Talk to the manager, take if further if you have to.

Show them their confirmation. If there had indeed been a change a new confirmation would have been sent to your friends.

SORRY. I just don't like it when people who may very well have been buyers into DVC get treated with an "I don't care" attitude.

It's not good business practice for DVC to do that.

 

[floridafam]

I did notice one thing in your post.

You said they rented 2 ocean view studios.

There are no ocean view studios just ocean view inn rooms.

Their reservation confirmation would either read studio or deluxe inn room. The deluxe inn rooms are the ones with the ocean views.

They consider an inn garden view room to be the same as a studio.

Do you know what their confirmation says?

Do you know how much they paid for the room? With Birnbaum they would have paid around $149 per night per studio and around $179 or higher per night per ocean view inn room?

 

[PamOKW]

I'm very sorry to hear you are having problems when you are trying to show Vero off in it's best light.

FloridaFam is probably on to something. Another problem trip report at Vero also centered around the discount and interchanging studios and inn rooms. On a cash basis, the oceanview inn is more than either a studio or a garden view inn room. On our points, it's the opposite. The need for the rooms to be connecting may also limit the options available. If they don't really need to be connected, maybe they can give them something better. While I'm sorry to hear of your friends problem, I wouldn't want to hear that members are having problems booking oceanview inn rooms because they are being used for the various discounts. It's a problem that can be seen from two sides.

 

[mickey2001]

"I'm sorry to hear of your friends problem, I wouldn't want to hear that members are having problems booking oceanview inn rooms because they are being used for the various discounts. It's a problem that can be seen from two sides."

Sorry I don't agree to the above statement with two sides. If Disney rents (cash) the Ocean view room to you then thats what you should get. You paid cash and have a res to prove it! Move to WDW, don't think so.
I am not a member and have stayed at all the DVC resorts. I curently hold a reservation for an Inn room ocean view for the 1st week in July. My res under room view says ocean. If there is a problem that members are shut out during a certain time frame the blame should be on DVC who rented the rooms and not abuse the person paying cash. JMO

 

[PamOKW]

Maybe what I meant did not come through. I'm not saying that someone who has a reserved oceanview room should not be given that room. I'm also not sure what happened in this case and, even if there is some confusion, the person should be given the best available room and the situation tried to be made "right". The comment about going to WDW was ridiculous on the manager's part.


What I am saying is, in general, I am glad to hear that booking a Birnbaum discount (or other discount) means getting an garden view room unless some additional premium is paid.

 

[Dean]

This is a unique situation but I believe the discount mentioned is for a garden view room. That bascially means they asked t change room types to get the discount wihtout knowing it. I know this was not their intention but that is the resorts approach. Yes they should have told him it was changing room types to get the discount if they specifically had an ocean view inn room scheduled. If their original confirmation was not specifically for an ocean view inn room, then the resort has no fault. Sorry it happened but I can see the resorts side of it regardless.

Had they booked the room orignallly with a discount, if they had, it's likely they asked for an Ocean view but actually reserved a garden view from the start.

 

[mickey2001]

I got the Ocean view room with the above mentioned discount, thus it does exist in an ocean view.

 

[floridafam]

Yes, the Birnbaum discount does apply to ocean view rooms

It can be used for a studio, garden view inn room, ocean view inn room, 1br villa and 2br villa but not the beach house.

Same goes for the Disney Club discount.

They both offer approximately 20% off IF they are available.

I guess the bottom line is that if I paid for an ocean view at VB I better get an ocean view.

I think they know what member occupancy is going to be at any given time and they don't release a high number of rooms for these discounts at busy times for members. I don't think this interferes with members getting their assigned room types.

I just think that it's very sad any time someone's vacation doesn't start out right. Even more so at a DVC resort that still has a points inventory. For every person that management ticks off that is one less person buying into VB. It's just not good business.

I'm sure there is a simple explanation for what happened. I would like to know what their confirmation says. If it says studio then they were mislead or misunderstood from the original reservation because there are no studios in the inn with ocean views.

 

[hocksocmom]

Scott,

Just drink more . . .

Kathy

 

[gscott8075]

Yes, we are drinking more - and its getting better!

A few thunderstorms in the PM and the no see ums are as bad as everyone says - but its helping keep the temps down a bit.

One thing I have not heard too much about on the board is the pizza. The brick oven is simply awesome. Its very delicious!

The confirmation is ocean view inn room (sorry for the confusion on my part - all the other DVC properties are studios.)

There was no new confirmation sent.

When he spoke to CRO when the discount was applied, he re-confirmed ocean view.

We calculated the price and it was 20% off a garden room.

However, he reserved an ocean view, has a confirmation for an ocean view, did not ever ask for a garden view, used a coupon which can be used for anything except a beach house.

We're over it - the place is wonderful. I nice letter to the DVC folks when we get back will make me feel better.

Many people we met also got their rooms very late - seems to be an emerging trend. DVC resorts have 5 hours to get the room ready - its more than enough!

Anyway, back to the pool - err beach, no pool!

We lucked out and are on the 4th floor with a corner studio. It seems much bigger than the standard and the balcony is very nice. Great view.

Anyway, troubles are behind us. Thanks for everyone's comments. Very helpful, as always!

Talk to you soon!

 

[PamOKW]

Anyway, troubles are behind us

That's the good news! It's so maddening to start off with some type of hassle at check-in. But, it's okay when the "magic" starts to make that memory fade.

I think you and/or your friend should follow-up on the reservation problem. It's also a lesson to the rest of us that we've got to "have it in writing".

 

[TIdoublegaER]

I'm glad things are going smoothly now and you didn't let a bumpy start ruin your entire vacation. Enjoy the rest of your trip!

 

[Dean]

Glad it's working out, have a great trip.

 

[JimC]

Sorry your trip got off to a bad start. But based on your follow up report at least the no see ums still like you Nasty little devils.

I believe manaqgement reduced the number of CMs working in the resorts and that is the reason it is taking longer to get rooms ready. I noticed it at the Poly last week as well. They were still cleaning rooms after 5:00 pm.

The Birnbaum discount is available to a limited number of rooms in the inventory. I don't know how they determine what that number is, but they may have been out of ocean view discount inventory when your guests asked to add the discount.

Anyway, I agree about the pizza, very good. Enjoy the rest of your trip with your guests.

 

[KNWVIKING]

.... Why on earth would you build a deluxe resort with a $#%#$& DUMPSTER VIEW !!! It's a dumpster...put it somewhere out of site. I've never stayed at GF,Poly or Cont, but I doubt they have rooms with a dumpster view. All I can imagine is that DVC took the cheap way out. Rather then spend the $$$ to locate it out of view,they just put it where it would be seen by the fewest people. That stinks.

 

[Dean]

You've got to put the dumpsters somewhwere I guess. At many of the Marriott's the dumpster is in a room similar to a garage. They also have trash chutes so that you can fill up the dumpster directly.

 

[PamOKW]

I've heard reports of a dumpster view at VWL as well. You're right....why can't they at least camaflouge the thing.

 

[gscott8075]

We typically go to WDW or Hilton Head. At Hilton Head, the grills are conveniently located near the units. We suggested to our friends that we bring a lot of food - as we do in HH - and grill it.

At Vero, they are on the other side of the road where the rest of the resort was supposed to be. We brought all kinds of wonderful Costco steaks and hmaburgers to grill.

A disaster - the kids were attacked by bugs (we sprayed them!) and then the steaks were attacked (could not spray them!). We forgot a few items and had to go back to the rooms twice.

We finally brought the meal back to the pool and ate it. The wives were not happy.

Keep drinking, Scott, keeping drinking more!

It is a beatiful resort. Things are just not working out for us!

Tomorrow, we are off to Dodgertown to see the VB Dodgers play. I live in Lancaster, PA and saw Cal Ripken's team, the Aberdeen Ironbirds, play last week. Was able to meet Cal and get his autograph. He's been a hero since I was in high school. Very friendly.

We were going to rent a pontoon boat, but we are afraid it will sink. : )

I am going to sign off before I am electrocuted.

Take care all - we are having a good time despite the "issues"!!

 

[PamOKW]

Oh my. One of those trips where things "keep happening". Glad to hear you keep smiling....drinking....smiling. Heck, take a look at the ocean from time to time and things will come back into perspective (unless there's a tidal wave).