Vwl never again

[disneynutz]

The policy at all Deluxe/DVC resorts is the same property wide.

Valet and the car unloaders are an outside vendor, (Bags Inc). They are allowed to load a cart and park your car. They hand off the cart to Bell Services inside the luggage room. The Valet guys are suppose to let the Bell Services people know that you are ready to go to your room, often they don't pass the word.

Bell Services brings the luggage up to your room. An adult has to be in the room due to and agreement between Disney and Bell Services, (they want to be tipped).

Not letting guests use the carts is also a tip issue. At Vero you can use the carts and we never saw a Bell Person.

For DME the tip is paid internally so you don't have to be in your room.

Owners Lockers should be treated (tipped) just like any luggage.

For the most part, it's all about money.

Bill

 

[MoreTravels]

"VWL never again"? The OP made the decision without commenting on the resort itself... it is literally judging a book by its cover. To the OP, have you seen and commented on the beach, walkways, wilderness atmosphere, camp fire with marshmallow, romantic boat ride, etc? Nope... you never want to do it again because the check in process did not go very smoothly.

VWL is one of the most relaxing resorts in my opinion, great for vacations.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Again this is just my experience and it does not necessarily reflect the true spirit of the resort but i am going back to BWV

BWV does not allow it either.

 

[mskayjay]

OP I understand your frustration but I can tell you we had the same thing happen to us at both VWL and AKL. It was actually comical at AKL because they rolled the cart into the bell services room on the road side and literally pulled it through into the lobby from the other door! lol That was "putting it in storage". They just wanted us to make sure we were all set, had our room assignment, had our keys, literally were ready to go into our room.

When we moved over to VWL they put our stuff in storage for the day after AKL brought our things over and we had them bring it down when we were handed our keys in the lobby. They wouldn't let us just take them and bring them down ourselves.

It is a hassle but I'm glad there aren't luggage carts sitting in the halls or people hiding them in their rooms overnight to use first thing in the morning or whenever.

Much as it is easy to be annoyed at the bellman for the policies we all have to remember that they have all these "stupid" rules to follow because of former guests who have ruined it for everyone. Please don't let this small thing ruin a future stay at what is one of the most lovely resorts at WDW.

 

[cvjw]

There is a reason they don't let guests use the luggage carts as they wish. We stayed at a condo in Destin, FL last summer that supplied about 4 luggage carts for the whole condo to use - no bellmen. It was a disaster. There was never one in the parking lot when you needed one. If a guest managed to get one, they would take them into their condo to use later, or leave them right outside of their condo - they couldn't be bothered to actually return them to the parking lot for the next guests to use. You had to go searching around the whole complex to find a luggage cart to get your bags to your room.

I am personally glad that Disney has the policy that they do. Yes, it is a pain to have to tip the person who gets your luggage from your car and the person who brings your bags to your room, but the system works. I am thankful that I can pull right up and give my bags to the waiting bellman, and not have to roam around the whole resort looking for an empty luggage cart that the last guest who used it just left in a random spot.

 

[MoreTravels]

There is a reason they don't let guests use the luggage carts as they wish. We stayed at a condo in Destin, FL last summer that supplied about 4 luggage carts for the whole condo to use - no bellmen. It was a disaster. There was never one in the parking lot when you needed one. If a guest managed to get one, they would take them into their condo to use later, or leave them right outside of their condo - they couldn't be bothered to actually return them to the parking lot for the next guests to use. You had to go searching around the whole complex to find a luggage cart to get your bags to your room.

I am personally glad that Disney has the policy that they do. Yes, it is a pain to have to tip the person who gets your luggage from your car and the person who brings your bags to your room, but the system works. I am thankful that I can pull right up and give my bags to the waiting bellman, and not have to roam around the whole resort looking for an empty luggage cart that the last guest who used it just left in a random spot.

+1

Moderate resorts like Four Points by Sheraton do that... and it's very annoying if you show up late. The front desk staff always answers... someone just took it, there was some there before. Then you won't get one... until the next morning.

 

[twinklebug]

"VWL never again"? The OP made the decision without commenting on the resort itself... it is literally judging a book by its cover. To the OP, have you seen and commented on the beach, walkways, wilderness atmosphere, camp fire with marshmallow, romantic boat ride, etc? Nope... you never want to do it again because the check in process did not go very smoothly.

VWL is one of the most relaxing resorts in my opinion, great for vacations.

RiverCountry, I feel bad you had a misunderstanding with Valet/bell services, I believe it's been well explained on this thread why it happens that way, until they figure out how to get a bellman to the front door that is... some day bell services will put 2 and 2 together.

I do believe Moretravels is right. Don't judge VWL/WL by that experience alone. Short story: Back in 2008, my kids and I had the flu, my daughter had to go to the ER for a swollen throat and the luggage transfer service snapped a wheel off of a large suitcase (we moved over from AKV). All I wanted was a little help figuring out what to do about the luggage and the WL front desk manager got very adamant about how it was not their fault and made me out to be a Disney villain (this was before the resorts sold luggage.) I lugged our luggage (like you, 3 round trips) from our VWL villa to our main lodge room for our last room swap of the trip... Obviously I wasn't thinking straight or I would have called bell services to help move our stuff. Lesson learned

My point: If I were to base my opinion of what VWL was like off of that experience we never would have had 6+ more wonderful trips to the resort in the following years and more to come!

 

[dbs1228]

I have only used Bell services at BLT and found the same service as other posters bellman was right behind us - 1 tip. We hope to go to BWV soon and I have to say if our room is ready and we need help with our bags I am only going to tip once - when the bags arrive in the room! This is crazy!

 

[Deb & Bill]

The difference with BLT and the other resorts is that BLT doesn't have valet parking. Valet is only at the Contemporary and not at BLT. OKW and SSR don't have valet parking either. So no handoff from valet to bell services.

 

[nabi]

Our luggage makes it through airports, by one adult and kids in tow. We won't be playing that pass off game anytime soon.

 

[sleepydog25]

While obviously a frustrating experience, using the luggage issue as a reason never to return to a resort is an overreaction, and the ready room text simply isn't an issue, just a matter of bad luck timing. Perhaps, the valet manager could have explained the policy a little more clearly, though in his defense if he were here to tell his side of the story, he would likely say he did. Finally, telling a valet manager his company's policy was "stupid," then saying "I will just do it myself," and then expecting him to help seems counter-intuitive.

 

[LisaS]

This incident is related to the separate status of Valet (employees of BAGS, INC) and Bell Services (employees of Disney). Apparently use of luggage carts at arrival at the front door is restricted to Valet. You can carry them yourself inside and get a bell person or you can pay (tip) valet to unload onto a cart and then pay (tip) Bell Services to deliver to the room. On departure Bell Services can bring your stuff from your room all the way to your car, if it is waiting in the arrival/departure area. This setup is a pet peeve of mine. I am a good tipper and prefer to tip only once. Petty of me, I know.

It's not petty at all and I agree with you. The arrangement they currently have in place with two different companies handling the luggage makes things awkward and uncomfortable for the guests. I don't want to have to figure out what percentage of the tip should go to the person who moves the luggage from the trunk of the car to the cart and what percentage should go to the person who pushes the cart to my room.

OP: I'll agree that the system they have in place is not good but I wouldn't let it ruin my stay. All of the resorts at WDW do it this way unfortunately.

 

[Dean]

Let's just say my trip was less than magical at the VWL this past week for several reasons.

1. upon arrival we did not expect to have our 2 Villas ready since we were there early and typically they are not ready until early afternoon and it was 11AM. So we collect our box of stuff that we shipped down and get on a bus to Epcot(even though we had a car....Dont ask) We are not even off the WL property and get a text that our rooms are ready when we were specifically told they would not be ready until 3.

2. Upon return from Epcot i get my min-van with all our bags as my wife and father get the keys to the villas. I pull up in the vallet area and start to unload the car...valet comes over and says...

Valet Mgr: Only a bellman can use the luggage cart
Me: OK do you have one available?
Valet Mgr: Yes but you have to store your bags
Me: But my room is ready now and i am going directly to my room. Why would i store and check my bags when i am going directly to my room?
Valet Mgr: unfortunately that is the only way we do it here
Me: Well in NJ where i am from that is stupid, i will just do it myself

Do you know he sat there with 3 bellman and watch me and my father make 3 trips with bags. I received a White Chocolate Donald later that day wishing me a Magical experience, becasue i guess someone overheard what was going on but the damage was done. In any event i will go back only to see the beautiful christmas decorations and to eat at the Whispering Canyon Cafe but i will not stay there again.

Again this is just my experience and it does not necessarily reflect the true spirit of the resort but i am going back to BWV

Sorry, I don't get the complaints. Valet and bell services are separate departments thus requiring a handoff from one to another. Feasibly this means transferring to the storage area with generally a minor delay in this situation, they could coordinate for a direct handoff but I don't see where it's reasonable to complain if they chose not to. Other than VB, there are no carts for members to use, this is the setup. Personally we prefer no valet or bell services at all and to have end user carts but DVC hasn't gone that route (Marriott and Bluegreen have for most properties). If the room were available early and before 4 pm, I don't see that as an issue. I realize we weren't there and it's often how things were done, said and the looks that create the true picture. I also don't see this as a VWL issue but the way all DVC resorts are set up. I realize some have been allowed to use cart at times but this is not the design or plan.

 

[disneynutz]

It's not petty at all and I agree with you. The arrangement they currently have in place with two different companies handling the luggage makes things awkward and uncomfortable for the guests. I don't want to have to figure out what percentage of the tip should go to the person who moves the luggage from the trunk of the car to the cart and what percentage should go to the person who pushes the cart to my room.

OP: I'll agree that the system they have in place is not good but I wouldn't let it ruin my stay. All of the resorts at WDW do it this way unfortunately.

Most Guests don't know that the Valet and unloader are non Disney employees just like most don't know which restaurants are run by Disney.

I have been told that Bell Services wasn't getting many tips unloading cars so they outsourced the function. Most guests were tipping when the luggage is delivered to the room.

Valet was outsourced because the liability for parking cars is now on the vendor, not Disney.

Bill

 

[Sammie]

Sorry no offense but have to ask this?

First trip to a hotel with valet and bell services, because this is standard industry practice, not just Disney.

 

[NHTikiBeckie]

Sorry, I don't get the complaints. Valet and bell services are separate departments thus requiring a handoff from one to another. Feasibly this means transferring to the storage area with generally a minor delay in this situation, they could coordinate for a direct handoff but I don't see where it's reasonable to complain if they chose not to. Other than VB, there are no carts for members to use, this is the setup. Personally we prefer no valet or bell services at all and to have end user carts but DVC hasn't gone that route (Marriott and Bluegreen have for most properties). If the room were available early and before 4 pm, I don't see that as an issue. I realize we weren't there and it's often how things were done, said and the looks that create the true picture. I also don't see this as a VWL issue but the way all DVC resorts are set up. I realize some have been allowed to use cart at times but this is not the design or plan.

I agree with this. To say you won't stay at VWL because of these minor issues ( I don't see the first as an issue at all personally) seems dramatic. These things aren't even resort specific and could happen at any Disney resort.

 

[JudithM]

Again this is just my experience and it does not necessarily reflect the true spirit of the resort but i am going back to BWV

We had a similar experience with valet and bell services last week when we checked into BWV. We specifically asked when we checked in about getting our luggage to our room. The CM assured us the luggage would be taken from our car directly to our room with us when the room was ready.

It did NOT happen that way at all. When our room was ready, we pulled the car up front and a valet CM brought over a cart and unloaded one suitcase. When he learned we were not going to valet park the car, he stopped helping to unload the car. After that he wouldn't take anything else out. We did it all. Then he started to hand our luggage cart over to another CM and said the luggage would be taken to the room later. Oh no! A manager type CM was nearby and I let him know that the front desk CM said our luggage would go with us to the room. A bell service CM came right over and took the cart to the room with me.

So, the OP is going back to BWV and I am going back to OKW (larger rooms, more horizontal space, more electrical outlets, etc.) !

 

[Dean]

Most Guests don't know that the Valet and unloader are non Disney employees just like most don't know which restaurants are run by Disney.

I have been told that Bell Services wasn't getting many tips unloading cars so they outsourced the function. Most guests were tipping when the luggage is delivered to the room.

In my opinion it really doesn't matter. The industry standard on the bags is to tip at the destination which would be at the room on arrival and car on departure. This issue comes up simply because we know more info for Disney's situation than we would most hotels. The fact that Disney created a disjointed system that doesn't fit the way some like to view it really is irrelevant IMO. However, worst case scenario is you're tipping bell services one direction and the outsourced group the other. Ultimately this works out for the same reason that it does with the valet where the industry standard is to tip on pickup up only, not drop off. If an individual does something special it's reasonable to tip specifically for that situation if applicable.

 

[cwdefouw]

In my opinion it really doesn't matter. The industry standard on the bags is to tip at the destination which would be at the room on arrival and car on departure. This issue comes up simply because we know more info for Disney's situation than we would most hotels. The fact that Disney created a disjointed system that doesn't fit the way some like to view it really is irrelevant IMO. However, worst case scenario is you're tipping bell services one direction and the outsourced group the other. Ultimately this works out for the same reason that it does with the valet where the industry standard is to tip on pickup up only, not drop off. If an individual does something special it's reasonable to tip specifically for that situation if applicable.

This is how we do it. I only tip once on arrival, Bell Services when bags are delivered to the room and I tip the valet on departure. I don't really care who works for whom or who gets tipped when. I follow customary industry standards.

 

[jekjones1558]

However, worst case scenario is you're tipping bell services one direction and the outsourced group the other

I'm not sure this is always true. At least at BWV, the Bell Services person brought our stuff all the way to the car on departure, so no tip to Valet. (This would be different, of course, if we were storing luggage for a later departure.) It was only on arrival that 2 separate services dealt with luggage.