Why I dislike "view" categories

[crisi]

As I recall, the reason for the guaranteed category lobbying is the issue that those who own at SSR really have no advantage to their 11 month booking window. They can book a room 11 months out, and be stuck out in the boondocks, where a non-owner who booked only weeks out might end up in a more desirable location next to the Carriage House or with a great DTD view. It depends more on the time of day someone checks in then when they booked. Guaranteed booking categories is seen as a way to address that -- to restore some of the advantages of being an owner, and booking at 11 months

I'm somewhat sympathetic to that, but don't particularly feel too strongly one way or another. However, I can see that the proposed solution does raise other issues. So is there some other means by which SSR owners can have their concerns addressed? Or is there some way of dealing with the issue that op brings up?

When we joined DVC around 2002, Disney still used room assigners. Rooms would be assigned before your arrived based off your request and queued off your booking date. So if you booked eleven months out, your pretty much got your requests. There were exceptions to this in BW Standard Views and I think dedicateds have always been a booking category - but Boardwalk View wasn't a booking category then. Book exactly eleven months out and ask for a specific room - you still might not get it if someone was already occupying that room having checked in a few days before, but ask for something general and chances were good (though we still got stuck with a smoking room when we had a non-smoking request booking eleven months out - but the room seemed to me to be reassigned on the fly at the front desk - I think the room assigner did their job and the desk clerk moved me).

They then went to - at least in theory - room ready. You got what was available when you showed up. About two weeks after room ready was announced, Boardwalk View became a booking category.

Room assigners were - apparently - a pretty manual process however - and manual processes are costly. But the are an alternative to booking categories.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

I recall someone (likely Dean or Doc) saying that actually they can't - major furnishings in the room are set by the POS document and can't be changed without incurring a breach of contract. We could lobby for NEW resorts that have bunkbeds, but we can't change the configuration of rooms already purchased. I could be mistaken in my recollection, however.

While I certainly want to keep my king in the master (hey.. I like that. I wonder if my wife would call me that? ), I think it has been recently demonstrated that DVC can change any policy they wish.
I guess they use that "we can change any policy we wish" clause in the POS.

MG

 

[chepic]

I guess I am a little confused here....is there a way that even if you booked say 10 months out (at OKW) and booked for an entire week, said you didn't care where you stayed, there is a possibility that during your week you would be moved about????

I can't see how that should be allowed, even if someone is asking for a specific area/view.

cheryl

 

[crisi]

That would be an unlikely scenario, but it would be theoretically possible.

You may have heard this analogy before (I've used it before). You run a Bed and Breakfast that has four rooms - the lovely blue room with a beautiful view. The red room with a fireplace. The green room with a hottub. The interesting tower room. Guests book the room they are interested in staying in.

You book the blue room for the 1st and 2nd. You book the red room for the 1st through the 5th. You book the Tower room for the 3rd and 4th. The green room gets booked for the 2nd and 3rd.

A guest calls and wants to stay with you the 1st through the 5th. The red room is out. They can have the Tower room or the Green room on the first. They can have the Tower Room on the second. They can have the blue room for the rest of the week. But for them to stay for all five days - they have to move rooms.

Scale this up by about 100 times, and you have DVCs issues with room types. Its HIGHLY unlikely that this will happen if you book early (since if you don't care, they'll book you in maybe the Green room for the whole week), but its theoretically possible.

 

[CarolA]

I don't think it's highly unlikely.

I have read posts on this board and KNOW people personally who have had to move at BWV even when booking day by day at 11 months because all they could get one day was a "perferred view" or something like that.

So it happens. When you call and ask for a week at BWV between x and x you may get told... Sunday- Tuesday you can have standard view and Wed you have to go to Boardwalk view and back to standard Thursday!

Now that's just one resort, but....considering the "chopping up" being asked for on here....

(And the boondocks at SSR is closer to the main building then the full loop around the world showcase LOL!)

 

[crisi]

I thought about those people - but if they really didn't care they could stay in a preferred view and risk looking at the scary clown slide rather than move. They are choosing to move back and forth so that they can either save points or have the Boardwalk View. Preferred View doesn't book completely at eleven months - even for New Years Eve. So I still think its highly unlikely that if you don't care, you'll be forced into a move if you book months out (though you may have no choice but the boondocks or the scary clown).

 

[CarolA]

I thought about those people - but if they really didn't care they could stay in a preferred view and risk looking at the scary clown slide rather than move. They are choosing to move back and forth so that they can either save points or have the Boardwalk View. Preferred View doesn't book completely at eleven months - even for New Years Eve. So I still think its highly unlikely that if you don't care, you'll be forced into a move if you book months out (though you may have no choice but the boondocks or the scary clown).

Well I guess they can waste a lot of points to have the "view" they didn't care about so they won't have to move.

But I do know folks who have asked well "can I move all my nights to XYX view" and been told, well on "Sunday all we have is standard and on Tuesday all we have is perferred" SO what do you do? You HAVE to move. (And I know people who have been willing to "pay" the perferred view points and stay in thier standard room just so they wouldn't have to move and been told "sorry, you have to move"

So yes, there are times folks HAVE to move.

 

[RLRDA]

I didn't see the need to make the HH booking category at OKW. Most of us older OKW owners could care less about staying right next to the HH.

Some of us newer OKW members feel the same way

Wouldn't there have to have been some input/complaints/feedback from OKW members that lead to DVC implementing this change? DVC claims that the enhancements they make are based on "member feedback". I wonder how long it takes DVC to decide on changes like this....do they have to hear negative feedback for 2 years, 5 years....do they need XX% (insert magic number) of OKW members to want this change?

 

[Chuck S]

Wouldn't there have to have been some input/complaints/feedback from OKW members that lead to DVC implementing this change? DVC claims that the enhancements they make are based on "member feedback". I wonder how long it takes DVC to decide on changes like this....do they have to hear negative feedback for 2 years, 5 years....do they need XX% (insert magic number) of OKW members to want this change?

I don't think anyone was polled, as such, about the booking category change. I have no doubt that a lot of members requested to be near HH, as well as a lot of cash CRO guests. But they may not have actually been OKW members making the request. We did see people from other resorts that didn't plan early, were placed at OKW, then complained of "how far away" everything was here on the DIS. In truth, it likely will have little impact on most folks, as it is only 8 of the building at OKW that are part of the category. I just like taking my chances, as really the only buildings I don't really care for at OKW are 27 & 28, and there nothing really wrong with those, except the view is better from the front door than from the balconies.

 

[jdg345]

How do you know.. It's Christmas. My vaction starts 12/20 so I call and get my 7 day stay all booked. I got the "view" I wanted. I am happy!

Your vacation starts 12/21 so your window opens one day later. You call.

"Well, we have the nights of 12/21 and 12/22 with a PI view, but you have to move on 12/23 to the "Grandstand" view. You well can I just start with the Grandstand, MS "well on 12/24 that's booked up so you have to move to Congress Park" and so on.

And all the time you are doing this "view negoition" someone like me who isn't picky just booked that whole week at the "dreaded" worst view and you just lost another room.

This seems especially likely for things like Grand Villas!

I already know people presonally who have hit this mess with BWV and they book at 11 months. But when they called on the day to day one night was "perferred" view only or some such and they were faced with having to move!

I can see this becoming a big issue at SSR considering the VARIOUS "views" folks want. They basically want to chop this thing up into four "mini resorts"

(update, I am happy I moved to SSR and don't have to "move", but I think this may be an "unintended" consequence of view categories especially in busy seasons or if you MISS that 11 month window!)

Aha! So it's the new booking policy's fault!

*runs away*

 

[chepic]

I am still flabbergasted by this moving thing!!! We have been members since 1997 and have used just about all of the sites and never once did we have to move out of a room mid-trip. Crazy....if people have to move, then they are doing something wrong. JMHO

cheryl

 

[Chuck S]

I am still flabbergasted by this moving thing!!! We have been members since 1997 and have used just about all of the sites and never once did we have to move out of a room mid-trip. Crazy....if people have to move, then they are doing something wrong. JMHO

cheryl

I wouldn't say that at all. It is likely that someone could get caught in the booking category/having to move dilemma if they are trying to book a hard to get room at a smaller resort at 7 months or less for a very busy travel time. and the more special categories, the higher the chance of having to move.

 

[Lauralei]

I own at SSR and would love booking categories. I want a DTD View! I don't care if it would take more points, I want it!!! SSR owners should get some advantage with their 11 month booking window. I've stayed at SSR once and did not get my view so I haven't stayed there since. I've booked at the 7 month window for Presidents Week the past few years (with no problems) and stayed at BWV, WLV, AKV and this year we're staying at BCV. Give us categories at SSR!!!

 

[dianeschlicht]

Personally, I don't see the need of a guaranteed category at OKW, either. I think it can really throw a monkey wrench onto reservations, even those made during the 11 month priority if you are booking during a particularly busy season. And the more categories they add, the greater the chance of a chopped up reservation unless you book right at 11 months.

I totally agree! When I called at the 11 month window for my January ressie, the first thing the MS agent asked was "do you want HH catagory?". I said it didn't matter, and she "talked " me into it. Well, that's a , moot point now, because I switched it to AKV last month. I for one dislike the booking catagory at OKW. I rarely need or want "HH booking catagory", but I can see where it could certainly mess me up on a less than 7 month booking!

 

[welovewdw]

But I do know folks who have asked well "can I move all my nights to XYX view" and been told, well on "Sunday all we have is standard and on Tuesday all we have is perferred" SO what do you do? You HAVE to move. (And I know people who have been willing to "pay" the perferred view points and stay in thier standard room just so they wouldn't have to move and been told "sorry, you have to move"

So yes, there are times folks HAVE to move.

it's happened to us at BWV - we HAD to move in June between preferred/standard rooms - we were happy to do either one just so we didn't have to move, but neither was available for the entire 10 days we were there. We did add on days to our vacation at about 5 months out, so standard wasn't available, understandable, but preferred wasn't available for the other 7 days either. (I think it was for part of the 7 days, but not the entire trip.) I'm really just not that picky - we usually go with standard just to save points but not moving would have been better for us. (willing to use the points to not have to move!)

 

[CarolMN]

Wouldn't there have to have been some input/complaints/feedback from OKW members that lead to DVC implementing this change? DVC claims that the enhancements they make are based on "member feedback". I wonder how long it takes DVC to decide on changes like this....do they have to hear negative feedback for 2 years, 5 years....do they need XX% (insert magic number) of OKW members to want this change?

Most likely the change was made due to complaints from the CMs who staff the OKW Front Desk, not members. I'm sure there are/were plenty of DVC members who want to be near the HH and complained loudly at the front desk if they didn't end up there.

I'm very sure that is why the BW view at the BWV became a separate booking category. If members know when they book that they WON'T be getting something, there tends to be a lot less upset guests at check in. Lots easier for the front desk employees to tell guests that the "preferred area" has to be booked ahead of time - let MS deal with them before arrival.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Most likely the change was made due to complaints from the CMs who staff the OKW Front Desk, not members. I'm sure there are/were plenty of DVC members who want to be near the HH and complained loudly at the front desk if they didn't end up there.

I'm very sure that is why the BW view at the BWV became a separate booking category. If members know when they book that they WON'T be getting something, there tends to be a lot less upset guests at check in. Lots easier for the front desk employees to tell guests that the "preferred area" has to be booked ahead of time - let MS deal with them before arrival.

Maybe I need to whine more when we check in about the addition of views, change in booking dates, paper/styrofoam cups, etc. Maybe we can get things changed back to what it was before.

 

[CarolMN]

Maybe I need to whine more when we check in about the addition of views, change in booking dates, paper/styrofoam cups, etc. Maybe we can get things changed back to what it was before.

I think that will just move you closer to the top of the CMs' "Most Unfavorite Guest List".

When you get to the top of the list, they exchange your king bed for bunk beds - due to overwhelming CM demand!

 

[CarolA]

Maybe I need to whine more when we check in about the addition of views, change in booking dates, paper/styrofoam cups, etc. Maybe we can get things changed back to what it was before.

I don't whine about the styrofoam. I jsut tell them it's not acceptable and to please deliver glass. So far so good and I will keep it up until they get the hint!

 

[Firebug]

I own at SSR and would love booking categories. I want a DTD View! I don't care if it would take more points, I want it!!! SSR owners should get some advantage with their 11 month booking window. I've stayed at SSR once and did not get my view so I haven't stayed there since. I've booked at the 7 month window for Presidents Week the past few years (with no problems) and stayed at BWV, WLV, AKV and this year we're staying at BCV. Give us categories at SSR!!!

Sorry, I am a SSR owner and I want nothing to do with booking categories.

FB