A Couple of Gripes...

[dmoore22]

"harvest gold stove in the kitchen"

Does that mean there are accommodations in the Prime Time Diner? Awesome!! How many points does it take?

 

[Maistre Gracey]

"harvest gold stove in the kitchen"

Does that mean there are accommodations in the Prime Time Diner? Awesome!! How many points does it take?

I could be wrong, but I believe Harvest Gold was from the 70's..

MG

 

[movie77]

Ya got that right! AP was a nightmare the one time we stayed at SSR. I think they had some sort of message on the TV's at SRR saying that if you go to AP during actual breakfast and lunch dining times that you may experience very long waits.

Long lines of people waiting to order food, followed by waiting in another line to actually pay for the food after waiting in the first line. Then, after waiting to order and waiting in line 2 to pay, you get to wait for the food! And, after all that, just see how much fun it is when you get the wrong food order. AP was not a very magical food experience.

For everyone who complains about the walk from Kidani to Jambo to get food and the fact that there is no CS at Kidani, you may think twice about your complaints if you ever go to AP. Thankfully they didn't put an AP type of CS at Kidani.

I agree totally. We're just back from a great first trip to our "home" at AKV. We stayed at SSR last year and we're ready to sell our DVC points if the experience was anything like what we experienced at SSR. (poor theming, long walks for anything, blah pool, long bus rides, poor service, shabby room) Luckily we loved everything about Kidani and look forward to many future returns (except the walk to Mara, but we have good experiences at Mara once we got there.)

 

[tgj]

When someone does the financial comparison between buying into DVC and paying for cash reservations, the question arises whether the yearly increases in MFs could eliminate any financial advantage of owning a DVC property. The common response voiced by many DVC veterans is that MFs will rise, but not as fast as the rack rate for cash reservations. Although I have no data to support it, I do believe that cash rack rates have increased at a higher rate than our MFs.

Both cash rooms and DVC villas have similar expenses that drive increases in expenses: Labor, insurance, taxes, maintenance, etc. But why would DVC MFs grow at a lower rate than cash rack rates? I suspect that cash rooms have to be more responsive to the demands of the current market, while DVC properties adhere to a long range process. If the cash paying public demands wi-fi, or flat screen TVs, or wii games in their rooms, then hoteliers have to respond to those demands to stay competitive. This drive to stay competitive may force hoteliers to replace TVs, furniture, bedding, etc, ahead of schedule. And when this happens, these costs are factored into higher rate racks.

DVC properties have refurbishment and renovation schedules that presume that certain items will need to be replaced in a certain number of years. If TVs should last 10 years, then reserves are set aside in each resort's budget to purchase new TVs after 10 years. Even if new HD TVs become the rage after 3 years, the reserve fund is not able to cover that expense.

I know I'll probably be flamed for saying this, but DVC is not subject to all of the same competitive forces that apply to cash reservation accommodations. It is a "home" and, as such, has some different factors that apply to it. And because of this difference, our MFs should grow at a lower rate than rack rates for cash accommodations.

I can't believe after 10 pages that no one has quoted this intelligent response that details quite well why comparing DVC to a cash reservation property is misguided. Thanks for this rare but appreciated bit of intelligence....

TJ

 

[toniosmom]

I agree totally. We're just back from a great first trip to our "home" at AKV. We stayed at SSR last year and we're ready to sell our DVC points if the experience was anything like what we experienced at SSR. (poor theming, long walks for anything, blah pool, long bus rides, poor service, shabby room) Luckily we loved everything about Kidani and look forward to many future returns (except the walk to Mara, but we have good experiences at Mara once we got there.)

I completely agree. While I thoroughly enjoyed SSR, I hated AP. There was not a soul in the place and I had to wait 10 minutes for my sandwich. Just a sandwich -- nothing fancy. It was ridiculous.

 

[Quilter007]

Well, we are proof that you can't judge DVC by SSR. We were ready to sell after using our developer points @ SSR. We're in a studio at VGC for the 1st time and very, very happy. We'll be back w/ some extended family in a 2 BR in January and that should be fabulous! I understand that some people love SSR and I can understand how it would have an appeal for the right people. We just are the target audience and had we been told that we could only use our developer points there, we wouldn't have purchased through Disney, we would have waited and bought resale (still bitter about that!) However, it's done now & we're happy with our home resort. Actually, VGC is so gosh darn convenient, once they get the DCA expansion done, I think it's going to be so great that we may never go to WDW again! OK, we may do a quick trip to AK and go to the Kennedy Space Center, but that's it!

 

[FindTheMickeys]

To each his own.. I love the long walks at SSR. But then again, I want to feel like I'm on VACATION not just staying in another hotel room. The closer everything is, the NOISIER things tend to get. That is why I bought DVC. I was staying in a value with a 17 year old who wanted to stay up all night. With DVC, I am 'home' while I'm at Disney. And since I have 3 old style tube tv's at home, I guess the tv's at SSR wouldn't bother me Do I want to pay higher MF's to swap out the tv's? Absolutely, positively NOT... If it ain't broke don't fix it. Now would I pay $500 or $600 a night for a 2 br villa? Absolutely, positively NOT... That's why I bought DVC... I can now vacation in better accomodations for next to nothing since my contract is paid for

 

[FindTheMickeys]

Oh yeah, one more thing... I DO totally agree about AP! The only good thing I've found there to eat is the Cobb Salad... And for those prices, I prefer to eat in the parks

 

[Lady V]

OKW is scheduled for a full rehab next year. Everything will be changed out from beds, to drapes, to kitchens, to appliances (including TV's), and even new color palletes.

The OP brings up a good point about OKW being outdated and rundown. I know DVC is doing their best at keeping it up, but you can only do so much. You will really notice the condition if you move from a new resort (in our case the Tree House Villas) into OKW. I was hugely disappointed with the condition of OKW.

I agree. It is most noticable when you move from a newer one into OKW. In 2008 we stayed at AKV 5 nights, BCV 7 nights, and then finally to OKW for 8 nights. Ending the trip there was such a let down.! It felt so old and worn.It's funny that so many mention the TV's there. That was one of the things that I noticed right away! Now it was still nice don't get me wrong but it does not in anyway compare to the feeling in a room at a newer resort to me. But then again-the point cost per night is so low....I guess its a trade off. But-I would have to say I would rather start my trip there when I am still all giddy and excited and end my trip in one of the newer ones. JMHO

 

[dianeschlicht]

I agree. It is most noticable when you move from a newer one into OKW. In 2008 we stayed at AKV 5 nights, BCV 7 nights, and then finally to OKW for 8 nights. Ending the trip there was such a let down.! It felt so old and worn.It's funny that so many mention the TV's there. That was one of the things that I noticed right away! Now it was still nice don't get me wrong but it does not in anyway compare to the feeling in a room at a newer resort to me. But then again-the point cost per night is so low....I guess its a trade off. But-I would have to say I would rather start my trip there when I am still all giddy and excited and end my trip in one of the newer ones. JMHO

Now THAT is interesting, since our comments the whole time we were in a 2 bedroom savanna view at AKV/Jambo in January, we were so frustrated with the housekeeping issues and run down appearance of the nearly new carpeting etc, and the total inconvenience of the kitchen and bathrooms...We COULDN'T WAIT to get back to OKW for the second week of our trip. Sure the decor is nice at AKL, and the lobby is fantastic etc, and I wouldn't trade the savanna for anything, but the units are dark, inconvenient, and the hallways TOO LONG! The whole time we were in the 2 bedroom at AKV, we kept longing for the amenities of OKW. Does that mean we wont ever stay in AKV again? Of course not! We love AKV and own a small number of points there so we can get our savanna fix every couple years, but the units are NOT our favorites...just as we don't care for the BWV, BCV, VWL and SSR units.

We felt AKV units were looking rundown from lack of good housekeeping. THe difference at OKW is that the surfaces are more durable, so the wear isn't as noticeable so soon. OKW units are rehabed every few years, so if you happen to get one that is ready for rehab, you might be disappointed, but more of our stays have been good than bad there, and we've had 25-30 of them.

 

[BEASLYBOO]

.We COULDN'T WAIT to get back to OKW

Sure the decor is nice at AKL, and the lobby is fantastic etc, and I wouldn't trade the savanna for anything, but the units are dark, inconvenient, and the hallways TOO LONG!

THe difference at OKW is that the surfaces are more durable, so the wear isn't as noticeable so soon. OKW units are rehabed every few years, so if you happen to get one that is ready for rehab, you might be disappointed, but more of our stays have been good than bad there, and we've had 25-30 of them.

Well said! OKW's theme is ideal for me, I love the look and feel of the whole resort and as Diane stated, in well over 20 stays I've never had a run down room. IMO, OKW shows no more wear and tear than any resort that's been open for more than a month and I've stayed at them all except BLT & THV.

P.S. I don't care about the TV's, no matter the resort!

 

[dmoore22]

I could be wrong, but I believe Harvest Gold was from the 70's..

MG

Alas, Harvest Gold made its appearance in the 1960's when everything, at least on television, looked good in black & white. However there were some Northstar appliances in the 1950's that were very curious colors, eg. an orange stove.

But seriously folks, not meaning to be a Pollyanna, we didn't join DVC blindfolded. We knew exactly what we were getting in the process. We took the tours and tried before we bought. Initially the DVC resorts did not have food courts (we bought into OKW). SSR was built and included a lite version of a food court. Each resort is unique. It's the access to that variety throughout the Disney Resorts & Parks that keeps us coming back. We realize that our home resort is not, nor was intended to be, a one stop itinerary.

We watched as VCRs were phased out and DVD players phased in. Many times updates are gradual and, for better or worse, should be. How many folks are glad they stayed with WinXP after all the issues with Vista came out. Will the next issue be the lack of blu-ray disc players?

More than anything else our biggest complaint has been the increasing vandalism we have been seeing in our home resort. For example, last Christmas the frame around the bus schedule sign had a rail broken off in the Turtle Pond bus stop. It was obviously done on purpose. Also one of the paddle fans was not working due to one of the paddles being pulled off. When we returned in the spring for Star Wars Weekends the damages had not been repaired. The bus schedule frame had been vandalized even further and the paddle fan was in the same state of disrepair. We will be curious to see if the repairs have been made when we return at Christmas.

 

[petbren]

If you want to express your displeasure with something about DVC, you need to contact Member Satisfaction. I have found them to be very responsive whenever I've had a issue with anything. They will call you back and you can have a real person to person discussion with them about your concerns.

Ok, can someone point me to the link about how to contact Member Satisfaction.
I have to chime in about OKW.
We own at BWV, have stayed there, AKV, and 3 weeks ago at BCV and OKW. We wanted to try the different resorts, see what really fits with us.
I agree with the OP, the tv's are old, but they are usually only watched while we are getting ready to go to sleep. I liked a few things about OKW, but, to me, being able to sleep comfortably after a long day of parks/etc. is the #1 factor. We like to get a 1 bedroom , reason-hubby and I like out private time in the evening.
We arrive back at the room late~10:30 after doing things all day,pull out the sofa bed for the kids(11 and 13), and this is what it looks like

So, we put the matress cover and sheets on, and tell the kids to test it out.
They roll toward the center, and complain about how lumpy it is.
We call housekeeping, and request a matress pad, Obviously, this is the wrong wording for what I'd like as after 1 hour and one more call, someone arrives and throws another matress cover at my husband and leaves.
We end up taking the bed spread off our bed, folding it up, and putting it between the two matress covers. We tell the kids, just try to sleep, and we'll adress the problem in the morning. At 3am, our 11 year old arrives in our room, saying she can't sleep, the matress is too lumpy, she ends up between us. I go out to check our 13 year old, and he is curled up on the love seat with a cover over him.
The next morning, DH goes to speak to someone at the desk. He asks for an egg carton type pad, explaining how bad the matress is to him. He assures us, they will try their best to fix the problem.
We leave to go out for the day, arrive back late afternoon to change for MNSSHP, and find two single egg carton pads wraped in plastic. I open them, and I swear they were 1/2" thick-sorry no photo.
By the time we arrive home, kids are so tired they just zonk. Next night, they end up with us again.
I don't understand how a resort that is suppose to be delux, and states occupancy to be 4, can expect anyone to sleep on that.
DH jokes(we can joke now) that if they used those matresses at Guantanamo, no waterboarding would have been necessary.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Holy smokes... That think looks like one of those Craftmatic jobs that is partially inclined.

MG

 

[dmoore22]

You can contact member services at 1-800-********. Or you can log into the dvc member site and navigate to https://dvc.disney.go.com/dvc/member/contact/contactMemberServices?id=ContactMemberServicesPage for an email contact.

 

[dmoore22]

I have no idea why the phone number refuses to show up on the post. It is available at the link in my previous post.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I have no idea why the phone number refuses to show up on the post. It is available at the link in my previous post.

That phone number is always starred out on the DIS to keep non-members from using it to call.

 

[disneynutz]

Ok, can someone point me to the link about how to contact Member Satisfaction.

Their email address is: dvcmembersatisfactionteam@disneyvacationclub.com

In reality their powers are limited and their job is to make the Member feel better and to record the complaints.

Bill

 

[Chuck S]

OKW is slowly replacing the sofa sleepers during rehabs. The odd thin is, sometimes you'll get one of those old style sleepers that haven't been used very often, and they are very comfortable, more comfortable than the "new" style of sleeper with the permanently attached mattresses.

But if you get an old style sleeper that is worn out, they are awful. I just wish they'd replace all the mattresses on the old style units.

 

[hakepb]

OKW is slowly replacing the sofa sleepers during rehabs. The odd thin is, sometimes you'll get one of those old style sleepers that haven't been used very often, and they are very comfortable, more comfortable than the "new" style of sleeper with the permanently attached mattresses.

But if you get an old style sleeper that is worn out, they are awful. I just wish they'd replace all the mattresses on the old style units.

Especially the kings! I was initially worried that the older relatives we invited would be uncomfortable in the 2nd bed room and was very relieved to see new(er?) nice pillow top matresses Then very let down to see our 1992 (that date was on the tag) slab-like latex foam. I realize that was "state of the art" back in the day, but did not make for a good impression in 2009.. We did OK, but no great, after getting a set of egg crates..