Am I the only one annoyed by the "free upgrade" happening?

[Sammie]

but that is just it - at times DVC resorts DO NOT USE the room ready. Or I won't have to wait 12 hours for a room in May....

anytime in the future I am going to demand the room ready. I am so tired of waiting for a room.

room ready does not mean that regardless of what time you check in, there will always be a room ready to give you. They do have to clean them.

It means that when the rooms are clean you will be given the first available. At times due to occupancy levels and the level of check outs on the day you check in, that might still be 4pm.

 

[Merylj]

The only time we`ve been the lucky recipients of a free upgrade (value to mod) we were given no choice with room requests, we had a room in the remotest part of POR (not a complaint just an obsevation)

 

[keishashadow]

room ready does not mean that regardless of what time you check in, there will always be a room ready to give you. They do have to clean them.

It means that when the rooms are clean you will be given the first available. At times due to occupancy levels and the level of check outs on the day you check in, that might still be 4pm.

Would think it's safe to assume that the more 'requests' placed on a ressie limits the availability of one meeting the special requirments too?

Thus far we've gotten the view, floor, etc. that we wanted; just had to wait until near 4:00 p.m.; while the folks in front of a roomus all seemed to have their's ready. DH has suggested that we ask for whatever; just to get a room.

I'd just as soon be able to have CM confirm my requests, then we're off to visit a park & return later to find our luggage waiting for us.

 

[drakethib]

Doesn't matter to me that anyone is getting a great deal.

Luck of the draw.

There is always the option of renting a value to see what your luck may bring

 

[bfila]

I've had some pixie dust sprinkled on me too. I posted a couple days ago that I was terribly jealous because I had cancelled a free dining trip at Pop Century the first week of September in order to stay at Old Key West on points instead.

I didn't mention that I had waitlisted for a 1 bedroom Standard view at BWV. When we called today to request a 2 entrance bathroom at OKW, we were told our waitlist had come through. After reading on the boards that the standard view booked quickly, I just assumed that we wouldn't get it.

Happy Endings for me.

 

[sjdisneywedding]

Think this sums it up pretty good it's simply a marketing tool to sell DVC. Don't know why that bothers so many. These are rooms that would be rented out anyway. They are not taking rooms that could otherwise go to members, they're not allowed to. They could easily fix the overbooking of resturants by not accepting reservations more than 1 week out.

you would think so at first....
BUT they are marketing to the wrong crowd, those staying at value resorts, more times than not, are not going to be the ones buying into DVC

 

[rchristiansen]

What they should have done, (and I know this would have required a bunch of statistical engineering on WDW's side) is given them the free upgrade for a portion of their trip. Then offer the last 2 days or so in the DVC resort to them as a cash discount or they would have to return to their value resort. By doing that the guests would have the perspective as to how great the DVC resort was compared to the Value resort at the conclusion of their trip. Nothing sells DVC like the comparision between value and deluxe: I know first hand because this last trip we did we stayed at VWL for 6 nights and then at the crummy All Star Sports (first time for us in a value) the last night because I was out of points (had to stay the extra night due to cheap airfare). That really stunk.

Even if someone didn't want to return to the value resort and picked a discounted rate instead, WDW would have gotten some extra cash out of the whole ordeal.

 

[Disney-Kim]

I didn't read all the pages.....but I have to say that I somewhat agree with the OP.

I have been on the Resorts boards lately and had read about the SSR upgrade, but I was shocked to see they were giving 1 bdrms out for the price of a value resort. PLUS mousekeeping PLUS free dining.

its seems a bit much. why not upgrade all the DVC studio renters to 1 bdrms and putting the upgradees in the studios. they are still being upgraded to a deluxe. you know?

As DVC we do get left out when it comes to a lot of the promotions.just an observation. thats all.

ps...just read some more posts...I didn't realize the rooms were coming from CRO inventory and not DVC (well I didn't know there was a difference until I read it tonight , but it makes it seem a little better since the rooms are not being taken from DVC'ers.

 

[tasha99]

you would think so at first....
BUT they are marketing to the wrong crowd, those staying at value resorts, more times than not, are not going to be the ones buying into DVC

I would guess the families at values are younger, and marketing may want to hit that demographic, which may be less likely to tour DVC's. I think the usual progression would be for young families to book values, move up as they get older and more financially secure into mods and deluxes, then start thinking DVC--then, as the ads claim, say they wish they had known sooner. This is a way to really show them the difference with a kind of "passive tour." If those rooms would have sat empty otherwise, it's very smart to do something like that.

Marketing probably plays a role here, but I think it's very much about moving inventory for those dates. It wouldn't be nearly as simple to move people from deluxes, because then they'd have to move the people in the mods and the people in the values to open those value rooms up.

 

[mikeandkarla]

As far as the people recieving upgrades from the values, the only request that I imagine would be filled is handicapped accessable rooms. All other request should be thrown out the window. They recieved much better than any request they could have asked for with thier upgrade.

 

[tasha99]

As far as the people recieving upgrades from the values, the only request that I imagine would be filled is handicapped accessable rooms. All other request should be thrown out the window. They recieved much better than any request they could have asked for with thier upgrade.

Why should their requests be totally thrown out the window? Provided they don't displace any DVC owners, why not put people where they would prefer to be?

 

[Johnnie Fedora]

....Over on the Dis Resort thread I discovered people in Value Resorts staying the same time as me in a Moderate were getting free upgrades but no one from the Moderates were getting upgraded.

Even though I knew this had to be because the Values had obviously sold out whereas the Moderates hadn't, I still was bummed that people who were paying less than me were getting the upgrade. My thought was, why can't they be bumped to moderate until it sells out and then bump moderates to OKW? Then everybody gets an upgrade and is happy.

The reason moderates don't get bumped is because that would require a real effort at customer satisfaction/service. Bumping the sold-out Value Resort catagory to DVC is the lazy route. In this promotion, Disney just cares about filling the rooms with guests and not about granting wishes to the highest number of WDW guests. Customer satisfaction blunder, IMO. Why aren't they bumping to all open rooms at Deluxe resorts?

I also believe that members end up subsidising these DVC resort give-aways...not in a large way, but through mousekeeping, etc. I know there are belivers that Disney would never allow members to subsidise like that, but the nature of this give-away itself demonstrates fairness is not foremost on management's agenda.

Lucky guests should enjoy their trips, this type of give-away will likely be a limited event. However, if DVC does end up selling multiple resorts at the same time (SSR, AKV,CRV) I would expect to see more and more of these promotions as DVC building greatly exceeds the selling capacity.

 

[Sammie]

I really don't think some members are showing the rest of the world the good side of DVC and its membership in this thread.

Already some are having second thoughts about how they will be treated by members while they are there. Even to the point of saying they guess they better not say they got the upgrade.

I am sorry but that is a sad comment about the mind set of some of the members.

If you are upset with DVC and Disney allowing this practice, then take it up with them. But there is absolutely no reason to take it out on anyone getting this upgrade. As Chuck pointed out this inventory is Disney's, none of it belongs to DVC.

Requests are simply that, but regardless of what they paid for thier room they have as much right to make a request as anyone else.

There is alot of pettiness in the threads this week and it is not pretty.

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

I really don't think some members are showing the rest of the world the good side of DVC and its membership in this thread.

Already some are having second thoughts about how they will be treated by members while they are there. Even to the point of saying they guess they better not say they got the upgrade.

I am sorry but that is a sad comment about the mind set of some of the members.

If you are upset with DVC and Disney allowing this practice, then take it up with them. But there is absolutely no reason to take it out on anyone getting this upgrade. As Chuck pointed out this inventory is Disney's, none of it belongs to DVC.

Requests are simply that, but regardless of what they paid for thier room they have as much right to make a request as anyone else.

There is alot of pettiness in the threads this week and it is not pretty.

Right on Sammie!

 

[Luckymommyx2]

I guess I don't understand how people would be afraid of how they would be treated by members at the resort. When I'm walking around the DVC resorts I can't tell a member from a non-member. No matter what, I would never think of treating someone different because they got a free upgrade but unless they're screaming it from the rooftops or bragging about it to everyone they encounter I wouldn't know who they are.

 

[coloradodad]

This thread makes me wonder about my new neighborhood at SSR. I was thinking the people would be the same friendly people at the other resorts, but I may just keep to myself on my visit later this year.

Tip to all guests - never discuss politics, religion, or how you got your reservation.

Yikes.

 

[3DisneyKids]

I wouldn't worry, CO Dad. I have several SSR vacations under my belt and have only encountered wonderful guests.

This thread has touched a nerve, certainly, and even though some people are upset about the system of upgrading, I don't see anyone being mad at the actual recipients of the upgrades. The furstration is with the SYSTEM, not the people.

As per Sammie's comment about pettiness coming into play on this thread....remember that this the place where have long and drawn out debates about pool towels, guests staying at non-Disney resorts using the buses, and well, you know the list better than I do.

The DVCers on these boards love to debate and discuss every angle of DVC ownership, so I am not surprised at the discussion of the upgrades. If a topic has the potential to affect members' MFs, you can bet it will be a hot topic discussed here.

While there is no question that the upgraded rooms are coming out of Disney's inventory, there still seems to be some question about whether or not our MFs are going to be "subsidising" all of this extra mousekeeping, extra towels, and whatever else.

I do hope that all DVCers who are at OKW and SSR during the upgrade period will have magical vacations and not let this upset or dampen their trip.

 

[BuzzQ]

I couldn't help but laugh when I read this thread. I was one of those that received a free upgrade. When my family and I visited disney we had booked a room at POFQ with the free dining. Unfortunately, we had some problems the day we arrived and as a result we were upgraded to a studio at OKW, which I then upgraded to a one bedroom villa for a few hundred dollars more.
Then guess what happened? My family and I loved it so much that within 6 months we bought 400 points at BCV! So I agree with the person who said that more people will buy DVC once they stay at a DVC resort. I think those that can afford it will buy and those that can't just get a little extra disney magic. Maybe their children will enjoy better accomodations then they could have provided and will have a more magical trip!

 

[drakethib]

One question?

If you and yours booked a studio and was upgraded to a GV free of charge, would that be annoying?


I really think it a good marketing by DVC IMHO.

 

[TenThousandVolts]

One question?

If you and yours booked a studio and was upgraded to a GV free of charge, would that be annoying?
I really think it a good marketing by DVC IMHO.