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

[Chuck S]

Room location preference. Fix that and the resentment goes away with the competition.

But the DVC resorts are, by design, supposed to operate at nearly 100% capacity year round...it is the only way a point based system will truly work. The only difference is, with the unsold inventory, the people also "competing" for rooms are CRO renters, rather than other DVC members or THEIR renters. It would be the same either way, once your resort sells out. The upgrades do not contribute to the problem...the difference is "who" occupies the rooms. If they were full price CRO renters, there would be no difference...if they were DVC Members, there would also be no difference, so why are the "upgrades" a problem?

I am aware you have special needs for an accessible room, surely that room is blocked for you by Disney "Special Services"...as Member Services doesn't block or even guarantee an HA room...it all has to go through Disney. If you are not being transferred to special services after you book your DVC room with Member Services, then that could be a problem, as there may not even be an HA room available when you show up.

 

[minnie61650]

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 their room they have as much right to make a request as anyone else.

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

I agree 100% with Sammie.

I have read this whole thread and I am very saddened by some the remarks on this thread.
I understand some of your concerns but some of the remarks on this thread were really out of line.

Last August when Tink10 posted concept drawings of a DVC at the CR
I became a DVC at the CR hopeful. ( At least I was until I read this thread)
I am fortunate and I have the money to invest in DVC at the CR as soon as it goes on sale to the public.

I am also one of the high income families who enjoys staying a value resort for several reasons when I vacation at Disney.
These are the main reasons I enjoy staying at All Star Music:

1. I can book a preferred room location.
The way All Star Music is laid out it "seems" smaller than most of the other Disney resorts. If I stay in a preferred building I only see the Calypso and Jazz buildings on the way to and from the main pool and the bus stop and food court. Since I stay in preferred room I know I am going to be close to the food court, bus stop, & main pool.

2. I enjoy the theming at the All Stars. All Star Music is also is the quietest of the values. Generally less people stay there and there are more seniors and couples and less young children because children enjoy the themes of the other values more.

3. The bus service at the All Star Music is very good. Since I use an ECV good bus transportation is essential.

4. The entry at the values and Mods are much more Handicap friendly.
I am able to get in and out of my All Star room unassisted. This way my husband can go and play a round of golf and know I can leave my room to relax by the pool if I choose.
--------------------------------------------------

Here are a few sample posts on this thread that seemed rude , hurtful, and /or quite petty.

No you are not the only one annoyed with the DVC upgrades out there, especially after I went to the resorts board and heard how excited the non members are about getting coffee, laundry detergent and as many towels as they want replenished each day with their daily housekeeping. Oh and don't forget they are paying barely anything a night AND getting free dining.

Sorry, I don't believe most people appreciate the value in what they are getting as I have seen free dining in action the past two Augusts and see the value people put on "nothing".

People, because of human nature, rarely value free.


JMO

This will be the 3rd year we will have free dining at Disney.
The first year free dining was offered we already had our dates picked and our room booked.
When Disney offered the free dining it was a complete surprise and one I really appreciated.
I can well afford to pay for the dining but I really enjoy a good bargain just like most of the people I know. I think the guests who got the free upgrade must be very excited,
I think many asked questions just because they know so little about SSR or OKW. I know my DD and her DH had all kinds of questions about the Disney dining plan when I told them we were getting the free dining plan.

....
Also, and I am already wearing my flame suit so I am prepared....the few times that I have visited the All Stars (never stayed there, just wanted to check them out, etc.), I saw behavior that was appalling. Now, I agree that every resort has this kind of behavior to a degree. (For example, I have seen younger college-guy types at the quiet pool at SSR with a cooler full of beer who were totally rough-housing in the pool making it completely unsafe and unpleasant for young kids.) However, I think there is a higher degree of unpleasant behavior at the All Stars. .....

I travel several times a year for pleasure. I have stayed at 3,4,and 5 star hotels and I have not seen a higher degree of unpleasant behavior at the All Stars when I have stayed there than at the pricier hotels I have stayed at.

....I have no beef with those receiving the upgrade... until & unless they cause a problem for me or my "home" specifically (but that is another issue altogether). They got a windfall, good for them. I too have had to stop reading those threads........

[/ QUOTE]

What kind of problem do you expect?

Aside from the people that seemed so picky about the upgrade, I think what really frosted my cookies was the fact that the people who originally booked preferred/value actually got a refund for the difference between a standard & preferred.

Could you slap my face on this side too?!

The price difference between standard and preferred is only $10-12 a night.
The preferred is not a view but rather the location( being close to the main pool, food court and bus stop. SSR and OKW does not have paid for preferred locations.

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

Are you saying if someone stays at a value they cannot afford a DVC ?
I can assure you that is not the case of many who stay at the values.
(Myself included.)



-----------------------------------------------------------------------

........With that being said, I would ask members posting to this thread not to lump the people getting the upgrades into "the people that stay at values" as if they are less-than-desirable...because I am one of them (as well as many other DVC owners). Honestly, some people are insinuating OKW/SSR will be taken over by the Clampetts (of Beverly Hillbillies fame). Many of the people staying at value resorts could choose any resort category they want without it being a hardship. It's just a matter of what their particular vacation priorities are.

Thank you for your comments. I agree .

....I'm addicted to WDW, DVC, and the Dis.

Unfortunately, in the years I've been on the Dis, there is always backlash how some promotion/perk/etc. irks members who can't make use of it. While some arguments are quite eloquent, I feel it's still "No good deed goes unpunished". I might be in the minority on this one. But, I just wish everyone could be happy when Disney sprinkles some magic on someone else even when there is nothing in it for yourself.
Flame away.

I too am very happy for others when Disney sprinkles some magic on them even when there is nothing in it for yourself.

I know I'm in the minority here, but I don't have a problem with these upgrades at all. I'm happy for those who have received them, and I really hope they enjoy themselves. (And I wish I were a Clampett! All that "black gold!")

Maybe my feelings stem from the fact that I don't feel like I actually own part of a resort. I feel as though I have paid for my future accommodations, but I don't own anything. Disney owns it all, and since it's a business, they'll do what they think is best. As long as I can call and get a room from the member inventory, I'm quite content.


IMHO, the upgrades are Disney's concern, not mine. They have the right to do whatever they want with their rooms.

You are so correct DVC owners own a long term contract. In reality Disney really owns the resorts.

Exactly...people were apparently wanting to book the value resorts. By shifting some existing reservations into SSR and OKW, they free up those value rooms to be booked again.

Otherwise, the folks looking for value class rooms may stay offsite, and the SSR OKW rooms would remain unused, remember this is still "off-season" for Disney World. Either way, it has no direct impact on DVC members...they were not DVC rooms in the first place. I don't understand the resentment.

 

[Deb & Bill]

So, to the people who are so upset about all of this, how do you feel about AKL people getting upgraded to an OKW two bedroom villa so they can avoid the construction noise? I saw that one over on the Resorts Board.

 

[drakethib]

I really don't think sarcasm is necessary.

As I have stated repeatedly, this has nothing to do with the people who received the upgrades but the fact that I feel taken for granted by DVC & WDCo.

If it were offered to me I'd "grab & go", as it were.

My questions are:
1). Should this be happening?
2). If yes, then should it be happening the way it is?
3). How is this affecting overall member morale?

There was a time when DVC was not entitled to purchase DDP. Thanks to members voicing their opinions we now all have that option.

If this is becoming the norm (2nd year this has happened) then I'd like to see a DVC discount on DDP during free dining periods, a "best rate" policy for members paying cash & member priority for room assignments. JM2c.

I am not being sarcastic. I apologize if it came off that way.

I just don't see what the big deal is. We as DVC members receive a healthy discount for AP's, should the non-DVC member AP holders be aggravated because we get such a discount?

How is this affecting member morale? Well as a DVC member I am shocked at the appearance of egotistical, snobbish, attitudes that this thread may cause for outside folks looking in.

This is marketing, plain and simple. Another way to introduce others to the benefits of DVC. I am glad to see there may be more DVC members as there is power in numbers and that only increases our chances of getting more perks as DVC members.


Welcome Home Upgraders !!!!

 

[Maistre Gracey]

I can't help it, I would feel ripped off.
Example:
I go to the car dealer to buy a Viper with all the options, and I pay full price.
There are five other people in the showroom who buy a Neon, but the dealer says the Neons are back ordered, so we'll give all of you a Viper for the price of a Neon.

Now, I certainly understand there are always exceptions and specialty situations. I don't think anyone here has a problem with those, only the mass upgrades.

Call me sour grapes, but that just doesn't seem right to me.

Just my opinion...

MG

 

[minnie61650]

I can't help it, I would feel ripped off.
Example:
I go to the car dealer to buy a Viper with all the options, and I pay full price.
There are five other people in the showroom who buy a Neon, but the dealer says the Neons are back ordered, so we'll give all of you a Viper for the price of a Neon.

Now, I certainly understand there are always exceptions and specialty situations. I don't think anyone here has a problem with those, only the mass upgrades.

Call me sour grapes, but that just doesn't seem right to me.

Just my opinion...

MG

Please don't feel ripped off.

The guests receiving the free upgrade only get to stay at the DVC for a week or so. They are only test driving the "Viper "from your analogy.
A DVC owner has 40 some years to enjoy their DVC plus all the benefits that come with owning a DVC.

I get offers in the mail all the time for a free cruise or a free vacation from time share companies. It is a part of their advertisement strategy.
One of the best ways to get someone to buy a timeshare is to actually have them stay there.

This is just another marketing tool that Disney is using to fill vacant rooms during a slow season and to advertise DVC.


Have fun at Disney!

 

[BroganMc]

But the DVC resorts are, by design, supposed to operate at nearly 100% capacity year round...it is the only way a point based system will truly work. The only difference is, with the unsold inventory, the people also "competing" for rooms are CRO renters, rather than other DVC members or THEIR renters. It would be the same either way, once your resort sells out. The upgrades do not contribute to the problem...the difference is "who" occupies the rooms. If they were full price CRO renters, there would be no difference...if they were DVC Members, there would also be no difference, so why are the "upgrades" a problem?

Renters are paying around $110 - $450 per night (more if renting a Grand Villa). Members have paid $15-$16k plus $4.62 per point for rooms. None get daily maid service or free dining. CRO guests are paying $150-$450 a night, depending on the accommodations and discounts.

Free upgraders are paying around $89 per night and get around $80 a day in free services.

At check-in, those who arrive early (before 10am) get the best choice of room requests no matter how they paid for their booking. As far as I know, room assignments are not being handed out in terms of what is unsold inventory or CRO exchanges (points are not the same as units). So what guests are placed in depends on what rooms are empty at the time of check-in.

Therein lies the discrepancy. The way SSR handles check-in, someone paying substantially less can get more free services AS WELL AS that prime DTD view in Congress Park simply because they arrived at the Front Desk at 9:10am and the owner who booked 11 months ago, paid $15-16k + dues, gets the Carousel room with view of parking lot because he arrived at 10am. That is inherently unfair and prone to producing resentment (toward DVC).

As far as my HA rooms, Member Services does have a problem IMHO. While they do put me on hold and talk to Special Needs to block my room, I am never privy to the conversation. So I must rely on two AB folks clueless about why I need what I do getting all the details correct. Last time, they screwed it up so an inaccessible room was booked for me. (Fortunately the Front Desk was able to give me better accommodations.) I've already been told that to avoid losing my accessible roll-in shower room I'm better off not making any location requests because the room assigners are prone to messing it up. Now that's just crazy! Why shouldn't I as an owner be able to request a roll-in shower room in the Grandstand at 11 months out and only have a chance of getting that if I show up at the Front Desk at 9am on check-in day?

If you are not being transferred to special services after you book your DVC room with Member Services, then that could be a problem, as there may not even be an HA room available when you show up.

Just to clarify it for you, they DO NOT transfer you to Special Needs. They put you on hold and talk to Special Needs for you. You have to triple check with the MS agent just to be sure they got all the details correct. It makes it exceptionally difficult if you are trying to book with limited availability because first MS must see if X number of rooms are available before they'll even call Special needs. And the Wait List doesn't bother to check Special Needs requirements before booking. It's pretty useless to someone with my needs.

Like I've said before, at my Marriott timeshare I can call Rooms Control directly and block a particular unit off (based on availability). In this case, I pretty much never worry about having the room I need at Marriott but find myself continually stressing at Disney.

 

[Sammie]

I can't help it, I would feel ripped off.
Example:
I go to the car dealer to buy a Viper with all the options, and I pay full price.
There are five other people in the showroom who buy a Neon, but the dealer says the Neons are back ordered, so we'll give all of you a Viper for the price of a Neon.

Now, I certainly understand there are always exceptions and specialty situations. I don't think anyone here has a problem with those, only the mass upgrades.

Call me sour grapes, but that just doesn't seem right to me.

Just my opinion...

MG

If that truly happend, I would say you have very bad karma, but then sour grapes tends to lead to that.

But in your case, I won't hold it against you.

 

[tasha99]

I can't help it, I would feel ripped off.
Example:
I go to the car dealer to buy a Viper with all the options, and I pay full price.
There are five other people in the showroom who buy a Neon, but the dealer says the Neons are back ordered, so we'll give all of you a Viper for the price of a Neon.

Now, I certainly understand there are always exceptions and specialty situations. I don't think anyone here has a problem with those, only the mass upgrades.

Call me sour grapes, but that just doesn't seem right to me.

Just my opinion...

MG

Please don't feel ripped off! It's just the way the travel industry works. Rooms that are left empty are income lost forever, so during slow seasons, hotels are willing to discount and upgrade to get some income. Airfare is the same way--when you're on a plane, odds are the people on either side of you paid different amounts than you did.

Before anyone says, "but the discount is too great!" I want to point out that on Priceline, deluxes often go for around $65-$100. Through Priceline, I stayed a few nights at a 2 1/2 - 3 star hotel (Sheraton Safari) for $35/night last year, though the rack rate was somewhere around $135--not too different percentage wise from this upgrade.

I do agree that members should get priority over location and requests, though actually, to me it's not so much a matter of membership as first come first served. It would be much better to have rooms blocked out and assigned at booking; not sure why they don't do that.

These great rates are because it's September. Take heart in knowing that this would never have happened during the busy season, and people who got the upgrade would have had to pay big bucks to stay in a hotel that you can stay at much more reasonably any time you want.

As for the snobbishness sometimes exhibited in this thread, I have to admit that though I'm over it now, it made me cry a few days ago.

I'm a single mom and definitely in the category where staying at a DVC is more dream than reality, so I look on this upgrade as a "million dreams" prize.

 

[Sammie]

As for the snobbishness sometimes exhibited in this thread, I have to admit that though I'm over it now, it made me cry a few days ago.

I'm a single mom and definitely in the category where staying at a DVC is more dream than reality, so I look on this upgrade as a "million dreams" prize.

I hope you have a wonderful time. I am glad for you to have this dream. The way I look at things is obviously very different from some.

Others getting this upgrade at such a fabulous savings and free dining, is more about them being blessed possibly just once and less about me being taking advantage of.

I have been blessed for years with Disney vacations and lucky enough to have DVC. If someone else for even just once, can experience that which I have been blessed to experience for years, then I am thrilled.

Who knows in the grand scheme of things one of those upgraders might be there just in time to work some magic on a member.

I have enough in my life to worry about without borrowing conflict.

Enjoy your trip and don't shed anymore tears.

 

[robinb]

I go to the car dealer to buy a Viper with all the options, and I pay full price.
There are five other people in the showroom who buy a Neon, but the dealer says the Neons are back ordered, so we'll give all of you a Viper for the price of a Neon.

And what about the people who get the Viper who hear that the cool purple color is very rare so they line up early when the Vipers are delivered so they can get their color preference. Or ... what if they bought the Neon under a special promotion that was not available to Viper owners where they got free oil changes for the life of the car? Or ... the Viper they were given had cloth seats and they preferred leather, so they bug the sales manager to give them a Viper with leather. Or best yet ... the empty-nester couple bought a hatch-back Neon and insist that they receive a refund to the price of the base model Neon because the Viper only seats two with a tiny trunk?

All car kidding aside ... like Maistre Gracey, I still don't think it's "right" and I do think that I suffer from sour grapes. However, I am generally happy for most of the people who have been upgraded. I have been happily upgraded a few times (POFQ->Polynesian at Christmas, CBR->AKL Savannah View, SOG->CR North Wing) and I know that I wouldn't turn down an upgrade if it were offered. The vast majority of Upgraders are just pretty darn happy to get the upgrade and I have no problem with them. I think what still sticks in my craw are the people who are doing the best to "game" the system. But ... I know that the urge to get the best deal is as much a part of human nature as my sour grapes. I'm still trying to get over it ... please be patient with me.

 

[tasha99]

I hope you have a wonderful time. I am glad for you to have this dream. The way I look at things is obviously very different from some.

Others getting this upgrade at such a fabulous savings and free dining, is more about them being blessed possibly just once and less about me being taking advantage of.

I have been blessed for years with Disney vacations and lucky enough to have DVC. If someone else for even just once, can experience that which I have been blessed to experience for years, then I am thrilled.

Who knows in the grand scheme of things one of those upgraders might be there just in time to work some magic on a member.

I have enough in my life to worry about without borrowing conflict.

Enjoy your trip and don't shed anymore tears.

Thanks, Sammie. I am pretty darned excited about this trip for lots of reasons.

 

[castleri]

Does anyone know if the CRO inventory is such that they have x number of rooms in each building or just a certain number of units for the whole resort that they can book? If they do have specific numbers of rooms or specific rooms than the statements about it not affecting DVC members chances for a given view or location are true. If is is just a general number of rooms for the whole resort then it could affect a member's chances of getting that much desired room in the CP or Springs section. I do realize that no matter how the inventory is filled whether through upgrades or cash reservations the effect is the same. Just curious about how the number of rooms in CRO inventory is determined. Is it actual rooms or the rooms that the number of points in the inventory can fill for a given time frame.

 

[BroganMc]

Does anyone know if the CRO inventory is such that they have x number of rooms in each building or just a certain number of units for the whole resort that they can book?

That's something I'd like to know myself. It's a bit of a mystery.

Contracts such X% of the resort is retained by Disney (for maintenance and other uses). Units are sold only when they are available for booking. SSR currently is 20% unsold with every building open for guests. But that 20% is not actual units but points.

Points are not rooms, seasons or night stays, but a pool from which those can be drawn. So if there are 100,000 points with 20,000 unsold and Disney maintaining 5,000 for internal use, then when those points are applied is under the discretion of Disney. (Same goes for members opting to exchange their points for cruises and CRO rooms.)

So let's say Disney has 1000 points given to them for a cruise. Does that translate to 4 1 bedroom units for a week in September or 10 studios in October?

Since guests are all equal upon check-in, I highly doubt the upgraders are only going to receive rooms in unsold inventory in Carousel and Grandstand. The current policy of "rooms ready" means any guest can receive a room in any part of the resort depending solely on when they arrive at the Front Desk.

 

[BroganMc]

BTW, I realize my posts can be seen as a bit hardline to those getting upgrades. Please accept that I'm not annoyed with you personally. My concern is only that this program highlights the non-special treatment of owners at my resort in regards to room assignments.

 

[wilma-bride]

I too have tried to refrain from posting on this thread but one thing which keeps cropping up is sticking in my head.

People keep saying 'Why should DVC members be upset. It does not affect you directly'

Except, in the long run, it does.

Anyone who booked to go to SSR or OKW on points probably knew it was a fairly slow time of year and, if there were that many rooms empty that they can upgrade all these people from value resorts, there is a fair chance the resorts would have been pretty quiet, meaning less wait for busses, less chance of having to stand on the bus, less crowded pools, less people in the food court, etc. etc.

However, due to the upgrades, OKW and SSR are now going to be significantly busier than they would have been. While I don't disagree that they are Disney's rooms to do what they like with, I can totally understand why members would be upset that the 'quiet' week they had planned there may now be madly busy. I, for one, am glad that I am staying at one of the values that week and not using my points for a quiet break at SSR. I will be enjoying my 3 days there before free dining starts, in relative peace

 

[minnie61650]

......
However, due to the upgrades, OKW and SSR are now going to be significantly busier than they would have been. While I don't disagree that they are Disney's rooms to do what they like with, I can totally understand why members would be upset that the 'quiet' week they had planned there may now be madly busy. I, for one, am glad that I am staying at one of the values that week and not using my points for a quiet break at SSR. I will be enjoying my 3 days there before free dining starts, in relative peace

According to what has been posted if I reading correctly and doing my math correctly than Disney owns about 20% rooms of the rooms at SSR.

So the resort may be busier but my guess is it will be only 15%-20% busier than if the upgrades were not offered.

Since it is the slow season I would imagine the resort will still only be at 40%-75% capacity.


Am I missing something?

 

[smsnorthup]

I apologize in advance because I havent' had time to read every page so I don't know if this has been mentioned. So, if Value customers have booked one room then why not upgrade the overflow to studios at OKW or SSR instead of 1 BD and then if more studios are needed then members or regular CRO reservations booked in the studios can be upgraded to the 1 BD. That seems a little fairer to me. I mean moving from a value to a DVC property is a huge upgrade itself...I just don't understand why they are getting the bigger units.

 

[TenThousandVolts]

And what about the people who get the Viper who hear that the cool purple color is very rare so they line up early when the Vipers are delivered so they can get their color preference. Or ... what if they bought the Neon under a special promotion that was not available to Viper owners where they got free oil changes for the life of the car? Or ... the Viper they were given had cloth seats and they preferred leather, so they bug the sales manager to give them a Viper with leather. Or best yet ... the empty-nester couple bought a hatch-back Neon and insist that they receive a refund to the price of the base model Neon because the Viper only seats two with a tiny trunk?

GREAT elaboration Robin

... My concern is only that this program highlights the non-special treatment of owners at my resort in regards to room assignments.

Once again- I am very happy for those upgraded- but If you agree with BroganMc in regards to SSR room assignments, please let DVC hear fom you.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1483974
This thread has nothng directly to do with the upgrades, but an issue that keeps popping here, competition for prime locations/room assignment at SSR. We are just hoping to get a fair system for room assignments implemented at our home resort. Visit the thread and send an email if you are so moved.

 

[Chuck S]

Remember, if you want to restrict the non-members to the physically unsold units, you would also have to restrict members to the "sold" units...wasn't Carousel completed and sold before Grandstand?...so the non-members would be in the NEW Grandstand section, and members would be filling up Carousel...what many consider a fairly undesirable section of the resort. You can't have it both ways.