Are DVC guests second-class citizens?

[NaptownMom]

We are on our first-ever DVC trip at the Polynesian. I’m honestly shocked by our experience with housekeeping.

When we got to our room we had some issues. There was a stain on one bed, missing top sheet from another, missing hand soap, but most problematically, the fridge didn’t work. We asked for a replacement fridge. The housekeeper came, looked at the fridge, scolded us for turning the coldness setting to 7, scolded us for overfilling the fridge, and told us she can bring us a second fridge but it will be the same fridge and not work any better. We told her we didn’t want 2 fridges in our room, just one that worked. She left annoyed and said nothing. Someone from housekeeping called and repeated that we could have a second fridge. We again iterated that we simply wanted one functional fridge. Finally, hours later, at 10:30, the same annoyed housekeeper brought a fridge and told us angrily that she had a lot of calls and deal with it ourselves. We plugged it in, refilled it, eventually realized it needed an on switch flipped, and sure enough, it functioned as we expected. Despite being full (lol).

This morning I told a housekeeping manager this whole story and she… offered us replacement soap. No other resolution whatsoever. Honestly I was shocked. Is that a sufficient resolution to that kind of behavior and wasted hours (in addition to waking up my sleeping children due to stonewalling us about simply finding a functioning fridge)?

Having only been hotel guests in the past I’m wondering if this is the difference between DVC and “normal” guests.

 

[xdan0920]

I think we can all agree what the issue here is…

 

[TheDailyMoo]

Nah I think you ran into some issues with your room/housekeepers/communication. Usually housekeeping has been spot on whenever we ask for extra whatever it may be. They take out our garbage daily and some have even made up our rooms daily even though that's not at all what they're supposed to do. I think this was a one off. If anything I usually feel more "VIP" being DVC! Not that we get anything extra...just in my head!

 

[NaptownMom]

I think we can all agree what the issue here is…

I’m going to need some help

 

[NaptownMom]

Nah I think you ran into some issues with your room/housekeepers/communication. Usually housekeeping has been spot on whenever we ask for extra whatever it may be. They take out our garbage daily and some have even made up our rooms daily even though that's not at all what they're supposed to do. I think this was a one off. If anything I usually feel more "VIP" being DVC! Not that we get anything extra...just in my head!

Ok that makes me feel better. I was starting to think we made a terrible mistake buying into DVC. Especially the reaction…

 

[gottalovepluto]

Dollars to donuts a cash stay would have been treated the same. That is a housekeeper with a bad attitude backed up by a manager with a bad attitude. The in the moment alternative you are left with is going over their heads-but that could very easily just end up with a hotel manger with a bad attitude as things tend to rot from the inside. That said I would still be visiting the front desk to file a complaint in the hope someone might read it and care, your experience was ridiculous.

(I would also drop a line to general guest services and/or any DVC guest relations options to try to get word of that behavior to someone higher up than the housekeeping manger. Deal with your own replacement fridge because I’m too busy is mind blowing horrible customer service.)

 

[teamsamant]

Our last stay at Polynesian last year was similar. I dont know what's up with that place but the employees are miserable. Been to Disney 5x since in 4 different resorts and didn't have that problem again.

I was hoping with the new tower that would improve but whoever the hotel manager is over there needs some feedback on these employee interactions.

 

[LoveToDisney]

Our last stay at Polynesian last year was similar. I dont know what's up with that place but the employees are miserable. Been to Disney 5x since in 4 different resorts and didn't have that problem again.

I was hoping with the new tower that would improve but whoever the hotel manager is over there needs some feedback on these employee interactions.

Thanks for the feedback. I had been sad that we won’t be able to stay at the new poly tower since we aren’t owner’s and so few villas have been released. We have never been treated badly at any DVC we have visited so now I’m not eager to go somewhere that the staff is miserable as it sounds the poly is.

 

[davidhr]

My experience has always been the same as when I was a cash guest. This is definitely a bad experience caused by a cast member(s) with the wrong attitude. I’d definitely complain about it as it shouldn’t happen.

Having said that, while cast members are usually very polite and attentive, Disney is usually not a very good company offering hotel services vs others at similar price ranges.

 

[gmi3804]

Housekeeping doesn't look at the guests' affiliations or memberships before addressing an issue, if that's the question from the thread title. One's "attitude" is usually subjective, based on the receiver. It sounds like the issues were resolved. What's the problem?

 

[Tumnus]

My only complaint is I REALLY wish we had daily housekeeping. Or at least daily towels (without having to pay). That's the biggest downside going from a cash to DVC person and annoys us every time.

 

[muppets3d]

I will say that every time I have had an issue with my DVC room, the front desk of the resort has been more than accommodating to taking care of every concern I have to the best of their ability. I've never felt like a second-class guest. That's a common trope of timeshares ("they've already got my money") but I have never felt that way about DVC, at least not yet. If I truly felt like that consistently I'd probably liquidate.

 

[LadybugsMum]

My only complaint is I REALLY wish we had daily housekeeping. Or at least daily towels (without having to pay). That's the biggest downside going from a cash to DVC person and annoys us every time.

You no longer have to pay for towels. I've not paid for extra towels in the 5 years that I've been a DVC member.

 

[muppets3d]

You no longer have to pay for towels. I've not paid for extra towels in the 5 years that I've been a DVC member.

Some resorts, they literally leave cabinets full of towels out in the hallways, along with hampers to drop off used ones.

 

[cruisehopeful]

My 2 night stay at the Poly never had any trash/room check. It did seem like there was a housekeeper stationed in my building, though. I saw her a couple times in the elevator (without anything with her). Another time, I saw her sitting at the very end of the hallway with a small possibly portable desk and computer.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Ok that makes me feel better. I was starting to think we made a terrible mistake buying into DVC. Especially the reaction…

Someday you WILL look back on this and laugh-or at least smile. Twenty three years ago, we took our first ever DVC trip, met a person as "pleasant" as the one you met (only this was at the front desk), an absolutely horrible experience and like you, we wondered if we'd made a terrible mistake buying into DVC. But then, we tried a couple other resorts and knew we'd made the right decision to stay. What we do laugh about is that when we went to the DVC Center to complain, there was another new DVC owner complaining that their villa didn't have a balcony and yet, when they asked to move, firm "NO!" But it does get lots better, and I hope that someday you-if not laugh, at least smile.

 

[jimmymc]

I've never had an issue like this. They should do a full housekeeping between guests and be happy to fix any issues. I've had trash pickup at WL without even asking, but I don't expect that anywhere.

This more reflects the Poly management and their inability to schedule enough housekeepers.

 

[Brian Noble]

Every once in a while, I get a less-than-awesome stay. (Remind me to tell you about the time* it took them two days to replace a broken dishwasher in BCV that, in the meantime, slowly fermented the dirty water in the machine). It's harder to imagine how that could be an unusual ocurruence when it happens the first time.

But to answer your question: Other than the obvious differences in housekeeping freuency, I've never felt I was treated differently in any Disney resort, no matter how I booked the stay.

----
*: That was still a lovely trip. We piled the dishes in the sink for a couple of days like it was graduate school!

 

[VGCgroupie]

My only complaint is I REALLY wish we had daily housekeeping. Or at least daily towels (without having to pay). That's the biggest downside going from a cash to DVC person and annoys us every time.

The towel thing almost made me not buy, thats how much I have to have clean towels. I hoarded pool towels on our 1st dvc stay since I was told no extra towels. Then I realized my husband could just ask mousekeeping in the hallways. Then I learned you can just call and ask. Thank goodness.

Edit: thanks to those who read through my major typos, I fixed it

 

[AstroBlasters]

The towel thing almost mad emerges not buy, thats how much I have to have clean towels. I hoarded pool towels on our 1st dvc stay since I was told no extra towels. Then I realized my husband could just ask mousekeeping in the hallways. Then I learned you can just call and ask. Thank goodness.

Washer/Dryer