Are DVC guests second-class citizens?

[Moonspinner]

To the question asked, no, I do not think we are treated as second class citizens. Over the years, I have had issues at both DVC and non-DVC resorts.

At BWV, we had a microwave that I swear was possessed. It would just keep beeping and beeping or would just not work at all. Maintenance came by several times. They were super helpful and tried resetting it which only helped a little. The next day they were back because it was still not right. Tried resetting again and it would not work. So they planned to change it but could not do it that night (probably 9-10 PM), so they brought one in for the time being for the counter that worked. The next day we come back to the room and the possessed one is still there and the counter one gone. So another call to maintenance and a visit to the front desk to chat about it. This time they got it replaced that night. The maintenance guy got to my room and looked at me and said "microwave? Was it not replaced" because he had been there twice before. He said he would not leave until fixed and started making calls (although since it was 2021 and still covid times, he always went in the hall to wait or make calls even though I did tell him I was fine with him staying in the room. I did end up with a credit I did not need and was honestly happy when the possessed microwave left.

Another time at All Star Movies (I think), I had a 1 night stay prior to a DVC stay. It was around the time they were refurbishing and my room had not yet been refurbished. I arrived super late (around midnight) and went straight to bed after a long day (work and then long flight). I got up the next morning and while in the shower, there was absolutely no products (like shampoo, conditioner, body wash) and no tub mat in the room. I did a good rinse and found what I could in my bag (which was not much since I do like the H2O products) and threw a towel down on the ground to step out of the shower. I did stop at the front desk to let them know on my way out as it should have been better checked (especially since I left CA at 3ish CA time - so 6ish WDW time and did not have a room ready text when I left) so it was cleaned very late day. That CM gave me some any time fastpasses which were nice and offered to have products brought up for me to take another shower.

I mean both were annoying at the time and I do remember them, but the trips themselves were always amazing and those were just small blips on the radar.

This is ridiculous. They should have immediately replaced your microwave and fixed the other one on their own time.

 

[Moonspinner]

To be fair, she's right that a mini fridge (or really any fridge) needs air circulation to properly keep items cold. So if it's stuffed full, it won't work very well.

Personally, I think this type of interaction can happen at any hotel and has nothing to do with whether or not you're a DVC member.


Like someone else upthread, I was curious if people who want fresh bath towels every day also use fresh bath towels daily at home. That is such a foreign concept to me. We swap hand towels out often. But bath towels we just wash weekly. Maybe we're weird but it works for us. I also only wash sheets/blankets once a week too.

I've always re-used bath towels, both at home and at hotels/resorts. I grew up quite poor, with a family of 6 sharing a single bathroom - my uncle and I (he was the same age as me) both even had to share a towel because we only had 4 towels in the house (my grandmother and grandfather also shared one). My mother was working two jobs at minimum wage, and my grandmother was the one doing all the housework while also still holding down a part time job...she simply didn't have the time to be doing daily laundry, not to mention the cost in water and soap...we had a manual washing machine (yes, in the early 1970s!) and no dryer, so was wash a weekly thing. In those days, we never went to resorts - roadside inns and motels only.

Even now, with a comfortable living and a house full of dozens of towels, I still reuse mine at least 3 times and wash towels every 2 weeks or so when I've got enough in the bin to do a load of just towels/sheets. And at resorts including Disney, I will re-use my towels several times - in 5 nights I'll use two towels. It's hard to break habits after growing up that way as a kid - I still have some 'poor' living habits that my friends think is strange for someone living in the rich town where I do - they mostly grew up with money - I earned mine and still pinch pennies here and there on some simple common things even as I spend lavishly on others - I'm quite the dichotomy.

Fresh towels period. Germs lol.

 

[KPeterso]

This is ridiculous. They should have immediately replaced your microwave and fixed the other one on their own time.

It was late at night (like after 10 PM) and the new replacement was offsite. So it did have to be the next day which was fine. Just was a bit of a nightmare that they kept not actually putting the new one in.

 

[Bullseye]

To be fair, she's right that a mini fridge (or really any fridge) needs air circulation to properly keep items cold. So if it's stuffed full, it won't work very well.

Personally, I think this type of interaction can happen at any hotel and has nothing to do with whether or not you're a DVC member.


Like someone else upthread, I was curious if people who want fresh bath towels every day also use fresh bath towels daily at home. That is such a foreign concept to me. We swap hand towels out often. But bath towels we just wash weekly. Maybe we're weird but it works for us. I also only wash sheets/blankets once a week too.

No you're not weird, we do the same thing. To each their own, but to me it seems like a huge waste of water and energy washing them after 30 seconds of drying a perfectly clean body. As far as them not being dry for next use, just alternating between two towels every other day works. They still come on days 4 & 8 to provide new towels.

 

[TheGambler22]

Apparently I bought DVC for a totally different reason than most commenting here. I just want a roof over my head that is equal to what I'd have at home. All DVC resorts are far above that IMO and I don't have to worry about cleaning or laundry afterward, so I'm good. I use my membership to take friends and family on trips they'd never afford otherwise. I've been going to Disney over 40 years and haven't had one bad experience. Minor inconvenience, sure, but never something that would make me think "2nd class" by any means. We always rent at least one 1BR so I've never asked for more towels, we use our owner's locker for most amenities, we only "cook" breakfast if at all so the fridge mostly holds our water and creamer, and we do split-stays often over a 2-3 week period. Maybe I've just been lucky all these years.

 

[Carouselofplanning]

The beverage coolers were a mistake. I’m pretty sure they are phasing them back out as the opportunity comes. Some wishful thinking was involved with that decision.

Someone was too smart for their own good. Thought if it could only cool drinks people will buy more food. Instead they just get tons of complaints about weak refrigerators full of food lol.

 

[DebbieB]

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.

Daily housekeeping would increase dues significantly. I’m not sure they brought back the pay extra for extra service. That seems fair to me, members who want it pay, others do not.

 

[CarolynFH]

Daily housekeeping would increase dues significantly. I’m not sure they brought back the pay extra for extra service. That seems fair to me, members who want it pay, others do not.

They apparently gave up on charging for extra towels as well as extra coffee. My thoughts on possible reasons are that it makes it easier for the housekeepers, who don’t have to distinguish between cash guests and points guests; people were taking them from the housekeeping carts in the hallways; people were bringing up pool towels to use as bath towels. In any case it’s probably a cost-saving measure. We usually stay in 1BR or larger, so we can wash towels if we need to, and we bring our own coffee, but I don’t mind that they no longer charge for extra towels or coffee.

 

[PolyRob]

They apparently gave up on charging for extra towels as well as extra coffee. My thoughts on possible reasons are that it makes it easier for the housekeepers, who don’t have to distinguish between cash guests and points guests; people were taking them from the housekeeping carts in the hallways; people were bringing up pool towels to use as bath towels. In any case it’s probably a cost-saving measure. We usually stay in 1BR or larger, so we can wash towels if we need to, and we bring our own coffee, but I don’t mind that they no longer charge for extra towels or coffee.

I feel like the charging was also hit or miss before the policy changed. I was never charged extra at VGF (before BPK existed). I was also asked what towels I needed. It wasn’t a standard “towel pack.”

 

[VGCgroupie]

They apparently gave up on charging for extra towels as well as extra coffee. My thoughts on possible reasons are that it makes it easier for the housekeepers, who don’t have to distinguish between cash guests and points guests; people were taking them from the housekeeping carts in the hallways; people were bringing up pool towels to use as bath towels. In any case it’s probably a cost-saving measure. We usually stay in 1BR or larger, so we can wash towels if we need to, and we bring our own coffee, but I don’t mind that they no longer charge for extra towels or coffee.

For me its is perfect. I want fresh towels but even when staying cash I never wanted full housekeeping. Our room at Boardwalk had the towel cart right outside our door in the hallway and it was there much of the time. SCORE!! Leaving towel carts around costs nothing.

 

[E2ME2]

I’m going to need some help

But you did get the replacement soap, right ??