Chim Chiminy
stale marshmallows sting when they hit you
- Joined
- Apr 10, 2003
- Messages
- 1,861
What a week!!! This was our first trip home, plus we had extended family members with us, so we weren't quite sure what to expect.
Chaos, disaster, fun, and laughter! All rolled into one too-short trip.
We (my husband, children, and I) had spent the previous four days at the Contemporary Resort.
So with just a short drive, we arrived at the BCV at 1:00. We parked in the self parking lot and walked the short distance to the lobby. I got in line behind two other people and within a few minutes was being "Welcomed Home" by a friendly castmember named Hazel. Check in took just a few minutes, neither our 2 bedroom or our studio were ready yet. Hazel gave me two packets of information, one for each room. Then she gave me a card with the number on it to call and check on our room status.
We waited in the lobby for about ten minutes, then my two BIL's arrived from the airport. We also were waiting for my dad and two brothers to get there from the Contemporary marina. This is where things get a little chaotic. We all wanted to eat lunch, but my mom wanted to wait for dad and my brothers. (They got lost en route from CR to BCV). My mom spotted the DVC info desk in the lobby and went over to chat with the CM. The rest of our party headed toward Beaches and Cream, I informed mom where we were headed, and the nice CM said she would walk mom over. My dad and brothers still hadn't shown up, so we tried calling on the cell phone, this time someone answered! So we told them we would be at Beaches and Cream.
There was a 40 minute wait at Beaches and Cream, I didn't realize how tiny it is! The wait went by quickly and our party of ten was split up. Three at the counter, two at a table by the jukebox, and five at a table in the middle of the restaurant. My dad and brothers arrived just in time to be seated, as did mom accompanied by the DVC castmember.
We ate and my husband called to check on our rooms. Our two bedroom was ready at 3:30, so we headed up. Room 307, not the pool view I requested, but still I am happy with it. I got to the room with our daughter first, my husband went to give our luggage to bell services. The room was spotless, with two queen beds in the second bedroom. I decided to clean out the jacuzzi pumps, as suggested here on the DIS, first thing, so I filled up the tub and tried in vain to turn on the pumps. They would not turn on. We tried pushing every button, made sure the sensor was covered completely with water. Finally, I called Housekeeping and they said someone was being sent to look at it. At 4pm we called to see if the studio was ready, it was not. We were told to call back in 15 minutes. We waited thirty and it still was not ready. Told again to check in 15 minutes.
Still no one had come up to check the jacuzzi, so we called back and were assured someone was on the way to check on it. Now, we have been in the room for an hour and fifteen minutes and no luggage has been brought up. We call bell services and are told that the luggage is on the way up. When it arrives, it is luggage for my parents who are sharing the 2 bedroom with us.
We call back to bell services and are told again that our luggage is on its way up.
We check again on the studio. 4:45, still not ready. Call back in 15 minutes.
At 5:30, the studio is finally ready, but we need to give them a few minutes to let the manager inspect it. We cross the hallway at 5:40 and the studio is spotless. Room 306, with the pool view.
My BILs tell me I am welcome to come over and enjoy their pool view anytime.
Still waiting on someone to bring up our luggage and fix the jacuzzi. My husband is very frustrated. He is muttering something about paying all this money for DVC and we can't even get our luggage or a working tub. I tell him to be patient. Our swim time has come and gone, now we need to get ready for the Hoop Dee Doo.
My husband calls again to bell services and we are told there was a mix up because there were two rooms under our name and because my parents luggage was brought up under our name they thought that was all the luggage for our room, but they have located ours and are bringing it up. My husband is furious.
It is nearing 6:00 and still no one to fix tub. We call again and tell them we will be out of the room, but they have our permission to come in and fix it.
Our luggage arrives!!!! Thank goodness. We all get ready and leave for Pioneer Hall and Cape May Buffet (my parents).
The eight of us who went really enjoyed the Hoop Dee Doo. Three were first timers, who weren't sure what to expect. We were at table 22, on the left side of the stage near the front. My BIL asked who did I kill to get this table???? It was perfect, we got lots of attention during the show and everyone enjoyed it.
We got back to the room and surprise!!! The tub is still not fixed, still full of water.
Everyone else decides to go swim in the Dunes Cove pool, my husband and I unpack and call housekeeping. I tell them this is our fourth phone call about the problem and they need to get someone in to fix it. Twenty minutes later Ernie from Engineering shows up. He can't figure it out. He calls the supervisor. They mess around with tub for about thirty minutes, then Ernie gets another call. So the supervisor stays. He finally figures it out. Someone jammed the button in so hard it would not release and underneath it knocked some control loose. He had to pry the button out, which took several minutes, then re-set it back in, reconnect the controls. He got it running, then when he turned it off the controls dis-connected again. The tub was finally functioning at 11:30.
Next day--Monday the 18th.
I was first up and took a shower. I noticed that I was standing in an inch or so of water. I thought, maybe it just drains slowly. My son took a shower. He too was standing in water. By the time my husband gets in to shower the water is almost up to the door sill. He is fuming. I call housekeeping, again.
This time someone is there within fifteen minutes, but she is also there to fix the tub!?! We tell her that it was fixed last night, this time it is the shower. She plungers it and the water drains quickly. At this time I am wondering what the previous occupants did to the room! I have noticed huge chunks of the finish taken off the furniture and the carpet is fraying at the edges. The toaster is missing the button that controls light to dark. I report what I can to housekeeping.
None of these things ruined the trip, but things did get off to a rocky start.
We really enjoyed having the space of a two bedroom, although having done the trip with family, I think next time everyone gets their own unit. Too many personalities conflicting. Next time my BILs can share the 2 bedroom with us and my parents get the studio!
We were there until check out on Sunday the 24th. We enjoyed SAB, the easy walk to Epcot, walking around to the Boardwalk, the boat to MGM. In fact the day we were at MGM, we walked back because we dawdled in the shops and missed the last boat. The walk was pretty easy and gave us a chance to glance around the Boardwalk pool area and check out the bakery.
I enjoyed entering Epcot through the International Gateway and finding World Showcase uncrowded. My BIL kept commenting on it. We felt like we had the countries to ourselves.
We saw a few shocking things, which I am not sure can even be mentioned here on these boards.
BCV had a lot of teenagers running around, I guess I noticed it in contrast to the Contemporary where we didn't see a lot of unsupervised kids. Some of the kids were respectful, some were not.
We checked out the Saratoga Springs models and surprisingly I liked the decor. My husband didn't really comment, although we did talk of adding on so that we have points only for us and points for family trips. He did like the Boardwalk models, the master bathroom. He felt like BCV had too many doors!
We saw Al the alligator twice. He is huge! We were surprised to see the turtles swimming right up to him.
Before I forget, on our trash and towel day--the housekeeper didn't come in. She just came to the door and handed my dad some clean towels and soap. Is that how they do it? Also, a housekeeper told my BIL to set his trash outside his door everyday and someone would get it. I told him otherwise.....
I know this was long. I plan on writing an even more detailed trip report---including fun in a tornado warning----on the trip reports board.
Chaos, disaster, fun, and laughter! All rolled into one too-short trip.
We (my husband, children, and I) had spent the previous four days at the Contemporary Resort.
So with just a short drive, we arrived at the BCV at 1:00. We parked in the self parking lot and walked the short distance to the lobby. I got in line behind two other people and within a few minutes was being "Welcomed Home" by a friendly castmember named Hazel. Check in took just a few minutes, neither our 2 bedroom or our studio were ready yet. Hazel gave me two packets of information, one for each room. Then she gave me a card with the number on it to call and check on our room status.
We waited in the lobby for about ten minutes, then my two BIL's arrived from the airport. We also were waiting for my dad and two brothers to get there from the Contemporary marina. This is where things get a little chaotic. We all wanted to eat lunch, but my mom wanted to wait for dad and my brothers. (They got lost en route from CR to BCV). My mom spotted the DVC info desk in the lobby and went over to chat with the CM. The rest of our party headed toward Beaches and Cream, I informed mom where we were headed, and the nice CM said she would walk mom over. My dad and brothers still hadn't shown up, so we tried calling on the cell phone, this time someone answered! So we told them we would be at Beaches and Cream.
There was a 40 minute wait at Beaches and Cream, I didn't realize how tiny it is! The wait went by quickly and our party of ten was split up. Three at the counter, two at a table by the jukebox, and five at a table in the middle of the restaurant. My dad and brothers arrived just in time to be seated, as did mom accompanied by the DVC castmember.
We ate and my husband called to check on our rooms. Our two bedroom was ready at 3:30, so we headed up. Room 307, not the pool view I requested, but still I am happy with it. I got to the room with our daughter first, my husband went to give our luggage to bell services. The room was spotless, with two queen beds in the second bedroom. I decided to clean out the jacuzzi pumps, as suggested here on the DIS, first thing, so I filled up the tub and tried in vain to turn on the pumps. They would not turn on. We tried pushing every button, made sure the sensor was covered completely with water. Finally, I called Housekeeping and they said someone was being sent to look at it. At 4pm we called to see if the studio was ready, it was not. We were told to call back in 15 minutes. We waited thirty and it still was not ready. Told again to check in 15 minutes.
Still no one had come up to check the jacuzzi, so we called back and were assured someone was on the way to check on it. Now, we have been in the room for an hour and fifteen minutes and no luggage has been brought up. We call bell services and are told that the luggage is on the way up. When it arrives, it is luggage for my parents who are sharing the 2 bedroom with us.
We call back to bell services and are told again that our luggage is on its way up.
We check again on the studio. 4:45, still not ready. Call back in 15 minutes.
At 5:30, the studio is finally ready, but we need to give them a few minutes to let the manager inspect it. We cross the hallway at 5:40 and the studio is spotless. Room 306, with the pool view.
My BILs tell me I am welcome to come over and enjoy their pool view anytime. Still waiting on someone to bring up our luggage and fix the jacuzzi. My husband is very frustrated. He is muttering something about paying all this money for DVC and we can't even get our luggage or a working tub. I tell him to be patient. Our swim time has come and gone, now we need to get ready for the Hoop Dee Doo.
My husband calls again to bell services and we are told there was a mix up because there were two rooms under our name and because my parents luggage was brought up under our name they thought that was all the luggage for our room, but they have located ours and are bringing it up. My husband is furious.
It is nearing 6:00 and still no one to fix tub. We call again and tell them we will be out of the room, but they have our permission to come in and fix it.
Our luggage arrives!!!! Thank goodness. We all get ready and leave for Pioneer Hall and Cape May Buffet (my parents).
The eight of us who went really enjoyed the Hoop Dee Doo. Three were first timers, who weren't sure what to expect. We were at table 22, on the left side of the stage near the front. My BIL asked who did I kill to get this table???? It was perfect, we got lots of attention during the show and everyone enjoyed it.
We got back to the room and surprise!!! The tub is still not fixed, still full of water.
Everyone else decides to go swim in the Dunes Cove pool, my husband and I unpack and call housekeeping. I tell them this is our fourth phone call about the problem and they need to get someone in to fix it. Twenty minutes later Ernie from Engineering shows up. He can't figure it out. He calls the supervisor. They mess around with tub for about thirty minutes, then Ernie gets another call. So the supervisor stays. He finally figures it out. Someone jammed the button in so hard it would not release and underneath it knocked some control loose. He had to pry the button out, which took several minutes, then re-set it back in, reconnect the controls. He got it running, then when he turned it off the controls dis-connected again. The tub was finally functioning at 11:30.
Next day--Monday the 18th.
I was first up and took a shower. I noticed that I was standing in an inch or so of water. I thought, maybe it just drains slowly. My son took a shower. He too was standing in water. By the time my husband gets in to shower the water is almost up to the door sill. He is fuming. I call housekeeping, again.
This time someone is there within fifteen minutes, but she is also there to fix the tub!?! We tell her that it was fixed last night, this time it is the shower. She plungers it and the water drains quickly. At this time I am wondering what the previous occupants did to the room! I have noticed huge chunks of the finish taken off the furniture and the carpet is fraying at the edges. The toaster is missing the button that controls light to dark. I report what I can to housekeeping.
None of these things ruined the trip, but things did get off to a rocky start.
We really enjoyed having the space of a two bedroom, although having done the trip with family, I think next time everyone gets their own unit. Too many personalities conflicting. Next time my BILs can share the 2 bedroom with us and my parents get the studio!
We were there until check out on Sunday the 24th. We enjoyed SAB, the easy walk to Epcot, walking around to the Boardwalk, the boat to MGM. In fact the day we were at MGM, we walked back because we dawdled in the shops and missed the last boat. The walk was pretty easy and gave us a chance to glance around the Boardwalk pool area and check out the bakery.
I enjoyed entering Epcot through the International Gateway and finding World Showcase uncrowded. My BIL kept commenting on it. We felt like we had the countries to ourselves.
We saw a few shocking things, which I am not sure can even be mentioned here on these boards.
BCV had a lot of teenagers running around, I guess I noticed it in contrast to the Contemporary where we didn't see a lot of unsupervised kids. Some of the kids were respectful, some were not.
We checked out the Saratoga Springs models and surprisingly I liked the decor. My husband didn't really comment, although we did talk of adding on so that we have points only for us and points for family trips. He did like the Boardwalk models, the master bathroom. He felt like BCV had too many doors!
We saw Al the alligator twice. He is huge! We were surprised to see the turtles swimming right up to him.
Before I forget, on our trash and towel day--the housekeeper didn't come in. She just came to the door and handed my dad some clean towels and soap. Is that how they do it? Also, a housekeeper told my BIL to set his trash outside his door everyday and someone would get it. I told him otherwise.....
I know this was long. I plan on writing an even more detailed trip report---including fun in a tornado warning----on the trip reports board.
