Back from BWV......Very Disappointed and Disgusted

[AllieV]

As a medical professional, your husband should know that dried blood isn't as hazardous as moist, fresh blood. No chance of contacting any disease from dried blood. Just ask OSHA. Maybe not so clean, but not hazardous.

No, this is not true. I'm in the health and safety field and do osha training on this for people exposed to "sharps". Of the three known bloodborne pathogens (HIV, HBV, HCV), the pathogen of Hepatitis C stays active in dried blood for a minimum of 16 hours and a maximum of 4 days. It's not easy to catch via dried blood, but should always be cleaned with bleach. Hep B is highly contagious -- in both fresh and dried blood -- and remains contagious for at least a week after it leaves the body. HIV dies relatively quickly after leaving a host. This is CDC info, not some wiki answer. Always use a chlorinated agent to clean and always put the rags into a sealed/wrapped plastic bag for disposal.

 

[crisi]

Lovely post Tim. I'd say go in with reasonable expectations, not high ones. There will likely be some luggage marks on the walls or stains on the carpet or furniture. It isn't uncommon to see a few bugs, a lizard or a little mold in Florida - sometimes even in your room. Mousekeeping isn't going to check every lightbulb and some may be burned out. Your room request may not be met. If the resort hasn't been through a refresh recently, things may look a little worn. Every cast member does not say Welcome Home. It may be after 4pm before you get into your room. Your view may be blocked by a tree (There was a very old thread here were someone was INCENSED that his or her view was blocked by a tree!)

We can psyche ourselves into Disney being so great at customer service that its "magical" - and there isn't anything magical about cleaning a hotel room - its done by human beings who make human errors. And there isn't anything magical about DVC that makes it possible for fifty families to stay in a room and the carpet and couch to stay spotless. And someone in a high occupancy situation gets the rooms with a less than stellar view. What we can expect is competency - and when errors are made or something unexpected happens, that issues are resolved quickly.

 

[disneynutz]

I agree that problems can and will slip through the cracks but in my experience there are far to many DVC room issues. We average around 3 WDW vacations per year and 3 split stays per vacation, that's 9 DVC check ins per year. At least 1 out of three rooms have had a problem each vacation.

After working with Front Desk, DVC, and Guest Show Managers, I am convinced that Disney knows about and accepts the room problems at DVC resorts. I don't think that the budget for room cleanings and maintenance at DVC resorts is the same as other Disney resorts and because of this, Disney accepts room problems as normal.

In their world it's less expensive to give compensation to some guests then to add Mousekeepers and Maintenance people to clean and maintain the room as they should be.

Disney doesn't have any reason to keep DVC owners happy, we don't have any impact on their bottom line because we have to use our points or lose them. Members have also learned to accept room problems and some will even defend the Mousekeepers as overworked, or it's a timeshare so I don't expect the same conditions as a cash room.

We recently stayed at the Yacht Club and the experience was like night and day compared to the DVC. The Cast Members were on their toes, they really cared about out experience and the room was immaculate with no dust, clean windows, no wear, and not a cheerio to be found on the floor. A week later after we moved to BCV, we walked through the Yacht Club lobby and the greeter asked us if we were still staying at the Yacht Club and how has our stay been, he remembered us from the week before.

Bill

 

[BWV Dreamin]

Speaking for the other side of this coin, how many incidents happen and we DON'T hear about them? Just because they aren't posted doesn't mean these types of issues don't happen. I think BB's are a great sample of the total. I would not be taking a blind eye to these situations just because you aren't reading more of them. Again, just how many people even know about Disboards?

Just a couple of general comments:

1. The problem should have never happened but glad to hear it was addressed quickly and amicably.

2. 100% quality assurance is never, ever, EVER going to happen. Walt Disney World employs nearly 70,000 people. Not every CM can be screened, cross-checked, supervised and otherwise managed such that their work is impeccable every single minute they are on the job.

3. In addition to the number of CMs, it's worth noting that there are something like 5000 - 7000 DVC check-ins every single week. One or two or ten or twenty bad reports in a week still equates to a level of quality and satisfaction that most businesses could only dream of achieving.

4. With all of the above said, folks who live and die with every third-person account posted to an Internet forum are needlessly adding to their own aggravation, IMO. No matter what DVC does. No matter how positive of an impact Clair Bilby has. No matter how many levels of room inspections and supervision are added, problems will slip through the cracks.

It's very unfortunate that this happened to OP and again I'm glad it was resolved quickly and with a nice credit offered. But this discussion is of no value when trying to evaluate Disney's success or failure in dealing with thousands of arriving guests per week. 10 threads like this tell us nothing. 100 threads like this tell us nothing. We just don't have the data to determine the extent of such problems occurring at the resorts.

Best thing any Disney guest can do--DVC member or not--is to approach their trip with high expectations and deal with any issues as they occur. Contact housekeeping. Walk to the front desk and speak with a manager. Disney still has high standards for its staff and will typically bend over backward to help resolve any issues if/when they occur.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

I have to wonder about these "compensations" in dollar amounts of $100, $200, etc. I would like to have this cash, not a credit on my bill. It costs Disney nothing for these souvenirs, etc. Even the food. That is not OOP. Give me something tangible like cash.

I agree that problems can and will slip through the cracks but in my experience there are far to many DVC room issues. We average around 3 WDW vacations per year and 3 split stays per vacation, that's 9 DVC check ins per year. At least 1 out of three rooms have had a problem each vacation.

After working with Front Desk, DVC, and Guest Show Managers, I am convinced that Disney knows about and accepts the room problems at DVC resorts. I don't think that the budget for room cleanings and maintenance at DVC resorts is the same as other Disney resorts and because of this, Disney accepts room problems as normal.

In their world it's less expensive to give compensation to some guests then to add Mousekeepers and Maintenance people to clean and maintain the room as they should be.

Disney doesn't have any reason to keep DVC owners happy, we don't have any impact on their bottom line because we have to use our points or lose them. Members have also learned to accept room problems and some will even defend the Mousekeepers as overworked, or it's a timeshare so I don't expect the same conditions as a cash room.

We recently stayed at the Yacht Club and the experience was like night and day compared to the DVC. The Cast Members were on their toes, they really cared about out experience and the room was immaculate with no dust, clean windows, no wear, and not a cheerio to be found on the floor. A week later after we moved to BCV, we walked through the Yacht Club lobby and the greeter asked us if we were still staying at the Yacht Club and how has our stay been, he remembered us from the week before.

Bill

 

[k3chantal]

We knew that and weren't concerned about "contacting" anything. Like my title said, we were disgusted. It was just gross. I understand that housekeepers aren't perfect, but cleaning a room is what they are paid to do. Do they not check the washer and dryer when they are cleaning? If they did, then they would have seen the blood. Trust me, they wouldn't have missed it.

Got to say, I totally agree with you and would have been just as offended. This is not lint in the dryer or a speck in the sink; it's blood and it shows how little housekeeping looks around. And though I am sure it would be difficult to be a 'perfect' housekeeper, they at least have to do a minimum amount of checking and wiping down of areas.

Yuck!

 

[nluvwithdisney]

Yes I would be offended if a room was left like that I was checking into. I am more offended if it was a previous resort guest leaving a room like that and not making any type of attempt to clean up their own mess. They would have to do it at home if they were bleeding.

 

[Steamboat Girlie]

Just a couple of general comments:

1. The problem should have never happened but glad to hear it was addressed quickly and amicably.

2. 100% quality assurance is never, ever, EVER going to happen. Walt Disney World employs nearly 70,000 people. Not every CM can be screened, cross-checked, supervised and otherwise managed such that their work is impeccable every single minute they are on the job.

3. In addition to the number of CMs, it's worth noting that there are something like 5000 - 7000 DVC check-ins every single week. One or two or ten or twenty bad reports in a week still equates to a level of quality and satisfaction that most businesses could only dream of achieving.

4. With all of the above said, folks who live and die with every third-person account posted to an Internet forum are needlessly adding to their own aggravation, IMO. No matter what DVC does. No matter how positive of an impact Clair Bilby has. No matter how many levels of room inspections and supervision are added, problems will slip through the cracks.

It's very unfortunate that this happened to OP and again I'm glad it was resolved quickly and with a nice credit offered. But this discussion is of no value when trying to evaluate Disney's success or failure in dealing with thousands of arriving guests per week. 10 threads like this tell us nothing. 100 threads like this tell us nothing. We just don't have the data to determine the extent of such problems occurring at the resorts.

Best thing any Disney guest can do--DVC member or not--is to approach their trip with high expectations and deal with any issues as they occur. Contact housekeeping. Walk to the front desk and speak with a manager. Disney still has high standards for its staff and will typically bend over backward to help resolve any issues if/when they occur.

Nicely put!

 

[Deb & Bill]

Speaking for the other side of this coin, how many incidents happen and we DON'T hear about them? Just because they aren't posted doesn't mean these types of issues don't happen. I think BB's are a great sample of the total. I would not be taking a blind eye to these situations just because you aren't reading more of them. Again, just how many people even know about Disboards?

If they are on the DIS, we are going to hear about their problem in spades. But we don't hear from the guest who had a pleasant trip, no problems, room was nice, etc. Other than the "special pixie dust" ones.

I go out of my way to notify Member Satisfaction whenever we return and have a good trip, including names of CMs who did a good job.

 

[tjkraz]

I agree that problems can and will slip through the cracks but in my experience there are far to many DVC room issues. We average around 3 WDW vacations per year and 3 split stays per vacation, that's 9 DVC check ins per year. At least 1 out of three rooms have had a problem each vacation.

Then I would respectfully suggest you are either the unluckiest member who has ever joined or your degree of standards is not shared by the bulk of the membership.

Based upon my own experiences, personal friends who are members and the relative scarcity of public reports on forums like this, nothing leads me to believe that 1/3 of arrivals include some villa "problem."

After working with Front Desk, DVC, and Guest Show Managers, I am convinced that Disney knows about and accepts the room problems at DVC resorts.

Of course they do. That's how every business operates. Whether you're making burgers, cars or boxes of cereal, you know that sub-standard units will slip through all QA measures, and you have established protocol for compensating disgruntled customers.

As any business approaches 100% quality, the cost is exponentially higher to close the gap. In Disney's case you're talking about things like intentionally over-staffing every single day of the week to compensate for sick calls and no shows, adding more and more layers of management and supervision, spending more on screening of job candidates, spending more on recruiting and increasing wages to grow the pool of applicants.

In the abstract it's very easy for we armchair executives to suggest Disney should do all of the above and more. But it all costs money and most members are not thrilled with the amount they are asked to pay now.

Replacing furnishings, carpet, appliances, painting walls more often--again all costly improvements which members would pay for.

I don't think that the budget for room cleanings and maintenance at DVC resorts is the same as other Disney resorts and because of this, Disney accepts room problems as normal.

The biggest issue in cash vs. DVC is the high occupancy. Cash resorts are typically booked at 80-85% occupancy. That leaves dozens of vacant rooms every night of the week, rooms which can get a carpet cleaning or new paint without any impact on an arriving guest.

DVC's are near 100%. Every single room needs to be turned-over by 4pm for better or worse.

Standard hotel rooms don't have as many working parts to maintain. They don't have kitchens / appliances, no washer / dryer, one bathroom rather than 2-3.

Speaking for the other side of this coin, how many incidents happen and we DON'T hear about them? Just because they aren't posted doesn't mean these types of issues don't happen. I think BB's are a great sample of the total. I would not be taking a blind eye to these situations just because you aren't reading more of them. Again, just how many people even know about Disboards?

Of course there are many people who don't post publicly. But consider this...how many people DO post on the DVC forums alone? Hundreds? Thousands?

And of those individuals, how many posts do we see regarding room issues?

I'm not suggesting that the 2-3 negative reports posted per month is indicative of all DVC members. But it is indicative of what is likely several thousand people posting and lurking on the DIS DVC boards.

Venting on forums like this is therapeutic. Nothing wrong with OP sharing her experiences and receiving feedback from other members. But anyone who uses these sorts of random reports to influence their opinion of Disney / DVC is setting themselves up for a miserable ownership experience (IMHO.)

 

[delaneyc52]

Just a couple of general comments:

1. The problem should have never happened but glad to hear it was addressed quickly and amicably.

2. 100% quality assurance is never, ever, EVER going to happen. Walt Disney World employs nearly 70,000 people. Not every CM can be screened, cross-checked, supervised and otherwise managed such that their work is impeccable every single minute they are on the job.

3. In addition to the number of CMs, it's worth noting that there are something like 5000 - 7000 DVC check-ins every single week. One or two or ten or twenty bad reports in a week still equates to a level of quality and satisfaction that most businesses could only dream of achieving.

4. With all of the above said, folks who live and die with every third-person account posted to an Internet forum are needlessly adding to their own aggravation, IMO. No matter what DVC does. No matter how positive of an impact Clair Bilby has. No matter how many levels of room inspections and supervision are added, problems will slip through the cracks.

It's very unfortunate that this happened to OP and again I'm glad it was resolved quickly and with a nice credit offered. But this discussion is of no value when trying to evaluate Disney's success or failure in dealing with thousands of arriving guests per week. 10 threads like this tell us nothing. 100 threads like this tell us nothing. We just don't have the data to determine the extent of such problems occurring at the resorts.

Best thing any Disney guest can do--DVC member or not--is to approach their trip with high expectations and deal with any issues as they occur. Contact housekeeping. Walk to the front desk and speak with a manager. Disney still has high standards for its staff and will typically bend over backward to help resolve any issues if/when they occur.

 

[crisi]

I have to wonder about these "compensations" in dollar amounts of $100, $200, etc. I would like to have this cash, not a credit on my bill. It costs Disney nothing for these souvenirs, etc. Even the food. That is not OOP. Give me something tangible like cash.

If those compensations are cash, our fellow members are going to pay for them out of the operating budget. It won't hit Disney's bottom line because that's how they've set themselves up. DVC is a contained entity.

 

[lilpooh108]

No, this is not true. I'm in the health and safety field and do osha training on this for people exposed to "sharps". Of the three known bloodborne pathogens (HIV, HBV, HCV), the pathogen of Hepatitis C stays active in dried blood for a minimum of 16 hours and a maximum of 4 days. It's not easy to catch via dried blood, but should always be cleaned with bleach. Hep B is highly contagious -- in both fresh and dried blood -- and remains contagious for at least a week after it leaves the body. HIV dies relatively quickly after leaving a host. This is CDC info, not some wiki answer. Always use a chlorinated agent to clean and always put the rags into a sealed/wrapped plastic bag for disposal.

Thanks

Unlike PPs, I don't consider expecting my room to not have dried blood everywhere as having "high expectations". It seems like its a basic sanitation issue.

 

[vicki_c]

But if all 2 bedrooms are a lock-off, then she would have to open the door in between the studio and the one bedroom, making it a two bedroom - maybe they didn't explain it to her? I find it incredible you can reserve a 2 bdrm and only get a 1 bdrm without a credit or being moved immediately. Let us know how she makes out!

I'm curious about this side issue and this poster's sister is mistaken, or if they really gave her a 1 BR when she used points for a 2 BR. If so, the sister (or DVC owner) needs to get on the phone with Member Services.

 

[CaliforniaDreaming]

I'm curious about this side issue and this poster's sister is mistaken, or if they really gave her a 1 BR when she used points for a 2 BR. If so, the sister (or DVC owner) needs to get on the phone with Member Services.

This got me thinking, everytime we've stayed in a 2BR lockoff, the connecting door has been locked in both rooms. I've come across a few occasions where the front desk hasn't given us both room numbers (either the lower of the two numbers, or the number for the one bedroom, I can't remember), but you do get them both via the text when the room is ready now.

 

[deegack]

I'm curious about this side issue and this poster's sister is mistaken, or if they really gave her a 1 BR when she used points for a 2 BR. If so, the sister (or DVC owner) needs to get on the phone with Member Services.

Sorry busy day. I got some clarification from my sister. They had reserved a two bedroom. They received a one bedroom (door locked between rooms and was not their room) and then they gave them an additional studio but not near the one bedroom. This is a problem because sis has three small kids and they brought her inlaws in part to help her with the kids. Last I heard they were trying to move them to closer rooms.

 

[vicki_c]

Sorry busy day. I got some clarification from my sister. They had reserved a two bedroom. They received a one bedroom (door locked between rooms and was not their room) and then they gave them an additional studio but not near the one bedroom. This is a problem because sis has three small kids and they brought her inlaws in part to help her with the kids. Last I heard they were trying to move them to closer rooms.

Totally unacceptable. To me - worse than the OP's blood in the room problem by far! What if you didn't have the in-laws - are the mom and dad supposed to split up down the hall from each other or further?

 

[jekjones1558]

Sorry busy day. I got some clarification from my sister. They had reserved a two bedroom. They received a one bedroom (door locked between rooms and was not their room) and then they gave them an additional studio but not near the one bedroom. This is a problem because sis has three small kids and they brought her inlaws in part to help her with the kids. Last I heard they were trying to move them to closer rooms.

Now this is a BIG deal because the problem was not resolved right away. This is an example of a time that points should all be returned. Totally not okay.

 

[DisDaydreamer]

Just a couple of general comments:

Well said, Tim.

 

[DisDaydreamer]

Lovely post Tim.

Very well said, Crisi...