Bad Day at Blackrock ... and OKW **UPDATED on page 9**

[kathleena]

Sorry about your rough start, Doc.

I am in the "don't like the room ready policy" camp. Although I request MS for Medical reasons and don't have the late arrival situation - I have full support for the 11th month booking/home resort priority situation.

And - just to de-bunk any thoughts that the medical NS gives more of an advantage because they are booked first - not true of the two check ins last March - I didn't get any of my other requests at either BWV or BCV. And I used owner's points and booked at 11 months out for both. I'm not complaining we were very happy at both resorts, it's just the facts!

Actually to be funny - we had two studios booked at the BW. I had a request for one to be high floor. On the other, I asked for across from the Bus Stop. We didn't want to be near each other because the kids would be staying with the in-laws who my DD can't stand. They put us right next to each other on the 2nd floor near the entrance. hahahahahah. They said, oh we got you next to each other. And we cracked a half smile "great......just great......". So maybe we should have said - as far as possible from the other room we booked!!

And the thought that DTD view requests at SSR will become a big headache for them has crossed my mind more than once. Looking at their propoganda - er - marketing documents they clearly push the fireworks/DTD!

 

[BobH]

It all comes down to DVC taking care of those that cry the loudest - which I think is very unfortunate. With this first come first served reservation policy I think DVC has done a disservice to members who have made their vacations plans ahead of time. A basic sense of fairness dictates that reservation requests should be given out in the order they were received. Perhaps this is a subject that should be introduced at a member meeting with the idea of reverting to the original system. Hope your next reservation goes better - Doc. Out of seven trips I have had 2 bad experiences. One trip to Vero I waited til 5pm for a 1 Bedroom unit that was dirty when I received it. The other 5 trips were either acceptable or better than I expected. I do feel that Disney needs to be told in writing when cases like Doc's occur, and hopefully we all attempt to do this. Letter writing may not guarantee anything will change but we should not let them get away with unfair practices without putting them on notice.

 

[BillM]

I agree with Pam's post. I have posted similar statments before. If they can design the computer system for BWV to "guarantee " Boardwalk views, why can't they do the same for other resorts. Booking at the 11 month window for crying out loud. What does that get you ? The person who snares a "wait list" villa 30 days out and checks in at 8:30 AM gets the pick of the "room ready" villas.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Is there some way to bring this entire thread to the attention of Quality Assurance? There are some very good remarks here, and I really wish DVC/DVD would listen to some of them!

Doc, let us know what information you get today.

 

[sheryl0521]

It seems like arriving at the resort as early as possible is the key to getting the room you want. (If your travel plans allow, that is.)

I agree with this statement.

Normally if we are arriving after 6pm, we go to a value or moderate resort for the 1 night and check in the next day.

Although we did arrive late one night at BWV and learned that their computers shut down at midnight for regular servicing. When we checked in, they actually pulled out paperwork out of a pile of others because we had been "checked-in" before the system went down. The room met our requests, Studio Non-smoking (didn't get too specific) but I wanted to change the credit card on the room to another account and we had to do that at guest services the next morning.

 

[chimera]

sorry to be such a newbie...but what's the 'room-ready' concept?

We're staying on FL resident's rate at OKW later this month. Do we get treated differently than if we were on points or does it depend on when we check-in?

We're likely to always check in late...we usually drive up on a Fri afternoon after work, so get to Orlando about 7 or 8pm. But the only thing we request is NS (at least til we get to know the resorts better ). Our first points stay will be in Sept. Do you have better luck with requests at certain resorts vs others?

TIA!

 

[mark&sue]

I can't tell you how disappointed we were with our room at Grand Floridian last October, that we had booked up over a year in advance as it was the worse room (according to the unofficial guide,behind the pool building). We paid £7,000 for two weeks.

In my life I get everywhere early and it is a standing joke with my friends and co-workers that I am always early. However as we live in the UK flights to Orlando always land in the afternoon. We had a 4 hour delay and after getting out of the airport we did not arrive at the hotel until 10.00 p.m. The CM told us that it was first come first serve. I felt upset that I was late but it was totally beyond my control.

We were so disappointed that when we found out about DVC we signed up there and then. Our guide told us we would have wonderful rooms with bath tubs etc. I am disappointed that the same thing is likely to happen again. It has been suggested to me that I stay somewhere else the first night but this just seems a silly situation.

I guess we can change room the next day if the worse comes to the worse, but it is a shame that the booking early means absolutely nothing other than securing a room.

Sorry to go on.



Susan

 

[Pluto4Pres]

I think that it would only seem fair that if you make a reservation 11 months out and none of your requests are met, they should change your room the very next day without additional charge.

 

[rocketriter]

I'm not sure that room-ready ever had anything to do with 4 pm check-in or squeaky wheels. The bottom line seems to be that room ready allows the resort to simplfy and maximize their booking of rooms, the same way that refusing to take reservations allows a restaurant to maximize their use of tables. It's entirely to the benefit of the business and not to the benefit of the customer.

 

[wtpclc]

Darn newbies! (FYI - Mel knows I'm kidding, don't flame me!) Room-ready means that when someone shows up, they give them a room from those that are ready. (i.e., They are not pre-assigned) Supposedly this was to get people into their rooms faster. So if I showed up at 2, I woudln't have to wait 'til 4 when the room was actually ready. If rooms are available at 2, you get one of those. It seems as though thjis means the early bird gets the room and late arrivals may not get their requests.

Don't know if cash ressies do better. I would think everyone's handled the ame once they arrive for the most part. I have heard of people on cash ressies getting upgraded and those on points not. I've also heard that BWV tends to pre-assign more and you get more requests. Not sure how tru this is.

If you spent more time over here, you'd know these things. I know, get back to work.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Is there some way to bring this entire thread to the attention of Quality Assurance? There are some very good remarks here, and I really wish DVC/DVD would listen to some of them!

Doc, let us know what information you get today.

Yes, Yes! Excellent idea!

 

[DebbieB]

Do you think the fact that it was a Thursday night hurt your chances for getting room requests? Many members checkout on Friday morning, it would seem Friday night would be the best chance to get requests.

 

[lenshanem]

I find it interesting that Doc can complain about not getting any requests filled and all agree, but when somebody else does it they get attacked and flamed.

Regardless, I totally agree that home resort owners should get some priority when making requests. Why should a non home resort owner get a better room when they book a month out but arrive a few hours before compared to a home resort owner who booked eleven months out and arrives later?!?

It is like when I took my parents to BCV. I wanted so badly to impress to justify our DVC purchase to them. I made the ressies eleven months out to the day and my only request was for our rooms to be near each other. Turns out they were in completely different wings! And to make it worse they lied about it at check-in! It did not impress my Dad, who has worked for Holiday Inn for over thirty years. He kept saying - didn't you make this ressie almost a year ago and they can't get us even remotely near each other??? (Oh, and we arrived at 11:00 AM, but the rooms weren't ready until 4:00.)

I hope you still have fun Doc!

 

[spiceycat]

Doc you have been to OKW so many times - that they should see you as a good customer and try to please you.

I have written before about not getting my rooms. I don't think I was flamed to badly.

write a letter to DVC - I would definitely complaint about the front desk.

in my opinion, the great front desk people at OKW have been replaced by almost untrained people. One tried to tell me that they couldn't cash check AE checks????

OKW use to get the best CM - now I don't think it does at all.

Complaint to the manager while you are there - that works better than waiting until you come home.

You have stayed in HC rooms more than your share - how about next time your first request be no-HC.... (that is a request - it is in their system)

 

[lllovell]

I think that with SSR currently being sold, it might have stolen a few of those really good CMs for the better impression on potential buyers. I KNOW that is not how it should work, that they should all be great, but we realize that is does happen.

Also, I found it kinda strange that when I called housekeeping to get some bed rails during our trip in April, they asked if I was at OKW or SSR. I guess those offices are run from the same place.

 

[Nanajo1]

I think the only thing the 11 month window gets you is a room. I'm in favor of Home Resort Advantage with room assignments. What is the benefit of booking 11 months out and getting the least desirable room because someone else who may have booked later arrived ahead of me? To those who say that they don't worry about the room because they are in Disney World I say I can be in Disney World at a Value Resort and save a ton of money on dues!

 

[manning]

I think booking at owners resort gives only one advantage. A four month priority window.

 

[jarestel]

Doc you have been to OKW so many times - that they should see you as a good customer and try to please you.

I would hope and expect that all DVC members would warrant this type of service, regardless of familiarity with the staff.

 

[wtpclc]

I would hope and expect that all DVC members would warrant this type of service, regardless of familiarity with the staff.

Yes, but Doc's a celebrity!

 

[jarestel]

Yes, but Doc's a celebrity!

Agreed! And a wonderful asset to the DIS boards as well. But the solution to the room ready problem isn't preferential treatment for a few members, but a solution that works for everyone. Home resort room preference is a great idea! This wouldn't prevent non-home resort owners from staying at a non-home resort, it would simply move their room requests to the bottom of the list.