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

[CharlesTD]

To be honest I like PA@OKW's idea have only smoking and non and HC room requests available nothing else no locations etc and have it fair no matter how early you get there all rooms are ready for 4PM no earlier.

 

[tiffany123]

Thought I would add my 2 cents. Seems that part of the problems with "room ready" and any other reservation plan is that personal requests have gotten way out of hand. Room scheduling has to be a nightmare for whomever has this "unappreciated" job. Perhaps if requests for all DVC resorts could be limited to 1) smoking/non smoking (a biggie for most of us) and 2) handicapped/non-handicapped alot of the problems would end. Maybe I'm being idealistic but it appears to me that some people's requests (and again, they are just requests) are totally out of line.

 

[joepoe]

I don't know how many handicap rooms there are at OKW or any of the DVC's, but my feeling is no one should be forced to take one. DVC should just leave them go empty, just like the parking spaces. I know some will say all the points are sold and they cant afford to go empty. What is the real impact here if they did go empty?

 

[dianeschlicht]

I don't know how many handicap rooms there are at OKW or any of the DVC's, but my feeling is no one should be forced to take one. DVC should just leave them go empty, just like the parking spaces. I know some will say all the points are sold and they cant afford to go empty. What is the real impact here if they did go empty?

The impact if they go empty is that during busy seasons when all point usage is booked, there wont be enough rooms to go around!

 

[MiaSRN62]

To be honest I like PA@OKW's idea have only smoking and non and HC room requests available nothing else no locations etc and have it fair no matter how early you get there all rooms are ready for 4PM no earlier.

Well if they were to discontinue all reservation requests (except for NS/HA)then they need to apply this policy to ALL DVC resorts (including BW views at BWV). I don't necessarily agree with it---I can even make requests at my offsite timeshare, Vistana, and check-in before the posted 4 pm time. I was even able to make view/bldg requests for an upcoming trip to POR.
I don't think it's fair to just apply this to OKW. I also feel that everyone checking in at 4 pm would cause a major traffic jam and it's difficult on people who are coming in at all different times. We usually arrive around noon-2 pm (we drive). To go to the parks for only a couple hours and then have to return at 4 pm really chops up the first day. We prefer checking in at 2 pm, and then just coming back later for our room assignment. Like I said, I don't mind waiting until 4 pm to get into the room, but everyone having to check in at that specific time would not be advantagious imo.

 

[dianeschlicht]

When I suggested the "no one gets in a room before 4 PM" idea, I was referring to when you could actually access the room, not wait until then to check in. I do know that at some timeshares though, they DO require that you not even check in before that time. The logistics of that at resorts as large as OKW, BWV, and SSR would be impossible, but the not getting in unitl 4 would be parcticle, since all rooms would be in ready status at the same time. That way the pre assigned room idea would actually work.

 

[MiaSRN62]

When I suggested the "no one gets in a room before 4 PM" idea, I was referring to when you could actually access the room, not wait until then to check in. I do know that at some timeshares though, they DO require that you not even check in before that time.

Ok....sorry I misunderstood Diane. This is how I feel as well.....I really don't mind waiting until 4 pm.
Can't speak for all timeshares, but Sheraton Vistana is quite large. If we all had to wait until 4 pm it would be mass chaos in the lobby. Actually, Fri/Sat/Sun is like this at Vistana alot of times, but at least they allow us to check-in early. We even get our room assignment most times at time of check-in. We just can't necessarily get into the room prior to 4 pm.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I think that would make the system fair for all.

 

[CharlesTD]

Dianeschlicht I agree sorry if I had made it sound like no desk check ins till 4 I mean check in as get the room before 4 PM and it would be for all DVC resorts not just OKW then they could do away with the point differences for prefered and standard.

 

[Deep-Thots]

I think letting people check in early is a benefit for the resort as well. If they give the rooms out as they become available then they won't have 200 people queued up at 3:30 to get their room at 4:00. It eliminates a mad rush. I'm sure we would all be complaining if they did that.

No, the real problem is that different resorts in the DVC system follow different policies on different days of the week.

For example, BWV, by and large, uses a pre-assigned room policy and will not allow you to check in to your room if it is not ready, come hell or high water. If it's ready, no problem -- you can check in at 10 AM. But if not, then you sometimes have to wait until, say, 5 PM, if they're trying to get the carpet to dry.

OKW and SSR, contrarily, follow a mostly room-ready policy. If a room is ready that fits your needs and you arrive to check in at noon, it's yours.

VWL and BCV fall somewhere in the middle, depending upon the cast members and the day/week.

The problem is, you never know what in the world to expect. Consistency is all I ask.....

Like Shan, however, I would prefer pre-assigned rooms, and would be more-than-willing to CHANGE THE DATES OF MY VACATIONS to insure that my requests (for non-smoking and non-HA [for my nieces) were honored.

 

[CharlesTD]

I don't really care about and neither does my family if it is pre assigned rooms that by and large is not an issue just make it so that everyone has the same options for sm and nsm hc and nonhc and leave it at that and what you get is what you get after that.

 

[dianeschlicht]

No, the real problem is that different resorts in the DVC system follow different policies on different days of the week.

For example, BWV, by and large, uses a pre-assigned room policy and will not allow you to check in to your room if it is not ready, come hell or high water. If it's ready, no problem -- you can check in at 10 AM. But if not, then you sometimes have to wait until, say, 5 PM, if they're trying to get the carpet to dry.

OKW and SSR, contrarily, follow a mostly room-ready policy. If a room is ready that fits your needs and you arrive to check in at noon, it's yours.

VWL and BCV fall somewhere in the middle, depending upon the cast members and the day/week.

The problem is, you never know what in the world to expect. Consistency is all I ask.....

Like Shan, however, I would prefer pre-assigned rooms, and would be more-than-willing to CHANGE THE DATES OF MY VACATIONS to insure that my requests (for non-smoking and non-HA [for my nieces) were honored.

Are you saying that if you arrive at BWV at 10 AM and your room is not ready, they do not let you complete the check-in process then? Do you have to go back and check in later in the day? At OKW, we get to go through the check-in process, but we do not get our room assignment. We are given a number to call. We can call and check when our room is ready and what number it is.

 

[CharlesTD]

We checked in to BWV and they gave us the same card and number to call that you get at all the other resorts no worries there.

 

[Deep-Thots]

Are you saying that if you arrive at BWV at 10 AM and your room is not ready, they do not let you complete the check-in process then? Do you have to go back and check in later in the day? At OKW, we get to go through the check-in process, but we do not get our room assignment. We are given a number to call. We can call and check when our room is ready and what number it is.

You are, of course, technically allowed to complete the check-in process (sans actual room assignment).

But at BWV, you are given the room you have been pre-assigned and no other, regardless of the circumstances.

Thus, for example, say that you have a standard studio, n/s reserved (with no other requests), as does one other person. (For the sake of argument, let's assume that you're both arriving and departing on the same days.)

Both studios A and B fit the bill. You have been pre-assigned studio A while the other person has been pre-assigned studio B. You arrive at noon, but studio A is not ready yet, while B is. The other person has not arrived yet.

In these circumstances, BWV would not allow you to check into studio B, while OKW or SSR would. VWL or BCV might let you check into studio B, depending upon the cast member or day/week. BWV would allow you to check your bags, etc., but would make you wait for studio A. (Even if there were 10 other studios that met your request, BWV would make you wait for that specific studio to become available.)

I'm just saying that what "room-ready" means varies from resort to resort. It would be nice if DVC were more consistent in the way it enforced its policy.

 

[zurgswife]

That's why I check in early and use my familiarity with the staff to get the specific standard 2bdrm at BWV that I want. I'm usually in my room by 2pm on the latest last trip on Easter Sunday I got my room by 12pm...The front desk manager actually called my cell to let Me know that it was ready..

But I definately see the flaw in room ready...even my connections couldn't get me the room I want if I wasn't able to check in until late PM..

 

[Tamar]

We usually do check in fairly early, but for the last 3-4 trips, we have had to ask the CMs at BWV and OKW to change our room assignment, as our requests (other than NS) had been ignored.

At BWV, we ask to be far away from the elevator (how hard should it be to do that?), and at OKW, we ask to be off the busline (pretty much against the grain of what others are requesting).

I'm not sure why they even take the requests, if they aren't going to pay any attention to them. The last few times we have refused a ready room and asked to wait for one that met our requests, and we have been able to do that...why couldn't they just assign us those rooms to begin with?

Tamar

 

[thelobstershanty]

Wow!!! After reading this thread it makes the guaranteed boardwalk view villas an even bigger advantage and perk. You are guaranteed a boardwalk view villa, which all have great views, none of the boardwalk view villas are smoking and there are very few HC villas, that are boardwalk view.

 

[jade1]

Wow!!! After reading this thread it makes the guaranteed boardwalk view villas an even bigger advantage and perk. You are guaranteed a boardwalk view villa, which all have great views, none of the boardwalk view villas are smoking and there are very few HC villas, that are boardwalk view.

That is true, we do not own BWV but managed to get BW View 2 times and you do know it is probably going to be awesome, and sure enough it is.

 

[zulaya]

It IS irritating that the policy can't be uniform at all resorts. Unfortunately for us, we don't "know" the staff at BCVs - I haven't had the same CM on check in yet- so that type of "connection" is out. Even though we go every year.

I am totally for giving priority to resort owners by booking date. I am sure that it wouldn't take long to set up a program for the room assignor to sort reservations by the date they were made and to assign rooms accordingly.

If BWV can pre-assign to make their guests happy with their room assignments, why can't DVC apply that policy across the board? No offense to BWV owners...but why do they receive this preference and no other DVC owners do? Not exactly uniform for all members and that's what irks me. In instances like this, DVC-MS makes me feel like because I chose my home resort to be BCV, I am not as good as a BWV owner.

Again, no offense intended to BWV owners...just count me as another person frustrated with this process...

 

[wdwstar]

when i make my ressies thru ms i make sure they note on my ressies non- smoking and no HA . when i check in before the cm gets a chance to confirm my ressies i again tell the cm non smoking & no HA room please. and then i smile and tell the cm that i am not HA and i would never want to take a HA room from someone that really needs one. Then i would stand my ground and if cm tells me that their is nothing available except a HA room , then i would just smile and say ms should never had booked my stay here on points when ms knew that i did not want a HA room . Then i would smile again and tell the cm they need to find me a room that is not HA, whether mysteries they find one there or at the GF. we have been given smoking rooms and i tell the cm if that is the only room you have , i will have to check the room out first and the smoke smell is bad i wont be able to stay in it and they will have to find me another room. out of the few rooms that were smoking rooms that we were given, did not smell like smoke to bad and one was not excepted, cm mysteries found us a non smoking room.hmmmm..

i agree if you are coming in late you should not be punished and be given the dumpster view or a HA room.