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

[caskar]

I still wonder why BWV can have 3 different views; standard, preferred, boardwalk yet BCV can't even have one. Why doesn't BCV have a standard view, i.e. lower floor facing the road, or view looking at the Beach Club. We at BCV can only ask for a room. If it was not possible to tell which rooms face toward Epcot at BCV, how is it possible for BWV to tell which rooms face the boardwalk?

There really should be an advantage of booking early. I am on waitlist for a week at BCV this summer so I would be happy to have any room right now. But if I would have kept my first reservation made at the 11 months window to the day, I would expect to get room with the view I requested most of the time, especially if I am checking in on Sunday.

I do agree with Doc, just let me know the rules we are going to play under so I can play the game with a stategy to get a my more desireable view.

 

[Sammie]

I agree, DVCME. No member should be punished for living in an area where early arrivals aren't possible. It's also ridiculous to have to arrive a day early and stay offsite just to be able to check into DVC early the next day in hopes of getting a good room. Hopefully DVC is rethinking the policies that reward early arrivals and punish those who get in later.

I don't think that will be case. While the consenus on this forum is that a change would be welcome. According to DVC management, more members, obviously the thousands that don't post here, like the Room Ready policy and wanted it. Until the majority becomes different I don't see a change coming. As stated, due to this I will always stay off property unless I can arrive early.

As to Disney letting everyone know the "rules" that is never going to happen. Disney is master of slight of hand. They will always tell you what you want to hear, all the time knowing that is not always going to be the actual situation. To them, it's making magic. And we all know magic is all smoke and mirrors and slight of hand.

 

[Pinnie]

They will always tell you what you want to hear, all the time knowing that is not always going to be the actual situation. To them, it's making magic. And we all know magic is all smoke and mirrors and slight of hand.

AMEN

They can't even agree on refillable mugs or occupancy numbers!

pinnie

 

[drakethib]

Shan and many others have legit reasons for needing a non-smoking room and I do feel like those types of requests should be honored. Disney should require documentation in your "file" (and yes - it will be abused, but I can't live my life by NOT doing right just because others will do wrong) if you have true medical needs and meet those requests.

A Medical note to be put in your file is a great idea for those who need a non-smoking room.

That would be a great suggestion to send to DVC.

 

[Tamar]

Oh, I suppose this will stir the pot, but if DVC can't honor all the non-smoking room requests, perhaps more of the rooms should be designated as non-smoking. Even though I don't have a medical reason to need a non-smoking room, it would totally ruin my vacation to get assigned a smelly smoking room.

 

[DebbieB]

Oh, I suppose this will stir the pot, but if DVC can't honor all the non-smoking room requests, perhaps more of the rooms should be designated as non-smoking. Even though I don't have a medical reason to need a non-smoking room, it would totally ruin my vacation to get assigned a smelly smoking room.

They have reduced the number of smoking rooms/buildings. I believe OKW used to have 7 smoking buildings, now there are 3. I believe when BWV first opened, all of the second and fourth floors were smoking optional, now it is only part of the second.

 

[jarestel]

I don't think that will be case. While the consenus on this forum is that a change would be welcome. According to DVC management, more members, obviously the thousands that don't post here, like the Room Ready policy and wanted it. Until the majority becomes different I don't see a change coming. As stated, due to this I will always stay off property unless I can arrive early.

As to Disney letting everyone know the "rules" that is never going to happen. Disney is master of slight of hand. They will always tell you what you want to hear, all the time knowing that is not always going to be the actual situation. To them, it's making magic. And we all know magic is all smoke and mirrors and slight of hand.

I know we here on the DIS are not the voice of 90,000 members, but just from a statistical sampling in the most unscientific of methods, it would seem to me that DVC is not being entirely truthful about this vast silent majority who likes the current system. Many have asked here when the membership actually voted on this question and the funny thing is nobody can seem to recall voting at all. So one wonders where DVC accumulated all of this data to support their position. But as you say, Disney works with smoke and mirrors and I see a bunch of smoke all around this issue!

 

[DebbieB]

My bet if you asked they will say they did some kind of "test run". They probably swayed it to make it look like it was favorable by saying members liked getting into their rooms earlier.

 

[Johnnie Fedora]

My bet if you asked they will say they did some kind of "test run". They probably swayed it to make it look like it was favorable by saying members liked getting into their rooms earlier.

The "test run" probably consisted of management polling their front desk CMs by asking them a scewed question like:

Are members dissapointed when they have to wait to access their room??

 

[RobDoc]

Part of the problem is that they don't seem to be adhering to ANY policy on a consistent basis. If "room ready" is truly the way rooms are assigned, then guests would be assigned whatever room is prepared at the time they arrive at the desk or when they call later to find their assignment. No choices should be given , just whatever is ready at that moment (if anything). The way it appears to be done currently is "Arrive early and keep declining rooms until you get what you want". If that is the policy being practiced, then just tell the members that everything is first-come-first-served-take-your-pick-of-rooms and we'll all know what to expect. I hate to have to move once I get settled (and did not move on this stay at OKW), but will change my vacation habits if DVC is adamant about changing the way rooms are assigned after 12 years as a member. I don't care what policy is in place, just tell me what it is.

As an update to my email sent last Friday ... I was assured by Jason, front desk manager at OKW, that any email sent to Guest Communications would be seen by the resort manager. To date, I have received a computer generated auto-reply shortly after sending the email Friday night at 11:06pm, but no followup contact of any sort has come since.

 

[childsplay]

Part of the problem is that they don't seem to be adhering to ANY policy on a consistent basis. I don't care what policy is in place, just tell me what it is.

Doc, I couldn't agree with you more...I wrote basically the same thing in a thread like this several years ago (right before they went to "room ready")...Just tell me how things work (ie. the rules of the game) and I will "play" based on my needs and desires...the frustrating part is when they keep changing, or worse yet, fail to play by the rules they established...and Jason telling you to call the front desk is in direct violation to what MS has said in writing. Enjoy your stay and thanks for fighting the good fight.

 

[chris1gill]

Doc, I feel for you, we've had several poor experiences checking in at 11pm... Unfortunately, if you are the last one to arrive, you get whatever is left over... Three doors down from our given room @ VWL we could smell the cigarette smoke coming from the room... We have a non-smoking request due to medical & it wasn't granted... It was quite the nightmare & we refused to check in to the room even though it was the only thing available....

Long story short, from now on, we will be checking in somewhere other than Disney the night before & arriving early at Disney the next day... seems ridiculous, but this just keeps happening to us with the late night check-ins....

 

[lenshanem]

We have a non-smoking request due to medical & it wasn't granted...

They should set aside those rooms at the start of the day.

 

[idratherbeinwdw]

Doc, I feel for you, we've had several poor experiences checking in at 11pm... Unfortunately, if you are the last one to arrive, you get whatever is left over... Three doors down from our given room @ VWL we could smell the cigarette smoke coming from the room... We have a non-smoking request due to medical & it wasn't granted... It was quite the nightmare & we refused to check in to the room even though it was the only thing available....

Long story short, from now on, we will be checking in somewhere other than Disney the night before & arriving early at Disney the next day... seems ridiculous, but this just keeps happening to us with the late night check-ins....

I agree 100% that this shouldn't be happening but I am not sure of how to "cure" the problem. We all know by now that the squeaky wheel (read "obnoxious, whining, unreasonable pain in the rear") folks get the grease at WDW. Even if rooms were pre-assigned and supposed to be held for a particular guest they'd be switched around to accomodate those folks who, (although they booked later and/or hadn't made any requests) yelled the loudest. It's not one bit fair but from what I have seen personally and read on the boards that's the way it seems to go.

It is SO not right to have folks who booked 11 months out at their home resort get the worst room because they were too late and got booted by someone who did not have the foresight to book as far ahead, but was lucky enough to get there first on check-in day. I'd REALLY like to see a way to guarantee specific accomodations for those who book first and I also think there should be a Home Resort Advantage. It's LUDICROUS that DVC owners who book way in advance should have to stay elsewhere the first night to get their requests met. I usually take an early flight and have never had a problem with my two requests (top floor, N/S) but I feel terrible for all of you who get there later in the day and are forced to stay elsewhere the first night or take the worst rooms.

Mar'

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

Money makes the world go round. The easiest way to solve this problem is to provide a mechanism whereby those who really want a certain combination of requests get them by sacrificing something to guarentee it. Money perhaps. Isn't that the way the regular hotel world does it? You guarentee your room with a credit card it will be available even if you arrive at 2AM. Since DVC is already guarenteed with your points why not have a surcharge per request to guarentee it. If you don't pay the surcharge you are acknowledging your willingness to take whatever matches you can get. Perhaps the surcharge could be a points based charge to level the playing field. It would be to DVC's advantage because people who use points to guarentee room requests would eventually free up extra rooms for rental purposes.

IMHO the 11 month advance reservation is just an opportunity to get the reservable aspects you can get...location, room size and in the case of BWV a choice of point usage. I know I'm sticking my head up out of the trenches here but SOMEONE has to get the bad room. Perhaps sticking the waitlisters with the worst rooms would be another way to go. After all they are using scant resources to find a room in the resort they want rather than taking what is available. I wouldn't punish the cash customers because they are using points available to Disney for rental purposes. One would then have to target any guest users/renters of any contract owner in the same manner.

 

[chris1gill]

They should set aside those rooms at the start of the day.

They should, but they don't necessarily (I guess)... This is the third time we've checked in late at night (read midnight) & gotten the very worst room in the hotel, or in two of the cases, the ONLY room in the hotel... one was a regular Disney resort, not DVC... so this is certainly not unique to DVC....

After three trips of this madness, I've had enough of it... I would rather stay in a dive the first night & check in to a reasonable DVC room.... I'm not picky either... just non-smoking & if we are at OKW a HC room... that's it, those are the only things I ever request!!! The HC rooms ARE set ahead of time... That's really important at OKW as I'm in a wheelchair & can't do those stairs! I've never had a problem at OKW as a matter of fact...

Good point about calling when we arrive late... I've always made note on the reservation when we would be late, but perhaps it would do more good if I called the front desk directly on the day of checkin...

 

[spiceycat]

but that would be fair.

only the DVC member should get their request - everyone else should get what is left over.

maybe the front desk thought you were a no show??? and gave your room to someone else.

if you are arriving late at any resort I call and tell them I am coming I just won't be there until midnight sometimes later. Just so the resort doesn't give my room to someone else.

I don't pay extra for views at any resorts - but most of the time I am upgraded to a better view.

so sorry your request weren't meet at all.

 

[colleen costello]

Doubletrouble your point is interesting and you make some valid comments, yet I am thinking that DVC costs me a fortune and I shouldn't have to pay MORE to be guaranteed a smoke-free room! To me it is an issue of health and cleanliness and nonsmokers (medical or not!) should NEVER be expected to take a smoking room!

We always stay at a Moderate the day we arrive. It is a pain to move but it usually saves points and it beats being assigned to a stinking room and having allergy issues all week. I check into our Villa early the next morning and have never gotten assigned to a smoking room.

 

[robinb]

The last time I checked into a DVC resort at 11:00 PM I was given the choice between a smoking room and a handicapped room. This was before "room ready". I took the handicapped room.

I wish that DVC would create categories for smoking/non-smoking rooms and handicapped/non-handicapped rooms. I think almost all hotels do these days. That would take care of 95% of the valid complaints. Then, you can choose if you wish to accept the smoking handicapped room when you book or if you want to try a different resort or dates.

As for everything else, I don't care what system they have in place to assign rooms. As long as I understand it, I can play the game. I no longer book a DVC resort on my first night in Florida. Instead, I plan on arriving at the resort in the morning or early afternoon so I can avoid the dreaded smoking or handicapped room.

 

[zurgswife]

I always stay somewhere else the night before...cause I'm cheap with the points...then I check in early..