BC weekend turns into BCV weekend!!

[2vets]

Just back last night from WDW. We arrived at BC late Friday night (around 11:30 pm) - I did like the resort (ESPECIALLY the fab location), but I think I am more of a "themed resort" gal - WL, AKL, Poly...those are my faves, though I may try BWI next time. We had booked under a postcard (CKU) rate - $229/night for a waterview. We had been calling for a standard view, which knocked the price to $189/night (I think), but no success - the last CRO person I spoke to before we left had put into our reservation that we'd prefer a standard view room/price if one became available.

When we arrived, checked in, and headed to our room, we were already a little annoyed - we had requested 2 double beds (this had not made it into the computer), but we were given a room with a king bed and daybed. The room was located right at the top of the stairs, directly adjacent to a housekeeping closet with multiple employees congregated outside. It contained a crib in the center of the room, had no balcony, was somewhat small (NOT the advertised 384 square feet), and the window (large, but nearly blocked by the daybed) overlooked the parking lot. I thought for a minute...and realized that I had been charged the CKU waterview rate at check-in for this room. No, thanks. In fact, aside from the fact that the room itself looked like an afterthought ("I'll bet we can stick in one more room HERE in the corner..."), it seemed to be made up for someone else...with an infant. I suspect someone else had actually booked that room, found it unacceptable, and was reassigned OUR room!!

I did something I have never done before in my life: I went right back to the desk and told the desk clerk that the room was totally unacceptable, that it was NOT the waterview we were being charged for, that it had no balcony, etc. The clerk really argued with ,me quite extensively. His protests included:

1) Your reservation stated to give you a standard view if one became available (my response: the standardview room was to be accompanied by the standardview PRICE)
2) (While pulling out a handy, nondiscounted rate list for me) See? The STANDARDVIEW room IS $229 a night!! (My response: we are booked under a discount code - I had the postcard with me and showed it to him.)
3) We are totally booked up, there is nothing I can do. (My response: we will move to any other deluxe resort in the Epcot area or anywhere else if need be - SOMEONE at Disney has an empty waterview room.)

After a few more lame protests and lots of fruitless computer searches, he offered to let me speak to a manager. After disappearing into the back room for 3 minutes, he returned without a manager and moved us into a 1-bedroom villa. The villa was LOVELY, above and beyond any reparations we had been hoping for. We proceeded to have a wonderful weekend, and that villa was truly a major part of it.

I have never complained about a room before, and I felt bad doing so, though my husband assured me later that I retained a nice (albeit firm) tone of voice. I was very glad I managed to stay nice, as I was close to tears when I returned to the desk after seeing the room.

The moral: KNOW your booking, inside and out, and make sure that you have any and all discount information with you...and be nice! I don't think the clerk was trying to pull a fast one; I think he was somewhat new and honestly didn't know the ins and outs of discount codes (the standardview at waterview price is a little irritating and puzzling, but I will give him the benefit of the doubt).

I don't know that I'll stay at BC agaijn, but more because it is just not my style of resort than because of the room incident.

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

What a happy ending! That is the best upgrade I've ever heard of!

Did you happen to check out YC while you were there? What did you think of it? We are staying there for the first time next week, but have also been thinking about changing to the Poly.

Glad you had a nice weekend!

 

[cinder1]

You did the right thing. I have never declined a room before either and I hope I would have done the same thing since it sure would have ruined to trip otherwise. Thanks for the post. I'm glad it turned out great for you.

 

[Muffy]

I am so glad you were moved to a BCV and that everything worked out for you!

 

[Disneydenise]

This happened to us 3 years ago at BC too. We had the same type of room. At the time I had a 16 year old DD and a 15 year old DS. Where in the world were they going to sleep? We had to wait to have our room changed till the next day so I made them get me a rollaway bed. What a treat that room was. We were checked out of it the next AM by 9:00. I may have done better if I had gone down to the desk and argued in person but I was talking to them on the phone. Because of that incident I will most likely never stay at the BC again. The room we got the next day was fine but the whole argument to start off vacation with bothered me.

 

[wdwnutze]

I have also had that problem with rooms at BC. We booked 3 rooms for 5 in each room and none of the rooms we got had daybeds. They told us we couldn't be moved til the next day. When the next day came, they were going to split us all up (We only wanted the 3 rooms to be on the same floor). I told them for the money the rooms were unacceptable and I wanted all 3 rooms moved to a different deluxe. We went to the Poly and had 3 rooms on the same floor all with views of the castle in the Tahiti bldg. So glad we stood our ground.

 

[CaliforniaDreaming]

I'm so sorry about that room you were assigned to! I would have went right back down to the desk, too!

I stayed at the BC the weekend before, and we had a room with two queens and daybed, with a standing room only and a woods view.

 

[erikthewise]

So are you going to join DVC?! I think that's what they were counting on.

 

[2vets]

TgrLvsPooh - YC looked nice! As has been posted recently, there is a tiny area of the resort adjacent to SAB covered by tarps at the edge of BC (next to YC). Otherwise, no visible renovations going on. The YC lobby is gorgeous!

Disneydenise and wdwnutze - It is irritating to hear that BC totally disregarded your reservation and the number of people in your party!! I can't help but suspect that those rooms are "leftovers". Whoever arrives late gets stuck with them... The room I saw did NOT belong in a deluxe resort!! They tried to tell us we would have to stay there until the next day, as well, but I THINK NOT!!! Our stay was 2 nights...so they wanted us to unpack, pack, unpack, and pack again - I pointed this out to the young man at the desk. I am very happy I was eventually able to sweetly bully the front desk into moving us.

erikthewise - DH and I have already been discussing this...I think we will be looking to buy DVC at WL the minute we have kids!!

Thanks for the support!

 

[Dancind]

Oh, 2vets, don't wait to buy into DVC! The price keeps going up, up, up! In fact, it's increasing at the end of this month. You can book studios through DVC, if that's what is holding you back. They're like a hotel room only nicer because they have kitchenettes, balconies, free laundry. Diana

 

[JulesMom]

I'm glad you enjoyed the BCV!

Why would anyone think you would WANT a standard view room at a water view rate?!?!

I'm glad you stood up for yourself and got what you deserved and paid for