BVC compensation for SB closure over spring break

[Sammie]

The OP said they would have liked compensation in the form of points, from 8-40, which would have been the points cost for an alternative villa elsewhere (not sure where).

It's inarguable that Disney handed out water park passes. The OP would have received 6, 4 adults and 2 kids, which have a face value of $300.00. This is the same cost compensation essentially (at $10 per point) that the OP was looking for. Disney is, by their own admission, inconveniencing guests and offering compensation so ANYBODY inconvenienced during that time is entitled to compensation. This is based on Disney's actions, not opinion.

I find it strange that so many people are attacking the OP for wanting compensation when Disney was handing out compensatory tickets.

If I was at BCV and SAB was closed and they were handing out water park passes, I wouldn't want one, but would ask for an alternative option since THEY are giving compensation anyway. I would not want to be ferried over to BWV, I don't like that pool. I don't like the water parks and my kids are too young for us to want to spend a day there.

As for the comments that suggest that this just happened to be the time when the company fixing the pool was available to fix it, that's rubbish. This is Disney, they employ 1/2 of central Florida, they call the shots. If that pool company was not amenable to a different time to fix the problem then they can find another one. I understand this issue had to be addressed, but let's not be delusional as to think that some local Orlando-area pool maintenance company is pushing Disney around. Also, somebody said that the issue was discovered 40 days prior, which is the end of Feb. I would think weather-wise and crowd-wise that an immediate fix would have been less of an inconvenience. Heck, we switched our pool this year from chlorine to salt water and the company told us they couldn't do it for 5 weeks; I said "I'll find somebody to do it sooner!", and guess what? They offered to do it 2 days later.

Not that you will probably believe this, you seem to know exactly what happened, and since you do, who at Disney informed you of what did happen.

I spoke with the manager of recreation which covers the pool and they had to have certain parts that were not available in Orlando and as soon as they arrived they fixed the pool.

 

[mjc2003]

Not that you will probably believe this, you seem to know exactly what happened, and since you do, who at Disney informed you of what did happen.

I spoke with the manager of recreation which covers the pool and they had to have certain parts that were not available in Orlando and as soon as they arrived they fixed the pool.

I appreciate the sarcasm, but that's totally different than what I said. I simply said that I didn't buy that the pool servicer simply decided to schedule this repair during Easter week. If you are saying that they were waiting for a part that was not available anywhere in Orlando, that's entirely different.

I didn't suggest anywhere in my post that I know what happened.

 

[dianeschlicht]

As for the comments that suggest that this just happened to be the time when the company fixing the pool was available to fix it, that's rubbish. This is Disney, they employ 1/2 of central Florida, they call the shots. If that pool company was not amenable to a different time to fix the problem then they can find another one. I understand this issue had to be addressed, but let's not be delusional as to think that some local Orlando-area pool maintenance company is pushing Disney around. Also, somebody said that the issue was discovered 40 days prior, which is the end of Feb. I would think weather-wise and crowd-wise that an immediate fix would have been less of an inconvenience. Heck, we switched our pool this year from chlorine to salt water and the company told us they couldn't do it for 5 weeks; I said "I'll find somebody to do it sooner!", and guess what? They offered to do it 2 days later.

Sorry, but this quote from you does appear like you are making the judgement that you felt they COULD have done the repair another time. I think we have all had repair issues in our own homes where we were "held hostage" by the repair company. I'm just saying you can't be so eager to blame Disney for the maintenance issue without knowing all the facts. While it's true that you didn't say you "knew" what happened, you did make a huge assumption.

 

[disneynutz]

When you have a 365 day operation there are bound to be times when things are down for maintenance and repair.

Could be a pool, an attraction, or scaffolds outside your window due to siding replacement and painting. Do we like it, no, do we appreciate that Disney is taking care of the place to keep it running well and looking nice, yes.

We were staying at the YC during the closure and I didn't expect to receive any special treatment due to my inconvenience.

Bill

 

[mjc2003]

Sorry, but this quote from you does appear like you are making the judgement that you felt they COULD have done the repair another time. I think we have all had repair issues in our own homes where we were "held hostage" by the repair company. I'm just saying you can't be so eager to blame Disney for the maintenance issue without knowing all the facts. While it's true that you didn't say you "knew" what happened, you did make a huge assumption.

I was simply trying to say that disney calls the shots, not the repair servicer. If they were waiting for a necessary part, that's quite different. Unlike us as individuals, Disney is not held hostage by any repair servicer.
I wasn't blaming Disney. I was only trying to make the point that this wasn't an issue where the service provider told Disney "we can't fit you in the schedule for another month", as was intimated earlier. I never claimed to know anything, I was stating my opinion.

 

[dclfun]

I work for a large company that negotiates with smaller service providers all the time. Disney has full autonomy over these contracts, much like my company, and they control the when, where and how. If you are suggesting that one of their service providers was calling the shots on this, I respectfully disagree. Small service providers, especially those servicing a company like Disney (or mine) literally make their year off that one contract; it might be 50-75% of their total revenue. They don't push back. I deal with this all the time, it's just the nature of big business.
I'm not sure how the fee's play into this. I am not disputing that Disney pays it's service providers.




Fair enough. I guess my point was simply that the OP was asking for compensation commensurate with what others were getting, and didn't think their request was as outlandish as some were suggesting. I understand your point, that if everybody has their own definition of compensation then it could get tricky. But Disney does open themselves up to this by selectively compensating. I think if all guests were notified of Disney's offer during their stay, they have the option to take it or leave it. Letting guests return home and then find out that others received something sort of leaves the door open for people to seek out compensation that's more useful, like returned points, b/c the water park pass is no longer of any use (since they are already home).

My point about the contracts Disney has with service providers is that they MUST use those service providers. I agree that those providers would need to do their best to start and complete the work quickly for one of their largest contracts ( Disney) or I doubt they'd get the bid next time around. Disney cannot, however, choose to use someone else for the work and "shop around" last minute when a problem arises. That's the whole point of the contract- to have pre-negotiated rates and terms of service.

 

[sweetdana]

When SAB closes, USUALLLLLY! is it off season.. IE not warm swimming weather, they close 1 part at a time. I agree with OP, if I has a BC ressie for spring break.. ESPECIALLY with the extra spring break points, I would expect points returned. I would try like the wind to get to SSR, but if they couldn't and my ADRs were all set, water park passes would not suit me. Disney forces you to make arrangements months in advance for what you are doing IF it is important. Not that you cannot sometimes walk up and get a ressie, or MNSSH tickets, but it may not be available, or cost more. So my days would have been pre planned, and if I skipped a AK day to go to the water park, I might get his with a fee for this, and not be able to get a different days Yak and Yeti in.

OP is not asking for all the points back, just some compensation. Seems reasonable. It wasn't planned and accidents have to happen, but with all the $$ spent on points, and park tickets, and food.... sending her back 15 points a day, to have a customer for life is an easy win for them.

 

[mjc2003]

My point about the contracts Disney has with service providers is that they MUST use those service providers. I agree that those providers would need to do their best to start and complete the work quickly for one of their largest contracts ( Disney) or I doubt they'd get the bid next time around. Disney cannot, however, choose to use someone else for the work and "shop around" last minute when a problem arises. That's the whole point of the contract- to have pre-negotiated rates and terms of service.

Again, I respectfully disagree. Years ago one of my clients was the Disney libraries. I did a lot of "behind the scenes" work with them, which is another story for another time. We were a contracted supplier of database material for Disney libraries. That contract allowed for them to go elsewhere for their data at any time, for any reason. We had no leg to argue b/c if we did they wouldn't give us the business in the first place.

Getting involved in a legal contract with Disney in itself was a grueling process. Most of the terms are on the supplier side. Disney, at least with us, certainly reserved the right to both "shop around" and/or choose somebody else. We had no guarantees. The only "guarantee" we had was that the pre-determined price would be paid for services rendered (or in our case, data provided), but they had explicit language that made most of the arrangement non-binding.

So the whole point of a contract is really to adhere to the specifics of THAT contract; and while we all think of a contract as a binding two way street, in many cases with large companies and small service providers it's a one way street with one way guarantees.

I'm not saying I know that Disney's contract with their pool service company/companies is the same as what I dealt with. However, I have no reason to believe it'd be much different, but who knows.

 

[mousefan1972]

OP is not asking for all the points back, just some compensation. Seems reasonable. It wasn't planned and accidents have to happen, but with all the $$ spent on points, and park tickets, and food.... sending her back 15 points a day, to have a customer for life is an easy win for them.

But the issue is, OP admitted that she did not even remotely consider asking for any compensation until, one month after her trip, she read on disboards that someone else received compensation. This is the part I have a problem with. Oh, and it should be stated again that the person who claimed Disney went "above and beyond" with compensation, never said what it was. So I'm calling BS on that.

 

[Dean]

OP is not asking for all the points back, just some compensation. Seems reasonable. It wasn't planned and accidents have to happen, but with all the $$ spent on points, and park tickets, and food.... sending her back 15 points a day, to have a customer for life is an easy win for them.

IMO how much one paid, how many trips, long term commitment and the like is totally irrelevant. If you're not a customer for life by owning an appropriately run timeshare there's no reason for DVC to continue courting the member with bribes. Things happen and some things deserve compensation, no one did in this situation. IMO the ONLY issue that one can raise is that of inconsistency and DVC constantly falls down in that area.

 

[nunzia]

Not looking for anything free. I have been a DVC member since 2001 & have never even so much as made a room request. For those of you who have taken it upon yourselves to lecture me, the reason I posted today, weeks after our vacation, is that I don't check out these boards too often. I did, however, visit the boards early in April, because I was looking for any last minute information or tips from the knowledgeable people who post here. There was a thread about SAB rehab at that time, to which I added a comment. So I was surprised to receive an email just the other day that there was a new post to that thread. Part of that post read, "Also, I am not going to go into details, but Disney went over the top in terms of compensation for out troubles. Hats off to them for making another memorable vacation". This made me wonder what my family may have missed out on, and how does Disney decide who does & who does not get
"compensated" in these situations. The one thing that would upset me would be if points had been reimbursed.

They probably go 'over the top' for the squeaky wheel...it is sometimes too bad but that is how people who deal with the public need to be to take care of the whiners. I know it is disappointing to have the neat pool shut down during a stay, and also that it caused crowds at another pool, but really, all we are really promised as hotel guests or DVC owners is a nice room. If people don't whine about SAB being closed, then they don't get the free waterpark ticket or whatever else is offered..and I'm one of those who don't whine, so guess I miss out too I've dealt with the public far too long to be on the other side.

 

[gdrj]

The OP is correct. If tickets to water parks were given out to some guests, then ALL guests should have received them. There is nothing wrong with what the OP is saying or asking.

While I understand your premise, it would not make economic sense to so. With over 1400 Rooms between BC/YC and DVC you can't just give away admission to waterpark to all (not all may care about the pool). There would need to be a cost charged to the hotel or DVC. Bussing/staffing levels at waterparks could be affected.

Nothing gtd's things to be fair. I have seen cast members get verbally abused by "guests" who are the type of people that you probably never want to be around and are just obnoxious. Yes they may get "something extra", but then again they do have to live their miserable lifes.

With that said there is nothing wrong with complaining/raising a concern about a legitimate issue. What I think is not a big deal, others may see as huge and thats fine. Some people might see the scaffolding around a resort being refurb'ed as a big deal should they get comp? Or people staying at the Boardwalk and the Bakery is closed and it impacts my morning enjoyment (just using an extreme). How about Bus Service not running smoothly one morning?