BWV - decided to try - disappointed

[Mouseaholic!!!]

Hello All -

I'm posting here because I'm surprised with the Boardwalk Villas.

DH and I decided to stay for half of our vacation at the Villas at Boardwalk and the second half at Boardwalk Inn. We own a Marriot timeshare and thought we were curious.

First....why on earth do you wait until 4 pm to checkin? I have never waited that long for a Marriott property - even during Christmas! We were not allowed into our room until 4:35 ( checked the watch ) and friends didn't get into Animal Kingdom Villas until 6 pm......the night of the Christmas Party.

Yes, I know it's staffing....we spoke with Management. So hire more mousekeepers.

We were just surprised so many of you think that's OK! It isn't anywhere else we have stayed on points.


Second, we were surprised how small the 1 bedroom villa is compared to others in the WDW area. Jacuzzi was nice...king bed was nice....but overall they were much smaller the comparable villa's outside WDW.


Finally.....wow is it outdated. We called our little electric stove .... "the little stove that could". Not all the burners worked and it was rusty.....very sad little thing!

The televisions are old....please......a cash paying guest could pay up to $649 p.night according to the notice on the door.....and you have an old 13" television in the bedroom!!!!

Scuffs and holes in the walls....leaky shower head that was not fixied in spite of 2 calls to maintenance. Mousekeepers that can't manage to find their way to our villa until after 3 pm each day.

I hope these are schedled to be updated very soon. We pay castmember rates but I know the going rate for DVC points and this simply isn't worth it.


Next....we moved to the Boardwalk Inn and we were so glad we ended our stay there. The rooms are freshly updated......flat screen televisions, new furniture, new drapes, carpet, wallpaper and the new Disney bedding is SCRUMPTIOUS after a long day in the parks.

Our room at Boardwalk Inn was always cleaned right after we left in the morning - windows were not smudged - everythng spotless.

What a comparison.


What I don't understand is.......why do DVC members allow their invenstment to become so tired....and.....Why on earth do you put up with hidious room availability at 4 pm on arrival day. When I have arrived at a Marriott property, even if my assigned room is unavailable, they simply switch me to something that is ready. Honestly, the latest we have gotten into a room is before noon. I don't understand why you guys put up with this.

Oh yes, what's with the double points for weekends? I have never heard of this before either!!!

We gave DVC a try....just seems way too much $$$ and trouble to spend for a week (when you add the weekend points). Marriott is so much easier to manage and rooms offer far more luxury.

If you are looking for a GREAT room......just walk over to the Boardwalk Inn and sink into some REAL luxury!!! We will keep our castmember rates and stay there!!

 

[tjkraz]

Disney hasn't confirmed it yet but I've heard the BW Villas are due for an upgrade in early 2009.

As for the rest of your comments, the only solace I can offer is to say that your experience is not typical. We have always been in our room before 4pm since becoming members--usually well before that. Earliest was 8:30am. We've stayed at the BW Villas a half dozen times and have never had a room with issues like you describe.

I doubt that DVC members are "putting up" with substandard conditions and service any moreso than Marriott owners. You can't draw realistic conclusions when your sample size (number of experiences) is small--in your case, one BWV stay.

The weekend points are higher to balance demand. That's the goal of any point-based system. If the weekly point system were flat, not only would weekdays cost more than they do now but weekends would sell-out much quicker as DVC would be that much more appealing to those within driving distance for use as a weekend getaway.

 

[Mouseaholic!!!]

Thank you for the thoughtful answers.

We were honestly, very disapointed with our DVC stay compared to the Inn and outside WDW.

They have some challenges to overcome but I'm happy to hear the villa's are scheduled for renovation next year. Our little stove deserves a vacation!

Thank you again!

 

[littlestar]

I have to admit, the TV's do look like they could have been pulled out of a dumpster Hopefully one day BWV will look as good as the Boardwalk Inn. I know the old girl is looking a little tired compared to the cash side. The only DVC that will be comparable in square footage to a Marriott Vacation Club will be Old Key West. What you lose in square footage, you gain in location at Boardwalk.

As far as getting in the room, we also own with Marriott. And it's hit or miss. We've had units at Marriott Vacation Club that weren't ready until almost 4:00 (sometimes they get us in early, though). The same thing with DVC - sometimes we've gotten in at 10:30 and other times it's been after 4:00.

We own with both vacation clubs and enjoy both for different reasons. The main advantage to DVC is the theming and the convenient location to the parks.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

I have to admit, the TV's do look like they could have been pulled out of a dumpster Hopefully one day BWV will look as good as the Boardwalk Inn. I know the old girl is looking a little tired compared to the cash side. The only DVC that will be comparable in square footage to a Marriott Vacation Club will be Old Key West. What you lose in square footage, you gain in location at Boardwalk.

As far as getting in the room, we also own with Marriott. And it's hit or miss. We've had units at Marriott Vacation Club that weren't ready until almost 4:00 (sometimes they get us in early, though). The same thing with DVC - sometimes we've gotten in at 10:30 and other times it's been after 4:00.

We own with both vacation clubs and enjoy both for different reasons. The main advantage to DVC is the theming and the convenient location to the parks.

BW Inn just underwent major renovations. They have started, but not completed renovations at BWV yet. Hope they look as good as BW Inn!

 

[jimmymac]

I had an experience similar to OP. Arrived at BWV at 11:30, and we were told we should have our room shortly, and they gave us a number to call to see when the room would be ready. I called repeatedly; so often that by the fourth time they recognized my name. I finally got an honest CM who asked me, "What did they tell you when you pre-checked in?" "That the room would be ready shortly," I replied. She then told me, "They shouldn't have told you that. It's rare for anyone to get into the villas before 3 or 4 o'clock." As you might expect, this did not sit well with me and I called Mousekeeping and asked for the Manager. She came on and explained to me that contractually the rooms don't have to be available until 3:00 at the earliest, and "We had over 200 checkouts today and I have only 50 housekeepers." This shocked me me - the number of checkouts is not a surprise - why not have sufficient staff? And if 3:00 is the real room availability, why not tell me so we could have gone to the parks instead of lounging around the hotel? When we finally got into the room, it was quite lovely but definitely showed its age. It surely is in need of a rehab. We too had a small analog TV in the bedroom. I was surprised at the quality of the room compared to the price. We came back from DHS one day at 1:30 PM to take a nap and the room hadn't been touched yet, and there was not a mouskeeper in sight. BWI is much higher quality imho and definitely more bang for your buck

 

[BWV Dreamin]

I had an experience similar to OP. Arrived at BWV at 11;30, and we were told we should have our room shortly, and they gave us a number to call to see when the room would be ready. I called repeatedly; so often that by the fourth time they recognized my name. I finally got an honest CM who asked me, "What did they tell you when you pre-checked in?" "That the room would be ready shortly," I replied. She then told me, "They shouldn't have told you that. It's rare for anyone to get into the villas before 3 or 4 o'clock." As you might expect, this did not sit well with me and I called Mousekeeping and asked for the Manager. She came on and explained to me that contractually the rooms don't have to be available until 3:00 at the earliest, and "We had over 200 checkouts today and I have only 50 housekeepers." This shocked me me - the number of checkouts is not a surprise - why not have sufficient staff? And if 3:00 is the real room availability, why not tell me so we could have gone to the parks instead of lounging around the hotel? When we finally got into the room, it was quite lovely but definitely showed its age. It surely is in need of a rehab. We too had a small analog TV in the bedroom. I was surprised at the quality of the room compared to the price. We came back from DHS one day at 1:30 PM to take a nap and the room hadn't been touched yet, and there was not a mouskeeper in sight. BWI is much higher quality imho and definitely more bang for your buck

I have stayed in both.....the only reason BW Inn looks better at this point is it just went thru a major rehab!!!! Lets give BWV a chance, it isn't finished yet. They too are to get new bedspreads, curtains, etc. Carpet renovations and painting have already started. I have never checked into BWV before 3:00p. But never later than say 4:15p. I do not expect to get in early. I don't expect that at any DVC resort.

 

[chalee94]

The televisions are old....please......a cash paying guest could pay up to $649 p.night according to the notice on the door.....and you have an old 13" television in the bedroom!!!!

yep, this is accurate and aggravating. i split a stay between AKV and OKW and the difference between the larger HD LCD at AKV and the puny 13" tv at OKW was stark. BWV and the other older 2042-properties seriously need some refurbing to bring them up to a true semi-deluxe level.

while all of the DVC rooms i have stayed in have been in terrific shape with no holes or maintenance issues, i am sure they exist and sorry that you had to stay in one with so little responsiveness from the staff...

Oh yes, what's with the double points for weekends? I have never heard of this before either!!!

this was discussed more than once on the "Why have you NOT bought DVC?" thread in which you participated often, so pardon me if i find this particular comment a little hard to believe...

 

[tjkraz]

I had an experience similar to OP. Arrived at BWV at 11:30, and we were told we should have our room shortly, and they gave us a number to call to see when the room would be ready. I called repeatedly; so often that by the fourth time they recognized my name. I finally got an honest CM who asked me, "What did they tell you when you pre-checked in?" "That the room would be ready shortly," I replied. She then told me, "They shouldn't have told you that. It's rare for anyone to get into the villas before 3 or 4 o'clock." As you might expect, this did not sit well with me and I called Mousekeeping and asked for the Manager. She came on and explained to me that contractually the rooms don't have to be available until 3:00 at the earliest, and "We had over 200 checkouts today and I have only 50 housekeepers." This shocked me me - the number of checkouts is not a surprise - why not have sufficient staff? And if 3:00 is the real room availability, why not tell me so we could have gone to the parks instead of lounging around the hotel?

IMO, the error was made by the front desk CM who gave you false expectations. AFAIK, front desk CMs have no way of knowing when a specific room will be ready. All they see are rooms released by Housekeeping. If a room is not yet ready, they cannot tell whether it will be ready in 5 minutes or 5 hours.

If it was a light departure day, I could see perhaps making a statement like that knowing that Housekeeping did not have many rooms to clean.

As for the ratios sited, if true (200 checkouts, 50 housekeepers), I see nothing wrong with that. In fact it's better than I would have thought.

Housekeeping has a minimum of 5 hours to clean rooms from all of the departures. (Probably more since they start looking for rooms to service much earlier than 11am.) But it doesn't take 3 hours to do a single room. I don't know how long they allocate for each unit but it's probably somewhere in the 30-90 minute range depending upon the size. It seems very reasonable for a CM to clean an average of 4 rooms during their shift. What isn't reasonable is to expect every room turned-over within an hour or two of the published departure time.

 

[CarolA]

Hello All -

I'm posting here because I'm surprised with the Boardwalk Villas.

DH and I decided to stay for half of our vacation at the Villas at Boardwalk and the second half at Boardwalk Inn. We own a Marriot timeshare and thought we were curious.

First....why on earth do you wait until 4 pm to checkin? I have never waited that long for a Marriott property - even during Christmas! We were not allowed into our room until 4:35 ( checked the watch ) and friends didn't get into Animal Kingdom Villas until 6 pm......the night of the Christmas Party.

Yes, I know it's staffing....we spoke with Management. So hire more mousekeepers.

We were just surprised so many of you think that's OK! It isn't anywhere else we have stayed on points.


Second, we were surprised how small the 1 bedroom villa is compared to others in the WDW area. Jacuzzi was nice...king bed was nice....but overall they were much smaller the comparable villa's outside WDW.


Finally.....wow is it outdated. We called our little electric stove .... "the little stove that could". Not all the burners worked and it was rusty.....very sad little thing!

The televisions are old....please......a cash paying guest could pay up to $649 p.night according to the notice on the door.....and you have an old 13" television in the bedroom!!!!

Scuffs and holes in the walls....leaky shower head that was not fixied in spite of 2 calls to maintenance. Mousekeepers that can't manage to find their way to our villa until after 3 pm each day.

I hope these are schedled to be updated very soon. We pay castmember rates but I know the going rate for DVC points and this simply isn't worth it.


Next....we moved to the Boardwalk Inn and we were so glad we ended our stay there. The rooms are freshly updated......flat screen televisions, new furniture, new drapes, carpet, wallpaper and the new Disney bedding is SCRUMPTIOUS after a long day in the parks.

Our room at Boardwalk Inn was always cleaned right after we left in the morning - windows were not smudged - everythng spotless.

What a comparison.


What I don't understand is.......why do DVC members allow their invenstment to become so tired....and.....Why on earth do you put up with hidious room availability at 4 pm on arrival day. When I have arrived at a Marriott property, even if my assigned room is unavailable, they simply switch me to something that is ready. Honestly, the latest we have gotten into a room is before noon. I don't understand why you guys put up with this.

Oh yes, what's with the double points for weekends? I have never heard of this before either!!!

We gave DVC a try....just seems way too much $$$ and trouble to spend for a week (when you add the weekend points). Marriott is so much easier to manage and rooms offer far more luxury.

If you are looking for a GREAT room......just walk over to the Boardwalk Inn and sink into some REAL luxury!!! We will keep our castmember rates and stay there!!

I am rolling on the floor.

Let me tell you about my Marriott check in at one of the resorts in Hilton Head Island.

4 PM. Room not ready and the front desk announces they CLOSE at 5 PM so I will have to go to another resort to get the key if they don't clear the room by five. (Look of disbelief on my face must have been interesting!) Of course the fact that the front desk staff appeared to be the most disorgaized and unprofessional group I have ever seen at ANY Marriott already had me in shock! Asked for my parking pass. They apparently had given it to someone else so I got one with another name on it because they couldn't print out a new one. (Not sure what happens if you get there last, no pass?)

Finally get this room and I am NOT sure what I was waiting on, but I don't think it was cleaning. There was so much sand on the floor I ran the vacum and cleaned it up! I also had to scrub the tub! Couldn't complain to the front desk, they were CLOSED!

Trash in the hallway area ALL weekend along with the dirty linens from the prior guest.

Condition of villa. Well.... most of the cabinets were banged up. Some of them didn't exactly close. The whirlpool tub sounded like a plane was landing in the bedroom area. They give you "beach towels" Mine were so thin they had holes in them LOL!

Front desk staff... OMG they were so bad I wrote Marriott to complain.

Overall, I nearly walked from buying a Marriott due to this experience.

However, my final decision. Judging an entire company on ONE villa as probably not the best method.

But since you own Marriott "Why do you Marriott owners allow their investment to become so tired....and.....Why on earth do you put up with hidious room availability at 4 pm on arrival day." Why do you put up with the front desk closing at 5 PM? Why do you allow housekeeping to leave the trash and linens in the hall for several days in a row. (I took photos with the date and time each day as proof LOL!)

And to think I paid for that dump of a room!

 

[eliza61]

Hello All -

is SCRUMPTIOUS after a long day in the parks.

Our room at Boardwalk Inn was always cleaned right after we left in the morning - windows were not smudged - everythng spotless.

What a comparison.


What I don't understand is.......why do DVC members allow their invenstment to become so tired....and.....Why on earth do you put up with hidious room availability at 4 pm on arrival day. When I have arrived at a Marriott property, even if my assigned room is unavailable, they simply switch me to something that is ready. Honestly, the latest we have gotten into a room is before noon. I don't understand why you guys put up with this.

!

BWV's are due for a renovations next year.

As to why I put up with it. Easy because I love it way better than any thing Marriott can offer me. When you get your reservation it says quite clearly what time check in is. No surprises there. If I get there before 4 pm not a problem, the resort stores my luggage and away I go. Then they call me to let me know my room is ready, what's the problem?

I've personally never had a hideous rooms so I can't attest to that. I've done a couple of marriott transfers in Vegas and DC. I like my dvc way better (remember you did ask) than Marriot.

 

[Tink-n-Belle]

Sorry you didn't love it as much as WE DO!!

 

[Deb & Bill]

...Why on earth do you put up with hidious room availability at 4 pm on arrival day. When I have arrived at a Marriott property, even if my assigned room is unavailable, they simply switch me to something that is ready. Honestly, the latest we have gotten into a room is before noon. I don't understand why you guys put up with this. ...

Could be that there are no Marriott's located at Disney themeparks where occupancy is usually around 95% or greater. Or maybe everyone checks in and out on the same day??? so they hire many more housekeepers for that checkin/checkout day??? Id bet most guests at DVC villas don't check out at 7 or 8AM on their checkout day. I'd bet many more checkout as late as possible (no late checkouts with DVC, too) so the housekeepers don't get access to the rooms until 11AM at the earliest.

Usually if anything IS available, the member can get an opportunity to get something that is already cleaned and ready to be moved in.

 

[bobbiwoz]

We did a timeshare presentation with Hilton Grand Vacation Club in Orlando and they had the higher weekend points for Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. The amenities may be better elsewhere, but only DVC has the location, and that's why we bought.

Bobbi

 

[dianeschlicht]

WHY??? Location, location, location!

 

[bwvBound]

First....why on earth do you wait until 4 pm to checkin?

No matter to us, flying in from the west coast we rarely touch down before 4PM. By the time we reach check-in the clock is closer to 6p and our room is ready.

As for the rest, BWV is our favorite for its location. From there I can easily walk to the Dolphin Convention Center, Swan Conference Rooms, BW Conference Rooms and Yacht Club Convention Center. For the money, there is no better location to stay.

When visiting for vacation purposes ... I can be enticed to off-property locations. We've enjoyed several off-property visits using RCI Bonus Vacations or II Getaway Weeks. What a great range of choices!

 

[Mouseaholic!!!]

We always stay at a Moderate on arrival day and switch to a Deluxe the following day.

Checkin at 4pm is completely unacceptable for us. I'm not spending "deluxe $$$ --- even at castmember discounts" for a late checkin day.

When we finally (happily) checked into BWI --- we were given one of the best rooms we have EVER had at WDW.......before 10 am.....now THAT's service!

Oh well....that just means it's one more 1 bedroom villa for you folks!!!

Enjoy!

 

[Mouseaholic!!!]

WHY??? Location, location, location!

BWI - better location loation location

better service service service

 

[crisi]

BWI - better location loation location

better service service service

I like the Deluxe resorts a lot better than I like DVC - for the service aspect - although honestly, offsite rocks in terms of that.

But as a DVC owner, I'm paying a fraction of the cost for a studio at the BWV than for a room at the BWI - more importantly for my family, I can get a two bedroom - I can't do that at the Inn unless I'm willing to spend the cash for a suite - which would be nice - but which is out of my budget.

If money were no object, we'd stay in a suite at the Inn. But money is an object for us.

DVC combines value with location for us - but it does come with some - what we consider to be fairly minor - sacrifices.

We've only had one trip where I room wasn't ready when we arrived - it was ready at 3:00pm (and I've stayed at Disney Deluxe hotels were my room wasn't ready until 2:00). Usually our rooms are ready when we arrive. We've had "tired" rooms - but nothing unacceptable. Any issues have been taken care of promptly.

 

[Chester's Mum]

Sorry you had such a terrible stay at BWV. But I too think you can't make a decision about a resort with one stay.

I had my first stay at my home resort in March, and I thought it was wonderful. The staff were helpful and efficient, the room was clean, bed and sofa bed were both comfortable. The bathroom and vanity area were scrupulously clean, and there was a nice selection of toiletries. The towels were thick and soft.

Yes the rooms are a little dated, but I had no issues with holes in the walls, worn carpets or bedding, damaged furniture etc. As a matter of fact there was a nice new enameled iron patio table and chairs on the balcony. The tv could be updated, but I'm not there to watch tv. I was aware of the age of the resort when I bought the points, and I was also aware that dvc updates the rooms periodically.

The location is why I bought BWV. I love the location, from my standard view room at a lower point structure, I could see the fireworks at Epcot. I also love the theming. I feel like I am on vacation when I'm walking around the boardwalk.

I am not able to pay $600 a night for a room, and I wouldn't even consider paying $300 a night for a room off property. DVC allows me to only rent a car for the days I need it, and so saves me money in that respect. Disney always drives me "home" so I can have a drink or two with dinner and not worry. Off property, I don't have that luxury.

And even in this economy, my dvc points are worth almost what I paid for them (I paid $87/pt) on the resale market. I don't think you can say that for most other timeshares. A lot of people on the boards have said, DVC is not for everyone, it has to work for you. Don't make the decision to buy based on what others say. For my money, BWV is good value.