Funny, how Disney is always ready to go to war over a discount. We forgot our Member Card when we went to Vero. We drove to Vero and we stopped at Animal Kingdom Lodge for one night. We mentioned that we had left our card at home. The staff at AKL was great……No Problem you will get your discount on checkout blah blah…..and we did. We drove to Vero and explained that we had forgotten the card. We were treated like trash and we were told in no uncertain terms we would not get a discount. We were told we could get a temporary card at the resorts at WDW and DL but not at VB and HH. The CM said they couldn’t verify that it was us without the card. Which made no sense to us since they accepted our ID’s when we checked in to allow us to use our points. I spoke to a Supervisor at Member Services about the matter. She confirmed that these were the rules. I explained that we were planning at eating at the bar and restaurant on site and building a few t shirts and such at the gift. Now, I am not going to go their overpriced restaurant and purchase their overprice t shirts. My question to her was what did
DVC/ Disney win?
While I discussed the matter with her, I was in the lobby of VB. It was 5:30pm. We had received the text saying our room was ready at 3:45 pm. My wife and I loaded 2 carts with beach chairs, cooler, umbrella and our luggage and Food from Publix. We got to the room to find a housekeeper who had just started to clean the room. It was a mess. Shame on the people who left the unit that way! We worked it out that our carts went in the hall and laundry room.
I explained to her that DVC expected us to be flexible and sit in the lobby in pain (I am disabled with Chronic Pain from a work accident 22 years ago) while waiting for them to clean a room that they said was ready. Did they offer another room? No. Did they send another Housekeeper to help? No. Yet, at the same time,DVC showed absolutely no flexibility towards us when we made a honest mistake in leaving the Member card in my wife’s regular purse. (She makes a travel purse and doesn’t bring all the cards in her regular purse). My question to her was……How is this hospitality?? We were there for a week. DVC and Management at the hotel could have done so many things to accommodate a member. I asked if they have courier pouches that go back and forth to the resort? She told me yes on a daily basis. They couldn’t send a temp paper card in the pouch? They could send the paper card via fax? They couldn’t send a .pdf of the temp card via email and print it out at the desk? The MOD at the desk could have printed out a note with our Member number and a note to the gift shop and a server of what to do? They couldn’t send a Raven?( we were bing watching Games of Thrones at the time). Apparently, the supervisor was a huge fan! My point in all this was that DVC had so many options that cost DVC nothing to help a Member. Instead, it was easier to say NO.
It is RIDICULOUS that they can’t send a Memo to all the depts dealing with Discounts to accept the blue cards or temp cards until further notice. What is happening at Disneyland is especially RIDICULOUS! Ken Potrock, Head of Disneyland, use to be head of DVC. He can’t figure out a way?? It doesn’t surprise me though, I met him at Member Night at AK a few years ago. I spoke to him how frustrated I was that 2 days Prior we spent one night at Boardwalk and Housekeeping knocked on our door, with a door tag on it, at 8 am to see what time we were leaving. We had planned to sleep in, check out and move our SUV to BCV for the week. We received 3 hang up phone calls at 9, 9:30 and 10 am. So, we were being driven out. This had happened several times prior to this trip as well. What was his response? Did you fill out a survey card?? I told him I wrote letters to his DVC Member Satisfaction team. Well, filling out the survey cards is better…….so, his own executive team wasn’t capable of controlling housekeeping. so, it doesn’t surprise me that he can’t put two and two together. It makes me wonder how these idiots get so high in Management!
