Disappointing Stay at BWV 2 BDRM (here now)

[BEASLYBOO]

BWV is one of my favorite resorts after OKW, Kidani & SSR! Thankfully I've never encountered the issues you describe.

Smoke is a deal breaker for me, my son had asthma as a kid, we've never smoked. Did you consider requesting a room change? I would have done so from the get go! I may have parked myself in the lobby till the Mgr. accomodated me.

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

Back in the day when there were smoking / non-smoking rooms...

my sister & BIL came with us to BWV, and were given a non-smoking room (with a smoking request).

I don't know what happened at check-in, but the front desk told them to go ahead and smoke on the balcony in their room. Well, they smoked like chimneys all week, and proceeded to smoke on the balcony in the 2 bedroom I was sharing with my non-smoking sister. No, I did not ask them to stop. I've known sis for a long time, it was going to be a long week...and felt that the CM that told them to smoke in their non-smoking studio tied my hands to forbid it on my balcony. I did tell them to keep it on the balcony...and to keep it tidy.

The next week...seriously the next week...Disney changed the smoking policy to non-smoking only. Hmm...

I know that was a little off topic...but...well, you just gotta love smokers... when they're your relatives.

 

[SassyLassy]

So sorry for the bad experience! I hope that you do try it again. We have always had great experiences at BWV and I hope that your next one redeems things poor portrayal of the resort.

I also recommend, like some others did, in contacting member services.

 

[disneynutz]

So sorry for the bad experience! I hope that you do try it again. We have always had great experiences at BWV and I hope that your next one redeems things poor portrayal of the resort.

I also recommend, like some others did, in contacting member services.

Member Satisfaction is who we really need to contact. Their job is to compile data on member problems, try to correct issues, work with other Disney business units to solve problems and to make members feel better.

They prefer a email report and will call the member back in 3 days to discuss their issues.

dvcmembersatisfactionteam@disneyvacationclub.com

Bill

 

[rbuzzotta]

I just changed my upcoming April 2012 reservations to stay at BWV, only because there are several families we are friendly with staying there at the same time and our kids are friends!! Secretly I was hoping it was not available only because our last stay at BWV was very similiar to yours!! I actually had an asthma flare up (first 2 days) because of the smoke from the previous guest in our room. Despite changing the filters and getting a purifier in the room it still ruined our (mine especially) first few days.

Also, the bathroom wasn't quite clean (not as bad as what you are saying but enough to make me buy bleach on our trip to Publix, along with lysol and air freshners!).

This all happened about 5 years ago and now that I just read this.........I am wondering if I should have just told my family there was no availability at BWV!!

 

[granmanh603]

at BWV now, studio and spotless and the full cleans have been spectacular, just came back to room after a full clean and it even smells great...

 

[SnowWitch]

We stayed at the BWV;s for 2 weeks this past May/June. No issues with our room but with our neighbors. The day we checked in we discovered them (2 of them) smoking on the balcony. My dd and myself cannot tolerate smoke, it will put both of us into full blown asthma attacks. I called the front desk and reported it. No more issues that week. The following week nice new family checkin next door....guess what.....thats right smokers and to the balcony they go and light up. I called down and reported them. If people want to kill themselves...great its their right but when it effects my child's health...sorry. Disney explains on checkin the smoking policy!!

 

[granmanh603]

We stayed at the BWV;s for 2 weeks this past May/June. No issues with our room but with our neighbors. The day we checked in we discovered them (2 of them) smoking on the balcony. My dd and myself cannot tolerate smoke, it will put both of us into full blown asthma attacks. I called the front desk and reported it. No more issues that week. The following week nice new family checkin next door....guess what.....thats right smokers and to the balcony they go and light up. I called down and reported them. If people want to kill themselves...great its their right but when it effects my child's health...sorry. Disney explains on checkin the smoking policy!!

Ok so right now our room at BWV is right across from the door to the smoking area.... been here 12 days and don't hear it being used much??? and have not seem many people out there and thank godness no smoke smell in room.
And I would report them too....kid or not.... don't be sorry! its the rule and law.

 

[friskykitten]

We had a 2Bdr BCV this summer that looked like (and smelled like) it only had a once over after the previous occupants moved out. We ended up getting into the unit fairly early (1-2:00 or so) so I can only think that they were trying to hurry up and get only what had to be done finished. I would have preferred waiting another 2-4 hours and having a completely clean and fresh room but I wasn't willing to complain about it since we were only going to be there for the weekend.

We had a toilet stop flushing while there that engineering/maintenance fixed later on the same day. (We had had that happen at BLT earlier in the week too but that was fixed within the same hour reported) BUT the one discusting thing that I still see in my head was the room service tray that had been left outside the room. It stayed there (with rotting food on the plates and in the glasses) our entire stay, basically three days, two nights. Someone finally came and got it right before we checked out.

We have owned DVC for about 10-11 years and have had our good experiences and our bad. I do find that the rooms don't seem to be as clean/maintained as when we first started visiting. But I also don't find the CM's to be as friendly or magical as they were years ago either. Different management? Different mind set of those who are working for Disney? I don't really know. But when you are dealing with the human element you are always going to get both ends of the scale at one time or another.

To the OP, I will just echo the good advice already given. Make sure you report it so that they know there is a problem and MAY initiate a change or plan to try and correct future issues. Look at what the masses have done with Netflix and the possible debit card fees for some of the big banks. If enough people tell member services that they are unhappy about what they are experiencing then there is a greater chance it will cause a change. I need to follow that advice myself since I tend to be too docile and lenient most of the time. To quote Rex; "I don't like confrontations!".

 

[n2mm]

OP, how horrible about the smoking from the previous guest. I too would've been upset. I just don't get it. Don't you wonder if the previous guest got charged the penalty?

I also just returned yesterday and like others, I too encountered the smoking on the balcony. My first week was a studio (3125) and someone below us would smoke and it came right up to us. I could not tell who it was, so I couldn't report it, but I did get loud enough for them to hear when I said that when I find out who was smoking on their balcony I would be reporting them. After that it stopped. No smoking in the rooms does not seem to be enforced and it makes me mad. OP, please contact the satisfaction team and report this and your other issues.

While I spent the first week in a studio, we did move to a 1 bedroom on the second week. This was the first time staying in a 1 BR since the refurbishment and I was totally underwhelmed. WTH were they thinking. My mircowave was too close to the wall/cabinet and you could barely open it. No ice maker in the frig.........The only thing I saw different was the appliances and the dresser in the living room. Still the old thermostat, crazy. After staying at BLT 1BR in August, it was a let down. I own at BWV (along with SSR & BLT), but I was not impressed with the refurbishment at all. Our living sleep sofa was so worn out, I even wondered if it was the old one or if it was new.

We still love BWV, but do question who makes some of these decisions and choices.

 

[jagson]

Isn't there a policy against smoking in the room? And isn't there a cleaning fee imposed on the offender for this or damage to the unit that appears to be intentional? Whether a DVC member, or renter, the fee should be imposed. Has any DVC member or renter been fined, to anyone's knowledge, for such infingements?

 

[friskykitten]

I honestly don't know what the policy is on smoking on the balconies. Can anyone enlighten me on that? I do know that I have not had a stay yet that I didn't encounter someone smoking on the balconies near ours so I have never complained. I figured it was a no-no in the room but since so many did it on the balconies that DVC allowed it there. I don't know if that is one of the "designated areas" that smoking is allowed or not.

 

[n2mm]

This is from Disney FAQ in regard to the smoking policy:

How is this policy enforced?

Guests are reminded of the policy upon check-in. A USD $250 - USD $500 room recovery fee plus tax (based on the Resort and room) will be charged to Guests who smoke in Guest rooms, on balconies or on patios to cover the costs of cleaning and restoring the room to a smoke-free condition.

OP it appears you were suppose to be given a room in "smoke-free" condition and you were not.

Yes there are designated places and we saw many folks abiding by the rules!

 

[debaudrn]

We have had problems only twice in all the years we have been DVC owners (since 1996). Once with a dryer issue and a TV problem in a one bedroom at BCV. I called and went down to the front desk. It was never completely taken care of so when I got home I emailed member services. They called within a day or two and told me there was a record of me going to the front desk and that helped. The next time was at BWV. I had a studio with a preferred view that was blocked completely by trees. I emailed once home again received a quick phone response. I sent polite to the point emails describing the problems and was polite on the phone when they called me. Both times they reinstated some of my points. I was not looking for anything other than preventing another member from having the same issues that we did. It was a nice surprise.

 

[Mai Ku Tiki]

We have had problems only twice in all the years we have been DVC owners (since 1996). Once with a dryer issue and a TV problem in a one bedroom at BCV. I called and went down to the front desk. It was never completely taken care of so when I got home I emailed member services. They called within a day or two and told me there was a record of me going to the front desk and that helped. The next time was at BWV. I had a studio with a preferred view that was blocked completely by trees. I emailed once home again received a quick phone response. I sent polite to the point emails describing the problems and was polite on the phone when they called me. Both times they reinstated some of my points. I was not looking for anything other than preventing another member from having the same issues that we did. It was a nice surprise.

Maybe one thing we can all do when going to the Front Desk to report a problem (and may they be few!!!) is to be sure to record the date/time & name of CM we speak to & ask that THEY also document the conversation, as well as how the problem will be addressed. Then, when we email membersatisfactionteam, they have better data. Maybe this would help Member Services be more aware of the issues members are encountering?

I never expected 'more' once becoming a DVC Member, but after being a paying WDW Resort guest since 1972 & enjoying the cleanliness & quality of those rooms, I think we DVC Members should never be expected to accept 'less'.

 

[lilpooh108]

Wow! OP here. We got back a few days ago from our trip (we spent 2 more days at WDW post cruise) and I didn't realize this thread had expanded. Thanks to all for the supportive comments.

N2mm---I was very worried about the fine/penalty. The room smelled so "freshly smoked in" that I was concerned BWV would fine us instead. We made sure they noted it, and we did go to the front desk 3 times during our 4 night stay, plus called housekeeping and maintenance several times about it. We definitely asked to change rooms, but it was a super busy week leading up to Halloween so BWV said there were no more rooms. I believed them (it was really busy all the time in the lobby).

As for the other unsanitary conditions--they were disappointing because we were mainly looking for a completely UNEVENTFUL stay. I didn't expect "Magic" but we did expect clean. It's awful to not want to go back to your room at the end of a long day.

About the bedspreads---yes they are gross. Even if you remove them, the "felt" thing underneath it (which is over the linens) still has like black dots of "lint" all over it from the bedspreads.

I hate to gross people out more, but on the first night I was laying in bed I put my finger on one of the black dots on the felt thing and it "smeared." Yeah, not exactly lint. Dunno what it was. Ugh.

We're so sad that our experience BWV was so poor. We really really really wanted to love it.

On the other hand, we had an awesome cruise with a super clean cabin. We checked into AKV Jambo after the cruise and had 2 clean studios w/clean bathrooms. We "paid" points for standard view, but got a great partial savannah view and saw all of the animals running in for feeding time. It was actually better than any savannah view we've ever "paid" for. I believe these rooms are categorized as standard views b/c they are at the end of the savannah with a fence view. You only see animals during feeding times (ie during the mornings, but we were lucky to catch feeding time). I'm glad our trip ended on a high note.

To others w/BWV reservations coming up--fear not . It's hard to get much worse rooms than us...right? I'm sure your stays will be just fine. I'll go back next time, and hope for a better experience.

 

[ArRzrbk]

We are heading down soon for our first trip in six years. I hope things go well for us, but more importantly right now... I hope the rest of your trip goes/went well. Please let us know if you get any satisfaction after turning in the details of your experience to DVC. I hope they offer you something to compensate you. I am anxious to hear. Good luck.

 

[Starr W.]

We were at SSR last weekend and was surprised at the number of people I saw smoking on their balconies! Now I never saw it during the day, but as soon as it started to get dark they would come out.

We stayed at BWV in 2009 and was pleasantly surprised.