DVC Check-Out in the height of the Hurricane

[Mle8308]

I will do that tomorrow morning. I’m just wondering at this point what my expectation should be.

If you stay, be prepared to pay, it won’t be free.

 

[peabody58]

IMO, Disney has been great with communication and hurricane protection. We're at the BWV right now, and have had numerous phone messages, as well as updates on MDE app. All the CM's have been wonderful. The buffet they have for guests at the BW Convention center is awesome. We looked at extending our stay past Friday using the 25% discount, OTU points, borrowing, etc., etc., but with the weather clearing soon, have decided to check-up Friday and get some Epcot love in before driving home to Georgia. Even with the hurricane, this has been an awesome 5 nt vacation. We're DVC Legacy Fans - we'll be back soon!!

 

[sndral]

I had friends that had their stay extended because of a hurricane passing over.
They didn't have to pay for it.

“A hurricane” - which hurricane was that - Floyd ‘99?

 

[karen4546]

I am at the Boardwalk villas. My daughter went down to see how it would be to add on a night to her room with cash. GArden/pool view. $551. A regular room $539- is that a hurricane rate-yep that is what it was listed as on her My Disney app. I told her to cance it and I would book it using my points. I did. 18 pts.

And IMO, they should have updated the BW channel (3) with food information, activities, etc.
I got a blinking message light and when I tried to check it, error message.

They could have printed the information and had put it u see everyone’s door instead of one sign on an easel In the lobby.

They are trying to entertain the children somewhat but the space in the lobby is just too small. They should have opened up another convention room for that.

The price for the bag lunches is fair.

There is not much to do for adults. We have made the loop around the lake a couple of times in the rain, shopped at Beaxh club and Yacht club, played UNo, had a drink or three and meandered around the resort.

I felt very safe in my room last night-but I don’t think we got hit as hard as other places around FL.

I did see this damage on our way back from BC.

IMO, Disney has been great with communication and hurricane protection. We're at the BWV right now, and have had numerous phone messages, as well as updates on MDE app. All the CM's have been wonderful. The buffet they have for guests at the BW Convention center is awesome. We looked at extending our stay past Friday using the 25% discount, OTU points, borrowing, etc., etc., but with the weather clearing soon, have decided to check-up Friday and get some Epcot love in before driving home to Georgia. Even with the hurricane, this has been an awesome 5 nt vacation. We're DVC Legacy Fans - we'll be back soon

 

[New Mouse]

IMO, Disney has been great with communication and hurricane protection. We're at the BWV right now, and have had numerous phone messages, as well as updates on MDE app. All the CM's have been wonderful. The buffet they have for guests at the BW Convention center is awesome. We looked at extending our stay past Friday using the 25% discount, OTU points, borrowing, etc., etc., but with the weather clearing soon, have decided to check-up Friday and get some Epcot love in before driving home to Georgia. Even with the hurricane, this has been an awesome 5 nt vacation. We're DVC Legacy Fans - we'll be back soon!!

By definition, the fact some folks are having a great experience and others are not with the communication means the communication has been terrible.

 

[Stargazer65]

“A hurricane” - which hurricane was that - Floyd ‘99?

I forget. It wasn't long ago enough to be Floyd. They were at SSR, I remember that.

 

[pixieprincess925]

By definition, the fact some folks are having a great experience and others are not with the communication means the communication has been terrible.

This sort of defines the inconsistency of service between DVC resorts. Some are absolutely fantastic - other are mismanaged.
Sorry to all those that didn't receive the support they expected. Glad everyone is safe.

 

[chicagodisneyguy]

Disney hotel mgmt has, thus far, been incredibly poor at providing any instruction or communication to guests. We’ve received no phone messages or notices under our door — nothing. The only proactive notice we have is a message board set up on an easel in the lobby late last night. My thought right now is that they have already given us instruction, via this board notice to all guests. It reads:

For the safety of our guests and cast members, all guests including our Disney Vacation Club Members must check in to our resorts on Sept. 28, by 3pm. Guests may reschedule their trip or cancel their stay with us, any customary cancellation fees will be waived. Check-ins will not be accepted on Thursday, Sept. 29. Characters will not be available in character dining locations on Wednesday, Sept. 28 and Thursday, Sept 29. Guests who are checked in by 3pm on Wednesday, Sept 28 will be asked to shelter in place at their resort hotel for the duration of the storm. This includes any resort-to-resort transfers.

When I started hearing from other guests that were waiting in the hour+ line in the lobby or calling directly to DVC that Disney was demanding cash or points to extend their stay (for a completely ruined trip, no less), I decided to intentionally avoid contact ahead of time. After all, we have a guaranteed room through 11am tomorrow morning. My read of this notice above (the only notice Disney has given me) is that I am being instructed to “shelter in my room” until the storm has passed and Disney has determined it is safe for people to leave the resort. I’m not even sure I’m going to go down to the lobby tomorrow morning. I believe this notice is pretty clear, given it is the only information provided. My primary concern is that our keys will likely be automatically deactivated after 11am tomorrow, so if we all vacate the room at one time, we will lose access.

So instead of going down the day before or morning of, you decide to just ignore it so you can somehow justify getting a free room? On what planet do you think you are owed a free room? You knew this thing was coming. If you didn't want to pay, like every other person there has to, you should have switched to a hotel you could afford.

I can't imagine Disney/DVC is just going to let people get free rooms. My guess is the next time people go to use points they'll see the points were taken or their membership is locked.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Disney is working with skeletal crews to ride out an act of nature beyond their control. Streets in Orlando are flooded.

I understand some are disappointed that they aren't being allowed to stay for free, or that their trip is ruined, but, in all seriousness: You're traveling to Florida in peak hurricane season, there are risks you have taken by doing so.

If you're dry and not especially hungry you are doing very much better than many downstate.

 

[Anthony1971]

Shelter in Place is not a law. It means you are advised to stay wherever you are if you leave you will not be granted access to come back in. If you have a room rented for X days and you did nothing to extend it or find out what has to be done that is on the people in the room as by default you are leaving on your own free will by not finding out how to extend your rented room. I have not seen a report that any guest was denied an extension however some may have had to move to a different resort prior to the shelter in place. The same happened to us years ago the front desk found us a room at Kidani when we were staying at Jambo they used our points I could have decided to leave if i did not want to pay. Disney was great then with what the provided and seems the same now. They had food for discounted rates then and now they had activities then and now free movies free board games etc. I honestly do not know what more they can do.... A guest needs to do their part as well in making sure they have a room and buying food etc. To expect Disney to call each person who is checking out or make sure each person has food by going to door to door or???? is just plain unrealistic expectations. This is about as realistic as looking at a gas guage on E with a flashing light and ignoring it thinking the car will get gas itself because you estimated how many miles per gallon the car should get and it did not meet your expecations.

 

[RoseGold]

So you just stayed in a 2BR you didn't need and didn't want to pay for, because you thought if you didn't talk to anyone it would be free?

People needed rooms. They probably would have put you somewhere cheaper.

 

[Cyberc1978]

Just wondering if those of you that are visiting during the hurricane and can't go home have travelers insurance?

Maybe things are different because im international, but we stayed at WDW in 2017 when hurricane Irma hit and we couldn't fly home and had to stay 4 days extra. Because of that our travelers insurance paid the 4 extra days at VGF including food and airfare home.


regards

 

[DebbieB]

Booking another night at the going DVC points rate is actually a pretty steep cost … particularly for our situation where we have a 2-bedroom unit, but only 3 of our party remains to ride out the storm.

So what did you end up doing?

 

[New Mouse]

So instead of going down the day before or morning of, you decide to just ignore it so you can somehow justify getting a free room? On what planet do you think you are owed a free room? You knew this thing was coming. If you didn't want to pay, like every other person there has to, you should have switched to a hotel you could afford.

I can't imagine Disney/DVC is just going to let people get free rooms. My guess is the next time people go to use points they'll see the points were taken or their membership is locked.

Disney can eat the $50 real cost of maintaining these rooms for an extra night for people's safety....I mean that is their top priority, right?

 

[Sandisw]

Disney can eat the $50 real cost of maintaining these rooms for an extra night for people's safety....I mean that is their top priority, right?

I just don’t get this line of thinking..whether it was Disney or any other hotel in the area.

 

[New Mouse]

I just don’t get this line of thinking..whether it was Disney or any other hotel in the area.

Are you supportive of price gouging on gas, bread and the such?

If not, why would you support the same thing when it comes to shelter?

Disney and many other corporations benefit tremendously from public funds and breaks, why shouldn't they be required to.give back in times of extreme need?

Not to mention, gouging your most loyal customers is probably not great for long term business.

 

[Sandisw]

Are you supportive of price gouging on gas, bread and the such?

If not, why would you support the same thing when it comes to shelter?

Disney and many other corporations benefit tremendously from public funds and breaks, why shouldn't they be required to.give back in times of extreme need?

Not to mention, gouging your most loyal customers is probably not great for long term business.

Expecting someone to pay normal prices is not price gouging. So, the grocery store who charged those who live in FL for bread and water to ride out the storms were not price gouging because they didn’t hand that stuff out for free

Guests were offered a discount for cash stays. Disney waived cancellation fees for guests. DVC waived holding penalties and returned borrowed points for those who didn’t make it.

They offered buffets to guests for $20/person which was well below what they would normally charge. They did other things to help guests and CMs stay safe, like handing out flashlights and other things.

They even canceled those checking in Thursday in part so they had the rooms for those already there needing to extend their stay.

Sorry, I just don’t agree because they didn’t give everyone free rooms for the ones who had to extend means they were gouging guests.

Plenty of businesses did the best they could to help those who were not able to leave early or who were evacuating from other parts of Florida. We can leave it at that.

 

[chicagodisneyguy]

Disney can eat the $50 real cost of maintaining these rooms for an extra night for people's safety....I mean that is their top priority, right?

I know if I decided to fly to Orlando when I KNOW a hurricane is coming, I'd have a place to stay during it. If not, I wouldn't go. Know why? Because I'm an adult.

 

[chicagodisneyguy]

Are you supportive of price gouging on gas, bread and the such?

If not, why would you support the same thing when it comes to shelter?

Disney and many other corporations benefit tremendously from public funds and breaks, why shouldn't they be required to.give back in times of extreme need?

Not to mention, gouging your most loyal customers is probably not great for long term business.

People that expect free rooms aren't the most loyal customers....they are the ones Disney probably wants to fire. The entitlement on this thread is baffling. And if Disney prices are too high there are 100 hotels in the Orlando area that are $200 and under that probably would have accommodated people if they even attempted to plan. I know those pesky hurricanes can ruin a vacation....I can't believe Disney didn't do more.

And maybe it's the econ/finance majors in me....but people should Google price gouging before posting....would save them from looking uneducated.

 

[New Mouse]

Expecting someone to pay normal prices is not price gouging. So, the grocery store who charged those who live in FL for bread and water to ride out the storms were not price gouging because they didn’t hand that stuff out for free

Guests were offered a discount for cash stays. Disney waived cancellation fees for guests. DVC waived holding penalties and returned borrowed points for those who didn’t make it.

They offered buffets to guests for $20/person which was well below what they would normally charge. They did other things to help guests and CMs stay safe, like handing out flashlights and other things.

They even canceled those checking in Thursday in part so they had the rooms for those already there needing to extend their stay.

Sorry, I just don’t agree because they didn’t give everyone free rooms for the ones who had to extend means they were gouging guests.

Plenty of businesses did the best they could to help those who were not able to leave early or who were evacuating from other parts of Florida. We can leave it at that.

Expecting someone to pay normal prices is not price gouging. So, the grocery store who charged those who live in FL for bread and water to ride out the storms were not price gouging because they didn’t hand that stuff out for free

Guests were offered a discount for cash stays. Disney waived cancellation fees for guests. DVC waived holding penalties and returned borrowed points for those who didn’t make it.

They offered buffets to guests for $20/person which was well below what they would normally charge. They did other things to help guests and CMs stay safe, like handing out flashlights and other things.

They even canceled those checking in Thursday in part so they had the rooms for those already there needing to extend their stay.

Sorry, I just don’t agree because they didn’t give everyone free rooms for the ones who had to extend means they were gouging guests.

Plenty of businesses did the best they could to help those who were not able to leave early or who were evacuating from other parts of Florida. We can leave it at that.

Pay us $500 for our studio room or good luck with the storm is a fairly opportunitistic stance.