DVC resort Bell Service, use them or not?

[Chuck S]

I usally fly to MCO and stay at OKW, whether I use bell services otr not depends on a few things'

Is my room ready when I arrive? If not, I check the luggage with bell services.

Am I in the Near HH booking category...if yes, I retrieve my bag(s) from Bell Services and walk to the room. If my room if farther away, I use bell services and ride with them to the room.

When I drive, which is rare these days, I usually do not use bell services, unless I have groceries that have to be refrigerated and my room isn;t ready.

 

[Nabas]

It seems to be an option now, at least in some resorts.

When I first joined in 2000, I never saw anyone other than BS using the carts. That seems to have loosened up.

Until recently, I was explicitly told I could not have a cart, that these were reserved for bell services. However, I've seen many Guests using carts during my last two stays.

I'm not sure why things changed.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

We're to the point now, we'll usually have BS bring it to the room. It's much simpler that way, and well worth a few dollars in tips. When leaving, unless we have too much stuff, we'll walk our own stuff down to the car - depending on timing, calling BS can be unpredictable when they can get to the room in the morning. In all the years we've done DVC vacations, I don't think I've ever used a cart to take the luggage myself. Depending where our room is located, I don't want to trek across the property with the cart, and then trek back to return it.

 

[BaymaxForever]

When we arrived at SSR a couple weeks ago, we went to unload at our building and realized they had no cart to use there. I didn’t know they wouldn’t, so we were baking in the sun with our first load (the heavy/no wheel stuff). Then someone left one by the elevator and we grabbed it.
When we left SSR we called bell services and were told that we couldn’t come grab a cart so we had them do it. We drive, and a had a cooler and kitchen stuff Rubbermaid that really need to have a cart to move.
If I had known, I would have dropped everything off at check-in/bell services in the first place! I just thought with the older style DVC buildings that didn’t have a hotel building would have you do it yourself since it is so spread out. Live and learn.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Question. Does Bell Services frown upon using their luggage carts or is it now acceptable to do so?

I kind of wondered about that also. Obviously, there must be some luggage carts available at Riviera for guests to use. At BCV, last I checked, guests weren't allowed to use the luggage carts themselves-only bell services could.
One thing we enjoyed at Hilton Head Resort was that luggage carts were always by the elevator at the basement of the main lodge for guests to use.

 

[tidefan]

When we arrived at SSR a couple weeks ago, we went to unload at our building and realized they had no cart to use there. I didn’t know they wouldn’t, so we were baking in the sun with our first load (the heavy/no wheel stuff). Then someone left one by the elevator and we grabbed it.
When we left SSR we called bell services and were told that we couldn’t come grab a cart so we had them do it. We drive, and a had a cooler and kitchen stuff Rubbermaid that really need to have a cart to move.
If I had known, I would have dropped everything off at check-in/bell services in the first place! I just thought with the older style DVC buildings that didn’t have a hotel building would have you do it yourself since it is so spread out. Live and learn.

When we first joined (now this was back in 2007), they used to have self-serve carts at SSR (and other) resorts around WDW. You can actually see the cart storage area in each SSR building across from the elevators, under the stairs.

However, they removed them, first saying it was for "safety reasons", however I believe that the removal of those was part of the negotiation with the Union that represents BS and Valet (they may have been separate, not sure), essentially so that it would force guests to use them to increase their tips. It is also my understanding (someone correct me if I am wrong, but I think I saw this a few years ago on here somewhere) that BS operates at Deluxe and Moderates, and the values are a contracted 3rd party.

If you go to VB or HHI, there is no Bell Services, and magically, both have carts available for guest use.

 

[DonMacGregor]

The absolute fact that guests constantly leave the carts outside their room rather than take them all the way back to bell services can’t be ignored as well.

 

[SpaceMountain77]

For us, technology has changed our resort arrival. We rent a car at MCO and typically arrive at our resort when we have received the room ready notification via the Disney World mobile app. Upon arrival, we gather our luggage and go directly to the room. Because we stay at the same resorts and know the entry points, many times, we never pass by the Bell Services or Concierge desk.

 

[Sandisw]

The absolute fact that guests constantly leave the carts outside their room rather than take them all the way back to guest services can’t be ignored as well.

Which is why I think its a catch 22....we had to wait once for a bellman to go find a cart (think it was CCV?) and ended up, after 20 minutes, just doing it ourselves.

 

[tidefan]

One other thought. We always bring a folding hand-truck with us that we can load a few bins on if we are staying 1-Bedroom or up. Makes it very easy to take your stuff up.

NOTE: we always drive, so we can just pack it in the car with our other stuff.

 

[bobbiwoz]

We use BS when checking in, mostly DIY when leaving. DH does the work.

 

[Judique]

The absolute fact that guests constantly leave the carts outside their room rather than take them all the way back to guest services can’t be ignored as well.

Not something I remember ever seeing at BWV. BCV and BWV is where I saw self service taking place as it is where I own and 'try' to stay most trips. If I'm unloading in the parking lot at BWV on a solo trip, the last thing I worry about is a cart as with the elevator being all the way up front, unless I'm in a BW view, it's a long trip to the elevator and then have to double back to the room.

 

[DonMacGregor]

Which is why I think it’s a catch 22....we had to wait once for a bellman to go find a cart (think it was CCV?) and ended up, after 20 minutes, just doing it ourselves.

Exactly. We’ve seen them left at the very end of the hall on the top floor of BRV. Same thing at BCV. A bellman would have to devote their entire day wandering around the entire resort rounding up luggage carts, especially when people abandon them in spots as far away from the bell desk as you can get.

 

[tidefan]

Exactly. We’ve seen them left at the very end of the hall on the top floor of BRV. Same thing at BCV. A bellman would have to devote their entire day wandering around the entire resort rounding up luggage carts, especially when people abandon them in spots as far away from the bell desk as you can get.

But at a resort like SSR, it was so easy to just put them right back, where they go under the stairs across from the elevators. There really was no reason they should’ve taken them out of the buildings at Saratoga.

 

[starfrenzy]

Any resort with elevators where you can park right outside should have them!

 

[DonMacGregor]

But at a resort like SSR, it was so easy to just put them right back, where they go under the stairs across from the elevators. There really was no reason they should’ve taken them out of the buildings at Saratoga.

But what's that got to do with "forcing guests to use bell services to increase their tips"? Are people now pulling up to their building in Carousel, going to their room, then calling bell services to drive over and bring their luggage in for them? I don't think pulling bell carts from SSR's buildings is doing anything at all to increase bell tips. it's obviously an inconvenience, but I really doubt that they removed them at SSR to get you to call over to have someone bring your bags in for you.

And it still doesn't negate the fact that at the hotels I specifically mentioned, where guests can get a luggage cart, that they are routinely abandoned in the far reaches of the property (and I actually did see one sitting out in the BCV parking lot once).

 

[beccasmom]

We almost always do it ourselves except at OKW (if not staying at an HH unit). But we don’t use the resort luggage carts; we just hoof it (wheel ‘em) on our own.

 

[Sandisw]

But at a resort like SSR, it was so easy to just put them right back, where they go under the stairs across from the elevators. There really was no reason they should’ve taken them out of the buildings at Saratoga.

Except, not everyone arrives at SSR by car, and so having too many at the buildings means fewer for bell services to use for those of us who arrive other ways.

The bigger problem is that those that use them do not always return them to bell services...they leave them in the hallways outside there room and my guess is that it happened at SSR too....which means, someone arriving didn't have them.

 

[jillt2ph]

I always use Bell services because I never have a vehicle. It’s going to be interesting since I have a fort wilderness cabin reserved in August. I will say that if it is a working trip and I am changing resorts, I will keep my laptop with me because it’s usually a day I am working. My employer makes us watch so many security videos and do so much training that they’ve made me paranoid to let anyone else even touch my laptop.

 

[tidefan]

Except, not everyone arrives at SSR by car, and so having too many at the buildings means fewer for bell services to use for those of us who arrive other ways.

The bigger problem is that those that use them do not always return them to bell services...they leave them in the hallways outside there room and my guess is that it happened at SSR too....which means, someone arriving didn't have them.

Then I would ask how they had plenty of them back in the day? Disney could well afford some luggage carts, especially since Bell Services at SSR doesn’t even use the luggage carts, they being a large golf cart, then carry the luggage in a modified hand truck.

I get it at an all in one building like CCV or Jambo, but they really should have them at OKW and SSR. I would ask why it seems to be fine at HHI and VB, but not at WDW?