DVC rooms too plain?

[dianeschlicht]

Actually, Diane, the GF doesn't have full kitchens and private laundry facilities in the rooms. Plus you have to get the most expensive rooms to get a jacuzzi tub at the GF. I enjoyed my stay at the GF, but I like my DVC villas better. At the GF, all I got was two queen beds (like an OKW studio, but not as nice). The bedspreads there were Alice in Wonderland themed, not stark duvets.

So I'm not quite sure what the difference would be except the DVC resorts have more.

That was my point, Deb.

 

[Deb & Bill]

That was my point, Deb.

Yeah, I was just adding on to what you said to make it clear to those who don't think OKW can be better than GF.

 

[saphyre]

I love the home feeling (minus the clutter of my real home) at OKW. I would rather spread out and be comfortable than to be crammed into a luxury hotel room any day

 

[theww228]

I think part of the issue is that all Disney Moderate and Deluxe hotels are way overpriced. If I am spending $500/night I would expect to get much nicer place other places in the country. Pretend the Poly was located in Iowa and you stopped there on vacation, I would be very upset if I had paid $500/night. IMHO the poly rooms are worth $175/night. I realize location adds to the cost, but looking at the just hotel in isolation it is not "Deluxe".

However, my love of Disney convinced me to buy into a moderate room (DVC) that Disney says is deluxe. I am okay with that, but I am not silly enough to think that the rooms really are deluxe. The same way that the strip steak at LeCellier is not a $35 steak. If I was on the outside of WDW I would be upset a restaurant that charged me $35 for the quality of steak that LeCellier serves. Disney charges a premium for their food and rooms. We disney fans accept that. The best thing to do is just accept it and go on, otherwise the joy begins to be sucked out of your trips. I always tell people who are going to Disney for the first time to be ready to accept that everything is overpriced and not to worry or think about, it will only ruin your trip. Can someone really eat $21 worth of breakfast foods at the Crystal Palace? No. Oh well, go an have fun! BTW, out of respect for Piglet, wait to get bacon after he has been to your table.

 

[MsAmerica]

I agree with the OP that the DVC units are subpar to the deluxe resort's rooms.

Last summer, we spent time at both the BCV and the BC resort and the difference is definitely noticeable. Everything was better at the BC, the rug was softer, the sheets didn't make noise, the pillows were better. The biggest improvement to me was they didn't have those gross plastic chairs on the balcony.

As someone else stated, my house has much better sheets, appliances and TV's than any room I have ever stayed at in Disney. It's not home to me, its where I stay when I visit Disney. I am also not a fan of the whole "welcome home" phrase but that is me.

I believe we are sometimes treated like unwanted step children. Which is odd to me because we are such cash cows for Disney. Yes the space in a 1 and 2 bedroom is great but in most studios or 1 bedroom units, only two guests even have a real bed to sleep in at night.

Just my opinion,

MsA

 

[honeymo78]

Our "deluxe" Disney stays outside of DVC have been at the Contemporary, Wilderness Lodge and Grand Californian. Especially with the Contemporary compared to BLT I really don't see a difference in decor or bedding. I won't know until May but I'm guessing GC and VGC are similar in decor and bedding. With the refurbs, even the older DVC resorts are getting the flat screen tvs - again couldn't tell any real difference between CR and BLT. Our stays at SSR, OKW, AKL and BWV have had at least the same level of "deluxeness" as our last stay at WL.

For DH and I, there are more typical deluxe amenities in our DVC 1br than our normal hotel stays - even outside of Disney. A guaranteed king bed room that isn't almost always an HA room, a huge jacuzzi tub, fridge and freezer that actually work, and space to spread out that doesn't require book a suite makes DVC more deluxe than any deluxe Disney resort. I can see how someone who only stays in a studio may not feel they are getting much extra, however I'm not sure how DVC studios are less deluxe than the standard deluxe hotel room counterpart - especially the newer resorts and the older ones after refurb.

 

[gkrykewy]

I agree with one aspect of the OP's sentiments: I bought DVC to prepay for WDW deluxe accomodations, and could not care less about appliances, kitchens, or what have you. If I wanted to cook or do laundry, I'd stay home.

That said, I have no complaints about the quality of the experience or furnishings - they have met our expectations.

 

[photobob]

I like the homey feel of the DVC villas. The main thing we like especially with the 1 and 2 BDR villas is the extra space that a normal room just doesn't have. We do use the laundry and kitchen so that is a big plus to us. We particularly use the w/d a great deal. It allows us to pack less clothes and keep from taking home a ton of dirty clothes. We use the kitchen some too, usually just for quick meals, nothing elaborate.

 

[Jonell]

I agree with the OP that the DVC units are subpar to the deluxe resort's rooms.

Last summer, we spent time at both the BCV and the BC resort and the difference is definitely noticeable. Everything was better at the BC, the rug was softer, the sheets didn't make noise, the pillows were better. The biggest improvement to me was they didn't have those gross plastic chairs on the balcony.

As someone else stated, my house has much better sheets, appliances and TV's than any room I have ever stayed at in Disney. It's not home to me, its where I stay when I visit Disney. I am also not a fan of the whole "welcome home" phrase but that is me.

I believe we are sometimes treated like unwanted step children. Which is odd to me because we are such cash cows for Disney. Yes the space in a 1 and 2 bedroom is great but in most studios or 1 bedroom units, only two guests even have a real bed to sleep in at night.

Just my opinion,

MsA

I completely agree. No, we don't pay rack rates for resort rooms but we have payed thousands of dollars in advance for it. We purchase annual passes each year, we visit WDW 2-3 times a year and buy food and souveniors spending thousands of dollars each trip. The size of the DVC units and the kitchen and jacuzzi are great but the decor in most of them remind me of staying at my grandmothers house. Also, I hate having to pull the vacuum out of the closet to clean the floors while on vacation and not having having daily housekeeping. I don't like having to pack cleaning supplies and scrubbing the toliet during my stay. I know these are some these are some things that I have to accept with owning DVC, but I do feel there are some things that DVC should reconsider to keep DVC members happy.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I.... Also, I hate having to pull the vacuum out of the closet to clean the floors while on vacation and not having having daily housekeeping. I don't like having to pack cleaning supplies and scrubbing the toliet during my stay. I know these are some these are some things that I have to accept with owning DVC, but I do feel there are some things that DVC should reconsider to keep DVC members happy.

You can get a full cleaning every day of your trip if you want to. You just have to request it and pay for it. Not having daily full cleaning saves the membership money. So you do have a choice.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I completely agree. No, we don't pay rack rates for resort rooms but we have payed thousands of dollars in advance for it. We purchase annual passes each year, we visit WDW 2-3 times a year and buy food and souveniors spending thousands of dollars each trip. The size of the DVC units and the kitchen and jacuzzi are great but the decor in most of them remind me of staying at my grandmothers house. Also, I hate having to pull the vacuum out of the closet to clean the floors while on vacation and not having having daily housekeeping. I don't like having to pack cleaning supplies and scrubbing the toliet during my stay. I know these are some these are some things that I have to accept with owning DVC, but I do feel there are some things that DVC should reconsider to keep DVC members happy.

Again....surely you jest.
We've been members for more than 13 years now, and I can honestly say, I have NEVER pulled the vacuum out or had to clean the toilet!!! We do keep the kitchen and bathroom cleaned up, but the provided service every 4th day has always been plenty for us.

 

[Jonell]

Again....surely you jest.
We've been members for more than 13 years now, and I can honestly say, I have NEVER pulled the vacuum out or had to clean the toilet!!! We do keep the kitchen and bathroom cleaned up, but the provided service every 4th day has always been plenty for us.

I have a messy son who drops crumbs all over the floor and cleaning the bathroom including the toilet is just something I want done everyday. It's just a pet peeve of mine.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I have a messy son who drops crumbs all over the floor and cleaning the bathroom including the toilet is just something I want done everyday. It's just a pet peeve of mine.

So bring along your own housekeeper to take of this for you or pay to have it done.

 

[walkdmc]

I loved our BLT 2-BR villa. The beds/bedding were extremely comfortable and the amenities were much nicer than those at the Poly, IMO. Soon, we'll be staying at the AKV-Kidani and I don't expect that to be "plain". I like having a kitchen and washer/dryer in my room, love it. We also like having the jetted tub. I just don't get what is "plain" about the DVC resorts, I think they're lovely.

I also think the day I feel like an unwanted stepchild, for being a DVC owner, is the day I will list my DVC contract for resale.

 

[Jonell]

So bring along your own housekeeper to take of this for you

Now why didn't I think of that ? Maybe we can bring along our nanny, gardner, cook and butler too..

 

[Deb & Bill]

So bring along your own housekeeper to take of this for you

Now why didn't I think of that ? Maybe we can bring along our nanny, gardner, cook and butler too..

But you'll probably have to get them their own studio.

 

[crisi]

I have a messy son who drops crumbs all over the floor and cleaning the bathroom including the toilet is just something I want done everyday. It's just a pet peeve of mine.

I sort of figure that I COULD pay for a full cleaning every day with DVC, but I don't. So even though I'm one of the apparently few DVC members who does MISS a wiped down bathroom, made bed, and vacuumed floor every day - apparently I don't actually miss it enough to pay for it And if I don't miss it enough to pay for it, it certainly doesn't seem fair to demand Diane pay for it - she LIKES the limited mousekeeping.

(I did have a housekeeper at home, and she came TWICE a week. Two best days of the week. But not cheap).

 

[dianeschlicht]

I sort of figure that I COULD pay for a full cleaning every day with DVC, but I don't. So even though I'm one of the apparently few DVC members who does MISS a wiped down bathroom, made bed, and vacuumed floor every day - apparently I don't actually miss it enough to pay for it And if I don't miss it enough to pay for it, it certainly doesn't seem fair to demand Diane pay for it - she LIKES the limited mousekeeping.

(I did have a housekeeper at home, and she came TWICE a week. Two best days of the week. But not cheap).

LOL! Glad you admitted it wasn't worth it to you to pay for mousekeeping! I'm kind of one of those people who doesn't trust someone else cleaning for me, so yes, I do like to do my own housekeeping. I guess we are pretty neat and clean, because I've never felt a need to clean the toilet or change the linens more than once a week. It's no big deal to make the bed when I jump out of it either.

Oh, and the one time I did pay for extra housekeeping (when I had a change of guests coming), they did a less than stellar job and I had to go down to the front desk and complain. LOL, in fact...they came back and did it again in front of me, and it STILL wasn't good enough. So you see, paying for it or having it every day isn't necessarily a guarantee it's going to be any cleaner.

 

[crisi]

LOL! Glad you admitted it wasn't worth it to you to pay for mousekeeping!

Its the rubber meets the road question....if they offer to it for you for cash, do you buy it, or are you only going to take advantage of it if its "free." Works great with my kids, who want everything when its MY AmEx card, and when its their allowance, suddenly those things are much less necessary in life.

I do think the mousekeeping rates are FAR too high. I paid my housekeeper $75 for a full cleaning, $25 to swing through, make beds, wipe down bathrooms, pick up, and take care of my dirty dishes. And I have four bedrooms and three bathrooms and a kitchen somewhat larger than a postage stamp.

 

[mickey&minniealways]

Sorry but I definatley do not want a down comforter in FL. Maybe we can do away with the loud prints though and we definatley do not need 1000 count sheets. I don't do that at home. We would be paying a fortune in fees.