First Stay Experience

[HibernationTour]

We just completed our first stay at CCV as owners, and the feelings are mixed. Wilderness Lodge is awesome, and we love everything about it...which is why we bought there! But the DVC stay was a bit underwhelming. There was nothing in the room to signify it was our "welcome home" which is fine, but that's an easy touch of customer service. Then I got the email to stop at the kiosk for a free gift...Riviera print. So, on our welcome home, the only correspondence from anyone in DVC was about Riviera and not our actual stay.

I'm stuck between feelings of expected or hoped. We got exactly what we paid for, and the stay was sweet! But I did kind of expect some check in from a DVC person, or our guide, to either welcome us or check in on how our first experience was going. It really kind of rubbed me wrong that that didn't happen...but they made sure we knew about Riviera.

Anyone else have similar, or not similar feelings with their first stay? I don't mean this nearly as complain-y as it is because we loved the stay! But I did kind of have some thoughts going in on how it would go, and that didn't happen, which is probably on me.

 

[Sandisw]

Never got or expected anything when we bought in. We were just excited to be DVC when we got there.

The Riviera print is what they have been giving to everyone since they reopened in 2020 for touring the rooms, and we get a call every visit to remember we can visit the open houses at any resort.

Now, some owners have guides who reach out to them every trip…mine never has and that’s fine. I just get giddy when I get Welcome Home when I tap into the park.

Unfortunately, I think you expected something that just doesn’t happen.

 

[chalee94]

Anyone else have similar, or not similar feelings with their first stay?

I don't think I have ever read of this special treatment happening.

If they did put flowers or something in your room, the cost would have to be run through dues. That's why it's not a realistic expectation.

You should expect more attentiveness during the sales process, but now that you are on the hook, getting a clean room for an onsite stay is a reasonable expectation. Disney treats hotel guests a little differently because they need to entice return visits. You are more of an owner now than a guest (and should be treated well...but only as well as they treat the other 200,000 owners or so.)

 

[Her Dotness]

Other than a cheery "Welcome Home" which every member gets, there's generally speaking no acknowledgement of your first stay.

It can be challenging to let go of those regular hotel guest expectations when you first stay in a DVC resort.

I suspect you are correct in realizing you had some expectations that you are now aware weren't going to be fulfilled.

It can be a bit of an adjustment even after that first stay. We still miss some aspects of regular room stays but remind selves when we do that DVC has one big advantage--costs us less for our entire trip than a Value stay would.

 

[HibernationTour]

I appreciate the replies to this! We went in knowing that purchasing entitled us to nothing more or less than using points at a specific set of resort depending on availability. So strictly speaking, we got exactly what we paid for and loved it! Zero regrets, and I'm not really upset so much as trying to properly set expectations moving forward. We own at Poly and CCV, so if "all" we get is the opportunity to stay there for the next several decades count me satisfied. My unmet expectations/hopes going in are my own fault because I had always loved the Disney customer service thing and felt as though that may be elevated with DVC.