For those of us displaced from AKV Concierge

[izzy]

I'm wondering if it would help if we provide a united front to MS about what we want in return for being kicked out of our AKV concierge rooms. I'll start with some background information about my trip, what I was offered, and what I'm willing to accept.

1. Date of trip: October 12-16th
2. Type of room: studio
3. Home resort: AKV

4. What I was offered: I was originally offered an SSR studio with a refund of 12 points, which is what the difference is between the two categories of room anyway. After I complained, he also offered me a $100 room credit. I'm also on a priority waitlist for BCV, BWV, and VWL and they are checking to see if they can get me access to club level.

5. What I am willing to accept: SSR (or any other) studio with free DDP for the 4 days OR a 1 BR villa at any of the DVC resorts where I can more easily fix some of my meals OR access to club level at BCV/BWV/VWL. As I told the guy at MS, under no circumstances am I going to be spending any more points or money on their screw-up.

I'd especially love to hear what other people have been offered and see if anyone has any additional ideas for what they could do for us. I think if we all band together and make similar demands, they might listen to us.

 

[Dean]

I'm not sure that in individual might have a better chance than a united group. The reason being is the total cost of it all which could easily add up to $2500 directly plus the lost points from Disney's pool, likely a hundred thousand dollars or more in lost revenue.

 

[spruce]

I wonder if comps would be bourne by Disney or if they would come out of an extra couple of cents added to everyones per point dues payments.

Sorry about the bump, not having recieved booked reservations would surely disappoint us but, we think even a bad day at Disney is better then a day at work.

 

[pyrxtc]

I was displaced.

Date of Trip: October 10 - 13
Room Type: Studio
Home resort: AKV

What I was offered: I was offered a studio at SSR and nothing else. Could be because I kept kind freaking out, not loudly though. I told her there has to be some other better offer than that, free food or something.

She called back and I was kind of done freaking out. She offered the same studio, free dining for 3 nights, and daily maid service. I said fine but I think they could do better and went on about how much better they could do and it was not even comparable. I was told she would look into it but got the feeling it was done.

What I think is comparable: A room at any DVC resort with club level access, a room at any non-DVC room with club level access, a room at SSR with a set-up lounge with all of the same offereings as AKV concierge. (I could forgo the turn-down and the special little African sayings on my pillow if I had to.), or a studio at any DVC resort with free food that would cover my breakfast, dinner and snacks/drinks all day. I'll charge it to the room and they can pay it so they can see what the comparison price would be. I'll still pay for my own lunch as planned at a CS. I would eat every meal as a CS so i could eat it wherever I wanted just like I would in my concierge room.

What they are wiling to offer so far is nowhere near comparable to the amenities you get at AKV besides the food offerings in the lounge. The closeness of all the activities to your room and easy access along with the abundance of things to do in the resort itself.

Someone clearly failed in their job having it be done during one of the busiest times of the year. I'm sure there were times in recent where the 6th floor guests could have easily moved to the 5th or 4th floor and still have lounge access.

 

[kgc07]

I wonder if comps would be bourne by Disney or if they would come out of an extra couple of cents added to everyones per point dues payments.

I was thinking the same thing. All of our AKV dues will probably increase because of this mix up.
I'm sorry that you are all being bumped and with such short notice. I know I would be livid. I think this could have been much more well planned. I can't imagine what they are even doing that they would need to block the rooms off. Can't they just inform you of balcony work and let you still keep your rooms? I guess they are afraid of all the complaints they will have about loud construction.
I think you should be at least refunded some ,if not all, of your points and offered the dining plan at no cost to you. In a way, the dining plan at no cost may be a better deal than the concierge lounge food (minus the drinks)and even better if you can get the deluxe dining plan. The concierge lounge was never meant to be a meal plan.

 

[LIFERBABE]

Well I was able to work our reservations out to a satisfactory level this morning. We are being placed at BCV studio for our 1 night and will have Concierge Level Access. Our reservation will be linked to our existing BCV reservation so we will not have to change rooms.

I didnt ask for anything else such as housekeeping for that day or the USA Today, because they would probably forget anyway and then I would just be mad on vacation, so I didnt even go there. They can even keep those 3 points. I cant use them in this UY or the next. My plans are solid for the next year.

I think it will be trying enough to explain to the checkin clerk that it should be noted on my ressie that we have Concierge for 1 day. Im glad we are checking in during MS hours.

So I am no longer a Concierge Refugee. I have a home and we will enjoy our wine and Grand-Ma and still be able to relax on our first day.

I already have AKV Concierge booked for next June, hopefully everything will be fixed by then and we can give AKV another try.

 

[izzy]

Well I was able to work our reservations out to a satisfactory level this morning. We are being placed at BCV studio for our 1 night and will have Concierge Level Access. Our reservation will be linked to our existing BCV reservation so we will not have to change rooms.

I didnt ask for anything else such as housekeeping for that day or the USA Today, because they would probably forget anyway and then I would just be mad on vacation, so I didnt even go there. They can even keep those 3 points. I cant use them in this UY or the next. My plans are solid for the next year.

I think it will be trying enough to explain to the checkin clerk that it should be noted on my ressie that we have Concierge for 1 day. Im glad we are checking in during MS hours.

So I am no longer a Concierge Refugee. I have a home and we will enjoy our wine and Grand-Ma and still be able to relax on our first day.

I already have AKV Concierge booked for next June, hopefully everything will be fixed by then and we can give AKV another try.

Glad to hear that they were able to work it out for you. I wrote the satifaction team an e-mail last night, and still haven't heard anything other than an automated response that they'd get back to me within 5 days.

 

[honeymo78]

I think you should be at least refunded some ,if not all, of your points and offered the dining plan at no cost to you. In a way, the dining plan at no cost may be a better deal than the concierge lounge food (minus the drinks)and even better if you can get the deluxe dining plan. The concierge lounge was never meant to be a meal plan.

Unfortunately, most of these people, if offered the dining plan and don't already have ADRs, will find it nearly impossible to find a meal to their liking. At least one person mentioned that they had planned to eat at the lounge primarily and when they tried to get some ADRs, they had exteme difficulty in finding something to meet their tastes, or had to take park meals, when they hadn't planned on visiting the parks at all. While the CS credits might help for breakfast, I have a feeling some of those TS meals would go unused.

 

[Dean]

I wonder if comps would be bourne by Disney or if they would come out of an extra couple of cents added to everyones per point dues payments.

I don't believe this would come out of Member dues at all. It should come out of DVD points owned and dollars.

 

[PatMcDuck]

From Beach Club Villas, you will have a nice hike over to the BC concierge. Of course you know they are in different buildings, Some BCV rooms are fairly remote from the main BC building.

I am sorry this happened to you. I was in AKL concierge about 5 weeks ago for 4 nights.

I will never book it again, except for one night to do sunrise safari. The views are NOT to my liking. We got pool for the first night, and it is not a nice pool view. We were able to switch to the other side for the next 3 nights. We got the handicapped 1BR, and I loved it. I preferred that shower vs clambering into that huge tub in the other room!

For me, the view is the big thing, so I would book a savannah view room guarenteed next time. I am a BCV owner, so I may not be back anytime soon anyway.

I LOVE LOVE Animal Kingdom Villas, and loved the concierge service.

 

[DavidRoss]

Wow,

What if you called member services and you accidentally booked a wrong day for your reservation. I suppose when you call back that Disney should be able to demand hundreds of dollars upfront to cancel your reservation.

Or how about this, maybe you can stay at the Boardwalk and if they are mopping the floor in the lobby and you accidentally walk accross it - OMG you made a mistake, your screw up should certainly result in extra charges to your room to compensate the additional time and effort that the employee has to re-mop where you walked.

Get real people!

I am so tired of people thinking they are owed everything and this sense of entitlement that people feel they should always have.

People and businesses make mistakes. Then when they offer something - OMG "I want more" - never enough.

Grow up people. Stop whinning and stop making my membership dues go up!

 

[Tozzie]

Wow,

What if you called member services and you accidentally booked a wrong day for your reservation. I suppose when you call back that Disney should be able to demand hundreds of dollars upfront to cancel your reservation.

Or how about this, maybe you can stay at the Boardwalk and if they are mopping the floor in the lobby and you accidentally walk accross it - OMG you made a mistake, your screw up should certainly result in extra charges to your room to compensate the additional time and effort that the employee has to re-mop where you walked.

Get real people!

I am so tired of people thinking they are owed everything and this sense of entitlement that people feel they should always have.

People and businesses make mistakes. Then when they offer something - OMG "I want more" - never enough.

Grow up people. Stop whinning and stop making my membership dues go up!

Whoa, you need you take a deep breath, these people are owed something and that is comparable accomadations, SSR is by no means near AKL concierge.

As for your comparisons well they are obsurd to say the least, Disney doens't lose when you cancel a reservation or walk accross a freshly mopped floor, these people are losing and they already gave disney thousands of dollars for the privledge of staying at AKL so they are merely asking for disney to give them what they have already paid for . Get real

 

[huey578]

Wow,

What if you called member services and you accidentally booked a wrong day for your reservation. I suppose when you call back that Disney should be able to demand hundreds of dollars upfront to cancel your reservation.

Or how about this, maybe you can stay at the Boardwalk and if they are mopping the floor in the lobby and you accidentally walk accross it - OMG you made a mistake, your screw up should certainly result in extra charges to your room to compensate the additional time and effort that the employee has to re-mop where you walked.

Get real people!

I am so tired of people thinking they are owed everything and this sense of entitlement that people feel they should always have.

People and businesses make mistakes. Then when they offer something - OMG "I want more" - never enough.

Grow up people. Stop whinning and stop making my membership dues go up!

 

[kimberh]

Wow,

What if you called member services and you accidentally booked a wrong day for your reservation. I suppose when you call back that Disney should be able to demand hundreds of dollars upfront to cancel your reservation.

Or how about this, maybe you can stay at the Boardwalk and if they are mopping the floor in the lobby and you accidentally walk accross it - OMG you made a mistake, your screw up should certainly result in extra charges to your room to compensate the additional time and effort that the employee has to re-mop where you walked.

Get real people!

I am so tired of people thinking they are owed everything and this sense of entitlement that people feel they should always have.

People and businesses make mistakes. Then when they offer something - OMG "I want more" - never enough.

Grow up people. Stop whinning and stop making my membership dues go up!

You are so off base! You need to catch up on the other threads on this topic, get the whole story.

 

[Dean]

Wow,

What if you called member services and you accidentally booked a wrong day for your reservation. I suppose when you call back that Disney should be able to demand hundreds of dollars upfront to cancel your reservation.

Or how about this, maybe you can stay at the Boardwalk and if they are mopping the floor in the lobby and you accidentally walk accross it - OMG you made a mistake, your screw up should certainly result in extra charges to your room to compensate the additional time and effort that the employee has to re-mop where you walked.

Get real people!

I am so tired of people thinking they are owed everything and this sense of entitlement that people feel they should always have.

People and businesses make mistakes. Then when they offer something - OMG "I want more" - never enough.

Grow up people. Stop whinning and stop making my membership dues go up!

As a rule I'd be there with you, the entitlement mentality is certainly alive and well. However in this situation no one is asking for extras or compensation, only what they had reserved or suitable replacement. DVC is certainly underperforming in this situation, uncharacteristically so.

 

[JimMIA]

As a rule I'd be there with you, the entitlement mentality is certainly alive and well. However in this situation no one is asking for extras or compensation, only what they had reserved or suitable replacement. DVC is certainly underperforming in this situation, uncharacteristically so.

I agree with Dean (surprise, surprise!), but I'm not so sure this is "uncharacteristic." The hotels have been "walking" DVC owners with confirmed reservations with increasing regularity.

I find it very hard to believe that DVC didn't know these renovations were in the works long before now. Did some contractor just drop by the property and give them a great deal last week? Please.

They really should do whatever it takes to make these owners happy. Some of these folks are undoubtedly past their banking deadlines, have non-refundable airfares, have borrowed points for the ressies, etc.

This is really a pretty good reason to recommend that people NOT purchase DVC if they keep this up.

 

[famsen]

Posted this on the miscellaneous board because that is how I first heard about these renovations and displacements.
I Just got off the phone with MS and I am NOT confident. The gentleman I spoke with was unaware of any construction at AKV concierge at that time. He put me on hold for awhile and spoke to a supervisor. He told me the supervisor said my reservation is fine. I asked him if the supervisor told him he knew of the AKV concierge being renovated at that time and he replied "not exactly". I asked to speak to the supervisor. He told me my reservation is "fine at this time". I am FREAKING OUT! I specifically asked him if I would have received a call by now if my reservation had to change and he replied "yes." For some reason I don't believe him and I will be crushed for the not only myself but the family we are taking with whose kids have been dying to go on this trip.
Any ideas about something else I can do to verify my reservation?

UPDATE: I placed another call and got another MS rep. She put me on hold and came back saying that some people will be displaced and some people won't be affected . She said if I didn't get called, I am not affected.
I hope this is true. The family we are going with will be DEVASTATED after saving for this trip for a year. It will be their first trip to Disney and the kids are soooo excited.

 

[JimMIA]

I have one suggestion for anyone contacting MS about this mess.

Ask them how many CASH customers are staying in the open portions of AKV concierge. The number should be zero -- owners should get preference.

I know Disney owns points too, and the hotel management has the right to bounce whoever they like. But I'll bet they haven't "walked" a single cash customer.

 

[2Princes2Princesses]

Wow,

What if you called member services and you accidentally booked a wrong day for your reservation. I suppose when you call back that Disney should be able to demand hundreds of dollars upfront to cancel your reservation.

Or how about this, maybe you can stay at the Boardwalk and if they are mopping the floor in the lobby and you accidentally walk accross it - OMG you made a mistake, your screw up should certainly result in extra charges to your room to compensate the additional time and effort that the employee has to re-mop where you walked.

Get real people!

I am so tired of people thinking they are owed everything and this sense of entitlement that people feel they should always have.

People and businesses make mistakes. Then when they offer something - OMG "I want more" - never enough.

Grow up people. Stop whinning and stop making my membership dues go up!

Listen, I am the last person to feel entitled to anything. I am very go with the flow. I am grateful for my DVC membership. I love it. But I was moved from an AKV 2BR that sleeps 9 to a SSR 2 BR that sleeps 8.

I have 9 people! So my 13 year old son can sleep on the floor. I booked this trip DBD at 11 months. I bought a contract at AKV FOR THIS LEVEL OF STAY! I spent 11,000 so my son could SLEEP ON A FLOOR!

People displaced from their 99 dollar a night rooms at Pop Century last fall were given 1 BR villas at SSR with free dining.

Sorry I am whining. Maybe when they stuff your family in a smaller room and tell you "too bad, so sad" because they are painting some railings on your trip, you will feel differently.

In the meantime, I am going to be having a fit about this, especially since they did not even have the courtesy to call me. I called THEM and found out I was being screwed.

And actually, they did not offer me crap. They nicely OFFERED me a room I could have booked myself if I wanted it for the number of points that room cost. So basically, right now, it is like I booked us a 2BR at SSR for that week. Not one thing extra. I have a SSR 2 BR for the points an SSR 2BR costs. I was not even offered the space for the number of people I have. At SSR, 9 people would require me to book a GV or 2 br and a studio. They did not give me that. So please don't tell me how generous they are, thanks.

If you don't want to hear about it, skip the thread. And have a wonderful day.

 

[2Princes2Princesses]

I forgot:

Dates: 10/19-10/25
Room type: 2 BR
Number of people: 9
Home resort: AKV and SSR and BWV (this reservation was all AKV points at 11 mos DBD)

What I was offered: A too small room (2BR) for my party size at SSR, and the point difference refunded to my 2009 use year(at least they didnt tell me I had to use the point difference of 110 by Feb 1st). Oh, and daily housekeeping and a gift basket (maybe the basket has an air mattress in it for my son!)

What I would like: A room big enough for all of us (either a GV, which is unlikely to be available, or a 2BR and a studio). And maybe not the dining plan free, but maybe compensation equivalent to a few snacks and drinks per day per person....like a free refillable mug and 2 snacks each on a card.

I am not asking for some big freebie here. I would just like to be treated like they understand what we are losing and that what they are offering is not the same, but they are at least TRYING to make up for it. Right now I feel like they think the 2BR at SSR was doing me a big favor.

We are doing the cruise beforehand. Last cruise, I met Al Weiss and he asked me if I liked my DVC membership. I would LOVE to have that conversation again in October.