For those of us displaced from AKV Concierge

[2Princes2Princesses]

You know, I haven't said this yet, but I really want to.

Thank you. Thank you to everyone else who is being moved, who might be moved, who got lucky and didn't get moved, and who didn't even have reservations, but watched the threads to keep up on what was happening.

DVC let us down, but our fellow members have really made me glad I own DVC the last few days. You all have been wonderful and supportive and I am proud to be a part of this group of people.

 

[Laxmom]

We may not have been displaced but this does affect every DVC member, whether they realize it or not. We are "family" of sorts. It's hard not to stand up for someone in cases like this.

Customer service is what sets Disney apart. Or used to. What they have done to you all is wrong on many levels!

 

[izzy]

You know, I haven't said this yet, but I really want to.

Thank you. Thank you to everyone else who is being moved, who might be moved, who got lucky and didn't get moved, and who didn't even have reservations, but watched the threads to keep up on what was happening.

DVC let us down, but our fellow members have really made me glad I own DVC the last few days. You all have been wonderful and supportive and I am proud to be a part of this group of people.

I absolutely want to second this sentiment! Thank you everyone!!

 

[atpatt]

You know, I haven't said this yet, but I really want to.

Thank you. Thank you to everyone else who is being moved, who might be moved, who got lucky and didn't get moved, and who didn't even have reservations, but watched the threads to keep up on what was happening.

DVC let us down, but our fellow members have really made me glad I own DVC the last few days. You all have been wonderful and supportive and I am proud to be a part of this group of people.

I completely agree.

 

[LindaBabe]

I'm so sorry for you guys! I don't think your attitude is "entitlement" at all, (unless we're really not entitled to receive what we pay for.) Our first stay as members at AKL wasn't very magical either, so hearing your story doesn't surprise me much - other than you'd have thought by now, a year later, they'd have learned something! It used to be my favorite resort, as paying guests, but now, I'm sorry we bought there.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Quote:
Originally Posted by dianeschlicht
Yep, I would generally be saying that about the entitlement mentality too, but the Club level reservation at AKV is just too difficult to get to have that rug pulled out from under you. I would want some assurance that I could book concierge level in the future. Not sure how that would possibly work though.

I don't think DVC would give priority for future bookings.

I agree, they aren't going to do that, but as difficult as AKV concierge level is to just get into in the first place, getting bumped with no guarantee of EVER being able to book it again would be a major bummer. I feel so lucky that we were able to book club level last March, but with the new booking policy and my small number of 11 month points at AKV, I'm quite sure getting Club level ever again is a pipe dream. Some of these folks on this thread aren't even AKV owners. That means, for them it will be next to impossible to book that level again in the future. Perhaps the real issue here is that those room exist at all. I'm begining to think it would have been better if DVD would have never had ANY concierge level rooms instead of giving us these few to fight over.

 

[kikiq]

Geez - we're all dvc members with decades of trips to look forward to, and people are up in arms whining and demanding the world because ONE trip is being altered?? No wonder we (dvc members) have a bad name...it's behavior like this. Moving from an AKV concierge studio to a SSR studio with the difference in points refunded is 100% fair. Throwing in a little something is "nice" but not necessary. Expecting free DDP for those days is downright ridiculous!

Having just returned from SSR and a SSR owner, I DO NOT think that a AKV concierge studio is the same as a SSR studio. Having experienced concierge level at several resorts, I can assure you it is NOT 100% fair. This "ONE" trip for these members was for concierge service along with their room, something you are not going to get at SSR. And it may be the "ONE" and only trip that was to be at the concierge level. Normally I'm a go with the flow person and not much phases me, but if I booked concierge service, I expect concierge service or something equivalent.

 

[rigsby25]

If the move was from OKW to SSR or from BCV to BWV, I would say the accomodations are similiar. But to move from AKV Concierge to SSR, that is in no way similiar. Plus the fact that the AKV Concierge is very hard to get, SSR seems to be almost always open. I stayed at AKV Conceirge at the end of June, we loved being able to see the animals from our room and around the resort. What is there to see at SSR? Look at Downtown Disney across the lake? Or maybe you will luck out and get the fire station view. I think if SSR was the only choice, I would cancel, I have no desire to stay there. I could understand this if it was some kind of emergency repair, like after a hurricane. But this seems to be routine maintenance.

We WERE moved from OKW to SSR 3 days before our vacation. We were severely disappointed. We bought a resale at OKW because that is our favorite resort. We did not buy at SSR because we had no desire to stay there. But 3 days before the vacation, we couldn't really cancel (12 of us in a Grand Villa) because of air fare, etc. which is what we wanted to do initially. But we took the SSR grand villa and made the best of it. This was a family reunion, and we have not since been able to get an OKW grand villa. So even if the accomodations ARE similiar, it is a big disappointment. A move to lesser accomodations would be an extreme disappointment.

 

[LIFERBABE]

Everyone knows its not the same thing.

Having the DDP is not the same thing either and a total PITA to use compared to concierge level services. DDP is running all over the world to eat.

Concierge is the abililty to have things at your resort available for you. To be taken care of and not have much to do. You have a staff of people that provide a level of service commensurate with the cost.

And I dont think anyone is milking this. Why ask for milk when you already had the cow ? If someone takes your cow, they should replace it with a cow, not a glass of milk. (A little Texas logic there )

And yes any move is disappointing, but very few would have this level of disappointment if DVC was being at least fair.

A Gift basket is not a gift if you are paying for it. A gift basket is "sorry for the inconvenience" Being dispaced from AKV Concierge is more than an inconvenience.

 

[Laxmom]

You just made me realize something else that bugs me about this. That DVC is insulting our intelligence by stating that a move to SSR is equivalent. Are they trying to convince us of this or do they really beleive that moving from AKV conceirge to SSR is the same thing? I could see this is it was a standard AKV but not conceirge.

 

[atpatt]

Why ask for milk when you already had the cow ? If someone takes your cow, they should replace it with a cow, not a glass of milk. (A little Texas logic there )

and amen!

Yep, yep, and yep to everything you said.

 

[CarolAnnC]

Well, I would have to say unless they set up a club room with snacks at SSR and run some animals over there to graze around the buildings, you are not receiving an equivalent compensation. Did anyone ask about priority booking AKV concierge for future?

Did anyone ask about concierge at Grand Floridian or Poly for example? I know it is not DVC, but that may be a better comparison to offer to the displaced folks.

Sorry this has happened. Hang in there and keep us posted...

 

[atpatt]

Well, I would have to say unless they set up a club room with snacks at SSR and run some animals over there to graze around the buildings, you are not receiving an equivalent compensation. Did anyone ask about priority booking AKV concierge for future?

Did anyone ask about concierge at Grand Floridian or Poly for example? I know it is not DVC, but that may be a better comparison to offer to the displaced folks.

Sorry this has happened. Hang in there and keep us posted...

Dh asked April if the displaced guests would be receiving assistance in securing future AKV concierge reservations. She said no, then went talk to someone, came back and said no, not at this time...or something similar.

 

[LIFERBABE]

Well, I would have to say unless they set up a club room with snacks at SSR and run some animals over there to graze around the buildings, you are not receiving an equivalent compensation. Did anyone ask about priority booking AKV concierge for future?

Did anyone ask about concierge at Grand Floridian or Poly for example? I know it is not DVC, but that may be a better comparison to offer to the displaced folks.

Sorry this has happened. Hang in there and keep us posted...

I agree CarolAnn. The sad thing is, DVC didnt try to work out anything for the group as a whole. Just like others can get on the site and check availbility for the deluxes, or come up with some working alternatives, DVC thinks it is alright to offer what they have offered with a straight face!

It's just bad for business. They should have had their big wigs working the phones to get everyone somewhere equivalent to stay. Call Big AL if you have to, they have a bunch of Kidani to sell and this aint the way to do it.

From now on, I can no longer say that the only difference between DVC members and paying cash for a Disney resort is that you dont get daily housekeeping. This is a BIG difference and should not be taken lightly by anyone considering DVC. maybe they are trying to lower or manage expectations, but we are not vagabonds, nor idiots. We can be devoted to WDW vacations without being DVC members.

 

[Anjelica]

We may not have been displaced but this does affect every DVC member, whether they realize it or not. We are "family" of sorts. It's hard not to stand up for someone in cases like this.

Customer service is what sets Disney apart. Or used to. What they have done to you all is wrong on many levels!

100% agreed. For all those that are effected - I am really hoping you guys get a fair and quick resolution. I'm just shocked to hear that they (MS) doesn't seem to be going that extra mile for this special circumstance.

We recently had a VERY special circumstance back in March/April of this year (totally 100% their goof up when we purchased our add-on) but they rectified the situation quickly and even waived some of the standard fees (non-DVC vacation).

 

[Laxmom]

It's hard to go the extra mile when they don't even realize there is a problem! The communication is so bad that MS is telling people their reservation isn't affected only to get the call a couple of days later that they are being moved. I actually feel bad for MS. They are the front lines that are being stuck dealing with the mess that someone else created. They've been thrown under the wagon, so to speak.

 

[2Princes2Princesses]

To update for this thread, too:

I went on Disney.com for the heck of it and found there is an OKW grand villa for my dates. The person I spoke to yesterday at MS told me there was NO availability in anything "that would better accommodate our party size."

I know they trade out and whatnot, but to tell me to bring an air mattress or they would get a cot and that she looked and there was "just nothing bigger available." It took me all of 2 seconds to find this.

I am due to call on 8/22 for our March reservations. I dont even want to bother at this point.

 

[irish dancer]

Add me to the list of displaced .

1. Date of trip: Oct. 4-11
2. Type of room: 1br
3. Home Resort: AKV and SSR
4. What was offered: 1br BWV garden/pool view, return of point difference and access to BWI concierge lounge.

The biggest problem I have is that I called last week and Maggie told me on Thursday that my reservation was not affected, I was not on her list. I told this to Mary, I also told her the answer I SHOULD have gotten was "I don't know" that would have been better than what I got. I also complained that we have 5 in our party and now one of my children will have to sleep on the floor, unacceptable.

I'm trying to look at the positives; we've never stayed at BWV and we'll still be on vacation in Disney. What makes me saddest is to know that we'll probably never have another chance at AKV concierge, we rarely know 11mos in advance our vacation dates, 7mos yes but not 11.

 

[famsen]

Well I just went to Waltdisneyworld.com to check my dates September 28-October 3rd for 5 adults and 2 children and the only choice that came up was AKL Club Level, 2 BR. Maybe I won't get the call(I'm not holding my breath) but why would my exact room type be available online to "cash" customers and not DVC members? If I do get the call, I will mention that the AKL Club Level 2 BR is still being offered online for my dates. Oh yeah, and the cost was over $7,000!!!! If my reservations are moved, I will definitely be asking for accomodations equal to that dollar value.
Sorry to rant but this situation is completely unacceptable to those it is affecting and to ALL members because they could be doing this to any of us.

 

[huey578]

Well I just went to Waltdisneyworld.com to check my dates September 28-October 3rd for 5 adults and 2 children and the only choice that came up was AKL Club Level, 2 BR. Maybe I won't get the call(I'm not holding my breath) but why would my exact room type be available online to "cash" customers and not DVC members? If I do get the call, I will mention that the AKL Club Level 2 BR is still being offered online for my dates. Oh yeah, and the cost was over $7,000!!!! If my reservations are moved, I will definitely be asking for accomodations equal to that dollar value.
Sorry to rant but this situation is completely unacceptable to those it is affecting and to ALL members because they could be doing this to any of us.

That is very interesting. Maybe the 2bdr CL rooms are not affected. I have a 2bdr CL room booked and still haen't gotten the "call"