For those who are tired of increase costs

[disneynutz]

We have to remember that what we expect isn't necessarily what Disney wants or can provide. After years of sending info good and bad to member satisfaction, they call back and chat for awhile , make you feel better, let you know that they will forward your concerns to their business partners but how many times do the have to let the resort staff know that there is a room issue before they make change. How many room credits, gifts, flower baskets does the front desk give out for room issues? We think that they don't know what's going on but lets be real, they know and it's part of their day to day business.

I'm sure that they would love to reduce guest room complaints but it's all in the money, if Disney doesn't give them money to fix the rooms or clean them better or allow them to take them out of service for maintenance, what can they do? Apparently it's cheaper to give out an occasional room credit than to fix the problems. It isn't the resorts fault, it's Disney's fault.

Bill

 

[imaginiff]

There isn't really more to the story. The room was dirty and also moldy and broken. We went to the desk and had someone come look at the room. They sent the manager. We were given a $300 room credit. We also took pics and sent them to dvcmember satisfaction or whatever it's called and they called us back really quickly. The lady I talked to thanked me for sending pics as she said that they were getting a lot of complaints about BWV at that time and pics helped them strengthen the case for a renovation. I asked her which resorts generated the most frequent complaints about condition at that point, and she said BWV by a landslide, followed by BLT. That surprised me as BLT isn't that old. I would have guessed BCV.

Also, I wouldn't say outlier. We had had other BWV rooms that were very worn with yucky bathrooms. This one was borderline uninhabitable though.

There isn't really more to the story. The room was dirty and also moldy and broken. We went to the desk and had someone come look at the room. They sent the manager. We were given a $300 room credit. We also took pics and sent them to dvcmember satisfaction or whatever it's called and they called us back really quickly. The lady I talked to thanked me for sending pics as she said that they were getting a lot of complaints about BWV at that time and pics helped them strengthen the case for a renovation. I asked her which resorts generated the most frequent complaints about condition at that point, and she said BWV by a landslide, followed by BLT. That surprised me as BLT isn't that old. I would have guessed BCV.

Also, I wouldn't say outlier. We had had other BWV rooms that were very worn with yucky bathrooms. This one was borderline uninhabitable though.

Really? I am very surprised that anyone would give you that type of information. CM's are trained to be non-commital. i.e. they should just say thank you for the information. "By a landslide" is not in the "handbook". Have been staying at BWV for nearly 20 years...all types of rooms and views. Never came upon one that was uninhabitable. Do you remember the room number? Studio or 1 bedroom? Standard, Pool or BW view? Have had some rooms where the Florida smell is there...it is everywhere!!! I really do not like the moldy smell...but it is at the Publix, Winn Dixie, Joes Crab Shack.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I'm not sure Disney's maintenance staff would agree that they have it easier.

Again, they have a 5-hour window from 11am to 4pm to turn over dozens or hundreds of rooms, depending on size of resort and number of check-ins.
.

I'm fairly certain they wouldn't - nor would most hotelier staff. The check in/out windows are similar everywhere (actually a little longer at Disney than some others) and I'm pointing out that every scenario comes with it's challenges and it's ability to maximize and maintain. And the number of rooms just means a different amount of staff so I don't understand the emphasis on that like I also don't think that just because one has lower occupancy it would automatically provide a reason why they are better at maintenance vs a location that is close to capacity. But the decision of what levels to maintain a room can certainly vary and I'm not convinced that either Disney nor DVC are extremely strict, nor do I think they're particularly awful. If they aren't going to be fairly meticulous then it's also not odd to expect complaints as the rates charged are not exactly Motel 6 equivalents.

However, a room does not have to be vacant to perform maintenance nor does Disney think that from our experience. More than once we've had them come in to do things while were were in a room or there's been a notice left that they were there while we were out.

I'm certain that Disney has this down pat to the levels they wish to maintain. What levels that should be will always vary for different people.

 

[LoveBWVVBR]

Really? I am very surprised that anyone would give you that type of information. CM's are trained to be non-commital. i.e. they should just say thank you for the information. "By a landslide" is not in the "handbook". Have been staying at BWV for nearly 20 years...all types of rooms and views. Never came upon one that was uninhabitable. Do you remember the room number? Studio or 1 bedroom? Standard, Pool or BW view? Have had some rooms where the Florida smell is there...it is everywhere!!! I really do not like the moldy smell...but it is at the Publix, Winn Dixie, Joes Crab Shack.

I'm not up for arguing. Glad you have had great experiences at BWV, hope you never get a unit like we had, glad there are still people who love DVC. Otherwise we would have been stuck with our DVC contracts since we just sold both of them.

Oh, and I'm from FL. I'm still trying to figure out what the "Florida smell" is. Does it really smell like mold here to people from elsewhere?

Since you asked, it was a 1 bedroom, standard view, Thanksgiving weekend 2013, and no I don't remember the room number.

 

[disneynutz]

Really? I am very surprised that anyone would give you that type of information. CM's are trained to be non-commital. i.e. they should just say thank you for the information. "By a landslide" is not in the "handbook". Have been staying at BWV for nearly 20 years...all types of rooms and views. Never came upon one that was uninhabitable. Do you remember the room number? Studio or 1 bedroom? Standard, Pool or BW view? Have had some rooms where the Florida smell is there...it is everywhere!!! I really do not like the moldy smell...but it is at the Publix, Winn Dixie, Joes Crab Shack.

I have found that with a little friendly conversation, the CM's will come off stage and open up often sharing more than they should.

Bill

 

[LoveBWVVBR]

I have found that with a little friendly conversation, the CM's will come off stage and open up often sharing more than they should.

Bill

Very true. Also, there was really no sugar-coating it...this room was BAD, and the pics showed that. The person who called me back was really nice, and was honest when I asked which resorts generated the most calls/complaints. I appreciated that call, and it must have made me feel somewhat better because it still took us 2 more years to sell our DVC points. We literally just sold them in the last month.

 

[imaginiff]

Well, thank goodness your buyers never read your negative posts or you would have been "stuck" with your contracts. Congrats on the sale, though. Seeing that you've had them for a while, and used your points, you most likely broke even or made a tidy profit. Good for you! Now you can use your profits to stay in values for your trips. No offense to Florida residents that have DVC...but as someone that has to spend lots of time getting to Disney and loves DVC after the long trip, I wonder what draws you to DVC? I've chatted with many "local" DVCers....have had lots of great conversations. Food & Wine and Flower & Garden seems to be the big draw.

The "Florida Smell". I smell it as soon as I deplane at MCO. Humidity? Mold? Mildew? It was so bad for me at BCV that some kind of purifiers were brought to the room. I don't blame DVC...it is what it is....hotels built on a former swamp...I know what I bought and where it is located.


Sorry you had such a crappy room. As I said, have been staying at BWV since just after they opened. Studios, 1 BR, standard and BWV. Never got a "nearly uninhabitable room". Also stayed at SSR, BCV, BLT, AKV, VWL, HHI, Poly, Aluani. Never got a crappy room. Just lucky I guess.

And now your added bonus is....since you no longer own DVC, you don't have hang out at the DVC boards and talk about how awful your DVC experience was. It really took you two years to sell your points and you JUST sold them? Wow....BWV points have sold for lots more in the last few months. Either you had one of those 600 point contracts or you were asking too much! What took so long for a buyer? Just curious.

 

[eliza61]

Perhaps there's more to this story than is detailed here. But taken at face value, the one bad unit strikes me as nothing more than an outlier. 10 years of ownership with a single (recent) bad experience doesn't make that the "new norm."

We've been owners for 12 years now. Our worst experience was an OKW room around 2008-2009; musty smell, dirty carpet, toaster and dishwasher that had to be replaced. But that was clearly the outlier among our experiences. In the years before and after we've had rooms which are equally well-maintained and properly cleaned.



The timeshare equivalent to your analogy would be telling a guest "we're sorry the last guests were pigs, thus you probably won't get into your room until after 9pm while we do extra cleaning and wait for the carpet to dry."

According to a 2012 survey by the ARDA (timeshare trade group), average occupancy industry-wide was less than 77%. We KNOW that DVC resorts run much higher than that. Disney holds-back 2% of points for maintenance purposes. At most resorts, owners are booking that other 98% virtually year-round--either for their own use or rental purposes. There simply are not widespread vacancies at BLT, BCV, BWV, VGF, VWL, VGC, etc.

The 2% maintenance allocation gives Disney the ability to take every room out of service for one week per year. I suspect--though I don't know for certain--that most of it is planned maintenance. At a minimum, walls need to be painted and carpets steam cleaned a couple times per year. That is undoubtedly scheduled so that every room receives equal attention.

Once you subtract the planned maintenance, that leaves precious little excess capacity to address unplanned items. And some unplanned items are much more important than others--plumbing leaks, defective appliances, electrical, HVAC and other mechanical issues are a higher priority than painting over crayon marks on the wall left by an unsupervised child.

Still, having an extra room or two vacant is only useful if it is a close match for a room that needs extra attention. If the excess unit happens to be a Standard View One Bedroom, it won't be of much use if issues arise with a BoardWalk View Two Bedroom or a Grand Villa.

Generally speaking, every room that's vacated at 11am must be prepped for an incoming guest by 4pm the same day. A daunting challenge to say the least.

Could Disney improve their procedures in certain ways? Yes, I'm sure they could. But I also think it's unfair to compare the likes of Bay Lake Tower to a 200-room Marriott Lake Tahoe which may average 50 vacancies per night.

Ok, like I said I think its perfectly ok to compare. Disney and Disney alone controls inventory. This isn't rocket science. if you find that during the summer months your units sustain more damage or need more upkeep, you control your inventory. Lol, those newfangled machines called computers track all that info, so instead of a 2% reserve you start having a 3% reserve. instead of holding 4 rooms back you hold 6. Yes, it is that simple. oh wait, Bill already covered that, Disney could care less the product the put out now and it is definitely cheaper to throw cash or vouchers at a member than attempt to change.

Lol, add that to the fact that why should they try, if members understand " it's too hard for us to clean the rooms".


Now I'm glad you've only had 1 bad experience and I will totally admit that I've never had an uninhabitable room, lol but how sad is it when " uninhabitable" is the barometer we use for satisfaction. Like I said, last August stove broken, previous visits include horrible balconies (had to have cleaned, upon check in) we've found previous guest clothing in washer and dirty bathrooms.
Now what we do is when we get there, instead of dragging the whole family to the room, 1 person goes and checks it out.

I wish I believed it was a "outlier", depending on where we stay, we're pleasantly surprised if the room is decent.

Question. disney just reported that the hotels are operating at 85% occupancy, are the dvc units different??

Just for the record BLT's has 500 rooms according to Wikipedia, Marriott timeshare in Vegas 648, Mmarquis Time square NYC 1300 rooms, I wonder if they can't handle the ill mannered guest destroying their rooms. And you are right it would be totally unfair to compare BLT to Wynne's timeshares but I have been told Disney is not in the hotel business

 

[LoveBWVVBR]

Well, thank goodness your buyers never read your negative posts or you would have been "stuck" with your contracts. Congrats on the sale, though. Seeing that you've had them for a while, and used your points, you most likely broke even or made a tidy profit. Good for you! Now you can use your profits to stay in values for your trips. No offense to Florida residents that have DVC...but as someone that has to spend lots of time getting to Disney and loves DVC after the long trip, I wonder what draws you to DVC? I've chatted with many "local" DVCers....have had lots of great conversations. Food & Wine and Flower & Garden seems to be the big draw.

The "Florida Smell". I smell it as soon as I deplane at MCO. Humidity? Mold? Mildew? It was so bad for me at BCV that some kind of purifiers were brought to the room. I don't blame DVC...it is what it is....hotels built on a former swamp...I know what I bought and where it is located.


Sorry you had such a crappy room. As I said, have been staying at BWV since just after they opened. Studios, 1 BR, standard and BWV. Never got a "nearly uninhabitable room". Also stayed at SSR, BCV, BLT, AKV, VWL, HHI, Poly, Aluani. Never got a crappy room. Just lucky I guess.

And now your added bonus is....since you no longer own DVC, you don't have hang out at the DVC boards and talk about how awful your DVC experience was. It really took you two years to sell your points and you JUST sold them? Wow....BWV points have sold for lots more in the last few months. Either you had one of those 600 point contracts or you were asking too much! What took so long for a buyer? Just curious.

??? Our contracts sold really quickly once we listed them. We hemmed and hawed for 2 years before we listed them though.

Not sure why I'd be using my profits to stay in values?? We will just trade into SSR if we want to stay at Disney. You'll probably want to argue that that's difficult. It isn't.

Sorry that FL smells so bad to you. Not even sure what to say about that since I don't smell it.

Why wouldn't Floridians see the appeal in DVC just like anyone else? The appeal was that we loved Disney. We rented points, liked it and bought a resale contract...then bought an add-on directly. For a number of years it was great for us. We sold when it wasn't great for us anymore.

I see that you just joined disboards last month, so I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt that you really aren't aware of just how bad some of the DVC units are. This thread may open your eyes to how lucky you've been though. Scroll down on page 1 for the pics. I'm going to call this one uninhabitable...http://disboards.com/threads/ssr-room-a-hot-mess-updated-with-pictures.2844938/

 

[imaginiff]

??? Our contracts sold really quickly once we listed them. We hemmed and hawed for 2 years before we listed them though.

Not sure why I'd be using my profits to stay in values?? We will just trade into SSR if we want to stay at Disney. You'll probably want to argue that that's difficult. It isn't.

Sorry that FL smells so bad to you. Not even sure what to say about that since I don't smell it.

Why wouldn't Floridians see the appeal in DVC just like anyone else? The appeal was that we loved Disney. We rented points, liked it and bought a resale contract...then bought an add-on directly. For a number of years it was great for us. We sold when it wasn't great for us anymore.

I see that you just joined disboards last month, so I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt that you really aren't aware of just how bad some of the DVC units are. This thread may open your eyes to how lucky you've been though. Scroll down on page 1 for the pics. I'm going to call this one uninhabitable...http://disboards.com/threads/ssr-room-a-hot-mess-updated-with-pictures.2844938/

??? Our contracts sold really quickly once we listed them. We hemmed and hawed for 2 years before we listed them though.

Not sure why I'd be using my profits to stay in values?? We will just trade into SSR if we want to stay at Disney. You'll probably want to argue that that's difficult. It isn't.

Sorry that FL smells so bad to you. Not even sure what to say about that since I don't smell it.

Why wouldn't Floridians see the appeal in DVC just like anyone else? The appeal was that we loved Disney. We rented points, liked it and bought a resale contract...then bought an add-on directly. For a number of years it was great for us. We sold when it wasn't great for us anymore.


see that you just joined disboards last month, so I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt that you really aren't aware of just how bad some of the DVC units are. This thread may open your eyes to how lucky you've been though. Scroll down on page 1 for the pics. I'm going to call this one uninhabitable...http://disboards.com/threads/ssr-room-a-hot-mess-updated-with-pictures.2844938/[/QUOTE

What do you mean by "we will trade into SSR if we want to stay at Disney"? Seriously....trade what for what? And just because I joined disboards recently does NOT mean I am an idiot. I will not click on your "thing" about a SSR room being a hot mess. Nothing to do with BWV. And....why would you want to trade into SSR.....after posting that link about a SSR room being a hot mess? I just don't get it.

 

[imaginiff]

LOL...Disboards are acting like DVC member boards. See you tomorrow.

 

[LoveBWVVBR]

DVC trades via RCI. It is easy and relatively inexpensive to trade IN ($204 plus $95 for a week in a 1 bedroom, plus any cost on points you used to trade). You can trade into most any resort (we've traded into BCV, OKW, AKV, VBR and SSR most frequently), but lately SSR comes up the most. Oh, and we probably WON'T trade in, but since you said that we would use our profits to stay at a value from now on, I had to point out that I could trade into SSR much more cheaply than I could stay at a value. We won't have APs anymore, so the likelihood of us trading into DVC isn't that high.

That post was to illustrate that there ARE ininhabitable rooms at DVC resorts even if you haven't had one (yet). Our Boardwalk unit was fairly close to what you see in those pics. If I can find the pics on my computer I'll post them. You are brushing off other people's experiences as "outliers" when they are not outliers. Enough of us have had absolutely unacceptable units that it's a real problem, not an imagined problem. Like I said, I honestly hope that you never get a unit like this. Just don't brush off the fact that others have and that it soured some of us on DVC.

ETA - If you would like more information on trading into DVC, www.tug2.com is a great resource. You can see most boards there without a paid membership, but a paid membership gets you access to the "sightings" board where you can see what DVC units have been deposited for trade in close to real-time.

 

[Brian Noble]

if Disney doesn't give them money to fix the rooms or clean them better or allow them to take them out of service for maintenance, what can they do?

It's not Disney giving them the money. The refurbishment of these units are paid for by the Membership in the form of dues---shortening the refurbishment cycle would increase those dues. Likewise, if cleaning the rooms up to a better standard cost more money, that goes to dues as well.

As for cleaning: I don't know that anyone can say with confidence how often rooms are not cleaned properly. I can't say I've ever been in such a room, but perhaps my standards for cleanliness are too low---my wife would probably agree with you, I'm afraid.

Some members would be happy to pay for more cleaning staff or more frequent refurbishments. Others already think dues are too high and are willing to live with the current cycle, or even want refurbishments extended. No matter what cycle they pick, DVCMC can't make everyone happy. And, as these resorts near their expiration dates, you can bet more and more of the Members will be happy to live with the rooms as they are rather than refurbish them.

As to how many are in/out of service at a time...

so instead of a 2% reserve you start having a 3% reserve. instead of holding 4 rooms back you hold 6.

...Disney only owns 2% of the inventory as a holdback. They can vary this by time (3% this week, 1% next week), but can't increase it overall without owning more points.

 

[bakerworld]

For us DVC was a FL vacation club which includes transportation. We enjoy being left along - often we eat at the bar so keep the glass full and get a big tip. While it's more about the beverage than the food, it's also more about scenery than activities. We don't invite friends - our family is free to use our points (if we have some available) on their own.

 

[jodifla]

??? Our contracts sold really quickly once we listed them. We hemmed and hawed for 2 years before we listed them though.

Not sure why I'd be using my profits to stay in values?? We will just trade into SSR if we want to stay at Disney. You'll probably want to argue that that's difficult. It isn't.

Sorry that FL smells so bad to you. Not even sure what to say about that since I don't smell it.

Why wouldn't Floridians see the appeal in DVC just like anyone else? The appeal was that we loved Disney. We rented points, liked it and bought a resale contract...then bought an add-on directly. For a number of years it was great for us. We sold when it wasn't great for us anymore.

I see that you just joined disboards last month, so I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt that you really aren't aware of just how bad some of the DVC units are. This thread may open your eyes to how lucky you've been though. Scroll down on page 1 for the pics. I'm going to call this one uninhabitable...http://disboards.com/threads/ssr-room-a-hot-mess-updated-with-pictures.2844938/

Pretty limited use, though. And you are basing it on today; by the time all the things open at at WDW, you may indeed find a lot of trouble getting a rental at DVC.

I've owned since 1996, have not liked all the changes, but never had remotely as bad room experiences as you are describing. I don't doubt some bad rooms exist, but we've only had a couple rooms we haven't truly enjoyed over the course of the last almost 20 years -- and that's probably at least 50 rooms.

 

[tjkraz]

That post was to illustrate that there ARE ininhabitable rooms at DVC resorts even if you haven't had one (yet).

I don't think anyone is questioning your report on the condition of the room. The two comments I would specifically make are:

1) There were almost certainly rooms which occasionally reached that state in years prior. As I said, we had a pretty bad OKW room circa 2008.

2) The one bad experience 2 years ago does not say anything about the overall state of DVC guest rooms. It's one room out of about 3500 villas.

...Disney only owns 2% of the inventory as a holdback. They can vary this by time (3% this week, 1% next week), but can't increase it overall without owning more points.

This. Exactly.

Despite the point-based nature of the DVC system, Disney has a legal responsibility to guarantee that the number of accommodations offered to owners matches the number of points in circulation. They simply cannot decide to arbitrarily hold-back more rooms if 98% of the resort's points are in the hands of members.

 

[imaginiff]

??? Our contracts sold really quickly once we listed them. We hemmed and hawed for 2 years before we listed them though.

Not sure why I'd be using my profits to stay in values?? We will just trade into SSR if we want to stay at Disney. You'll probably want to argue that that's difficult. It isn't.

Sorry that FL smells so bad to you. Not even sure what to say about that since I don't smell it.

Why wouldn't Floridians see the appeal in DVC just like anyone else? The appeal was that we loved Disney. We rented points, liked it and bought a resale contract...then bought an add-on directly. For a number of years it was great for us. We sold when it wasn't great for us anymore.

I see that you just joined disboards last month, so I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt that you really aren't aware of just how bad some of the DVC units are. This thread may open your eyes to how lucky you've been though. Scroll down on page 1 for the pics. I'm going to call this one uninhabitable...http://disboards.com/threads/ssr-room-a-hot-mess-updated-with-pictures.2844938/

I am still having issues with Disboards....but just so you know, I've been DVC for nearly 2 decades. I've been lurking on the disboards for a long time and just really get annoyed with the constant negatives from a certain few. Not just "had a bad thing" here and there....constant, as if they never ever had a nice time and I just wonder why some don't just sell and move on to a better place. Anyway, the way you talked about selling your contracts, I assumed you'd want to stay in values (or some better place off site) since you keep pointing out how disgusting DVC rooms are....why would you trade into SSR if it is so disgusting? I don't understand. And I have only really had one issue many years ago with a studio kitchenette area that was wiped down improperly and a quick visit to the front desk had it taken care of immediately. Some housekeepers don't do a good job and I would assume they don't keep their job very long. We visit various DVCs two or three times a year. If I ever came upon a room that was thick with dust, cobwebs and mold I would first take pictures and then go down to the front desk and talk to a manager. I would not make repeated posts on the disboards about how disgusting the DVC rooms were and ask people what kind of compensation I deserve to get (not saying that you ever did that). But that is just me.

 

[LoveBWVVBR]

I am still having issues with Disboards....but just so you know, I've been DVC for nearly 2 decades. I've been lurking on the disboards for a long time and just really get annoyed with the constant negatives from a certain few. Not just "had a bad thing" here and there....constant, as if they never ever had a nice time and I just wonder why some don't just sell and move on to a better place. Anyway, the way you talked about selling your contracts, I assumed you'd want to stay in values (or some better place off site) since you keep pointing out how disgusting DVC rooms are....why would you trade into SSR if it is so disgusting? I don't understand. And I have only really had one issue many years ago with a studio kitchenette area that was wiped down improperly and a quick visit to the front desk had it taken care of immediately. Some housekeepers don't do a good job and I would assume they don't keep their job very long. We visit various DVCs two or three times a year. If I ever came upon a room that was thick with dust, cobwebs and mold I would first take pictures and then go down to the front desk and talk to a manager. I would not make repeated posts on the disboards about how disgusting the DVC rooms were and ask people what kind of compensation I deserve to get (not saying that you ever did that). But that is just me.

I typed out a more elaborate response, but honestly I'm tired of arguing the point. I truly hope that you continue to have good DVC experiences.

 

[dcfromva]

I appreciate the candor and detailed analysis that can be found on this board. I know that there are negative comments at times, but I want to know about that stuff, too.
This board has saved me money and saved me from some potential mistakes.
I think the negative stuff is kind of like going "backstage" and I realize that some days I might not want to go "backstage" (but I can always skip over a thread). Still, I think it's good to have that option.

 

[Kevin Hayes]

Been a member for almost 13 years. Still very happy with my purchases. Just bought my 4th contract in january. It's just that the negatives are more vocal. The cool part is that you get to try new places and find that your trip is different depending on where you stay. We are to the point now where our trips are relaxed. We don't need to hurry to any attraction... if we miss some we can get them next time.

It's also hard to just post " yey DVC " all the time. Kind of boring. lol.

Hello.

You mentioned you have 4 contracts. Does each contract have the same UY? Is it for the same resort? Did you buy resale each time? When you decided to buy additional points, what went into your decisions?

Thanks