For you smokers out there......

[TW1]

Smoking Optional is one of my favorite oxymorons. Either it is or it ain't. And if given the option, then the room is now a smoking room. Period.

I have only had the "pleasure" once of being stuck in a Smoking Optional room, at POFQ, and it was awful. I was treated very well, no complaints there, but there was simply nothing that could be done. They changed the linens, drapes, bed spreads, but the room still reeked.

How I would love to get rid of this idea that a Smoking Optional room could be mistaken for a non-smoking room. Its absolutely absurd. There is no reason to blame smokers, only resort managers who feel that this is an acceptable alternative to non-smoking rooms. The only solution would be to force a manager and their spouse and family (and mother-in-law) to spend a week in a smoking optional room and smell for themselves!

I rue the day that we will again be stuck in this optional hell, and fear for the manager that will have to deal with my spouse!

 

[CarolMN]

I have been to WDW over 30 times since it opened, joined DVC in 97, and have stayed on property all but twice. I have always been treated well, and management as always responded/ reacted appropriatley. I have never had a situation that wasn't dealt with professionally,EXCEPT ONCE !
A few years ago years ago we were spoken to and treated disrespectfully at BWV. Management was unresponsive and tended to be curt. The prevailing attitude was not pro patron and could be described as anti-magical. Since then I have spoken to others who felt BWV had a less than friendly feel to it.Maybe they are taking the theming to far and this is what the Jersey shore is/was like.
As we don't have points at BWV we simply decided not to stay there again. We have points at OKW, SSR, and tbe Beach Club so its not really a big deal, but perhaps WD co. needs to look at the prevailing attitudes at BWV.

I have never encountered anything even close to what you describe at BWV (members since 1999 with several stays there).

I don't doubt your experience, but I suspect it is due to individual CM personalities / bad days. From reading these boards, I can easily believe experiences like yours happens at all the resorts.

Best wishes -

 

[childsplay]

but then can't they enforce a penalty for that!!

Yes they could, but (and I'm sorry I didn't make this point entirely clear) they don't want to...Disney is notorious for not holding people's feet to the fire so to speak, I have seen it myself and heard this from more than one employee. They don't want to ruffle anyones feathers ie. charge for smoking in a nonsmoking room, because those people would then be upset about their unmagical visit, etc.. So instead they choose to play "Russian Roulette" with this issue and hope the next occupant doesn't really care (and I'm sure there are many who don't). The problem is when the "bullet" in this game appears in the form of someone who does care.
That's when they start the double talk, out and out lying, and "requests not gauranteed" stuff.
IMO, it would be much more prudent to deal with the problem at its source so you don't have to "hope for the best" later.

 

[Johnnie Fedora]

Maybe instead of front desk CMs lying to the guests, they could just hand you a pack of Marlboros and tell you that this would be a great opportunity to start a bad habit. That way you won't be bothered by the smell of your smoking optional room.

We have had NS rooms that were smoked in, complete with stamped out butts on the balcony..."classy". We dealt with it, but would prefer to have a truly N/S room. I agree with the comment that a better job could be done with cleaning to reduce the after effects.

 

[joepoe]

The person you need to speak to is the Member Satisfaction Manager

You can call and ask to speak to the Member Satisfaction Manager

or you can email at : members@disneyvactionclub.com (subject: Attn: Member Satisfaction Manager )

Is there an address that we can send a letter to? I feel snail mail has more of an impact. On the phone, you just get blown off. E mail is not much better.

 

[NMW]

So sorry your stay was less than magical. We have only ever stayed in the hotel part of the BC (we joined DVC last year). We never had any problems as "hotel" guests there and always got clean, non-smoking rooms. I'd hate to think the DVC members who stay there are not treated as well.
We are making our first trip "home" in Dec at BWV (our home resort). I really hope that as DVC members we are treated as well as the hotel guests! We booked boardwalk view and made one request: non-smoking for medical reasons. I and my 6 year old both have asthma.
Family members of ours just bought a new Marriot timeshare in Aruba and it is ALL non-smoking. They were told that signs will be posted in all villas advising members that they will be charged a fairly large fine if the room is smoked in. I don't understand why DVC can't fine members as well? I guess they'd have to start by stopping the CM's who hand out the ashtrays for guests in non-smoking villas.

 

[CarolMN]

..(snip)..... We booked boardwalk view and made one request: non-smoking for medical reasons. I and my 6 year old both have asthma. ....

Try not to worry too much ahead of time. My understanding is that all of the Boardwalk view rooms are non-smoking. So all you have to worry about is someone smoking where they should not. Odds are in your favor!

Best wishes-

 

[patsal]

Write and be persistent. It took well over six months to get a reply, but I did finally get one. My biggest issue is when people lie to me straight up. I am skipping the BCV this year because of a similiar issue last year. I will try it one more time and if I encounter the same treatment I plan on selling my BCV points to purchase OKW points.

 

[Doctor P]

Most other timeshares that people refer to have set days for check-in and check-out, which makes for easier reservations systems and easier maintenance scheduling.

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

I think if I checked in and the CM told me I had a "Smoking Optional" room I would have to respond with: "Great, I guess using my points is optional as well!!!". (In a dream world, right?)

 

[Rence]

DVC is not going to hold guests who smoke in a non-smoking room responsible. It is just not the Disney style, they should but they won’t.

DVC also seems very opposed to making a non-smoking room a guarantee. Would be nice if they did, but the whole system is not setup that way and they do not seem willing to change.

If that’s what they are going to do, then DVC needs to change something else and that’s their cleaning procedures. On a different message board discussing cruise lines I have seen this topic discussed. Most cruise lines (Not Disney) allow smoking in staterooms and do not have non-smoking staterooms. What was discussed is that most cruise lines have the cleaning down to a science and they do a fantastic job of getting all evidence of prior smokers out of the stateroom. For the most part, people posted that they could not tell that anyone had previously smoked in the room and on a few occasions people arrived and could smell the lingering odor and complained, came back to their room later and the problem was gone.

Now I don’t know all the techniques used and I don’t know if they clean well enough for someone who has a serious smoke allergy, but for those of us who just can’t stand the stench, an enhanced cleaning procedure would solve the problem. I can’t stand smoking, but it wouldn’t bother me if I were put in a smoking room if I couldn’t tell that someone had been smoking in the room prior and I do have a sensitive nose. The cleaning would have to be fantastic, but if they could get the stench out and I couldn’t tell, then I’d be OK. I would also expect them to immediately repair smoking damage (carpet burns, table burns etc.)

I don’t know if DVC would invest the money and time into adopting these types of cleaning procedures, but if they could do this in their smoking rooms and in non-smoking rooms would someone smoked in them anyway, then they would reduce a lot of the complaining. If they don’t want to crack down on the smokers, then they need to crank up the cleaning.

 

[kathleena]

Worse, though, was that the castmembers are INSTRUCTED by the management to lie to you when you check in about whether or not you've been given a non-smoking room.

While I'm not surprised that some CMs may not be familiar with all Smoking/NS rooms (I've had to have more than one CM ask another about it - doesn't bother me they are probably new), I would be totally surprised that any WDW resort has management who INSTRUCT CMs to lie.

Was wondering if you have proof, or if you are just assuming this to be the case?

Also wondering what room number was the first room. If you don't know what room, do you remember what floor?

 

[Dean]

but then can't they enforce a penalty for that!!

Absolutely, at least in the most obvious of cases. The problem becomes reasonable proof when someone contests it and a willingness to pursue it, something Disney is notoriously poor at.

Well, that's just terrible. It's still hard for me to believe anyone would do that - it's not like you are going to get away with it. Anyone who cares enough to ask at check in is obviously going to march right back down when they discover the lie. I suppose they are counting on the guest not making a scene.

No question it's bad. And IMO, it's going to bite them in the end if they don't fix it as it will either get worse or better depending on how much effort they put into it. My guess is they've learned it's easier to deal with the portion that call back or come back to the desk rather than deal with a higher percentage by being truthful. Since this is not the first time we've heard management instructed the CM this way, I think it is a symptom of a bigger problem. Much like the thread started by a supposed former DVC front desk CM who said the CM hated DVC members because they were so pushy and had such expectations. Unfortunately I think there's a lot of truth to that (both the high expectations and poor CM attitude) at least at times.

 

[Moobooks]

I don't think some of you are clear on this point: The castmember who checked me in KNOWINGLY sent me to a smoking-optional room (and no crap about it--it was a SMOKING room) and purposefully withheld that information from me. He was shaking in his boots when I came back downstairs, and the manager, name of Desiree, was a non-responsive corporate double-speaking idiot. I told her to her face that their policy of lying to guests when deliberately sending them off to a smoking room was despicable and she had a frozen smile that looked like a used car salesman.
And to the person who made a snide remark about the low number of posts I've made, and how my remarks should be interpreted in light of that--it's because some time back the number of all my previous posts were somehow lost from my member name and it reverted to zero--I have no idea how or why. I've been reading and posting on this board for years ... in fact, it was because of this board that I bought my 460 point contract at Old Key West in the first place.

 

[goofy4wdw59]

*****

 

[Johnnie Fedora]

Desiree, was a non-responsive corporate double-speaking idiot. I told her to her face that their policy of lying to guests when deliberately sending them off to a smoking room was despicable and she had a frozen smile that looked like a used car salesman.

Thanks!!! I just spit pop all over myself!!!

I just love when you get this type of response, it is too common among lower level management at Disney. What kind of training are they all attending?? Some CMs are so anamatronic you think they just stepped down from the stage at the COP.

 

[DVCconvert]

Moobooks wrote:

And to the person who made a snide remark about the low number of posts I've made, and how my remarks should be interpreted in light of that--it's because some time back the number of all my previous posts were somehow lost from my member name and it reverted to zero--I have no idea how or why. I've been reading and posting on this board for years ... in fact, it was because of this board that I bought my 460 point contract at Old Key West in the first place.

I guess I'm "Mr. Snide" but how could anyone (other than you) know this? And it is because of this board that I have purchased twice as many points in DVC. - but I don't see how that is germaine to the topic?

moobooks wrote:

I don't think some of you are clear on this point: The castmember who checked me in KNOWINGLY sent me to a smoking-optional room (and no crap about it--it was a SMOKING room) and purposefully withheld that information from me. He was shaking in his boots when I came back downstairs, and the manager, name of Desiree, was a non-responsive corporate double-speaking idiot. I told her to her face that their policy of lying to guests when deliberately sending them off to a smoking room was despicable and she had a frozen smile that looked like a used car salesman.

I think alot of folks are clear on what you wrote, but are questioning it, and asking for additional information on your proof/evidence that the CM did what you are alledging. You were after all "requesting" a N/S room - a Smoking Optional room implies there is a chance it's never been smoked it - I think the CM did what he could for you.

You also failed to response to my other 'snide' observations - specifically, asking for acknowledgement and affirmation that Disney in fact made a good faith effort by giving you the "decent" room, and what your reaction is to the fact that "requests" are "requests" (lacking a medically necessary reason) as far as room assignment is concerned, (rules we all live by) and, how you justify being fed "crap" by being assigned a smoking "optional" room when the title alone would alert most folks that smoking could have occurred in the room?

As to the longer term disposition to your ownership interest, I can only restate what I said earlier;
" you should do what you feel is right for you. "

 

[Moobooks]

As another poster stated, the term "smoking optional" is an oxymoron.
It's corporate double-talk. If you want to make excuses for it, that's your business--go into the diplomatic core.
And I am certain that the CM knew exactly what he was doing because neither he nor the manager denied it when I put the question directly to them.
Was I pleased with the alternate room I was given? Yes.
Was I pleased that I lost the first evening and the first half of the next day of my vacation because of their shenanigans? NO.
Have I ever, in over 25 years of traveling around the world on business, stayed in a hotel where the staff at the front desk lied to me about ANYTHING? No--it's never happened before.
I would think that the number of other posters who have had identical experiences would remove any doubt about the veracity of my account.

 

[DVCconvert]

From Dictionary.com:
ox·y·mo·ron (ŏk'sē-môr'ŏn', -mōr'-)
n., pl. -mo·ra or -rons.
A rhetorical figure in which incongruous or contradictory terms are combined, as in a deafening silence and a mournful optimist.

Moobooks,
I would be inclined to think most folks would understand that a "deafening silence" is intended to inferr the *chance* it's noisy.


Moobooks:

It's corporate double-talk. If you want to make excuses for it, that's your business--go into the diplomatic core.

What IS 'double-talk'? I don't believe I'm "makes excuese for it", I believe I'm seeing it for what it is. As to a choice of vocation - clearly you've got the diplomatic "core" (corps?) all sewn up - so I wouldn't try!

Moobooks:

And I am certain that the CM knew exactly what he was doing because neither he nor the manager denied it when I put the question directly to them.

And is that not missing the point? "Smoking Optional"?

Moobooks:

And I am certain that the CM knew exactly what he was doing because neither he nor the manager denied it when I put the question directly to them.
Was I pleased with the alternate room I was given? Yes.
Was I pleased that I lost the first evening and the first half of the next day of my vacation because of their shenanigans? NO.

-I'm not sure that's proof, except perhaps of the possibility that you didn't understand the 'rules'.
-Good!
-Understandable.

Moobooks:

Have I ever, in over 25 years of traveling around the world on business, stayed in a hotel where the staff at the front desk lied to me about ANYTHING? No--it's never happened before.

Perhaps the key caveat here is....that you've 'known of'?

Moobooks:

I would think that the number of other posters who have had identical experiences would remove any doubt about the veracity of my account

No amount of moths flying towards a flame means it's the right answer. Many folks take the suggestion that you made that Disney orders CM to "lie" as a major possible issue to them, and rightfully have a duty to require a high, high, high degree of "proof" before taking this to DVC.

 

[CarolAnnC]

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