For you smokers out there......

[Caskbill]

Did they ask you before or after they checked availability? If it was before, it might be a change.

Good point!

That would indeed be a welcomed change.

 

[byoung]

I remember being asked. I will not except a smoking rm though.

 

[kathleena]

Did they ask you before or after they checked availability? If it was before, it might be a change.

You mean because they may have made it a category?

They almost always ask me. I can't think of too many times they haven't. When I request Medical NS, I have sometimes been asked if there is asthma etc.

And - I just stayed at POFQ where medical was GUARANTEED. When I checked in I asked - is it NS and he said, yes, you were preassigned as NS is guaranteed.

Why, oh Why or Why can't DVS do that? If you email MS about a DVC resort, you will sometimes get referred to Executive Offices because it's a resort issue - but yet, even though it's a resort, MS can't guarantee NS? They need to get those systems in sync!!!!

OK, off the soapbox......

 

[tjkraz]

Maybe I'm wrong on this, but I don't think Disney has any inventory process that helps insure that all guarantees can be met. If they are only "guaranteeing" a room to someone who requests NS on a medical basis, they confidently know they can deliver on that promise because they just aren't going to have 800 guests request "NS for medical reasons" at the Wilderness Lodge on the same night. It is probably practice to assign the NS rooms first to those who stipulate a medical need and then for the others it remains a request.

Many other hotel chains give the impression that you are specifically reserving a Smoking or Non Smoking room at the time of booking, but there really aren't any inventory controls behind it. The vast majority of the time there are no problems since the hotel is not at max occupancy. But watch out if you're part of a convention group or otherwise know that the hotel will be full on a given night.

 

[Lexxiefern]

Just wanted to chime in that every single time I make a reservation they ask me if I want smoking or non. I think it would be great if they made separate catagories. Or better yet go completely nonsmoking like DL.

 

[Chuck S]

The vast majority of the time there are no problems since the hotel is not at max occupancy. But watch out if you're part of a convention group or otherwise know that the hotel will be full on a given night.

ITA...been there done that at a Holiday Inn. Had confirmed pre-paid ressie for NS room, 2 beds as boss & I were at a convention in the same room.

First room we were assigned was...get this...a room that had been converted to the employee break room...no bed at all. Kept getting the resort was overbooked excuse, they did not offer a refund. We finally wound up with a real room, but it was smoking AND had a king bed...and of course, they had no roll aways.

Remember that the vast majority of rooms at DVC resorts are NS, and as the years have progressed, more & more bldgs at OKW have become NS as the need arose. It is still not a guarantee, especially during fully booked periods, but no hotel (Disney or not) "guarantee" is written in stone.

 

[auntsue]

Did anyone else see the commercial for the Westin hotel/hotels? It appeared that the entire hotel was non-smoking. I wasn't exactly paying attention, so I may be mistaken.

 

[Chuck S]

Westin is converting to all non-smoking. I don't see DVC doing this unilaterally. They will either wait for local or state legislation to "take the monkey off their backs" or will change the DVC resorts to all non-smoking as part of an overall change at all Disney operated resorts to non-smoking. But since WDW depends a lot upon European travel, and currently they have a more lax attitude towards smoking, it will be awhile. Smoking is not as accepted in Europe as it used to be, but is isn't as "anti-smoking" as the US.

 

[Granny]

Westin is converting to all non-smoking. I don't see DVC doing this unilaterally. They will either wait for local or state legislation to "take the monkey off their backs" or will change the DVC resorts to all non-smoking as part of an overall change at all Disney operated resorts to non-smoking. But since WDW depends a lot upon European travel, and currently they have a more lax attitude towards smoking, it will be awhile. Smoking is not as accepted in Europe as it used to be, but is isn't as "anti-smoking" as the US.

I agree with Chuck's comments that Disney will use legislation or other "competitive trends" as their excuse so they don't look like the bad guys.

I will add that a hotel going to non-smoking is a LOT different than a timeshare doing it. Frankly, I'm thinking that even if the WDW resorts go to non-smoking that they'll have a tough time doing it for DVC. It's a lot different with a hotel when you can just choose a different hotel to stay at. With DVC, people bought a timeshare and don't have any reasonable alternatives.

The more I think about it, the less I think there is any chance that DVC will go non-smoking in the next several years. Does anyone know of another timeshare that has done this after already selling out specific locations?

Now if they want to sell VAKL and start it out as non-smoking...then that's a different story.

By the way, I'd love for DVC to be non-smoking but in fairness to smokers I don't see how they could do it. I think much more likely will be to make smoking/non-smoking a firm reservation commitment somewhere down the road.

 

[Pluto 2]

they always ask me if i want smoking or non smoking

 

[crisi]

Asked me yesterday - after I had booked the room. So they don't seem to be setting them aside.

 

[DVCconvert]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Chuck S
Westin is converting to all non-smoking. I don't see DVC doing this unilaterally. They will either wait for local or state legislation to "take the monkey off their backs" or will change the DVC resorts to all non-smoking as part of an overall change at all Disney operated resorts to non-smoking. But since WDW depends a lot upon European travel, and currently they have a more lax attitude towards smoking, it will be awhile. Smoking is not as accepted in Europe as it used to be, but is isn't as "anti-smoking" as the US.


I agree with Chuck's comments that Disney will use legislation or other "competitive trends" as their excuse so they don't look like the bad guys.

The "funniest" part of all this is that IF DVC were to go 'anti-smoking' they'd still not be able to demand that members who smoke, not smoke on balconies (as it's outside)...and the 'holier than thou' crowd will still be able to complain about other members who are in "non smoking rooms" are smoking on their balconies!!

 

[owtrbnks]

Marriott owned hotels in the US are also going totally Non-Smoking.

 

[YesYourMajesty]

I smoke, as does my husband. Granted we only smoke a few cigarettes each a day. We request smoking rooms when we stay at any resort, Disney or not. If we are given a non-smoking room, we do not smoke in it. We go outside to the smoking area.

I realize that there is a huge push in this country to go smoke-free, etc. I understand the reasons behind this. Health risks, asthma, etc, etc. I think what a lot of people miss out on, however, is that fact that the government, for all it says about smoking being bad, does not want people to quit smoking. Frankly, they want the tax money. It makes them billions of dollars. Now, if we all go smoke free, where do you think that 10 billion per year is going to come from? If you came up with the answer "from the US citizens pocket books" then you are correct. You, me, everyone will have to pay out a ton of money to compensate.

I am a respectful person. But, I dont see where anyone else has the right to tell me what I can and cant LEGALLY put in my body. I'm not shoving it in your face.
Personally, I dont drink alcohol. Maybe Disney should go alcohol free. Alcohol causes liver and kidney disorders, cancers and can effect cardiac stability.
Maybe Disney should stop selling double cheeseburgers, french fries, hotdogs, pretzels, ice cream, etc because the overeating of fatty foods causes heart disease and obesity. Maybe they should have "no pizza or fried chicken rooms."

 

[CarolA]

If you ban smoking, folks just violate the ban. (Trust me, I have coworkers smoking in non smoking rooms RIGHT now!)

 

[LisaS]

If you ban smoking, folks just violate the ban. (Trust me, I have coworkers smoking in non smoking rooms RIGHT now!)

From what I've heard, at least one of the hotel chains that have banned smoking charges offenders $250 if they smoke in the room. That helps cover the hotel's cost to get the smell out of the room and also serves as an effective deterrent. Apparently, when they only charged $100 for violating the policy, some people still smoked in the rooms. When they raised the fee to $250, that put an end to it.

 

[CarolA]

From what I've heard, at least one of the hotel chains that have banned smoking charges offenders $250 if they smoke in the room. That helps cover the hotel's cost to get the smell out of the room and also serves as an effective deterrent. Apparently, when they only charged $100 for violating the policy, some people still smoked in the rooms. When they raised the fee to $250, that put an end to it.

Yeah, the Marriott where we are currently staying. So far NONE of my smoking co-workers have been fined. So I don't think it put an end to anything. It has however increased the use of Febreeze by these coworkers!

 

[Dean]

Yeah, the Marriott where we are currently staying. So far NONE of my smoking co-workers have been fined. So I don't think it put an end to anything. It has however increased the use of Febreeze by these coworkers!

I know Grande Ocean IS enforcing the ban when they have enough evidence to know who the culprit is. But my guess is they do it on the back side at or after check out.

 

[BensMom]

Yes, your majesty...you are, not surprisingly, missing the point completely.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Yeah, the Marriott where we are currently staying. So far NONE of my smoking co-workers have been fined. So I don't think it put an end to anything. It has however increased the use of Febreeze by these coworkers!

Wait until they check out and get the bill! That's when the fine appears.