Had it with BCV

[tomchris]

This is our first post but have been reading the boards for a while. Sorry your stay was not a "magical" one. We stayed in a studio (427) at the BCV a few weeks back and considered it as one of the best of many vacations at WDW. We were close to the elevators and had beautiful front row balcony seats for the fireworks. The room was immaculate and the bed comfortable. The hallways and rugs in our "section" looked clean and fresh. We are recent owners (1.5 yrs) at BW and OKW but wanted to experience SAB ...it was fantastic. I hope you try again and get luckier on your next stay.

 

[sandieb]

Hi, folks - I just want to restate that I love WDW, have 3 contracts at the BCV for 450 points and have stayed there 5 times. I obviously have had pretty good experiences in the past. The run-down condition of the facility and furnishings was very disappointing. I had a really nice vacation - I didn't let my disappointment over that ruin our good times.

It is just that we spent over $30K on points, pay close to $2000 annually for dues, and then pay for the tickets, tours, meals, transportation, and special events that all Disney guests incur. It is a considerable investment in a vacation. Then to be assigned a room with a really poor location, that is run down and dirty is completely unacceptable. Someone asked - it was a 2 bedroom with 2 queen beds in the second room. I can't remember the number of the first unit - possibly 373 - and the second unit was 323 - which was better than the first.

The only other DVC resorts that I have used are Hilton Head and Vero Beach. Both units were in very good condition. We especially liked Hilton Head, and I plan to return next year. But it isn't Disneyworld. I am not sure I will stay at BCV again after this last experience. It is my thought to sell our points and stay at Fort Wilderness in our RV (not slumming it, if you don't know RVs) or stay at one of the hotels. We stayed at the Animal Kingdom Lodge last year on cash, and it was just fine.

Anyway, I wish YOU a wonderful holiday with Mickey and friends. Sandie

 

[Beca]

1) They are not creating additional traffic into the DVC resorts. They are there in place of the owner, not in addition to the owner. An owner can't rent out more points than they have. So, if an owner skips a year and rents to someone else, the renters aren't putting further wear and tear in terms of foot traffic than the owners themselves would, if they were there instead. There are a finite amount of points at the DVC resorts, and no amount of renting changes that. Also, I don't see how this is different from making a reservation for friends or relatives for free.

Hi everyone!! Thanks to bobbiwoz and Simba's Mom...I'm back on the boards...for better or worse . And, Mrs Nick, not to disagree with you on this one, but I do disagree. Most other DVC resorts, because of size or location do have at least a few rooms going empty on any given night. I think there are enough openings at OKW and SSR that WDW is running AP rates on the rooms. I even read of someone on the boards who got a GV at SSR around a week out of arrival. BCV rarely has ANY empty rooms. So, when a room needs "routine" maintenance at BCV, it is REALLY difficult to get it done. Those are the times that you see someone complaining at BCV about having to wait until 5:00, 6:00 or even 9:00 pm to get into their room, only to find the carpet soaking wet. There literally is NO time to get the maintenance done on the rooms...I think DVC feels a lot of pressure to get the rooms cleaned and turned quickly.

I don't think the BC/YC stays as full as the BCV. Don't get me wrong...I think it is full (especially concierge), but at $350 per night plus 12% taxes....they find a few empty rooms now and then to do maintenance.

As far as the "upkeep" at BCV....yes, it is worn. I attended the owners' meeting last December, and the GM of the hotel seemed VERY disappointed by the state of the conditions at BCV. He said the carpet has not lived up to their expectations. He said that was probably due to the yellow hues in the carpet. He said the carpet in the hallways of the BCV's would be replaced.

He also said that the BCV's had hired a full-time wallpaper person to keep the wallpaper looking great in the hallways. He said the beds are being replaced, and I know from talking to a maintenance person that the refrigerators are being replaced.

In addition, the lobby of the BC is getting a total makeover. He said they were designing a big "sand castle" for the lobby. I saw some of the new furniture in the lobby when I was there in March. It was much more "beachy" and much less "turn of the century"....I really missed the Victorian stuff...I think they definitely can do both.

Anyway, I don't mean to "defend" the BCV's....if they look "ratty" to some of you, so be it. If it makes you unhappy, please....choose somewhere else. There are PLENTY of people on the waitlist behind you who would love to get that room. Personally, I don't think DVC/WDW is taking any less care of the BCV's because they are a DVC property...I think it is the wear and tear caused by a resort being filled to capacity almost every day. In addition, as an owner, I don't want to see my dues go up substantially so that non-owners are not disappointed by the state of the resort when they stay there. I think DVC is putting enough money into the upkeep of the resort for one year...I hope they do not raise our dues too much next year because of it. I don't mean anything bad by the "non-owners" comment...it's just that it seems most complaints about the resort come from guests, rather than owners. I think most owners (I know there are some exceptions to this) love the resort.

In addition, these reports of how bad BCV is never mention the absolute gorgeousness of the resort. Are things broken, yes....could WDW repair them faster...probably. But, it has never spoiled my trip there. I guess I am just too blown away by all the attention to detail that I notice when I am there. Seriously...the next time you walk thru the solarium, notice how the wood floor was laid to make a "border" around the room and hallways, and how the screws have been hidden by "pegs" that were inserted by hand. When we were laying wood in our house, I took photos to our flooring guy to see how much it would cost to put those in our house, and he replied, "Trust me, you can't afford it." And, I LOVE the hand-painted furniture in the Solarium and Breezeway...if I could gets my hands on one of those pieces....I would a VERY happy Beca!!!

Anyway, I gush...I don't mean to belittle anyone's opinion who finds BCV disdainful...actually, I encourage it !! But, I just had to chime in as well.



Beca

 

[rigsby25]

If BCV is in such disrepair that no one is staying there, how come I can never get in over there?

Also, I have just returned from a vacation at SSR. There were very obvious stains in the carpet when I first walked in. We went from a 1 br to a grand villa. In the grand villa, the dishwasher would not turn off. We had to put a dishrag over the counter and in the dishwasher so it would not close and start washing again. The button that says start and cancel had fallen off. We were in a handicapped accessible villa, and the bottom to the sink popped off. The microwave turntable did not work. When we finished our trip in another 1 br, the TV in the master bedroom did not work. They brought in another one just in time for us to fall asleep. We reported anything we thought was wrong so that perhaps it could be fixed for the next person, but nothing spoiled our trip. Even this newer DVC is showing some wear and tear. If you are unhappy with anything in your room, I would let them know, but don't expect compensation or something extra for every little thing that goes wrong.

 

[Ooba]

WOW......I guess this isn't the "reasons to buy" thread!
We are not owners (yet) - in fact we are looking forward to our very first trip to WDW. I did alot of research, and settled on a 2 bedroom at BVC. When we have traveled in the past, we have stayed in timeshares (not as owners), and yes, you do expect some wear and tear. They are meant to be a home away from home - not a luxury concierge hotel. That being said - I am paying full rack rates to stay there - which is no small chunk of change (granted, less than a purchase investment - but I don't get to return every year

I would be curious to know what the "paying public" thinks of the condition - compared to the rates they are paying. I don't think we will change our ressie - there were many reasons why I picked BCV, and they haven't changed. We are also on the waitlist to purchase - hoping to do so before our trip. However, now I don't think I would be too sad if this didn't come through until after we experience it first hand. I have to say, I was pretty surprised by the negative comments in relation to a Disney property. I guess when I think of Disney, I think of things looking effortlessly (is that a word ) clean, with great attention to detail. This may give me an entirely different view of Disney - one I had not expected

 

[JCW]

Just returned from our BCV trip (5/19-5/30). This was our first trip 'home' and I tried not to set expectations too high ( I think when we do this we are just setting ourselves up for dissapointment). We checked in at 3pm and our non-smoking (only request) studio room was ready. We received a welcome home at check in and a few others during our visit. All of the CM's there were great, not a single sour grape in the bunch. Our room was near the pool elevator and had a view of the service road. While I had read terrible stories of the noise from both of these things, we didn't have any noise issues/concerns. Room was clean, all items that should have been there were, and our cleaning schedule went on as we requested (we had them flip-flop our T&T with the Full Cleaning).

Each day we were there, they were painting the hallways, fixing the wall paper, or shampooing the carpets. Though we do think the carpets need replacing, to us, it seemed they were doing their best to keep the Villas looking as clean as possible, without a complete overhall. Do we think some things need refurbished at BCV? Absolutely! But I am not going to let these things ruin our vacation. We make note of our concerns while there, express them to the proper departments, and hope that they are taken care of. Also, we take pride in our room and treat the furnishings as we do at home, so they are in good condition for the next guest. As an owner, those are my responsibilities.

If someone doesn't like the condition of the BCV's, then they don't need to stay there. That is what we love about DVC. The flexibility.

Flame away if you so choose, but I really think we are setting our expectations too high. From all of the negatives I had read on these boards (room not ready, room not clean, didn't get requests met, carpets dirty, CM's not pleasant), I was really thinking the resort was going to be in shambles . Yes, some things need replaced or cleaned, but nothing to the extent that I read about.

One thing we did notice, that concerned me more than the carpets, was that the door to the Dunes Cove pool was consistently left open (as noted in an previous thread). DH and I did our duty as owners and each time by it, made sure it was closed. We did discover that this seemed to be happening when someone would hold the door open for others. If the door is pushed back too far, it will stay open. We let them know of our concern at the front desk, as we don't want our dues paying to air condition the Dunes Cove Pool area

Just my two cents. Take it or leave it. We will be staying at the BCV again.

 

[corpcomp]

Just returned from our BCV trip (5/19-5/30). This was our first trip 'home' and I tried not to set expectations too high ( I think when we do this we are just setting ourselves up for dissapointment). We checked in at 3pm and our non-smoking (only request) studio room was ready. We received a welcome home at check in and a few others during our visit. All of the CM's there were great, not a single sour grape in the bunch. Our room was near the pool elevator and had a view of the service road. While I had read terrible stories of the noise from both of these things, we didn't have any noise issues/concerns. Room was clean, all items that should have been there were, and our cleaning schedule went on as we requested (we had them flip-flop our T&T with the Full Cleaning).

Each day we were there, they were painting the hallways, fixing the wall paper, or shampooing the carpets. Though we do think the carpets need replacing, to us, it seemed they were doing their best to keep the Villas looking as clean as possible, without a complete overhall. Do we think some things need refurbished at BCV? Absolutely! But I am not going to let these things ruin our vacation. We make note of our concerns while there, express them to the proper departments, and hope that they are taken care of. Also, we take pride in our room and treat the furnishings as we do at home, so they are in good condition for the next guest. As an owner, those are my responsibilities.

If someone doesn't like the condition of the BCV's, then they don't need to stay there. That is what we love about DVC. The flexibility.

Flame away if you so choose, but I really think we are setting our expectations too high. From all of the negatives I had read on these boards (room not ready, room not clean, didn't get requests met, carpets dirty, CM's not pleasant), I was really thinking the resort was going to be in shambles . Yes, some things need replaced or cleaned, but nothing to the extent that I read about.

One thing we did notice, that concerned me more than the carpets, was that the door to the Dunes Cove pool was consistently left open (as noted in an previous thread). DH and I did our duty as owners and each time by it, made sure it was closed. We did discover that this seemed to be happening when someone would hold the door open for others. If the door is pushed back too far, it will stay open. We let them know of our concern at the front desk, as we don't want our dues paying to air condition the Dunes Cove Pool area

Just my two cents. Take it or leave it. We will be staying at the BCV again.

Glad to see you had a great time. We are going for our first ever DVC trip to BCV in July and some of the comments were getting me concerned.

I rent out a vacation home to others and get amazing complaints like, "the frying pan is scratched" or the "children's slide on the playset is not long enough" (someone actually set the playset on fire last 4th of July, burning it half down and never told anyone) and realize that some people have ridiculous expectations, even though their own home is probably not that tidy.

 

[lisareniff]

Someone asked - it was a 2 bedroom with 2 queen beds in the second room. I can't remember the number of the first unit - possibly 373 - and the second unit was 323 - which was better than the first.

That was me! I know this is only a small side comment about the room location.... I had a 2 bdrm w/2Q's reserved on our last trip and requested a pool view as well. After returning I realized that there are very few rooms with this view and they are located on the ends and most with an Epcot view.

 

[sandieb]

Just returned from our BCV trip (5/19-5/30). This was our first trip 'home' and I tried not to set expectations too high ( I think when we do this we are just setting ourselves up for dissapointment).
ay there. That is what we love about DVC. The flexibility.

Flame away if you so choose, but I really think we are setting our expectations too high. From all of the negatives I had read on these boards (room not ready, room not clean, didn't get requests met, carpets dirty, CM's not pleasant), I was really thinking the resort was going to be in shambles . Yes, some things need replaced or cleaned, but nothing to the extent that I read about.

I see your point that unrealistic expectations will set the framework for disappointment. The difference is that I don't think a clean, well-furnished villa is too high an expectation. In fact, Disney is well noted for their attention to detail and high standards. That is what draws so many of us there. I have had many fine vacations based from the BCV and at no time was everything perfect - and that is OK.

I really like the atmosphere, people, location, and SAB, so I guess it is natural to feel disappointment when a place that I like so much declines due to ???overuse ???indifferent housekeeping, ???children, ???and slow replacement schedule of furnishings. Almost certainly not from some guests being renters though (in my humble opinion).

Sandie

 

[Dwilliams]

Hey guys,

First post on the Dis although I feel like I "know" many of you as I've been reading this forum for about 6+ months.

These posts in this thread are very well thought out. I guess my feelings lie closely with the sentiments that Beca and others have had.

I wanted to add this into the think tank. My thoughts are that DVC is the poorest maintained big timeshare in business today. It really lags behind Marriott, Sheraton and other big timeshare companies when it comes to maintenance. WHY you ask? Well because they can for one. DVC sells for one reason and that reason is WDW. How well the rooms are cleaned or maintained is secondary when you own a product that offers WDW at the doorstep. DVC knows this and and knows they can cut a few corners.

Why are our dues so high then? Another good question and one that again is related to WDW. DVC owners pay for a percentage of transportation costs in there dues. In an effort to keep dues at a realistic level (still on the high end for timeshares) DVC has been forced to cut down on certain areas. If that means less frequent or thorough cleanings or less replacement of carpets, mattresses, furniture, etc. then so be it. Most DVC owners would rather thave that than higher dues. It, in general doesn't diminish our enjoyment of DVC and WDW.

BCV has the highest occuapncy rate of any of the DVC properties. Is this a coincidence? No, it is realted to the pool, location and BCV itself. I believe the OP and DCiBrando (the other renting complainer) all encountered the exception not the norm.

Maybe something good will come out of this. I might not have to book at 11 months to get the BCV. You know you are right OP, BCV is a dump,dump, dump. Please don't waste anymore stays there. SSR is brand spanking new so you should enjoy that.

Dave

 

[Sammie]

The real issue seems to be "housekeeping" and "maintenance" at the BCV. Why is the hotel portion getting better care than the DVC portion? Just as many people stay in the hotel as the DVC...so why the difference?
are DVC'ers harder on the units? Are people treating them worse because they are not hotel rooms? are the cleaning people not doing as good a job (I have to say yes on this one).
why the difference? they are both hotels in essence with MANY people staying in them....so why are the BCV units so shabby???????

I think it's because they feel they can go longer without maintenance and rehab to the DVC side. If the nonDVC looked like this, who would stay there, no one.

But if the DVC side looks like this, members are still going to stay there because they have already paid for it. When members complain then they want to try and convince you that dues would have to be raised. Lately I am beginning to feel like maybe DVC feels like they " have us" and are not real concerned after that.

I think within the last year or so there is emphasis is more about selling DVC and less about maintaining it. Just my opinion.

 

[sandieb]

Maybe something good will come out of this. I might not have to book at 11 months to get the BCV. You know you are right OP, BCV is a dump,dump, dump. Please don't waste anymore stays there. SSR is brand spanking new so you should enjoy that.

Hey, I DID NOT say that BCV was a dump - I was making an observation on some unacceptable conditions in the villa to which we were assigned. There really isn't any reason to throw barbs - this is a Disney Board!

Thank you, Sandie

 

[shantay1008]

Hey, I DID NOT say that BCV was a dump - I was making an observation on some unacceptable conditions in the villa to which we were assigned. There really isn't any reason to throw barbs - this is a Disney Board!

Thank you, Sandie

Sigh. Sandie, your comments have been very reasonable. I always feel sorry for people who try to constructively criticize anything around here. Some people get their undies in a bundle awfully easily. Although, I have to try not to take it too personally when people criticize my home resort of SSR. Must be because of all the money we plunked down.
Shannon

 

[lizanne]

Our home resort is OKW and this trip were spending 5 nights at BCV. My husband really likes the location and we've been to BWV for 2 trips, so this time we were up for a change. I sure hope we're not disappointed.

 

[EnviroChick]

I think it's because they feel they can go longer without maintenance and rehab to the DVC side. If the nonDVC looked like this, who would stay there, no one.

But if the DVC side looks like this, members are still going to stay there because they have already paid for it. When members complain then they want to try and convince you that dues would have to be raised. Lately I am beginning to feel like maybe DVC feels like they " have us" and are not real concerned after that.

I think within the last year or so there is emphasis is more about selling DVC and less about maintaining it. Just my opinion.

If this is truly the case I feel sad for the DVC owners who have paid quite a bit up front to vacation at WDW for the next 40 years or so (not to mention annual fees). I understand you don't want your dues substantially raised, yet I hope the "Disney Machine" (and each of you) doesn't believe you have to stay in a DVC property regardless of the property conditions.

I love WDW and have been there more times than I can count. I've always had above average experiences in the WDW hotels. For 2007 we've decide to rent points at BCV. We're excited about the 2 bedroom we've reserved and do expect some wear and tear as in other villas and timeshares we've stayed in. However, even as renters we'll pay over $500.00 a night on weekends to stay at BCV and do expect a similar standard to other WDW properties. I don't think this is too much to ask whether you own, rent points from an owner, or pay cash directly to Disney.

 

[shantay1008]

Our home resort is OKW and this trip were spending 5 nights at BCV. My husband really likes the location and we've been to BWV for 2 trips, so this time we were up for a change. I sure hope we're not disappointed.

Now, see, this is what starts to happen to people all the time here. We're all excited for a trip and then read some negative posts and start to worry. (It happened to me earlier this year.)

We stayed at SSR and BCV in Feb. and, lo and behold, we had an incredibly wonderful time. Everything was not completely perfect (we had a snafu with our luggage transfer, a broken coffee pot at SSR, and some restaurant problems at Olivia's and the YC Galley). But the CMs were nice and fixed everything.

I felt so incredibly lucky getting to stay at both resorts. We had a blast at DTD, and then loved our time at BCV. Beca's right: the details are wonderful. And being able to bop over to Illuminations and get a spot right on the bridge and then bop right back to your room again when it's over is so cool. And the atmosphere is so wonderful in a casually elegant sort of way.

Yes, there are problems even at WDW, but how many people in this world get to go to WDW at all, let alone once or more a year like so many on these boards? I mean this in a completely non-preachy way: let's not lose perspective, folks.

 

[JCW]

Shantay1008, you said it best. How lucky we all are to have the ability/means to go to WDW so often. This was our first trip 'home' as owners, and we were there with 15 of our family members, from my parents, in their 70's, down to our 3 year old nephew. And not a day went by that I didn't thank God for how lucky I was to be able to experience this with them. Do I want a clean, tidy, well furnished room on my vacation? Of course, as that is what we paid for when we bought DVC. As owners, we need to report our findings/concerns, and hope that it brings about the rehab sooner.

 

[jade1]

1) They are not creating additional traffic into the DVC resorts. They are there in place of the owner, not in addition to the owner. An owner can't rent out more points than they have. So, if an owner skips a year and rents to someone else, the renters aren't putting further wear and tear in terms of foot traffic than the owners themselves would, if they were there instead. There are a finite amount of points at the DVC resorts, and no amount of renting changes that. Also, I don't see how this is different from making a reservation for friends or relatives for free.

Hi everyone!! Thanks to bobbiwoz and Simba's Mom...I'm back on the boards...for better or worse . And, Mrs Nick, not to disagree with you on this one, but I do disagree. Most other DVC resorts, because of size or location do have at least a few rooms going empty on any given night. I think there are enough openings at OKW and SSR that WDW is running AP rates on the rooms. I even read of someone on the boards who got a GV at SSR around a week out of arrival. BCV rarely has ANY empty rooms. So, when a room needs "routine" maintenance at BCV, it is REALLY difficult to get it done. Those are the times that you see someone complaining at BCV about having to wait until 5:00, 6:00 or even 9:00 pm to get into their room, only to find the carpet soaking wet. There literally is NO time to get the maintenance done on the rooms...I think DVC feels a lot of pressure to get the rooms cleaned and turned quickly.

Beca

How good is it to have a Beca back.

I dont mean "renters" are the entire problem here either (although thier complaints eventually mean us BCV owners should be paying more in dues to keep the place up better). The point is the high demand explained by Beca is the issue. If rooms do not sit empty how can the get maintained? Over a year how many rooms at OKW or SSR sit empty not getting wear and can get maintained? Owners at BCV will pay more in dues as well as see a greater return on investment (if they sell), but the bottom line is the only way to level the playing field on wear and tear (and expectations of condition) is to eliminate non BCV owners from staying at BCV, taking more rooms out of the system for extended periods of maintenance (increasing waitlists even further) or charging a user fee-otherwise we all just need to lower our expecations of BCV and live with it.

 

[Dwilliams]

Maybe something good will come out of this. I might not have to book at 11 months to get the BCV. You know you are right OP, BCV is a dump,dump, dump. Please don't waste anymore stays there. SSR is brand spanking new so you should enjoy that.

Hey, I DID NOT say that BCV was a dump - I was making an observation on some unacceptable conditions in the villa to which we were assigned. There really isn't any reason to throw barbs - this is a Disney Board!

Thank you, Sandie

Sorry Sandie,

That wasn't intended as a barb thus the sarcastic guy I put in. It didn't show up when you quoted me but it was there. It was a tongue in cheek statement trying to steer people away from BCV. For a resort with so many suposedd problems it sure is hard to get into. Sorry for the misunderstanding. I feel all of your problems are legitimate and should be addressed by DVC.

Thanks,

Dave

 

[sandieb]

Sorry Sandie,

That wasn't intended as a barb thus the sarcastic guy I put in. It didn't show up when you quoted me but it was there. It was a tongue in cheek statement trying to steer people away from BCV. For a resort with so many suposedd problems it sure is hard to get into. Sorry for the misunderstanding. I feel all of your problems are legitimate and should be addressed by DVC.

Thanks,

Dave

Dave - thank you. I didn't mean to be over sensitive. See - I love the BCV too...and you said dump. It is just somewhat tattered.
Sandie