Honeymoon from Hell at the Beach Club Villas last week

[dcibrando]

I wanted to post this hear first before I send this to Disney to see what everyone else thinks because I don't want to come across as someone who just likes to complain above every little thing.

Here is my horrible experience last week on my honeymoon at the Beach Club Villas:


Dear Walt Disney World,

My new wife and I just returned from our 3rd Walt Disney World trip in a year's time, but this was really special….for our honeymoon… so we decided to stay at the popular Beach Club Villas (renting from the DVC member) instead of Pop Century where we have before.

I would like to share with you my experience and numerous problems/concerns while on this trip at our resort and including both of us getting sick with the flu, missing the last half of the trip's plans and dinner reservations (we had prepaid for through the dining plan).

Again this was our honeymoon, and expectations were incredibly high since we were staying at the Beach Club, but we were let down to say the least. When we first pulled up in the Magical Express bus we quickly noticed many roof shingles still missing (I believe possibly from the hurricane 2 years ago?) which was very surprising to see based on the Disney style of making everything perfect but this wasn't anything major to me…just a surprise to see.

After checking in we went towards to elevator to get to our room and as the elevator doors open, you can see the floor (hardwood) is coming apart in some places, looked very scratched, and there were gum stains stuck to the bottom of it.

When the elevator doors opened up, we walk down the hall and can see the carpet which is worn out with many stained areas. Something that also got my attention was the light fixtures down the hallway…many of them were not straight and looked lop-sided (reminded me of the haunted mansion, not the beach club).

Finally to our room, and we excitedly open the door to find a stain right there on the wall along with a wooded coat/hat hanger rod missing and unscrewed from the wall. We go ahead and begin unpacking and I decide to go to the bathroom to find some sort of bug crawling around on the floor…so at this point I'm a little worried about how the rest of the week is going to be.

Well it actually got worse…

I ended up seeing over 8 different bugs in and around the bathroom including one BIG cockroach (and these were just the ones I noticed while we were in the room). We noticed the elevator button control panel on the second floor was pushed into the wall and the wall was cracked, someone had cut one of the corners to close to took a section out of the wall heading towards the elevator area and apparently the ice/vending machine room is used as a smoke room rather than an ice/vending machine room as when you open the door, it was enough to make anyone gag and get sick.

Speaking of getting sick… we both unfortunately did the last half of the week. Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of our honeymoon was shot because we caught the flu and was stuck in our rooms taking care of one another, also missing out on all of our dinner reservations and dining plan meals we had prepaid for.

We left our honeymoon with 6 table service meals, 2 counter service meals, and 4 snacks left on our dining plan we had purchased. I'm really glad we got to the parks in early in the week and we had purchased the 10 day non-expiring park hopper tickets so we didn't lose any park tickets by being sick. However we never got to enjoy the Beach Club pool (one of the big reasons for staying there), go to Typhoon Lagoon, or go to Downtown Disney.

This is unfortunately a honeymoon we'll never forget and we were looking so forward to this trip (since we had gotten engaged in front of the castle in 2005) and because we were staying at the Beach Club. We were also using this as a trip to determine if the Disney Vacation Club would be something we might like to buy into in the near future but with this experience, I honestly don't think that will ever happen now as my first impressions are "what are the member fees actually being used for?".

I don't want to come across as someone who looks for things to complain about because that's not how I am. I didn't even go into the rude/loud neighbors we had staying next to us, the abnormally loud toilet flushing all around us, and the strange mower/leaf blower sound coming from outside our balcony at around 5:30am one morning. I know that could happen anywhere we stay.

I am a HUGE Disney nut. I listen to park music a lot in my car, have Disney park backgrounds on my computer, have pictures and snow globes everywhere in my house, and would vacate to Disney every year from now one if I could, but again I expect so much from Disney and especially at the Beach Club and I was extremely disappointed (and a little heartbroken since my new wife and I didn't get to enjoy but only half of our honeymoon time there and we lost money on the dining plan because we were sick).

I'm not writing this just in hopes of something in the return or for sympathy, but I do feel like you should hear or our unfortunate experience and we hope that when we do return (whenever that will be), that our experience will be a much more pleasant one than this.

Thank you,

Brandon Hilton
Blountville, TN

 

[chris1gill]

Are you kidding? I'm sorry you had a less than stellar week, but what exactly would you like Disney to do about your getting sick for half the week?? Was Disney negligent in some way that you were made sick as a result of their negligence? The fact that you decided to pre-pay for your meals, well.. that was your choice...

Regarding the bugs, that's not so great, did you call down to have maintenance come to spray? Afterall, it is Florida... Hawaii has them too....

So, you want to complain about the carpeting in the hallway? Was the carpeting at Pop Century better? Also, complaining about a few shingles & the button plate at the elevator? That's just odd... did you call someone to fix that?

Definitely stick with Pop next time...

 

[dcibrando]

wow not the kind of response I was expecting to see... but when you pay this much for a room you don't expect roaches crawling around and the disgusting things I saw in various places.

Obviously I'm not asking Disney to do anything about us getting sick because I could get sick by being at home, but with the filthy room I was in (and by the way, we NEVER got housekeeping....no not even new towels on our 4th day as we were suppost to) and bugs crawling around everywhere... this is not the Disney style to me.

Who knows how we got sick but it had to be while we were at Disney. Could it have been from the room, lack of clean towels, bugs, etc... at the resort itself... no way to tell but it didn't help any.

Why didn't we call about the bugs or housekeeping you ask... it's because we were either bent over a toilet getting sick or trying to sleep it off.

 

[TCPluto]

Please don't be offended, but it sounds like you want to shake down WDW for a refund because of the meals and park time lost to your illness. This is neither WDW's fault nor responsibility.

If you want to send the letter, I'd drop the illness and lost meals part and just address the concerns about the accommodations.

Take care.

 

[dcibrando]

The meals lost were indeed a bad thing... but yes, I did prepay for them and these things happens so I can cut my loss and go on from there. HOWEVER, since were we stuck sick in the room for basically 3 1/2 days, it's not pleasant seeing bugs crawling everywhere and using the same old towels over and over again. I know I probably should have called them... but if they did what they were suppost to do we would have had clean towels on Wednesday or Thursday.

 

[DVCLiz]

Sorry your honeymoon was ruined - everyone should have a wonderful experience, and it is disappointing when it doesn't meet your expectations.

I have to say, though, that I read your post expecting to finally get to the big issue that justified your being so unhappy. And I never did - the issues you report are so minor that I can't imagine making a big deal about any of them. And, of course, the flu and the cancelled reservations are just one of those things - again, regrettable but certainly not Disney's issue in any way.

Hope you get the chance to experience another fun trip to Disney in the future!

 

[dcibrando]

I guess my impression to all of this was what in the heck is being done to maintain the Beach Club Villas because my experience with it was when you get down to it and take into consideration this is Disney (not the Holiday Inn) it looks nasty

 

[chris1gill]

Who knows how we got sick but it had to be while we were at Disney. Could it have been from the room, lack of clean towels, bugs, etc... at the resort itself... no way to tell but it didn't help any.

Why didn't we call about the bugs or housekeeping you ask... it's because we were either bent over a toilet getting sick or trying to sleep it off.

You clearly stated that you saw bugs immediately upon entering your unit... you were not sick at that time... I am sorry, but if I walked into any hotel USA, I would be at the front desk PRONTO if I saw a bug... I would want it sprayed immediately... I do give special consideration when we are in Hawaii, Florida or Northern Australia (yes, on my honeymoon in Cairns I found my first lizard in my expensive bathroom) for bugs, because you see them everywhere... The good hotels go above and beyond when you inform them that you are seeing any type of bug... so why you did not notify someone immediately wasn't because you were sick....

If you did not receive Trash & tidy on your fourth day, you should have called, sick or not...

I agree it sounds like you are trying to shake Disney down....

 

[dcibrando]

again... what in the heck are DVC members paying for if they don't keep the place looking betten than the way I saw it last week. I was really hoping this trip would convincing me to take the DVC plunge... but I would feel like I was wasting money on maintenance fees each year if this is all that was done. (and i'm not just talking about bugs)

carpet, light fixtures, room repairs, roof shingles, paint, etc...

 

[pyrxtc]

It sounds like the week went pretty good until you got sick. Sorry you got sick but sometimes you just can't plan around things, especially when you are already there. Maybe they could ahve done something while you were there about missing all the meals but I doubt it. You planned to be there for all those meals and it just didn't happen. Bugs are verywhere, if you didn't get maid service, call and they will come. The hotel deos not ahve to have verything perfect, it is guests like you, that wlak through these hallways day after day wearng down these carpets and probably tapping the light fixtures so they moves slightly that make the place look this way. the missing roof shingles were no big deal to them and did not cause the roof to fall on your head or it to rain on you. Just be happy you got to go there for the third time in a year and plan your next vacation at a different hotel. A lot of poeple in this world never make it to Disney or get to take a honeymoon! Be happy!

I'm glad you are better now and Congratualtions on getting married.

 

[DVCLiz]

The meals lost were indeed a bad thing... but yes, I did prepay for them and these things happens so I can cut my loss and go on from there. HOWEVER, since were we stuck sick in the room for basically 3 1/2 days, it's not pleasant seeing bugs crawling everywhere and using the same old towels over and over again. I know I probably should have called them... but if they did what they were suppost to do we would have had clean towels on Wednesday or Thursday.

Again, I'm sorry for your bad experience, but honestly, it only takes one push on a pre-labeled phone button to call Housekeeping. "Hi, my wife and I are on our honeymoon, and we've both come down with the flu and desperately need some new towels - could you possibly help us, please?" would probably have given you an opportunity to experience some of the Disney service the rest of us find often.

There are probably 8 or more bugs crawling around in my house right now, and I'd never take a tropical vacation without expecting to see some. You should have seen the size of the Palmetto bug (roach) we caught in our kitchen in Key West - and that room cost twice what the BCV would. I know it's not the most pleasant thing in the world, especially when you are sick, but it's not that hard to squish a bug or capture it with a water glass and put it outside on your balcony. And Housekeeping would have brought you some insect spray if you had asked.

Again, sorry your trip wasn't what you expected...

 

[TCPluto]

Who knows how we got sick but it had to be while we were at Disney. Could it have been from the room, lack of clean towels, bugs, etc... at the resort itself... no way to tell but it didn't help any.

The infamous flu carrying bugs?? You shower than catch the flu from a two day old/used towel?? Are you serious?

The flu was likely due to an exposure from someone in the crowd of a hundred thousand people you encountered in the first day or two no doubt.

 

[BCV23]

I'm so sorry that you both became ill on your honeymoon. That puts a huge damper on any vacation much less a honeymoon.

Since you were renting, you only get clean towels on the fourth day. But in those circumstances I would have called and asked for more. The charge for them is not that much anyway.

I'm sorry to hear about the bugs. We've stayed there quite a few times now and haven't had a single one in our room. Sorry to say you probably were the next guests after one of the IDIOTS who leaves their patio/balcony door open.

The maintenance issues are good for managemnet to know about I think. Someone smoking in the trash room is not BCV's fault though. Just probably someone sneaking a cigarette. Not good but not the fault of BCV or WDW. I'm happy to report never having coming across that.

I hope the next trip goes better for you.

And best wishes for a long and happy life together.

 

[DVCLiz]

again... what in the heck are DVC members paying for if they don't keep the place looking betten than the way I saw it last week. I was really hoping this trip would convincing me to take the DVC plunge... but I would feel like I was wasting money on maintenance fees each year if this is all that was done. (and i'm not just talking about bugs)

carpet, light fixtures, room repairs, roof shingles, paint, etc...

Well, I'm a BCV owner, and I pay for great vacations at one of my favorite vacation destinations. It doesn't bother me to see missing roof shingles, because I know that the resort has been repairing hurricane damage for some time, and that the shingles go on after all of the other repairs are done. I don't expect Disney to be able to magically fix those kinds of things because I know the whole state of Florida has the same construction needs. And I'm not willing to say that missing shingles during my trip have been missing for two years - they may have been removed last week for some maintenance issue I wasn't aware of. Paint is just a fact of life - you should see the wall next to my back door - it needs to be repainted fairly often because shoes, backpacks, etc. hit it often. There's a paint maintenance schedule at all the resorts - but budgets don't always stretch to cover that as often as it might be needed. As an owner, I want the management to balance the maintenance needs against my need to have a managable assessment each each for my maintenance fees.

The light fixtures are just a non-issue with me. If they bother you, straighten them back up as you walk by. The bugs, again, are a fact of life, and if you don't contact Housekeeping, you won't get any insect control.

The elevator issue is obviously a maintenance issue - again, it has to be balanced against the use. You were there at a busy time - and the resort has to balance that repair against the loss of that elevator. Those kinds of non-life threatening issues are usually done when crowds are lower and the impact on the guests is less.

Anyway, I do hope you get another chance at a resort that meets your expectations!!

 

[Scratch42]

Just wondering, were any of your "complaints" brought to the attention of the BCV Management whilst you were there?

Sorry to hear you did not experience a "Magical Honeymoon" but all of these complaints could have been taken care of, well except for you guys getting the flu, with a simple phone call.

As for the upkeep, it's unfortunate but there are those that are out there that don't know how to take of their own property let alone someone elses.

j

 

[crisi]

We had scorpions in the bathroom in Mexico. My husband wakes me up in the middle of the night to say "honey, if you have to go to the bathroom, be careful and turn on the light so you don't step on the scorpions" Yeah, like I slept well the rest of THAT night.

I find the DVC resorts to be a little on the shabby side for "Deluxe" resorts. And I think when we set the expectations of "Deluxe" we do people a disservice. Not that I'm complaining - the rooms are kept up well for the dues I pay and I feel like I am getting a value. However, we noticed the roof on the Y&BC in October and I thought it looked shabby. Had I been a Y&BC guest paying $400 a night for my room instead of a DVC member, I'd have been very disappointed with the upkeep.

 

[mickeyfan2]

Sorry your honeymoon was ruined - everyone should have a wonderful experience, and it is disappointing when it doesn't meet your expectations.

I have to say, though, that I read your post expecting to finally get to the big issue that justified your being so unhappy. And I never did - the issues you report are so minor that I can't imagine making a big deal about any of them. And, of course, the flu and the cancelled reservations are just one of those things - again, regrettable but certainly not Disney's issue in any way.

Hope you get the chance to experience another fun trip to Disney in the future!

I agree with the above.

 

[pouncingpluto]

I am very sorry to hear about your honeymoon issues. Having been horrified by a hotel stay in Jamaica on our honeymoon last year, I can relate!

However, I really would take the illness part out of the letter. It really is not *at all* likely that anything at BCV caused your flu. You would not get a virus from an old towel or a cockroach. (A bacterial infection, maybe, but you would know for sure that's what you had.) And leading off with something like that would likely make the reader write off the rest of your letter without paying attention to the issues that really should be listened to.

I don't think you would be out of line mentioning the few maintenance issues or the housekeeping issues, but the housekeeping issues really should have been brought up during your stay, as they would have been easily corrected.

 

[chris1gill]

I don't think you would be out of line mentioning the few maintenance issues or the housekeeping issues, but the housekeeping issues really should have been brought up during your stay, as they would have been easily corrected.

See, I disagree with this pouncingpluto... I'm of the opinion (and perhaps others are as well) that if an issue wasn't worth bringing up while you were at the resort, it certainly isn't worth bringing up via letter after you have left. I think A letter should be used as a quasi last resort when your expectations were not met, even after speaking with management during your stay... or of course in the case where you would compliment someone via written letter... but to say nothing during your trip and now mention all of these rather small issues, it's just a bit too much.....

 

[WDWorld2003]

Wow, sorry your honeymoon did not go well. We were a little disappointed the first time we were at BWV as we purchased sight unseen. Loved the resort but did not think the rooms were deluxe and there were some maintainence issues. But it has location, location, location.

On that first visit we had a very large bug run under a chair. We did call maintenance and they came right away but did not spray. They said it probably came in through an open door (our neighbors kept their patio doors open the entire time). We never saw it again but if we had I would have called again. There's no way I would spend time in a room with several bugs - I would have demanded a new room. Our last trip we stayed at the BCV and the locks on the bathroom did not work and the DVD player was broken. I did report the DVD player and they came right away. I forgot about the locks but I'm sure they would have taken care of them.

You should have asked them to spray or for a new room and asked for extra towels for the nominal fee. Also, I think if you would have told them how sick you were they may have refunded some of your money for the dining plan as it was evident that you did not use them.

I've learned to call when I have the problem instead of waiting until I return home. It's hard to do and I used to just stew about something but if I'm using my hard earned money I do have a right to expect a maintained room without bugs, working locks, etc.

Hope your next trip is much better!