How can this happen?????

[Dean]

Not only nerve, but heart, understanding and integrity.

What WDW and OKW did do was bend over backwards and make a significant upgrade for the OP's entire stay at no additional cost. DVC went above and beyond to correct a mistake.

The OP is going to have the trip of a lifetime and will undoubtedly fall in love with the SSR GV, it's an incredible accommodation.

I don't agree, I and many would prefer OKW. The OP stated they would as well. The extra points are a factor of the system change as new resorts were added, not the result of an increase in value of a stay at SSRs vs OKW. All they've really got in a minor upgrade in a room from a studio to a 1 BR, yes minor for the single nights. What they should have done was give them the 3 BR for the entire stay.

What they did was screw it up and fix what should have been there to start with. Mistakes happen and it was Disney's, they should bend over backwards. IMO, the person on the low end should have been the one who actually got that room she was supposed to be booked for OR the person who got the last one at OKW. If it were I, I'd have pushed them to move to one of those to screw up their reservation and I'm betting I'd have been successful. Else they really would have been giving me points, to the tune of the 3 BR for the price of a 2 BR or better.

 

[Nanajo1]

Was yours guaranteed handicapped accessible or was it a medical request?

The medical request problem is an education problem.
The CMs are not "hearing" the medical request and thinking of what it means.

I posted my experience several months ago. I did not have a guarantee but I did not know I needed one. This was the focus of my letter to Carli D'agostino. How is a member to know all the ins and outs of medical necessity requests if MS doesn't know? I NOW know and request Special Needs involvement when booking.

 

[Lexxiefern]

Sorry this happened to you and I hope you have a wonderful trip! Please let us know how your trip goes when you return!

 

[SueM in MN]

I posted my experience several months ago. I did not have a guarantee but I did not know I needed one. This was the focus of my letter to Carli D'agostino. How is a member to know all the ins and outs of medical necessity requests if MS doesn't know? I NOW know and request Special Needs involvement when booking.

That was my point.
We shouldn't have to know. They should know and should understand what people are needing.

 

[BroganMc]

Her response to that was "You realize that they are going to have to climb stairs to the second floor of the GV even if you have a HA one, so having one may not help you much?"
My response was that we realized that, but the the 2 older people having to climb one flight of stairs to get into the unit and one to get up to their room would be too much and in any case, how were we to get the DD in the wheelchair up to the door of the room since she couldn't walk at all?
At that point, she checked with Special Services and made us a guaranteed HA GV.

But, I should not have needed to do all this to get what we needed. DH thought he had made it pretty clear what we needed.
If I had not been aware of the small number of HA GVs, we would have gone expecting to get one and likely not had one.

This is why I think Saratoga is a better resort accessibility-wise. You just don't connect having to walk up flights of stairs to enter units with modern hotels. That's architecture out of the early 80's/1970's. I would guess a lot of CMs either are assuming, like I did, that all OKW units were accessible via elevators or they are looking for that roll-in shower request as the touchpaper.

In any case, anyone who needs to reserve accessible accommodations should know they need to get Special Needs to sign off on it. You can't even reserve a paid room on Disney's website if you tick the box for accessibility. The form gives you a "Call Special Needs" notice instead.

Usually it only takes one or two trips for folks to realize how specific they need to be when requesting accommodations. You get it down to a few telltale buzzwords "ground level entry, roll-in shower, high-seat ADA handicap toilets, etc".

 

[MrShiny]

If you are worried about crowds at SSR, I wouldn't be. We were there last summer and never had a crowded bus ride or really any soret of crowds around the resort. Went to the big pool one day and we were the only ones in it - and this was mid June!

 

[rigsby25]

Okay - We're off in an hour. After the initial shock, I have calmed down and everyone is still eagerly anticipating our trip. Even my sister in law who I thought was so disappointed says it doesn't matter to her, as long as we are all together. After this, I was thinking that maybe there is need for more HA units Grand Villas. Or a move to mainstream like they do in the parks. I'm too excited!!!!

Thanks everyone for your help!

 

[bpmorley]

If you are worried about crowds at SSR, I wouldn't be. We were there last summer and never had a crowded bus ride or really any soret of crowds around the resort. Went to the big pool one day and we were the only ones in it - and this was mid June!

We had the same experience in June 2005.

Rigsby, have a great vacation. Glad it all(sort of)worked out.

 

[goldilocks_63]

What is the room # of the OKW first floor GV please.

and how do you call special services?

Goldi

 

[SueM in MN]

This is why I think Saratoga is a better resort accessibility-wise. You just don't connect having to walk up flights of stairs to enter units with modern hotels. That's architecture out of the early 80's/1970's. I would guess a lot of CMs either are assuming, like I did, that all OKW units were accessible via elevators or they are looking for that roll-in shower request as the touchpaper.

The difference between OKW and SSR isn't old architecture vs new architecture. It's more big building vs little building, or condo style buildings vs apartment style buildings.
SSR has large buildings with (I think) 5 stories in each building and many units in each building. OKW has small buildings, 2 stories high with a small number of units in each building. It's economically feasible to have one elevator to serve a big building. It's not so much to have one in each building for a small building. When they built OKW, it was a new thing and they didn't know if it would even be successful.
The lack of elevators (except in the buildings numbered in the 60s) doesn't make that much difference for studio, 1 and 2 bedroom units. There are enough on the first floor so someone who can't climb steps will be able to get one. It's only a problem for the GVs. There are some things they didn't take into account - like how much demand there might be for GVs with "no stairs" access by people who don't really need/want a fully wheelchair accessible unit.

 

[SueM in MN]

What is the room # of the OKW first floor GV please.

and how do you call special services?

Goldi

I don't know the room number of the one in building 63 (with an elevator in the building), but the one with first floor access is 4815.

I don't think they like people to call Special Services directly any more (you go thru Member Services), but the phone number listed in the Guidebook for Guest with Disabilities is 407-939-7807 (TTY: 407-939-7670).
I don't know for sure, but don't think they have direct access to the DVC member computer. The DVC member availabiliy/reservations are kept in a separate system than the cash availability/reservations.

 

[canwegosoon]

Okay - We're off in an hour. After the initial shock, I have calmed down and everyone is still eagerly anticipating our trip. Even my sister in law who I thought was so disappointed says it doesn't matter to her, as long as we are all together. After this, I was thinking that maybe there is need for more HA units Grand Villas. Or a move to mainstream like they do in the parks. I'm too excited!!!!

Thanks everyone for your help!

I am hoping you bring a laptop with you and that you log in when you get to SSR. Tell us what you think and if it was good for you(although not beachy like OKW). I hope you and your family have a great trip.

 

[DrTomorrow]

SueM in MN:

SSR buildings have 4 stories. The OKW building we staying in last December had 3 stories (I remember 'cause I carried the suitcases up )

 

[SueM in MN]

SueM in MN:

SSR buildings have 4 stories. The OKW building we staying in last December had 3 stories (I remember 'cause I carried the suitcases up )

I was wrong about SSR. We stayed on the 3rd floor there and I didn't think there was only one floor above us.
According to Doc's building summary 22 OKW buildings are 2 stories or have only the top floor of a GV on the 3rd floor (the GV portion of buildings with GVs start on 2nd floor and go to 3rd). Buildings 62, 63 and 64 are 3 of the buildingds that have 3 stories, but they have elevators.

The point I was trying to make is that there are more units per building at SSR than there are at OKW, so each elevator serves more units at SSR.
Also, the ADA requires elevators in hotel buildings with more than 2 floors designed and built after Jan 26, 1993, so a lot of OKW is exempt from the elevator requirement (either because it was built before that date or is 2 stories).

 

[Disney Doll]

Did you read everything in this thread????? think about it now. The OP reserved at the HOME RESORT 11th month window!!!!! Someone at DVC screwed up royally!!!! Then when they have to change resorts(remember, the DVC member reserved at the 11 month window at the HOME RESORT)DVC claimed that they were already giving them 200 points. THIS IS ABSOLUTE BS!!!! I know mistakes happen, but all points aside DVC owes them a room for them and their guests. End of story. Is any money coming from that guys pocket, who said that DVC was already giving them points, NO!!!!!!!
He should have to bend over backward to get them a room. BOTTOM LINE, DVC MESSED UP. END OF STORY. Does anyone understand that??????
Pardon if I'm offending anyone in my drunken rant

Yes, we all do understand that. And they have done the best they could under the circumstances. And the word "giving" is in quotation marks, so my guess is that he didn't condescendingly say "you should be happy we're giving you 200 points worth of stay", but more likely "what I am doing with upgrades etc amounts to about 200 points worth, which obviously you are not being charged for."

At this point, there's not much else to be done. They have rectified it to the best of their ability and the OP's attitude is a great one.

OP, I have seen the SSR GVs...they are lovely. Not stuffy fancy, like the Grand Floridian, but nice pastels...yellow and blue, pretty natural cherry furniture, and handicapped access to the 2nd floor (as BroganMc explained)which I thought was an improvement over OKW, and I own at OKW!!!!

As far as availability at SSR...it is a large resort, so chances are there will always be some availability there. Prior to SSR being built, OKW was the one where there was "always availability". Go figure.
Enjoy your vacation.

 

[rigsby25]

We really had a nice time. I still would have preferred OKW. We had "movie nights" and it was very hard to fit everyone in the smaller living room. The dining room was hardly used because it was kind of shut off from the rest of the villa. The balconies of course were smaller. And even though you can park close to your room at both places, OKW really doesn't have hallways. SSR has hallways although they are outside. The decor was beautiful and the grounds also. They sent us a gift basket with munchies during our stay. Most of the people in our trip had never been to OKW, but I had been sending them links to pictures. I was so flabbergasted at the small size of the one bedroom villa! I hope someday to do this again at OKW.

 

[crisi]

We really had a nice time. I still would have preferred OKW. We had "movie nights" and it was very hard to fit everyone in the smaller living room. The dining room was hardly used because it was kind of shut off from the rest of the villa. The balconies of course were smaller. And even though you can park close to your room at both places, OKW really doesn't have hallways. SSR has hallways although they are outside. The decor was beautiful and the grounds also. They sent us a gift basket with munchies during our stay. Most of the people in our trip had never been to OKW, but I had been sending them links to pictures. I was so flabbergasted at the small size of the one bedroom villa! I hope someday to do this again at OKW.

I'm glad you had a nice time. I've never been to either resort (BWV is home and we are too lazy to switch around - it has small one bedrooms, but we don't try and actually LIVE in the room), but all of what you said is true. Sounds like you made the best of it though.

 

[Kathy C]

The one-bedrooms at OKW are huge. The one-bedrooms at the other DVC resorts are basically the same size as the SSR one you stayed in. I think your SIL was right in saying, "it was okay just as long as everyone was together." In the end, that's what's most important.

 

[rigsby25]

I'd like to add that the handicapped facilities at SSR were superb.

 

[SleepyatDVC]

ribsy25,

Thanks for your post and update. Your attitude is refreshing. While you would have preferred your original plans, you dealt with what happened in a mature manner. You made the most with the results of a mistake and acknowledged both the good and the bad.

Glad you had a good time with your family. May you have many more.