I propose standard view Beach Club Villa's...

[bobbiwoz]

I thought I remembered SSR owners getting to request DTD views when they make their reservations and that non-SSR owners didn't stand a chance of getting that view like at BWV boardwalk view? Am I dreaming?

If they have, I missed it. There's a thread that calls for people to write to MS, but as far as I know, a DTD view is only a request, and anyone can ask for it.

Bobbi

 

[DJmommy]

How bad are some of the VWL views. We stayed only once last August and had a lovely corner room view overlooking the pool and the lake through the trees.

Is this considered the best view that VWL has to offer?

What about further down that hall facing the lake? Is it mostly trees?

What is the view like on the other side?

 

[CheapMom]

Originally Posted by Muushka
I thought I remembered SSR owners getting to request DTD views when they make their reservations and that non-SSR owners didn't stand a chance of getting that view like at BWV boardwalk view? Am I dreaming?

Many of us SSR owners having been BEGGING for this- but no, we don't have ANY booking priority over anyone else, including point renters and cash guests- even if I book at exactly 11 months and request Congress Park- a cash guest can book a month out- and get the room location I requested while I am given a less desirable location. it burns my biscuits. IMO if DVC would just put some sincere effort into fulfilling requests on 1come/1served basis there wouldn't be a need to chop up into categories.

 

[DebbieB]

Don't hold back your feelings Carol! Just let us know how you really feel!

Little categories, 2. Total. Plus, 2 resorts (OKW and SSR if I remember correctly) have given preferred locations for owners. What is wrong with that?

OKW (near HH) and BWV (standard, preferred boardwalk) were added after the fact. AKV and BLT have it from the start.

 

[mickeymorse]

I was wondering if the new on-line reservation system is going to show each rooms availability and allow us to book a particular unit or is this just a dream

 

[DebbieB]

I was wondering if the new on-line reservation system is going to show each rooms availability and allow us to book a particular unit or is this just a dream

I doubt DVC would ever go to a system where you could book a particular unit. A hotel is not like a cruise ship where everyone comes and goes on the same day. You might book the room from the 1st to the 5th and someone else comes along and books the 8th to 12th. Then someone has to fit into the 6th and 7th or the room goes empty.

 

[tjkraz]

I doubt DVC would ever go to a system where you could book a particular unit. A hotel is not like a cruise ship where everyone comes and goes on the same day. You might book the room from the 1st to the 5th and someone else comes along and books the 8th to 12th. Then someone has to fit into the 6th and 7th or the room goes empty.

Yeah, that's not a "dream"...it's a nightmare!

Imagine finding out that there is availability for your 7 day trip, but only if you're willing to spend 2 days in one room, 3 days in another, 1 one day in a third room and the final day in a fourth room.

Right now all it takes is SOME availability on consecutive nights to guarantee a reservation. The hotels make all of the pieces fit together when assigning guests to rooms. If guests were allowed to pick-and-choose, there would orphaned nights all over the calendar that nobody would be willing to take.

It would also feed the secondary market for those who are professional renters. Certain prime units (extra large rooms, great locations, larger balconies, picture-perfect views) would quickly be identified and those units would be instant targets for renters. A renter could double his revenue by booking the right units 11 months out at 12:00:01am.

 

[RLRDA]

Once they become available to reserve, the only category you'll be able to guarantee at SSR is a THV - everything else is just a request. As an owner at SSR, I wish that would change but that's a whole other thread already!

OP - I know what you are saying. We stayed at BCV and had a view of the front, circular driveway. Not the most relaxing view from the balcony. BUT...I wouldn't mind having that room again because it was steps away from the Marketplace & main building. What we lacked in view we made up for in convenience.

 

[jade1]

How bad are some of the VWL views. We stayed only once last August and had a lovely corner room view overlooking the pool and the lake through the trees.

Is this considered the best view that VWL has to offer?

What about further down that hall facing the lake? Is it mostly trees?

What is the view like on the other side?

You had by the best view at VWL IMO-depending on the floor-higher the better. Still not enough to be a "category" IMO.The rest are all fine-just simply woods view-some on that side can kind of see the lake through the trees, the other side kind of sees the bus stop through the trees. Far enough down on the bus stop side, will also see the dumpster area below as well.

 

[UConnJack]

I think we should create a DVC Room Assessment Task Force who will inspect and evaluate the view, location, and noise level of every room in every DVC resort. Each room will be scored on benchmarks such as floor, distance from elevators, distance from amenities, object of the view, angle of the view, noise level, noise type, etc.

For example, the upper floors are more desirable with better views than lower floors, with the ground floor being terrible (who wants someone being able to walk up to their patio?) Of course, OKW scoring for floors will be reversed due to a lack of elevators. At BWV, we should have at least 3 different BW view categories according to the angle at which the BW can be viewed (although bonus point can be awarded to rooms that can also view the fireworks). And the dumpster view rooms at VWL should vary in points depending on the days of the week that the dumpster emits the worst odors and the days in which the dumpster is noisily emptied.

I'll bet if we tried, we can parse the resorts in such a way that every room has its own individual point cost and guaranteed booking category!

 

[mickeymorse]

I doubt DVC would ever go to a system where you could book a particular unit. A hotel is not like a cruise ship where everyone comes and goes on the same day. You might book the room from the 1st to the 5th and someone else comes along and books the 8th to 12th. Then someone has to fit into the 6th and 7th or the room goes empty.

Yeah, that's not a "dream"...it's a nightmare!

Imagine finding out that there is availability for your 7 day trip, but only if you're willing to spend 2 days in one room, 3 days in another, 1 one day in a third room and the final day in a fourth room.

Right now all it takes is SOME availability on consecutive nights to guarantee a reservation. The hotels make all of the pieces fit together when assigning guests to rooms. If guests were allowed to pick-and-choose, there would orphaned nights all over the calendar that nobody would be willing to take.

It would also feed the secondary market for those who are professional renters. Certain prime units (extra large rooms, great locations, larger balconies, picture-perfect views) would quickly be identified and those units would be instant targets for renters. A renter could double his revenue by booking the right units 11 months out at 12:00:01am.

Points well taken. Didn't see the mess that would create.

 

[crisi]

OKW (near HH) and BWV (standard, preferred boardwalk) were added after the fact. AKV and BLT have it from the start.

Standard views at BWV have been there since before the resort opened - they didn't have to reallocate points. The Boardwalk view was put in when they got rid of room assigners who would assign BWV on a first request basis. My guess is that SOMEWHERE in the BWV sales literature a statement of the nature that "BW owners will get the first opportunity to book this coveted view" or some such nonsense was made - necessitating the booking category when rooms were no longer assigned in the order the booking was made.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I think we should create a DVC Room Assessment Task Force who will inspect and evaluate the view, location, and noise level of every room in every DVC resort. Each room will be scored on benchmarks such as floor, distance from elevators, distance from amenities, object of the view, angle of the view, noise level, noise type, etc.

For example, the upper floors are more desirable with better views than lower floors, with the ground floor being terrible (who wants someone being able to walk up to their patio?) Of course, OKW scoring for floors will be reversed due to a lack of elevators. At BWV, we should have at least 3 different BW view categories according to the angle at which the BW can be viewed (although bonus point can be awarded to rooms that can also view the fireworks). And the dumpster view rooms at VWL should vary in points depending on the days of the week that the dumpster emits the worst odors and the days in which the dumpster is noisily emptied.

I'll bet if we tried, we can parse the resorts in such a way that every room has its own individual point cost and guaranteed booking category!

Yup, a nightmare.

 

[yandbfan]

This is the second time I've stayed at BCV and been assigned a room with a view of a busy road and again I wonder why this room view doesn't qualify for a reduced point stay. I find the view and the noise level far less desirable than the standard view rooms at Boardwalk Villa..... I propose the road view at BCV be a reduced point view. Oh yes I do.

Agreed. We had the same view at BCV last year and did not like it. We thought there had to be some views of the lagoon looking across to Boardwalk or the lighthouse that would would be better. We are going back to BCV this year and we making a request not have the road view. Who knows maybe we will get lucky.

 

[DebbieB]

Standard views at BWV have been there since before the resort opened - they didn't have to reallocate points. The Boardwalk view was put in when they got rid of room assigners who would assign BWV on a first request basis. My guess is that SOMEWHERE in the BWV sales literature a statement of the nature that "BW owners will get the first opportunity to book this coveted view" or some such nonsense was made - necessitating the booking category when rooms were no longer assigned in the order the booking was made.

I wasn't a member then but when it first opened I understand that it was only one view, just like OKW. Then people started complaining about the standard view area, so they added it to the chart at reduced points. Since they had just started selling, they adjusted the number of points available for sale to make up for it.

I was told by my guide when I bought in 1999 that rooms were assigned based on date of reservation, so I would have an excellent chance at a boardwalk view. First reservation - quiet pool view. Very disappointing. So after that I booked standard view to save points rather than gamble. When "room ready" was announced in 2003, I contacted member satisfaction and asked how this would be handled. First person to the front desk in the morning gets boardwalk view? I'm sure others also questioned it. Shortly after, the guaranteed boardwalk view was announced.

 

[Muushka]

Many of us SSR owners having been BEGGING for this- but no, we don't have ANY booking priority over anyone else, including point renters and cash guests- even if I book at exactly 11 months and request Congress Park- a cash guest can book a month out- and get the room location I requested while I am given a less desirable location. it burns my biscuits. IMO if DVC would just put some sincere effort into fulfilling requests on 1come/1served basis there wouldn't be a need to chop up into categories.

Oh, I see. Sorry, I just assumed that they were honoring the DTD requests at 11 months, but I should have known better (given their track record!)

I wasn't a member then but when it first opened I understand that it was only one view, just like OKW. Then people started complaining about the standard view area, so they added it to the chart at reduced points. Since they had just started selling, they adjusted the number of points available for sale to make up for it.

I was told by my guide when I bought in 1999 that rooms were assigned based on date of reservation, so I would have an excellent chance at a boardwalk view. First reservation - quiet pool view. Very disappointing. So after that I booked standard view to save points rather than gamble. When "room ready" was announced in 2003, I contacted member satisfaction and asked how this would be handled. First person to the front desk in the morning gets boardwalk view? I'm sure others also questioned it. Shortly after, the guaranteed boardwalk view was announced.

That is the way I remember it also.

 

[Granny]

Just wanted to say that I'm enjoying this spirited and generally amiable discussion!

 

[Dean]

Standard views at BWV have been there since before the resort opened - they didn't have to reallocate points. The Boardwalk view was put in when they got rid of room assigners who would assign BWV on a first request basis. My guess is that SOMEWHERE in the BWV sales literature a statement of the nature that "BW owners will get the first opportunity to book this coveted view" or some such nonsense was made - necessitating the booking category when rooms were no longer assigned in the order the booking was made.

Actually I believe the change was made after the resort opened but very early in the process and was made based on member complaints about view. They were early enough in the sales process to make the change without any impact but to their wallet.

What was the quote from early on for BCV, Aah "Most all views at BCV are standard views"

 

[dcfromva]

When "room ready" was announced in 2003, I contacted member satisfaction and asked how this would be handled. First person to the front desk in the morning gets boardwalk view? I'm sure others also questioned it. Shortly after, the guaranteed boardwalk view was announced.

I believe the BW view was a guaranteed booking category by the time I bought points, so it was never an issue for me. But, I remember reading about folks camping out in the BWV lobby for hours in an attempt to get the coveted BW view prior to it being guaranteed. That must have been something.

 

[dcfromva]

As for the BCV, I wouldn't like to see any changes to the points. I don't think there is one view that is spectacularly different from the others to justify a point differential.

Personally, I don't ever request a view when making a reservation at BCV. We just take whatever has been assigned to us. Part of the fun for me is to discover new things about the resort.

Funny thing is I am less keen on a pool view, but on our last visit over NYE, we were assigned a pool view and we did enjoy it. I like the woodland view best because it is nice and quiet and sometimes it is a surprise that you can see some of the higher fireworks from illuminations from the balcony.