Inequities to owners of view preferences

[BEACHCLUBVILLAS]

I just got off the phone with Jackie from Member Services regarding the Boardwalk View guarantee to BW owners and the lack of any view guarantees to other DVC resort owners. It is something they felt was the right thing to do. BWV owners were dissatisfied with their room 90% of the time and they felt they had to do this to improve their member satisfaction rate. Eleven percent of the rooms at BWV had BW view. They felt this was the best way to manage expectations.

In comparison, approx. five percent of the rooms at BCV have EPCOT view so therefore they are not creating an EPCOT view just as they are not guaranteeing smoking/non smoking rooms, or any preferred view categories at the other resorts. It will require poor member satisfaction ratings for them to consider any changes.

While Jackie agreed that it gives preferential treatment to BW owners, and BW owners will have equal chance at view preferences at all the other DVC resorts as the owners of those resorts, regardless of time of booking, they are not going to change the policy.

If you are a guest at your home resort and are dissatisfied with your room you will need to make your opinion known at check-in and through your satisfaction surveys.

 

[mjvans]

What exactly is it and when did it come to be?? We are boardwalk owners and made a reservation eleven months out for our stay the boardwalk last month. We specifically asked for a boardwalk view. We checked in on the morning of August 10th and were told there were no boardwalk views available. She said with a Sunday check-in, it was virtually impossible to get one. I was so disappointed, but I accepted it and we were given a room with a view of the quiet pool. Not even sure that this was a preferred view that we paid our points with! Anyway, the next day I went down a spoke with someone about my desire to get a room with a boardwalk view, and they were able to find just one room and switch me the next day.......it cost us $40.00 for a fee to do so.......anyway, I did not mind as we loved our new room and were able to spend the next eight days in it.......so in hindsight I am wondering just what are these preferences given to members of the boardwalk??
Michelle

 

[DebbieB]

Michelle,

They just started a new system at BWV. When you make a reservation, they will now book you as preferred boardwalk or preferred pool/garden. So you will know at the time of reservation which you are getting. If you don't get boardwalk view, you can waitlist. This will be an advantage to BWV owners making reservations at 11 months. Assignment of boardwalk views has always been controversial at BWV. On my first BWV trip I made my reservation at 11 months with boardwalk view request and got quiet pool as you did. After that, I booked standard view. Now we will know what we are getting when we make the reservation. If I can't get the boardwalk view, I'll book standard.

 

[BEACHCLUBVILLAS]

The new policy will allow you to reserve a BW view at time of reservation. It is now a room type that can be guaranteed. They did try to go back to old reservations and assign a BW view. I assume the view would have to be available for your entire stay when you book to guarantee the room, unless you are willing to move in the middle of your stay. It sounds like they could not give you the view even though you booked 11 months out because the room was not available the first day. In the future, you will know at time of reservation whether or not you have Boardwalk view and be prepared before checkin so you are not disappointed at check in.

 

[erikthewise]

Originally posted by BEACHCLUBVILLAS
In comparison, approx. five percent of the rooms at BCV have EPCOT view so therefore they are not creating an EPCOT view just as they are not guaranteeing smoking/non smoking rooms, or any preferred view categories at the other resorts. It will require poor member satisfaction ratings for them to consider any changes.

5% EPCOT view at BCV counts only 5th floor rooms. If you count 4th floor as well (which seems reasonable), it's more like 12%. See http://disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=257950.

Last year I requested EPCOT view and was very fortunate to get it; it was very enjoyable. But it doesn't seem like the same distinction as BW view at BWV, and I have no problem with DVC's decision to guarantee BW view but not EPCOT view.

 

[OneMoreTry]

So I guess if you don't own at BW you should either get standard view or stay somewhere else, because it doesn't sound like you have a snowflake's chance in a hot place of getting a BW view when you check in.

 

[PamOKW]

Yes, the likelihood of non-BWV owners getting BW view has probably decreased. (I guess our member satisfaction doesn't count for much -- said with tongue partially in cheek.)

I can see where they can and should respond to the owner membership first. However, I'm not sure whether folks knowing in advance they aren't getting boardwalk view when they make reservations is really going to improve satisfaction. If every time you make a reservation you aren't able to book boardwalk view I still think you'll feel disappointment. There just aren't enough boardwalk views to meet demand. I imagine those who want boardwalk view will now also call at 11 months whenever possible and maybe call day-by-day. I hope if BWV members increase their usage of MS too much, that the costs will then be prorated to the resorts.

 

[OneMoreTry]

The fairest solution would be to restructure the points, and I bet DVC would have done this up front if they had anticipated the high demand for those few rooms. But I don't know if they could do that now based on the fact that the points are not supposed to change at all over time.

Ie., DVC could increase the BW view points and decrease the "non-boardwalk preferred rooms" a little to compensate. Thus the people willing to pay more for the BW view could get it and the people who didn't get it would be satisfied by having to use less points.

 

[paults]

"So I guess if you don't own at BW you should either get standard view or stay somewhere else, because it doesn't sound like you have a snowflake's chance in a hot place of getting a BW view when you check in."

Even before this new BW view started if you didn't own at BWV then you shouldn't expect to get a BW view or standard view for that matter unless you could book at 11 months. That's why we as BWV owners bought at BWV. Just like others bought at OKW for the GV's at 11 months or at BCV for epcot view throught the trees. Sounds like a lot of griping about our 11 month window not the BWview. If one wants the BWview buy pts at BWV

PamOKW
"I hope if BWV members increase their usage of MS too much, that the costs will then be prorated to the resorts."

Not sure how to read this. Does this mean you think BWV owners will use MS more because of BW view? If so,how?
It's just another view to request why would it increase usage?

 

[DebbieB]

I think the additional usage that Pam referred to would come from BWV members calling day by day for the BW view rather than making their total reservation in one call.

One thing that bugged me about the BW view thing in the past. They always said that BW view assignment went by date of reservation, so that those who booked at 11 months would get first chance. I have a friend, OKW member, who booked at 7 months and when she didn't get the BW view was told she could move a couple days into her stay (for a fee). By doing that, a BWV member who made their reservation at 11 months could be shutout of a BW view room on their arrival day. This new way, everything is upfront. I like both OKW & BWV, I could have bought OKW for alot less in a resale and less dues, but chose to buy BWV direct so that I would have the 11 month advantage there.

 

[dianeschlicht]

BWV owners were dissatisfied with their room 90% of the time and they felt they had to do this to improve their member satisfaction rate.

I thought ALL BWV were VERY satisfied with their resort!!?? After all, so many here tout it as the BEST DVC. I can honestly say that in at least 14 stays, I have never had an OKW view I didn't like. Of course, it wasn't a Boardwalk view either.

Sorry, I couldn't resist teasning after that 90% comment!

 

[llp479]

Personally, I don't get the whole Boardwalk view. I use my 11 month window to get the standard view, and have called day by day to get that, depending on time of year. We've had preferred view twice, never boardwalk, and I could have cared less. IMHO many "preferred view" rooms have a lousy view and should be considered "standard". The last preferred view room we had overlooked the side of the building, and you could somewhat see Swan/Dolphin. Give me the parking lot anyday!

 

[Dean]

This topic amuses me. I don't understand where those that own at other resorts are upset that they didn't get something also, they didn't lose anything. All this new policy does is let one know up front what you're getting. Non BW members had little or no chance of getting a BW view with the previous system where priority was given by reservation date. The chances are likely higher now than ever. Heck, even if one booked day by day at exactly 11 months out, there was little chance of getting it under the old system even for a BWV owner. Non BW owners should not get the BWV. A BW owner who reserved one day before travel should take preference over a non BW owner, with the reverse being true at the other resorts. The problem isn't the BWV issue, the problem is the first come/first served assignments. That's where the complaints need to go to. Why do people feel like the've lost something when they really haven't?

 

[Jimbo]

Non BW owners should not get the BWV. A BW owner who reserved one day before travel should take preference over a non BW owner, with the reverse being true at the other resorts.

I was with you until you got to this point. Why "should" last minute BWV owners be given any preference? Owners have always had a 4 month booking advantage at their home resort, and that's it. That's all the contract allows for, no?

 

[Merilyn]

I don't disagree with BWV owners getting first choice at boardwalk views. I do think that owners at the other resorts should have their first choice of locations also when possible. I have only gotten my choice 1 time in the many years of trips and that was because I asked for handicapped access. I know most people have a preferred view request at all the resorts. You can tell this by the post on this site. I wish we all had the same option as BWV owners do now. At 11 months, you would think you could get the view you wanted.

 

[InstImpres]

Originally posted by erikthewise
5% EPCOT view at BCV counts only 5th floor rooms. If you count 4th floor as well (which seems reasonable), it's more like 12%. See http://disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=257950.

Last year I requested EPCOT view and was very fortunate to get it; it was very enjoyable. But it doesn't seem like the same distinction as BW view at BWV, and I have no problem with DVC's decision to guarantee BW view but not EPCOT view.

I have to agree that 5% doesn't make sense. I was just in 269 with an Epcot view (right acrpss from spaceship earth & could see fireworks at night). That would imply to me that all floors in that section would share the view

JMHO
Sandy

 

[Dean]

Originally posted by Jimbo
I was with you until you got to this point. Why "should" last minute BWV owners be given any preference? Owners have always had a 4 month booking advantage at their home resort, and that's it. That's all the contract allows for, no?

Most timeshare give preference to owners period, as it should be. DVC has never really done that but the 11/7 month window took care of this issue until the advent of first come/first served. BWV owners that reserve even 1 day before travel should be higher on the totem pole than any none owner as is the norm in the timeshare world.

 

[Steve BW99]

The OP seems po'd that BW owners get the same treatment as the resort owner they are booking at. For example, I would have the same chance of getting the coveted duck view at OKW as an OKW owner. I agree with paults, this is a 11 month issue, not a bw view issue. If a bw view is avialable at the 7 month window, we all have an equal chance to get it. Unlikely, yes, but possible.

Now, the real issue is should the other resorts change their booking policies to come in line with the Boardwalk. If there was a situation that warranted this kind of change ( only bcv epcot view seems likely), I would fully support it. And I would not mind if my dues went up a penny a point to pay for the day to day calling.

This just go to proves buy where you want to stay.

 

[OneMoreTry]

"So I guess if you don't own at BW you should either get standard view or stay somewhere else, because it doesn't sound like you have a snowflake's chance in a hot place of getting a BW view when you check in."


*******

My comment here wasn't a complaint. It was a strategic comment. If I owned at Boardwalk, then I would expect to get first dibs on a room. HOWEVER, if the comments are true, based on what the infamous Jackie seems to be telling us, I get no such benefit at my resort -- OKW -- and it sounds like the BCV owners are in the same situation.

What do you think?

 

[DeeP]

I imagine those who want boardwalk view will now also call at 11 months whenever possible and maybe call day-by-day. I hope if BWV members increase their usage of MS too much, that the costs will then be prorated to the resorts.

I am confused.....why would BWV members calling day by day to get a BW view increase MS usage/cost more so than a OKW member calling day by day to get a GV???