Info for BWV Check In

[CarolAnnC]

Just returned from our Disney Cruise and WDW vacation with an interesting tidbit of information.

I had done some probing during the check in process for BWV. We had concerns since we arrived at 10 am, was told our room should be ready around noon, but of course to call in and check later on.

By 2:30 pm I was at the front desk inquiring if my room was ready as DD was ill and had been quarantined on the DCL ship. She was fading fast and we were hoping to get her settled in soon. Nope, not ready. I inquired about the room available check in procedure and found out that there is a new procedure being tried, at least at BWV.

The new procedure being "tested" involves those guests traveling from the airport via Magical Express. The staff is monitoring when the planes are landing containing BWV guests. As soon as the plane lands, they go ahead and assign rooms to those guests. So, although I was there at 10 am in person, someone who flew in at 1 pm for example, may in fact have been assigned to the next available room, instead of myself.

To say I was unhappy to hear this was an understatement. I also mentioned that perhaps DVC should instead consider some type of priority check in for the DVC Members who are traveling in for a stay rather than penalizing them. After expressing my displeasure, I suddenly was assigned a room that was just cleaned. I truly hope this "test" does not become a permanent policy.

 

[GCM13]

We checked into BWV on Sun. the 12th at about 10 am. Our room was not ready yet which we weren't expecting it to be. It was after 4 pm until it was finally ready. When I checked in, there was no offer to take a different room that was available like in the past. I wondered about the room ready policy that I've read so much about and why this didn't work for us. I guess that is why we didn't get a room sooner. Sorry to hear about your DD and I hope she got better quickly.

 

[Granny]

The more I hear about room assignments, the more I am convinced that this is an area that Disney is all over the board on. It truly seems to vary resort-to-resort, shift-to-shift and CM-to-CM. There seems to be no consistent application of any process at all.

Personally, I'd prefer if they'd come up with a set of rules, have every resort stick to them,and publish them. At least then we wouldn't feel like the policy we get at check in is pretty much the luck of the draw.

CarolAnnC...thanks for letting me pile on your rant!

 

[ColoradoBelle1]

I'm with you Granny: I do not believe that there is any one policy, and the CMS just tell you what best accomplishes the goal of getting you to take whatever they offer at the time. To me, it feels like lying, and I just hate that.

Now it seems we have another 'option' added to the mix for our room being unavailable, preassigned, room ready, and that is: saved for someone else (coming in on ME) I do understand that if ME has preassigned rooms, the luggage can get to the room faster. But if the ME rider doesn't like that room anyway and gets reassigned...then it makes an even bigger headache.

It seems to me that room ready gives us all options. The other takes away options and lets Big Brother decide. I'd prefer to have at least a little bit of a choice in the matter.

Just my $.04 cents (inflation)

 

[rocketriter]

Silly me. I'd like to see rooms assigned at the time of reservation and meeting guest requests as closely as possible at that time. Advance planning should get the advantage. Theaters do this with seating (and you pay for the seat even if you miss the show). Hotels can do the same.

I'm not happy with a system under which I can reserve 11 months ahead of time, get caught in a snowstorm at O'Hare Airport, and wind up with a last-choice room.

 

[DebbieB]

Silly me. I'd like to see rooms assigned at the time of reservation and meeting guest requests as closely as possible at that time. Advance planning should get the advantage. Theaters do this with seating (and you pay for the seat even if you miss the show). Hotels can do the same.

I'm not happy with a system under which I can reserve 11 months ahead of time, get caught in a snowstorm at O'Hare Airport, and wind up with a last-choice room.

The problem is at a theater everyone comes and goes at the same time, same with a cruise. At a hotel, everyone arrives and leaves on different dates. It would be like a jigsaw puzzle fitting all the reservations together. If a room would go out of service for some reason, what do you do with the people who had reserved that room? If someone cancels, they would have to find someone else to fill that room with the exact same dates otherwise the room would have empty dates here and there. Would be virtually impossible.

 

[kathleena]

This doesn't seem to be very fair to people who fly in and rent a car! They could arrive on the same plane and get their room assigned later, just because someone else took the free service?

 

[CarolAnnC]

Yes, Kathleena, that is exactly what they told me. Although this is a "test" it was very undesirable in my opinion. If they have issues with Magical Express, the way to fix it is not to penalize those not using it, IMHO. We had rented a car and used it to drive ourselves to Port Canaveral as well.

This type of "perk" seems insulting to the DVC members not utilizing Magical Express. What's next? Use the Magical Express free bus, or resign yourself to getting the smoking, handicapped, dumpster view rooms? Yikes!!

 

[DebbieB]

The new procedure being "tested" involves those guests traveling from the airport via Magical Express. The staff is monitoring when the planes are landing containing BWV guests. As soon as the plane lands, they go ahead and assign rooms to those guests. So, although I was there at 10 am in person, someone who flew in at 1 pm for example, may in fact have been assigned to the next available room, instead of myself.

I'm trying to understand this procedure. If the room is assigned as the plane lands, it may be an hour or so before they arrive at the front desk, assuming ME is running smoothly. If you were there at 10am, maybe someone who landed at 9am but not arrived at the front desk could be assigned a room before you but not someone whose plane landed hours after your arrival. I guess the problem may possibly lie in the fact that at 10am there were no ready rooms for them to give you. People checking out may still be in the room at that hour, so cleaning could not have begun. The question is did they assign a specific room to you at 10am and did they not clean that room in favor of getting other rooms done to give to ME guests?

 

[CarolAnnC]

The priority is given to the ME arrivals. So, even though I presented myself in person at 10 am at the check in desk, countless guests could have been assigned next available rooms before I was given one. I was told that was why the room I was told should be available by noon was no longer available to assign to me. I got bumped....by someone who flew into Orlando International Airport AFTER I was at the check in desk.

 

[DebbieB]

So they didn't actually assign a room to you at 10:00am? Or they assigned a room and then bumped you out of it? That's really wrong. I thought when they assigned a room to you and gave you the keys that it would be yours after it was cleaned (which may not be until hours later).

 

[Johnnie Fedora]

Disney has probably had so many complaints about the ME service that they are doing everything they can to make it up to ME guests. If that means giving poor service to another DVCer to make up for ME transgressions, Disney will do it in a heartbeat. Make up for slow airport service/luggage transfer by shoving the unhappy guests right into their room. ME guests also include cash guests through CRO, they will likely be given preference as everyone knows DVCers don't pay for their stay...right??

 

[CarolAnnC]

A room assigned at arrival was known as "room ready" or "first available" check in. That procedure is out the window. Now it is Magical Express superceding all. Again, this "test" is only being conducted at BWV, as far as I know... These are the only details I was provided at BWV.

I have never complained of not getting into a room before 4:00 pm. But I am complaining that ME bus riders are being given preferential treatment. The person giving me this information had no argument with that...

 

[orangemonster]

Hi Carol... I think this preferential test should be put to bed quickly! That is not right to deny someone who is there in PERSON, a room... especially if they have a sick family member.

 

[MiaSRN62]

This doesn't seem to be very fair to people who fly in and rent a car!

You're right.....doesn't seem fair at all. Then there are those of us that drive ourselves to WDW. We usually check-in around noon. After a 17 hour drive from PA, it sure would be nice to get a room before someone else who may still be in the air.

 

[KJHawley]

I've heard that you can send your luggage via Magical Express, but skip the bus yourself. That way, if you rent your own car (or take a towncar, or whatever), your luggage will still make it to your room on its own- and now, it will have your room ready for you earlier too. It sounds like that may be the way to go- at least for people who are flying.

 

[crisi]

How absolutely devious. I think I'll do just that - send one bag via Magical Express and take the towncar we intend to take.

And I bet you can book Magical Express and then just not use their darn luggage tags. Without the tags, your bags will end up on the carrosel, but your name will still be on their list for checkin.

 

[DebbieB]

Carol, are you going to call or write DVC about your experience? It is totally wrong to get preference to ME riders while others who are waiting get passed by. I could accept assigning them a room when they check-in at the airport ME desk but not at the expense of those who have already checked in and are waiting.

 

[WDWLVR]

Wow - sorry to hear you had that experience. We checked in yesterday at 11:30 am and were delighted that they had a room ready. The CM told us that had two that fit our requests - but both were very far from the elevator (but Boardwalk views). We could have 3rd floor or 4th. We opted for 4th and the room is as far from the elevator as you can get but it is very quiet and we love the view. Best of all it was ready when we got here!


Edited to add - we flew in yesterday morning but did not use ME as DH has a trade show to go to later in the week and his boss paid for our rental car.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Boy, such different experiences!!

We have both cases covered in Sept.. My Dcuz flies in at 9AM and will use ME, I get there at 2PM using a rental car. It will be great if she has already gotten the room, but I don't think it's right that ME people get pushed to the head of the line.

Bobbi