Just Back - 10 Days at AKV - Probably Won't Return

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I am VERY apprehensive about our upcoming trip. 16 nights is a LONG time to have to deal with rude, apathetic employees, filthy rooms, horrible bus service, etc. I could have stayed closer to home and gone to Six Flags and stayed in some motel if that was what I was looking for.
I think my knee-jerk purchase in to DVC may very well come back to haunt us. I will not tolerate a room in disrepair, but if the property doesn't give a rat's hat then I may not have much of a choice.
Maybe the problems we read about here are not the norm, but what if they are? How many owners who don't post here have these same issues?

I was thinking about something this morning. I wonder out of all the guests at WDW each year, how many are first time visitors? I wonder if Disney caters more to them than the repeat visitors? Are first time visitors generally happy with their experience? Are many first time visitors also the type of visitor who won't be back - "once in a lifetime" trippers? If that is their target market then they really don't CARE what we think. Perfect.

 

[gkrykewy]

I am VERY apprehensive about our upcoming trip. 16 nights is a LONG time to have to deal with rude, apathetic employees, filthy rooms, horrible bus service, etc. I could have stayed closer to home and gone to Six Flags and stayed in some motel if that was what I was looking for.
I think my knee-jerk purchase in to DVC may very well come back to haunt us. I will not tolerate a room in disrepair, but if the property doesn't give a rat's hat then I may not have much of a choice.
Maybe the problems we read about here are not the norm, but what if they are? How many owners who don't post here have these same issues?

I was thinking about something this morning. I wonder out of all the guests at WDW each year, how many are first time visitors? I wonder if Disney caters more to them than the repeat visitors? Are first time visitors generally happy with their experience? Are many first time visitors also the type of visitor who won't be back - "once in a lifetime" trippers? If that is their target market then they really don't CARE what we think. Perfect.

Just relax - most people have positive experiences. We've been to AKL twice as cash guests and loved it, and my parents have used our DVC membership there twice so far and also loved it (the only problem being love bugs on the balcony during September love bug season).

If you do have an issue, complain at the front desk, and complain to MS as necessary.

Try to keep things in perspective though - most people are satisfied with their memberships, and happy with their accommodations.

 

[AKV707]

I am VERY apprehensive about our upcoming trip. 16 nights is a LONG time to have to deal with rude, apathetic employees, filthy rooms, horrible bus service, etc. I could have stayed closer to home and gone to Six Flags and stayed in some motel if that was what I was looking for.
I think my knee-jerk purchase in to DVC may very well come back to haunt us. I will not tolerate a room in disrepair, but if the property doesn't give a rat's hat then I may not have much of a choice.
Maybe the problems we read about here are not the norm, but what if they are? How many owners who don't post here have these same issues?

I was thinking about something this morning. I wonder out of all the guests at WDW each year, how many are first time visitors? I wonder if Disney caters more to them than the repeat visitors? Are first time visitors generally happy with their experience? Are many first time visitors also the type of visitor who won't be back - "once in a lifetime" trippers? If that is their target market then they really don't CARE what we think. Perfect.

I wouldn't be apprehensive. 16 nights sounds great! I returned a week ago from an 11 night AKV stay. We had a wonderful experience.

Here is my trip report.

 

[graygables]

Just relax - most people have positive experiences. We've been to AKL twice as cash guests and loved it, and my parents have used our DVC membership there twice so far and also loved it (the only problem being love bugs on the balcony during September love bug season).

If you do have an issue, complain at the front desk, and complain to MS as necessary.

Try to keep things in perspective though - most people are satisfied with their memberships, and happy with their accommodations.

PLEASE, if you have an issue...WALK TO THE FRONT DESK and speak with a manager. Calmly. If you call from the room, you are getting an OFFSITE call center (although you might get to talk to my DD! ) and while they are happy to take your call and do their best to get someone at the resort to respond to your issues, they are NOT the people standing down at the front desk. It is much more effective to address your concerns face to face (calmly, but assertively).

 

[disneynutz]

As sad as it may be, there is a difference between cash guests and DVC guests. Disney is run by humans and whether we like it or not, human psychology and greed will prevail.

If you had to make a choice, who would you give more attention too? The guest that you want to impress with the hope of them returning next year or the guest that will return automatically?

Which resort has the higher maintenance budget? The resort that needs returning guests or the resort that is booked solid even if things are in disrepair. Sure DVC owners pay for maintenance through their dues but guess what happens if the dues are increased, DVC gets inundated with complaints.

Ever wonder why the dues at non sold out resorts are low? It's so they look good for sales. Once sold out, DVC doesn't need new buyers so the dues are raised.

Don't get me wrong, right now DVC is a good deal for us, we understand the way things work and the difference between cash treatment and DVC treatment is acceptable to us. That doesn't mean that we won't complain if something is really wrong.

 

[LisaS]

I am VERY apprehensive about our upcoming trip. ... Maybe the problems we read about here are not the norm, but what if they are? How many owners who don't post here have these same issues?

I think people are more apt to post about problems than to post when everything was fine. So while people do sometimes have some serious problems, the majority of the time things are just fine.

I do understand how you feel. In the weeks leading up to our first stay at BWV there were lots of posts complaining about poor housekeeping and rooms in disrepair. I was very concerned, especially since we were treating my mom to her first trip to WDW and I wanted everything to go well. When we checked in, I went on ahead to check the room out to be sure it was clean. It was great! We had a 2BR and the only problem was a slightly loose door knob on the bathroom door in the studio. Everything else was clean and in perfect working order. We've been back to BWV several times since and have never had any problems with housekeeping or the condition of the room and furnishings. We have had many wonderful stays now at BWV, VWL, OKW and most recently AKV.

 

[Alexander]

Oh my goodness, we just returned from the same resort (AKV, 5th floor), and had a completely different experience from you. My little boy spilled something on his sheet (his zyrtec that he hadn't swallowed), and I asked mousekeeping outside, if I could have an extra top sheet, she happily gave it to me, and asked if there's anything else I needed ( my husband yelled at me for not getting more towels)-- my entire experience was completely different, guests, cms-- you name it. Don't give up on AKV if you liked the resort, sounded like you just had some bad luck. I'm so sorry you had a bad experience!

Was her name Edith? She was great!

 

[LadyKay]

Well considering the only time I have seen a guest threaten to break a CMs legs it was a DVC owner... I don't think that we have a lock on being good guests LOL! (As a matter of fact due to some other pretty sad behavior I don't wear or carry anything that identifies me as a DVC member. I don't want to be presumed guilty by association!)

OMG really. That's unacceptable. I just love my DVC member bag but will be shy to sport it around on our next trip.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I imagine part of my apprehension is just pre-trip fatigue. You know how you plan and plan and by the time you are ready to leave you just feel kind of strung out? My mom just started chemo for breast cancer so I am stressed out anyway.

We have stayed at AKL 3 times and loved it. This trip we'll be in the "hotel" side for 3 nights, the "villa" side for 4, so we will definitely be able to see if the treatment differs.

We just bought into AKV in May, so this will be our fist ever DVC experience. We're doing 7 nights at SSR, and 2 "bridge" nights at the Poly in addition to AKL/AKV. Lots of bouncing around, lots of new things to deal with, lots of concerns about buses, lots of stuff to get my knickers in a twist over.

I will have my laptop so I will be posting frequent updates about the resorts, the buses, the restaurants, you name it. I hope what I have to say will be good!

 

[BroganMc]

I imagine part of my apprehension is just pre-trip fatigue. You know how you plan and plan and by the time you are ready to leave you just feel kind of strung out? My mom just started chemo for breast cancer so I am stressed out anyway.

Ah well that'll put your knickers in a twist any day. When my mom was diagnosed with the metastatic form of the disease I walked on eggshells for a good year. I just wanted to be there and help her. Anything else just seemed trivial. And we lived 4 years enduring the ups and downs (though we saw concentrated more on the ups).

A little break from reality sounds like just what the doctor ordered for you. It did wonders for my family during that hard time.

I will have my laptop so I will be posting frequent updates about the resorts, the buses, the restaurants, you name it. I hope what I have to say will be good!

Before my first stay at SSR, 6 months after we purchased, I was terrified we'd hate the place and I'd be proven a giant idiot. We went in December and the weather was downright frigid. The room was smaller than our offsite Marriott place but I loved it all anyway.

I'm sure something will tick you off. Heat, crowds, room, staff, etc. Nothing can ever go 100% perfectly. Just take it in stride. After all a bad day at Disney is still a helluva lot better than a bad day at home.

I don't credit the Chicken Little's of the world much. People have been claiming that yesterday was better since memory began. It's never as bad as it seems or as good as you remembered.

Only thing I'd take from this thread is the understanding that we are in a partnership with Disney. As owners we have a responsibility to point out issues we can't ourselves fix. And if there is something we can do (like taking 1 minute to wipe down that layer of dust along a spot only we've seen or making sure all the dishes are loaded and started in the dishwasher) then do it.

 

[LisaS]

Only thing I'd take from this thread is the understanding that we are in a partnership with Disney. As owners we have a responsibility to point out issues we can't ourselves fix. And if there is something we can do (like taking 1 minute to wipe down that layer of dust along a spot only we've seen or making sure all the dishes are loaded and started in the dishwasher) then do it.

Great post! I agree with your philosophy here in this paragraph. Every time we go, we leave at least one thing cleaner than we found it.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

We've never had a "bad" trip to WDW. The closest we have come to that was last February, and it wasn't Disney's fault the trip was bad. We had a flash "blizzard" that delayed our flight out - the snow completely wiped out visibility even though it wasn't sticking to the ground. Love Dallas weather. It was a short trip, Orlando weather was crummy, and DS got really sick the last morning and stayed sick for several days after we got home. It just felt like it wasn't worth it to go on that one.

Sometimes the "what ifs" are terribly distracting to me! I appreciate the good stories.

 

[Rowaena]

I am VERY apprehensive about our upcoming trip. 16 nights is a LONG time to have to deal with rude, apathetic employees, filthy rooms, horrible bus service, etc. I could have stayed closer to home and gone to Six Flags and stayed in some motel if that was what I was looking for.
I think my knee-jerk purchase in to DVC may very well come back to haunt us. I will not tolerate a room in disrepair, but if the property doesn't give a rat's hat then I may not have much of a choice.
Maybe the problems we read about here are not the norm, but what if they are? How many owners who don't post here have these same issues?

I was thinking about something this morning. I wonder out of all the guests at WDW each year, how many are first time visitors? I wonder if Disney caters more to them than the repeat visitors? Are first time visitors generally happy with their experience? Are many first time visitors also the type of visitor who won't be back - "once in a lifetime" trippers? If that is their target market then they really don't CARE what we think. Perfect.

Okay I should say this. Yes, we had a difficult experience with our room at BCV last September. And personally I now know I should have raised a LOT more hell in order to get it fixed, instead of using the lobby bathroom for a week. I did try to make sure the manager noted on the room that it needed to be fixed when we departed, but given her lack of interest in finding us a better place to sleep, I did not have a lot of confidence that she was going to do anything about repairing the room before giving it to another guest.

That said - we have had plenty and I mean PLENTY of lovely DVC trips. There is always something every trip - sometimes the buses are just all hosed up. And this one time, we had no toilet. Another time at BCV the fridge in our studio leaked so the carpets were always wet underfoot (cold, clammy and gross). But mostly the trips are quite lovely.

The point I was trying to make is this: my husband and I are not the kind of people to make scenes and extravagant demands to have the "best room with the best view". You know THOSE kind of people who behave as if they are entitled to the moon because they are paying customers (well, everyone else is too). But I erred too far on the side of "nice" when I accepted a room without functioning plumbing. I allowed myself to be bullied by a manager who could not be bothered to help my family. So stand your ground when you need to. Even though it's vacation and you may not want to be confrontational or get your blood pressure up.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

It's funny. In the past when I read anything negative about AKL I haven't thought much about it. When I mentioned it to DH he said "We've never had a problem." That's my point. Because we have never had a problem we don't know how they would respond.

I have a short temper, but I would hope I wouldn't take my frustrations out on a CM. If my issues weren't resolved I would ask for a manager. I would call MS, I would follow whatever channels I could think of. I guess my fear is that we will have some HUGE problem and we will waste lots of time going round and round with people who don't care.

We are excited about our first DVC trip. (Well, mostly DVC - 11 of 16 nights.) I hope we don't have any HUGE problems. I can handle things like dust. Smoke, broken toilets, hair and nail clippings, etc. are deal breakers in my book. So we'll hope for the best, be prepared for the worst, and document every detail (good and bad) for everyone here!

 

[graygables]

I guess my fear is that we will have some HUGE problem and we will waste lots of time going round and round with people who don't care.

I think this theme is the thing that's been bothering me. I've been to WDW MANY times in the last 5 years, cash, DVC, conventions, etc. and have only ever encountered a CM who "didn't care" once (at CR when my 9yo had broken her foot up in our room and I needed info on an urgent care...he handed me a brochure while my crying child was in a wheelchair...it's a good thing I'm not sue-happy). Other than that, any issue I've ever had (including plumbing not working, carpet tacks, missing luggage, and sheets needing replacing) has always been met with an attentive cast member. You'd think that if there was a general "I don't give a darn" attitude, that I'd have seen it more than the one time. I honestly think that people tend to think that the CM doesn't care b/c they are not able to wave a magic wand and make miracles happen. If there are no more rooms available, there are no more rooms available.

Just for the record, I'm at a Holiday Inn Express right now (for a convention) and I had to fix the toilet last night. It wouldn't flush properly and was running, so I looked in the tank and the chain was off. Hooked it back, toilet fixed. Did I harangue the front desk? No, I just fixed the darned thing. I've done it at WDW, too, same problem.

 

[princessvacg]

We just got back from 9 day split stay at BCV and AKV. There was a huge difference in the attitudes of the CM's between the 2 resorts. Beach Club Villas CM's were absolutly fantastic!! I do not think I have experienced that kind of service at disney in many years. They went out of their way to make sure everyone was OK. I was blown away. They manager was helping me with another Airline issue. (long story short, SW drug my daughers suitcase across the tarmack and destroyed the suitcase and most of the things inside as they fell out the large hole that was ripped into the side.) SW was fantastic also as they were very proactive and called us to let us know what happened before we received our luggage) I told him the customer service was fantastic. He said it was a new training program they had started a couple of months ago. What ever it is they should send the folks from AKL to the same program because they were just plain rude. It seemed to be mostly the folks at check in. I actually had a CM tell me I could not even check to see if my room was ready until after 4. She specifically told me not to call or come back until after 4. I just kind of laughed and said "sure I will." I was making ADR's for the night and that CM said let me check if your room is ready yet. It was
11am and my room was ready. I made sure to let that nice CM who told me not to come back until after 4 that I was on my way up to my room that was READY. I still had a fantastic time, the room was awesome, pool was great, Expecially the pool bar, the parks! I Pretty much do not let anyone ruin my attitude when I go on vacation to Disney!!

 

[AKV707]

We just got back from 9 day split stay at BCV and AKV. There was a huge difference in the attitudes of the CM's between the 2 resorts. Beach Club Villas CM's were absolutely fantastic!! I do not think I have experienced that kind of service at Disney in many years. They went out of their way to make sure everyone was OK. I was blown away. They manager was helping me with another Airline issue. (long story short, SW drug my daughers suitcase across the tarmack and destroyed the suitcase and most of the things inside as they fell out the large hole that was ripped into the side.) SW was fantastic also as they were very proactive and called us to let us know what happened before we received our luggage) I told him the customer service was fantastic. He said it was a new training program they had started a couple of months ago. What ever it is they should send the folks from AKL to the same program because they were just plain rude. It seemed to be mostly the folks at check in. I actually had a CM tell me I could not even check to see if my room was ready until after 4. She specifically told me not to call or come back until after 4. I just kind of laughed and said "sure I will." I was making ADR's for the night and that CM said let me check if your room is ready yet. It was
11am and my room was ready. I made sure to let that nice CM who told me not to come back until after 4 that I was on my way up to my room that was READY. I still had a fantastic time, the room was awesome, pool was great, Especially the pool bar, the parks! I Pretty much do not let anyone ruin my attitude when I go on vacation to Disney!!

In fairness, the only CM that we encountered at AKV that was not great was the one at check in. She wasn't rude, just disinterested. Every other CM, bell services, mousekeeping, maintenance, other front desk staff, and animal guides, were perfect, Disney quality and on a par with other great CMs that we have experienced on other trips.


So I do think that it is unfair to paint a whole resort rude because of one CM.

 

[Tiger926]

In fairness, the only CM that we encountered at AKV that was not great was the one at check in. She wasn't rude, just disinterested. Every other CM, bell services, mousekeeping, maintenance, other front desk staff, and animal guides, were perfect, Disney quality and on a par with other great CMs that we have experienced on other trips.


So I do think that it is unfair to paint a whole resort rude because of one CM.

While I certainly agree it is not intelligent to generalize in most situations, that being said, we have experienced more indifferent or apathetic CMs here at AKL then any other resort, and we've stayed almost everywhere. Whether it's valet, check-in (more here than anywhere), gift shop or Boma, it's alive and well. Do I paint the entire resort as 'rude'? Nope - but, there is a different tone at AKL, and we've experienced it many times while on cash or as DVC. It could be a cultural thing or management, not sure, but it is there.

As I stated, I can pretty much handle at world war before I get upset as I teach at-risk teens and am trained in crisis intervention - it takes A LOT to get me riled up at all. You don't me personally, but since I assess and observe students all day long while running my Spec. ED. Department, I can assure you that I'm not looking for trouble, am not a complainer, nor do I take pride in 'resort bashing' (hate that term). I am confident in my ability to notice and assess my surroundings (I do it in my sleep!) and please don't think it's being 'nosey' either as when you do what I do, nosey just gets in the way. I am able to recognize and see things that most people don't see - just ask my hubby - LOL!

My point is that I am very good at observing, and then I'm very good at responding to these issues, if need be. With major issues, I have called to front desk as a way to log my immediate complaint upon entering room (even though it's a call centre, they still log complaints), and then gone to front desk within a few minutes of settling the kids, and then also called or emailed MS either while on vacation, or, after I return. I do this because as I stated before, and someone just re-stated, it is part of my member responsibility. It encompasses the social responsibility I hold to the next member who is going to use the room after me - if something is broken, I report, if something is worn, I report, and as someone else stated, I leave the room just as clean, or, cleaner than when I entered.

Regardless of this, in my determination, AKL does have some customer service and maintenance issues, as well as a different 'tone' or 'atmosphere' in the way they do things.

I am not nervous about my membership in DVC, or, AKV, for that matter as I think these are areas that can be worked on. If indeed the atmosphere is more of a cultural thing, then nothing can really be done about that as people are the way that they are in regards to their life's experiences, if it's a general rudeness or apathy on the part of AKL management, or, Disney, then that is a greater issue for me because it speaks to how they value my business.

Here's hoping that everyone has wonderful DVC vacations for years to come, Tiger

 

[AKV707]

While I certainly agree it is not intelligent to generalize in most situations, that being said, we have experienced more indifferent or apathetic CMs here at AKL then any other resort, and we've stayed almost everywhere. Whether it's valet, check-in (more here than anywhere), gift shop or Boma, it's alive and well. Do I paint the entire resort as 'rude'? Nope - but, there is a different tone at AKL, and we've experienced it many times while on cash or as DVC. It could be a cultural thing or management, not sure, but it is there.

As I stated, I can pretty much handle at world war before I get upset as I teach at-risk teens and am trained in crisis intervention - it takes A LOT to get me riled up at all. You don't me personally, but since I assess and observe students all day long while running my Spec. ED. Department, I can assure you that I'm not looking for trouble, am not a complainer, nor do I take pride in 'resort bashing' (hate that term). I am confident in my ability to notice and assess my surroundings (I do it in my sleep!) and please don't think it's being 'nosey' either as when you do what I do, nosey just gets in the way. I am able to recognize and see things that most people don't see - just ask my hubby - LOL!

My point is that I am very good at observing, and then I'm very good at responding to these issues, if need be. With major issues, I have called to front desk as a way to log my immediate complaint upon entering room (even though it's a call centre, they still log complaints), and then gone to front desk within a few minutes of settling the kids, and then also called or emailed MS either while on vacation, or, after I return. I do this because as I stated before, and someone just re-stated, it is part of my member responsibility. It encompasses the social responsibility I hold to the next member who is going to use the room after me - if something is broken, I report, if something is worn, I report, and as someone else stated, I leave the room just as clean, or, cleaner than when I entered.

Regardless of this, in my determination, AKL does have some customer service and maintenance issues, as well as a different 'tone' or 'atmosphere' in the way they do things.

I am not nervous about my membership in DVC, or, AKV, for that matter as I think these are areas that can be worked on. If indeed the atmosphere is more of a cultural thing, then nothing can really be done about that as people are the way that they are in regards to their life's experiences, if it's a general rudeness or apathy on the part of AKL management, or, Disney, then that is a greater issue for me because it speaks to how they value my business.

Here's hoping that everyone has wonderful DVC vacations for years to come, Tiger

I apologize if I appear to be judging anyone's opinions or abilities to read a situation. I also do not doubt my own skill in this area. My job also requires great insight into people and behavior, but I feel all people are qualified to make judgements based on their own frame of reference and experience.

My intention was only to express my feelings on my AKV experience. I have been to WDW on 16 trips since 1993, some DVC and many cash.

So once again, I am not being critical of anyone else's experience or opinions, I am simply expressing mine. My AKV experience was positive.

 

[Tiger926]

I apologize if I appear to be judging anyone's opinions or abilities to read a situation. I also do not doubt my own skill in this area. My job also requires great insight into people and behavior, but I feel all people are qualified to make judgements based on their own frame of reference and experience.

My intention was only to express my feelings on my AKV experience. I have been to WDW on 16 trips since 1993, some DVC and many cash.

So once again, I am not being critical of anyone else's experience or opinions, I am simply expressing mine. My AKV experience was positive.

No apologies necessary at all! I agreed with you as I don't agree the whole resort should be classified as rude at all, but, there is a different tone or way of doing things over there that doesn't make for good situations at times. And, like I said, we notice the same issues consistently, so that tells me that it is just the way they do things over there, but in certain situations, this attitude is going to be problematic.

Please don't get me wrong though, we too classify our stays at AKL as positive as well, even though we've had some issues. This is just for us though - I'm sure some people would classify a negative stay as any stay in which they encountered problems, but this is not the case for us. We've had some negative experiences at AKL, due to rude CMs, rude guests or inattention or apathy, but these experiences, although consistent, still wouldn't make us classify our stays as negative as there are many different variables that go into our WDW stays.

Tiger