Just Back from BCV..thoughts

[IleneF]

Well this was our first time home to BCVs. We stayed at ASMo for one night as we arrived late on Wed nite and had our ressies at BCV beginning on Thur.
Our luggage was transferred without a problem and we went into the parks early on Thur for our "Keys" tour. After the tour we checked in to room 455. It was a studio with a great epcot view and an extra large patio as it was next to a "cast member" room. We did hear lots of traffic noise during the afternoon while sitting on the patio. I guess you trade one thing for another as the Illuminations view was fantastic. The room was very nice but just a bit bigger than an AStar room, IMO. The bathroom was large and clean. The kitchenette was nice to have and clean too. But we did have issues that make me wonder if I should have bought into DVC. I could not get used to not having maid service. I'm sorry, I'm spoiled....when I go on vacation I like someone to clean up after me or at least make my bed. It was harder than I thought coming back to the room midday to find unmade beds. As I only use a comforter at home these beds are much more difficult to make as well. Then we had an issue with the sleeper couch. When I pulled it out I thought oh my how can anyone sleep on this...the springs are not even cushioned. But I felt the other side and found it to be cushioned so I undid the bedding and Voila found a sign on the side of the mattress that was down that said
"this side up". ARRGGHH you think they'd install it correctly, huh? But even after fixing it the two 16yo's that slept on it found it almost unbearable. The head part would not lie down completely ( I tried) and so they "slid" down so their feet hung over the edge. My dd got an attitude and said she'd rather stay at ASMo. which put me in a mood after having laid down all the cash for the DVC partly for her benefit too as she LOVES stormalong bay. Then the other thing that bothered me was I felt like they were "nickle and diming" me when I read the list of extra costs: towels, maid service, kitchen stuff etc. I felt like a second class citizen compared to hotel guests. It should be the opposite, no? Maybe I just need to spring for a one bedroom but I really bought my points based on a studio as that is all we could really afford. I guess I have the option of renting my points out or using them for the cruise though and it's nice to have that flexibility. As far as the pullout couch goes that was really the biggest issue so I guess we could just bring the airbed down with us. Anyone else have these sort of feelings or is it just me?

 

[jennymouse]

Sorry you didn't enjoy your first DVC stay. I hope your next trip home goes smoother.

 

[chris1gill]

Hi Ilene,

I have some suggestions that might help you out First, as for the Nickel & Diming about the list you found in the studio, please don't worry about that, in all of our years staying at the resorts, we've never been charged extra for anything... Don't forget, cash paying guests also have that list, it's there for everyone that occupies the unit!

Regarding that pullout, I've never been particularly fond of them either, how about bringing an Aerobed with you for next time? They are very comfortable, weigh about five pounds & blow up in less than a minute... we travel with one now for our kids... Also, Old Key West does have two queens in the studio's (but you lose Stormalong bay)

Now, as for maid service, if you really miss it, I'd say to request service everyday & just pay the 25.00 fee for the studio... considering the savings as a DVC member, I've always thought that even if we did pay the fee, it would still give us a huge savings over the cash rate of the unit....

After a few trips under your belt and finding your niche, I think you'll do just great as a DVC'er

 

[jcodespoti]

It sounds like you guys could have at least used a 1 BR (a two BR would have been perfect). Studios are ok for two people who are not gonna spend a lot of time in the room. But with at least three people it can get a little crowded (IMHO).
Daily maid service is something different. Thats just they way its goona be unless you pay for it. I see your point about maid service, and there are those who agree with you. I on the other hand can do with out it no problem.
I also hope your salesman (or woman) told you about DVC's housekeeping arrangement.
Next time you go try a bigger room it might change your mind.


Joe in CT

 

[poj7]

Hi.

None of your experiences sound surprising. Too many people in a studio makes it uncomfortable, you need a 1-bedroom or 2 bedroom. Maid service is not included. That can be overcome with extra money. The answer to the problem is just to throw more points/money at it. Maybe go every other year or buy more points.

Paul

 

[alsipd]

You know what, DVC isnt for everyone and it sounds like you are a prime example. If you came into DVC expecting it to be a "Hotel Room" then you came in for the wrong reason. I personally like the fact that there isn't a maid in my room every day. The whole idea, as it was explained to me, is that DVC is your "home away from home". This means cleaning up after yourself during your stay and making your own bed, if you want it made. If you want a "Hotel Room" you can always use your points to get one, but at a higher point value due to the fact that there is much more cost overhead involved in a hotel room than in a home away from home. Sorry if you didn't like the DVC way, but I'm sure there are lots of people on these boards that will buy your points if you want to sell them.
Just my two cents, take it for what it's worth!

 

[poj7]

Well said, Alsipd.

It's one thing to complain about things that aren't up to par, but to complain about things that actually are exactly how they are supposed to be is unfair. If someone rents a sub-compact car with no air conditioning in the summer when they need a full-sized car and complains about the heat and lack of room, my answer would be, what do you expect?


Paul

 

[joepoe]

Ilene, I don't like the quality of the sofa bed mattresses either. My 8 yr old daughters don't mind it, but I would want something more subnstantial for an adult. This is my only real beef with DVC.

 

[wordzylady]

Ditto, Alsipd. We bought into DVC to get away from the hotel atmosphere on vacation and enjoy the comforts of home while being on vacation. We made our first trip in January and it totally met our expectations. We sat down as a family before we went and talked about the issue of no maid service and that everyone would have to do their part and it worked out great. I do think you probably need to move to a bigger unit and give it a second chance.

As far as the nickling and diming goes, we were never charged either for our extra towel pack and on towel and trash day they refilled our coffee basket and didn't charge us either. The guy at the front desk said more times than not housekeeping forgets or just doesn't charge it.

We are looking forward to our second trip home next year and are looking forward to vacation more than ever.

 

[vbfamily]

She was just posting about her feelings. I didn't take it as complaining at all. I actually agree with her on some basic issues.

Personally, I'd rather see 2 queen beds in the studio. I know that this could be a whole other thread but it's just the way I feel.

She bought enought points to stay in a studio. Staying in a 1br or 2br isn't an option for her. Even moving up to a 1br doesn't get her anywhere-still only one bed and the pull out couch. Again, this could be a topic for another thread.

To some the housekeeping isn't an issue. I'd love to have housekeeping everyday. DVCer's pour $ into Disney and make a commitment unlike few others. I don't think there's anything wrong with expecting a little more in return-some free maid service here and there or bigger discounts on park tickets.

The OP will have to make the decision if it is right for her. Everyone has different ideas on how DVC should be.

I just don't want the OP to get flamed for posting her feelings and trying to get some feedback.

 

[PamOKW]

I'm glad that you saw about flipping the mattress. That certainly can make a big difference. The time that happened to me, I believe it was a guest who flipped the matttress trying to hide a stain they had made on the mattress. A call to housekeeping brought a new mattress in no time.

I know you say you purchased BCV to enjoy SAB. However, you might want to give the other resorts a try and see if any of them satisfy your family. You can even stick with the studio. Specifically, I think you might enjoy OKW. You have the two queen size beds and the rooms are certainly more spacious than AS or any of the moderates.

Hopefully, you'll enjoy your future trips.

 

[bcvillastwo]

We don't have a great deal of experience staying in the various sized DVC units yet but to date we've stayed in a BCV one bedroom twice and one night in a HH studio. Overall, its safe to say that we prefer the one bedroom unit but the HH studio was just fine for the two of us. We should have a better idea of what it's to stay in a studio for more than one night as we will soon be going to BCV where will stay in a studio for five nights. But, there will only be two of us.

Regarding the point about extra towel charges, the last time we were at BCV my youngest son and a friend were with us for a two nights. We needed some extra towels so we called housekeeping and someone brought them right up but we were never charged for the extra towels. From what I can tell, it appears more often than not guests are not charged when the request extra towels.

As I've said on other posts, we are very glad we bought into DVC and to date we have no regrets.

 

[Regina]

It's one thing to know the DVC "rules", it's a whole other thing to experience them.

The vast majority of members don't mind the lack of housekeeping, but what do you do when you try it and don't like it? What do you do when you find that the accommodation that you planned for doesn't work for your family?

The solutions translate to $$$$, and can be a bitter pill to swallow.

I'm sorry that you found that certain aspects of DVC weren't to your liking. Having a teenager with an attitude doesn't make it better. (I have two who have moved beyond that "wonderful" age group, and one that's still there.)

I would let some time pass and look back at the positives, and consider what you can reasonably do about the negatives. Perhaps throwing in a few extra towels in your luggage, and, as you said , bringing an airbed.

This isn't the first time that a member found the mattress on the pullout was upside down. I would have contacted housekeeping about the problem with getting the head to lie flat, but, when it's late and you're dealing with a teen, I can understand that you must have been very frustrated at that point and didn't want to be bothered.

I hope that you're able to enjoy your future visits.

 

[dlr25]

My advice: be clever with your points. The experts on these boards will certainly be able to help you! I assume you have 150 points as I believe that's the minimum. We do too and we've had fabulous vacations. You say you can't afford a 1 or 2 BR. We've always had a 1 or 2 BR - but we can't afford those expensive weekend nights or vacation weeks. Even the DVC veterans with 500 points tell you they never have enough! The trick is to use them wisely. Try a 2BR at OKW. They are enormous and a good point value. You won't have SAB but you'll have space. Our kids are very young and I really can't imagine the four of us in a studio. As for maid service, pay the $ if you really miss it. A Disney vacation is expensive with or without DVC so I'd rather spend that money on something else. It also sounds like your kids are old enough that they can make beds and tidy up too.

 

[IleneF]

Thanks everyone for your feedback. I'm glad to see that some of the issues I raised are things others have thought about too ie: the pullout versus the queen or double or even a good quality pullout. Please don't flame me I didn't mean to be complaining..I do know what I bought into. I was just expressing some dissappointment with the reality of the DVC. I'm still glad I bought because like I said we have the flexiblity to use it for a cruise or other accomodations or renting the points. My dh and I will be more than comfortable in a studio when it gets to the point where we are not bringing kids with us. We really weren't uncomfortable space wise. We have a small home so we are not used to alot of space. It was more a comfort issue with the pullout that made the stay unpleasant. I just expected a higher quality pullout that would be comfortable if even adults needed to sleep on it. I did view the one bedroom model while I was there (and got a pin ) and the pullout sofa looked bigger, more like a queen than a double. Has anyone used the pullout in the one bedroom? Was it comfy?

Thanks for the info about housekeeping and towel service. I won't be afraid to order towels next time and may consider asking housekeeping to come every other day...nice compromise.

 

[Disney Doll]

I've stayed in a 1BR in the BCVs and had an adult sleep on the pullout in the livingroom and she didn't have a problem with it, so maybe it was the one in your unit specifically.Did you call Housekeeping and have them change the mattress?? I don't think the couches are different sizes in the studi vs. the 1BR, but maybe other DVCers know differently?

As far as the housekeeping...well, as others have said, that's a well-known DVC fact, and if you do want daily housekeeping, the solution is to pay for it. Personally, I don't mind not having a housekeeper daily, but that's me. If it's really something that's important to you, then you can do the extra charge thing.

As far as the teenager with an attitude...tell her she's lucky to be at WDW at all and then ignore her!

As far as points...you'd be surprised with some creative use of points what a nice vacation you can actually have. DH and I originally had 200 points at OKW,, and we would stay for the weekend in a regualr hotel, and then move to the DVC property (usually a 1 or 2 BR) during the week when the per night point cost was cheaper. I actually enjoyed that in some ways, as I got to experience the different hotels for a few days, so it wasn't terribly expensive and then got the benefit of the DVC for the final leg of the trip.