Just back from less than magical BWV stay!!

[rbuzzotta]

The drive down was uneventful!!!

We arrived at BWV at 10 am to check in on Sunday, of course, our room was not ready and would not be until exactly 4 PM!!

We walked around, had lunch, showed MIL the grounds and got our DD's bathing suits. Around 3 PM my youngest decides she can no longer wait to jump in the pool (quiet pool) and.................while my back is turned........proceeds to do a back flip off the side!!! With that she hits her face on the ledge and comes up to the surface with a face full of blood!!! Panic sets in for DD and DH...............I immediately grab Kristen and we rush to the ladies room. O.K., I am an RN so I am sowhat calm but DH is nerotic!!! I send him for ice and evaluate DD!! It does not appear her nose is broken but she has a cut on her nose and her lip looks like she had a really bad Botox treatment. One of her bottom teeth is chipped!! Kristen calms down and the bleeding eventually stops......................all guests in the pool area were wonderful!!

WE then check into our room...............bloodied and all!! WE requested a non smoking handicapped 2 BR!!! Well, it WAS what we asked for but the previous guest decided to smoke!!! Having just got over a 2 week bout with viral asthma myself, I was less than happy!! It was no fault of Disney and they were helpful but could not get us another room until the following day ( we decided to stay put because I didn't want to repack and lose a day on vacation packing and unpacking)!! They brought us up an air cleaner and we kept that running the entire week. It was uncomfortable for me (the tightness in my chest and lack of energy!!) and we had to sleep with the balcony doors open all week. WE bought room deodorizer at Publix but it really didn't help..............I had to wash all our clothes!!! WE stunk like cigarettes!! The previous guest left his/her butts on the balcony!! Gross!!

WE did 2 days in the parks................but I had no energy!! Lack of a good nights sleep kept me from doing the usuall running with my girls. But we all enjoyed our time together. We spent a total of only 8 hours in the parks!! A far cry less than we would have normally in 2 park days!!!

The extra magic hours were a joke!!! The lines continued to be the same as they were in the day (40-60 minute + waits). I wish they would bring back E nights.............now that was worth it!

Overall, the people were nice,(except the chair Nazi CM at the pool!!!) the food was great as always, we gained some weight...............enjoyed our family time together (which was the most important to me and DH!!). The weather was perfect (a little chilly in the a.m but great in the afternoon!).

We have decided that we need a Disney break. We have the first 2 weeks in August booked at OKW but I am looking now to change that. Either rent my points or bank them.................we will decide this week.

Any questions, please ask!!

 

[ceejay13]

So sorry for your experiences. I am also an asthmatic so I totally understand. We leave for the BWV on Tuesday and hope we don't run into the same luck.

 

[rocketriter]

What do you mean by "chair Nazi?" Was a guest being mean? Was a CM trying to stop the obnoxious practice of putting towels on chairs all day? There really are problems around the chairs at every resort's main pool, and I'd like to hear that CMs are trying to solve this (although I'd hate to hear they were impolite about it).

 

[donmil723]

So sorry to hear about your DD. Glad she wasn't hurt any worse.

Yuck! I hate the smell of smoke. I choke up every time I'm around it. I can't understand how some smokers can be so disrespectful while other smokers go out of their way to make sure their smoking doesn't offend anyone. At least Disney tried to help you out.

I remember your earlier post about not knowing if you were going to get to go on this trip or not. Sometimes, don't you wish you had a crystal ball to help you decide?

The good thing about DVC is the many options we have if we decide to forgo WDW! Good luck with your decision.

Donna

 

[dianeschlicht]

I too would have had a hard time with the smoked in unit because of asthma. Because our reservation says non-smoking for medical reasons, I would probably not accept a smoked in room, and would have camped out in the lobby until I got a smoke free one. It would NOT be an option for me. The only problem like this I have had at OKW, was last October when someone in one of the other rooms of our non-smoking building was smoking inside their unit and it was coming into ours through the bathroom vents. That time, when I reported it, they had housekeeping make a "gentle reminder" to those guests that it was a non-smoking building. Not sure what they did, but it worked!

 

[PKK/MJK]

Oh, Rosemary, what a miserable start to your vacation!! :-( Thank heavens your DD wasn't hurt even worse. The 'smoking/non-smoking room' problem is something we deal with also as two of our DD's (including our Disney Princess) have asthma! I'm so glad you got through the week without a major attack.

We don't visit the parks as much as we used too either--we mainly go to see DD perform and to 'people watch.'

 

[TLinden16]

Rose Mary, ouch about your daughter! Glad that it wasn't more serious.

That stinks that another guest had smoked in the room before you arrived. That is so incredibly rude.

I'm staying at the BWV in two weeks.

Karen

 

[rbuzzotta]

The "chair nazi" was a CM. He would walk around the pool and if there was an empty chair (even though shoes and towels were on it) he would remove them!!

I can understand the "saving of the chairs thing" as I too have not gotten a chair many times at Vero Beach (which I believe is the worse!). I just think this was a little 'overboard'.

He would remove my DD and DH's belongings when they were in the pool!! For the 6 of us, we only took 3 chairs (as my younger DD's are mainly in the pool all day) and my MIL was in her wheelchair!! We had to take turns using the pool so that one member of the family stayed with the chairs. He would tell us if they were not back in 30 mins. then he would remove their stuff!!! Needless to say, I called them out every 30 mins to just sit on the chairs and get those towels wet to prove to him that they were there!!! Alot of guests were getting upset with this...................and the pool area was not even full much of the time!!! (it did fill up late afternoon).

MaryJo.............Kristen recieved a picture of Snow White and balloons for her birthday from the staff at the boardwalk. I wondered if it were Katie!!!

TLinden.............thought of you at JellyRolls..............did not see your piano men though!!! As always, we had a good time.

donMil...............a crystal ball would have been nice!!! My MIL did enjoy herself though and my younger DD's did also.............it was just nice to get away as a family even though we started off bad!!!

I wish they could fine those that smoke in a non smoking room but not sure how they could prove it. Maybe just a nasty letter would maybe intimidate them into not smoking next trip...............and, not sure if I said so, it was not a DVC member that occupied the rooms before me!!!

 

[twotoohappy]

Sorry about your dd. I'm glad it wasn't serious. We were at the BWV at the same time. I'd be upset too if somebody smoked in my N/S room! I'm asthmatic and would be none to pleased. I wonder if the previous people in your room were charged for extra cleaning services because they smoked in the N/S room. As for the pool, the afternoons we were there it was very crowded and there weren't any chairs for my mom to sit and watch my dd swim. The CM probably has a standing order if it's crowded or not to keep people from saving chairs. It's annoying to keep going back to your chair, but it's also not fair to people looking for a place to sit down and there's a towel on every chair and you have to stand. I guess that's one of those no win situations. On the bright side, atleast it was wonderful weather the whole time there!

 

[Daitcher]

The "chair nazi" was a CM. He would walk around the pool and if there was an empty chair (even though shoes and towels were on it) he would remove them!!

I can understand the "saving of the chairs thing" as I too have not gotten a chair many times at Vero Beach (which I believe is the worse!). I just think this was a little 'overboard'.



This is just plain ludicrous. Disney has to stop listening to the peanut gallery complain about chair saving. The early bird gets the worm so to speak. Chair saving goes on at every Resort all over the world. CM removing peoples things is down right rude. If he removed my families things he would have had a bigger problem than complaining from me. Touching others belongings is off limits IMO. This won't last long, I would bet on that. Far more people will be upset with this policy than the chair saving tactics. The only thing that can be done is the block off the pool area until a reasonable time, say 8:00 a.m. At 8:00, open the pool area and then it is every man and women for themselves. This would help only a little, stopping the 6:00 a.m. chair savers. As annoying as it can be to not find a seat, I'd say the vast majority of vacationers have come to accept it as a way of life. My other solution is to make pool areas larger and provide more chairs. Sorry about your smoking problem. Smoking is disgusting and should be prohibited anywhere. If you want to smoke do it in your own home or outside. I live in N.Y.(Saratoga Springs) and we have a no smoking policy here. No smoking anywhere indoors. What a great policy. Not in bars, bowling alleys, restaurants, anywhere.


DAVE

 

[thelobstershanty]

So sorry to hear about your troubles on your trip. That really stinks!!! I agree maybe you need a break from Disney for your next vacation.
We love WDW very much and go there at least once a year but, have also realized after many years of solely WDW trips (3-5 per year).....that there are a lot of other wonderful vacation destinations besides WDW. Then when you go back to WDW, you appreciate it more and also have mega pts to get whatever villa(s) your heart desires.

 

[dgaston]

I had to wait on Tuesday until a family left to grab a chair. I guess I appreciate efforts to clear vacant chairs. An awful lot just seemed to have towels on them.

 

[Laurajean1014]

So sorry about your DD. How was the aftermath? Stitches? Was her nose confirmed broken?

We had friends stay at Boardwalk from April 14-20. I was there for the day but did not see any CM's (except the bartenders). The pool was crowded, but no problems.

The room issue (smokers just before you) is too bad. We had the same thing happen to us. From that day on, I pack a Yankee Candle Home Fragrancer (the plug-in kind). We do not blame the hotel for the this, it's the people who are inconsiderate. What you could have done was speak to the BWV managment about the issue and they could have checked on the occupants who stayed there before you, as well as, verify this with the maid staff. DVC has bios on their guests and can place this into their database, so they can not give a non-smoking unit to these people. I know that does not help you now, but with the crowds during SP, not much could have helped you in that situation. As DVC would have it, you requested a NS unit, and that's what they gave you. It is disappointing to have inconsiderate people stay in rooms you will be occupying.

We stayed at OKW and had a ball. The new slide is cool and the kids (big ones' as well), had fun with it. No-one minded that people stayed in the large pool after 10pm.

The weather was perfect (maybe cooler than I prefer) and I thought the crowds were worse outside WDW than inside the parks. I mean, there were more people at the pools than in the parks.

Let us know how you DD is doing.

 

[rbuzzotta]

DD is doing better. I will be calling the dentist and pediatrician tomorrow. Her bottom tooth is chipped and will need to be bonded (or whatever they may do). She has a cut on her nose (actually a tiny piece of skin is missing)and I want the pediatrician to look at it to see if we need to consult with a plastic surgeon!! Otherwise, she is back to her old self and we are just greatful that it wasn't any worse then it was!! WE were very lucky!! Someone was watching over us.....................

 

[OneMoreTry]

Sounds like some of our trips where we've had to bob and weave a little. I hope you at least had some good family times together. AFter difficult trips we are ready for a WDW break too. That's what HH is for!!

I won't weigh in on the chair debate on your thread. :zipping it!:

 

[twinmomplus2new]

Thank goodness... she didn't knock her teeth out poor thing! I Hope it all turns out ok for her... What a way to start...

And on a lighter note... I just saw that you are an RN. My cousinn talks about a Rosemary she works with, Now Based on prior conversations I am wondering if it was you? I will send you a PM.

Hope the little one is better! Lauren

 

[Plus4206]

What bothers me is that housekeeping had to know when they went in to service the room that the last guests were smoking in it. They should have started whatever protocol is in place to "de-smoke" the room and not wait till you called and complained. Especially since it was a HC room.

As for the chair nazi: Tough call. If I'm a "chair saver" I'm going to toss an old worthless teeshirt or two on a couple chairs as well as lay out some towels. If a CM grabs them, I lost nothing. But I hate chair savers. I hate any kind of gamer who tries to ruin my vacation to benifit his own. It sounds like this CM was a little over zealous, but I'd prefer him over one that doesn't do anything for fear of causing a conflict.To the poster who said "chair saving is normal everywhere" : It just proves that jerks don't just buy DVC.

 

[SoCalKDG]

I was at BWV's from 4-10 to 4-15, never a problem with the chairs or CM's, nor did I see anything funny going on.

I did have a problem with the CM's at VWL. I wasn't sure what the rule is on smoking at the pools and there were cigar smokers and cigarette smokers. The CM I asked said they didn't really have a rule and stayed out of it. Arrggghhh.

 

[rbuzzotta]

I agree that housekeeping should have done something about it when they cleaned the room!!!

The poor bell service man had to leave the room and hang on the balcony because he was beginning to wheeze and his inhaler was downstairs!!! (WE had him wait to see if they were going to change our room but felt awful for him so we told him to go on the balcony and get some fresh air)!!

As for the 'chair nazi'..............there will always be different opinions on this but this one was definetly overzealous!!! He was really making enemies more than friends on 2 of the days at the pool!!

 

[manning]

Let me get this straight. If you want to go into the pool and keep your chair you have to take it into the pool with you. Looks like common sense is missing by the CM. I think I would have asked the CM for two things. Another chair and a manager.

Smoking in non-smoking rooms. Too bad they can't have a 30 point penalty for those who don't know the meaning of non-smoking rooms.