Just got back from OKW - shocked by uncleanliness of room

[MELSMICE]

We just returned from a "grand gathering" at OKW. We were in a 2BR villa in building 38 near turtle pond. Room #3810 to be exact.

While I always report if something is not up to DVC standards or if something is in need of repair (ie. lightbulbs, missing remote batteries, etc.) I was extremely disappointed in our entire room.

We were welcomed by an absolutely filthy front door, with the racks to the linen carts propped next to our door. The room was not clean when we entered, including stains on the pillows & couch. Lightbulbs & remote batteries were missing, along with the internet cable. The light & fan switches were dirty & caked with dust that you could remove only with a fingernail or sharp object. There were broken crayons under the couch & crumbs in the couch when we removed the cushions. Someone had sprayed cola or something on the closet door in the master bedroom - it was never wiped off.

The straw that broke the camel's back, however, was the dirty underwear that we found in the matrress of the pull out sofa. Yes, someone's dirty panties were left on the mattress & folded up in the sofa. I'm sorry, but that is just gross & unacceptable that housekeeping wouldn't, first of all, move the couch to vacumm, remove the couch cushions to vacumm & also pull the bed out to make sure it is clean for the next guest.

We did speak to a manager & a housekeeper came to clean the filthy front door & wipe some things down. The next day we had clean linens & what they called a VIP cleaning.

I told the manager that I don't live in my house this way so I don't expect to live this way on vacation. I told him that we joined DVC because it is the best & I expect the best. I have not paid thousands of dollars to be "welcomed home" to what we experienced. I was really disappointed.

With the exception of the cleanings, the manager did not follow up with us. Does anyone know where I would send a letter with my comments/concerns? I am not looking to bash the whole DVC system, but I would like to voice my concerns. Like everyone else, I pay more than enough dues & feel I deserve to be staying in a place that is clean, presentable & what I expect for the amount of money we paid.

Overall, we had a very nice vacation. I was just extremely disappointed in the cleanliness of the room this time. I just think a little more pride should be taken.

 

[Chuck S]

We just returned from a "grand gathering" at OKW. We were in a 2BR villa in building 38 near turtle pond. Room #3810 to be exact.

While I always report if something is not up to DVC standards or if something is in need of repair (ie. lightbulbs, missing remote batteries, etc.) I was extremely disappointed in our entire room.

We were welcomed by an absolutely filthy front door, with the racks to the linen carts propped next to our door. The room was not clean when we entered, including stains on the pillows & couch. Lightbulbs & remote batteries were missing, along with the internet cable. The light & fan switches were dirty & caked with dust that you could remove only with a fingernail or sharp object. There were broken crayons under the couch & crumbs in the couch when we removed the cushions. Someone had sprayed cola or something on the closet door in the master bedroom - it was never wiped off.

The straw that broke the camel's back, however, was the dirty underwear that we found in the matrress of the pull out sofa. Yes, someone's dirty panties were left on the mattress & folded up in the sofa. I'm sorry, but that is just gross & unacceptable that housekeeping wouldn't, first of all, move the couch to vacumm, remove the couch cushions to vacumm & also pull the bed out to make sure it is clean for the next guest.

We did speak to a manager & a housekeeper came to clean the filthy front door & wipe some things down. The next day we had clean linens & what they called a VIP cleaning.

I told the manager that I don't live in my house this way so I don't expect to live this way on vacation. I told him that we joined DVC because it is the best & I expect the best. I have not paid thousands of dollars to be "welcomed home" to what we experienced. I was really disappointed.

With the exception of the cleanings, the manager did not follow up with us. Does anyone know where I would send a letter with my comments/concerns? I am not looking to bash the whole DVC system, but I would like to voice my concerns. Like everyone else, I pay more than enough dues & feel I deserve to be staying in a place that is clean, presentable & what I expect for the amount of money we paid.

Overall, we had a very nice vacation. I was just extremely disappointed in the cleanliness of the room this time. I just think a little more pride should be taken.

I'm sorry you had a dirty room. I have to wonder if it had really even been serviced before they issued it to you. You did the right thing by reporting it. It does amaze me in what kind of conditon some people (member, renters, and cash guests) leave the rooms.

I do wonder, from your post, what you meant by the the manager not followig up, since they did give you a full cleaning the next day? What type of follow up?

 

[TenThousandVolts]

I am sorry for your experience MELSMICE. I took some relatives to OKW last year and we were fortunate to have had a spotless room that was in great condition. It was really a moment of pride for me when we entered our villa and everyone gushed about how great it was. It really stinks that you didn't get that experience.
you can send an email to: DVCMemberSatisfactionTeam@disneyvacationclub.com

 

[MELSMICE]

I'm sorry you had a dirty room. I have to wonder if it had really even been serviced before they issued it to you. You did the right thing by reporting it. It does amaze me in what kind of conditon some people (member, renters, and cash guests) leave the rooms.

I do wonder, from your post, what you meant by the the manager not followig up, since they did give you a full cleaning the next day? What type of follow up?

I guess I just thought a phone call to see if everything had been taken care of as promised. (as far as follow up by the manager)

In all reality though, the room wasn't much cleaner even after the VIP cleaning. We had moved the couch so they could vacuum behind it & upon our return found another crayon underneath the chair.

 

[MELSMICE]

I am sorry for your experience MELSMICE. I took some relatives to OKW last year and we were fortunate to have had a spotless room that was in great condition. It was really a moment of pride for when we entered our villa and everyone gushed about how great it was. It really stinks that you didn't get that experience.
you can send an email to: DVCMemberSatisfactionTeam@disneyvacationclub.com

Thanks. That's what I was looking for.

 

[melomouse]

Melsmice -
I'm really sad to hear of your experience, but I have to say I'm not surprised at all. We stayed at OKW and SSR this past summer in our 2-week first trip"home".

BOTH sofa beds at both places were filled with popcorn, candy, dust,crumbs, cookie pieces, etc. The fact is that mosekeeping does not open them up. AT OKW the cleaners took 6 hours to come and straighten out the problem, at SSR they were there with a team of two who were tripping over each other trying to get me extra cleaning stuff and do anything else I could dream of.

Yes, the bathroom lighting fixtures at OKW needed a good cleaning and the rug stayed wet in the hallway outside the laundry room for 2 days. Repeated calls were ignored.

Yes, I should be writing letters of complaint. I was glad they came and cleaned the sofa bed and didn't want to waste anymore of my vacation time than I had to.

 

[Bocaberger]

I also had a bad experience at Coronado Springs. It was not, however, with cleanliness. There was a faulty fire alarm that went off at 1:30am, 2:15am, 3:30am, and one final time at 5am. Each time, we were asked to evacuate and wait for an all clear. When I complained in the morning, the manager said they can not do anything for me, I said the least he could do is buy me a cup of coffee. He laughed and did nothing. I wrote a letter to Disney customer service, and honest to god, they sent me a letter back that said, "We are sorry to hear that your stay was not to your standard. We would like to take this opportunity to let you know that the greater Orlando area has numerous resorts to choose from, while you are on your next Disney vacation..." In other words, we dont care, we will fill the room, whether you come or not. This was my first taste of Disney customer service. And the reality is, they are right. The resorts are at 100% capacity all of the time. I almost did not buy a DVC property because the customer service made me nervous, but in the end, I could not resist the deal. I am sorry that others have had bad experiences. I think that instead of sending our letters to Disney management, we should send to our DVC member service reps.

Coronado Springs 8/05
Disneyland 11/07
Port Orleans 10/08
Dolphin 8/08
Purchased DVC at SSR 8/08

Looking forward to many more trips

 

[TenThousandVolts]

I wrote a letter to Disney customer service, and honest to god, they sent me a letter back that said, "We are sorry to hear that your stay was not to your standard. We would like to take this opportunity to let you know that the greater Orlando area has numerous resorts to choose from, while you are on your next Disney vacation..."

Are you serious- omg- that is terrible.

 

[VTNuke]

I think the pure DVC resorts are not as clean as the ones that split with a hotel. The hotel ones have a lot more people paying cash for the rooms, so the rooms get cleaned a lot more.

On a similar note, it was actually nice to see the BWV getting a general paint job and the lobby floors getting refinished while we were there a few weeks ago. It made me appreciate the fact we pay maintenance fees each year and they are keeping the place looking nice.

 

[Buckeye Fan]

I am so sorry about your experience. That would have made me sick. YUCK!

I'm going to plead ignorance here, and say that I think a lot of this has to do with the management team of the resort, and less about Mousekeeping. Here's why:

We were down this past Aug and stayed at VWL. In all the years we've stayed in DVC resorts, this was by far the cleanest room we've ever had. I would go as far as saying it was spotless! After check-in, we had a recorded message welcoming us, and telling us to call the front desk if we needed anything. Later that evening or the next morning, we got a personal call asking if the room was to our specifications, and if there was anything they could do for us! I called and asked for an extra blanket, and they brought it to me within the 1/2 hour. I was absolutely floored. I felt resort's leaders held staff to a higher standard of customer service, and followed up with guests to ensure expectations were being met.

I was truly wowed by the experience and the stay. Fortunately, I received a survey and was able to tell them how pleased I was with our visit. We passed Mousekeeping in the hall most days, and they were always working hard and so friendly. I thanked them for how clean our room was when we arrived. Everyone likes to hear they're doing a good job!

 

[castleri]

When we use the sofa bed we leave it open on our departure day so there is no question it was used. I don't know if it helps in making sure they do a better job of cleaning or not. Maybe they should put a notice in with the linen for the sofa bed that says something to the effect that if you use it as a bed please leave the linen out - do not put it back in the closet and leave the bed open.

 

[TenThousandVolts]

When we use the sofa bed we leave it open on our departure day so there is no question it was used. I don't know if it helps in making sure they do a better job of cleaning or not. Maybe they should put a notice in with the linen for the sofa bed that says something to the effect that if you use it as a bed please leave the linen out - do not put it back in the closet and leave the bed open.

that is a good idea- I will do that next time. We almost always use the sofa bed.

 

[Lisa Anne Colling]

I'm sorry to hear of your experience. We also just returned. Our home the last 2 weeks was building 47. The room was okay, but didn't blow us away for cleanliness. I'm a germ freak so the first thing I do is check for bugs and wipe everything down with antibacterial wipes. Our room had chocolate (at least that's what we hope it was! LOL) smeared throughout. From the heigt of it on the wall, I am guessing the culprit was about 2! We cleaned it up ourselves, but I'm surprised housekeeping missed it. They also missed the stuff that the last guest left. 4 Dvd's and a game boy! We returned them to the front desk. The only other gross thing that happened was a cockroach in the bathroom on our very last night. We just got back from MNSSHP, turned on the light and there he was, a big one. I know they are everywhere in Florida. I lived there and know to take the proper percautions. WE leave no food out, empty the trash right away etc...In all my 30 years of visits to Disney this was only the 2nd one I've seen so I guess that's not a bad track record.
Anyways, we did also notice that the cleanliness wasn't up to the standards
that I expect from Disney. We had a great vacation though and loved the peace and quiet at OKW. We had a great room location and awesome service when we checked in. We would stay again in a heartbeat!

 

[MELSMICE]

When we use the sofa bed we leave it open on our departure day so there is no question it was used. I don't know if it helps in making sure they do a better job of cleaning or not. Maybe they should put a notice in with the linen for the sofa bed that says something to the effect that if you use it as a bed please leave the linen out - do not put it back in the closet and leave the bed open.

We always do the same - leave the bed open on the day of departure.

It's sad that so many things are just ignored or neglected.

 

[diberry]

This is really awful and completely unacceptable! I'm so sorry to hear these bad reports and especially as we are having our first experience of a DVC property next summer.
Here in UK we've been offered some wonderful deals for next summer which makes me feel Disney are trying really hard to entice people to stay so I'm surprised to hear the rooms are all full. Summer of course is a value season and we always find late August relatively quiet. We are looking forward so much to our stay at OKW and I really hope nobody else has an experience as bad as yours Melsmice!

 

[Tinkerbellcrafter]

Ok, I have to reply to this thread. We were in a 2bdrm with friends at OKW this past August in the Turtle Pond Rd area and it was a lock-off. When we arrived the studio portion was the only part done and we waited while the rest of the room was "cleaned" Many times in the past I have found cookies, crumbs, etc in the fold downs. This past August was the worse condition I have seen the rooms. When the door to the studio was shut, the smell of mold became very apparent. The cause of part of this is becuase the refrigerators are turned off, thaw and leak into the carpets. We called housekeeping and told them of the mold smell and they said they would take care of it. We also told them a dehumidifier and/or air cleaner was needed. They could not find one on property and didn't know what they were. They replaced our air conditioning filter and sprayed the carpet with some kind of cleaner. This made things much worse!! By the second night in our room, I was getting very sick ( I am allergic to mold, etc) We asked to be moved and mousekeeping didn't respond to this, at first. Finally I ended up on my cell phone with a mgmt. cast member. They said they understood and would make it better. They sent another person up to "spray" the room again. The carpet was still soaked from the first spraying they had done. I kept telling them they were growing mold and they said they understood?!!!

They asked me what they could do for us...I told them to get a dehumidifier in the room or move us. After 4 more phone calls we were finally moved to another lock off and that was slightly better. (This was the fourth day of our stay)They had bleached the heck out of it...you could still smell it when you went into the room. This one also had a slight mold odor in the studio when opening the door to the main villa from the studio.

I finally started getting better the last day of our stay there. We then transferred to Caribbean Beach and that room was absolutely spotless and no mold odor!

A week after we got home, we received a satisfaction survey for OKW and I detailed all issues and asked in the last comments area if they actually read them and what they did with the information. Both DH and I thought we would hear back from at least DVC and nothing.....Makes me think that they are cutting corners where they can and if you put up with it, that is all the better for them.

As a side note, one of our friends ended up speaking to some maintenance guys in one of the parks and got into a discussion about our situation after we had already moved and these guys said engineering should have been called because if the air conditioning units were working properly, the rooms should be dry and no mold, etc. They also said that there are air cleaners and dehumidifers on site. So, now I know who to call to fix these issues. I was ready to go down to Home Depot and buy one myself and tell them to take it off the room charges. Also, when speaking to the lady that came to "spray" the room again, she did not speak english very well and did not understand what I was saying and that is why we had to make many phone calls to get the issue somewhat resolved.

I am still surprised that we have not heard back from our survey!

 

[Disneypirate85]

When we use the sofa bed we leave it open on our departure day so there is no question it was used. I don't know if it helps in making sure they do a better job of cleaning or not. Maybe they should put a notice in with the linen for the sofa bed that says something to the effect that if you use it as a bed please leave the linen out - do not put it back in the closet and leave the bed open.

We do the same thing even go so far as to remove the linen so as to be sure it is replaced!
However as owners we also take a little pride and clean up after our selves, I know its vacation but seriously its not that hard to spend 5 minutes each day picking up after ourselves.
Its sad that someone would do these types of things in there room.

 

[MiaSRN62]

While I've never had a cleanliness issue at OKW on any of our numerous visits, I do sympathize with what you experienced Melsmice. Very unacceptable. Let us know if you get a response from the DVC satisfaction dept Melsmice.

When I complained in the morning, the manager said they can not do anything for me, I said the least he could do is buy me a cup of coffee. He laughed and did nothing. I wrote a letter to Disney customer service, and honest to god, they sent me a letter back that said, "We are sorry to hear that your stay was not to your standard. We would like to take this opportunity to let you know that the greater Orlando area has numerous resorts to choose from, while you are on your next Disney vacation..."

Wow.....Bocaberger....this is just plain wrong. I'd go even further up the line and wouldn't accept this lame explanation from customer service. I can't believe this is how they are treating situations like this in a time of decreasing tourism due to the economy. Complete disregard on their part, as in the letter you received, will surely come back to haunt them. I'd keep that letter and forward to as many disney execs as you can find contacts for. BTW....welcome to the DIS

Here's some Disney exec's you can forward that ridiculous response from customer service to :
http://allears.net/pl/contact.htm

 

[disneynutz]

Please email your concerns to the DVC Member Satisfaction Team.

dvcmembersatisfactionteam@disneyvacationclub.com

Include your name, member ID, phone number, and your complaint or concern. You will be contacted in a few days. A report of all contacts is distributed to the DVC management.

We can vent here all we want but to make things better we need to have our voices heard by the right people.

 

[NHdismom]

Ok, I have to reply to this thread. We were in a 2bdrm with friends at OKW this past August in the Turtle Pond Rd area and it was a lock-off. When we arrived the studio portion was the only part done and we waited while the rest of the room was "cleaned" Many times in the past I have found cookies, crumbs, etc in the fold downs. This past August was the worse condition I have seen the rooms. When the door to the studio was shut, the smell of mold became very apparent. The cause of part of this is becuase the refrigerators are turned off, thaw and leak into the carpets. We called housekeeping and told them of the mold smell and they said they would take care of it. We also told them a dehumidifier and/or air cleaner was needed. They could not find one on property and didn't know what they were. They replaced our air conditioning filter and sprayed the carpet with some kind of cleaner. This made things much worse!! By the second night in our room, I was getting very sick ( I am allergic to mold, etc) We asked to be moved and mousekeeping didn't respond to this, at first. Finally I ended up on my cell phone with a mgmt. cast member. They said they understood and would make it better. They sent another person up to "spray" the room again. The carpet was still soaked from the first spraying they had done. I kept telling them they were growing mold and they said they understood?!!!

They asked me what they could do for us...I told them to get a dehumidifier in the room or move us. After 4 more phone calls we were finally moved to another lock off and that was slightly better. (This was the fourth day of our stay)They had bleached the heck out of it...you could still smell it when you went into the room. This one also had a slight mold odor in the studio when opening the door to the main villa from the studio.

I finally started getting better the last day of our stay there. We then transferred to Caribbean Beach and that room was absolutely spotless and no mold odor!

A week after we got home, we received a satisfaction survey for OKW and I detailed all issues and asked in the last comments area if they actually read them and what they did with the information. Both DH and I thought we would hear back from at least DVC and nothing.....Makes me think that they are cutting corners where they can and if you put up with it, that is all the better for them.

As a side note, one of our friends ended up speaking to some maintenance guys in one of the parks and got into a discussion about our situation after we had already moved and these guys said engineering should have been called because if the air conditioning units were working properly, the rooms should be dry and no mold, etc. They also said that there are air cleaners and dehumidifers on site. So, now I know who to call to fix these issues. I was ready to go down to Home Depot and buy one myself and tell them to take it off the room charges. Also, when speaking to the lady that came to "spray" the room again, she did not speak english very well and did not understand what I was saying and that is why we had to make many phone calls to get the issue somewhat resolved.

I am still surprised that we have not heard back from our survey!

I stayed at OKW this past May. Don't recall the room number, but it was Old Turtle Pond Road. My room smelled horrible. I too got the woman who came up and sprayed and made it smell worse--a combination of mold and bad air freshener smell. The second day I told them I couldn't take the smell any longer. They changed the air conditioner filter and that seemed to take care of it. What's going on? I don't recall any of these issues in the past.