Just saying. BCV

[disneyfanbcv]

We just got back from our 5th F&W Fest. I guess I just have to rant a little and ask what am I doing wrong. ????? Every year I book out a 2bedrm dedicated BCV at the 11 MONTH window plenty of time to get the room we want right? Every year we request a woods view. Every year we get the Epcot view which in my opion is the Road view with the loud traffic and a left view of the parking lot. WHY is it I never get my request??? I have been a member sence 2003. Don't you think I chould get the request at least once? And then I did the online check in we go there at 1:00 the room was not ready until of course 4pm. AM I JUST being pushy enough to get what I request? Being a member I thought we should be getting a little bit more attention. I quess being the 5th year I WAS Hopeing for More????

 

[jarestel]

The whole request procedure, as currently implemented, is dis-functional at best and simply ignored at worst. And DVC can hide behind the "requests are only requests and not guaranteed" mantra to justify the status quo.

Owners ( members who pay the dues to support the resort ) should always receive top priority when it comes to requests. Obviously, DVC doesn't feel the same way and from a purely cynical viewpoint, there's no reason why they should. After all, they currently get the maintenance $$$ without having to do anything for those who shell it out except give them a booking advantage.

Unless, or until, DVC begins to place a higher emphasis on the value of the members who pay the cost of maintaining the specific resorts, I wouldn't expect anything to change. But they'll be happy to sell you points for the Hawaii DVC!

 

[Deb & Bill]

Uh, that is the woods view. There is no Epcot view. Just pool/water and woods/garden. Plus there are only 25 dedicated two bedroom villas with two queen beds in the second bedroom. Could have been 24 other guests who called in the seven days before you and they got the view you wanted.

AM I JUST being pushy enough to get what I request? Being a member I thought we should be getting a little bit more attention. I quess being the 5th year I WAS Hopeing for More????

Sorry to say it, but this comment makes you sound like the DVC member the CMs checking in the guests don't like very much.

 

[DebbieB]

Alot depends on the rooms that are open the day you check-in. It's not like a cruise where everyone comes and goes on the same day. It's possible the floor/view you requested are already full the day you check-in. I agree with Deb, part of the problem might be the way you are wording your request.

I always request top floor at BWV. Out of at least 10 stays, I have only got it a couple of times. Just got back, got third floor. I had a boardwalk view and there are only a handful of 1 bedrooms, so it's luck of the draw.

 

[LIFERBABE]

I have to agree with Deb&Bill, that is the woodsview! I dont request it because I dont like being close to the road. I always request pool view at BCV.

BCV is also the resort that you are most likely to wait until after 3pm to get your room, imo. Very rare occassions has our BCV villa been ready before 3pm. BCV runs at capacity all year long and rarely are villas empty overnight. They are also slow to text you and maybe they just wait until late to send out all the texts at one time.

All that said, the location is great, and SAB cant be beat if you love themed pools so we take the good with the bad. I find I spend less time in my villa at BCV than other DVCs because I dont enjoy the view from balcony as much.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Some of the woods view villas are close to the road. I've been near the road twice. Once was in a studio and the other time was on a cash reservation 2 bedroom, ALL the way at the end of the hall and the closest to the parking lot/road, right in the corner. Other times, including early this month we've had a woods view that was not close to the road. I don't make view requests at BCV, and I do check in on line. Early this month I got a HA studio, but the room was ready when we checked in around noon.

I doubt that the room assigners know how long you've been a member, how many points you have or anything that makes them partial to giving you what you request. Don't take it personally. If you wanted to change, I suppose you could have asked and paid the moving fee if that was required.

Bobbi

 

[Dean]

We just got back from our 5th F&W Fest. I guess I just have to rant a little and ask what am I doing wrong. ????? Every year I book out a 2bedrm dedicated BCV at the 11 MONTH window plenty of time to get the room we want right? Every year we request a woods view. Every year we get the Epcot view which in my opion is the Road view with the loud traffic and a left view of the parking lot. WHY is it I never get my request??? I have been a member sence 2003. Don't you think I chould get the request at least once? And then I did the online check in we go there at 1:00 the room was not ready until of course 4pm. AM I JUST being pushy enough to get what I request? Being a member I thought we should be getting a little bit more attention. I quess being the 5th year I WAS Hopeing for More????

A few points to your post.

• It sounds like from DVC's standpoint you are getting what you request. Maybe someone can give you a better wording for a request that will improve your chances of not getting near the road and still get a woods view.
• It does sound like your expectations are a little higher than they should be. About the most you can expect is to be treated the same as other guests at the resort.
• How long you've owned, how many trips, your home resort, etc have no bearing on your requests. DVC puts almost no effort into requests. I think they should, but they don't. All other timeshare systems I'm aware of either book you to a room directly or give owners a leg up while putting a real effort into satisfying requests. Some may not like who or how the requests are handled but they're usually fairly consistent.
• Online check in doesn't improve your chances of getting in early, if anything, it decreases it because you're linked to a given room that might or might not be ready when you arrive.

For examples, all Marriott's order preferences by a certain order with minimal variation for minor details. The order is something like this in order of highest to lowest priority.

1. Multiple unit owners at that resort staying in multiple units or multiple weeks.
2. Singled unit owners at that resort.
3. Multiple unit Marriott exchangers.
4. Single unit Marriott exchangers.
5. Cash Guests
6. Multiple unit non Marriott exchangers.
7. Single unit non Marriott exchangers.

Some also look a little further at owners who are staying by other means. One I own actually looks at what you got last year and tries to compensate this time if it wasn't quite up to par and vice versa.

My motto with timeshares is to expect the worst and hope for the best. Along those lines it pays to be well acquainted with the resort in question. For example, I had an exchange to HI for a larger 1 BR and they tried to put me in a smaller one. This is a known approach for this resort giving the better rooms to those they hope will buy. Had I not known, I would have been short changed.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Oh, Oh-I thought the woods view was the villas that face the Eifel Tower in France. I don't like facing the road either. That's what we got last time when we requested "quiet area". Yeah, quiet inside, not so much outside. Darn-I really like facing France.
To the OP, yes, I really understand your frustration. It probably seems like for some reason, there's a note next to your name-"Do NOT give them their room requests". And I don't know if this is even possible, or popular, but I agree-it's too bad that owners at a particular resort, at least if they booked 11 months out, couldn't get some little bit of priority.
Hey-how about we request "Woods view-facing France"? No road, then?

 

[Deb & Bill]

...Hey-how about we request "Woods view-facing France"? No road, then?

No such view. All they can give is Woods view. But you could ask.

The biggest problem is that BCV is not known for its views. It was built on the CM parking lot behind the BC, so there wasn't much of a view to begin with. The best reason to book BCV is for easy access to Epcot (or to use SAB if you like that place).

 

[disneyfanbcv]

I get it. Yes but I do have a map that says Epcot view not so much now adays because trees do grow. (not sure if anyone wants to correct me on that,lolol)

Deb & Bill:
Sorry to say it, but this comment makes you sound like the DVC member the CMs checking in the guests don't like very much.[/QUOTE]

A little insulted that you would even put me into a catergory that "I" do not belong to, "those people" NOT ONCE did I complain out of the past 5yrs, I figured it was my fault for not explaining more to the front desk ,what I thought was what I wanted. Maybe?????? I should. lololol! MAYBE than !!! lolol honestly I appreciate all cast members and I am also in the field of customer service so therefore bend over (maybe to much) to smile and hold the door for them instead. I know they have hard days more than I am on a vacation day. So why not spread my happy times off to them to help their day. Deb & Bill please do not judge. Thank you. I have always liked your post and actually shocked. Better luck to me next year. lol

 

[disneyfanbcv]

By the way does anyone know how I can take off my ticker I just used. All I need now is my ticker for my next trip in FEB. THANK YOU!

 

[TisBit]

I agree with others that it sounds like you got what you asked for, just maybe you don't realize what you are asking for. As for members getting preference, here is the problem with that, most guests ARE members, therefore they can't give everyone what they want all the time. As for when you book, I don't think that factors into the equation at all and I bet the room assigner doesn't even see that information (probably just receives a big list of names sorted by room type (and probably alphabetically which would sink me every time).

It would be nice to have a list of available rooms to choose from for your dates, but that would require a lot more IT support than what Disney has on ANY of their systems.

 

[Dean]

I agree with others that it sounds like you got what you asked for, just maybe you don't realize what you are asking for. As for members getting preference, here is the problem with that, most guests ARE members, therefore they can't give everyone what they want all the time. As for when you book, I don't think that factors into the equation at all and I bet the room assigner doesn't even see that information (probably just receives a big list of names sorted by room type (and probably alphabetically which would sink me every time).

It would be nice to have a list of available rooms to choose from for your dates, but that would require a lot more IT support than what Disney has on ANY of their systems.

I don't think booking rooms directly would require a major amount of IT but it would be some mostly because it's a change, not because it's harder. All they really need to do is make it part of the online booking when that comes about. That doesn't mean they'll tell you the room number or guarantee it though. Many systems do this already plus that saves costs/work on the back end because you have almost no room assignment issues other than when a room goes out. If someone wants to stay, you simply give them the option of moving if that room is booked going forward.

Assigning priorities and putting effort into room assignments requires some cost and work but not that much and it saves time and work in other areas. The easiest and likely best way is what they had before, based on when the reservation was made. The other option would be to do it based on date of reservation AND ownership (owners at that resort first, etc). The problem they had before is that they were allowing unreasonable requests like specific rooms, etc and they were not being consistent leading to confrontations at the front desk and complaints in general. It was simply unworkable and they took the easy way out, simply gave up. All they have to do is formulate and publish a policy as to what are acceptable requests. Given most options are a booking category, it really doesn't leave a lot of room otherwise anyway. Things like dedicated vs not where applicable, floor, general location (near elevator, turtle pond, Grandstand, etc) and that's about it. They simply refuse to take requests that don't fit into this framework and say so. "I'm sorry, but this is not a request we can accept, here's what I can list for you based on what you've told me" becomes a very appropriate and professional response to a too specific or unreasonable request.

 

[CarolMN]

....(snip)..... The problem they had before is that they were allowing unreasonable requests like specific rooms, etc and they were not being consistent leading to confrontations at the front desk and complaints in general. ...(snip).......

That may be true, but as I recall, they also had a problem with people requesting to get into their room early, grumbling when it wasn't possible, and then hanging around the lobby until it was. (Very true at BWV).

So for most resorts, most of the time, they decided to move to a "room ready" assignment method. Less work and less need for room assigners and less guests hanging around the lobbies. Now they will routinely pre-assign medicals, groups (Grand Gatherings) and maybe a few others as needed.

I wish they would go back to a system where the first to reserve were given more consideration for room requests, but I doubt very much whether they ever will. It would be a nice, not too costly perk for home resort owners who book at 11 months, though. (Maybe they will offer this to those who buy direct from Disney and not those who buy resale - kind of joking here, LOL).

It does seem to me that BWV still pre-assigns most rooms and that online check in hasn't made any difference for us at BWV in getting requests. We're about 50/50, but as crisi says, there's always something to love about your room and location at the BWV.

But I agree that entitled members and front desk confrontations are the real reason behind the change to room ready.

 

[Simba's Mom]

No such view. All they can give is Woods view. But you could ask.

I don't know what you mean. Isn't that what this was? Or if not, what was it?

 

[Scraper]

We stay at the BCV more then the other resorts. I do not make requist untill we get there. We tell them what we would like to not look at and that we prefer to overlook the villa pool. They do the best thay can for us and I tell them I don't mind waiting for the room. Unless we are staying just one night then we don't care.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I don't know what you mean. Isn't that what this was? Or if not, what was it?

When you request a view, they don't have anything noted as woods view with Epcot in the background. What you can request is very limited at BCV.

Otherwise, people would be requesting left handed room, two floors up, sunrise view, no trees over ten feet tall, etc.

They only offer pool/water, woods/garden. That's it.

What you got was woods view. And you were lucky enough to get Epcot in the background. There are lots of woods view at BCV.

 

[castleri]

I don't know what you mean. Isn't that what this was? Or if not, what was it?

I think the PP meant that the CMs do not have a place on their screen that says Woods View facing France. I think they only have woods view, pool view to select from. In the early days they did have EPCOT view but changed it when so many people felt they did not get an EPCOT view.

The first time we stayed at BCV we got a top floor room that was facing EPCOT behind the British pavillion. It could get noisy on the balcony when they were rehersing or performing over there but we enjoyed it. Never noticed any road noise. Also had a room overlooking the canal on that side of the building and enjoyed watching the fish and turtles from the balcony.

In both cases the noise we had came from EPCOT not the road. We did not notice it in the room just when on the balcony.

Hope the OP can get a room next time that meets their wishes.

 

[UConnJack]

I rarely make room requests anymore, as through experience (and reading on DIS) I have very little faith they are actually really considered. Instead, I try to get to the resort for check-in as early as possible, see what they have assigned for me, then if I don't like it, ask them very politely what else might be available and give them some preferences. Usually they will come up with a few options, and I will choose one. Or sometimes I will take a room that is not in the best location or with the best view because it is available ASAP. I never get upset, and never act entitled, and the CMs almost always do what they can to find a good room. I haven't always gotten exactly what I wanted of course, but I have ended up with some very good rooms on several occasions.

I know this probably angers some people, as the CM may have decided to put us into a room that could have gone to someone who put in a specific request for it. But as a previous poster said, their request system is broken (or never worked in the first place), and if this is the only way to get a room preference, I see no problem with it. So long as you don't act like an entitled jerk and throw a temper tantrum if you don't get exactly what you want.

 

[eva]

I rarely make room requests anymore, as through experience (and reading on DIS) I have very little faith they are actually really considered. Instead, I try to get to the resort for check-in as early as possible, see what they have assigned for me, then if I don't like it, ask them very politely what else might be available and give them some preferences. Usually they will come up with a few options, and I will choose one. Or sometimes I will take a room that is not in the best location or with the best view because it is available ASAP. I never get upset, and never act entitled, and the CMs almost always do what they can to find a good room. I haven't always gotten exactly what I wanted of course, but I have ended up with some very good rooms on several occasions.

I know this probably angers some people, as the CM may have decided to put us into a room that could have gone to someone who put in a specific request for it. But as a previous poster said, their request system is broken (or never worked in the first place), and if this is the only way to get a room preference, I see no problem with it. So long as you don't act like an entitled jerk and throw a temper tantrum if you don't get exactly what you want.

Wow! You must have read my mind. This is exactly what we do. To be honest, when I put no request down we normally get a great room without doing anything at all. But if they show me one that we aren't too keen on, I normally ask what is currently open. It does make getting there early a huge benefit. We even shortened our next stay by a day because we couldn't get an early enough flight for the day before. We debated delaying the trip day or staying in a studio for one night and moving the next day. I hate moving, so going a day later won.