Less-than-great check-in VWL

[sueg]

We just returned from a week at WDW. About 2 mos. before the trip, we needed to make an adjustment, loping off four nights at OKW at the end of the trip & adding 2 nights in front. We could not make the change & stay at OKW, but I was happy that we were able to get a studio at VWL. It was the only DVC resort we had not stayed in & we love eating at Artist Pointe. But our experience at VWL check-in was a bad start for an otherwise great vacation. We arrived late, about 11:20 PM. Front desk was almost empty. CM does not give us a welcome home--oh well, its late. Then she tells me that I don't have 2 nights as one reservation, but rather I have two one-night stays, linked. I show her my letter. She ignores it & insists that we have to check in again, before 11 AM, the following morning. (That's less than 12 hours away!) I ask if she can try to do something to correct this problem, but she insists that we must re-check-in. It's almost midnight, DSs are dozing in the lobby & I've lost all fight. I agree to re-check-in. She then painfully goes over each item she is putting them in our Welcome Packet. I lose it when she starts to ask if we want charging ability for our DS(16), snapping out something like I don't think he'll be charging between midnight & 11 AM the next morning-just do whatever is fastest. When she finally prints our ressies for signature, she starts to stare at it & announces that it has printed for 2 nights, not one. Now she decided that she'll go in the back to "fix it". When she returns, she tells us that we won't have to re-check-in. Check-in took well over a half an hour, no real apology for the process & our parking pass was printed incorrectly, loping off the last day. We also did not get express check-out, but she would probably say that after I snapped at the charging question for DS, she was just doing thing "the fastest way". Since she eventually "fixed" the problem, I wonder why she couldn't fix the problem right from the start. I also don't know if the problem was from the CM who made the ressie or with the CM at the check-in. We left VWL with a bad first impression of an otherwise beautiful resort.

 

[Doug Wolfe]

You are the second person this weekend to complain about a studio check-in a VWL...and the second to say there was not even a "Welcome Home."

Please report this to DVC. This is apparently something that needs to be addressed. It sounds like they have somewhat of a personnel problem at that resort.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

I don't see a huge issue here.
I had the exact same thing happen to me, and WL management told me MS has to change the ressie in the computer (note: they were not rude when they explained this to me).

I am sorry you had a bad experience, and the Cast Member likely should have apologized and admitted her error. That would certainly go a long way with me.

Look on the bright side... at least is was only you that 'lost it'.

MG

 

[MinnieFan4ever]

the front desk staff at VWL really needs some "Magic" training. We stayed there last March and found the front desk staff HORRIBLE!!! We had 3 rooms and it took us 4 trips to the front desk to get the keys done right. One couple had to get a new room key every night for some reason. Not very fun after a late night.

 

[jaysue]

I sense enough WL rumblings to think there is something gone sour there at least wrt to the villas

thanks
jaysue

 

[Pa@okw95]

Is the check in at WLV the same as the check in at the main WL building if it is I would not be so certain of a welcome home? If someone said welcome home to a normal guest, non-DVC, they might think the person has a little too much to drink or was on drugs. So if you have a shared check-in I would not expect it. There seems to be some problem with those resorts that have shared personel with the DVC and the main original resort. I think DVC may be looked down on as the "poor cousin". I have to tell you that this should not happen but given the way this whole DVC has been sold lately, as a savings, one could think that a lot of guests are just poor cousins so to speak. Should not happen but it will if that is the case.

 

[rocketriter]

We stayed twice at the (non-DVC) WL. Both times check-in was needlessly long and complicated, with much more explaining and negotiating than should have been necessary. The staff was never rude to us (on the contrary, they were very kind), but the process was very annoying.

 

[Pig Pen]

Originally posted by Pa@okw95
Is the check in at WLV the same as the check in at the main WL building if it is I would not be so certain of a welcome home? If someone said welcome home to a normal guest, non-DVC, they might think the person has a little too much to drink or was on drugs. So if you have a shared check-in I would not expect it. There seems to be some problem with those resorts that have shared personel with the DVC and the main original resort. I think DVC may be looked down on as the "poor cousin". I have to tell you that this should not happen but given the way this whole DVC has been sold lately, as a savings, one could think that a lot of guests are just poor cousins so to speak. Should not happen but it will if that is the case.

...but you said it soooo much better.

 

[OneMoreTry]

Oops. See post below.

 

[OneMoreTry]

Originally posted by OneMoreTry
THis is the second thread on terrible service at WLV.

I'm not always the most tactful in these situations, but I think I would have stood my ground and told her I had time to wait for the manager on duty. My wife would have settled down in a chair with the kids knowing my stubborness in these situations. She's just happy if I keep my cool no matter how long it takes.

We've had several linked reservations and never needed to re-check in.

 

[LIFERBABE]

How hard is it to say welcome home after you have checked a guest into the Villas?

Hearing those words definitely won't make or break my trip, but there really is no excuse for the CM's not to say it after having privy to your ressie info.

 

[Tagrel]

3 VWL and 1 WL checkin in the last 3 years, and no problems here. The whole process DOES seem long sometimes though... You'd think by now it would be fairly streamlined, but I guess the special cases (like a linked reservation) must throw off some of the CMs.

I'd have also told her to get the Manager. I'm stubborn that way. Sorry your checkin was so unpleasant. We had a bad checkin at AKL once, and its soured us on that resort ever since. Its amazing how much something like that can color your first impression of a resort.

Glad to hear the rest of your vacation was great! Better checkin luck next time!

 

[Laura1994]

We stayed at VWL last March too. This one amazed me... Dh is checking us in, gets the map and such (our first stay there so we needed it.) The CM writes the room # on it and off we go. Let me first say that I ask if she knows if our request for a water view is being met. She says she has no idea which rooms are which and the water views are given on a first come first serve basis. OK so off we go...

We head over to the villas where we have a little trouble with the 5 digit room # she's given us Luckily there was someone at the dvc desk that "assumed" she added a # and pointed us in the direction they thought we should head. We went up assuming if our key worked we'd be all set

It kind of amazed us that the CM could be that clueless

 

[jaysue]

I have had a chance to conference with DW on our Mar03 trip to WL - it was our first trip to WDW - here is the checklist:

Greeting by bellhop/valet stuff at parking area - A++

Bellhop - A++

Checkin Line - C+ - waited about 20 minutes

Checkin CM - B- - reasonable, a little rushed with us as first timers but ok

Boat Transport CM - A- competent, reasonably personable

Here is the kicker - DW reminded me that a couple of times I was going to personally ask some questions related to the resort, services etc. and each time the customer service line was at least 4 people deep so I would often just snag a valet or bellhop person and ask them

Not making a mountain out of a molehill but DW says in retrospect, there was something about the WL CM checkin/customer service team even in Mar03 that was less than stellar

thanks
jaysue

 

[jade1]

WL check in (for VWL) is by far our most favorite in DVC. It always has been delightful and one thing we look forward to on the trip. Usually only takes a few minutes when I wish it would take longer to enjoy the atmosphere. The other resorts check in areas are like a wide area in a hall compared to the majesty of WL lobby. Welcome homes are random at any DVC we have checked into and a total non factor.

 

[sueg]

Thanks for all of your responses. I had one more thought. I still don't know if the mysterious and erroneous "linking" of our ressie was a mistake made by the original CM or the check-in CM. I tend to believe it was the original CM & the check-in CM just didn't know how to handle it. I have been randomly selected for FOUR customer satisfaction survey in the past 6 mos. All of my experiences seemed very good, at the time of the survey & I rated the CMs accordingly. But I have come to questions two of those ratings. If this ressie was linked by the initial CM, my favorable rating of her was wrong.
When I called to make a PS for the Blue Zoo, a new restaurant at the Dolphin, the CM "couldn't find" the restaurant. She gave me a phone number to call to make the PS. I believed that because this was a new Dolphin restaurant, the ressie couldn't be made thru Disney Dining & so I rated her well on the survey. I later found out, on the Restaurant Bd., that she should have been able to make the PS. The restaurant is known as Todd English's Blue Zoo & is under "T" not "B". Another DISer had a similar problem, but her CM persisted & scolled down all the restaurants to find Blue Zoo. Mine just gave up & didn't deserve the good rating that I gave her. My point is that I question the value of those phone surveys for catching some of the problems that only develop sometime after the phone call is made.

 

[Sammie]

Originally posted by jade1
WL check in (for VWL) is by far our most favorite in DVC. It always has been delightful and one thing we look forward to on the trip. Usually only takes a few minutes when I wish it would take longer to enjoy the atmosphere. The other resorts check in areas are like a wide area in a hall compared to the majesty of WL lobby. Welcome homes are random at any DVC we have checked into and a total non factor.

Sometimes the "Magic" we receive, is a reflection of what we give.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Originally posted by Sammie
Sometimes the "Magic" we receive, is a reflection of what we give.

Well said.

MG

 

[Sammie]

Originally posted by Pa@okw95
Is the check in at WLV the same as the check in at the main WL building if it is I would not be so certain of a welcome home? If someone said welcome home to a normal guest, non-DVC, they might think the person has a little too much to drink or was on drugs. So if you have a shared check-in I would not expect it. There seems to be some problem with those resorts that have shared personel with the DVC and the main original resort. I think DVC may be looked down on as the "poor cousin". I have to tell you that this should not happen but given the way this whole DVC has been sold lately, as a savings, one could think that a lot of guests are just poor cousins so to speak. Should not happen but it will if that is the case.

Personally I think it was a mistake to mix nonDVC with DVC at exisiting resorts. I think if a resort opened with the mix to begin with it would be different as was the BW. I think DVC members have different expectations than nonDVC and I think at times that makes it hard on the staff, especially new staff, to juggle between the DVC and the nonDVC at the same front desk. I think to add DVC to an exisiting resort creates new and different headaches for the staff that some are not equipped to handle. I blame DVC for this and not the resort. I think it also over taxes the staff, including bellhops, and housekeeping and front desk and overloads the existing facilities such as pools. This is definitely a problem at WL.

I think this is an area the new VP of DVC needs to address.

 

[kingj]

Originally posted by Sammie
Sometimes the "Magic" we receive, is a reflection of what we give.

I also agree. Well said.