Leverage: anyone considering SSR purchase:

[crisi]

But I will have to wait for my room if I have no requests - as people with requests will have had the "ready" rooms assigned to them. This is the way it used to work and people waited all the time - regardless of how picky they were. If I don't care and an non-HA non-smoking room is clean, but there are no "I don't care" rooms clean, the non-HA non-smoking has been preassigned and we will wait until the next "we don't care" room becomes available. Maybe that one is "high floor, near elevator." Well, that's been preassigned too. By not choosing you make a choice.

And honestly, while staying in a HA room doesn't ruin my vacation, I'd rather not have one. So if it becomes a guarentee category, along with non-smoking, I'm booking both. Since most of the DVC rooms are non-smoking non-HA, my chances of early check in remain good, in fact better than if I get assigned the one smoking HA room in the building by default because I don't care.

(And yep, jarestel, you are right, DVC does appear to pre-assign rooms at some resorts at some times, while doing "room ready" at some resorts at some times. It would be interesting to know if the HA/NS problem were indeed more of an issue under room ready - ancedotally from these boards, it seems to be. And logically that makes sense. Good luck in your contract fight with Disney's attorneys. I once had to "work with" Disney's legal department. They have really good lawyers that probably know exactly what passes legal muster for "substantially similar.").

 

[Chuck S]

The same amount of members overall are going to be calling no matter at what point that call is made. dvc would have to decide how to man their work force I have no idea how it would pan out exactly over the year.

True the same number of MEMBERS would be calling, but those members would be calling more often.

For instance, if I could only be "guaranteed" a non-smoking, non-HA room by calling exactly at the 11-month window at my home resort, and I want to book 1 week, I would be making 6 calls instead of one...thus increasing call volume.

For instance, if I wanted guaranteed no-smoking non-HA room for December 1 to December 8, I would call and book December 1st on January 2 (assuming Jan 2 is a Monday), book December 2 on Jan 3, and so on Booking Dec 5 on Jan 6 (Friday). Then booking the nights of December 6 & 7 on Jan 9th since MS is closed weekends. Otherwise, under your proposal, I could be "bumped" if I waited and booked the entire stay on Jan 9.

MS would be handling 6 times the calls for a single week reservation, but still only one member.

 

[lenshanem]

Thanks Maria for your post.

Mike, that was actually pretty darn funny. Let's see... which DIS DVCer am I?

 

[kathleena]

Folks - this is only meant to be a funny post. I do not mean to make light of anyone's plight or needs. Please do not take offense. I am not targeting anybody. I am merely trying to point out how I observe "issues" to evolve here and at the same time try to lighten the mood.



Thank you!!!!

 

[NMW]

Mike, I agree with Shan. Very funny post.

 

[Divamomto3]

Should I respond with a personal attack, such as you?? No, I won't go to your level...

I was simply trying to understand, which I think is a good approach...

I'm just wondering why the medical stale smoke people have all migrated to the DIS... I have never met them anywhere else.

It's not a personal attack. You stated you were not a doctor. I stated that I could tell. No good doctor would ever tell anyone with asthma to stay in a room that people have smoked in for days and days and days. You have personally attacked myself and others who are insisting that their child or themselves is truly physically sickened by lingering cigarette smoke or by the smell of cigarette smoke or by the irritants being embedded in carpets and draperies. And I don't know where you live or where you hang out, but I could literally go WEEKS and never be exposed to cigarette smoke or second hand smoke. You can't smoke in any store where I live, any restaurant, any bar, any bus, any subway, any Church, any school, any hospital, any bank, any Post Office, any gym...get my point? I don't go anywhere where my son or myself would have to be inundated with cigarette smoke. And I don't have to hide out in my house. No one should have to bury their face in a pillow in a "home away from home" and breathe in carcinogens. In my 37 years on Earth, I have never had to sleep in a "smoking optional" room and I've never had to even "insist" on a nonsmoking room. I guess I've been lucky, but it's always been granted to me as a request.

I have no qualms about how Disney does their room assignments. I almost always arrive much earlier than check in time. The 2 times I've arrived late: 8 pm at SSR and 10 pm at the WL...I have still received a guaranteed nonsmoking room for medical reasons.

I truly believe this board fosters hysteria. I also have never had a rude CM or a dirty room (although there were cobwebs growing on the balcony of my WL room last week...I thought it added to the ambience! LOL)

 

[Chuck S]

By the way, Chuck when I signed my "contract", there was a provision in the product understanding checklist that does state that "special preferences are noted, but not guaranteed". It's an umbrella statement written in the broadest possible terms.

Hmmm, it sure sounds like requests are not guaranteed, then doesn't it?

Since the byproducts of cigarettes contain known carcinogens, your insistance that parents subject their children to this known danger is puzzling. Maybe you don't like kids?So I took your advice and read the contract, but it didn't clear anything up for me.

Again, folks are putting words into my mouth. Please, again, show me WHERE I said that parents MUST subject their child to smoke? I have been saying, just as your product checklist states, that requests are noted but NOT guaranteed. I have not misquoted anyone, or assumed that they don't like children, or that their childrens health is not important. Nor have I flamed anyone on these threads...but I have been repeatedly subjected to it, including being blamed for someone elses post.

 

[kathleena]

Just want to add that I have a ressie with CSR for August. I requested Non-Smoking for Medical reasons and I received a confirmation that says that the request is guaranteed. I was also told at the time of the ressie that the NS was guaranteed.

I don't quite understand why DVC can't do the same.

Maria - thanks for your post. I didn't know that about children, but it does make sense.

 

[tjkraz]

I know what the system says, but this is not about what it is, its about what it can become

Well, you keep asking for "factual info." Those are the only facts in this entire discussion...

I understand where you are coming from, you are referring to guarenteed requests throughout. However I am merely looking at the possibility of making it available at the 11 month window. This would give those who desparately need it the option instead of it being a total crap shoot.

It would also give a bit more importance to certain individuals regarding their home resort. You cant have the flexibility of changing resorts and be picky about your room requests, but you can stay at "home" and be picky

Personally, I think that's even more of an uphill battle than across-the-board requests. A big part of Disney's sales approach is the "it doesn't matter where you own" concept. "Yes, even if your points are at XXX, you can always book the other resorts at 7 months."

While one or two people have piped-up here to say that they don't like the current system and won't buy / have considered selling because of it, I daresay that pales in comparison to the number of sales they would lose from people fearful of ALWAYS getting undesirable rooms at non-Home resorts. And DVC/DVD aren't going to mess with anything that will hit them in the bank.

I happen to think that DVC would take the Home resort advantage down to a single month (which they already have a right to do under the POS) if they thought they could get away with it without a member revolt. But that's a topic for another discussion.

 

[NMW]

I apologize for hurting your feelings, that was not my intent. But I do stand by my statement that people will get a doctors note, simply to circumvent the system. I have seen it done numerous times.

It's not what I want or decide, I don't have a dog in the hunt, as it were. I'm just poijting out what I see as flaws in the system.

Perhaps I should not take the things said on this board personally. I realize the system may be flawed however, short of performing lie detector tests on those checking in with doctor's notes, how would you tell who is lying? It just saddens me to think that if you saw our family at check in with a doctors note for nonsmoking you might think we are lying. Based on what??

Anyway, I have decided not to get into this kind of arguement anymore. DH saw me earlier and asked me what was wrong. I started telling him all about this thread-people thinking that other people have no right to NOT want a HA room, and people thinking the smell of smoke is not a valid trigger for an asthmatic child, and some thinking people with doctor's notes are lying etc. Well guess what? He now thinks I'm completely nuts for getting upset about posts from someone who doesn't know me or our children. He has very kindly suggested I stick to "strictly informational" websites on Disney. I'm staying here, but I will try very hard to not take what some posters say to heart!

 

[ColoradoBelle1]

Hi I am Colorado Belle's daughter...and because my mom said that she had posted late last night that she had said what she had to say already, she is now FORCING me to write this. PICKY PICKY mom!
She wanted to tell MIke that she thought his post was hilarious!!!
She wanted to ask Mike if he might not write another ...based on the thought that instead of having smoking/nonsmoking guarantees that Disney offer PICKY/non-Picky buildings. Mom wants the PICKY building .
She says that the people who aren't Picky deserve to have MORE than an equal share of pixie dust. So, if there were different buildings for non-Picky people and Picky people and if some of the facts that were cited here are true...that it is likely that non_Picky buildings would have lower maintenance fees/dues....(so more pixie dust for non=-Picky people.) Mom says she is willing to pay more dues for being picky about ROOMS. There is a distinct possibility that the maids will want to all work in the non-Picky buildings cause it will be easier and they won't have to work so hard and hopefully non-Picky people tip the same. But mom is willing to accept that risk so that she can be picky about rooms.

She wanted me to tell the Pluto dude that he did say that he wasn't a doctor and that the poster who agreed with him was just trying to be agreeable...and yet Pluto felt flamed by her agreeing with him. Mom wonders Iif the same person had disagreed and said NO NO PLUTO YOU ARE A DOCTOR AND YOU ARE LYING ABOUT IT...she wonders if that would have make Pluto feel better?

Well I am tired of typing now so I am going to quit. BYE.
daughter of Colorado Belle.

 

[wide awake]

Unbelievable !!! Picking on families with asthmatic children and autism...and all it really comes down to is that if there was a medical guarantee in place then those of you with healthy families might have to take a HA or non-smoking room. Lots of empathy there for those of us that NEED those rooms and are willing to buy where we want to stay and make reservations at the 11 month window. As for dues going up...I think they'd go up a whole lot if a parent requested a non-smoking or non HA room, was given one or the other, and some type of incident took place. Yes, it is in the contract that rooms aren't guaranteed, but can you imagine the PR that would result if there was a problem ?

 

[sjdisneywedding]

oh well hopeully there will come a time at dvc when its just simple procedure to guarentee a non smoking room. I may not have the answer as to how to do it, but i darn well know that if i can pay the best western or hampton inn 75 bucks to guarentee a non smoking room, then I sure as heck should be able to guarentee one at Disney dvc.

maybe some day this will just be something that really had no explanation that we can try to explain to the young ones.

really, you had to stay in smoking rooms?
yep, sometimes...
did you smoke?
no never did..
but arent those rooms for smokers?
yes, yes they are
did you ask for those rooms?
no not ever, actually we asked not to have them
but that doesnt make sense
nope it sure didnt make sense

 

[sjdisneywedding]

W
Personally, I think that's even more of an uphill battle than across-the-board requests. A big part of Disney's sales approach is the "it doesn't matter where you own" concept. "Yes, even if your points are at XXX, you can always book the other resorts at 7 months."
.

forgive me but again i disagree. Everyone will still have the exact same flexibility they do now. nothing would change at all in that regard. No requests are guarenteed now and none will be guarenteed under that system UNLESS you book at 11 months.

you can still stay elsewhere and you can still have requests, they just wouldnt be guarenteed.

 

[Disneymooners93]

Folks - this is only meant to be a funny post. I do not mean to make light of anyone's plight or needs. Please do not take offense. I am not targeting anybody. I am merely trying to point out how I observe "issues" to evolve here and at the same time try to lighten the mood.

Wow, I really thought that was going to do the trick. Looks like some are really entrenched and focused on the mission, not to be swayed by a dose of reality. Nice work, Mike. You nailed it.

Give it up guys, you're giving me a headache. (Yes, I know I don't have to read it, but how can I not). Do you really think housekeeping is watching Days of Our Lives when this is going on? There are internet hookups in the rooms, right?

Now I am done with this thread, no really this time I mean it. Oh, please don't post anymore, I can't shut it off by myself. I'm addicted.

The prior line is in no way meant to insult those who have a true addiction either real or imaginary, and is not an endorsed statement by Disney and/or the owners/leaseholders of any company related to this site and DVC.

 

[JimMIA]

At the risk of being branded a heretic, I have to say that these posts on this website are really useless except for the venting opportunities they offer. There is another option that may work, and will certainly work better than this...writing letters.

I grew up in a large organization which dealt a great deal with the public, and I can tell you that large organizations are sensitive to complaints. They want to stop them because a complaint is a negative reflection on the organization.

The other factor at work in this matter is that everyone has a boss, and they react much more quickly to stimuli from above than from below. We, as customers, are below...and don't ever forget that. That is not to say that Disney doesn't value their customers; they value their customers probably more than any corporation in the U.S. But the customer complaint has a lot more value on its descent down the corporate ladder than it does just going to the person in charge of that particular corner of the vast empire.

There is a right way and a wrong way to address large organizations. They get a LOT of complaints, and they have developed very sensitive antennae for determining which ones require response and which don't. Most complaints are not legitimate, should be ignored, and usually are. Oh, you'll get a nice "Thank you for your feedback" letter, but that's just a blow-off.

The complaints that eventually get responded to have a number of common characteristics.

First, there are a number of them - not just one or two. Real problems have a way of popping up over and over again.

Second, they involve actual occurances, not fears of future potential problems.

Third, the complainant is reasonable. Flamers often complain, but even their legitimate complaints are ignored.

Fourth, it helps if the complaining party is not seeking restitution.

Fifth, the complainant's overall attitude matters. "I was disappointed," or "You let me down" works a lot better than "I'll sue." When a manager hears, "I'll sue," they know instantly there is nothing they can do to please that customer. The disappointed customer is a customer who is asking to remain your customer.

With that in mind, I have the following suggestion. Anyone who has experienced an actual problem with any of these issues should write a letter to Eisner, or whoever you choose at the top of the Disney organization in Burbank.

Cite the times, dates, and other specifics of your issue. You probably won't remember the CM's name you spoke to, and that doesn't matter. In fact, it's probably better if you don't know -- you're not trying to ax a grumpy CM, they'll take care of that themselves. You're trying to improve a system, so naming names is really irrelevent.

Tell them how the issue affected you personally. Explain the health issues of your loved one, the inconvenience -- whatever the issue was. Don't hyper-ventilate, just tell them what happened and the effect on you.

Tell them you were disappointed. With this particular organization, tell them the magic of past visits and what you were expecting this time. They're in the magic business, and they understand that better than we do. You had confidence in them, you looked forward to this vacation, and they let you down. If you know (for a fact, not heresay) of others who have been similarly adversely affected, mention that.

And then tell them that you aren't looking for anything - you just thought they ought to know the organization had fallen short of your expectations.

Be prepared for the typical "Thank you for your feedback" blow-off. The first complaint, even if legitimate, doesn't usually get action. But if they keep hearing the same complaint over and over, from reasonable people, about the same issue, they will eventually ask someone below them to look into it.

The inquiry from the top of the organization creates a double-edged sword for the operational manager. On the one hand, a bunch of unresolved complaints could cost them their job. On the other, this also offers them an opportunity to shine by developing a brilliant solution for the problem.

If you want to vent here, go ahead. You'll find plenty of people willing to make a fight out of it. But if you want to be constructive and start the process of progressive change, write a nice letter -- not to start a rebellion, but to improve the system for everybody.

 

[Deb & Bill]

no you wouldnt be out of luck at check in, your guarentee at 11 months bumps someone else "request" of non ha who didnt book at 11 months, therefore that person is out of luck

no problem at all

Ooops, they checked in just before you did. Looks like you are out of luck. They will not be moving them out of the room they have already checked into.

You are getting a bit ridiculous here.

 

[sjdisneywedding]

Ooops, they checked in just before you did. Looks like you are out of luck. They will not be moving them out of the room they have already checked into.

You are getting a bit ridiculous here.

it wouldnt quite work that way. it would be in a computer system, guess i wont even bother trying to explain it, its not worth it

anyway thanks for thinking I am ridiculous for trying to make suggestions on making a reservation system better for EVERYONE. boy thats a really wonderful remark.

if you read anything you would see that I actually could care less about the room i get. so why dont you tell me why I am making suggestions then if i dont care what type of room I get. Ill save you the effort, its because the system is a bit lacking

notice i am not saying its terrible, horrible, aweful, its just lacking.

 

[Divamomto3]

I have a genuine question about room assignments. When I booked BCV for August, they gave me the choice of the second bedroom having 2 Queens or 1 Queen and 1 Daybed because the CM said she still had both types available. I picked the 2 Queen option. Doesn't that make me in a sense "preassigned" to a certain type of room? Or does it still mean that I may in fact get 1 Q and 1 Daybed depending on when I check in? I am very new at all of this and I'm asking not to make a point, but because I truly don't know how it works. If they can set aside a 2 BR villa with 2 Q's for me, why can't a nonsmoking room be set aside? NOT fueling the flames, genuinely asking.

 

[tjkraz]

forgive me but again i disagree. Everyone will still have the exact same flexibility they do now. nothing would change at all in that regard. No requests are guarenteed now and none will be guarenteed under that system UNLESS you book at 11 months.

Sure, but the inference is that those who have the guarantee (which, buy your definition would be only those who are owners at the resort) will get what they want, while others are left to fight over the scraps. If I'm a potential customer who is as opinionated about non-smoking room as some here, it's meaningless to say I can book BCV at 7 months. Someone here said that about 20% of rooms are smoking optional. As things stand today, I know I have a greater than 80% chance of getting what I want (because many guests will be smokers who will request such a room.) If I'm booking a non-home at 7 months, those odds could be 50% or they could be 0% depending upon the (unknown) occupancy level and request status of those who booked before me.

From DVC's standpoint, they probably wish they could completely level the playing field in terms of Home resort priorities. Every time a customer bypasses SSR in favor of a resale contract, DVC loses money. Sure some people will buy the sold-out resorts from DVC as $89 a pop, but the profit margins on those contracts run the gamut from miniscule to nonexistent. In a perfect (Disney) world, DVD / DVC wants everyone buying "new" points, be they from SSR, the Contemporary, Colorado, or whatever resort they happen to be peddling. And I think that 11-month guaranteed priorities could do more to hurt sales than help.