Live... from Disney's Old Key West

[rinkwide]

Just got Home and so far so bad. I guess when you fly in from the West Coast and check-in late it's pretty much the dregs that are left as far as rooms go. You could say it's my own fault for leaving our room location up to luck (or more correctly, bad luck).

Anyway, we draw "lucky" studio number 5010 which we learn, after schlepping all our stuff there, is a disabled access unit that's about as far away from Conch Flats and as close to Bonnet Creek Parkway as you can get without sleeping in the center median. Naturally, the room has no bathtub, a constant autopia soundtrack playing in the background and the faint smell of assisted living.

Well, this will not fly mainly because we're traveling with a six-year-old who thinks shower water splashing in his face will make him drown. So a call to the front desk is in order and after waiting 20 minutes on hold while they "check availability" we're told there is nothing available until tomorrow. Oh, but they'll call us at 7am (or 4am for those of us still lagged to PST) to confirm a room switch and then come pick up our luggage to store it until we check in again in the afternoon.

Wife #1 is livid. She can't unpack, she can't put our high thread count sheets on the bed, she can't imagine what's going to happen to the precious cream cheese we just bought, etc.

Oh well, what can you do? After a relaxing dinner at Olivia's, including a fruity drink with 3 kinds of rum, she's doing much better.

Anyhoo, tomorrow is another day, and heck, how bad can it really get when you're Home for the holidays? (Don't answer that.)

 

[bongo59]

hey dont fret the little stuff............their are continents of people who would kill for that room..................enjoy

 

[Donald's#1Fan]

Wish I were there, but, Rinkwide, your complaint is my number one complaint I have about coming from the west coast and I don't want to hear anyone say you know what you were going to get when you bought, because I bought in 1994 when I was explicitly told that I would be able to make reservations at the 11 month period and I could make room requests, knowing that not all were going to be granted, but I could pretty much guarantee I wasn't going to be put roadside if I booked at the 11 month mark, but it was a definite selling technique back then and then in the last few years for them to just give out rooms on a first check in basis really sucks esp. when told something different, which is a very big point coming from the west coast, Seattle, and not having the option of ever checking in before 7 p.m. unless I choose to stay offsite the night arrive, which goes against me getting a timeshare there in the 1st place. In my opinion, when they changed the rule a few years ago, they LIED to me.

 

[lenshanem]

HA! Welcome to my first impression of OKW this past October. That was our room!

Here's a part from my trip report -

"Immediately we realized we might have the worst room at OKW?!? It was 5010 at the end of South Point Road complete opposite from the bus stop, sitting very close to a busy road - Buena Vista Drive, I think? And it was handicap! I called and told them they told us it wasn’t less than five minutes ago. Got put on hold for about ten minutes for them to come back and tell us they couldn’t move us anywhere. Room smelled AWFUL! Yuck, what was that smell? It was like a bad smell covered up by a bad scent. No shelf space, no cabinet space… THEN, I closed the curtains to discover a lizard on it! So hubby and I spent the next thirty minutes chasing it around the room. I called the front desk and they told me to just leave our door open?!? OK, it was about 1:30 in the morning at this point. I finally got it trapped and we went to sleep with the sounds of traffic noise… It felt like I was at a Holiday Inn off the Interstate."



That room sucks, doesn't it??? I hope you get moved to a better location!

 

[POOH&PIGLET]

Wife #1 is livid.

How is wife #2 doing!

I hope you enjoy the rest of your trip!

 

[JudithM]

Well, it is now tomorrow, so hopefully life is better for you. I can understand your wife's frustraton, and if I was your child, I wouldn't want to feel like I was drowning either.

And by the way ... how many wives did you bring to FL!? I'm sure you'll get a good laugh at that when you reread your post!

 

[DebbieB]

Wish I were there, but, Rinkwide, your complaint is my number one complaint I have about coming from the west coast and I don't want to hear anyone say you know what you were going to get when you bought, because I bought in 1994 when I was explicitly told that I would be able to make reservations at the 11 month period and I could make room requests, knowing that not all were going to be granted, but I could pretty much guarantee I wasn't going to be put roadside if I booked at the 11 month mark, but it was a definite selling technique back then and then in the last few years for them to just give out rooms on a first check in basis really sucks esp. when told something different, which is a very big point coming from the west coast, Seattle, and not having the option of ever checking in before 7 p.m. unless I choose to stay offsite the night arrive, which goes against me getting a timeshare there in the 1st place. In my opinion, when they changed the rule a few years ago, they LIED to me.

I would express your complaint to member services.

I don't know if this would work, but if you are coming in late, I would call the front desk before you leave in the morning and let them know you will be arriving late and see if they would block a room for you (using your sweetest voice ).

 

[DukeStreetKing]

Wish I were there, but, Rinkwide, your complaint is my number one complaint I have about coming from the west coast and I don't want to hear anyone say you know what you were going to get when you bought, because I bought in 1994 when I was explicitly told that I would be able to make reservations at the 11 month period and I could make room requests, knowing that not all were going to be granted, but I could pretty much guarantee I wasn't going to be put roadside if I booked at the 11 month mark, but it was a definite selling technique back then and then in the last few years for them to just give out rooms on a first check in basis really sucks esp. when told something different, which is a very big point coming from the west coast, Seattle, and not having the option of ever checking in before 7 p.m. unless I choose to stay offsite the night arrive, which goes against me getting a timeshare there in the 1st place. In my opinion, when they changed the rule a few years ago, they LIED to me.

Wow! Did you type that all in one breath?!

 

[spiceycat]

so sorry!!!

I hate handicapped rooms too - you need to get MS to put on your file - NO Handicapped rooms - they will.

Hey you kid is better than me - I use to think it was a big spider - I was then very afraid of spiders.....I would be screaming!!!!

 

[Maistre Gracey]

How is wife #2 doing!

I hope you enjoy the rest of your trip!

That's exactly what I was thinking!!!

MG

 

[Donald's#1Fan]

I would express your complaint to member services.

I don't know if this would work, but if you are coming in late, I would call the front desk before you leave in the morning and let them know you will be arriving late and see if they would block a room for you (using your sweetest voice ).

Thank-you, we have tried just about every possible way around being the last one in the resort to check in for the day, even calling the same day and I always get the same response which is pretty standard that they will do their best to meet any requests that I have made, but I will need to be there in person to be able to get assigned a room. Oh well, just very frustrated w/ rule changes in the middle of the game, esp. when so much money was put out on the front end of the game. When this new rule came into being I did talk w/ MS extensively about how negatively impacted I and others would be coming from the west coast and I was met w/ standard party line about how more people were happy with it this way. And yes, DukeStreetking, I sometimes do get too wound up and need to take a breath.......deep breath.......breathe in......breathe out...........now just relax, o.k., I feel better.

 

[CarolA]

If this is one of the worst things that has happened to you lately, then consider yourself lucky! (By the way I have checked in early and gotten a handicapped room so.....)

 

[DukeStreetKing]

Just a thought for you folks on the West Coast - have you thought about checking in to a cheaper hotel for one night before checking in to your DVC resort? I know it's probably more trouble (and money) than it's worth, but I just thought I'd give it a shot.

 

[Pa@okw95]

Something should be done about giving people handicap rooms that don't ask for them. It should not be allowed. They should leave them empty rather than rent them out to people that did not ask for them.

 

[Simba's Mom]

My argument about this is that they show you villas with bathtubs on the sales tour-doesn't that mean you get a room with a bathtub unless you ask for otherwise? Hope you're in much better accomodations today, and DS has a bathtub. BTW, what did you have to drink? Have a Sultry Seahorse (I think that's what it's called) for me while you're there.

 

[dallastxcpa]

Rinkwide,

I hope everything worked out for you and your family. As a highly emotional female sometimes the least of things can set me off. I would not be very happy if I was assigned a handicapped room. I have read many threads on this topic and I will just have to make myself a note in my planner to ensure that I ask at the SSR counter in two weeks "Is it a handicap room?"

If so they will not be able to drag me into it. I want my tub......

 

[lenshanem]

Rinkwide,

I hope everything worked out for you and your family. As a highly emotional female sometimes the least of things can set me off. I would not be very happy if I was assigned a handicapped room. I have read many threads on this topic and I will just have to make myself a note in my planner to ensure that I ask at the SSR counter in two weeks "Is it a handicap room?"

If so they will not be able to drag me into it. I want my tub......

That won't work. As I mentioned earlier in this thread I asked at the desk and was told it was not a handicap room and when we got into the room it was. I sent an email to MS about this very topic awhile back. I also mentioned that when you buy in you are not told or shown that you might get a room with no tub. Luckily the kids weren't with us, but if they were I would have flipped.

 

[rinkwide]

Thanks to (most) all of you for your support.

All is well! The nice folks here at OKW came through for us in a big way.

When we woke up this morning there was a phone message blinking that explained we would be moving to Bldg. 14. All we had to do was call for a bellman and they'd store our luggage for us while we were at the parks. Well that all went off without a hitch and when we came back from MK at around 7pm the friendly front desk personel quickly got us into studio #1412.

Wow, what a difference! Right across from Conch Flats, no road noise whatsoever, tons of storage space and a lovely little bathtub for Junior. Even Wife #1's creamcheese made it back to us after having spent the day in cold storage. Awesome.

After we got settled we headed over to the BCV to see the gingerbread carousel and get a bite. Upon driving up to the carport, dropping my car with the friendly valet, entering the festive lobby and then walking past a serenly lit SAB to Beaches & Cream I knew I was really Home. As much as I like OKW, there's just no doubt in my mind that I made the right choice for me and my family by purchasing Beach Club as our home resort. It's a good feeling and it might just be the best thing I'll take home from this trip.

lenshanem, glad to know I've got a friend in the 5010 Club. Sorry you had to endure it too (but misery loves company). Oh well, better than being in the 5150 Club.

As for the "Wife #1" thing; That's just a little term of endearment I use to keep her on her toes.

 

[JudithM]

All is well! The nice folks here at OKW came through for us in a big way.

I am glad to read you have a new room, a new building & all is acceptable. We used to really like Turtle Pond, but after having stayed near the Hospitatliy House, we like that area a lot, too.

As for the "Wife #1" thing; That's just a little term of endearment I use to keep her on her toes.

Well, we all sure got a good laugh!


Enjoy the rest of your vacation!!

 

[jarestel]

Rinkwide, I feel your pain. As others have already stated, I didn't plunk down tens of thousands of dollars to get stuck with, what for us, is a sub-standard accomodation. I've contacted MS about making HA rooms reserveable categories, but so far they seem to think it's too much work to be able to do this. Maybe if enough of us have "issues" with the old "HA room - Surprise!" tactic, they'll be willing to change their booking procedures. Definitely contact DVC and let them know how you feel. Glad to hear you only had to endure it for a night though!