Max Occupancy in DVC Resorts

[calypso*a*go-go]

We just returned less than a week ago and had to show room keys for everyone in our party (including kids) to get bracelets for EMH. They actually scanned each card before putting the bracelet on our wrists.

 

[bpmorley]

Actually, SSR's studios are the same size as BCV and BWV based on experience and recollection.

I've stayed at SSR in a studio. It's bigger than BCV. OKW's were even bigger

 

[Tom and Jen]

I am truly amazed at how this thread has morphed from one question and situation to another........ and then back again.

If folks are questioning "how in the world can you fit 3 kids in one bed!?!" have obviously never had kids, or a sleep over party at any particular age. Your on vacation, have a good time and make do... their young, they'll adapt and overcome. Please don't take my thoughts to personal.....

If DVC MS are going to allow, "officially/unofficially" additional people in a given room, then so be it. Why be upset, complain, or try to stop someone from a benefit. Let it be, some day you too may need to "bump" your occupancy. Be happy for them, not envious.

There are so many other things "not right" out there. A family making a trip but happen to have 3 or 4 kids, let them live by their means.

Hakuna matata

 

[Chuck S]

I am truly amazed at how this thread has morphed from one question and situation to another........ and then back again.

Remember that this thread is the one into which all occupancy issues are merged after a few responses. That is why you''ll see it change quickly from one situation to another and why at times the thread will seem to bounce back and forth without continuity.

 

[bpmorley]

I am truly amazed at how this thread has morphed from one question and situation to another........ and then back again.

If folks are questioning "how in the world can you fit 3 kids in one bed!?!" have obviously never had kids, or a sleep over party at any particular age. Your on vacation, have a good time and make do... their young, they'll adapt and overcome. Please don't take my thoughts to personal.....

If DVC MS are going to allow, "officially/unofficially" additional people in a given room, then so be it. Why be upset, complain, or try to stop someone from a benefit. Let it be, some day you too may need to "bump" your occupancy. Be happy for them, not envious.

There are so many other things "not right" out there. A family making a trip but happen to have 3 or 4 kids, let them live by their means.

Hakuna matata

Well put Tom and Jen. Real early in this thread I took a beating for having 5 people(4 adults, 1 child) in studio. People complained that 1 of us would be taking their chair at the pool, their seat in a restuarant, etc... If the CM wouldn't have allowed all 5 of us, we would have made other arrangements. I didn't think it was a big deal at all.

 

[keishashadow]

Actually, I have 3 DS's & the thought of them all trying to sleep squished in the same studio sofa bed next to me would not be condusive to an enjoyable vacation...for any of us

. If your idea of a "benefit" is stretching the room occupancy, I'm not going to chastize you, let alone be "envious". Stand my my opinion that the studios' floor space is not equipped to handle the traffic flow of more than 4 people & the thought of sharing 1 BR is a whole 'nuther matter.

I am truly amazed at how this thread has morphed from one question and situation to another........ and then back again.

If folks are questioning "how in the world can you fit 3 kids in one bed!?!" have obviously never had kids, or a sleep over party at any particular age. Your on vacation, have a good time and make do... their young, they'll adapt and overcome. Please don't take my thoughts to personal.....

If DVC MS are going to allow, "officially/unofficially" additional people in a given room, then so be it. Why be upset, complain, or try to stop someone from a benefit. Let it be, some day you too may need to "bump" your occupancy. Be happy for them, not envious.

There are so many other things "not right" out there. A family making a trip but happen to have 3 or 4 kids, let them live by their means.

Hakuna matata

 

[Dean]

If DVC MS are going to allow, "officially/unofficially" additional people in a given room, then so be it. Why be upset, complain, or try to stop someone from a benefit. Let it be, some day you too may need to "bump" your occupancy. Be happy for them, not envious.

I can't speak for anyone else but IMO, this is not a victimless crime as some would like to think. To me it comes down to two issues. One is simply following the rules and at this time, I'll hold MS accountable for the overages they allow and the individual members if they lie and put more in than they tell MS about. The other issue is that there are effects to the members at large and to the other guests at the resort at that time. I won't go in to the other effects unless you would like me to.

 

[Figment2]

Amen, Dean!

Cyn

 

[CarolAnnC]

As DVC owners we are all paying dues each year for maintenance, replacement and upkeep of the DVC resorts. We are paying a portion of bus expenses for the guests who utilize the WDW transportation system and the list goes on and on.

If you factor in wear and tear, replacement of "missing" items such as beach towels, upholstery recovers, and appliance repair/replacement, it is a sizable sum that owners pay for.

This is why the Occupancy topic is such a heated debate at times. And this is why we have chosen to moderate these occupancy threads in one place. In fact, occupancy was a forbidden topic on the DVC Boards for quite some time. But in an effort to allow, yet monitor, a hot topic, we have this thread where as Chuck stated all occupancy threads are combined.

Now back to your regularly scheduled occupancy discussion...

 

[pplasky]

Well put Tom and Jen. Real early in this thread I took a beating for having 5 people(4 adults, 1 child) in studio. People complained that 1 of us would be taking their chair at the pool, their seat in a restuarant, etc... If the CM wouldn't have allowed all 5 of us, we would have made other arrangements. I didn't think it was a big deal at all.

We have 3 kids too. While we have never squished into a studio, we do vary between 1 and 2 BRS. The 1 BR is larger than a stay in an Embassy suites, which is our hotel of choice away from disney. MS knows how many are in our party and total room usage at the resort. The chairs we are "taking" from others when in a 1BR are the same ones we are "freeing" up for others when we stay in a 2BR with less than 8. I feel this thread does a pretty good job getting across to families of 5 that the option of staying in units other than a 2BR is there even though the same "rule" posters always interject about how these families of 5 are hurting them in the long run. Do what's best for your family and the time and have a great vacation!!!!!!!!!

 

[Dean]

The chairs we are "taking" from others when in a 1BR are the same ones we are "freeing" up for others when we stay in a 2BR with less than 8. I feel this thread does a pretty good job getting across to families of 5 that the option of staying in units other than a 2BR is there even though the same "rule" posters always interject about how these families of 5 are hurting them in the long run. Do what's best for your family and the time and have a great vacation!!!!!!!!!

If you're saying that when someone has less than the occupancy that gives excess space for others, that is not really true. The resorts are built and staffed with the occupancy in mind and an idea of the average number of guests in attendance at any one time. Those that are under are accounted for up front. I sincerely doubt that significant overages are accounted for. If MS allows the party size, that is not the members fault. But if doing what's best for your family means lying and going over the occupancy, "pick up a wheapon and stand opposed".

 

[zurgswife]

In 1997 CRO put 6 of us 2 adults and 4 kiddo's into a studio plus. We actually purchased DVC that trip. I few years later I found these boards and said I was going to only use a 1bdrm for a few years while me kids were young. I was smashed so bad that I almost left.

I had CRO put 6 of us in a studio and I had my guide telling me that a 1 bdrm would be perfect. I was naive enough to believe them

 

[bpmorley]

I can't speak for anyone else but IMO, this is not a victimless crime as some would like to think. To me it comes down to two issues. One is simply following the rules and at this time, I'll hold MS accountable for the overages they allow and the individual members if they lie and put more in than they tell MS about. The other issue is that there are effects to the members at large and to the other guests at the resort at that time. I won't go in to the other effects unless you would like me to.

Just one persons opinion. I don't see the big deal.

 

[pplasky]

In 1997 CRO put 6 of us 2 adults and 4 kiddo's into a studio plus. We actually purchased DVC that trip. I few years later I found these boards and said I was going to only use a 1bdrm for a few years while me kids were young. I was smashed so bad that I almost left.

I had CRO put 6 of us in a studio and I had my guide telling me that a 1 bdrm would be perfect. I was naive enough to believe them

That's the point you were smashed on these boards, nowhere else. If MS allows it, then the people who "smash" others for doing it are entitled to their opinions, but that's it. We never lie, which is one of Dean's, and other posters who are opposed to anything than 5 in a 2BR, main objections. If MS allows it, noone should be made to feel guilty or as if they are doing something horribly wrong.

 

[pplasky]

If you're saying that when someone has less than the occupancy that gives excess space for others, that is not really true. The resorts are built and staffed with the occupancy in mind and an idea of the average number of guests in attendance at any one time. Those that are under are accounted for up front. I sincerely doubt that significant overages are accounted for. If MS allows the party size, that is not the members fault. But if doing what's best for your family means lying and going over the occupancy, "pick up a wheapon and stand opposed".

You give this opinion of how occupacy is accounted for over and over. Since MS is letting people put more than 4 in a studio and 1 BR, I am not sure how many overages are not accounted for. But I would not assume everyone is lying, and I don't think it's that severe of a problem or MS would crack down on guests without cards at the pools more strictly. Abuse is everywhere, not just Disney, and major corporations plan for it. It is not anyone's right to make others feel as if they are doing something wrong if they are honest with MS and are allowed to put 5, or heaven forbid 6, in a unit smaller than a 2BR.

 

[Dean]

You give this opinion of how occupacy is accounted for over and over. Since MS is letting people put more than 4 in a studio and 1 BR, I am not sure how many overages are not accounted for. But I would not assume everyone is lying, and I don't think it's that severe of a problem or MS would crack down on guests without cards at the pools more strictly. Abuse is everywhere, not just Disney, and major corporations plan for it. It is not anyone's right to make others feel as if they are doing something wrong if they are honest with MS and are allowed to put 5, or heaven forbid 6, in a unit smaller than a 2BR.

As an owner it is my right to expect MS, members and guests to follow the rules. If you feel otherwise, then we disagree. If one is honest with MS, then it's on them. If not, I want them to feel badly.

I realize that things are going to happen and not everyone will follow the rules. However, when MS and the guides promote going over, the sheer volume is going to be a lot more. Then some that would have followed the written rules no longer will. I sincerely doubt the amenities, parking, etc are built for that amount of overage. So expect me to make these points most every time this issue comes up.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Those quotes about folks being allowed by MS to put 5 in a studio are not quite believable right now. I have no doubt that happened in the past, but since the new policy on room keys and needing everyone identified by name on your key, I doubt that would be happening anymore. In the Zurg's case, it was not MS, but CRO who made that reservation. For New Year's Eve this year, we found out a bit late that we would have 5 instead of 4 of us. We had a studio reserved for just that one night and had a 2 bedroom reserved for the following 10 nights. When I found out about the 5th person, I called MS and asked what we could do. They said ABSOLUTELY NOT for a 5th person in the studio, but there was still a 1 bedroom available, and they WOULD let us do that for that night. We knew it would be crowded, but for just that one night, we packed along an airbed and sheets for it plus an extra towel. I still felt guilty about having 5 in the 1 bedroom for that one night, but it is true, MS does seem to allow it and even suggest it. Would I reccomend it? Absolutley NOT! It was crowded and not fun to have 5 of us using one bathroom for that night. Granted, it was NYE, and we weren't there more than a couple of hours. We got up as early as we could muster on New Year's Day and checked out ASAP so we could get into our 2 bedroom ASAP!

I do agree that constant overbooking of the limits will have it's own price to pay in the long run. As Dean suggested, the facilities are not designed to handle more than the quoted capacity... This is especially true of the parking lot etc. That doesn't even begin to account for extra wear and tear on the units. Imagine, if EVERY unit had 1-2 "extra" people in it, what that would do to the pool crowding, hot tubs, etc. etc. Take just one building at OKW as an example...Most buildings will have aproximately accommodations for 104 residents assuming the most prevelant building style, which is 9-2 bedrooms, plus 4-1 bedrooms plus 4 studios. If each of those added just one extra person, you have increased the occupancy up to 130 for that building. Then multiply that by 47 (the number of buildings at OKW), and you can begin to see the impact on services. Now I do know that not all buidings are that same design, but it does kind of average out since that is the most prevelant design. I'm quite sure an extra 1,222 folks on any given day at a resort WOULD be an impact.

 

[jackmac]

I was in touch with MS last week to inquire about a trip that my son will be taking next March to WDW. He will be going with 4 other guys. I asked about accomodations and I was told that DVC now allows 5 in a 1 bedroom. They won't give towels etc. for the 5th, but they are allowed. I asked if everyone would have a room key and if everyone's name could be on the reservation and I was told yes. It was explained that this is a new policy since a 1 bedroom has a separate sleeping area. I'll find out when I make the reservation if this is true I guess.

 

[pplasky]

I do agree that constant overbooking of the limits will have it's own price to pay in the long run. As Dean suggested, the facilities are not designed to handle more than the quoted capacity... This is especially true of the parking lot etc. That doesn't even begin to account for extra wear and tear on the units. Imagine, if EVERY unit had 1-2 "extra" people in it, what that would do to the pool crowding, hot tubs, etc. etc. Take just one building at OKW as an example...Most buildings will have aproximately accommodations for 104 residents assuming the most prevelant building style, which is 9-2 bedrooms, plus 4-1 bedrooms plus 4 studios. If each of those added just one extra person, you have increased the occupancy up to 130 for that building. Then multiply that by 47 (the number of buildings at OKW), and you can begin to see the impact on services. Now I do know that not all buidings are that same design, but it does kind of average out since that is the most prevelant design. I'm quite sure an extra 1,222 folks on any given day at a resort WOULD be an impact.

There are not this many overages. And once again, if MS allows it, they are aware of the capacity. The parking is not usually impacted because many of the overages are for people and their children. One vehicle, if any. It is the same argument over and over by the same people and now I see myself becoming one of these people and hate it actually. Do not assume posters are lying because they had a different response from MS than you and as I said before, we never stayed in a studio, but if a family did and was upfront with MS about, then the people on these boards need to stop passing judgement.

 

[rinkwide]

...the people on these boards need to stop passing judgement.

Wait a minute. Did they add internet access to the Pinocchio Village Haus or something? 'Cause that remark definitely came from Fantasyland.