Member Services want to hear from you!

[DisneyDame27]

Hi all - I don't usually post (I'm one of the stalkers) but I wanted to share an experience I had recently with Member Services. I was disappointed when booking our last trip and sent them off an email letting them know.

I had a bone to pick with DVC & wanted to vent so I did. My issues ranged from not being able to book a room at my home resort(Saratoga Springs and not during a busy time-but they had no "availability"? Please it's huge!), the price increase per stay, member discounts, ADR's etc. It was just not a good experience this time around. Don't get me wrong - I love Disney & will continue to visit but there were some things I needed to get off my chest and did. I also let them know that I was disappointed in the fact that they were not as loyal to us (members/Disney fans) as we were to them!

Anyway - I got return emails & calls. I was polite and expressed my disappointment. I was surprised at the response I received. Bottom line - they need to hear from us if we are going to change things. So don't be afraid to let them know how you feel.

 

[DizDays]

I was surprised at the response I received. Bottom line - they need to hear from us if we are going to change things. So don't be afraid to let them know how you feel.

Were you good surprised or bad surprised?

 

[ChiSoxKeith]

I recently sent an email in and got a very nice phone call from them.

I don't know if it is a change in policy, but it was nice to hear from them directly.

 

[DebbieB]

Hi all - I don't usually post (I'm one of the stalkers) but I wanted to share an experience I had recently with Member Services. I was disappointed when booking our last trip and sent them off an email letting them know.

I had a bone to pick with DVC & wanted to vent so I did. My issues ranged from not being able to book a room at my home resort(Saratoga Springs and not during a busy time-but they had no "availability"? Please it's huge!), the price increase per stay, member discounts, ADR's etc. It was just not a good experience this time around. Don't get me wrong - I love Disney & will continue to visit but there were some things I needed to get off my chest and did. I also let them know that I was disappointed in the fact that they were not as loyal to us (members/Disney fans) as we were to them!

Anyway - I got return emails & calls. I was polite and expressed my disappointment. I was surprised at the response I received. Bottom line - they need to hear from us if we are going to change things. So don't be afraid to let them know how you feel.

What dates were you looking for and how far in advance?

 

[DisneyDame27]

Thanks for the feed back. I was surprised in a good way. I had email exchanges with a gentleman named Travis and a telephone call from a lovely woman whose name I cannot remember . We were on the telephone for almost 45 minutes and I could tell that she was taking everything down.

My son was accepted to the college program for the end of August 2010. I made plans to take him down in May & bring him down again in August when he actually started the program. I started booking those right after he was accepted. I'd say it was September maybe October 2009 for dates early in May 2010 and at the end of August 2010. We could not find a room anywhere on Disney property and had settled on staying offsite.

I kept checking and checking and finally in March I was told that there was an opening for the May dates. I was able to get a one bedroom at OKW. Wonderful room. Everything they say about the size of the rooms there is true. Now our room was not newly renovated but the entire resort had areas that were being renovated. It was a similar experience for August - a studio at OKW (still undergoing renovations). This room was terrible. The worst room I've ever stayed in at ANY Disney resort & I've been at everything from economy to villas. In the bathroom it looked like someone started painting & just stopped 1/2 way around the walls. It was dirty, dark and smelled awful to boot. Of course when I called the front desk I was told it was the only room available. It was awful.

I have to wonder what Member Service sees when we call for a booking. It's odd that a resort undergoing such an extensive renovation of most of it's rooms was the only resort with an opening LOL!

 

[DebbieB]

That's really unusual that you could not get early May or late August at 7 months anywhere on property.

 

[fishermouse]

That's really unusual that you could not get early May or late August at 7 months anywhere on property.

Something just does not add up 7 months for SSR in May you should be able to get that at 7 days out. I think Starwars and ESPN are in May but I can't see SSR and OKW booking up at 7 months for any reason. Not meant to be negative about either resort I love SSR just that both resorts have a lot of rooms. I realize some of the smaller ones book up early for certain times of the year. I just booked VWL at 6 months for Presidents W/E with no problem. The only time we were unable to get anything was trying to book a last minute June trip for DS and once during F+W we wanted to add a studio at 3 weeks out, again for DS. wait, I see a trend!

 

[DisneyDame27]

Glad to see someone is starting to see why I have doubts about this entire procedure

 

[jodifla]

I was able to get BLT in under 7 months in May! That does sound odd.

 

[twinklebug]

Had to have been a database issue. Could have been a technical glitch, or, more likely, human error. I forget the circumstances, but I recall once being told SSR was fully booked up too at a time it should not have been. The CM said they've seen it happen before at SSR and to call back in a few days. I booked elsewhere.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Sorry, but I'm calling a little bit of BS on the OP. Looking back at previous posts, she didn't know her son was accepted into the CP until late March 2010. Why would she be calling for for May 2010 and Aug 2010 for his term of duty in Sept 2009 if she didn't know yet for 7 more months.

Two months out could be tough for May.

 

[lesabrowning]

Sorry, but I'm calling a little bit of BS on the OP. Looking back at previous posts, she didn't know her son was accepted into the CP until late March 2010. Why would she be calling for for May 2010 and Aug 2010 for his term of duty in Sept 2009 if she didn't know yet for 7 more months.

Two months out could be tough for May.

I read the OP differently. I thought she started calling right when she found out in Sept '09 but nothing was available and then she kept checking back and did get a room in March for May.

I was just told today that there is no availability at any DVC property for the first week of January for a 2 BR. I know it is low points but I was still surprised.

 

[Chuck S]

I read the OP differently. I thought she started calling right when she found out in Sept '09 but nothing was available and then she kept checking back and did get a room in March for May.

I was just told today that there is no availability at any DVC property for the first week of January for a 2 BR. I know it is low points but I was still surprised.

Aren't a lot of schools still out that week? No school and low points, I could easily see the resorts being booked at 5 1/2 months.

 

[cel_disney]

Aren't a lot of schools still out that week? No school and low points, I could easily see the resorts being booked at 5 1/2 months.

Its also marathon weekend....

 

[Chuck S]

Its also marathon weekend....

I forgot about the Marathon....that'll fill up the resorts for sure.

 

[lesabrowning]

Oh, I did not know about the marathon. That changes things. I knew some schools were out that week. (not many from what I am told as most have the 2 weeks before based on when Christmas is this year) I expected SSR to have availability. Such is life.

 

[Dean]

Hi all - I don't usually post (I'm one of the stalkers) but I wanted to share an experience I had recently with Member Services. I was disappointed when booking our last trip and sent them off an email letting them know.

I had a bone to pick with DVC & wanted to vent so I did. My issues ranged from not being able to book a room at my home resort(Saratoga Springs and not during a busy time-but they had no "availability"? Please it's huge!), the price increase per stay, member discounts, ADR's etc. It was just not a good experience this time around. Don't get me wrong - I love Disney & will continue to visit but there were some things I needed to get off my chest and did. I also let them know that I was disappointed in the fact that they were not as loyal to us (members/Disney fans) as we were to them!

Anyway - I got return emails & calls. I was polite and expressed my disappointment. I was surprised at the response I received. Bottom line - they need to hear from us if we are going to change things. So don't be afraid to let them know how you feel.

I'm sure it's hard to put specifics into such a post and below you mentioned a room issue for which there is no excuse. However, specific to this post, there are some realities you may want to consider. Expecting availability post the 11 month window is unreasonable. There are times when it's not a problem but one should not expect or count on it no matter the resort, size or time of year. DVC has no control or real input into ADR's. There has not been a price increase as such, there was a points reallocation spread over 2 years as is spelled out in the legal paperwork, no appropriate reason to complain about that, IMO. Perks are freebies, extras, complaining about them makes no sense, they could all go away tomorrow as could DCl, CC, etc. In short and IMO, there is nothing in your OP that was a reasonable complaint as stated. DVC will patronize you in this situation and make you feel like they are responding to your complaint when in fact they really are not. Certainly they will compile all the complaints and pass them on but as stated in this post, there really isn't anything they could or should do differently. Maybe it was the rest of the story that was really what was upsetting to you but one can only respond to what's posted.

 

[fishermouse]

I read the OP differently. I thought she started calling right when she found out in Sept '09 but nothing was available and then she kept checking back and did get a room in March for May.

I was just told today that there is no availability at any DVC property for the first week of January for a 2 BR. I know it is low points but I was still surprised.

If your including new years i can see it being booked. Also the next weekend is probably the marathon also a busy weekend. Would not be suprised to see low or no availability. Sometimes by knocking off the first or last day if it is a weekend allows you to get the room.

 

[diding]

Good to hear we have a voice.

 

[DisneyDame27]

Sorry guys - been without power for 3 days here.
I need to respond to Deb...and I apologize if I may have gotten some of the dates mixed up but I hope this clarifies things. There just isn't enough room here to put every detail of this bizarre event.
Anyway my son got his acceptance in November 2009 for the Disney College Program. He wanted to start with the summer session in March but that was full. He started the winter college program session on August 23 2010. I started to book in November 2009. He wanted to go anytime in May/June 2010 to look around and get an idea about where he would be living and then go down on August 20, 2010 before the start of the program. This was a 7-8 month booking window for May/June and 10 months for August. Please keep in mind we were open for dates in May & June but a little more limited in August. He needed to be there for August 23rd. I requested a one bedroom anywhere with SSR being the priority. I contacted Member Services faithfully every week. Finally in April 2010 I was told that although OKW was undergoing renovations there were openings there. That is what confuses me the most! After 6 months of calling every week the only opening is at a resort where most of the rooms are closed down.

I hope that clarifies things a little bit more and again I apoligize if I got the dates mixed up previously.