Never, ever - OKW room issues

[ILoveMyDVC]

Let's get some of the usual BS out of the way. YES, I called and NO, I did not ask for any kind of compensation. I have spoken to Housekeeping (HK) 5 times and front desk twice.

Arrived a few days ago. Bldg. 45 - one of my 2 favorites. A member since 1993. OKW ~1600 pts. Have stayed as many as 90 days in a year. 2 Bed Villa. I have experience.

Dryer broken - they replaced the entire dryer - I know because on DAY 2 with 100+ "feel like "temps", I had to wash the 4 measly towels in the Master bedroom. After 3 cycles, the towels were still as wet as when I put them in. (not accepting any conversation about re-using towels - not hygienic, in MY OPINION - AND NOT anything to do with the dryer not working.) I actually saw them carry the new dryer into the room and remove the old one.

MB+ (yeah, we all have to shell out $35 each for the MB+s which need to be charged.) 3/4 outlets with USB ports were dead. That left 2 ports and we had 5 people in the room. I was here when the "electrician" tested them and when they were replaced. Yes, I can use a plug (if, I had enough) - NOT MY JOB to provide basic electrical service.

Toaster broken.

Chair/Sleeper stained (like head sized) in several places.

Patio covered in mold - have pictures.

Outrageous smell - coming from door that houses jacuzzi infrastructure. Engineering came - day 2 - 12:40 ish. I was working on a meeting that runs 12:30 - 1:00 so I am very sure. Door opened. Smell overwhelming. Engineer leaves with promise to come back "with a machine". At 4:30ish right before I have to leave to pick up friends at MCO, I call Housekeeping (HK) - the jacuzzi housing cabinet is open - I have a small child visiting and the smell, the outlets...They tell me the "engineer" ( really? An engineer -is he a P.E.???), said he thought it was a dead animal but couldn't find it...BTW, the crumbling disaster in the cabinet/ I have pictures..

Someone from HK comes and doesn't speak English (Liberal Dem. but you have to be able to communicate appropriately for the job and place) pops in and asks if I need anything (? sort of). At the time, I thought he was part of the fixit team. I was working on a Zoom call. I ask for towels (as mine are all drenched in a broken dryer). He gives them to me but doesn't empty the trash cans which are full as I have stocked the room and thrown away many recyclables. (yes, I can and will throw out my own garbage but why is HK there?)

ANOTHER person from HK comes to "freshen up the room". I have to go to MCO. Come back - kitchen garbage cans and master bath garbage are full. Mold is still on patio doors, walls.

I am offered a room change when I call 4 hours after the "engineer" says he is coming right back. Ummm, NO, I have 4 Owners' Lockers - I have prepared the villa. I have done $600 in grocery shopping. Everything is unpacked. I arrived 2 days before my guests to get everything ready. Magically, I am given daily HK. I do not want this nor did I request it.

I realize yesterday that they did it because they need to spray the disgusting cabinet daily as the smell is still there. Please remember that HK acknowledged the smell as a possible dead animal and the "engineer' said it was really bad.

Walking to South Point bus stop, see elderly dog without any vest being walked by owners as it urinates all over OKW grass and plants. So not a SERVICE dog. Might have been; doubt it; but assuredly not now. Front desk will say they can't stop people from lying about dogs. Really? Hasn't been an issue in over 30 years at OKW.

Today, see larger dog defecate in grass between parking lot of bldg. 45 and road. (Have picture). No vest.

*** OKW and DVC?

PS: Spent a total of 3 calls (3 days) and 4.5 hours on the phone with MS and Disney IT before arriving to get my guests on Disney Go and/or on the reservation. Never, ever, has this level of nonsense occurred in the past. Sure, there's been 1 or 2 issues. But this? No, never.

Can't even talk about the parks but that is somewhat subjective. The stuff at the resort is very objective and measurable.

 

[MICKIMINI]

We had a somewhat similar incident in 2019 in a 2 BR at OKW HA. There was water leaking from the toilet above onto the bathroom sink in the primary bedroom. GROSS. There were ants all around the kitchen sink and in the cabinet under. GROSS. We spent hours waiting for the "engineer" to come. In the meantime we had a revolving door of people coming in and out while we sat on the sofa (it was new) waiting for an answer. I stopped unpacking when we realized the place was a dump but had food in the fridge and freezer at that point.

It took many hours but we were finally moved to another OKW 2 BR HA that was a bit worn, but in working order. We tipped the poor guy that wheeled all our stuff over to the other villa. We too, arrived to get set up for guests (2 studios nearby) so we could unwind and be refreshed the next day. We've been DVC since 1996.

I think it happens way more often than we think with delayed maintenance and wasted time with people who have nothing to contribute to helping us or fixing anything running in and out. In the end we were sent a letter and got a free stay at BLT in a 2 BR Theme Park View for three nights if I remember correctly. We did not ask for anything other than a suitable villa.

Just my story.

 

[Chuck S]

I'm sorry you had so many issues.

With the State under Emergency Hurricane orders, it is likely that those people with pets were relocated from the campgrounds. When there are weather evacuations, they make exceptions. I'm surprised they actually had another unit that they could have switched you into. Regardless of the packing, and inconvenience, that's what I would have done. Bell Services would have moved all of your stuff once it was packed up.

BTW, I thought DVC was no longer charging for extra clean towels. Has that started up again?

And remember, some issues are caused NOT by the resort or DVC, but by previous DVC Members that occupied the unit and who did not report the malfunctioning dryer or the smell. If there is dead critter in the wall or within the piping area of those jacuzzis, the only wayy to actually get to it may be to remove the entire tub, not a simple fix and requiring a several people and some equipment. It is not a simple fix, and would need to be done in an unoccupied unit.

 

[ILoveMyDVC]

I'm sorry you had so many issues.

With the State under Emergency Hurricane orders, it is likely that those people with pets were relocated from the campgrounds. When there are weather evacuations, they make exceptions. I'm surprised they actually had another unit that they could have switched you into. Regardless of the packing, and inconvenience, that's what I would have done. Bell Services would have moved all of your stuff once it was packed up.

BTW, I thought DVC was no longer charging for extra clean towels. Has that started up again?

And remember, some issues are caused NOT by the resort or DVC, but by previous DVC Members that occupied the unit and who did not report the malfunctioning dryer or the smell. If there is dead critter in the wall or within the piping area of those jacuzzis, the only wayy to actually get to it may be to remove the entire tub, not a simple fix and requiring a several people and some equipment. It is not a simple fix, and would need to be done in an unoccupied unit.

The resort was empty. The DAS ( for the child - I bought all the LLs so we used it twice. It's only good for 4 now anyway; we were 5) cast member said the parks and resort was empty.

Old/new issue. The water flooded fromthe shower into the bathroom. Whoosh in just a few minutes. It was coming between the door on the hinge side. The plastic door seal was hanging by 4 inches - the rest just dangling.

The first few days - and it may still be happening but we are out of the room daily now - the shower randomly would turn on for 20 seconds and then stop.

OKW is showing its age and lack of TLC.

 

[Chuck S]

If a shower randomly turns on and off, the room is haunted.

 

[tjkraz]

OKW was one of the resorts that seemed to get caught in the midst of changes to DVC's refurb schedule. Instead of alternating between (cheap) soft goods refurb and (expensive) full renovation, it got two middling, half-hearted updates. BoardWalk was similar until the 23-24 refurb.

OKW really needs a tear-down-to-the-studs refurb soon.

 

[han22735]

We stayed at OKW 2 years ago for our 1 and only time there. It's definitely not aging well and just not a place we will stay at again. I hope the rest of your trip improves.

 

[MICKIMINI]

If a shower randomly turns on and off, the room is haunted.

The Hat Box Ghost reappears LOL!

 

[dez1978]

While I totally agree that your complaints were valid, at least about the room issues, they offered you another room and you refused. It seems like they were making attempts to fix things and when they couldn't fix them they offered you a new room. I'm not sure what more you expected them to do at that point. Idk if they were aware of the issues with the plugs or the dryer prior to your stay in that room, but they replaced the outlets and the dryer. At that point, the only other option they really had was to move you to a different room. I get that that would have been a nuisance with all the stuff you apparently had, but you were given a choice and chose to stay in a room with issues rather than move. That is on you. You could have chosen to move to a new room and moved on about your trip, but you instead chose to stay and complain about it.

Quite honestly, I don't see what the issue with the dogs is. I get that OKW isn't a resort that typically allows dogs outside of service dogs. But where are dogs supposed to do their business if not in the grass? Even service dogs have to go to the bathroom. This whole comment about "if they were service dogs" is very much like questioning if someone should be parking in a handicapped spot. Do you also question if people in a scooter really need one? There is no law or requirement that service dogs wear a vest, so just because they weren't wearing one, doesn't mean a dang thing. It's 5000 degrees in Florida right now. There's no reason to force a dog to wear a vest just to make other people happy. Those dogs didn't affect you in any way other than "I saw them pee!!" The horror! There are probably lots of other animals around there peeing in the grass too.

 

[MinnieFan4ever]

There is absolutely no excuse, NONE! A guest should have never been given that room. The housekeeping should have recognized and smelled the problems of that room. Some of the issues you talked about didn’t suddenly appear overnight and have been long ongoing problems. I’m sorry that happened to you, I know it’s hard to not let it put a damper in the vacation.

 

[2010dvcfan]

I agree, if the room was in that bad of shape especially with a "dead animal" smell it should never have been given out. There should be come quality control inspections that are being missed to have a room get in that bad of shape. I do wish you had moved rooms, there's really no coming back from some of those issues.

Certainly puts my conditioner dispenser being out of conditioner in my room in prospective. I called 3 times in 5 days they never did come and fill it up. I don't like that new call center, I don't think messages are being passed on properly.

 

[robinb]

Certainly puts my conditioner dispenser being out of conditioner in my room in prospective. I called 3 times in 5 days they never did come and fill it up. I don't like that new call center, I don't think messages are being passed on properly.

The call center has never been good. The best method to get stuff taken care of is to go down to the front desk and tell someone there.

 

[mistysue]

They should have had a crew of people in there the help you move the moment they thought it was a dead animal.

The dogs- vests are not a real service animal thing. Anyone can put a vest on a dog. It doesn't mean they are a service animal, and not having one means nothing. Most of those vests at this point are sold to people faking service dogs because there's this weird stereotype that they need a vest to be a service animal.

I'm sorry about your trip. Last/only time we stayed at OKW we came home and started shopping for more points at other places.

 

[2010dvcfan]

They should have had a crew of people in there the help you move the moment they thought it was a dead animal.

The dogs- vests are not a real service animal thing. Anyone can put a vest on a dog. It doesn't mean they are a service animal, and not having one means nothing. Most of those vests at this point are sold to people faking service dogs because there's this weird stereotype that they need a vest to be a service animal.

I'm sorry about your trip. Last/only time we stayed at OKW we came home and started shopping for more points at other places.

Agreed, stayed there once just to get it checked off the list so I could experience all DVC resorts and said never again, nothing about it that I liked.

 

[lilsonicfan]

There are some parts of your post that register as legitimate complaints and others that seem a bit... "grumpy old man sits on his porch waving his cane and railing at the world", for lack of a better description. I totally get that the dead animal smell is gross and the room is clearly not well maintained and needs updating, but they replaced the dryer, they offered to move your room... I don't really get why you didn't, other than inconvenience, but surely the other issues you mentioned also are not convenient.

I also don't get the complaint about dogs, where else would they relieve themselves.

 

[Pens Fan]

This room should never have been assigned. Sorry that you are dealing with all of that! I definitely would have taken them up on the offer of a new room, though. Yes, it would have been an inconvenience. But once moved, that would be it and you could relax and enjoy your vacation instead of continuing to stress out over these problems.

The dog thing wouldn't bother me, though. As others have said, they could be service dogs or people moved from the campground due to the storm.

 

[VGCgroupie]

Room should have never been given. I would be furious, however I would have also demanded a new room and taken it when offered.

 

[SpaceMountain77]

Before we unpack, we always conduct a visual inspection of the room and check everything we may use, including appliances, fixtures, and outlets. If there is anything that is not in working order, we call to report it upon arrival, so that resort Cast Members are aware that it was not something that we had done. At VGF, for example, we had a studio with a missing floor lamp and another with a missing refrigerator. Calls were immediate as we did not want anyone to think we took either as a souvenir. In a AKV - Jambo House Value Studio, someone must have left their child unattended for an extended period of time as the wall alongside the bed was covered in blue crayon drawings. Not a few lines, covered. The child must have stood on the bed and leaned against the wall to create their masterpiece.

While not helpful now, I always recommend doing a sweep of the room, calling to inform Cast Members of issues, and, if absolutely needed, requesting a room change. A noticeable smell and/or mold certainly warrant a room change.

 

[VGCgroupie]

Before we unpack, we always conduct a visual inspection of the room and checcertainly warrant a room change.

Same. We also always do the famous bed bug check.

 

[mikeuno]

Good advice regarding doing a room sweep prior to settling in to your villa.