New Preferred View Booking Categories At BWV

[Dean]

Originally posted by deerh
Interesting. How are we paying "extra" for this. I do not comprenhend this. Please explain....
DeerH

deerh, this is a reference to my idea that too many options will increase the costs of members. I don't think it applies mucy in this case that much though, I don't see booking smoking/nonsmoking or unit view as having that much of an affect. OTOH, having odd size rooms like a sleep 6 One BR is a different matter. Still if one calls and part of the days are available and part not, it will cause extra time and work for MS which is money. Well worth it IMO, now when will they do this for nonsmoking.

 

[Eeyore2U]

Effective immediately, the Preferred View accommodations will be identified by one of the following new categories - Preferred: Garden/Pool View and Preferred: BoardWalk View. Both categories require the same number of Vacation Points for reservation of accommodations. At the time of your booking you will be able to request the BoardWalk View category and will know at that time if this is the room category that you will receive at check-in. If these accommodations are not available, you may request the Garden/Pool View category.

Dean,

As I read the policy on the Member's Site this jumps out and the bolded jumps out even more. I stick to my point. The rooms are being assigned at time of reservation. I guess that also is "first come, first serve"

 

[Dean]

Originally posted by Eeyore2U
Dean,

As I read the policy on the Member's Site this jumps out and the bolded jumps out even more. I stick to my point. The rooms are being assigned at time of reservation. I guess that also is "first come, first serve"

Maybe we're talking different things or the same things in different ways. Here's the way I see it. The resorts went more to a assign at check in system. Not all were done this way but many. Members complained because the rules had been book early for preference and that went away.

Now under the new system, the resort can still assign at check in but must assign a certain type of room just like it was a different unit size. The unit isn't determined but hte unit type is set.

What I read into your note was that this was proof that they were never doing first come/first seved; maybe I misread it. If I did, I apologize. If not, I see it as an admission that they WERE doing first come AND that the members were complaining and this is an attempt at fixing it. A good one I might add.

 

[MiaSRN62]

they've created two separate preferred view categories at BWV. Preferred:Boardwalk View and Preferred:Garden/Pool view.

Ok...now I just need to figure out where my "supposedly" preferred view at BWV fits into this ? I got the view of the valet parking lot and a small canal---with TOT off to the right and only visible when actually standing out on the balcony. Is this considered "garden" ? I honestly don't know. I'm actually awaiting a response from MS on this issue too.

 

[luckytso]

I wonder if DVC will eventually add "ocean view room" at VB. When I made my reservtion for 4/04 for a 1-br, I was specifically told that I cannot request ocean view until check-in because everyone wants them and there are so few.

 

[floridafam]

I don't see them adding the ocean view category for the villas at VB. Why? Because there are so few of them and they couldn't raise the pts needed for these, could they?

Could they create a seperate category like this at VB? Would this then leave a lot of members unhappy because they don't need an ocean view villa and it's the only thing available at that particular time? I would happily pay extra pts for an ocean view villa but maybe there are others who wouldn't.

 

[PamOKW]

This sounds good on the surface but I think it will make booking at BWV very difficult. I suppose they can give it a try.

 

[DisneyMeMa]

I think this is a very goood idea. To us, it would be even better if they expanded on this to include smoking/ non smoking and HA categories at all DVC resorts. I don't see it as costing more, even possibly less. It solves a problem before there is one. You know what you are going to get and that's it! Maybe some of us would prefer to change dates, room sizes, etc. to get more of what we want, rather than what DVC wants to give us at check-in. Another example might be if you have points at more than one DVC resort you might take second choice of resort so you won't have a smoking room. IMHO it is really a step in the right direction. As others have said many times Disney really does want us to be happy.

 

[kathleena]

The check in "first come first serve" was a way to satisfy the people who wanted to have their room ready right away. BUt that on it's own would not preserve the 11 month advantage of the BWV owners.

Now they are just adding on the layer of room categories for the preferred views to maintain the home resort advantage. They will still do the check in "first come first serve" within the two categories.

The way I see it is: you call at 11 months, you get boardwalk view, then you arrive first, you get a choice of a room that's ready in the boardwalk views. If you like to be on the 5th floor, for example, but none are cleaned yet, you can have the choice to wait or to go to another floor where a room is ready. Or if you like to be near the elevator, and one is ready, but it's not on the floor you want, you can still take it if you want.

or you call later, you get pool view. You arrive first, you want to get in right away and they tell you that you have a choice of canal or quiet pool but none of the main pool views are ready. You wanted main pool 1st floor, so now you decide - room ready or room request?

I see this as a very positive improvement over the 11 month wait - will I or won't I get the BW view AND a way to satisfy the people that want to get in the room right away. I always felt bad for people when I read they called at 11 months and didn't get a BW view. Now there will be no more disappointment - except for those who don't reserve early. And even then, we all know that cancellations occur regularly.

 

[Lesley]

I like this.....the boardwalk view is not completely reliant on getting there early to check in or whatever...and you know when you reserve whether or not you're getting the BW view. Part of the reason I've been leaning towards standard views for my trips is because I'd really rather not look at Luna Park. Granted, I book at 11 months and have gotten my request for a BW view both times I reserved a preferred room.....but I knew it wasn't guaranteed and I wished it was. I got lucky!

This is also great for those who have tried numerous times to get a BW view and always end up with something else.

I really think the administrative costs to do this will be minimal, and don't see why Rich is complaining considering that he doesn't even own at BWV to end up paying for it through his dues.

Maria, sounds to me like you were given a standard view....since we had a very similar view that was a standard view room, at the end of the hallway, over the valet parking lot. We did have a view of Epcot from the kitchen side of our room and a view of MGM from our bedroom balcony. If you get something like that again, I'd question it. I believe the preferred views are all supposed to be facing the canal to MGM or the Boardwalk...including the pool views (since the pools are pretty much right on the canal too).

Pam, I'm curious as to why you think this will make booking more difficult? I do think that it will be harder to get standard views once the boardwalk views fill....but the standard rooms might not fill as fast at the 11mo. window now. I think it will pretty much keep anyone but BWV owners from getting anything but a pool/preferred view.....but really, BWV owners should get some sort of advantage.

 

[Zurg]

One of the keys to providing outstanding customer service is to keep expectaitions in line with what you can do so you can do them well.

This seems like a good move in that regard, not every room is a boardwalk view and the front desk can't change that. This helps guests know what to expect so the good folks at the front desk can focus on the service issues they can effect.

There seems to be a lot of disapointment over unrealistic expectations with regard to room locations. Hope this helps focus attention back to the outstanding service the CMs provide on things they can control.

 

[ArRzrbk]

First, I am happy for those of you at BWV, but sad for the rest of us who own elsewhere and thought they would be able to get a BoardWalk view during one of our stays. Bet that is next to impossible now at a 7 month window. No GV. No BoardWalk view. No lower points for standard views. Sigh. Sounds like I am again not sure about my home resort choice

And it also seems like the more I learn about DVC the more I think the system is designed to "encourage" you to buy into different resorts. You buy in, think you're set, and then realize if you really want to be able to stay at the other locales with any certainty, you need to own there. Not everyone has a lot of money

Also, if BWV has so many different view types now specified, it is so strange to me that BCV has only one. A view of trees only vs. a view Epcot is very different to me. Seems a little unfair to not have a real choice.

Does anyone think BCV will get view categories next? I know some of the views could probably be classifed as standard (should be lower points then too). But I am sure that is just wishful thinking.

BTW...do any of the views at BCV look out onto the "beach" and lake at all? Seems like they ought to, since it is the BCV.

Just a little down. Sorry for the sad post. And again, I really do think this is great for you BWV owners

ArRzrbk a.k.a Char

 

[WDWguru]

This ROCKS!! DH and I were concerned about the "first come first served" thing since we live out west and can't even get to Orlando before about 4:00. Even though we own two contracts at BWV and always book at the 11 month window and always request Boardwalk view, we had resigned ourselves to likely never get it. Thus far, we have not.

This will work perfectly for us and really makes us feel valued as owners of the resort. Now, what happens to current reservations? We have a May reservation with Boardwalk view requested. I just read on the site that some existing reservations have been switched, based on requests and reservation date. New confirmations will be sent out. I still plan to call and see if ours was switched. I wonder if they will create a waitlist for this new category system?

I also wonder if this will made standard views even harder to book if you wait past the 11 month window? Speaking for DH and I, if they indicate the preferred: boardwalk is not available, we'll just book standard. I have a feeling many others will as well.

 

[ncligs]

Originally posted by WDWguru
This ROCKS!!

............... I agree Kim, BWV's owners should have some benifits of booking at 11 months.

 

[CaptainMidnight]

Originally posted by ncligs

............... I agree Kim, BWV's owners should have some benifits of booking at 11 months.

I'm no longer a BWV owner, but I agree with the above.

 

[TIdoublegaER]

Here is what the member site says about existing reservations requesting bw view:

Member Services has already converted some existing reservations to the enhanced room categories, based on requests for the BoardWalk View and the date the reservation was confirmed. An updated confirmation will be sent to Members whose reservations have been confirmed for the Preferred: BoardWalk View category.

Hope this helps!

 

[Lisa F]

ArRzrbk a.k.a Char

I wouldn't say that the system is encouraging you to buy everywhere unless you want priority everywhere. The system is set up to give some advantage to people who actually bought into and pay dues at a certain resort. I'm sure you're aware that BWV dues are higher than any other resort on WDW property. It's a good thing that BWV owners have some benefits for ownership at BWV. I don't see why people who bought at other resorts and pay lower dues should have equal access to the GV's, standard views and now BW views. This is why people always say buy where you plan to stay the most.

As far as staying at different DVC resorts, if you really want the 11 month priority you can always arrange a trade with another DVC member. I think it's kind of nice (compared to other timeshares) that you have so much choice in the first place. It's so easy to book at resorts other than your home (if there is availability) vs trying to trade a week out. Offsite timeshare resorts in orlando don't even allow you to try anything else out in orlando. I think DVC is really a lot more flexible than you are giving it credit for!

BCV will not ever get a standard category of view. I think DVC is kind of sorry that they ever got into that at BWV in the first place, but they did it before the resort was sold out and points were "fixed." They could change around the whole points chart but then "preferred views" would go up and I think that would make a lot of people very angry, to have to pay more for their room so that others could pay less (it's not a matter of keeping it the same except for the "standard" view rooms).

You shouldn't feel badly about your choice at BCV. The major benefit of staying over there is SAB, which many are quick to point out, is a BIG benefit no one else has.

Lisa

 

[Crissup]

It wouldn't surprise me to see them rework the points slightly to make three columns on the point charts, with BW view costing the most.

As for my opinion, I'm glad to see them take this step. I'm also very glad that I'm a BWV owner. When I decided to add on to my existing BWV contract last year, obviously, BWV was not available. I chose to waitlist for points with my guide instead of buying elsewhere. I could have saved maintenance fees by buying elsewhere, but I'm a major advocate of buying where you intend to stay. I even disagreed with a DVC guide during a group add-on presentation during the DVC member cruise this past February. He didn't agree with the buy where you wanna stay theory. Glad he's not my guide.

 

[timC]

This is great. After all that recent talk about room requests, this puts fairness into the systems... at least for us owners...teeheehee.... sorry.

 

[Dean]

Owners at any single resort should always have benefits and preferences. I wouldn't be surprised to see a change in the points to reflect the new preferences, I feel it is a natural progression and only fair. Otherwise everyone will be calling and told there are no BW rooms. They will have to decide if they want a points differential to decrease demand. What I'm not sure is whether the structure of DVC will allow this change, it may not.