New Preferred View Booking Categories At BWV

[Mic]

As a BWV owner, I am happy to hear of the booking change. I tried unsuccessfully several times to get the coveted boardwalk view to no avail, then started booking standard view so I would know where I would be. I was aghast at the number of people that were able to switch rooms(with no $75 penalty) because they thought that simply having a room at the BWV entitled them to the boardwalk view. And my family, having booked before them and in most cases paying higher dues, had a nice, preferred-view of the side of Community Hall. I believe the change will actually make standard view more available, as a lot of owners book standard view because of the lack of view guarantee for preferred. Only time will tell!

 

[childsplay]

I think this is a nice perk for the BWV owners, but there is no doubt in my mind, that in the not too distant future we are going to see a significant up-tick in the number of BW view rentals avialiable on E-Bay and other sites.

 

[BEACHCLUBVILLAS]

Originally posted by childsplay
I think this is a nice perk for the BWV owners, but there is no doubt in my mind, that in the not too distant future we are going to see a significant up-tick in the number of BW view rentals avialiable on E-Bay and other sites.

I agree and I hadn't thought of that but that just goes with the territory.

 

[DebbieB]

Originally posted by married@wdw
Disney may have made it right by many of you, but they haven't made it right by me. I'm sorry you can't see that. I do feel that on this thread the BWV owners seem to think that they are better than everyone else. I followed the policies and rules as they were stated to me and was doing what I was told to do by MS. Now I'm out of luck. I would feel terrible if it happened to one of you and I always lend a sympathetic ear. I'm certainly not getting one in return.

The problem is the rules keep changing. I bought at BWV in 1999 and was told that the boardwalk view was assigned by date of reservation. So by buying there I would have a good chance if I made my reservation at 11 months. I could have bought an OKW resale for less money & less dues but I chose to buy at BWV to have the 11 month window there since OKW is usually not a problem at 7 months. BWV has the highest dues of any WDW DVC resort. By doing first come/first served I lose my 11 month advantage for requests. I think they should go back to the assignment by reservation date at all resorts. But I like knowing up front if I will get the BW view, otherwise I will book standard.

 

[WDWguru]

Exactly, DebbieB. I think that's the point that married@ keeps missing here. You (married@) keep posting that you followed the rules and were doing what you were told by MS, but what you're failing to read in the responses is SO DID WE.

You say MS changed the policy from first-come-first-served with no warning after you made your reservation. Well, they also changed the policy TO first-come-first-served with no warning after I my MY reservation. Neither one was more unfair to either of us, it's just what happened.

The problem here is that MS apparently had in place a system whereby requests were assigned in order of reservation date for several years. They told that to people when they purchased, everyone got used to it happening that way and counted on it. Then people began to figure out that if they asked, even if they had to get pushy about it sometimes, they could get into their room earlier or maybe even get a coveted request. Word got out, so more people started doing it.

Here's what I think happened from there... MS took notice and began paying attention, thinking that meant more people wanted into rooms earlier. They used OKW as a test for a new first-come-first-served assignment method. Nobody complained too much, after all there aren't a lot of bad views at OKW, so they started to implement it site-wide. Problem is, they didn't officially tell anyone this. It sort of trickled out through this board and people asking MS when they called. This is where the problem really got bad... different people made reservations and requests based on both policies, which could not reasonably be rectified. MS realized they had a mess on their hands at BWV, where the view was a bigger deal than at their test resort (OKW). To make it fair to everyone, they went back to the old system. To ensure it didn't just start up again with the folks arriving early, they put in a system to lock in the one view that was causing them the most problems. Argument stopped... everyone now knows they can't push it, so they won't.

This does seem to create some recourse at other resorts. Will the management realize that just because it's not as vocal a complaint at other resorts, it's still a big deal? Will they switch back to the reservation date priority everywhere else? I hope so, but they will have to come up with a way to enforce it. I don't know that setting "views" will work, but that doesn't have to be the only way. They can require a manager to approve any additional requests made at check-in, instructing them that only medical reasons or extraordinary circumstances are to even be considered. They could lock the front desk machines out of changing room assignments until after the official 4:00 check-in time.

Honestly, I don't know what the best solution is, but I'd rather see them go back to the reservation date priority and enforce it, giving owners a priority at each resort, than to continue with the first-come-first-served system.

 

[married@wdw]

Originally posted by WDWguru
Exactly, DebbieB. I think that's the point that married@ keeps missing here. You (married@) keep posting that you followed the rules and were doing what you were told by MS, but what you're failing to read in the responses is SO DID WE.

No, I'm not missing that. I know that the information from MS has changed more than once. And like I said -- I know MS has done right by many others and this current policy is more fair. If they were going to change things -- AGAIN -- they had to let down somebody, and that's me. My complaint is with the timing and the way it's been handled. MS should stop making changes arbitrarily. Make a rule, announce the rule and set a date for it to begin that won't effect current reservation holders. Stop doing it willy-nilly. You wouldn't feel let down if you were in my situation?

What if you are a BWV owner who made a reservation at 11 months out for next June, but you hadn't put in special requests yet. Or like me, what if you asked for a view of something other than the Boardwalk -- I asked for Atlantic Dance or Beach Club view specifically. These people were overlooked with the new policy change and I don't know how MS rectifies those. Quite possibly, they gave all the BW view rooms away already and now you have to waitlist, even though you had a reservation first. With some notice, these problems could have been rectified as well before the policy went into effect.

But the bigger let down for me has been that I turned to these boards for support, advice and maybe even a shoulder to cry on a bit and what I got from this thread was a bunch of people saying too bad, you lose. I didn't do anything wrong here.

 

[RobDoc]

Originally posted by married@wdw
...
But the bigger let down for me has been that I turned to these boards for support, advice and maybe even a shoulder to cry on a bit and what I got from this thread was a bunch of people saying too bad, you lose. I didn't do anything wrong here.

Perhaps I've missed something critical to your complaint, but I don't see where anything has changed regarding your request.

When you made your reservation you were not guaranteed anything. MS suggested that you ask at check-in about the view you want. The new policy does not prevent that same scenario from occuring. If there are any of the views you want that have not been requested or if there is a last minute cancellation, you may still get your request by asking at check-in. You can also ask MS to be placed on the waitlist for that view right now- just like everyone else.

I didn't see that MS guaranteed that you'd get your requests met by arriving early or "pressing your case"- they mentioned that as a suggestion that could help get what you want at arrival...and that suggestion is just as valid now- even with the policy change.

The prior policy was requests are not guaranteed- whether made 11 months ahead or at check-in. Now, some requests can be guaranteed- but that does not eliminate the possibility that your requests may still be honored. With Disney and DVC anything is possible.

I'd rather take the view that the glass is half full and see what happens at check-in- you may just be pleasantly surprised. If it doesn't happen- nothing is lost since you don't have a guarantee now. You can't lose something you never had in the first place.

I hope you get the room you want, but have a great trip regardless.

Enjoy!

 

[WDWguru]

married@, I hope you don't take my postings as insensitive to your plight. I absolutely sympathize. You're right, somebody was going to get disappointed either way. I was feeling EXACTLY the way you are just last week. I felt cheated because I had made my reservation under a certain policy, then the policy was changed on me. Same boat, different ocean.

I agree 100% that MS needed to make a decision one way or the other, make a rule, announce it unequivocally and stick to it. The fact that they failed to do this in the first place is what started the whole mess.

 

[DebbieB]

married@wdw, I'm sorry if you feel we aren't being sensitive to you. I have been in your shoes. When I made my first BWV reservation right at 11 months with the boardwalk view request, I really expected to get it. There is a member on another board who almost always gets his requested boardwalk view, so I assumed (wrongly) that it meant if you made your reservation at 11 months your chances were good. When they told me at the front desk that there were no boardwalk view rooms available, I was really disappointed. Checking in at 3:00pm probably didn't help. We were over the quiet pool, facing the canal & MGM, it was nice but not what I was picturing for 11 months.

 

[married@wdw]

WebmasterDoc -- what changed is that now I know in advance that I won't have a Boardwalk View (pending a waitlist miracle). MS gave me false hope that upon check-in I would have a *chance* at a BW view. Had the current policy been in effect when I made the reservation, I would have booked at OKW as we always do. I used all borrowed points for this reservation, so I'll lose points if I switch back to OKW and I don't want to stay elsewhere. And I do believe the new policy means that we won't get a BW view unless our waitlist comes through -- that's the point of the waitlist in combination with the new policy. If someone cancels, even at the last minute, the next person on the waitlist gets bumped up to that BW view. I guess miracles do happen, but given my conversations with MS yesterday, I felt better about my chances before the change.

WDWGuru -- thanks for your reply. I do understand. MS made the choice to disappoint the fewest number of members and I just feel a little lost in the shuffle. Hopefully things will work out in the end. We'll have a fabulous vacation either way. I'm thrilled (and very jealous!) for all those that have BW view confirmed.

 

[Lisa F]

Originally posted by married@wdw
And yes I did say "pressing my case" which are the words the MS CM I spoke with used. You basically called me one of those insane people who flips out at the check-in desk, then said I was going to "push really hard" to get what I want. I am not one of those people and I do take offense. I was taught it never hurts to ask and MS said asking early helps, so that's what I was going to do. Please stop inferring otherwise.

I just want to clarify that never once did I say that you were "one of those insane people who flips out at the check-in desk." What I said was that it is people who "press their case" and convince the checkin cm, though whatever means they might use (some might be saying "this is a very special occasion", some might be very upset, some might cry, some might beg, some might just refuse to leave until they get what they want) to get into a BW view room that they are not otherwise entitled to are the reason for the change in policy. By entitled, I mean that people who made the reservation earlier than the person checking in requested and was assigned a BW view room that was taken away by someone who arrived early and "pressed their case" until they got what they wanted.

Nothing has really changed. All MS has done is made it more difficult (nearly impossible) for someone to circumvent the system that has always been in place, that is, requests are granted in the order in which you made your reservation. I agree with Doc that if all you were really hoping for was a last minute cancellation or for a BW view to somehow get "missed" then your chances of getting a BW view have not changed one bit. In fact, now that you are on the wait list for a BW view, you probably have a better chance of getting one since you may still end up with a confirmed reservation in one. I'm sorry if I don't sound sympathetic but that's because I honestly don't think you have anything to complain about. I don't think you're a bad person or an insane person or any of the things that you seem to think I am saying about you. My comments were about the course of action that you were planning to take and pointing out that actions like those are likely the cause for the change in the first place. I'm not saying you're a BAD person for doing whatever you can to get a BW view. I do hope you have a wonderful trip and encourage you to not let a view other than a boardwalk view ruin a special occasion.

Lisa

 

[ncligs]

Bottom line( I am not a BWV owner)is.....................BWV owners "SHOULD" have preference on BW views if they make the reservations 11 months out. If you wanted that advantage, you should have bought at BWV.

 

[ArRzrbk]

After reading all this, I think I am glad I don't have all the benefits of BWV ownership. I own at BCV, and at first I thought it would be great to have all the points choices and view choices that BWV ownership affords, but...

This thread makes it sound like one big headache. Everyone scrambling to get the best views, the lowest points. MS changing the system to try and make the "unhappy" people happy.

So many stressed out people and so much back and forth. Isn't Disney supposed to be the "happiest place on earth." My goodness

ArRzrbk a.k.a Char

 

[Dean]

Originally posted by married@wdw
Disney may have made it right by many of you, but they haven't made it right by me. I'm sorry you can't see that. I do feel that on this thread the BWV owners seem to think that they are better than everyone else. I followed the policies and rules as they were stated to me and was doing what I was told to do by MS. Now I'm out of luck. I would feel terrible if it happened to one of you and I always lend a sympathetic ear. I'm certainly not getting one in return.

And yes I did say "pressing my case" which are the words the MS CM I spoke with used. You basically called me one of those insane people who flips out at the check-in desk, then said I was going to "push really hard" to get what I want. I am not one of those people and I do take offense. I was taught it never hurts to ask and MS said asking early helps, so that's what I was going to do. Please stop inferring otherwise.

It never hurts to ask and you should not be sorry for doing so. However, a non member at a specific resort should not expect to get the top choices, period. Even if one is a member at that resort, they should only get the top options when using the home resort points. Frankly, a non BWV DVC member should never get a BWV if things are done appropriately at least if a BWV members wants it even if they reserved 6 months after the non BWV member. As for BWV members being better, they are at BW just as BCV members are better at BC and so on. It's a fact of life in timeshares and is far more pronounced at many non DVC timeshares than within DVC. We were at Marriott's Grande Ocean this summer with 3 units. We own two and the other was an internal Marriott exchange. The difference in view and location was dramatic. Most Marriotts assign rooms in the order of Owner, Cash Renter, Marriott exchanger, Non Marriott exchanger, Getaways. At some resorts within II (and RCI) the difference is even more dramatic, that’s one of the reasons I recommend against the Lawaii Beach resort on Kauai.

 

[Dean]

Originally posted by ncligs
Bottom line( I am not a BWV owner)is.....................BWV owners "SHOULD" have preference on BW views if they make the reservations 11 months out. If you wanted that advantage, you should have bought at BWV.

To emphasize what I posted in my longer note, BWV owners should get preference PERIOD just as owners at any DVC resort should get preference. The only exception is that a specific reservation should not be changed for anyone without their permission. So in the current system (new) a non BWV member who happens to get the BWV should not have it taken away from them unless they change their reservaiton (cancel and rebook). But if they change from a 2 BR to a 1 BR, they should go to the bottom of the list which is the current policy anyway though it's not consistently enforced.

 

[mistermouse]

To emphasize what I posted in my longer note, BWV owners should get preference PERIOD just as owners at any DVC resort should get preference.

Exactly! And hopefully this is the way DVC is now moving. Just don't forget or dismiss the view preferences of owners at the other DVC resorts.

First come, first served should not be applicable to your home resort!

Another note: renters should be the last in line for preferred views - no membership card should mean no preferred view.

Disclaimer: Our opinions are just that - opinions. The changes being discussed will not impact the fact that we are very satisfied with our DVC ownership at BCV and VWL.

 

[sgtdisney]

Originally posted by ncligs
Bottom line( I am not a BWV owner)is.....................BWV owners "SHOULD" have preference on BW views if they make the reservations 11 months out. If you wanted that advantage, you should have bought at BWV.

In theory I completely agree with this. This new room catagory is wonderful news for BWV DVC members who are able to book at 11 months out. But to play devil's advocate for a moment, shouldn't other DVC members have the same kind of privledges? I know there are few views to rival the highly sought after Boardwalk view, but there are some preferences at the other resorts that are highly sought after as well and yet these DVC members get what is available when they check in. For example Buildings 11, 12, 13 etc are preferred by many at OKW but there is no guarantee in getting those. I think DVC and member services is opening themselves up for even more 'vocal' complaints now regarding the other resorts and we will see how they handle those.. How does that saying go, once one horse gets out of the barn...

Also, let me state for the record too, that we never book at 11 months, many times not even at 7 and the view doesn't make or break my trip so what happens with this doesn't bother me. My only issue would be in getting a smoking room when I don't want one, but in 12 years that has never happened.

 

[Dean]

Originally posted by mistermouse
Exactly! And hopefully this is the way DVC is now moving. Just don't forget or dismiss the view preferences of owners at the other DVC resorts.

First come, first served should not be applicable to your home resort!

Another note: renters should be the last in line for preferred views - no membership card should mean no preferred view.

Disclaimer: Our opinions are just that - opinions. The changes being discussed will not impact the fact that we are very satisfied with our DVC ownership at BCV and VWL.

In my example, renters are those that rent cash from the system, in this case CRO. One who rents from a member will be treated as a guest of the member though it would be possible to change to put them last, this will never happen. I still don't like the first come/first served option. While I think it's possible to do it the right way, dealing with entry level people for years suggests they will rarely "do it the right way". If they want to follow the current plans, they would have a group of rooms for members at that resort (any DVC resort) and a group of lessor rooms for DVC members that own at other resorts. Still, I do see the problem with preassigning rooms with the way DVC is set up. One way to fix the problem is to require a minimim stay of 3 days or more and make them specific of Friday to Monayd and Monday-Friday. Can you hear the whining then. It would make it very easy for them to preassign the rooms and I think this is legal within the recorded POS.

 

[Dean]

Originally posted by sgtdisney
In theory I completely agree with this. This new room catagory is wonderful news for BWV DVC members who are able to book at 11 months out. But to play devil's advocate for a moment, shouldn't other DVC members have the same kind of privledges? I know there are few views to rival the highly sought after Boardwalk view, but there are some preferences at the other resorts that are highly sought after as well and yet these DVC members get what is available when they check in. For example Buildings 11, 12, 13 etc are preferred by many at OKW but there is no guarantee in getting those. I think DVC and member services is opening themselves up for even more 'vocal' complaints now regarding the other resorts and we will see how they handle those.. How does that saying go, once one horse gets out of the barn...

Also, let me state for the record too, that we never book at 11 months, many times not even at 7 and the view doesn't make or break my trip so what happens with this doesn't bother me. My only issue would be in getting a smoking room when I don't want one, but in 12 years that has never happened.

I feel an owner at any DVC resort should have preference over a non owner regardless of when they booked. Not because of this BWV change but in general. However, to say that another resort doesn't have anything doesn't diminish the reasonableness of this change. The fact is most of the resorts have little that would compare. The fact is that one bought into a resort that doesn't have anything special in terms of one room compared to another has nothing to do with BWV members. To one person the rooms at their resort may ALL be better than the BW view. IMO, the only other changes I can think of that fit into the level of reasonableness are the smoking/non rooms and the VB oceanview. The pool, epcot views at BCV aren't enough different IMO to warrant this type of intervention. Still, members there should get preference. I'm still hopefull that DVC will do away with the FC/FS method even if it takes a minimum stay change to do so.

 

[PamOKW]

I don't like the current combination that now seems to be in place. BWV will now allow specific booking of views based on when reservations are made but the other resorts are switching away from taking requests in the order that the reservation was made and instead assigning rooms as people arrive at the resort? This doesn't seem to be an equal system. Maybe, they will revert back to the old way for the other resorts once this BW system is in place.