Not a fan of the "new" Unbeach Club Villas

[North of Mouse]

Why not just embrace the new technology instead of hanging on to the old obsolete technology?

It's been years since I threw out my old dvds and I can't recall when I had a dvdplayer.

Regards

I'm not the person this was directed to, but for me, I still have my dvds, players in car and home and I like them. One day I may have to let go, but as for now - works perfectly for me, and that's my preferred way.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

With all respect, I understand why dvc removed the DVD player. A dvdplayer is old and the New Technology is streaming. Dvc provide good wifi coverage through out their resorts or at least they did at the resorts I visited.

Why not just embrace the new technology instead of hanging on to the old obsolete technology?

It's been years since I threw out my old dvds and I can't recall when I had a dvdplayer.

Regards

1. Why are they still giving out DVDs at the front desk
2. Why don't they upgrade the internet so that "new technology" can work?

Seriously, until Disney updates their technology I don't think they should quit supporting the "old obsolete" LOL!

As for BCV. I was incredibly disappointed. The rooms are generic, the TV is WAY to large. No I don't want to be welcomed to a giant movie theatre!

Overall, my favorite resort now only has location going for it!

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

I stay at Hampton Inns pretty often, as does my DH. . .the villas are no Hampton. Hilton maybe. And if Hilton owned the BCV, that room in that location would be about the same price.

Yes and no.

If Hilton owned it you would get "points" for staying there and "rewards" for being a frequent guest
You would have professional hotel management not Disney pretenders.
And probably you would NOT pay as much. The Starwood resorts next door are often half the price Disney wants....

 

[ScubaCat]

Yes and no.

If Hilton owned it you would get "points" for staying there and "rewards" for being a frequent guest
You would have professional hotel management not Disney pretenders.
And probably you would NOT pay as much. The Starwood resorts next door are often half the price Disney wants....

Yup. We stayed at Embassy Suites Anaheim South on my points last spring break and had far better service than we get at BCV, plus an included breakfast buffet that was shockingly superior to Cape May's overpriced character-themed mediocrity (which USED to be delicious before the latest routine combination of budget cuts and price increases). The best thing about the DVC is proximity to the parks and the amenities like the busing. Disney's overall hotel operations are vastly inferior to companies that specialize in it as their primary business. Thank goodness for online check in (when it works, about 50% of the time). It saves me the 20 minutes of standing at a counter while people try and figure out how to check me in.

 

[mac_tlc]

We just returned last night from a stay at OKW. It may NOT be the final design. Many that have seen the units have complained about the lack of theming. Took an unofficial tour of the new units, studio/1 BR. Looks nothing like Key West, more like it belongs in BLT. Stainless steel appliances, look nice, white cabinets in a shaker style, white counter tops. The island has been expanded to hold a 55 inch TV, the back side, facing the sink has storage shelves and in normal counter height. The furniture is the same old stuff just with new plain fabric. The big tub is gone, replaced with the same as BCV tub, but again the complaints indicate they will keep a whirlpool tub. The shutter between the Master bed and tub has been removed and is now a solid wall. Big screen TV added with a wall mount in Master BR. New tile in bath, gray wood look long tiles on floor. Shower has all glass sides and door. Studio side has new carpet, larger TV but nothing else that stood out. All paint color is light gray not at all Key West feel. The Key West photos are gone, more generic photos have replaced them.
The unit looks very nice, but just nothing looks like a beach or Key West theme.
Again, it is NOT final as they get feed back from owners and their designers changes are being looked at. I could not take photos as it is still "a work in progress"

Seems like another step in the wrong direction, sorta like the last one. Really disappointed they are getting rid of the big tub. We will be down in Orlando in a couple of weeks. Not staying on-site, but I'd love to see the new units so I can offer my comments ---

 

[Simba's Mom]

If Hilton owned it you would get "points" for staying there and "rewards" for being a frequent guest
.

And when we check in, we get bottled water and warm cookies. Not so at WDW (at least HHI as the cookies).

 

[njmeisje]

PLEASE don't tell me they removed the dolphins from the bathroom???

 

[Cyberc1978]

Yeah, that is what we thought, too -- but we haven't yet been given a menu of streaming, on demand, videos of similar quantity and variety as the collection borrowed from a Community Hall. So it appears they removed the video player (be it DVD, Blu-ray or whatever) before offering the streaming options??

And, FWIW, I've been growing my collection of media-dependent video in recent years as my specific area of study is still churning out lots of DVDs with very limited streaming access. I plan to tote a stack of DVDs on my next vacation -- all training related. (All fun topics -- nothing that takes away from the vacation mood.)

So you require DVC to provide you with streaming options if they remove they DVD'es?. IMHO they already provide you with streaming options, you have the wifi in each unit, but you ofc need to pay for the streaming service your self.

I know we are all different, but I can't recall a single vacation when someone in my family turned on the TV - Kids did however use their iPads in the mornings. We tend to play games with our kids in stead.

 

[Cyberc1978]

Until Disney gets the properly sized pipe for streaming it would better the guest experience to have the DVD players available. Since they maintained a DVD library for use it wasn't exactly outdated for practical use. Of course the libraries were pretty stale but it still gave families options when they were in the rooms for whatever reason.

Once Disney updates their technology then it's a better time to talk about moving on.

Well I dont agree, why should DVC provide an option for either watching dvd'es or streaming? At most places you get wifi and a tv with xx number of channels, if you need anythng else you need to bring i yourself, IMHO thats the way it should be at DVC also. Why use MF to maintain a DVD library or use MF to expand their throughput internet wise?

I'm not the person this was directed to, but for me, I still have my dvds, players in car and home and I like them. One day I may have to let go, but as for now - works perfectly for me, and that's my preferred way.

Thats also fair enough, but that does not mean that DVC should keep the dvdplayers or dvd collection. At one point I also thought about getting a dvd player for my car, but that was more than 10 yeas ago. Now I'm glad that I didn't, if my kids want to watch a movie, they stream it, using my internet connection from my phone.

1. Why are they still giving out DVDs at the front desk
2. Why don't they upgrade the internet so that "new technology" can work?


Seriously, until Disney updates their technology I don't think they should quit supporting the "old obsolete" LOL!

As for BCV. I was incredibly disappointed. The rooms are generic, the TV is WAY to large. No I don't want to be welcomed to a giant movie theatre!

Overall, my favorite resort now only has location going for it!

The "new technology" works imho fine, my daughter used it just last month at AKV,SSR and OKW no problem whatsoever. That was however only for her iPad.

 

[bwvBound]

So you require DVC to provide you with streaming options if they remove they DVD'es?. IMHO they already provide you with streaming options, you have the wifi in each unit, but you ofc need to pay for the streaming service your self.

I know we are all different, but I can't recall a single vacation when someone in my family turned on the TV - Kids did however use their iPads in the mornings. We tend to play games with our kids in stead.

I might not require -- but DVD, or similar media player, was a component of the unit design when we purchased and we do USE it. I travel with a small stack of training videos that I'm always trying to conquer and enjoy using some quiet time in the room to view these or to simply catch up on recent Disney releases. Watching Disney content IS part of our 'vacation' or down-time plans. We don't visit the parks as often as others might, rarely travel with children, don't hang out at the bars and likely spend more time in the room than most between conference activities.

 

[ScubaCat]

Well I dont agree, why should DVC provide an option for either watching dvd'es or streaming?

They don't have to. But they did, even used it as a Bennie when selling the property, then decided meh, why bother? Save a few bucks and get rid of it.

I don't think that one thing is really a problem. It's just yet another example in an endless stream of decisions to diminish the product in favor of saving a few bucks on top of already obscene profits. On the flip side, it's not all that surprising.

 

[goofy4tink]

Just returned from a stay in a studio at BCV. No, the old decor didn't scream 'beach' at me. But the new decor doesn't either! It's fairly bland. The vanity area has little to no storage. The fixtures have a very cheap look and feel. The drapes were way too filmy. And the available storage for clothing? Ridiculous. If my dh had been with me it would have been an issue. It's terrific that the extra bed is there, but it would have been nice to have decent storage for my clothes!
It was just okay. Sure, it was clean and fresh looking. But a bit of whimsy would have been welcome. Perhaps I should have opened the fold out bed to see what whimsy there was there.
I just don't get the same feel I used to get. And it's the same at BWV.
Guess I'll just have to get used to it.

 

[crisi]

Actually yes I do, other than a few pieces of art work in the old decor, I found nothing about it said Beach to me. The garish bright colors are not what I think of when I think beach. I think of subtle sand tones and light blues, coral and waves. All that is found in the new decor and was very much lacking in the old decor.
...

I know this is an old post, but I was thinking about this thread recently.

I never liked the decor of BCV - its never been my jam. Although MASSIVE improvement when they got rid of the original couch. When I used to whine about the decor on here, people would tell me it was supposed to be grandma's beach home on the Atlantic coast. I've never done an Atlantic coast beach home - but I've done plenty of Minnesota Lake cabins. And while Minnesota lake homes tend to feel more rustic, I think I know what they were going for. It might not be my thing, but I get the thing.

The old color scheme felt much more beachy. I REALLY disliked the old carpet, but my mother in law would love it...so if its grandma's place, I get that. The wicker look chair felt beachy, and the mismatched prints felt like the hand me down furniture you often get in a second home. The watercolor paintings felt authentic to the beach home feel (in a Minnesota lake home it would have been duck stamp prints or loons - but the watercolors felt right for that theme) The new contemporary art isn't beachy to me. The original trunk coffee table felt really authentic to me - that went when the original couch did, the replacement looked cheap, and the new one feels souless. And speaking of souless - the light fixtures never did it for me, but the new ones can't trace anything to the beach - unless maybe you are in a casino in Atlantic City.

I like modern. And I honestly like the room better in its new decor - and would approve - if it wasn't a Disney room at the Beach Club Villas. It doesn't feel anything like Disney to me. The old room wasn't to my taste, but Grandma's beach house is seldom decorated to my taste

I've only stayed in BCV during the mid-decor phase (decent couch, cheap coffee table, bad carpet), so I'm getting the rest of it from pictures.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Just returned from a stay in a studio at BCV. No, the old decor didn't scream 'beach' at me. But the new decor doesn't either! It's fairly bland. The vanity area has little to no storage. The fixtures have a very cheap look and feel. The drapes were way too filmy. And the available storage for clothing? Ridiculous. If my dh had been with me it would have been an issue. It's terrific that the extra bed is there, but it would have been nice to have decent storage for my clothes!
It was just okay. Sure, it was clean and fresh looking. But a bit of whimsy would have been welcome. Perhaps I should have opened the fold out bed to see what whimsy there was there.
I just don't get the same feel I used to get. And it's the same at BWV.
Guess I'll just have to get used to it.

We also were in a studio recently (left a week ago yesterday). The decor didn't bother me as much as the lack of a freezer section (DH had to go to the ice machine every night, just like the old "pre-DVC" days) and that tiny coffee maker. Yes, we called for a full size coffee maker, but they told us they were all out. Not surprising-the studios have a capacity of 4 people, but in reality those coffee makers only give 2+ cups of coffee. What's with that? What I liked was the tile around the bathtub-it's like being surrounded by waves-"Under the Sea"



And the floor of the bathroom was like sparkly white sand. Maybe I expected to feel "unbeachy", but I was too busy being grumpy about my lack of coffee or ice.

 

[Olaf]

Staying at BCV right now. I'm OK with the new decor, not thrilled, just OK. Maybe it's because it was looking so shoddy and rundown, that I'm just happy for any update. Not liking the artwork at all. They hung the old prints in the toilet room (1bedroom), and they really don't match the modern decor or the other prints. The closet thingie is ridiculous. They really need to fix that, lost about 25 percent of already small closet. The desk is the same, just repainted. The chest/mirror in the bedroom are the same, and really doesn't match the other furniture. I like the faux wood tile in the entry/living room. The tile work in the bathroom is not very well done, and will need recaulking soon. Disney really cut corners with this one.

 

[awilliams4]

We stayed in a 2 Bedroom back in June. We had a refurbed room and we were happy with it.

 

[disneynutz]

Like or dislike it doesn't really matter to Disney, they will do what they, not the owners want.

Bill

 

[Hopefully]

We just returned Saturday night from a 7 night 1 BR Villa stay. Much to my surprise I really liked the new Villa. Based on pictures and reports, I did not expect to like it. I am very happy with the change.

 

[crisi]

Like or dislike it doesn't really matter to Disney, they will do what they, not the owners want.

Bill

And owners will never agree anyway, but we can still enjoy ourselves expressing our opinions.

 

[Sammie]

Like or dislike it doesn't really matter to Disney, they will do what they, not the owners want.

Bill

I definitely disagree. There is no way they can please every single member as what everyone likes is so different and there are hundreds of thousands of members. But I do think they take member feedback into the mix. Many have said, on other forums especially DVC's Facebook page they felt the Beach Club rooms were much more attractive than the villas. The villas new look is more in line with the hotel rooms. So while they might not be listening to you, your complaint might actually be in the minority.