OK, Here's the Scoop ... SAB use by outside guests

[ChickieToo]

FYI -- if anything similar has been posted, I appologize.

After reading both the original thread regarding the planned Birthday Party at SAB on the resorts board, and the second thread on the DVC board, I began to think about the situation. I wasn't caught up in the "isn't this over the top for a kids birthday," or any other similar thoughts, becasue I really don't care what other people do with their money and so forth. But I really began to wonder about the rules and whether or not they could be stretched just by asking the right person. This was on my mind as we had just returned from BCV April 14-20. All-in-all we had a great trip. We treated my mother and my sister's family to rooms also, and they had a blast. However, some other friends of ours were staying at POR and I had to tell them I couldn't have them over to the SAB given the pool hopping rules, etc. I think they thought I was making it up at first, but it was fine.

Anyway, given our recent situation, I began to wonder if I could have had our friends over if I just asked, so I e-mailed member services. I basically told them the situation, gave them the thread links, and explained that I didn't really care what the rule was, but that I wanted to definitively know what the rule was for my own use, and that I thought the whole membership should be aware of any rule changes as well. I don't think my query was out-of-bounds.

Today I got a response, and here it is:


Thank you for contacting Member Services.

I appreciate your taking the time to share your concerns with us. This
had been brought to our attention and we have already been in contact
with this member. Birthday parties at Stormalong Bay are not available.
The currently locations that we have available for a guest to set up a
birthday party is at The Never Land Club at Disney's Polynesian Resort,
at Lottawatta Lodge at Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park and at
Disney's Winter Summerland Miniature Golf Course.

The pool hopping privileges are listed on dvcmember.com if you would
like to read the details. If you go to the Just for Members list,
Member Perks, Walt Disney World Resort, Recreation, Water Activities.
On this page it lists out the specifications surrounding these
privileges. You are correct in the fact that it is you and any guests
staying with you at any of the five Disney Vacation Club properties here
at Walt Disney World that are allowed these privileges. It also does
specify that the pool hopping privileges do not include the Uzima Pool
at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge and Stormalong Bay at Disney's Yacht &
Beach Club Resorts or the leisure pools of these two Resort hotels.
There are no exceptions to this policy.

The feedback we receive from our Members is very important to us as it
lets us know what we are doing right and what we can do better. As we
strive to improve the benefits and services we provide to our Members,
we are constantly evaluating our operation. You may be assured your
input will be taken seriously.

Thank you again for writing. I am very pleased to hear that you just
came back from a wonderful stay. It is always good to hear that our
members are enjoying their membership! We are glad you are a part of
our Disney Vacation Club family.

Sincerely,

Melissia Goehring
Disney Vacation Club
Member Satisfaction

I wrote MS in the interest of those curious about this topic for their own purposes regarding pool use and iviting guest. Don't want to start a firestorm.

 

[BCV23]

Very interesting. Thanks for posting.

Are you going to post about the birthday party on the Resort board, too? Might clear up some misperceptions.

 

[LIFERBABE]

I personally dont think these were misconceptions as more of a mob mentality.

What is Disney supposed to say? I think the whole thing was blown out of proportion and shame on the OP of the first thread for posting it anyway. If her kid couldnt go she should have left it at that and not ruined it for everyone else.

I think it was petty and vindicative and if the mom asked and an exception was made, that empowers the CM's to do something nice for the next guest. What you can do for a few and what you can do for many are two different things. Its a shame that her intentions were broadcast all over the Dis and while I dont blame those that wrote in (to stop the mob mentality) I do blame the OP that was invited to the party in the first place.

We probably wouldnt have known the difference and I do own several hundred points at BCV.

 

[Dean]

I would agree this should generally be the interpretation. And that a large group such as this situation is a different scenario than a couple of friends dropping by. This would have to be a resort rule, likely generic to all WDW resorts, and not a DVC rule. While there may be a resort rule, I've never seen it nor recall any credible reference to one. I do agree there should be a rule however if there is a rule it would have to either say NO GUESTS ever of only at the discretion of the manager on a Space A basis with black out times just like the current DVC PH perk.

Thus I think it'll take more than this email to nail down the actual rules in general.

 

[Olaf]

Hmmm, I wonder how they figured out the identity of the "party-planning" member. If I remember right, it wasn't as if she'd bought a package or anything.

 

[dannyh23]

Hmmm, I wonder how they figured out the identity of the "party-planning" member. If I remember right, it wasn't as if she'd bought a package or anything.

I believe the OP said the member contacted BCV about having the party. Perhaps BCV contacted DVC, who contacted the member, etc....

 

[Starr W.]

I personally dont think these were misconceptions as more of a mob mentality.

What is Disney supposed to say? I think the whole thing was blown out of proportion and shame on the OP of the first thread for posting it anyway. If her kid couldnt go she should have left it at that and not ruined it for everyone else.

I think it was petty and vindicative and if the mom asked and an exception was made, that empowers the CM's to do something nice for the next guest

You hit the nail on the head with that one. When the a number of people who planned on staking out SAB that day mounted, the OP was really afraid the Party Mom would figure out who called in the mounties and her kid would get blackballed from future parties.

 

[MojitoMiss]

I personally dont think these were misconceptions as more of a mob mentality.

What is Disney supposed to say? I think the whole thing was blown out of proportion and shame on the OP of the first thread for posting it anyway. If her kid couldnt go she should have left it at that and not ruined it for everyone else.

I think it was petty and vindicative and if the mom asked and an exception was made, that empowers the CM's to do something nice for the next guest. What you can do for a few and what you can do for many are two different things. Its a shame that her intentions were broadcast all over the Dis and while I dont blame those that wrote in (to stop the mob mentality) I do blame the OP that was invited to the party in the first place.

We probably wouldnt have known the difference and I do own several hundred points at BCV.

As much as I'd hate to get this started again, I think you're being unnecessarily harsh to the OP. IIRC, her original post was asking a simple question. "Can this be done?" People post those questions every day on DIS. Heck, there's even a thread in the Theme Parks folder asking about perks available at WDW that aren't advertised! I didn't feel that her post was malicious, just curious. Even she was astounded at the heat generated in the thread, and more than once posted in to respond in the party-planner's defense.

I agree that the whole mess was blown out of proportion. I don't feel the OP was petty or vindictive. Neither do I feel the party-planner was trying to get away with something. A misunderstanding occurred, and someone asked what the actual policy is. I don't see malicious intent on either part.

 

[asianway]

I think it was petty and vindicative QUOTE]

I was thinking I was the only one who was reading the previous thread and thinking this. Let it die people, whats next, finding out the who the mom was and staking out the elementary school? Trust me, you all did enough here already to get the child flak at school.

 

[BCV23]

Well, of course we don't know that the story was quite what was presented anyway.

As to how DVC would know who was contemplating a party like that, the hometown was listed and it's not as if there are all that many rooms booked at BCV.

There seemed to be a perception on the resort board that either DVC had different rules or that members were arrogant enough to think rules were different. There was also a misconception that SAB would host parties for the right price.

If the story was true, I feel badly for both children.

 

[rinkwide]

...There was also a misconception that SAB would host parties for the right price...

They shut down Disneyland last week for a private party. If you think SAB isn't available it's because your price isn't high enough.

 

[BCV23]

They shut down Disneyland last week for a private party. If you think SAB isn't available it's because your price isn't high enough.

I don't think opening a park for a private event is all that unusual. We've been at WDW when MGM was open for private affairs. That is not really shutting down though and I imagine it wasn't at DL either. Disney sets the park hours and can obviously do so to maximize income.

But this wasn't about shutting down SAB.

And it's not my price that's the problem as I have no desire to rent out SAB.

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

I don't think the OP intended to be malicious but I don't think her thread was completely innocent either. I mean why even start the thread if her child couldn't go anyway? Also, I don't think she herself was a DVC member...so there again, why post about it? Why would it matter to her whether it could be done or not? It appeared to me that her child was probably really upset that she wasn't going to take him/her and that's what got the whole thing going.

 

[keys2kingdom]

There seemed to be a perception on the resort board that either DVC had different rules or that members were arrogant enough to think rules were different.

That was my major beef with the whole thing, DVC members are cast in a poor light sometimes anyway and then this comes out. People jumped on the fact that the party mom was DVC so I made a post that DVC members are subject to the same rules as cash-paying hotel guests. I hated to see it develop into a fight where DVC members got lumped together as entitled snobs who think the rules don't apply to them. I was really upset when it came out that party mom was a DVC member, it just contributed to an already ugly discussion.

 

[kimberh]

Well, now we know what the family emergency was. I stated in my posts that the mother was probably naive to DVC rules. I bet she reads up on them now. I hate it for the little girl. I really never understood how the mother thought she was going to get all those people through the security gate... Unless she really did talk with someone and then all this fuss was made and they called it off.

As to the OP, she knew she could not go, so why bring it up? I asked myself this too. I felt like the Op thought the mother was getting off cheap by not providing food and drink (which I can't believe) and she was to pay for gas for the drive. It all just doesn't add up.

 

[Chuck S]

Since the party was not held, there is no reason for further discussion. Apparently the DVC Pool Hopping Rules were followed, so it is a moot point.