Polynesian fake availability?

[xWilliam]

Currently staying and had enough points to upgrade a night to a bungalow. Dvc rat tool says it's available. Called member services and and apparently they see the same thing, when we contact the hotel side (back desk?) They say the bungalows are booked full? Something about overbooked guests getting moved to bungalow? But I thought regular hotel side wasn't taking reservations? Walked to ceremonial house front desk and they said its available but back desk says it's not.

Something here sounds off.

Edit: Back desk just told me if I had booked it that I'd basically be turned away at bungalow check in. I literally know zero details about the dvc legal contract, but this sounds like something that would be breaking it

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I would suspect overbooked DVC. If units were fully booked and anything went out of service, they had to be moved somewhere, and that somewhere may be a bungalow.

Plumbing issues happen.

 

[xWilliam]

I would suspect overbooked DVC. If units were fully booked and anything went out of service, they had to be moved somewhere, and that somewhere may be a bungalow.

Plumbing issues happen.

I suppose, but I thought the very way dvc works prevents dvc overbooking. I'm mostly irritated that I'm getting inconsistent answers

 

[DebbieB]

I would call Member Services and ask for a Supervisor. It’s showing as reserved on your Dashboard?

If it’s not available, I would ask for 2 bedroom elsewhere or a WL Cabin.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I suppose, but I thought the very way dvc works prevents dvc overbooking. I'm mostly irritated that I'm getting inconsistent answers

No, DVC can be "overbooked" in the sense that if there are 360 studios, and 360 bookings, and a toilet explodes, they have 360 bookings and 359 units to assign.

As I said, plumbing happens. Or other issues that take a unit out of operation.

 

[ElizabethG]

I suppose, but I thought the very way dvc works prevents dvc overbooking. I'm mostly irritated that I'm getting inconsistent answers

No, DVC can be "overbooked" in the sense that if there are 360 studios, and 360 bookings, and a toilet explodes, they have 360 bookings and 359 units to assign.

As I said, plumbing happens. Or other issues that take a unit out of operation.

This is true. I have had this happen when I showed up. They said the door to the balcony was broken and they couldn't let anyone inhabit the room. We booked a studio and they put us in a 1-bedroom at the same resort. I think it was taken from cash reservation inventory because we got full mousekeeping everyday. Best bad luck ever!

 

[CarolMN]

And if they use a bungalow to take care of a problem, they need to mark it In the reservation system as unavailable or reserved, to prevent a Member from booking it and creating a new problem. Poly Front Desk or MS messed up!

 

[Sandisw]

Rooms within 60 days go to Disney to book. Sounds like for some reason it is showing available when it’s been pulled for DVC booking,

I agree that if the system lets you book it, then there is an issue. But, if you nor MS can not get it booked with points, then it means that it is not there for a points based booking, and the system should have taken out of service.

And, remember, it may not only be Poly DVC that is overbooked...Disney can use rooms to move anyone to any other resort if they have cash guests who have an issue.

 

[chrish2]

Sounds like the paperwork/admin not keeping up with the situation on the ground. Relocation of booking sounds the most likely due to some issue. The availability may have factored into the decision to move some into bungalows as they probably thought it would go to waste whilst at the same time providing goodwill to the inconvenienced guest.

Out of curiosity did you consider making the change before embarking on your trip?

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Sounds a bit to me like they are using the bungalows to accommodate overbooking of cash guests. I think the suggestion to speak with a supervisor at MS is a good one.

 

[xWilliam]

The wife and I are just trying to use expiring points after canceling a gcv reservation today. We ended up booking a cabin the last day of our trip and using all our points.

I don't mind being told it's unavailable, it's just the fact I'm getting the run-around from hotel staff.

 

[Sandisw]

The wife and I are just trying to use expiring points after canceling a gcv reservation today. We ended up booking a cabin the last day of our trip and using all our points.

I don't mind being told it's unavailable, it's just the fact I'm getting the run-around from hotel staff.

Just try to remember that most CMs and workers at the resort are not that well versed or even understand the DVC aspect of it all and how to check accurately for DVC.

It’s one reason why people cringe when the front desk at the resort tries to adjust DVC...and the recommendation is to call and deal with MS instead.

Glad you got the cabin!

 

[Yinn]

I would call Member Services and ask for a Supervisor. It’s showing as reserved on your Dashboard?

If it’s not available, I would ask for 2 bedroom elsewhere or a WL Cabin.

Given the cost of a Bungalow, I'm not sure I'd accept that w/o getting some points back.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Given the cost of a Bungalow, I'm not sure I'd accept that w/o getting some points back.

They didn't have it booked but were trying to book it as it showed available on the booking tool.

 

[DebbieB]

They didn't have it booked but were trying to book it as it showed available on the booking tool.

I misunderstood, I thought they booked it. Makes more sense.

 

[Rob Huff]

No, DVC can be "overbooked" in the sense that if there are 360 studios, and 360 bookings, and a toilet explodes, they have 360 bookings and 359 units to assign.

As I said, plumbing happens. Or other issues that take a unit out of operation.

There's nothing more 2020 than the phrase "and a toilet explodes."

 

[xWilliam]

So we checked into CCV at WL and we simply asked the front desk what's the earliest we can check in to the cabin tomorrow since we know theres unused cabins. First cast member confirmed that there's 2 empty cabins and we should call around 7am if no one takes them. Without skipping a beat, a second cast member behind them told us to never believe dvc availability and that the online tool is always wrong and that dvc rooms are always overbooked and cabins are never available. I'm sure dvc would love to hear hotel staff talking like that. Even if it's true I doubt thats what you'd want to be telling members. We just smiled and told the first cast member thank you and went off to our room.

 

[supersnoop]

They've been using a bungalow for DVC "open house" tours. Maybe that's why it's "available" but also occupied?

 

[chicagodisneyguy]

So we checked into CCV at WL and we simply asked the front desk what's the earliest we can check in to the cabin tomorrow since we know theres unused cabins. First cast member confirmed that there's 2 empty cabins and we should call around 7am if no one takes them. Without skipping a beat, a second cast member behind them told us to never believe dvc availability and that the online tool is always wrong and that dvc rooms are always overbooked and cabins are never available. I'm sure dvc would love to hear hotel staff talking like that. Even if it's true I doubt thats what you'd want to be telling members. We just smiled and told the first cast member thank you and went off to our room.

While he could have said it in a much more professional way, I think teh CM probably was trying to save you the disappointment if a cabin was not available right at 7am. Maybe there is a lag in real time last-minute availability between the DVC website and the actual inventory. I'm obviously not the cast member, but I can't think of why else he or she would go out of their way to point that out.

As an aside, what time did you actually get to check-in to the cabin?

 

[xWilliam]

While he could have said it in a much more professional way, I think teh CM probably was trying to save you the disappointment if a cabin was not available right at 7am. Maybe there is a lag in real time last-minute availability between the DVC website and the actual inventory. I'm obviously not the cast member, but I can't think of why else he or she would go out of their way to point that out.

As an aside, what time did you actually get to check-in to the cabin?

Yea, we checked in at 7am sharp. We ended up talking to a dvc cast member at one of the parks later about what the front desk cast member said because we were concerned about our week long cabin reservation next year, and he basically said the front desk cast member was flat out lying. He said the poly incident was somebody not keeping up with updating the system from the hotel side, but that it should never happen where the RAT is consistently wrong. Like it may happen, but twice in one week would be a serious problem with management