Poor customer service at Poly

[OhioDVC]

In mid August we stayed 2 nights in a studio at the Polynesian Resort just to check it out.

Customer Service was lacking.

1) We checked in at 12:30 and didn't expect the room to be ready, it wasn't. We planned on hitting the pool. When we went to the pool you needed your magic band to open the gate. Ours would not. The lifeguard came over and I explained we checked in but our room wasn't ready so we wanted to wait at the pool. He refused us entry. He said we needed to use our magic band to open the door of our room before it would open the pool gate. We walked around to another gate and came in behind other guests. What a stupid requirement!!!

2) When we checked out only 1 of 4 luggage carts were available. Housekeeping was using 3 of them transporting sheets and small boxes of soap and shampoo. Luggage carts are there to help guests not housekeeping!

We had a lake view and I think the Poly has the best views of any DVC, but it looks like a 45 year old building that had a remodel. To me, if you look close, it looks old - probably because it is. It reminds me of Wyndham remodeling an old run down hotel into timeshares. The bungalows looked great but you hear the boats from the Ticket and Transportation going back and forth to Magic Kingdom, which are right next door depending on the unit you get.. To me, Poly is the noisiest DVC. I heard my neighbors and hall traffic move than any other DVC resort.

 

[spiceycat]

you were lucky to get any luggage carts - all DVC resorts have bell services and have been refused before to even use their luggage carts - DVC wants the DVC resorts treated like the WDW resorts so you need to use bell services and yes tip bs. - (not like Marriott/Hilton/ and other timeshares). the stuff you probably got was for housekeeping.

still prefer BLT views.

 

[DenLo]

Like most deluxe resorts, DVC does not furnish you a luggage cart for your personal use. I expect the luggage carts belonged to either Bell Services or housekeeping. You need to call Bell Services if you want help carrying out your luggage.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Sorry the experience was less than expected. It's always a bit frustrating when you have certain expectations and they are not what occurs.

Luggage carts are there to assist bell service or other CM's not for guest use. The lifeguard incident was unfortunate but unless they were given some way to verify you were a guest it's probably what they need to do to keep pool hoppers out. I'd have gone to the front desk though to get some way to access. MBs are ok in theory but sometimes a real pain in reality.

 

[bobbiwoz]

We check into Poly today, and I will be sure to ask at front desk what I would need if we wanted to swim and our room is not ready!

 

[disneynutz]

We stayed at VB and they had luggage carts for guest use but the WDW resorts have an agreement with the Bell Services union to not allow guest use of the carts. It's a money thing, guests who use carts don't tip!

Bill

 

[wdrl]

We check into Poly today, and I will be sure to ask at front desk what I would need if we wanted to swim and our room is not ready!

On our recent trips, we've noticed a possible glitch with our MagicBands. Until a MagicBand was used to open our villa door, it could not be used to open other locks around the resort, such as the door to the DVC laundry room or pool gate. In May, I had three MagicBands and I used two of them to unlock our villa door. The third one I purposefully did not use on the door. I then went to the BLT laundry room and tried to use all three MagicBands to open the door. The first two worked fine, but the third did not. Later, after I used the third MagicBand to unlock our villa door, it worked fine on the laundry room door.

I've noticed this glitch at BLT and AKV, so I suspect it could be a system wide problem.

BTW, despite this glitch, I had no difficulty using my third MagicBand to charge things or to gain access to the Parks. The glitch seems to be limited to just locks around the resort, such as the laundry rooms and pool gates.

 

[robinb]

Did your MBs work in your door?

ETA: Whoops! I just noticed the "glitch" mentioned above.

 

[disneynutz]

On our recent trips, we've noticed a possible glitch with our MagicBands. Until a MagicBand was used to open our villa door, it could not be used to open other locks around the resort, such as the door to the DVC laundry room or pool gate. In May, I had three MagicBands and I used two of them to unlock our villa door. The third one I purposefully did not use on the door. I then went to the BLT laundry room and tried to use all three MagicBands to open the door. The first two worked fine, but the third did not. Later, after I used the third MagicBand to unlock our villa door, it worked fine on the laundry room door.

I've noticed this glitch at BLT and AKV, so I suspect it could be a system wide problem.

BTW, despite this glitch, I had no difficulty using my third MagicBand to charge things or to gain access to the Parks. The glitch seems to be limited to just locks around the resort, such as the laundry rooms and pool gates.

Is it a glitch or does Disney not want it's guests using facilities until they access their room. The bands allow park access and room charging prior to entering the room so one would think that they could allow pool access if they wanted to.

Bill

 

[wdrl]

Did your MBs work in your door?

Yes. We had no problem using our MagicBands to open our villa door.

We usually travel with three MagicBands each. When we first enter our villa, my wife and I use all of our MagicBands to unlock our villa door. When we do that, we never have problems unlocking other doors or gates at the resort.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I don't think the requirement of using the band to unlock the room door before it will work for other resort locks would be termed a glitch. That sounds like a planned security procedure. Inconvenient if your room is not ready, but not a glitch.

 

[wdrl]

Is it a glitch or does Disney not want it's guests using facilities until they access their room.

Bill

I can't imagine why Disney would want guests to access their villas first before using any resort facilities. I think its just an unintended glitch.

I'm curious if anyone else has noticed this glitch.

 

[wdrl]

I don't think the requirement of using the band to unlock the room door before it will work for other resort locks would be termed a glitch. That sounds like a planned security procedure. Inconvenient if your room is not ready, but not a glitch.

I call it a glitch because the MagicBand can be used for charges at the resort and around WDW. If I can charge items on that MagicBand, then Disney must have established a folio for my villa. Once I'm recognized by the system as a valid guest, then I have access to all the amenities at the resort. So why would there be any need for a security procedure just because I haven't accessed my room with that MagicBand? Keep in mind that, in my case at least, I had already accessed my villa with my other MagicBands.

 

[robinb]

I don't think the requirement of using the band to unlock the room door before it will work for other resort locks would be termed a glitch. That sounds like a planned security procedure. Inconvenient if your room is not ready, but not a glitch.

How in the world would being able to open a pool gate *after* you have checked in but before you have opened your room door be a security breach?

 

[kamik86]

When they had key to the world cards this wasn't an issue becasue if your card wouldn't work to open the door at the pool the life guard could just check it and see that it was for that resort and that day and let you in. However now with the magic bands they don't have that fail safe of having a printed location and date for someone to verify.

I have no idea why disney would not want to allow someone access to the pool before opening their room.

I wonder how this works for club level? I mean if you can't access the club level before you open your room you can't get to your room (not sure about club level everywhere but at AKV for example to get to the floor you needed your band.

 

[Cruzin4]

Last August my family and I stayed AKV concierge and we were told when we first entered our room to make sure we used each one of our magic bands to open the door or our magic bands would not work.

 

[dizfan]

Sorry for your poor experience at Poly.

We stayed there in early May. We experienced similar sound issues with out room. Initially, I thought the sound proofing was poor for the entire resort. Now, I think it may be limited to only certain rooms. I suspect a worker (or several workers) didn't adequately do their job on a given day (or multiple days). I hope everyone experiencing the sound issues lets Disney Satisfaction know. Disney should be keeping a list of rooms with a sound proofing problem and forcing the construction crews to fix their inadequate work.

When we built our house, we had 1 year to find every possible problem and the contractor fixed everything at their expense. It is common for construction crews to not fix the problems until the deadline. In our case, all fixes were done after the 1 year mark.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Disney always has said you have access to resort pool for both days, your arrival and departure. Not being able to use the pool before you enter your room would be a change in policy. That is disturbing to me. We've had to wait past 6 for a room at BWV, did use pool before room.

 

[spiceycat]

disney does not know unless you tell them. don't expect the front desk to tell anyone. I arrive early and generally get a room fairly soon - so never had this problem. besides don't go swimming or a work out until I get my room - like to unwind and bath in my room.

understand that with children you probably want to go swimming earlier - so ask (as mentioned) at the front desk and want some way to tell or show the life guard that you are CHECKED IN

 

[Splashboat]

We wanted to use one of the many luggage carts sitting outside the BWV to bring some cold groceries to the room. Found out the policy is that you have to wait for Bell Services do it. Needless to say, it took quite a long time to get my cold groceries to the room. After that we just brought our rolling suitcase and did it ourselves.