Raise Your Voice: Guaranteed Booking Categories at SSR

[Laurabearz]

I am not an SSR owner (or fan) But I totally agree that SSR should have booking preferences.

I will send off an email in the morning.

Good luck everyone!

 

[tjkraz]

Quick follow-up to my message a couple posts ago. A few days after sending that email I actually got a phone call from a DVC rep. Unfortunately she couldn't offer any signs of progress--just comments like "we really DO appreciate your comments and will make sure this gets into the hands of the right people."

I spent a few minutes with her on the phone and walked thru the entire scenario including comparisons to BWV and now OKW. She was very friendly throughout--I never got the sense that I was speaking to someone just going through the motions. So, DVC gets a few points from me for taking an approach other than a form letter email reply.

Of course the real proof lies in the results. The change is a no-brainer, IMO.

Keep those letters and emails coming. Don't let DVC off the hook here!

 

[DisneyBride'03]

Although I just joined and will not be a guest there til next June, can I still write? We just loved this resort when we did the tour! I do think this is a great idea due to the size of this resort.

 

[cobbler]

Sure you can still write. I will pop out another email this week.

 

[DisneyBride'03]

Hey cobbler Have fun on the cruise!!!
Do you know when they announce an '08 cruise, if there is one?? I would love to go!

 

[TenThousandVolts]

Bumping! Is anyone going to the owner's meeting? I would like to be sure someone addresses this issue during the Q&A after the meeting.

Remember- the 1st post of this thread says that LIFERBABE asked this at meetings before and they said that they needed to hear from the owners. Now they have heard from us- at least to some degree. Would love for someone to ask at the meeting.

 

[LovinOKW]

I do not own at SSR, but at OKW & BWV. And yes, we've been to SSR. I've stayed in every section at OKW, and really there is no place that's more than a 10 minute walk (Disney paced, of course) back to HH/Olivia's/Hanks. Can't compare BWV to any of this, except the 10 mile walk from the one set of elevators.

I'm just curious and not trying to incite anything here, but how much time exactly do you spend in your rooms??? I for one could care less if I was in a tent at OKW. Yeah, the rooms are nice, but basically a place to sleep. I don't go to WDW for the rooms view, I go to play and have fun. My kids are older now, but I've been taking them since they were babies. Distance wasn't an issue when I was carrying them home from a long day, and it's not an issue now that they may have to start carrying me, lol. I'm not crazy about staying in the Turtle Pond section at OKW, but I sure wouldn't ask them to re-arrange room assignments because I'm personally impatient about bus stops, my reasoning for not caring too much for TP.

 

[LovinOKW]

Duplicate, don't need to see this one twice.

 

[dwelty]

I do not own at SSR, but at OKW & BWV. And yes, we've been to SSR. I've stayed in every section at OKW, and really there is no place that's more than a 10 minute walk (Disney paced, of course) back to HH/Olivia's/Hanks. Can't compare BWV to any of this, except the 10 mile walk from the one set of elevators.

I'm just curious and not trying to incite anything here, but how much time exactly do you spend in your rooms??? I for one could care less if I was in a tent at OKW. Yeah, the rooms are nice, but basically a place to sleep. I don't go to WDW for the rooms view, I go to play and have fun. My kids are older now, but I've been taking them since they were babies. Distance wasn't an issue when I was carrying them home from a long day, and it's not an issue now that they may have to start carrying me, lol. I'm not crazy about staying in the Turtle Pond section at OKW, but I sure wouldn't ask them to re-arrange room assignments because I'm personally impatient about bus stops, my reasoning for not caring too much for TP.

OKW already has booking categories. The topic of this post is SSR. I know there are some that tour the parks commando style and are out of the room all day. There are other (like my family) that look at vacations as times to relax, and spend time enjoing the resorts along with the parks. Others like to enjoy the clubs at DTD and may want to stay in Congress Park so they can make a quick stroll over, some have disabilities and may want to be close to the carraige house and Artist's Palette. Since we are asking just for the categories, not a change in the points structure, why does it matter?

 

[LovinOKW]

Oh, don't get me wrong. I understand that vacation time is relax time. My days of commando are long over, that's why we go for two weeks at a time. I guess what I'm getting at is why does it really matter where you are staying as long as you're here at WDW? You walk the parks, or downtown or PI, etc., so what's a few more minutes walking or busing to your rooms? I enjoy the resort, too, but not in my room. For me, that's not why I go. We do spend a lot of time at Hank's, the pool, etc. I guess I'm just so glad to be at WDW, I can care less where they stick me.

As far as the "booking categories" at OKW, that's still a request, not a preferred view vs. standard view point difference. I stayed at at PV at BWV and wondered what was preferred about looking at a wall and the garbage dumpsters.

Maybe I'm the oddity here, I just wondered how many people actually go to WDW to spend time in their rooms?

 

[3DisneyKids]

Oh, don't get me wrong. I understand that vacation time is relax time. My days of commando are long over, that's why we go for two weeks at a time. I guess what I'm getting at is why does it really matter where you are staying as long as you're here at WDW? You walk the parks, or downtown or PI, etc., so what's a few more minutes walking or busing to your rooms? I enjoy the resort, too, but not in my room. For me, that's not why I go. We do spend a lot of time at Hank's, the pool, etc. I guess I'm just so glad to be at WDW, I can care less where they stick me.

As far as the "booking categories" at OKW, that's still a request, not a preferred view vs. standard view point difference. I stayed at at PV at BWV and wondered what was preferred about looking at a wall and the garbage dumpsters.

Maybe I'm the oddity here, I just wondered how many people actually go to WDW to spend time in their rooms?

I would guess that in these forums you are an oddity on this issue. (not being rude at all...just stating that views and room locations are a MAJOR topic here). However, if someone really doesn't care about accommodations as long as they are at WDW then why would they join DVC? Stay at the Values and save a bundle and still get to enjoy being on property.

You stated that you enjoy the resorts, though you do not spend time in your room. One of the main points of DVC is bigger rooms with more amenities (full kitchens or kitchenettes, w/d, more than one room, and so on). If none of this is important to a person, why join DVC at all? The mods such as POR have BEAUTIFUL grounds and are lovely resorts.

Like you, I don't really care about the views much at all....happy to be there and even the "bad" views are still usually fine. I am happy overlooking one of the ponds with a fountain at SSR. But I do care about location. Having three small kids I am back and forth to AP and/or the main pool all the time for one thing or another...constantly walking that or catching intra-resort buses would definitely hinder things for me.

 

[TenThousandVolts]

As far as the "booking categories" at OKW, that's still a request,

I beleive there are guaranteed booking cats at OKW- 1. Close to HH, 2. Everything else.

Personally I am after location booking guars. (althought a guar. DTD view would be nice) I often travel with my parents and I want to guarantee they can walk to AP without too much distance. Dad will be using a scooter at the parks much to his displeasure. He is prideful and only recently has faced mobility issues. I would like for him to at least be able to enjoy the resort without special accomodations. The new cat. at OKW addressed that exact issue, I would like similar at SSR

 

[dwelty]

As far as the "booking categories" at OKW, that's still a request, not a preferred view vs. standard view point difference. I stayed at at PV at BWV and wondered what was preferred about looking at a wall and the garbage dumpsters.

Disney announced new booking Categories at OKW in September. Near HH is one category, everything else is the other. (This is on a first come first served basis) They are not requests, but actually guaranteed categories that do not require additional points. THis was in the fall issue of Vacation Magic.

 

[Plutofan]

Disney announced new booking Categories at OKW in September. Near HH is one category, everything else is the other. (This is on a first come first served basis) They are not requests, but actually guaranteed categories that do not require additional points. THis was in the fall issue of Vacation Magic.

I just got done booking a OKW reservation last week and MS said the computer is still not set up to handle the special bookings.

 

[LovinOKW]

I would guess that in these forums you are an oddity on this issue. (not being rude at all...just stating that views and room locations are a MAJOR topic here). However, if someone really doesn't care about accommodations as long as they are at WDW then why would they join DVC? Stay at the Values and save a bundle and still get to enjoy being on property.

You stated that you enjoy the resorts, though you do not spend time in your room. One of the main points of DVC is bigger rooms with more amenities (full kitchens or kitchenettes, w/d, more than one room, and so on). If none of this is important to a person, why join DVC at all? The mods such as POR have BEAUTIFUL grounds and are lovely resorts.

Like you, I don't really care about the views much at all....happy to be there and even the "bad" views are still usually fine. I am happy overlooking one of the ponds with a fountain at SSR. But I do care about location. Having three small kids I am back and forth to AP and/or the main pool all the time for one thing or another...constantly walking that or catching intra-resort buses would definitely hinder things for me.

No, maybe I didn't put this right. I'm (and DH & kids) are definitely room snobs thanks to OKW, lol. I just don't spend my vacation hanging around in my room. That's what I was getting at. I love the spaciousness, the kitchen for breakfast and late night snacks, the laundry room so I don't have to actually pack two weeks worth of clothes, the views. My personal vacation is spending my days and nights in the parks or downtown or waterparks, etc. I don't consider my vacation as commando style because I'm not racing from park to park, ride to ride, crack of dawn until the end of EMH's, but I am for sure in a park everyday. It may not be until noon, but I'm there. Again, what I meant was that I'm just so happy to be there, they can put me anywhere and I'm as happy as a pig in you know what And for sure, when the kids were small (3 under 4), it was a pain when they fell asleep or were back and forth from the main pool or Hank's, but I love being there and taking everything in, so the walk to and from anywhere was and is fine with me. I'm much too impatient to wait for an internal resort bus. I figure by the time it got to wherever I was, in the time I waited I could be back at home. To each, his own. This is just my take on things.

Oh and my point about the HH requests is it's just that, basically a request. I don't think in that edition of VM it stated that your request was a guarantee. There is not extra point charge (yet) for the convenience of HH, like there are different point's for different views elsewhere.

 

[sjdisneywedding]

Oh and my point about the HH requests is it's just that, basically a request. I don't think in that edition of VM it stated that your request was a guarantee. There is not extra point charge (yet) for the convenience of HH, like there are different point's for different views elsewhere.

i think they are more than just requests,

I have no idea why anyone would be against this

you say you wouldnt use it and it doesnt matter either way to you, so fine--you are not bothered one way or the other

BUT it is important to some people. So if it can help accomodate some while not really effecting the rest, then whats the problem?

 

[bobbiwoz]

Not an SSR owner, but have contacted MS to tell them that I think it's a good idea. It would be good/nice to have an idea of where you will be in the resort, and if there are more desirable places, the owners should get a first chance at the places.

Bobbi

 

[eporter66]

SSR, I love the resort. I dont care about what building I am in, and have never had a room that I thought was bad. Some things you cant avoid (noise), but other than that I dont really care all that much about the views. I would not mind this as long as they dont raise the points.

What I WOULD LIKE is as a member of DVC would be 2 fast passes per day. I know there are hotels that do this for Universal studio's (not sure if it is one in particular or more), but I would much prefer that to a guarenteed room/view. We usually get a 1 bedroom, and for me that is all i need. If I cant see DTD, so be it, I will take a walk and relax outside for a bit.

 

[DVC Mike]

I have no idea why anyone would be against this

So if it can help accomodate some while not really effecting the rest, then whats the problem?

Actually, it would impact some members negatively -- specifically those that don't own at SSR. Right now, they have a chance of getting a room at SSR in a great location.

If booking categories are implemented at SSR, it will become like BWV, where mostly owners get the standard/BW view rooms. Thus, the SSR owners would get the high-demand views, and non-owners would get the less-coveted views.

Despite the fact that I am not an SSR owner, I did contact MS and express my support for this. I think the SSR owners deserve this just like us BWV owners do.

 

[sjdisneywedding]

Actually, it would impact some members negatively -- specifically those that don't own at SSR. Right now, they have a chance of getting a room at SSR in a great location.

If booking categories are implemented at SSR, it will become like BWV, where mostly owners get the standard/BW view rooms. Thus, the SSR owners would get the high-demand views, and non-owners would get the less-coveted views.

Despite the fact that I am not an SSR owner, I did contact MS and express my support for this. I think the SSR owners deserve this just like us BWV owners do.

yes, you are correct, which IMO is even a greater reason to have it.