Raise Your Voice: Guaranteed Booking Categories at SSR

[TenThousandVolts]

PS, Just curious, how many have sent an email to anyone regarding this??

Just wondering how many are voicing their opinions. I sent mine

I sent mine, I got an out of office reply- I will have DH send one next week as well.

 

[fishermouse]

Sorry to keep on this track but when you mention catagories to me that means higher points for the better rooms
"I would like to register a vote in favor of creating separate booking categories at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa"
This may or may not be your intention but by comparing it to BWV and mentioning prefered view that points to an increase in my vacation cost or I can be sure of getting a less than wonderful view. This I wholeheartedly disagree with! I like the book by neighborhood idea on a first come first served basis, I realize that some people can't book early but IMO the whole DVC idea is geared for those that do. Even before DVC we always booked our on-site rooms 11 or 12 months out. Many owners bought a limited number of points, by raising them these owners will never get the better veiws.

 

[CinderellasSister]

This may or may not be your intention but by comparing it to BWV and mentioning prefered view that points to an increase in my vacation cost or I can be sure of getting a less than wonderful view. This I wholeheartedly disagree with! I like the book by neighborhood idea on a first come first served basis, I realize that some people can't book early but IMO the whole DVC idea is geared for those that do. Even before DVC we always booked our on-site rooms 11 or 12 months out. Many owners bought a limited number of points, by raising them these owners will never get the better veiws.

My vote's going right here with you!!! I completely agree!!!!! I don't want to see any changes made either.

 

[tjkraz]

Sorry to keep on this track but when you mention catagories to me that means higher points for the better rooms
"I would like to register a vote in favor of creating separate booking categories at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa"
This may or may not be your intention but by comparing it to BWV and mentioning prefered view that points to an increase in my vacation cost or I can be sure of getting a less than wonderful view.

I never said ANYTHING about making higher point categories. To read "separate booking categories" and think that implied any point disparity is reading way too much into it. I think I made it very clear throughout that the ultimate goal was to allow members to book by neighborhood--The Springs, Congress Park, etc. I never said anything about charging more for one area than another.

The parallel to the BoardWalk was drawn because they already HAVE such a system. BWV has two room categories--BW View and Garden / Pool view--which cost exactly the same number of points per night. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to guarantee a DTD view 11 months out?

The DTD view rooms make up about 12% of the resort. Without any location-based categories, a member booking on 2 days notice has an equal chance of getting a DTD as an SSR owner who booked 11 months out. It's all in the hands of either a human room assigner or the Room(s) Ready system.

In three stays at SSR myself, twice I was denied a room in the area that was requested on my reservation. And the third time was when Congress Park was the only section open, so I guess they couldn't screw that up.

In my opinion, those who have developed a preference for any specific part of the resort would be wise to speak up. Otherwise, the odds are very much against having simple requests granted visit-after-visit.

 

[mello]

Everything you describe has been happening for years at BWV and I don't see anyone there campaigning to get rid of the BW view. It will also be true of AKV, yet I think few (nobody) would favor combining the Savanna and Standard view categories.

SSR's size alone dictates that it will always be the last resort to fill. Disagree if you will but I don't think the entire concept should be disregarded simply because it will help those who want to book on 2-3 weeks' notice. If people want to go that badly, they will pay the price and accept a split stay. People willingly do it now, moving from one resort to the next--or one room class to the next--because they have no other options available.

Incidentally, I can think of one other very good reason to consider this proposal--the impact on other resort bookings at 7 months. Right now if I book SSR at 11 months, I have to live with the fact that my room may be in my preferred section of the resort--or it could be in the worst location possible. That fact alone is sufficient to drive people to attempt to book elsewhere at 7 months. Why fret over the possibility of being put in The Carousel or The Paddock if you can book AKV Savanna view at 7 months?

Now, if I KNEW 11 months out that I would absolutely have the room that I want (DTD view, golf course view, The Springs, etc.), it would have a dramatic impact on my desire to book elsewhere.

In my opinion, such a system would unquestionably increase the percenatage of SSR owners staying at their Home resort.

Each other resort has some advantage for its owners to book during the 11-7 month period. Want BWV Boardwalk View? Want AKL Savannah View? Want BCV during F&W? Want WLV at Christmas? Want a GV at OKW? There's an advantage to owning at each of those resorts and booking early. Everyone accepts that. So why should it be unacceptable for owners at SSR to have an advantage of a DTD or Golf view, or to be near a pool? It just doesn't seem fair that those of us paying dues at SSR should have to compete for those prime locations with everyone else who didn't plan far enough ahead to even get in at their own home resorts. I agree, that if we had some advantage, some incentive, to book our own resort at 11 months, rather than other resorts at 7 months, we would certainly do so!!!

 

[mello]

I wonder if adding another pool at the Carousel section would help make this more desireable? I don't think they have one do they?? I can see both sides of this......since it is so spread out. I guess we will understand more once we stay there for our first trip home.

I think having its own quiet pool would increase Carousel's desirablilty in the eyes of many. I think it would make our family less reluctant to stay there. (But I must admit that I'll always have a special place in my heart for Congress Park, and that's where we'd prefer to stay most trips, no matter how nice the other sections are).

 

[BroganMc]

This may or may not be your intention but by comparing it to BWV and mentioning prefered view that points to an increase in my vacation cost or I can be sure of getting a less than wonderful view. This I wholeheartedly disagree with! I like the book by neighborhood idea on a first come first served basis, I realize that some people can't book early but IMO the whole DVC idea is geared for those that do.

Relax, no one is advocating a reallocation of points for pretty much the same reasons concern you. We're only asking that SSR management allow us to book a section of the resort with a guarantee instead of a "we'll see" request.

It's meant to do away with the mad dash to SSR's Front Desk at check-in day just so folks have some hope of getting the room they wish.

FWIW, the Front Desk folks told me the most requested section is the Springs. I know I usually request Springs, Grandstand or Congress Park. I've stayed in the first two so far.

 

[TenThousandVolts]

Sorry to keep on this track but when you mention catagories to me that means higher points for the better rooms
"I would like to register a vote in favor of creating separate booking categories at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa"
This may or may not be your intention but by comparing it to BWV and mentioning prefered view that points to an increase in my vacation cost or I can be sure of getting a less than wonderful view. This I wholeheartedly disagree with! I like the book by neighborhood idea on a first come first served basis, I realize that some people can't book early but IMO the whole DVC idea is geared for those that do. Even before DVC we always booked our on-site rooms 11 or 12 months out. Many owners bought a limited number of points, by raising them these owners will never get the better veiws.

I didn't read it the way you did, but I guess some people will see it as a call for reallocation of points- I do not equate booking categories with points differences, but it seems like some people do think that way. The first responses to this thread assumed that is what we were talking about.

If you want to see some change just make sure you tell DVC and make it clear exactly what you want. If you go to post #1 of this thread there is some simple suggested language and links to the letters that people have posted on this thread, if you need help getting started.

Question: When BWV made their change, does anyone know how it went down? Did members ask for a change and then did DVC survey members to decide what to do? Also, anyone know when they decided that BWview rooms would only be availably on points? I am curious how that came about.

 

[Dean]

Question: When BWV made their change, does anyone know how it went down? Did members ask for a change and then did DVC survey members to decide what to do? Also, anyone know when they decided that BWview rooms would only be availably on points? I am curious how that came about.

BW was already selling and open for member stays when the change occurred. I don't think DVC announced why the change but reports were due to complaints from those that stayed in the areas that are now SV. As for BW view not available for cash, I think that started with the direct booking of BW view units.

 

[TenThousandVolts]

... I hate it, hate it, hate it that people who are non owners can make reservations at other DVC resorts before I can. I don't care what the reasons, I don't like it. It would be nice if SSR had some sort of members first perk.

I guess it was this kind of sentiment that led to the points-only-for-boardwalk-view rooms decision. Those rooms are very limited in supply (much like the DTD rooms at SSR) and could theoretically be completely booked before the 11 month window even opens if cash guests could reserve that view. Maybe at SSR they could guarantee views/locations for points reservations only and cash reservations would be subject to the room-ready assignment at check-in.
There are lots of details that would have to be addressed to implement this change, but DVC has seen this before and done a good job of satisfying the members.

 

[Madi100]

I guess it was this kind of sentiment that led to the points-only-for-boardwalk-view rooms decision. Those rooms are very limited in supply (much like the DTD rooms at SSR) and could theoretically be completely booked before the 11 month window even opens if cash guests could reserve that view. Maybe at SSR they could guarantee views/locations for points reservations only and cash reservations would be subject to the room-ready assignment at check-in.
There are lots of details that would have to be addressed to implement this change, but DVC has seen this before and done a good job of satisfying the members.

Which I think is completely fine. I will probably always have a bit of a "grudge" because we were told that when we bought into DVC that we could stay at ANY of the resorts and not have a problem getting reservations in December. Since then I've learned that that is next to impossible. I guess it's a good thing I love SSR.

 

[mello]

When we bought at SSR there was only the Springs and Congress Park, and we liked it very much. They were working on the Paddocks. Grandstand and Carousel were not even on the map. It was the addition of Carousel that changed things for us. We have no desire to stay in that section, for the reasons I've mentioned in other threads, but I won't get into here. It isn't so much a guaranteed view that I'm looking for, as member preference in choice of "neighborhood". As far as I know, it wouldn't be "rules" that are changing, it would be booking policy. This was done at BWV some time after it was sold out, so we wouldn't be doing anything in any way unusual at SSR. And the reason that DVD might make changes, would be because we, as a collective own there, and from what I've read and heard, they have been known to make changes based on owner input. : )

Okay...were people not given full information and/or the opportunity to ask questions about how reservations work BEFORE they became DVC members? I'm sorry but you knew when you were buying that there were no guaranteed views at SSR so if you don't like it why on earth did you buy there? I know that if a specific view was THAT important to me, I'm make darn sure to find out if it would be guaranteed BEFORE I gave DVC my money. I see absolutely no reason to change things at SSR just because some people want to change the rules that they agreed to before they plunked down their money. In fact, I'm almost prompted to write my own note to DVC letting them know that I think they should keep things as they are.

 

[TenThousandVolts]

This was done at BWV some time after it was sold out, so we wouldn't be doing anything in any way unusual at SSR.

I think the change came about just before BWV sold out- can anyone confirm?

 

[tjkraz]

I think the change came about just before BWV sold out- can anyone confirm?

There were two changes that occurred at BWV.

The first was adding the lower-point "Standard View" category. That's the change that occurred before sell-out. Dean described the details of that adjustment.

The second change was more relevant to this campaign. Around 2002-2003, DVC separated the single "Preferred View" category into "Preferred BW View" and "Preferred Garden / Pool View." For the first 6-7 years that the resort was open, members would simply book a room in the "Preferred View" category and not find out until they arrived whether they were getting the BW view or something else. It was member dissatisfaction over this ambiguity that lead to DVC's creation of the BW View category which would guarantee such a room at the time of booking.

There are other little pockets of guarantees at other DVC resorts as well. BCV guests can specifically book a two bedroom villa with two queen beds vs. a 2B with one queen and a sofabed. And within the next couple of years members will be able to specify an AKV room at either Jambo House or Kidani Village. The Kidani rooms will all be larger and have an extra bathroom as compared to their Jambo House counterparts, which cost the exact same number of points.

 

[TenThousandVolts]

Has anyone gotten a reply from Mr. Garcia? I think he was out of the office until yesterday.

 

[tjkraz]

Has anyone gotten a reply from Mr. Garcia? I think he was out of the office until yesterday.

I think the longer it takes, the better.

A quick reply would probably be something of the standard "thank you for your feedback...we are always looking for ways to improve the blah, blah, blah."

If it takes a few days to respond, perhaps it will be a sign that we got their attention and Mr. Garcia has to take it to higher-ups for feedback.

 

[dwelty]

I totally agree with this. We always get screwed with the Room Ready process because we fly from the West Coast. With the time difference, we always arrive after 7:00pm. By then all of the best locations are taken. (Even when we book at 11 months) I have already sent my Email to Jon.

 

[lisareniff]

I am not a SSR owner but I think this is a wonderful idea.

Happiness is all about meeting or exceeding expectations. With reservable room categories (neighborhoods) members will have a more defined expectation of their room location that will be met.

There are many positives to this proposal with very little cost by DVC. The only negative is that in dividing the resort up into smaller pieces it may be slightly harder to book a your stay in one room when the resort is almost full. (example: they may have the first 2 nights in CP and last 3 nights in the springs, therefore you need to waitlist to stay in the same room even though you have all nights at SSR). However SSR is so huge that the divisions will still be large and it isn't really that big an issue and the positives out weigh that one negative.

 

[Dean]

I think the change came about just before BWV sold out- can anyone confirm?

The SV points reduction was fairly early in the sales process, within just a few months of the resort being open for use.

 

[Sammie]

Has anyone gotten a reply from Mr. Garcia? I think he was out of the office until yesterday.

He was back on Monday.