Room ready changed…

[muppets3d]

Nice original thought there.

We are paying for this service with our dues, if we are not getting what we are paying for - why are we making excuses for the service provider? My in-laws own a different timeshare product that is substantially cheaper than DVC (the actual product itself is irrelevant) and they have never had an issue getting into their villa on time, and they've owned it for close to 20 years now.

 

[muppets3d]

I guess I’d rather wait a little after 4 occasionally and know that my room was thoroughly cleaned then pressure overworked staff to get it cleaned ASAP and maybe miss something. I’ve been DVC for 14 yrs - go 3-5 times a year in a1 or 2 BR and really only had a couple of checkins after 4…

If the housekeeping staff are overworked, then that is not our problem. We pay enough in dues to where that should not be a problem. That is my point. If you are OK with paying what we pay and getting a sub-standard product, that's your business. Whenever I have an issue with my villa or service at a DVC resort, I let them know. I am not a nitpicker or a constant complainer, but I expect to get what I pay for.

 

[zackiedawg]

For my most recent visits, rooms were ready as follows:

March 2024 - Saratoga Springs - Checked in (arrived) at 2pm - Preferred 1-bedroom, Congress Park request. Room not ready immediately - parked and walked to Disney Springs for a late lunch, got the text the room was ready at 3:10pm.
June 2024 - Boardwalk - Checked in (arrived) at 2pm - room ready immediately, preferred view, 5th floor, 1-bedroom over main pool - requested specific room numbers but did not get them.
September 2024 - Boardwalk - Checked in (arrived) at 2:40pm - a room was ready and available but was not close to any of my requests; I was told I could get one of my requested 1-bedroom preferred rooms if I didn't mind waiting. I opted to wait. Got the text that the room was ready at 4:20pm.
December 2024 = Boardwalk - Checked in (arrived) at 1:10pm. Specific room number requested, and was immediately available, 4th floor, 1-bedroom preferred (corner room overlooking quiet pool).

In 2023, I did end up waiting twice for a room to be ready well after 4 - once around 5pm and the other nearly 6pm. The other two times, a room was ready immediately. I can usually get a room before 4pm, but it's hit or miss and sometimes it can take a while - I seemed to have had a few post-Covid that went much later than expected - in 2022 and 2023...but the 4 visits this year have all been pretty good. Two times I had to wait until after 5pm were at Boulder Ridge, and once at Saratoga Springs.

 

[s.r.disney nut]

The check-in info reads "check-in is after 4pm".

 

[zavandor]

The check-in info reads "check-in is after 4pm".

Which I read that we can check-in at any time after 4pm.
Not that there is no guarantee when the room is ready and 11:59pm is acceptable.

 

[sachilles]

We had a span around covid of significantly delayed check in's. However, our last bunch have been on time or early via dvc or cash rooms. In the last 2 years or so I've driven. I always intend to park at the resort, then head out to enjoy the parks. Sure enough, I'll get to the gate with no room assignment.....guard will say sorry, no room yet, and I say no worries, I'm just parking. Usually within 5 minutes, I get the text that my room is ready.

I do think they are getting more efficient. One reason is the prompt for checking out via the app. Helps them get in to the empty rooms to get them turned over.

 

[lbwilliams]

Prior to COVID-19, we had a 2 bedroom at Grand California that was not ready until after 5pm. I had my elderly father with me, who really needs his afternoon naps. He missed it as we just sat in the lobby, waiting for our room (I think we checked in at 10am). Needless to say, he was not interested in going back out to Disneyland after all of that. So, that was a bust. I asked the castmember if my room was not available until 1.5 hours after 4pm, could I get 1.5 hours added to my check out time. She just giggled and said "noooo....". When you only book 1 night stays, getting a late check in - especially at GCV which costs upwards of 70 points per night - is ridiculous. I don't know what the correct course of action is, but for a one night stay, each hour in 2 bedroom equates to ~ 3-4 points. So, if the room is not ready on time, then can we request a partial refund of points?

 

[nerdboyrockstar]

At Villas of Disneyland last week, I got the earliest room ready notification I've EVER received.

Get this.. 7:45am.

I didn't even see it. I got to the hotel. Left my bags with bell services. Went to the front desk to check-in.

They were like... did you not receive our text? I was like "Your text??" :checks phone: "Oh my God.."

It was only like 8:30am at this point but I was shocked. I would've never even thought to check for a text or expect it could be ready that early.

 

[Sandisw]

Which I read that we can check-in at any time after 4pm.
Not that there is no guarantee when the room is ready and 11:59pm is acceptable.

And I did bring this up at thr SSR meeting as a comment that while it does say after 4 , DVC owners should be able to reasonably count on that meaning g room ready at that time…barring any extreme situations.

I even mentioned some have been told that even 8 pm is acceptable and they did seem surprised by that. So while there was confirmation of anything, I don’t think we, as owners, should be lax in letting them knitwear when rooms are not ready by 4:30 at the latest.

 

[Grumpy by Birth]

I've always been in the camp that believes "Check in starts at 4 pm" SHOULD mean that you can't expect your room to be ready before 4 pm because check-in hasn't started yet.

But once check-in begins at 4 pm, rooms should be ready for anyone who checks in any time from 4 pm or later. Otherwise, as long as one single room was ready at 4 pm, they could maintain that Check-in had started at 4 pm, even if the rest weren't ready until whenever.

Check-in starts at 4 pm for all guests checking in that day. If rooms aren't ready for some guests, their check-in didn't start at 4 pm.

If "check-in" does not equal room ready, then it doesn't matter what time anyone checks in. Check-in could start at 6 am before previous guests even wake up, much less check out. But that's ok because, although you've checked in at 6 am, your room won't be ready until 6 pm.

Kind of a reverse Hotel California: "You can check in any time you like, but you can never leave... the lobby (because your room isn't ready)."

 

[zavandor]

And I did bring this up at thr SSR meeting as a comment that while it does say after 4 , DVC owners should be able to reasonably count on that meaning g room ready at that time…barring any extreme situations.

I even mentioned some have been told that even 8 pm is acceptable and they did seem surprised by that. So while there was confirmation of anything, I don’t think we, as owners, should be lax in letting them knitwear when rooms are not ready by 4:30 at the latest.

Thank you for asking it!
Finally we have a clear confirmation from management: rooms should be ready by 4pm. If under exceptional circumstances they aren't, then the front desk should do their best to help the guests.
But this doesn't mean we are entitled to a free upgrade to the Yellowstone suite if the room is not ready by 4:01. Sometimes we DVC members can be a bit entitled.
However, if management is reading this and they want to give  me a free upgrade to the Yellowstone suite, I'll happily take it.

 

[rM3panno]

We have been fortunate with our rooms being ready by 4:00 pm for 5 out of our 6 stays. We have stayed in 1Br, 2Br, and a GV. The only exception was last March (I know it was Spring Break) but our home resort is Riviera and we had a 2 BR booked which wasn’t ready until a little after 6:00 pm. We usually like to cook dinner in the room on the first night and take it easy between pool time a d getting an early start in day 1 in the parks. That 6:00 pm check in was pretty frustrating but it must have been a huge changeover day or short staff because the lobby was FULL of people waiting on rooms.

 

[Sandisw]

Thank you for asking it!
Finally we have a clear confirmation from management: rooms should be ready by 4pm. If under exceptional circumstances they aren't, then the front desk should do their best to help the guests.
But this doesn't mean we are entitled to a free upgrade to the Yellowstone suite if the room is not ready by 4:01. Sometimes we DVC members can be a bit entitled.
However, if management is reading this and they want to give  me a free upgrade to the Yellowstone suite, I'll happily take it.

I have been a little greedy the handful of times I have not been in by 4:00 pm and recently, been very lucky to have my rooms by 1:00 pm!

But one time, it was 4:30 ish and I asked for FPs because it was found out that the room had actually been finished by 2:00 pm…we arrived around 1:30 pm.. and the CM never released it…so the manager had to check and found it had been ready for hours.

Another time, it was 5:40 pm and we had 6:00 pm reservation at Ohana for 7 of us and ar BLT. We had planned to shower and get ready and had no time. I asked for compensation and was given $250 on my account to help with dinner.

I do know that I will always email the board when it’s past 4:30 pm and I am still waiting. Really hoping my luck doesn’t change!

 

[muppets3d]

Which I read that we can check-in at any time after 4pm.
Not that there is no guarantee when the room is ready and 11:59pm is acceptable.

That is not how I read it. I read it that rooms are available at 4PM when check-in starts. The good news is that generally this seems to hold true, if not early, with rare exception. Which is as it should be.

 

[RuntheMouse]

We stayed last night in the Poly Tower in a duo and it was ready when we arrived at 1:00. Today we moved to the RIV in a tower and our room was ready at 2:30. I know that they’re studios so easier to turn but our streak of early check-ins continues. We’ll see what happens when we move to BRV in a 1 bed on Thursday!

 

[zavandor]

That is not how I read it. I read it that rooms are available at 4PM when check-in starts. The good news is that generally this seems to hold true, if not early, with rare exception. Which is as it should be.

I think we're saying the same thing.

 

[Sandisw]

We stayed last night in the Poly Tower in a duo and it was ready when we arrived at 1:00. Today we moved to the RIV in a tower and our room was ready at 2:30. I know that they’re studios so easier to turn but our streak of early check-ins continues. We’ll see what happens when we move to BRV in a 1 bed on Thursday!

I have had good experience lately too. And that is why it is so important for DVC owners to let DVC know when we aren’t getting in on time

Because if people accept it and don’t let them know, they can’t fix it. I do get the sense they are trying to make it so it should be a rarity that we don’t have our rooms shortly after 4 pm at the latest.

 

[pixieprincess925]

I do know that I will always email the board when it’s past 4:30 pm and I am still waiting. Really hoping my luck doesn’t change!

Just to clarify, who should we be sending an email to when this happens? I have been fortunate lately to get "normal" check-in times, but I have gotten a 6:30pm check in previously as well.

 

[Sandisw]

Just to clarify, who should we be sending an email to when this happens? I have been fortunate lately to get "normal" check-in times, but I have gotten a 6:30pm check in previously as well.

I plan to send it directly to the association email. If you go to the website and look under condo association news, it says share feedback

 

[geargrinder]

Magical how the don’t disturb signs disappear on checkout morning…

Just as magical as the amount of people who don't understate how it's related to their ability to check in early.