Room Ready System!!!!!!

[mamatojon]

I don't think it will matter what happens. If we stay with the current system there will be complainers. If you change it, there will be complainers.

Personally I like a view. We spent quite a bit of time enjoying our DTD view last trip and would like to have it again. Would I moan and groan if we didn't get it when we arrived? No, but I would like to be able to request it to have more of a chance of getting it.

I agree 100% absolutely with everything you have said here!

 

[Dean]

Thanks for your reply. Please help me understand this better.
When we call 11 months out and make one request only (smoking room) and they tell me it IS available why is it that when we get there we always get a NS room??? I realize that 90% of the rooms are NS. That is why we only make ONE request. If it is NOT available I would request a different week. I will not smoke IN a NS room, but we will smoke on the patio. It is very frustrating to us. We try to be considerate yet the members that don't smoke are very vocal. And NO, I do NOT want a HA room. EVER!! They are for people who need them. If Disney has left over HA rooms in their inventory then they should have to ask if you are willing to take one or take it as a loss themsleves. Not telling you that because you arrived last that's what is left. This thing of giving the rooms to whomever arrives first, at the crack of dawn promotes the too early arrivals and the long ugly lines! The CM deserve better than this! They didn't make the room ressie, yet we too have heard members forget their manners. In this time of computer wonders I can hardly believe that a week by week hold on rooms is not a possiblity.
Sorry if this seems so long. Just can't understand how it is that you can't reserve a room and it be what you committed to. Thanks!

The problems are 2. Number one is that DVC doesn't put much effort into room requests anymore. The other is that there is no priority like there used to be so one who reserved 2 weeks ago has the same priority as one who reserved 11 months ago. That is the very essence of room ready, they give you a room that supposedly meets your requests if available, unfortunately see #1.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I agree! On our most recent trip to SSR we were shown what was assigned to us when ME "checked us in." at 9:40 a.m. If we didn't like the room, we were given the option to wait for a certain room that met our location request but was still occupied. ...

ME is a bigger problem to me. If DVC went with the suggested method of assigning rooms, would ME riders get to move to the front of the line? They already get the available room when they arrive at the airport. Because I didn't take advantage of ME (I drove and didn't fly, thus saving Disney money), I got what was left over. When they start to charge for ME, with they quit assigning the ME guests to a room at the airport?

I checked in at OKW about 7:30AM on 1/1, but our room wasn't ready until 5:30. It didn't bother me that it wasn't ready until 4, but it did bother me that they told me it was ready at 4:30 and the previous guests had just moved out at 4:15. It wasn't cleaned for us to use until 5:30.

 

[maciec]

I don't think it will matter what happens. If we stay with the current system there will be complainers. If you change it, there will be complainers.

Personally I like a view. We spent quite a bit of time enjoying our DTD view last trip and would like to have it again. Would I moan and groan if we didn't get it when we arrived? No, but I would like to be able to request it to have more of a chance of getting it.

I agree. You can't make everyone happy no matter how hard you try. There will always be a complainer somewhere.

I have the philosophy that the less requests I make the better chance I get of getting a nicer view. I limit my requests to NS (due to medical reasons for my son) and a high floor. Other than that, I leave it up to the room assignor. I figure that they have so many people putting in a ton of requests that when they see my 2 tiny little requests that they will be thankful. I may be really kidding myself, I know, but it has worked so far.

 

[msdis]

I agree with you but you sure must not have been on this DVC board long , there is a big case of entitlement with DVC members. I'm sure I'll get flamed for that. But I'm just glad to be there and don't care when or where my room is.

We are among the happy to be there, happy to get a room when we get there.

 

[BethA]

We never seem to get what we request anyway--so I'm fine with doing away with requests other than nonsmoking.

Our room is rarely ready by 4 and I find that disturbing. We have had to wait til after 5 several times and having been sitting around since noon get svery old. I'd love to just pick from what is ready when we get there and get into a room!! I wouldn't care where it was, as long as it was ready.

 

[3DisneyNUTS]

The first come first served appears to penalize those who arrive late in the day. I don't want to have to stay off site the first night to be able to get to the resort earlier than my flight allowed. Or have to take a 5am flight either.
I also feel that there should be some benefit for owners booking at 11 months. Right now you are only sure you'll have a room. Someone who books the month before and arrives at the front desk before you gets to choose a room ahead of the owner!?

There are 2 ways to look at this. The first come people can't be expected to wait hours if a room is ready just because it is before 4pm. What if the late comers get delayed till the next day? I am sure it is easier to manage a first come first serve system on the resorts end because of this.

I do think it stinks for the late arrivers but I don't see how holding a room doesn't cause more chaos. If someone arrives at 9am but their assigned room isn't ready until 4 even though there are empty rooms it seems silly to have people wait?

The other way to look at it is that normally the empty rooms in the early morning are the less desireable rooms. I have arrived early only to be told one with the view I requested isn't ready but one without a view is. I have taken the ready room and forgone the view thus leaving the view for the next person.

IMO I just cannot see making guests who arrive early wait if there are empty rooms. I know that it stinks for late arrivers but to make people waste a day waiting for a room is a bit silly for the resort to do imo.

As far as 11 month window or owners priority I would give priority to DVC owners as far as requests.

BETTER YET. How about guaranteed requests to DVC members only? Those on cash or renters would get room ready DVC members would get a perk of getting requests met. I am sure that would make reservations a nightmare though.

 

[jade1]

BWV BW View is the the only one worth any extra effort anyway IMHO and now its guaranteed so they can use any system they want for all I care.

 

[OttawaWendy]

The stories from the smoker who couldn't get a smoking room and the non-smoker who couldn't get a non-smoking room frighten me. My DW is allergic to smoke and asthmatic and I get migraines if I am exposed. We could not stay in a smoking room nor could we stay in a non-smoking room where someone had smoked on the balcony. So we really need there to be an adequate supply of both smoking and non-smoking rooms.

I don't know what we'd do if they had no non-smoking room. We'd try for another room in another DVC property and then elsewhere on site, but we would literally turn around and drive back to Canada before staying in a smoking room. I hope that never happens or DW will be mad I convinced her to buy into DVC!

 

[DrTomorrow]

Thanks, Daitcher, for a thread full of laughs!

First, I guess that I don't believe that the case for a change has been made - at least I haven't seen it clearly stated. From a personal POV, what is in place has worked for me: whenever I have arrived (as early as 9AM, as late as 5:30 PM) a perfectly acceptable room has been ready.

Second, I'm fairly certain that whatever "new" (or old) method is chosen, there will flaws - some we can anticipate, others that will crop up after the fact. There will always be complainers AND people who think that their situation ("I'm with my family", "I'm with my boss", "I'm an owner at this resort") deserves special treatment.

Third, I feel that your proposal would only make lines a LOT worse. First, instead of the 15 seconds it takes for a CM to say "You will be in room 5313", there will be the many minutes it takes for 1. the CM to explain the location and specifics of each available room (of which there could be dozens on a slow day) and 2. the time it takes for Mr. DVC to ask Mrs. DVC and the little DVCers which one sounds good to them, decide, and tell the CM. [For that matter, what happens when there is more than one check-in desk open? CM#1 offers a list of 10 room to DVCer#1, then seconds later CM#2 offers the same list to DVCer#2. DVCer#2 is a bit quicker and picks a room first; when DVCer#1 picks that same room (it is the best available) and is then told it isn't available. "But you just told me it was? What kind of place is this? I'm an owner at this Resort...."]. This process could also increase the number of front desk visits per guest check-in from 1 to 3 or more. And ITA with whoever suggested that folks would just get back in line a few minutes later to try for a better room - you'd be surprised how much time some DVC owners spend on room selection .

Finally - and no true offense is meant to my dear DIS family here - I bet that this "Problem" is only a "Problem" for a small set of DIS DVC control freaks, NOT for the general DVC ownership population. Look at the main responses in this thread. The Masterminds: "Ooooh, I get to see each and every available room, weigh the benefits and drawbacks of each, factor in my extensive DVC knowledge and select THE room." Um, OK..... The Special Ones: "I think that resort owners / first arrivers / earliest reservers / non-renters" should be treated better than everyone else. Would like the path littered with rose petals on your way to check-in as well? So while I do believe that DVC / Disney reads these forums, I doubt that a group of less than 50 fanatics on the internet are going to cause anything than a bemused grin.

In any case, I wish you the best of luck, and hope to see further such ideas as they occur.

Be well!

 

[SoCalKDG]

My story.

We went in Jan to BWV's. They gave us a choice of two rooms, we took one of them. It was very close to the elevator, standard view, which puts you right by the entrance with trucks, cars, valet, etc.

I asked to move, they said tomorrow, 25$, I said no problem. I was worried that my 4 year old and 4 month old might not sleep well due to noise.

We moved, great view, end of hall with canal, TOT, etc(3.5 minutes from room to check-in by the way for those that think it takes 15 minutes ). Guess what, we wished we had stayed close to the elevators. I've had a Boardwalk view before and now realize nothing else is even close.

The message is clear, if its not a Boardwalk view I could care less where the view is, since nothing at DVC is even close to this view, IMHO.


Thoughts on new reservation system:

I was thinking about reserving specific rooms 11 months in advance and realized what one major problem would be.

1st day you get your room by computer/phone, say room #5133. Next day you do the same thing, but guess what, that room is already gone to someone else that reserved it 2 minutes earlier.

If they were to allow you to choose specific rooms, they would also have to change the booking methods to allow you to book your complete trip on that first day(similar to ADR's now), allowing you to book your 9 day vacation all at once.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I/we have been very happy with our rooms at DVC.

We have arrived as early as 10AM and were given what we believed to be the most wonderful room in OKW (our only room ever at OKW), and someone had mentioned that they thought it was a bad room. (Also, on the Members Cruise we had a cabin that was deemed to be "noisy" on this board and it was a wonderful room.)

In my DH's Marriott profile, "top floor" is noted and he usually gets it, we have never gotten "top floor" at DVC, and have never requested it. I know that if he really wanted that, he would be disappointed with DVC.

We have waited past 4 for our room to be ready, not often but it has happened.

We have never requested a view or location.

The current system "works" for us.

Bobbi

 

[BCV23]

I haven't read this whole thread but am happy with the system as it is right now.

 

[Daitcher]

We sold our DVC at BCV due to the "Room Ready" Policy. I think "Room Ready" should be a request, if you don't care where your room is and want to get into it with little wait, then you request "Room Ready".

We have always understood that requests are requests and didn't have any problems our first few years of ownership, but since "Room Ready" has been in use and we don't arrive until after 3pm we NEVER got our requests met.

We go to Disney to relax, we spend little time in the parks now anyway. Our room location, more importantly the view, plays a big part in our vacation and is very important to us. It's just not right that I make my reservations 11 months out and someone can show up at 9am and get the room I was assigned because of "Room Ready". If the room you were assigned, or one like it is not ready at 9am then it's too bad, the check-in isn't until 4pm. We abided by the rules in the contract we signed 5 years ago (before the "Room Ready" policy changed things), made our reservations 11 months out and did not expect to be in our room until 4 pm (sometimes later) as per the contract. All I wanted was to get an N/S, upper floor, Epcot view room. That's not too specific and should be easy to assign, especially since most people don't like the road noise on that side of the building. So why over the last 2 years did we always get stuck with a 1st floor pool side room? Because some whiner checking in at 9am couldn't wait and had to have MY room "NOW". DVC should have stuck with AND ENFORCED, the 4 pm check-in to begin with. Before we sold our BCV we were going to purchase points at SSR but decided to spend our vacation money differently. We still Love Disney and will miss BCV, but the "Room Ready" policy made requests pretty much void for those checking in later and ruined DVC for us.

Once again someone doesn't understand how room ready works. You state "someone can show up at 9 a.m. and get the room I was assigned because of "room ready". There are no rooms assigned with room ready. At 9:00 a.m the only rooms available to the guest would be what is cleaned and ready. They could not ask for or get the best room in the house just because they were there early. Now in your defense the problem lies with the fact that Disney doesn't stick to the policy. If they did you might get the best room in the house at 3:00 because it just was cleaned and into the system. Now they crumble to the complainers and gripers. Sorry you sold your DVC because of this. It seems IMO you'd be hard presed to be satisfied at any timeshare property. Requests are always going to be just that a request. It doesn't matter if you book 2 years in advance. People have to stop with this "i booked 11 months out thing. Nobody cares! Lets say there are 20 rooms that meet your top floor Epcot view request, now lets say 40 BCV owners booking 11 months out request that same common request, how can they possibly make you all happy? 20 of you go away unhappy. Room ready if followed properly is really the only way to go. It is also cost effective because room assigners would be out. Sorry but I can't get on board with much of what you've said here. I suspect many more dissapointing stays are headed your way.

DAVE

 

[3DisneyNUTS]

Thanks, Daitcher, for a thread full of laughs!

First, I guess that I don't believe that the case for a change has been made - at least I haven't seen it clearly stated. From a personal POV, what is in place has worked for me: whenever I have arrived (as early as 9AM, as late as 5:30 PM) a perfectly acceptable room has been ready.

Second, I'm fairly certain that whatever "new" (or old) method is chosen, there will flaws - some we can anticipate, others that will crop up after the fact. There will always be complainers AND people who think that their situation ("I'm with my family", "I'm with my boss", "I'm an owner at this resort") deserves special treatment.

Third, I feel that your proposal would only make lines a LOT worse. First, instead of the 15 seconds it takes for a CM to say "You will be in room 5313", there will be the many minutes it takes for 1. the CM to explain the location and specifics of each available room (of which there could be dozens on a slow day) and 2. the time it takes for Mr. DVC to ask Mrs. DVC and the little DVCers which one sounds good to them, decide, and tell the CM. [For that matter, what happens when there is more than one check-in desk open? CM#1 offers a list of 10 room to DVCer#1, then seconds later CM#2 offers the same list to DVCer#2. DVCer#2 is a bit quicker and picks a room first; when DVCer#1 picks that same room (it is the best available) and is then told it isn't available. "But you just told me it was? What kind of place is this? I'm an owner at this Resort...."]. This process could also increase the number of front desk visits per guest check-in from 1 to 3 or more. And ITA with whoever suggested that folks would just get back in line a few minutes later to try for a better room - you'd be surprised how much time some DVC owners spend on room selection .

Finally - and no true offense is meant to my dear DIS family here - I bet that this "Problem" is only a "Problem" for a small set of DIS DVC control freaks, NOT for the general DVC ownership population. Look at the main responses in this thread. The Masterminds: "Ooooh, I get to see each and every available room, weigh the benefits and drawbacks of each, factor in my extensive DVC knowledge and select THE room." Um, OK..... The Special Ones: "I think that resort owners / first arrivers / earliest reservers / non-renters" should be treated better than everyone else. Would like the path littered with rose petals on your way to check-in as well? So while I do believe that DVC / Disney reads these forums, I doubt that a group of less than 50 fanatics on the internet are going to cause anything than a bemused grin.

In any case, I wish you the best of luck, and hope to see further such ideas as they occur.

Be well!

Great post thanks...I am laughing at myself now LOL.

 

[Daitcher]

Thanks, Daitcher, for a thread full of laughs!

First, I guess that I don't believe that the case for a change has been made - at least I haven't seen it clearly stated. From a personal POV, what is in place has worked for me: whenever I have arrived (as early as 9AM, as late as 5:30 PM) a perfectly acceptable room has been ready.

Second, I'm fairly certain that whatever "new" (or old) method is chosen, there will flaws - some we can anticipate, others that will crop up after the fact. There will always be complainers AND people who think that their situation ("I'm with my family", "I'm with my boss", "I'm an owner at this resort") deserves special treatment.

Third, I feel that your proposal would only make lines a LOT worse. First, instead of the 15 seconds it takes for a CM to say "You will be in room 5313", there will be the many minutes it takes for 1. the CM to explain the location and specifics of each available room (of which there could be dozens on a slow day) and 2. the time it takes for Mr. DVC to ask Mrs. DVC and the little DVCers which one sounds good to them, decide, and tell the CM. [For that matter, what happens when there is more than one check-in desk open? CM#1 offers a list of 10 room to DVCer#1, then seconds later CM#2 offers the same list to DVCer#2. DVCer#2 is a bit quicker and picks a room first; when DVCer#1 picks that same room (it is the best available) and is then told it isn't available. "But you just told me it was? What kind of place is this? I'm an owner at this Resort...."]. This process could also increase the number of front desk visits per guest check-in from 1 to 3 or more. And ITA with whoever suggested that folks would just get back in line a few minutes later to try for a better room - you'd be surprised how much time some DVC owners spend on room selection .

Finally - and no true offense is meant to my dear DIS family here - I bet that this "Problem" is only a "Problem" for a small set of DIS DVC control freaks, NOT for the general DVC ownership population. Look at the main responses in this thread. The Masterminds: "Ooooh, I get to see each and every available room, weigh the benefits and drawbacks of each, factor in my extensive DVC knowledge and select THE room." Um, OK..... The Special Ones: "I think that resort owners / first arrivers / earliest reservers / non-renters" should be treated better than everyone else. Would like the path littered with rose petals on your way to check-in as well? So while I do believe that DVC / Disney reads these forums, I doubt that a group of less than 50 fanatics on the internet are going to cause anything than a bemused grin.

In any case, I wish you the best of luck, and hope to see further such ideas as they occur.

Be well!

Dr. can't disgagree with much of what you've said here. I do disgagree with your long line theory. They use room ready (not correctly), but they use it now and the lines aren't any longer. In fact they'd be shorter IMO because people wouldn't be standing there griping about rooms. Unfortunately you are right with the rest, it isn't going to stop the complainers. My main focushere is to stop the I didn't get my requests met threads. They are a waste of time and so trivial. Have a drink on me and relax, you are at WDW. I'd be happy to charge drinks to my account for any and all at BCV Feb 27th - March 4th and then at OKW from March 7th - 9th at OKW. Just look for the guy, drink in hand, actually enjoying WDW. Just ask for the Daitcher. I've enjoyed all my trips even the ones with the "bad views".


DAVE

DAVE

 

[CarolMN]

...(snip)....My main focushere is to stop the I didn't get my requests met threads. They are a waste of time and so trivial. ......

But it might get a bit dull around here if they stopped! . Especially if all these stopped too (under the same "waste of time and so trival" theory):

*the renting points threads (some want to banish these to a special board all their own)

*the Dining Plan threads (some here objected to all of those so we now just merge them all into one HUMONGEOUS thread that's too big to read if you don't have at least a week of free time, LOL)

*the ME threads (apparently, we're all tired of those, too, LOL)

* and need I mention the occupancy debates? (had to stop those as they inevitably turn nasty).

*resort war threads (usually start when someone posts a room/trip report with a negative or two).

Goodness! Would we have anything left? Is there anything more dull and dry than use year, kitchen supplies or the "I got my waitlist" threads?

Dave - I love most of your posts, even when I don't agree with them, LOL! They help to keep things interesting around here!

Best wishes -

P.S. As Caskbill posted elsewhere, the mods are working on something that we hope will make the DVC Forums easier to use.

 

[DebbieB]

I haven't read this whole thread but am happy with the system as it is right now.

The problem is no one knows what exactly that is. Sometimes "room ready" is used, sometimes "pre-assigned" is used. If they would just come up with one system and be consistent about it, members would know what to expect.

 

[Daitcher]

But it might get a bit dull around here if they stopped! . Especially if all these stopped too (under the same "waste of time and so trival" theory):

*the renting points threads (some want to banish these to a special board all their own)

*the Dining Plan threads (some here objected to all of those so we now just merge them all into one HUMONGEOUS thread that's too big to read if you don't have at least a week of free time, LOL)

*the ME threads (apparently, we're all tired of those, too, LOL)

* and need I mention the occupancy debates? (had to stop those as they inevitably turn nasty).

*resort war threads (usually start when someone posts a room/trip report with a negative or two).

Goodness! Would we have anything left? Is there anything more dull and dry than use year, kitchen supplies or the "I got my waitlist" threads?

Dave - I love most of your posts, even when I don't agree with them, LOL! They help to keep things interesting around here!

Best wishes -

P.S. As Caskbill posted elsewhere, the mods are working on something that we hope will make the DVC Forums easier to use.

Thanks, I've been known to stir a pot or two.


DAVE

 

[Daitcher]

The problem is no one knows what exactly that is. Sometimes "room ready" is used, sometimes "pre-assigned" is used. If they would just come up with one system and be consistent about it, members would know what to expect.

That is exactly right and really the whole basis of my program. Even the biggest whiners would stop if the whining got them no where. No grease for that squeaky wheel! Consitency is really all we can hope for. DVC isn't going to adopt my policy that is for sure ( they should but they won't). So much of these problems stem from the bending of the rules or not adhering to them in the first place.

DAVE