Room Views: The Obsession

[Granny]

A recent post on another thread by cslittle999 caught my attention, and rather than hijack that thread, I thought I'd start another one.

Disney is the only place I've ever been where people obsess over room location. I think it is because of the tremendous pressure people put on themselves for a Disney trip to be perfect

Here are my thoughts, and they are not intended to belittle anyone who really, really wants to get the "best room views" for their family, or for that trip that they really want to be "perfect".

If possible, let's keep this thread focused on room views and not on other requests like smoking/non-smoking, HA or other aspects.

I do agree with the statment in the quote, and I believe it has a basis from what people are used to. I think most people who own DVC have stayed at WDW in the regular resorts...probably multiple times for many. And the resorts have different classifications of views with different costs per night. For example, Wilderness Lodge has a Standard View, Woods View and Courtyard View room, with escalating costs per night for each.

DVC (except for BWV) doesn't have that kind of set up...so people who are used to choosing a room view vs additional cost don't see that in DVC for the most part. All of a sudden, people who would probably never pay for a resort's best view (plus the people who would) find themselves with an opportunity to get what they consider to be the "best" view in a resort.

And subsequently some become less than happy when unable to get it.

I know that for the WDW resorts, there are a lot of "tactics" people can use (faxing/calling the room controller, etc) that DVC doesn't allow (supposedly). So some people are just looking for other angles to give themselves the best shot at what they consider the best room.

I personally thought that using the requests on the reservation, and giving preference to the first date the request was made (gives home resort owners a leg up) was the best way to go. Unfortunately, too many people showed up at check-in berating the desk staff and Disney went to this "room ready" process to try to reduce check-in stress on both guest and CM. But that leaves the late arrival people with the "leftovers", and that seems like a very unfair way to go.

Somebody is probably going to get the dumpster view, the tennis court/parking lot view, the "near the busy road" view, etc. We figure that over the course of our DVC ownership we will be getting those from time to time and understand that.

Maybe I'm off on the view thing, but it does seem to be a high priority with many. Or I could be reading more into many posts than is really there?

Thoughts? Comments?

 

[Lewisc]

Internet discussion boards, where posters go so far as to determine which LV rooms at POLY are partially blocked by trees and which unit at BCV has the best view of Illuminations are partially to blame. DVC resorts have a high occupancy rate most of the year. In "regular" resorts the dumpster view room may go empty most of the year. Some "requests" are reasonable, ground floor room so I don't have to worry about my kids on the balcony.

I agree too many posters seem concerned with getting specific room numbers and units for a view of a very limited view of illuminations.

 

[jarestel]

The amount of time we actually spend enjoying room "views" is actually quite small. Even though we've visited WDW and DVC many times and we're not park commandos, we still don't tend to spend much time in the room. So clamoring for the perfect view, in our case, isn't really very high on the priority scale.

However, for folks who do like to sit in their hotel rooms for large chunks of their vacation, a view might be more desireable. Since it costs nothing to request a specific view, why not if it makes the vacation a bit more enjoyable. Of course, I don't advocate obsessing over views and letting the disappointment of not getting your perfect view ruin the rest of your vacation. But since someone has to be in the rooms with good views, it doesn't hurt to ask!

 

[spiceycat]

my first couple of visit to OKW were golf views. nice but since I am not into golf it was just okay.

then they put me in a water view. a GREAT water view.... It was wonderful. we sat and enjoyed that view more than we went to the park. (also first time in a 1-bedroom). I was in love and have been since.

So I blame OKW (DVC then). If they had never put in such a wonderful view - I won't know the existed.

both Wl and Polyn have upgrade me - again it was their choice to put in such wonderful room views... WL was a courtyard, Polyn was a lagoon view of the MK. forgot BC also upgraded me to a lagoon view looking out towards BW. So did the Yc.....

but I really preferred the water views at OKW. It helps me to relax.

Disney has itself to blame. if they didn't upgrade their guests - most of their guests would not know what great views are like.

also the internet only adds to it. lots of WDW guests will post links to their photo showing what a great view they had.

every here of something called envy????

oh I try to make other DVC member aware when I get a bad reviews. So the posters here are more likely to know when they get a great review vs a lousy one....

 

[LoveMickey]

Being a new owner and only stayed at OKW once, I have a little bit of input.

My most important location is near a bus stop and near the place to eat.

I too obsessed when looking at a map of OKW since it looked very spread out.

We only had a car for one day (check in day) and we wanted to be near a bus stop and also pool/food place. We requested a room 'near the hospitablity house'.

We read about 'not wanting a first floor' due to over grown areas, not being in a certain location because of this or other there because of that.

We were pleased with the location we got on our first trip. We were in Building 14 (across the street from HH) and we were on the first floor.

Our balcony was not over grown (we could see the golfers) and it was a nice location. The only "bad" thing (and it was not that bad) was that the HH was the last bus stop, so when returning from the parks, we would be the last to be dropped off. We rectified that issue, by getting off at the first bus stop and walking back to the room. It was a pleasant walk back to our room, even if our feet hurt just a bit.

I'm sure there were other "views" or other buildings that would also have been nice.

In all of my stays at other WDW resorts, I really have not had a 'bad' room. We once had a courtyard view at WL and were just as happy with the woods view which we had had on an earlier trip.

 

[spiceycat]

forgot a big one - bw.

my first visit to BW I asked for a garden view - and got told there wasn't one available. so they put me in a BW view.... talk about a great view. but even here mother hated it - too far from the elevators....

even the bell man stopped and looked out at the view. Say it was the best he had seemed...

 

[diznyfanatic]

Honestly, room view doesn't matter much to us and it would never be a reason for us to request a room change.

We've had the highway view at OKW and still loved our room and time there.

I'm sure we'll also get the dreaded dumptster view at VWL someday since someone has to get it, and while I'll be briefly disappointed, we'll still have a great time.

 

[Fitswimmer]

Honestly, room view doesn't matter much to us and it would never be a reason for us to request a room change.

Me either. I think it would matter more to me at VB and HHI where I would be spending more time around the rooms, but even then I'm so darn happy to be on vacation that I truly don't care! If the room view at HHI this weekend is less than optimal, there's always the lodge or taking a walk down to the beach house.

 

[Disneyaholic]

Just goes to show that no good turn goes unpunished.

It would be wonderful if everyone looked at their upgrades or great views as the stroke of luck that they are. Instead, our society lives in this mindset of entitlement.

We've seen it before with Disney -- when they can't satisfy everyone, they simply take it away, rather than forcing their employees to deal with cranky guests all the time.

So watch out, in the future, the "worst" views might be the ones that get assigned first, leaving the "best" rooms empty more of the time, so that there are fewer people who can brag about having them!!!

 

[bobbiwoz]

I like to sit out on the balcony/patio. I've had some great views, and some not so great ones. Not so great/ I sit more at night or find a place at the resort where it's quiet.

Obviously, I'm not a park commando, I like my WDW trips at a very leisurely pace. DH prefers the TV to the view from the patio/balcony.

Bobbi

 

[spiceycat]

Just goes to show that no good turn goes unpunished.

It would be wonderful if everyone looked at their upgrades or great views as the stroke of luck that they are. Instead, our society lives in this mindset of entitlement.

this is funny!

but you are blaming me (I think) for Disney giving me upgrades. I never once asked for any of the upgrades.

So again you are blaming the wrong person/thing.

Now since I have seem a water view at OKW. I definitely ask for a water view at OKW. Don't always get one. Once got a view of the parking lot - something OKW claims it doesn't have.

to be fair in your book - I am surpose to ignore that for me water views are great - where golf views are even worst than the parking lot view? I am not a big people watcher - so seeing people get is not fun for me.

mother is 84, so we spend alot of time in the room. I nice view helps me from getting mad about all the park time I am missing. She screams and I mean screams if I try to leave her in the room and go back to the parks. She is also know to cry at the parks when she wants to leave. My mother can be a.... but she is my mother and I will still take her on the basic that she won't be with me much longer.

a nice view helps me forget my angry. Is that wrong?

Since most of the people who are posting say they don't care what views they get. I don't think my requesting a view is hurting.

you say it is. why?

 

[Granny]

I realize that in naming this thread "The Obsession", I probably painted it as somehow getting down on people who are really into room views. I apologize for anyone who takes it that way.

I was trying to theorize why people do obsess about it, but not trying to judge those who do. After all, we are all Disney Obsessed and we wouldn't want people judging that, would we?

And if you are someone who really enjoys a great view, don't feel like you will get flamed here. If the thread seems to be heading towards slamming the "View Obsessors" , I'll ask that it be shut down.

Everyone seems to be doing a good job of putting their opinion in without putting down others' opinions. Thanks to all for the good discussion.

 

[ScooterL]

I really don't care about "view", and I never request any specific view on a reservation - if I get a good one, that's great, if I don't, that's not really an issue. The only time I've ever had a "view" issue is when at BWV I got a "Preferred" view 1 bedroom unit that (in my opinion) had no view at all - it was on the first floor, the last room at the end of the hall facing the quiet pool, and all I could really see was the wall of the community center! And maybe a tiny piece of the pool. I think the views from the Standard View rooms are nicer than that!!!

At one point I had heard that DVC was going to to a room allocation system based on when the reservation was made, and I was happy about that, because I almost always make mine 11 months in advance, BUT I come in from the west coast, so never arrive before 6:00 in the evening, so sometimes get stuck with "whatever is left". From the original post, it sounds like that is not what they are doing now, though?

 

[Granny]

I'm sure we'll also get the dreaded dumptster view at VWL someday

I think DDV is close to getting official abbreviation status here on the DIS!

 

[mikayla73]

IMO there is nothing wrong with requesting a certain view. While anyone could be momentarily disappointed about not getting their exact request, I would never get upset at the CM or let the view from the room ruin a wonderful vacaton.

I am fairly new to the DIS and DVC, but for me any view that is not my out of my window at home it a great view because I am on vacation at Disney!

 

[spiceycat]

BUT I come in from the west coast, so never arrive before 6:00 in the evening, so sometimes get stuck with "whatever is left". From the original post, it sounds like that is not what they are doing now, though?

as far as I know - DVC is still doing the 'room available' - meaning you get your choice of the rooms available when you check in. So it pays to get their early. which for you is probably impossible.

so you will still be stuck with 'whatever is left'

now on sat or fri - this might still be a great room - but on Sunday - it is definitely what is left.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

now on sat or fri - this might still be a great room - but on Sunday - it is definitely what is left.

The DVC resorts tend to run at full or near-full capacity. That's part of the economics of the timeshare business model.

Each day, people check in to rooms from which other guests checked out that morning. So, on Sundays, there is a whole new batch of rooms available — the rooms that were vacated Sunday morning.

That also explains why it's unrealistic to expect highly restrictive requests to be fulfilled, such as a particular building at OKW. Each building only has a limited number of rooms of each size, and there may be no check-outs that morning from rooms that match the request.

 

[Disneyaholic]

this is funny!

but you are blaming me (I think) for Disney giving me upgrades. I never once asked for any of the upgrades.

So again you are blaming the wrong person/thing.

Now since I have seem a water view at OKW. I definitely ask for a water view at OKW. Don't always get one. Once got a view of the parking lot - something OKW claims it doesn't have.

to be fair in your book - I am surpose to ignore that for me water views are great - where golf views are even worst than the parking lot view? I am not a big people watcher - so seeing people get is not fun for me.

mother is 84, so we spend alot of time in the room. I nice view helps me from getting mad about all the park time I am missing. She screams and I mean screams if I try to leave her in the room and go back to the parks. She is also know to cry at the parks when she wants to leave. My mother can be a.... but she is my mother and I will still take her on the basic that she won't be with me much longer.

a nice view helps me forget my angry. Is that wrong?

Since most of the people who are posting say they don't care what views they get. I don't think my requesting a view is hurting.

you say it is. why?

You need to go back and re-read my post. I never said there is anything wrong with requesting a particular view. All I said is that many people have come to EXPECT a particular view or an upgrade and have a hissy fit when they don't get what they want.

I don't think I blamed you for anything.

 

[JimC]

Good points so far. It is also possible that the obsession is contributed to by an over anxious concern about "how bad" a bad view is. I have been in a lot of WDW resort rooms over the years. And yes, some views were more to my liking than others; but I can not remember a truly bad view. As a guest I expect to get my share of the more magical views and my share of less magical views.

It would be interesting to hear DVCs opinion on how the BW guranteed view procedure has worked. Maybe that is something they would expand to all of their resorts. If it gave comfort to those guests who consider view very important that is fine with me.

As for our booking requests -- We do make view requests but they are last and only in general terms. Now for the exception -- I have considered asking for a specific room at the Contemporary (where we honeymooned) as a surprise 30th anniversary celebration coming up in 2008. I wonder if that would be considered too much or just magical enough to be reasonable?

 

[mamatojon]

I will always request a view room (right after NS), but I don't ever expect I'll get it. I was beyond surprised last trip when we had a gorgeous fifth floor room at VWL with a view of the lake and pool. It made the trip that-much-more special. When we moved over to SSR, my view was of construction... I will admit I was dissapointed at first glance, but it was for a second only. A view would never ruin my trip, not by a long shot, but a great view just is the icing on the cake. I'm a nice person who treats everyone with respect so I don't feel bad at all about asking for a view. If I don't get it and the CM says "sorry, there's nothing available" I'll just say "no problem, thanks for looking!" and that's that. It doesn't hurt to ask.