Room with a view. Really??

[mickeywho?]

So I know a few of the resorts offer premium views for additional points. We've stayed in a couple but would love your opinion on if it's really worth it?
BLT - the views are broken down in different categories correct? Is it that much more for the best view?
BWV - we've booked garden views with varied success. One year over the green courtyard (awesome!) and this past Christmas we were overlooking the back of the clown slide - or as my kids like to refer to it - the "butt view"
Any other WDW resorts have views you pay extra for? I'm guessing AKV has view categories but I haven't tried them out yet.

We're currently at Vero and I'm fed up. This is our 4th trip - we always book ocean view inn rooms and not ONCE have we actually been in a room with an ocean view. We've tried requesting on a higher floor (they all have railings) and also been specific in our request for a railed balcony. And not once have they given us a room without a wall. Ok - the first time they did, but it had a tall palm tree directly in front of us so I wouldn't count it either. I always ask at the desk about it and I'm told they are fully booked and have no other room available.
So I'm done paying the extra for rooms with views. This has a lovely ocean-sound...but that's it! Is it even worth it to complain to member services?

 

[MrShiny]

We stayed in a BLT with MK view. It was nice looking at Space Mt. and the castle as you went to bed and woke up, but not that fantastic. note that the view is mainly of the parking lot with the park in the background (although it does look great in pictures after you crop them!). We watched the fireworks from the room one night which was neat, but watching from Top of the World was just as good (OK, so we couldn't be in our jammies).

Pool view at BWV can be scary if you have a good view of the clown's head!

Savanna view at AKV is pretty neat. Once you've done it, you don't have to do it every time, but it is pretty cool. There are plenty of opportunities to see animals without a savanna view at both Kidani and Jambo.

The best Disney resort view (but not DVC) I've had was the theme park view at the GF. It's like a postcard of Paradise Pier right out your window. When we stayed in 2001, they were testing MSEP after hours, so we'd watch Elliott the Dragon navigate the twists and turns of the park. Pretty cool!

 

[DizBub]

I don't blame you for being upset. If you are paying that "premium" for a view you should be getting that view.

I would rather save the points and not pay for the view. Oddly enough, the only view that matters to us is the water/DTD view at SSR and that doesn't cost extra.

I doubt calling MS would make much of a difference. I think I would go to the front desk and have a manager accompany me back to the room and show them the view, or the lack of one. At that time I would request a refund of the "view premium" that you paid.

Good luck.

 

[disneynutz]

The rooms views are a joke for the most part and Disney like others in the resort industry knows it. We think that they are trying to give the guest a great guest experience and in reality they are trying to make the most money.

We were staying at WL pre DVC purchase and some CM's came to our door requesting permission to go to the balcony. They sampled the view and started to leave. I asked them what they were doing and they explained that they were going to change our room view category to a lake view. I said that it really wasn't a lake view and they said that if you look hard to the right you can see the blue of water, thus a lake view.

On another occasion staying at Kidani shortly after it opened, we were in a savanna view looking at the backside of the pool area with the corner of a savanna to our hard right. I went to the front desk to voice my displeasure and was told by management that DVC decides on the DVC rooms what the views are. I asked that a manager come to our room and see first hand what I was talking about. The next day the GM of the resort is at our door and she agreed that the view category was pushing it, the following day they moved us to a different room on the other side of the resort.

I followed up with DVC and they told me that the resorts decide on the view categories, not the DVC. A few months later, that area of rooms were changed to standard view.

Bill

 

[dsneygirl]

Theme park view at VGC but first floor so it was a fence and the top of Goofys Sky School if you looked up high enough. Not a dedicated request but just asked for it.

 

[oldfastpassxpert]

We've had theme park view at BLT. First they stuck us in a 4th floor room facing the contemporary. DW was not happy. You could hear movies playing on the lawn outside.
After speaking to a resort mgr, we were moved to the tenth floor, facing the actual park. It was nice, moving sucked. I'm happy that they took care of us, but overall disappointed in a system where we book 13 months out, are paying a room premium for the view, and had to request a new room. Those rooms should never be considered theme park view. They may have corrected those rooms- but don't quote me on it.

 

[DebbieB]

My favorite premium point view is BWV boardwalk view. Love it!

Had a lake view at BLT that had a side view of MK.

 

[Sammie]

Nothing Member Services can do about it, so no I would not see any reasons to complain to them.

BW view and Savannah view to me are the only really good guaranteed views.

 

[Simba's Mom]

My favorite premium point view is BWV boardwalk view. Love it!

Although I'm not a big fan of BWV overall, the boardwalk view there is definitely the most impressive view by far.

 

[drusba]

Best view at WDW: BWV boardwalk view (as a booking category, view is guaranteeed if you can book it). It is same points as pool/garden but puts pool/garden to shame.

2d Best: AKV savanna view other than Pembe savanna (which has no giraffes). Savanna view is a booking category as is the particular building, Jambo or Kidani. All three of the Jambo savannas are good, with Arusha being somewhat better. For Kidani you need Sunset Savanna view and thus a request to get it (which you iusually get since 80% of the savanna view rooms there overlook Sunset).

3d best: BLT lake view if you can get high floor (a request which is not guaranteed). Even better if you can also get outer, north wall which gives you fantastic lake view and theme park view to the left for fireworks at night. I have had TP view and lake view is better. The latter gives you a good view all day long, the former mainly gives you good view of castle, well in the distance, and fireworks and is for night time because during the day it is mostly mediocre and you see too much of the parking lot and the Contemporary building. Biggest problem with TP view is that you must request high floor and if you instead get one of the lower TP view floors, it is the greatest point rip off in all of DVC because the view is mainly the parking lot even at night.

4th best: SSR, Congress Park, lake view rooms, high floor (none of that is guaranteed when booking). Fantastic view of lake and Downtown Disney. Point cost same as other SSR rooms.

5th Best: BLT theme park view if you can get high floor(see discussion above).

Have not stayed at VGF or non-WDW resorts so cannot speak for them but I am guessing many of the Aulani ocean view rooms are impressive and at least the GVs at VGF appear to have impressive views..

 

[bwvBound]

... but I am guessing many of the Aulani ocean view rooms are impressive ...

drusba -- nice list, thank you!

FWIW, I'm not a fan of Aulani's "Ocean View" category. I consider most to be a "pool view" (facing directly into the pool and its noise!) with a "glimpse" of the ocean either beyond the pool or off to the side. We did it once, but won't bother a second time.

 

[Breyean]

Theme park view at VGC but first floor so it was a fence and the top of Goofys Sky School if you looked up high enough. Not a dedicated request but just asked for it.

The great thing about VGC is there is no extra points charge for the rooms facing the park. The OP specifically mentioned premium views requiring more points, and being disappointed with not getting the extra special view he "paid" for.

VCG doesn't fall into this category, although I wonder if DVC looks back at the decision to have all rooms of each type with the same points value no matter what the view. As you point out, there are BIG differences in what you can get. We have had ground floor rooms twice facing the pool, or more precisely, a bush. Other times, great park views. Same number of points.

It's just a roll of the dice. Once I made no request, and wound up in room 5502, one of the best 1 bedrooms for view. Most times I request that room and as I said, wound up facing the pool!

 

[Sandisw]

That is disappointed that a room that says "ocean view" does not have any view of the ocean.

I know that to be straight on is considered ocean front, but if I was on my balcony and could not see the ocean, even looking to the side, I'd contact member satisfaction and tell them that the room you received is not ocean view...I'd probably take pictures and send them along with my email.

I've never been to Vero so maybe the room once had a better view and know vegetation has changed it, but I think its important that they hear from members about rooms.

At BLT, for the first few years, they had rooms on floors 3 and 4 classified as TPV, and after several years of complaints, the finally agreed they should be standard view and now, TPV rooms don't start until the 5th floor. Same happened at AKV-Jambo--some originally classified rooms at Savannah, are now considered standard.

So, sharing your views, IMO, is important..

 

[mickeywho?]

I think I'll take some pictures tomorrow and send them on to member services. I would consider this room (and the three next to it) "ocean front" but there is no way they should be charging more for a view. Sitting on the bed, you can look out and see the wall, sitting on the balcony - still just the wall! The only way to view the ocean is on the balcony on your tiptoes. My youngest can't see it at all.
I remember booking a cruise a few years ago and we opted for a ocean view with veranda - they then broke down that further by obstructed, oversized, partial etc and charged accordingly. If you are going to charge for a guaranteed booking then you better deliver what was promised. If there is only one offering and it is luck of the draw...so be it!

 

[jpeka65844]

We got TPV at BLT once. DH wanted it badly but when we got in the room, he promptly shut the curtains so he could run around in his underwear.

Sorry if that was TMI.

So premium views aren't worth it in my family.

 

[oldfastpassxpert]

Haha that's so me lol

 

[mickeywho?]

We got TPV at BLT once. DH wanted it badly but when we got in the room, he promptly shut the curtains so he could run around in his underwear. Sorry if that was TMI. So premium views aren't worth it in my family.

Now that would be a view!

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

We had similar VB OVIR on our first stay there. Asked to move so that my mother in a wheelchair could get a chance to see the ocean and were moved the next day and of course charged for the move. Dumbest design decison ever (next to the BWV solid walls) to build ocean front and put up those stupid solid walls. I was luckier the next trip.

I did complain to MS about my BLT theme park view studio that was on the 3rd floor and you had to go out on the balcony to see the theme park and still had much of the theme park view blocked by the monorail line. That room was one that was reclassified down to standard view. I also could have had conversations with people crossing the bridge between BLT and CR and had to keep the dark curtains closed for any privacy.

Also have gotten the BWV boardwalk view 1BR that faces Village Green and only has one small balcony. Since we had an 8 night stay booked we moved the next day.

On a plus side we've twice gotten rooms that were reclassified from savannah to standard view at AKV - one in Kidani and one at Jambo. Very nice "upgrade" to see the animals for standard view points.

But it's not really unique to Disney and is fairly typical for the industry. Aulani - I'll say that they are Ocean view, not Ocean Front and there is a definite difference. I had zero issue with OV classification there.

Theme park view at VGC but first floor so it was a fence and the top of Goofys Sky School if you looked up high enough. Not a dedicated request but just asked for it.

They were smart at VGC to not make any view categories although pre-opening I was quite surprised about that decision. Actually I can't quite convince myself that I even really like the Paradise Pier view there all that much - it's noisy.

 

[mickeywho?]

So we managed to get moved to a much better room today. I can see the ocean!
Of course, we were charged the full cleaning fee since we were moving mid-stay....

 

[dvc_john]

Aulani - I'll say that they are Ocean view, not Ocean Front and there is a definite difference. I had zero issue with OV classification there.

I have an issue with Aulani OV classification.

My OV room was basically a view of the JW Marriott hotel and parking garage, with a bit of ocean in the distance between the buildings. At best, I would classify it as 'Partial Ocean View'. The room below me one floor down was classified Island View.

For my upcoming trip I just booked Island View to begin with.