Segmenting Reservation Experience for Later Addition of Dining Plan

[Sandisw]

I thought I would just share my experience with doing this for my upcoming August trip.

I originally booked at 11 months and at my 7 month mark last week, changed the first two nights.

Over the weekend, I started thinking about wanting to possible do the DxDDP for nights 1 and 3 of my 5 night trip.

I really didn't want to spend time on the phone with MS, so I sent them an email explaining what I wanted done. I made it clear that if there was any chance to lose what I had (BW view 2 bedroom at BWV and a SV 2 bedroom at BLT) to leave things alone.

I got the email today that everything was done and I now have 4 segments all linked, and all under the same reservation/travel plan number.

I am still not sure that I am going to definitely do the plan, but I am at least set if I choose to do so. I won't have the final guest list for a few months so figure I have time to decide.

 

[Melynny]

We are at OKW now and have a segmented reservation. Not because of the Dining Plan, but because we were on the Wait List for 1 night in the middle of our original reservation, then I added on a night. Just so you know, this has really screwed up our housekeeping schedule.

We had 2 nights on one reservation then 5 on another, then 1. On the Morning after the 2nd night I called Housekeeping to see what our schedule would be and were told that we were scheduled for a Trash and Towel on the 4th day of our stay ( even though the check out basket was at our door). I said ok, then left for the day... came back to the room at 3:15, and there was a knock on our door, a confused housekeeper, and a question of it we needed anything. I told them no, we had a continuing reservation, and that we were scheduled for T&T tomorrow. So the next day, we put towels on the floor, with a tip, leave for the day, come back ... no service. I called again, this time I was told we were scheduled for a T&T on Thursday, not on Tuesday and when I explain, she says that acccording to that check in schedule a Full clean should have occured on the 4 th day of our stay and a T&t on the 8th day.. So, we will see if that happens,

I don't think the housekeeping program is set up to accomodate members who are staying in the same unit for different reservations, this in turn causes confusion, wasted effort and increased member maintenance fees! I am really disappointed with the way that this is handled and you can be that I'll be brining this up, whether it's for the dining plan or for waitlisted reservations, it's a mess!

 

[Sandisw]

Thanks for sharing. Our trip was already a split stay with 2 nights at BWV and then 3 nights at BLT.

Since neither one of those would qualify for any housekeeping, it probably won't be an issue. Worst case is they will show up on the second day so maybe I will just put up the Do Not Disturb sign for them.

I also hope that by August they have worked out the kinks of this.

 

[LIFERBABE]

Thanks for sharing. Our trip was already a split stay with 2 nights at BWV and then 3 nights at BLT.

Since neither one of those would qualify for any housekeeping, it probably won't be an issue. Worst case is they will show up on the second day so maybe I will just put up the Do Not Disturb sign for them.

I also hope that by August they have worked out the kinks of this.

I stayed at BLT for 3 nights, with a 1-2 segment. It was a PITA, with all the front desk time, and at 11am, day 2, mousekeeping was trying to evict me, despite the DND sign.

I hope yours works out better.

Emailing was a good idea, because segmenting can take forever over the phone.

 

[joandegennaro]

We are at OKW now and have a segmented reservation. Not because of the Dining Plan, but because we were on the Wait List for 1 night in the middle of our original reservation, then I added on a night. Just so you know, this has really screwed up our housekeeping schedule.

We had 2 nights on one reservation then 5 on another, then 1. On the Morning after the 2nd night I called Housekeeping to see what our schedule would be and were told that we were scheduled for a Trash and Towel on the 4th day of our stay ( even though the check out basket was at our door). I said ok, then left for the day... came back to the room at 3:15, and there was a knock on our door, a confused housekeeper, and a question of it we needed anything. I told them no, we had a continuing reservation, and that we were scheduled for T&T tomorrow. So the next day, we put towels on the floor, with a tip, leave for the day, come back ... no service. I called again, this time I was told we were scheduled for a T&T on Thursday, not on Tuesday and when I explain, she says that acccording to that check in schedule a Full clean should have occured on the 4 th day of our stay and a T&t on the 8th day.. So, we will see if that happens,

I don't think the housekeeping program is set up to accomodate members who are staying in the same unit for different reservations, this in turn causes confusion, wasted effort and increased member maintenance fees! I am really disappointed with the way that this is handled and you can be that I'll be brining this up, whether it's for the dining plan or for waitlisted reservations, it's a mess!

We have a segmented stay in March for a total of 8 nights. It is broken into 1 night, 2 nights, 5 nights. If I called mousekeeping when we arrive and explain do you think I have a hope of them getting it right.

I actually will only want them to replace the towels, I don't see the need for the full clean, we clean our sheets weekly at home and so 1 extra night really isn't an issue, we take out our garbage and recycleables almost daily ourselves, there is a vaccum in the closet for any mess the family may track in. We don't really need the full clean.

 

[Melynny]

If I called mousekeeping when we arrive and explain do you think I have a hope of them getting it right.

Well, I called Housekeeping when I saw the filled laundry basket at our door (that's how they handle clean linens at OKW) and they assured, I mean really assured me that those were not for our villa, but for the studio next to us. I did no good because the housekeeper thought we should be checking out and no one told him what was going on.

One of the reasons we purchased at DVC was beause we like our privacy, I like knowing that we will only be getting service on specific, scheduled days.

So to follow up, we did get our full clean on day 5, and an extra full set of clean towels on the evening of the 4th day to accomodate us until a full clean could be scheduled, on the 5th day. I did mention this to our guide, and he said that Disney dose not move quickly, and they don't make changes quickly. He agreed that it is probablly the new reservation system that has it messed up. My comment to him was "Why make changes and not be ready for them, and in turn cause guest dissatisfaction and wasted resources?" He did not have an answer for that and did a nice little tap dance around that.

Who know if they will be more organized in March...I really, really hate all this negativity around something that is so dear to me, but I do feel there is a decline... ( DVC is dear to me.. Housekeeping is not...not really

 

[MOM POPPINS]

If done by email then how did you pay ahead of time as now required. Will you call back in and pay for the dining? Just wondering how this works. We want to try segment dining in May.

 

[lmb]

We just returned from a segmented trip with the dining plan in the middle. We had no trouble with housekeeping but for some strange reason our snack credits were activated correctly but the table service credits weren't available on the first day of the dining plan. I had to have 2 meals charged to our room and then credited and have new keys cut. They told me at check in I could just use 1 key the whole time without a problem.

 

[bookwormde]

That is a great idea to do it in writing, with the "do no harm" clause.

 

[Sandisw]

If done by email then how did you pay ahead of time as now required. Will you call back in and pay for the dining? Just wondering how this works. We want to try segment dining in May.

I didn't actually add the plan. I simply told them I was interested down the road in doing so once I knew all the guests (that is still in flux).

My plan is to wait and add it sometime in July, as soon as my CC statement closes, so I don't actually have to pay for it until after my trip.