Sending items ahead?

[Cant wait for Disney]

Hello!
This will be our first stay as DVC members at the BWVs. Has anyone mailed items ahead to the villas? We are thinking of doing a case of water and a box of diapers/wipes. Will this be a hassle for the cms? It would make flying so much easier!

 

[Desnik]

We do it all the time. Just make sure you put who evers name the reservation is in on the box along with your arrival day and even your reservation number. When you check in just ask for your package. Most of the time they have it at the front desk waiting for us. Sometimes it is at the business center and they will bring it up to your room.

 

[dianeschlicht]

For items like that, wouldn't it be easier and less expensive to just make a quick run to a store once you arrive? Even if you don't have a rental car, a cab wouldn't be all that much compared to shipping stuff down.

 

[norm&linda]

I am thinking of trying to ship ahead some extra items we want to keep in our Owners Locker, so thanks for the info.

For water etc., I have found garden grocer to be great at delivering a couple of cases so they are waiting for us when we arrive. They'll also do diapers, and have also picked up special requests for us that aren't on the website.

Have fun at BWV - we love it there!

 

[Cant wait for Disney]

thanks!
in response to the cab-i was thinking of sending the diapers down through amazon prime-so my shipping would be free so it wouldnt cost any different, maybe a little less since i have found prices down there to be a bit higher, does that make sense?

 

[Chuck S]

Remember that there is an extra handling charge for receiving shipped items at resorts that have business centers/convention facilities. The receiving services for these resorts are contracted out to a private business, and they add a surcharge for deliveries.

 

[Cant wait for Disney]

i didnt know about that Chuck, thanks! So you're saying BWV has the charge? do you know how much?

 

[Chuck S]

I think it is $5 to $10 per box, depending upon size/weight of the package. If you'll be needing other grocery type items, you may want to consider a shopping service like Garden Grocer or WeGoShop. While they charge you for their services, there is not additional resort fee because these packages are delivered through bell service, or personally to your room by the service.

 

[Desnik]

I forgot to add that I ship via UPS and I ship one big box down filled with everything from snacks, to breakfast items, water, drink boxes, you name it! I ship from NY and it has never cost more than $20 to ship it via ground shipping.

I also forgot to mention the fee that some resorts will charge. When staying on DVC points, even at a convention center resort like BW, I was never charged the fee. Last June we stayed at the BW not on points on the Inn side and we were charged the $10 fee for our package. That fee includes them delivering it to your room. You just have to call down to the business center, they will put the charge on your room and deliver it. some people have been charged the fee while staying on points at the BW while others, like me have not. IMO it is still worth the convenience.

 

[mecanterbruy]

I think it is $5 to $10 per box, depending upon size/weight of the package. If you'll be needing other grocery type items, you may want to consider a shopping service like Garden Grocer or WeGoShop. While they charge you for their services, there is not additional resort fee because these packages are delivered through bell service, or personally to your room by the service.

Has anyone at BLT been charged the fee?

 

[Chuck S]

Has anyone at BLT been charged the fee?

Yes, there have been reports of charges for receiving at BLT. Shipped items are delivered to business center at the Contemporary.

 

[Best Aunt]

I shipped to Beach Club Villas in March. The package was delivered to the conference center. I walked over to the conference center to pick it up. I asked the guy working there about the fee. He said:

The fee is based on the weight of the package.
1 to 4 pounds: $3
5 to 20 pounds: $5
21 to 70 pounds: $10
over 70 pounds: $0.70 per pound.

I believe the fee would be the same at BoardWalk Villas and at Bay Lake Towers, because I think the same company handles it.

I don't think it matters if you are staying in a villa or in the regular part of the hotel. If the hotel has a conference center, all packages go there.

I think the fee was instituted in the past few years. So if you stayed in a villa, say 5 years ago, and there wasn't a fee: I think it was the timing, not villa versus regular part of the hotel.

When I stayed at BoardWalk Villas last year, I went over to Bell Services and had one of their guys walk over to the conference center with me, because I had two packages waiting and they were heavy.

I never tried calling from my room and asking to have the packages delivered, so I can't comment on how well that works.

The distance from the check-in desk to the conference center at Beach Club is a lot longer than at BoardWalk.

One of the PP mentioned shipping UPS ground shipping. This year I used FedEx Express Saver (third business day, Saturday delivery not available). That's their cheapest air shipping.
Weight of box: 9 pounds.
Size of box: 18” x 12” x 12” high
Cost: $42.79

So if you're not using ground shipping, and you're not getting free shipping, it can get expensive.

 

[norm&linda]

Thanks for the info!

I was pretty surprised to read about this policy.

We have our owner's locker dropped off each visit and it must weigh 60 pounds fully loaded - no kidding and i always do a grocery order with 4-5 bags of grocery, cases of water, etc. It all gets stored until we arrive and the only 'fee' we pay is our tip to Bell Services.

i guess the other is kind of storage/handling charge.

 

[Chuck S]

Thanks for the info!

I was pretty surprised to read about this policy.

We have our owner's locker dropped off each visit and it must weigh 60 pounds fully loaded - no kidding and i always do a grocery order with 4-5 bags of grocery, cases of water, etc. It all gets stored until we arrive and the only 'fee' we pay is our tip to Bell Services.

i guess the other is kind of storage/handling charge.

Owner's Lockers are delivered via the bell services staff. Shipped items, at resorts with convention facilities, are delivered to a contracted business services office, not operated by Disney.

 

[stopher1]

If you are members of Costco - you can order cases of water from them, and other things too (like diapers I bet) and they will deliver for free (except of course of any charges from the convention resorts on the receiving end).

We do this each trip and it saves a lot of hassle.

 

[OKWMom]

Has anyone at BLT been charged the fee?

I was. It was in October of 2009, but I can't remember the exact charge. It was added to my room charge.

 

[ilikedvc]

We have done this many times before and never been charged a fee. It's been about a year since we did last but I'm surprised there is now a fee.

 

[Desnik]

I don't think it matters if you are staying in a villa or in the regular part of the hotel. If the hotel has a conference center, all packages go there.

I think the fee was instituted in the past few years. So if you stayed in a villa, say 5 years ago, and there wasn't a fee: I think it was the timing, not villa versus regular part of the hotel.

But it did matter in our case. We go multiple times a year, our last trip to the BWI was June 2010 and we were charged the fee. I have stayed at the BWV in the past and had shipped a package and it did not go to the conference center, it was waiting for me at the front desk and I was not charged a fee. I was also not chaged the fee at the Cont resort, we were in the hotel, not BLT. I wasn't even charged the fee when we stood at the GF and that package didn't go to the conference center and was also waiting for me at the front desk.

From what I have read from all the different experiences on the DIS boards it seems to be no rhyme or reason to it! Some get charged while others don't if you are DVC, or a hotel guest, so who knows. I say just ship your package and be prepared for a fee, if they don't charge you then it's an extra $10 in your pocket!

 

[ses1230]

Has anyone at BLT been charged the fee?

Yes, I was charged at BLT in November. $10.

 

[Cant wait for Disney]

does this make sense? I just want to be sure I am looking at it right. I added up my two choices of item delivery (amazon prime to be picked up at convention center for a fee vs. using Garden Grocer) Here is what I got:
As reference:
Fee for shipping to BWV via convention center
1 to 4 pounds: $3
5 to 20 pounds: $5
21 to 70 pounds: $10
over 70 pounds: $0.70 per pound.

Amazon Prime (free shipping)
Diapers- (168) 9.8 pounds ($30.00)
Bibs-1 pound ($8.94)
Water- 24 pounds ($6.95 for 24)
Total cost plus fee: $56

Cost for Garden Grocer-delivered to room
24 pack of water: 7.99
48 diapers for $28 (x3)
bibs-32 for 7.59
delivery charge: 12.00
1.99 fuel surcharge
total cost: 74.50

So the way i am seeing it, i would save a lot just shipping it prime and taking the convention center fee, right?
thanks for any input!!