So what do you do if your room isn't ready by 4?

[stitch'sgirl]

UJust got back from a quick trip to KV. We arrived at 12, so planned on waiting around for a room. We were enjoying the pool, and by 3:30, thought it odd that our room wasn't ready yet. When I went to the front desk, I was told rooms weren't guaranteed until 4. We went back to the pool and got involved in a game of "What's in Your Beachbag?" Since we had our daybag with us, we basically dumped it to find our items in the allotted time. Then without warning, the heavens opened and the rain rain rain came down down down. It was now 3:55, and I went back to the desk. Nope, not guaranteed until 4. Walked (dripping) into the store, bought frozen pizza, drinks, etc. Went BACK to the desk and now the verbage is just "Your room's not ready", and the word "guarantee" goes away. So now we are sitting in 90 degree heat with a melting pizza and no idea of when a room will be available. What would you do?

 

[daisyduck123]

UJust got back from a quick trip to KV. We arrived at 12, so planned on waiting around for a room. We were enjoying the pool, and by 3:30, thought it odd that our room wasn't ready yet. When I went to the front desk, I was told rooms weren't guaranteed until 4. We went back to the pool and got involved in a game of "What's in Your Beachbag?" Since we had our daybag with us, we basically dumped it to find our items in the allotted time. Then without warning, the heavens opened and the rain rain rain came down down down. It was now 3:55, and I went back to the desk. Nope, not guaranteed until 4. Walked (dripping) into the store, bought frozen pizza, drinks, etc. Went BACK to the desk and now the verbage is just "Your room's not ready", and the word "guarantee" goes away. So now we are sitting in 90 degree heat with a melting pizza and no idea of when a room will be available. What would you do?

Honestly, I'd just sit and wait. There have been many times when we haven't gotten our room until 4pm...one time it was after 4:30. My family just knows not to expect it until then. Sorry you had a melting pizza. I would've never purchased anything that needed to be kept cold like that.

 

[nytimez]

If my room's not ready when I check in, I leave my crap with the bell and head out for a while, usually into one of the parks. Not that big a deal.

 

[tjkraz]

I would have asked them to store the frozen/refrigerated goods and then tried to determine when the room would be ready.

Things happen. Many times--when the resort offers any sort of explanation--they seem to point back to insensitive guests (damage to the room, late departing). But it's nearly impossible to assign blame anyway.

Honestly we take the preemptive step of not making any rigid plans on arrival day. No ADRs. No expectations of getting into the room by a certain time. There are just too many things that could go wrong--late flight, lost luggage, traffic problems which delay trip to the resort, or even late room entry. We come prepared to head-out to the parks with carry-on bags stored at bell services.

If we didn't get in until, say 6pm, or if this was a recurring problem, then I would take issue with it. But I wouldn't fret over a 5pm room entry on one trip out of 10.

 

[Deb & Bill]

UJust got back from a quick trip to KV. We arrived at 12, so planned on waiting around for a room. We were enjoying the pool, and by 3:30, thought it odd that our room wasn't ready yet. When I went to the front desk, I was told rooms weren't guaranteed until 4. We went back to the pool and got involved in a game of "What's in Your Beachbag?" Since we had our daybag with us, we basically dumped it to find our items in the allotted time. Then without warning, the heavens opened and the rain rain rain came down down down. It was now 3:55, and I went back to the desk. Nope, not guaranteed until 4. Walked (dripping) into the store, bought frozen pizza, drinks, etc. Went BACK to the desk and now the verbage is just "Your room's not ready", and the word "guarantee" goes away. So now we are sitting in 90 degree heat with a melting pizza and no idea of when a room will be available. What would you do?

Actually it's AFTER 4PM. So 5PM is still after 4PM. We haven't gotten into our room until 5:30 or nearly 6PM a few times. Once when we checked in at 7:30AM.

So you sit and wait. And ask them to hold your frozen goods.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Like I said on your other post - it's really not until AFTER 4PM, not AT 4PM. So you wait until the room is ready. Ask them to hold your frozen stuff until the room is ready. And learn from the situation.

 

[princessbride6205]

OP - I don't think there's anything you can do. I'm sorry that happened. I understand the verbage is that your room will be ready after 4, but I don't think it's fair that your room may not be ready until 5pm or 6pm or later. If it gets past 5pm, I would talk to the front desk and possibly contact MS.

 

[Deb & Bill]

OP - I don't think there's anything you can do. I'm sorry that happened. I understand the verbage is that your room will be ready after 4, but I don't think it's fair that your room may not be ready until 5pm or 6pm or later. If it gets past 5pm, I would talk to the front desk and possibly contact MS.

If the previous guests decided not to leave or they made a big mess, your room is not going to be ready on time. There are some guests who think it's not a problem for them to stay in the villa until it's time for them to leave for the airport at 4 or 5. And if there is a big mess to clean up, they have to shampoo the carpets, even replace the furniture at times.

 

[crisi]

We usually get in when we arrive, but we've had waits.

We pack a daybag, in it it has "easy pack" clothes for dinner and swimsuits. We make a dinner reservation for a place at the resort - usually the signature place the day we arrive. We hit the pool. 60 minutes before dinner, I check on the room, if its available, we pull the kids from the pool, grab our daybags and shower and change. If it isn't, I go change in the ladies room by the pool, then swap with my husband while he changes in the mens room - haul our kids out of the pool for the repeat. And head to dinner.

Dinner is never done before 7, and our room is always ready by at least then.

We've done the day in the park thing with an early flight - especially when at BCV/BWV - Epcot is SO convienent, and we make reservations for dinner at Epcot - in those cases, the bags go to the bellhop and we head to the parks. We don't come back until 7 or so, and by then, the room has always been ready.

So the answer is, we go about our day and don't PLAN for the room to be ready when we arrive. Its harder with little kids (but then Epcot, a stroller, and three trips through Spaceship Earth for a "nap" usually took care of that). It usually is, but DVC operates at such high occupancy that it can't be depended on. Hope for the best, plan for the worst.

 

[BlakeNJ]

This happened to us once before. Except our room wasn't ready until after 6pm!!!!!! I was furious! We were at the pool and still needed to shower before our ADRs. I complained but they did nothing for me. It was frustrating since we were only staying 1 night anyway, so I felt like we were jipped. I did make sure we would still be able to keep our ADR. I did ask them to confirm that!

What did you end up doing? When did you finally get in??

 

[dianeschlicht]

The quick answer to your question....You wait. Honestly, since 4 is the official check in time, and the rule is "after 4 PM", I never expect to get in by 4, and often we don't. We usually check in to get our key cards (and the little phone number so they call us when the room is ready), and we head to a park. Sometime around 4-5, if we haven't heard from them, we call, and usually our room is ready, so we head back to unpack and maybe go do a grocery run.

Honestly, I'd have to say in the 13 years we've been members, there have not been very many times we have been in BEFORE 4.

 

[dianeschlicht]

This happened to us once before. Except our room wasn't ready until after 6pm!!!!!! I was furious! We were at the pool and still needed to shower before our ADRs. I complained but they did nothing for me. It was frustrating since we were only staying 1 night anyway, so I felt like we were jipped. I did make sure we would still be able to keep our ADR. I did ask them to confirm that!

What did you end up doing? When did you finally get in??

Nothing to be furious about. If you want to get angy, get angy at the people who either stayed past check out time or made a huge mess that required a lot of extra cleanup time. That's the usual culprit for getting your room late. Yes, we have had to wait beyond 6 several times, and each time our carpets were still damp.

 

[Norm1]

I know how frustrating it could be to wait until 4 or after but it's only happened to us once since our first visit in 1995.

We waited in the lobby from about noon until after 4:00 back when you had to keep calling DVC to see if your room was ready. Thats when we decided to never let that happen again.

We now never expect are room to be ready when we arrive. We leave our luggage with bell services or in the trunk if we have a rental and start our vacation as soon as we arrive. We hit the parks, go to downtown disney, make a reservation for dinner at the resort we are staying at and let them call us when the room is ready. If the room is ready upon arrival it's a bonus for us. If not, oh well!

 

[twinklebug]

I only find waiting until 4 or later a bother if one of the kids are sick - such as the time DS needed his nebulizer and using it out in public was not only a nuisance to those around us (it buzzes loudly) but it made DS very uncomfortable.

 

[jekjones1558]

I guess I am in the minority here. I think that it is ridiculous that DVC now has checkin as after 4:00 instead of at 4:00. 10:00 PM is after 4:00 so is that okay also? As long as DVC refuses to enforce 11:00 checkout there will be way too many late checkins. I blame DVC management just as much as I blame selfish guests. Slap a $250 fine on late checkouts and pass it along to the guests who are forced to wait past 4:00 for a room. I am usually not a harsh person but this is an issue which really gets my goat (as you can tell).

 

[AirGoofy]

I guess I am in the minority here. I think that it is ridiculous that DVC now has checkin as after 4:00 instead of at 4:00. 10:00 PM is after 4:00 so is that okay also? As long as DVC refuses to enforce 11:00 checkout there will be way too many late checkins. I blame DVC management just as much as I blame selfish guests. Slap a $250 fine on late checkouts and pass it along to the guests who are forced to wait past 4:00 for a room. I am usually not a harsh person but this is an issue which really gets my goat (as you can tell).

I agree with you absolutely. People who refuse to follow the rules need to be held accountable. It is also just rude and disrespectful of other guests. You can push that up to $250 per hour for late checkout. If that charge occurred for that and other issues, perhaps DVC could use that money to towards the next guest's dues payments for that year.

As to OP, sorry for the experience. You can write a letter to complain after the fact. We have always planned on not getting into the room until after 4, and have a separate (we drive) bag packed with swimsuits, change of clothes, and toiletries. So, we can swim and shower/change and still go where we want.

 

[WolfpackFan]

We just head to a park and stay there until we get the text message our room is ready.

 

[MrsBlovesDisney]

Honestly, I'd have to say in the 13 years we've been members, there have not been very many times we have been in BEFORE 4.

That has been our experience as well....

 

[drusba]

Getting room late is not a new problem. Over the last 16 years, we have twice been delayed beyond 4 (latest was a little after 5) but of course that is 2 out of a lot of trips, many of which we actually got in before 4. Last time this happened to me, I had the unfortunate experience of going to the pool (at BWV) for the wait where I found a barstool and a TV with a bowl game on (it was Jan 1 a few years ago) and my favorite bartender there who kept complying with my requests for another. I did somehow manage the walk to the room. Spouse and child spent the time in the pool (a rare Jan day in the low 80s) and were none too pleased with my inability to travel elsewhere that night.

 

[Judique]

I guess I am in the minority here. I think that it is ridiculous that DVC now has checkin as after 4:00 instead of at 4:00. 10:00 PM is after 4:00 so is that okay also? As long as DVC refuses to enforce 11:00 checkout there will be way too many late checkins. I blame DVC management just as much as I blame selfish guests. Slap a $250 fine on late checkouts and pass it along to the guests who are forced to wait past 4:00 for a room. I am usually not a harsh person but this is an issue which really gets my goat (as you can tell).

I also do not accept the idea that it is okay to be left hanging with regard to when I get into my room. I don't blame anyone but management.

The idea that I will get my room 'sometime after 4' is ridiculous to me. Why should I pay to get my room at 6pm, while another guest gets one at 2pm???

I checked into BWV after 9pm last night. My room should have been ready and in order. It wasn't. I'm still steamed. I booked 11 months ago.

Every guest who arrives within the rules should get the same level of service. At the bare minimum a clean room at 4. Location(except for booking categories), floor level, style of room - not the issue.

What should they do for me? Don't let this happen to me or any future guest. I'm not willing to compromise to save a few pennies on housekeeping dues. Hire quality help and enough of them to get the job done in the time that is available. If I pay to have a quality vacation in my villa I expect my visit to go well from the start.