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

[Ln42]

I think they should charge the late fee to any guest who does not get out on time and give it to the new guest who is unable to get their room at 5:00. If you aren't in your room by 5:00 at least you know you have a room credit coming! Probably not feasible to put into action but I like the idea.

 

[kikiq]

VWL has nice couches in the villa lobby as well as a few big leather chairs around the corner in the iron spike room that are comffzzzzz...

Just sayin'

Personally, I think AKL/AKV has some of the best places to hang out to wait and comfy couches to sleep in IF you don't want to go to the parks early.

 

[Dean]

Thank you! I am seeing posts excusing DVC for an after 4pm check-in. I don't get that at all! Just because they word it that way does NOT mean they should be allowed to let you check in hours after 4pm. Thats total BS. If a cash paying guest was told that ridiculous excuse, how do you think that would go over? Why should we be treated any differently? We've paid dearly for our points and continue to for our dues and my money is just as good as a cash paying guest. I don't care how their little blurb reads, if they try and put me in any room after 4:00, I will not just accept that and smile. Unacceptable!

I don't think anyone is saying it should be that way, only that it is currently that way and members need to understand that. Any complaints should go to DVC and not the resort in question because it's a system problem. There is no reason to complain if a room is after 4 though certainly 8-9 pm without a feasible explanation is a different matter. Given the current set up, I'd put the cut off at 6 pm between reasonable and unreasonable.

 

[crisi]

Thank you! I am seeing posts excusing DVC for an after 4pm check-in. I don't get that at all! Just because they word it that way does NOT mean they should be allowed to let you check in hours after 4pm. Thats total BS. If a cash paying guest was told that ridiculous excuse, how do you think that would go over? Why should we be treated any differently? We've paid dearly for our points and continue to for our dues and my money is just as good as a cash paying guest. I don't care how their little blurb reads, if they try and put me in any room after 4:00, I will not just accept that and smile. Unacceptable!

It does with cash guests all the time. And I've been in hotels where the hotel manager has said "no you aren't getting a free room - would you like to use the phone to try and book another hotel."

 

[brenalexacamp]

I never plan on being in the room before 4 - I plan and drop my stuff of at bell services, I do the online check in- last time I told them I was going to the park- they said they would text me when the room was ready- I asked which bus stop to get off as I was coming back after the 10:00 fireworks! It was 9:30 in the morning!

They cast member was like- "you go girl!"

 

[Niagara2]

We have been in early as many times as we have been in at 4 or a bit after.
Have been members since 1996 and have never had a big problem getting into a room on time. Those early check in's are a treat and appreciate each one of them!!

 

[Deb & Bill]

...Those early check in's are a treat and appreciate each one of them!!

Isn't that the truth!

We had a 5:30 room ready at BCV once, 5:45 at OKW, but all the rest have been earlier than 4. Once we even had a room ready for us at 8:00AM at the BCV.

The late one at OKW was because the guests had made a mess and not checked out. By the time they got the guests out of the room it was nearly 4PM and most of the housekeepers were supposed to go home. It was New Year's Day as well. A group of them stayed extra hours and got our villa ***** and span. I appreciate the hard working CMs who extend their workday to take care of the guests.

The bad thing on that day was there were at least six more villas at OKW that had not been vacated and they were still trying to get the guests out so they could clean them for the scheduled guest. In most cases the guests left their stuff in the villa and went to the parks.

 

[dianeschlicht]

The bad thing on that day was there were at least six more villas at OKW that had not been vacated and they were still trying to get the guests out so they could clean them for the scheduled guest. In most cases the guests left their stuff in the villa and went to the parks.

That is awful that people would have so little regard for others that they just assume they can impose on everyone else. In that case, I hope they charged those "self extenders" either the whole cash amount of an extra night or even the point amount if they had points to cover it. That really is the only fair way to do it. I'm quite sure that on NY there would be nowhere else they could accommodate a member at another resort either.

 

[dbs1228]

I agree that there should be a charge for guests who do not vacate their room on time. Unless there are extreme circumstances such as an illness, then there's no reason someone can't be out by 11 am, esp. since bell services will take and store luggage. I remember though one time sitting around in the lobby at BWV's at 5:00 pm with bags of groceries. We felt really out of place with all six of us sitting there and were getting more and more annoyed with each passing minute. Finally someone came over and said we could head up to our room as he thought the housekeeper must've just forgotten to press the notification button that our room was ready. Lo and behold we got to our room- the one at the very end of the hall- only to find the housekeeper sitting on the sofa with her legs up on the coffee table munching on an apple and watching a soap opera! Later we found more apples in the ice bucket, lol. Needless to say she jumped up really quickly when we came in. I wonder how long she'd been taking her break while we sat in the lobby?---Kathy

On another thread a dvc member wrote he had checked into VGC in the morning and went to the parks since his room was not ready after returning later that evening he was given his room to find a mouse keeping cart blocking his door when entering there were 2 mouse keepers sitting on the couch 1 with a cup of tea the other eating soup watching T.V.! The room was not quite ready and the member went back down and got another room. I do not think it is appropriate for any employee to casually hang out in any of the villas! I would be shocked if they did not have a break room!

 

[castleri]

Isn't that the truth!

We had a 5:30 room ready at BCV once, 5:45 at OKW, but all the rest have been earlier than 4. Once we even had a room ready for us at 8:00AM at the BCV.



The bad thing on that day was there were at least six more villas at OKW that had not been vacated and they were still trying to get the guests out so they could clean them for the scheduled guest. In most cases the guests left their stuff in the villa and went to the parks.

It would be good if there was a way for the stuff to be removed and taken to bell services, the room key set so the old one doesn't work and a note posted that says they need to go to the front desk to get their stuff and pay for the extra time. I know it would be a security issue or something about the belongings but a digital picture or two as to what was sitting in the room should provide back-up might work when they move it out of the room in luggage or large black bags. A card with a warning could be added to the member packet or left in the room explaining that this could happen. The safe could be a problem if they had left stuff in that also.

 

[BEASLYBOO]

It would be good if there was a way for the stuff to be removed and taken to bell services, the room key set so the old one doesn't work and a note posted that says they need to go to the front desk to get their stuff and pay for the extra time. I know it would be a security issue or something about the belongings but a digital picture or two as to what was sitting in the room should provide back-up might work when they move it out of the room in luggage or large black bags. A card with a warning could be added to the member packet or left in the room explaining that this could happen. The safe could be a problem if they had left stuff in that also.

I like your idea, and though I would dearly love for MS to come up with a scenario as you describe, it's not likely to happen. People would scream bloody murder even if they are in the wrong, things would turn up missing, I think it would open up a whole other can of worms.

I would like to see something similar to what happens if you fail to pick up your children from day care at 6pm. They typically charge $1 per every minute you are late! I would charge $100 for every 10 minutes someone extends their stay in a villa. Once a few people have been charged and the rule enforced the word would get around and maybe then people would get their cabooses out of the villas by 11am!

 

[Deb & Bill]

It would be good if there was a way for the stuff to be removed and taken to bell services, the room key set so the old one doesn't work and a note posted that says they need to go to the front desk to get their stuff and pay for the extra time. I know it would be a security issue or something about the belongings but a digital picture or two as to what was sitting in the room should provide back-up might work when they move it out of the room in luggage or large black bags. A card with a warning could be added to the member packet or left in the room explaining that this could happen. The safe could be a problem if they had left stuff in that also.

I asked them about that and they told us they could not remove the guests items from the villas.

 

[tjkraz]

I asked them about that and they told us they could not remove the guests items from the villas.

Correct. Hospitality laws are designed to try to protect the rights of all guests so there is some give-and-take on both sides. For instance, the laws protect someone who stays late due to illness or injury. Without that protection, the proprietor could throw the guest out on their rear regardless of the circumstances. For obvious reasons we don't want to see that happening.

The hotel obviously has the right to charge someone who stays late, which Disney apparently chooses not to do with any regularity. They also must make other accommodations for an incoming guest inconvenienced by the late departure. That entails moving them to a comparable accommodation elsewhere or even paying for the guest to be housed by another facility. However, I don't believe that the laws stipulate any timeframe in which the guest must be satisfied. As long as the individual has a bed for the night, the establishment has met its obligation. I don't recall reading anything that says the hotel is legally required to provide the room by a certain time.

About all the hotel can do is formally evict someone once it is determined that they are unable or unwilling to pay. The local sheriff's department must be called to oversee the eviction. I'm not aware of ANY circumstances in which Disney can arbitrarily pack up a guests' belongings and relocate him/her against their will. That's not just company policy--it's the law.

 

[mvc1997]

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).

Agreed!!!!
Hire more cleaning people! I'd pay more dues for that. Or if you don't get your room BY 4 pm or before half your pts are returned! Really half the day is gone!!! It use to be BY 3pm not AFTER 4pm. It is ridiculous!! And as long as members don't object it will keep getting later. JMHO!

 

[cocoaguy]

Drink......lol lol No..seriously we go to DTD.

 

[tjkraz]

This is going to sound very Disney-apologist to some but frankly, when I think back on all the times I have gotten into my villa well before 4pm, it would be difficult for me to get too upset over a delay.

The latest we have ever gotten into a room is about 2:30pm. On MULTIPLE occasions we have received our room between 8-9am. And I am truly grateful for the times that we did get in early.

Personally, I would be totally understanding of anything before 5pm. From 5:30pm onward I'd be simmering a bit...particularly if we were sitting in the lobby waiting for our room. And at 6pm...I'm not entirely sure what I would do. Fortunately it never has happened and I'm hopeful that it will not.

But given how accommodating the resorts have proven to be in the past, 4pm is certainly not a hard line drawn in the sand beyond which I would demand satisfaction/compensation.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Correct. Hospitality laws are designed to try to protect the rights of all guests so there is some give-and-take on both sides. For instance, the laws protect someone who stays late due to illness or injury. Without that protection, the proprietor could throw the guest out on their rear regardless of the circumstances. For obvious reasons we don't want to see that happening.

The hotel obviously has the right to charge someone who stays late, which Disney apparently chooses not to do with any regularity. They also must make other accommodations for an incoming guest inconvenienced by the late departure. That entails moving them to a comparable accommodation elsewhere or even paying for the guest to be housed by another facility. However, I don't believe that the laws stipulate any timeframe in which the guest must be satisfied. As long as the individual has a bed for the night, the establishment has met its obligation. I don't recall reading anything that says the hotel is legally required to provide the room by a certain time.

About all the hotel can do is formally evict someone once it is determined that they are unable or unwilling to pay. The local sheriff's department must be called to oversee the eviction. I'm not aware of ANY circumstances in which Disney can arbitrarily pack up a guests' belongings and relocate him/her against their will. That's not just company policy--it's the law.

Interesting-thanks, I didn't know that! On our last trip, we got into our room at 5:30. And that was only because our assigned room STILL wasn't available, we'd checked in several hours before, so they gave us another room at 5:30.

 

[Dean]

On another thread a dvc member wrote he had checked into VGC in the morning and went to the parks since his room was not ready after returning later that evening he was given his room to find a mouse keeping cart blocking his door when entering there were 2 mouse keepers sitting on the couch 1 with a cup of tea the other eating soup watching T.V.! The room was not quite ready and the member went back down and got another room. I do not think it is appropriate for any employee to casually hang out in any of the villas! I would be shocked if they did not have a break room!

My understanding is it's quite common for staff to make use of the rooms in such a manner. I'm aware of a number of instances including one romantic encounter. I'd hold the supervisors responsible for such behavior in addition to the employees.

I asked them about that and they told us they could not remove the guests items from the villas.

Legally they can't but they can legally charge them full price.

This is going to sound very Disney-apologist to some but frankly, when I think back on all the times I have gotten into my villa well before 4pm, it would be difficult for me to get too upset over a delay.

The latest we have ever gotten into a room is about 2:30pm. On MULTIPLE occasions we have received our room between 8-9am. And I am truly grateful for the times that we did get in early.

Personally, I would be totally understanding of anything before 5pm. From 5:30pm onward I'd be simmering a bit...particularly if we were sitting in the lobby waiting for our room. And at 6pm...I'm not entirely sure what I would do. Fortunately it never has happened and I'm hopeful that it will not.

But given how accommodating the resorts have proven to be in the past, 4pm is certainly not a hard line drawn in the sand beyond which I would demand satisfaction/compensation.

We all know things happen and I'd be there with you if it weren't for the fact that they've chosen formally to publish and quote the fact that 4 is not guaranteed and to hide behind that. As others have noted, I think it's also common for the rooms to be ready and the guest not be notified in a timely manner. This is a system problem that can be fixed with effort and priority and likely without additional staff or costs.

 

[Best Aunt]

When I last stayed at BWV, the room wasn't ready until 4:45. I was exhausted -- I had to leave the house at 4:00 am that day to get to the airport. And I took Dramamine for the flight.

So in answer to the "what do you do if your room isn't ready by 4:00" question: I sat down in one of the chairs in the lobby, and fell asleep.

Then I got up to use the restroom and noticed that someone had left a cell phone on one of the chairs. So I turned the cell phone in at the front desk.

So if your answer to the question is, "I wait in the lobby and used my cell phone," my advice would be to make sure you take your cell phone with you when you get up.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Agreed!!!!
Hire more cleaning people! I'd pay more dues for that. Or if you don't get your room BY 4 pm or before half your pts are returned! Really half the day is gone!!! It use to be BY 3pm not AFTER 4pm. It is ridiculous!! And as long as members don't object it will keep getting later. JMHO!

No, standard hotel rooms are 3PM, not DVC villas.

Since you don't have to check out until 11AM the next day, even if you get your villa at 5PM, you still have it for 18 hours.