Something stinks at AKV and its NOT the animals!

[DebbieB]

Just wondering how this turned out? Diane said there were still animals on the Sunset Savannah on 1/22. OP was there 1/18 to 1/24.

 

[auntsue]

Whoa!

I so agree that the savannah rooms should have been reclassified as soon as they knew there were not going to be any animals. We are booked into a "1 BR Savanna Room Jambo" in ten days, and true, I never go on the member's website, but you'd think they would have mentioned it when I booked seven months out. I always like to be prepared for the worst in advance, so at least I'm now in the know after reading this thread. It will be very disappointing if we don't get the view, because to be perfectly honest, the only reason we booked there was for the savannah view, but since it's only for three nights, I am sure we can make the best of it. The resort sounds beautiful.

I think the OP should have gotten notified a lot further out. How is even 30 days good? My ressie is using borrowed points. I wouldn't be able to put them back in the original use year, and I'm sure there's not much available two weeks out and at 31 days they go into holding anyway if I just wanted to cancel outright.

DVC/AKL certainly dropped the ball on this one.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Whoa!

I so agree that the savannah rooms should have been reclassified as soon as they knew there were not going to be any animals. We are booked into a "1 BR Savanna Room Jambo" in ten days, and true, I never go on the member's website, but you'd think they would have mentioned it when I booked seven months out. I always like to be prepared for the worst in advance, so at least I'm now in the know after reading this thread. It will be very disappointing if we don't get the view, because to be perfectly honest, the only reason we booked there was for the savannah view, but since it's only for three nights, I am sure we can make the best of it. The resort sounds beautiful.

I think the OP should have gotten notified a lot further out. How is even 30 days good? My ressie is using borrowed points. I wouldn't be able to put them back in the original use year, and I'm sure there's not much available two weeks out and at 31 days they go into holding anyway if I just wanted to cancel outright.

DVC/AKL certainly dropped the ball on this one.

Animals are still on Sunset today (Sunday 1/25).

 

[SunnieRN]

The first time I posted on this issue I was upset that someone that made their reservation at 11 months out could be bumped by someone who had made a reservation at a later date. If all the savannah view rooms had been booked by AKV ownersat 11 months out, someone is bound to be unhappy, but the fact of the matter is that the "home field advantage" of booking the view you want at your home resort should be honored before others are placed in that view.
That would be equiv. to me wanting to stay at boardwalk during food and wine and expecting management to move a boardwalk owner to a standard view so I could have a boardwalk view. As things were explained to me, buy where you want to stay, or at least that is the mantra I keep reading here.
I am not saying it would spoil my vacation or take away the magic, but it would surely change the outcome and potentially very disapponting!
So, since I am new to DVC, what are your booking advantages? Just a room at your DVC resort or the category you book, i.e.: savannah view, concierge, boardwalk view?

 

[rsimon]

Just wondering how this turned out? Diane said there were still animals on the Sunset Savannah on 1/22. OP was there 1/18 to 1/24.

We got back and because of "several cancellations (there term, not mine)" we were on the opposite side of the construction in a savannah room. As I understand it from other posts there were still animals out at various times on the sunset savannah, but we didn't go over there to see. So the trip turned out good and we had a good time with the animals.

I just want to restate, that my problem was not with the fact that they needed to move the animals, and not even really the fact that we could have to be on a savannah that didn't have animals. My problem was with how it was handled, allocated, and reservations were taken. All the managers/execs I talked to agree that it could have been handled better, but they are "limited" by their systems' capability.

As many members know (based on the lack of new features on DVC's web site), DVC is technology challenged and as I found out, they litterally cannot deal with things the way you would expect becasue they are "unwilling" to make the changes necessary to their system to make it more capable. I use the term "unwilling" because it isn't a money issue or available technology issue as the systems they are using were developed several years ago with old technology and could have been updated by now.

So, it is what it is.. DVC..

 

[Dean]

So, since I am new to DVC, what are your booking advantages? Just a room at your DVC resort or the category you book, i.e.: savannah view, concierge, boardwalk view?

That's correct. As a rule they don't even put an effort into requests.

 

[DebbieB]

We got back and because of "several cancellations (there term, not mine)" we were on the opposite side of the construction in a savannah room. As I understand it from other posts there were still animals out at various times on the sunset savannah, but we didn't go over there to see. So the trip turned out good and we had a good time with the animals.

Glad it worked out!

 

[PEANUT1]

glad you had a nice trip...we LOVE animal kingdom.

 

[jecpva]

That's correct. As a rule they don't even put an effort into requests.

Are you being serious or sarcastic about requests. It always seems to me we never get what we ask for when we booked unless we make the person checking us in go through a lot of effort. I thought this was just us.

 

[maburke]

Originally Posted by SunnieRN
So, since I am new to DVC, what are your booking advantages? Just a room at your DVC resort or the category you book, i.e.: savannah view, concierge, boardwalk view?

That's correct. As a rule they don't even put an effort into requests.

I think I might have to correct Dean here, and the idea terrifies me! No, not the second sentence, I agree with that! It's with the first: the three categories SunnieRN mentioned are booking categories, so the owner with the 11 month booking window gets priority for those, too. In other words (Sunset Savannah issue aside), if I call at 11 months for a BWV BW view room, and I get it, it's confirmed for me at that point. Someone calling at 7 months will only get it if there are any left. There are no scheduling issues, as these are separate booking categories, not requests.

I know you know this Dean, I just wanted to clarify for SunnieRN.

 

[SunnieRN]

Originally Posted by SunnieRN
So, since I am new to DVC, what are your booking advantages? Just a room at your DVC resort or the category you book, i.e.: savannah view, concierge, boardwalk view?



I think I might have to correct Dean here, and the idea terrifies me! No, not the second sentence, I agree with that! It's with the first: the three categories SunnieRN mentioned are booking categories, so the owner with the 11 month booking window gets priority for those, too. In other words (Sunset Savannah issue aside), if I call at 11 months for a BWV BW view room, and I get it, it's confirmed for me at that point. Someone calling at 7 months will only get it if there are any left. There are no scheduling issues, as these are separate booking categories, not requests.

I know you know this Dean, I just wanted to clarify for SunnieRN.

Thank you so much, very clearly stated and I get
the difference.

 

[SunnieRN]

We got back and because of "several cancellations (there term, not mine)" we were on the opposite side of the construction in a savannah room. As I understand it from other posts there were still animals out at various times on the sunset savannah, but we didn't go over there to see. So the trip turned out good and we had a good time with the animals.

I just want to restate, that my problem was not with the fact that they needed to move the animals, and not even really the fact that we could have to be on a savannah that didn't have animals. My problem was with how it was handled, allocated, and reservations were taken. All the managers/execs I talked to agree that it could have been handled better, but they are "limited" by their systems' capability.

As many members know (based on the lack of new features on DVC's web site), DVC is technology challenged and as I found out, they litterally cannot deal with things the way you would expect becasue they are "unwilling" to make the changes necessary to their system to make it more capable. I use the term "unwilling" because it isn't a money issue or available technology issue as the systems they are using were developed several years ago with old technology and could have been updated by now.

So, it is what it is.. DVC..

I'm glad it all worked out well! Welcome home!

 

[Dean]

I think I might have to correct Dean here, and the idea terrifies me! No, not the second sentence, I agree with that! It's with the first: the three categories SunnieRN mentioned are booking categories, so the owner with the 11 month booking window gets priority for those, too. In other words (Sunset Savannah issue aside), if I call at 11 months for a BWV BW view room, and I get it, it's confirmed for me at that point. Someone calling at 7 months will only get it if there are any left. There are no scheduling issues, as these are separate booking categories, not requests.

I know you know this Dean, I just wanted to clarify for SunnieRN.

Not really a correction, just a clarification. But if I'm ever wrong or my fingers type something different than my mind is thinking, please let me know.

Are you being serious or sarcastic about requests. It always seems to me we never get what we ask for when we booked unless we make the person checking us in go through a lot of effort. I thought this was just us.

I am totally serious but let me qualify. Until a few years ago DVC did put SOME effort into requests and ordered them based on date of reservation. They still often got it wrong but at least they tried. Basically with room ready and the check in "after 4 pm" all efforts as a system ceased. Now the individual CM sometimes do put an effort into it at times but there is no formal and consistent effort outside what is actually booked, as Meghan points out. To me it's one of the poorest areas of the system. My preference is resort owner first, DVC member at a different resort second, cash third then exchanger. And given I'm often the exchanger, I'm putting myself at the bottom of the list. As it stands right now an exchanger or last minute guest has as much chance to get the best room within that cat as your or I if we book 11 months out.

 

[Cmbar]

Not really a correction, just a clarification. But if I'm ever wrong or my fingers type something different than my mind is thinking, please let me know.

I am totally serious but let me qualify. Until a few years ago DVC did put SOME effort into requests and ordered them based on date of reservation. They still often got it wrong but at least they tried. Basically with room ready and the check in "after 4 pm" all efforts as a system ceased. Now the individual CM sometimes do put an effort into it at times but there is no formal and consistent effort outside what is actually booked, as Meghan points out. To me it's one of the poorest areas of the system. My preference is resort owner first, DVC member at a different resort second, cash third then exchanger. And given I'm often the exchanger, I'm putting myself at the bottom of the list. As it stands right now an exchanger or last minute guest has as much chance to get the best room within that cat as your or I if we book 11 months out.

What is an "exchanger"?

 

[Dean]

What is an "exchanger"?

Someone who exchanges in either through II, RCI or BVTC.

 

[Cmbar]

Someone who exchanges in either through II, RCI or BVTC.

Aren't you an owner? If you are an owner can you bank your points into RCI lets say and then use them back at Disney if you need to?

 

[Dean]

Aren't you an owner? If you are an owner can you bank your points into RCI lets say and then use them back at Disney if you need to?

I do own but also have timeshares with both II and RCI. Of my last 15 stays, only about 4 or 5 have been direct points reservations. It's much cheaper for me to get an exchange and rent out my points. Unfortunately you cannot trade back in to DVC through RCI using your DVC points. But you can potentially trade in if you own other timeshares.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Well, it looks like animals are still out on Sunset. I think it is going to be just as the animal curator told us last March....They will try to keep the time without animals to a minimum. The announcement to those with ressies is to "cover their back sides" in case the animals do happen to be off when you are there.