SSR Nightmare!!!

[Ramsfan28]

I don't think this was a "nightmare" by any means. The only thing they did wrong was to send you to the building and tell you to wait and that your keys didn't work. I think you were over compensated for being delayed 30 minutes from checking in.

+1
If this is a "nightmare" I can only hope to deal with something like this when I go on vacation. I can't believe any compensation was given out.

 

[twinklebug]

+1
If this is a "nightmare" I can only hope to deal with something like this when I go on vacation. I can't believe any compensation was given out.

I agree the OP was either overly compensated, or they're leaving out some important details which led to the decision to compensate them in such a manner.

However, as Disney has the policy of passing issues up the ladder of management until a resolution is found to make the guest happy, I believe it. The OP encountered a manager who felt the issue needed to end at their level and did something to quiet the guest down. I wouldn't dare share on the boards that I was compensated in such a manner - it would mean I was a PITA to the management: That I became their nightmare.

I'm just thankful to be on vacation and in Disney. I know the resort management is doing everything they can to make things go well for everyone. Essentially, once I'm on the plane bound for WDW, I take a chill pill and let Disney do their magic, even if it takes a bit of time to happen. If there is a delay with my room, I check at the desk, then move on.

 

[ConniegB]

You know things happen, and for you to react in the manner that you did, shame on you, that's what would have embarrased me behaving that way in front of my family, Disney Staff and others. My goodness put on your big girl panties and move on! Like others have said check your bags at the bell service and go to the parks, or eat or what ever! You know that is a very busy time of the year and yes their going through the system upgrade, but to rant and rave, sounds to me you were already stressed when you got there! You should never have been compensated, I think that was a little over the top! I hope you at least thanked them! And for you to say it was a "Nightmare" please, now if you had lost your luggage, family members, etc..that would be a Nightmare, not having to wait a little longer on your room, or a text! Hopefully your next experience will be better!

 

[Ms.Mouse]

You arrived at 1:30 and the room wasn't ready? It doesn't have to be ready at 1:30. We usually take a very early flight out and arrive at WDW by 11-11:30, let them know we are there and head right into the parks since as you well know by now...Check-in is after 4!!!! Something everyone should know and especially after 100+ trips at that!!!

KNOWING that check in is after 4 (it's on paper no matter what you say you were told!!!) You start "ranting and raving at 4:30??? Now, they give you your 2BR room. Maybe your keys didn't work because the person behind the desk was trying so hard to get you out of there with your "ranting and raving" (since 4-5 is probably a very busy time and someone is acting in this manner)that there was the key problem...

And still, you couldn't just call it a slight glich in your trip and begin to enjoy yourself...now you must go to the manager because you couldn't settle in by 4:30 and more than likely your rantings is what put more time into your settling in!!!

And you waiting outside the building isn't what made you look like a fool....your ranting inside the building is what made you look like a fool!!!!

Disney gives alot of compensation to keep people happy and sometimes to keep them quiet as they are causing disruptions to other's vacations and my feeling is this is what exactly happened.... some just know that if they cause enough chaos, they will get compensated!

 

[Nparrotte]

You arrived at 1:30 and the room wasn't ready? It doesn't have to be ready at 1:30. We usually take a very early flight out and arrive at WDW by 11-11:30, let them know we are there and head right into the parks since as you well know by now...Check-in is after 4!!!! Something everyone should know and especially after 100+ trips at that!!!

KNOWING that check in is after 4 (it's on paper no matter what you say you were told!!!) You start "ranting and raving at 4:30??? Now, they give you your 2BR room. Maybe your keys didn't work because the person behind the desk was trying so hard to get you out of there with your "ranting and raving" (since 4-5 is probably a very busy time and someone is acting in this manner)that there was the key problem...

And still, you couldn't just call it a slight glich in your trip and begin to enjoy yourself...now you must go to the manager because you couldn't settle in by 4:30 and more than likely your rantings is what put more time into your settling in!!!

And you waiting outside the building isn't what made you look like a fool....your ranting inside the building is what made you look like a fool!!!!

Disney gives alot of compensation to keep people happy and sometimes to keep them quiet as they are causing disruptions to other's vacations and my feeling is this is what exactly happened.... some just know that if they cause enough chaos, they will get compensated!

Well said!

 

[Sammie]

Turnover of rooms at DVC could be improved if they had a system on the phone letting them know you are out.

At least that way at 8am you would not get the hang up phone call we all know is housekeeping checking to see if you have left.

 

[walkdmc]

Nevermind

 

[bumbershoot]

Well I did march myself right back up to the front desk and SSR and boldly say, "Houston, I have a problem." My panic was on the walk/roll back when I realized it was going on 6pm (we had a late flight) on Dec 30 and I had this sinking fear all the ADA rooms had been assigned already.

I don't know how they used to assign those rooms, but I worry that this new way of assigning is causing those rooms to be given to people who don't need them. We were given one at AKL, and just like the other rooms don't work for you, that room did not, could not, work for us. We made sure they knew that it's inappropriate to put someone in such a room when they don't need them (we weren't the only ones in the same situation when DH was at the desk getting a new room). Along with feeling the extreme inconvenience for me, I was horrified to think that someone might be suffering because they NEEDED the room and we had it! I felt embarrassed the whole night by it.

Anyway, it sounds silly coming from me, to tell them they shouldn't assign the rooms to people who don't need them, so I hope you keep on them to make sure they do things correctly!

Hope your future situation works out...

 

[Vickis3js]

Turnover of rooms at DVC could be improved if they had a system on the phone letting them know you are out.

At least that way at 8am you would not get the hang up phone call we all know is housekeeping checking to see if you have left.

Or they could do what they did with us and come banging on the door at 8:30am asking why you are not out yet. When you tell them you will be out shortly they get huffy with you and ask by what time. When I tell them by 11am, we were actually loading the car when they came, they storm off. We go to lug more bags to the car and almost trip over the basket of linens they left in front of the room. You would think that our room would have been spotless when we got in it at check in time with how eager housekeeping was to clean it when we left. Unfortunatly for us it was filthy and never really cleaned, not even on our cleaning day. Sad when I left the villa WAY cleaner then I got it.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

I think you were overly compensated myself, your check in time was 4 pm, so for you to feel that your room should have been ready before that was on you. Ranting and raving wasn't necessary IMHO and I think they shouldn't have caved in to you.

I think the biggest mistake that they made was to send you to a building to wait for a text before 4pm. They should have just told you that rooms were not assigned until 4pm or later (as stated on our documents which are worded "after 4pm") and that you could return to the front desk and check after 4pm to follow up. If they had done this, it would have stopped a lot of the running around that you experienced and if anything you might have only had one problem with bad keys, not waiting at a building for a text not to come.

I am not a big fan of the "after 4 pm" check in, but I understand that they are having problems getting rooms ready and have reworded things to buy some time. I am afraid if this trend keeps up, one of two things will have to give, either earlier check out times or later check in times. I have been to places that check in is as late as 6 pm, which really stinks.

I agree 100%

And if this was a NIGHTMARE can you imagine what is going to be posted when something REALLY goes wrong.


And folks the rest of us just paid for the "Fit" compensation.... IMHO OP should not have been rewarded for making a scene! The person who made OP look like a "fool" is looking right back at OP in the mirror IMHO!

 

[BroganMc]

I don't know how they used to assign those rooms, but I worry that this new way of assigning is causing those rooms to be given to people who don't need them. We were given one at AKL, and just like the other rooms don't work for you, that room did not, could not, work for us. We made sure they knew that it's inappropriate to put someone in such a room when they don't need them (we weren't the only ones in the same situation when DH was at the desk getting a new room). Along with feeling the extreme inconvenience for me, I was horrified to think that someone might be suffering because they NEEDED the room and we had it! I felt embarrassed the whole night by it.

Anyway, it sounds silly coming from me, to tell them they shouldn't assign the rooms to people who don't need them, so I hope you keep on them to make sure they do things correctly!

Hope your future situation works out...

Ironically after I posted my "near miss" story on this thread I experienced a true booking snafu on my latest trip.

Make my reservation dutifully in January, 11 months on the dot. Arrive at 4:30pm on December 28 to check in my studio room at SSR. Front Desk clerk tells me the room is ready and I do as always and ask again (I've already confirmed this 3 times with Member Services by phone, the last just 3 weeks ago) that it is an ADA room with roll-in shower.

Hope, the clerk, wrinkles her brow as she looks at this new computer system Lilo (which the staff are nicknaming Stitch for all the glitches). Seems the room Special Needs blocked some 11 months ago is showing up as INaccessible. She goes into the back to check.

Out comes Front Line Service Manager Anthony. Seems there's a mix-up on the correct database of HA rooms at SSR. I'm shown a color-coded book marking all the HA rooms with wheelchair symbols. And apparently there is a master list in the back that denotes which type of accessibility each room has. They seem a little confused (and perhaps hopeful) and insist they go over and personally check the room just to see if it was magically transformed into a roll-in shower without anyone noticing.

Now the roll-in showers at SSR are done in pre-construction. They actually pour the concrete into a slope and tile the floor so it all looks like it came naturally. This is not a retrofit you can do after the room has been built (like other older hotels do). All the roll-in shower rooms I've ever stayed in at SSR, no matter what the section had all been on the first floor. I suppose due to the pouring of the concrete. So I know darn well this room is not ADA.

Anthony returns and sure enough confirms my suspicion. Meanwhile I've watched as other folks are checking in around me snapping up studios. I start worrying. There's talk they might not be able to get me a suitable room until tomorrow. I mentally prepare myself to rough it for a night grateful I have my strong cousin to lift me into a high bed and that I had the foresight to take a long shower that morning before leaving home.

I do mention that if I had to rough it I'd like my points refunded for that night. I have never asked for such a thing before but thought of this thread and just wanted to make a point that this was a big deal for me. I think at one point I very exasperatedly said to Hope, "You mean I can't shower tomorrow?"

But in the end Anthony stepped up to the plate and delivered a home run for me. He got a room sprung from maintenance inventory over by the Paddocks pool. It was an accessible studio and since it wasn't to be used and he felt bad for us he gave us keys to the attached 1bedroom for the night as well. He also credited the points for our room and gave us a $100 credit for the inconvenience.

Now keep in mind I never yelled at Hope or Anthony. In fact I said repeatedly that it wasn't their fault. I blamed the computer system which did have inaccurate information. Nor did I demand remuneration, especially not what I was given. I just wanted a place to sleep and shower and for someone in upper management to realize just how harmful this snafu was to guests like me.

I should also note the resolution plan didn't quite work out the way Anthony or I expected the next day. We were supposed to vacate our room then they'd move us over to an appropriate Grandstand studio near my sister (she checked in that night in a room connected to our ressie). But when I stopped by for keys it turned out the ADA room they had blocked had a tub with rails rather than a shower.

More negotiations in the back room and finally Anthony straightened it out for us. He ended up grabbing a room from CRO and upgrading us to a 1bedroom in Congress Park. He also had a studio nearby for my sister. He was willing to let us just go about our day and swap rooms later but we wanted to make his life easier. So my sister vacated her studio in lieu of going to the park. Anthony credited her room with $100 for the inconvenience and gave us another night's points refunded. He also gave us daily maid service.

Now that is turning a nightmare into a dream vacation. I've written DVC Member Satisfaction so they know just how truly wonderful SSR staff were to us.

FWIW we met a family at AKL who booked on CRO at Pop. Paid for a preferred room upgrade for 4 people and got a king bed room for 2. Again Special Needs blocked the wrong room type for them. Unfortunately Pop did not have the available rooms to fix the problem. So they moved them over to AKL and upgraded them to a Deluxe Suite.

I just booked a reservation for May under this new Lilo system. For the first time in over a year my confirmation lists "accessible room guaranteed". I still haven't talked to Special Needs but I hope they got it right this time. I am so tempted to call the SSR back office a few days before my check-in and just have them give the room assignment a once over. That's when the rooms get assigned to everyone. When Special Needs blocks a room the resort isn't supposed to be able to change it. It's a safety feature.

Personally I think they have it all wrong. A central registry is prone to errors in information. With every other hotel/resort system I call the hotel directly and block my HA room. The people working there have much better knowledge what sort of rooms they have and what the availability is. And they have the advantage of going over and checking personally.

As for your guilt that night, I do appreciate the consideration for folks like me. (Wish more people used it when they hogged the only accessible stall in a bathroom.) I'm not sure what is the best way to handle it. Perhaps Front Desk can start by not giving out ADA rooms until a last resort. If they hand them out like candy (i.e. when someone wants a different view) then problems can arise. But the best solution now is for Special Needs to have accurate information about what rooms Disney has. And for members to be able to talk to them directly. I've told Member Services this repeatedly over the years and they keep saying they are "passing it along". Special Needs folks MUST be able to talk to the people providing their needs directly. This "wait on hold for a minute while I call them for you" business has got to stop. It is too prone to errors.

 

[Dean]

I don't know how they used to assign those rooms, but I worry that this new way of assigning is causing those rooms to be given to people who don't need them. We were given one at AKL, and just like the other rooms don't work for you, that room did not, could not, work for us. We made sure they knew that it's inappropriate to put someone in such a room when they don't need them (we weren't the only ones in the same situation when DH was at the desk getting a new room). Along with feeling the extreme inconvenience for me, I was horrified to think that someone might be suffering because they NEEDED the room and we had it! I felt embarrassed the whole night by it.

Anyway, it sounds silly coming from me, to tell them they shouldn't assign the rooms to people who don't need them, so I hope you keep on them to make sure they do things correctly!

Hope your future situation works out...

I'd rather not go to WDW if I were in a HC unit and didn't need it (we did need one for 3.5 months this year and took 2 different 1 week trips). That said, at the present time there are generally more HC units than there are needs for all of the DVC resorts. Given that the resorts were sold in general terms and either sold out (or plan to), the numbers will not always match up. Thus there will be many times where those not needing HC will have to get them or else they won't have a unit. There will also be times when there is availability but no HC units and possibly times when one arrives and needs a HC units but none are available. These are the realities of both hotels and timeshares but more so timeshares. I doubt the current system increases the risks of how this is done. One other thing I'll point out is that while they try their best, all they are required to deliver is a HC room when applicable, the specific type of room (ie roll in shower vs not) is not guaranteed with timeshares. This creates issues as not everyone with needs has the same need.

 

[BroganMc]

I'd rather not go to WDW if I were in a HC unit and didn't need it (we did need one for 3.5 months this year and took 2 different 1 week trips). That said, at the present time there are generally more HC units than there are needs for all of the DVC resorts.

I find it hilarious you are posting this just after I recounted my tale of not having the HC room I needed or was guaranteed. Did you even read it Dean or are you just spouting your usual HA bias?

One other thing I'll point out is that while they try their best, all they are required to deliver is a HC room when applicable, the specific type of room (ie roll in shower vs not) is not guaranteed with timeshares. This creates issues as not everyone with needs has the same need.

Q: In hotels, are the required rooms with roll-in showers to be provided in addition to those rooms that are required to be otherwise accessible?

A: Yes. ADAAG 9.1.2 specifies that, in hotels with 50 or more sleeping rooms or suites, additional accessible sleeping rooms with a roll-in shower shall be provided in conformance with the table. For example, a new 150-room hotel must have a total of seven accessible rooms, two with roll-in showers.

http://www.access-board.gov/adaag/about/faq.htm

Since Disney vacation club resorts are also rented and categorized as deluxe hotels they get no exception from these Federal regs. In fact, they have applied to timeshares directly since 2004 as well.

Now if you don't want an HA room you shouldn't worry. There aren't that many on property. You have the same chance of being assigned one as a dumpster view room.

 

[Dean]

I find it hilarious you are posting this just after I recounted my tale of not having the HC room I needed or was guaranteed. Did you even read it Dean or are you just spouting your usual HA bias?



Q: In hotels, are the required rooms with roll-in showers to be provided in addition to those rooms that are required to be otherwise accessible?

A: Yes. ADAAG 9.1.2 specifies that, in hotels with 50 or more sleeping rooms or suites, additional accessible sleeping rooms with a roll-in shower shall be provided in conformance with the table. For example, a new 150-room hotel must have a total of seven accessible rooms, two with roll-in showers.

http://www.access-board.gov/adaag/about/faq.htm

Since Disney vacation club resorts are also rented and categorized as deluxe hotels they get no exception from these Federal regs. In fact, they have applied to timeshares directly since 2004 as well.

Now if you don't want an HA room you shouldn't worry. There aren't that many on property. You have the same chance of being assigned one as a dumpster view room.

I posted before I read your post but it doesn't change anything, the personal comments not withstanding. While there are requirements for what types of rooms must be provided, I am not aware of any requirement to match them up for a given person, which is what I was referring to.

 

[lugnut33]

My opinion only, but I think it stinks if DVC does not have to provide handicap accesible rooms.

 

[JLVermillion]

You arrived at 1:30 and the room wasn't ready? It doesn't have to be ready at 1:30. We usually take a very early flight out and arrive at WDW by 11-11:30, let them know we are there and head right into the parks since as you well know by now...Check-in is after 4!!!! Something everyone should know and especially after 100+ trips at that!!!

KNOWING that check in is after 4 (it's on paper no matter what you say you were told!!!) You start "ranting and raving at 4:30??? Now, they give you your 2BR room. Maybe your keys didn't work because the person behind the desk was trying so hard to get you out of there with your "ranting and raving" (since 4-5 is probably a very busy time and someone is acting in this manner)that there was the key problem...

And still, you couldn't just call it a slight glich in your trip and begin to enjoy yourself...now you must go to the manager because you couldn't settle in by 4:30 and more than likely your rantings is what put more time into your settling in!!!

And you waiting outside the building isn't what made you look like a fool....your ranting inside the building is what made you look like a fool!!!!

Disney gives alot of compensation to keep people happy and sometimes to keep them quiet as they are causing disruptions to other's vacations and my feeling is this is what exactly happened.... some just know that if they cause enough chaos, they will get compensated!

Again well said! We do the same thing , early flight , parks and check in. We have sometimes checked in after they have text or called us because we are just having that much fun wandering around and getting into being big kids.

 

[Dean]

My opinion only, but I think it stinks if DVC does not have to provide handicap accesible rooms.

But they do and they attempt to match up what they have to what the needs are of the guest. These rooms, when booked correctly, are matched up at the time of the reservation. They also have the number and type of rooms to meet the federal requirements which specify what you have to have, not how you use them, if I understand the requirements correctly. The issues come when things don't match up. Maybe a HC room goes out of service and they are all booked, or maybe someone who is in a HC room already, but doesn't need it, arranges to stay more time. Or possibly someone else arrives earlier in the day and is booked into a room that doesn't have a roll in shower and needs one and they rearrange the rooms. To boil it down to simple terms, if there are 2 guests who both need a roll in shower are checking in and there are only 2 HC units left, one without a roll in shower, one will be out of luck for that night. Given the nature of timeshares, whether they're rented like hotels or not, those realities cannot be changed. Fortunately there are generally more people who don't want them than the reverse and there are a fair number of rooms so it's generally not an issue.

To answer the question from a different direction, DVC is not required to hold HC rooms waiting for one who needs them, nor should they. Lets say there are 100 rooms with 10 HC rooms for the sake of discussion. Say the first 100 people who call to reserve those rooms for a given week do not need or want a HC unit. They will get the room and if caller 101 needs a HC room, there are no rooms available which means no HC rooms available. Lets reverse it, say that the first 100 callers to reserve all need a HC room, DVC could only guarantee 10 because that's all they have. Then it's up to the rest to decide whether to take a non HC and hope something comes up or to go another time. As I noted above, if I had a way of knowing the reverse (getting a HC room when not wanted/needed), I would personally go another time, but currently that is not info that the system can provide.

 

[BlackRock]

I have to say we have always had good luck checking in early; but I think they did a good job in making it up to you.

Blackrock

 

[GBBTomorrow]

I could not last one day in customer service.

Amen.

 

[tgropp]

All 7 of us were excited to get to SSR to start our 1 night getaway to MVMCP on Sunday, Dec 19th. We arrived at about 1:30 to check in and room was not ready. We gave cell phone number so they could notify us when room was ready. Sounds great! We stopped back by lobby at about 3:50 to see if we had a room update. They said to go over to a certain building and we should receive a text any minute telling us which room was ours. Great, finally getting to check in. Then comes 4:10, 4:20, 4:30. At this point I had had just about enough. We went back to the lobby and after some ranting and raving got a 2-br assigned to us. We drove back to the room and our keys don't work!!! They sent someone over and finally got the keys straightened out and we got to MVMCP at about 7 PM. The thing that bothered me the most was acomment made by the CM. She said that they didn't know when my room was actually ready and it may have been ready on my initial check in.

In all the 100+ times of going to Disney, I have never had a bad experience, but this one was in front of my family. I was made to look like a fool waiting outside the building for a text that never came. HAHA!!

I did speak to a manager and got half my points (16) credited back to my account and seven 1 day park hopper passes.

Should I have gotten angry?

You think you had problems, go on over to DVC planning and look at a thred that I posted about "New Reservation Confusion". It honestly is a must read for people that think that they have check in problems. I had to fight tooth and nail just to get all the monies that I had lost due to them cancelling my meal plan credits half way thru the trip but Member Services told me that they want to make sure that what happened to me does not want to happen to someone else. How nice of them