The Worn & The Tattered: A Common Thread Discussion

SpaceMountain77

Kidani Villager Victorian Gentleman Turtle Trekker
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May 3, 2012
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We recently returned from a 5 day, 4 night stay in a pirate room, water view, at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort. This was our first non-DVC room since 2005.

Overall, we enjoyed our resort experience, from the theming of our room to our meals at Old Port Royale. Moreover, transportation was excellent; the bus ride from Trinidad South to Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios was usually 5 to 10 minutes because our island was the last pick-up.

Now, as a Disboard DVC regular, I felt compelled to write this post because of a common discussion on the Resorts and Mousecellaneous boards: room quality. We frequently have postings from excited guests who have secured a desired resort, but are now questioning the resort's room quality because of something they read. Although all resorts are mentioned, the furniture at Bay Lake Tower and overall condition of the Beach Club Villas seems to generate more discussion. Moreover, there seems to be an occasional perception that DVC rooms are more worn than non-DVC rooms.

The pirate-themed rooms at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort are less than 5-years-old and our room was well-worn and in need of repair. Here is a brief to do list:

(1) The treasure chest was broken. We tried to open the chest, to get the extra pillow, but the track was broken and drawer could not be removed. The drawer was not off the track; the track was no longer attached to the drawer and bent in a way that caused it to be lodged.

(2) The toilet paper holder was broken. Toilet paper needed to be torn very carefully so the fixture would not come off the wall.

(3) A large vertical strip of molding was missing from one of the pirate ship beds, between the footboard and side rail.

(4) A pane of glass was missing from one of the ship's lanterns.

(5) Overall, the barrels and cargo chests had many areas that had been chipped and/or worn down to the point where the unfinished material was visible.

Other smaller things included quite a few cobwebs, pink sticky residue on one of the blankets and a curtain that required a gentle pull because of a broken ring.

Now, none of this bothered us or affected our themed experience, but these little things may certainly be bothersome for a family paying about $300 a night for this room. Moreover, after finding several small things, it becomes increasingly easier to find more, which could culminate in a perception of a major room issue.

This Disney Collection room, which comes at a premium for its theming, was, by far, more worn than any of the rooms we have stayed in at Animal Kingdom Villas - Jambo House, Beach Club Villas and BoardWalk Villas.

Non-DVC rooms are not necessarily kept better for cash-paying guests. This vacation has provided me with an insight that I hope is helpful to others on this board. From Disney's Art of Animation to Yacht Club Resort, whether DVC or non-DVC, it is certainly possible to get a worn room. Stay where you want to stay and hope for a clean room with minimal wear.
 
Thank you for the perspective. All Disney hotel spaces undergo intense wear, and the best thing we can do is to constructively report problems we experience to management.
 
Thank you for the post. Disney better take notice!
 
Absolutely correct. I've had conferences at WDW the past 2 winters. First I had a room at the CR and actually I had no issues in that room. Last Jan the rooms for the conference were at the BC. I was moved from the first room for cleaning reasons (it was pretty poor). The second room was clean (mostly - the bed scarfs were dirty) but the furniture was very worn. No maintenance issues - but lots of scratches, scrapes and worn tops, edges and corners on the desk and dressers.
 

This seems like another example of the current Disney management withdrawing equity from Walt Disney World for profits. By raising rates and pushing off refurbishments in order to impress investors with profits, Disney management will kill the goose that lays the golden egg if they're not careful.

Time for Robert Iger to move on in my opinion.
 
Non-DVC rooms are not necessarily kept better for cash-paying guests. This vacation has provided me with an insight that I hope is helpful to others on this board. From Disney's Art of Animation to Yacht Club Resort, whether DVC or non-DVC, it is certainly possible to get a worn room. Stay where you want to stay and hope for a clean room with minimal wear.

Nice perspective. For what they charge for those cash rooms I would expect near pristine conditions though.

It makes me wonder....what are the guests doing to cause so much actual damage?? This can't be just normal wear and tear. In some cases it looks like people are actually trying to be destructive. I've been in Motel 6s that are in much better repair than some of the Disney rooms.

I guess we'll all have to settle for clean, location and unique theming.
 
Nice perspective. For what they charge for those cash rooms I would expect near pristine conditions though.

It makes me wonder....what are the guests doing to cause so much actual damage?? This can't be just normal wear and tear. In some cases it looks like people are actually trying to be destructive. I've been in Motel 6s that are in much better repair than some of the Disney rooms.

I guess we'll all have to settle for clean, location and unique theming.

Thanks for the laugh


You seem to be confusing Disney with a real hotel chain. Subpar rooms are the norm at Disney. You put those subpar hotel rooms anyplace else and you pay half of what Disney gets (after the discounts)
There is a reason I stay offsite if I can't use points.....Disney hotels fail to measure up in almost area
 
It makes me wonder....what are the guests doing to cause so much actual damage?? This can't be just normal wear and tear. In some cases it looks like people are actually trying to be destructive.

When I saw the bed, I wondered the same thing. The large piece of vertical molding, which was missing, connected the sideboard to the footboard. Either someone pried off a piece of the ship for a souvenir or repeatedly rammed a stroller into the corner of the ship until the piece broke off.

Oddly, it was the bed next to the bathroom wall not the one next to the entrance door. If a bed corner was to be damaged or worn, it seems reasonable to think it would be the corner that is most exposed, which everyone passes. Depending on the layout in the moderate, it would be the front left or right corner of the bed closest to the door. Again, this was the bed next to the bathroom wall and the missing molding was on the side facing the barrel nightstand. Since this bed was also missing a pane of glass from one of the lanterns, I am inclined to suspect that someone pried off a piece of the ship and took a lantern pane as souvenirs.

When I visited Beach Club Villas in December 2012, the studio's chair cushions were worn and there was a black magic marker line on the top of the coffee table; this was the extent of the wear. This room, which was over 10 years old, was significantly better than our newer pirate-themed room at Caribbean Beach.

Again, it is not my intent to complain about our pirate-themed room. Rather, I just want people to know that non-DVC rooms can be equally worn or worse.

Honestly, I am inclined to believe that DVC members are more respectful because the villas are our homes and we pay to maintain them.
 
When we stayed at the Poly about 10 years ago it was horrible. It smelled terrible and there was black mold on the ceiling. We asked to switch to another room and it was basically the same.

Our DVC rooms have had minor issues at worst. We've never been really disappointed.

I've never expected 4 stars at a DVC resort. A home away from home standard to me isn't meant to be perfect -- my home isn't perfect. (Although I expect it to be better than my home.:rotfl2:)

If my DVC room were as nice as the Hampton I'd be surprised.
 

















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