Tidbits from OKW visit including MNSSHP.

[Dean]

I'm not into trip reports so I'll make this brief (hopefully). We were finally able to use a free 2 night stay in a 1 BR we received from a problem visit back in 1996. The delay was not DVC's fault, it just never worked out until now. Stayed in 6321 and while there were a few minor maint needs, nothing that I found a problem. We actually had a third night on points and while they were supposed to be linked, they weren't. The two CM's on checkin redid the reservation so we didn't have to move though I did have to "check in" again and get new keys. They did give me a $50 dining credit for our inconvenience which was not at all necessary. We did get daily maid service (unexpectedly) due to the structure of the reservations and found it to be excellent as usual with several towel animals the last night of our stay.

As is my custom, I went by the front desk and let a manager know about the positives that had happened. I know Disney has a system for recognizing CM who have been singled out for positive comments.

I hadn't even though about it before but on the way driving home got to thinking about how our stay compared to the Disney Dining Plan. There were 2 of us for 3 full days of meals (5 days/4 nights). We ate out 3 lunches and 3 dinners (ALL sit down options), one at a signature restaurant. We had what we wanted and more including appetizers, entree's and deserts. We spent less than $31 per day per person including tip and tax. In addition, we had lunch today at Rainforest (as is our custom on the way home) for under $26 using the Safari Club.

 

[Figment2]

Great post, Dean!

Cyn

 

[rigsby25]

We were just at OKW - room 6221. I loved that building 62. Walking to everything! I think I will be spoiled from now on.

That was a good idea about stopping in to tell the manager the positives. We didn't do that. How can we do that now? I would like to mention Ramona's great service and pleasant personality at the Gurgling Suitcase. We had a wonderful time at the pool. We liked her margaritas better than the ones at the Mexican restaurant in Epcot.

We've only gone twice now, and both times were in the middle of the week. Last time in February on a Thursday, and this time on a Wednesday. Both times are rooms were ready before noon, right when we checked in, FYI.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Dean, I'm glad you posted about your dining costs. We tend to do as you did and eat one sit down restaurant a day with breakfast and a light snack meal in the villa for our other meals. I too figured we could do better than the dining plan. We will also have the DDE card, so we can help save for the rest of our family as well. I would never use the snack and counter service options enough to make the dining plan work for us.

 

[Dean]

We were just at OKW - room 6221. I loved that building 62. Walking to everything! I think I will be spoiled from now on.

That was a good idea about stopping in to tell the manager the positives. We didn't do that. How can we do that now? I would like to mention Ramona's great service and pleasant personality at the Gurgling Suitcase. We had a wonderful time at the pool. We liked her margaritas better than the ones at the Mexican restaurant in Epcot.

We've only gone twice now, and both times were in the middle of the week. Last time in February on a Thursday, and this time on a Wednesday. Both times are rooms were ready before noon, right when we checked in, FYI.

I'd say you have several options. They include letting DVC MS know, contacting the resort directly and there is a customer service email for Disney though I don't have it handy. Even if it's months later, it still counts. I had a coworker a couple of years ago leaving on Sat AM to take her twin grand daughters to WDW. On Friday (the day before she was leaving), I asked where she was staying and she said she hadn't made any plans yet but would likely stay off site. It was the very end of the day, right around 5 pm on Friday. I simply picked up my cell phone and called CRO to see what specials and availability they had for the following day for FL residents. She got French Quarter for $74 per day and was thrilled. She had assumed staying on property would be so much more. When they checked in, the group was talking about the twins birthdays, favorite characters and the like. The next day when they returned from the parks, there was a framed autographed picture of their fav character in the room for each of them. Then on the day of departure, they left hours later than intended because she couldn't drag the girls out of the pool. She came in the following week and was almost in tears telling me about her story and thanking me for making it all possible. Truth is I didn't do much but it meant a lot to here. Well, about 4 or so weeks later we were there for only an overnight stay on the way to a cruise. We stayed at Riverside and I walked over to French Quarter. I was able to give them enough info that they could figure out the CM that had checked them in and stated she would get special recognition.

Diane, we actually did two sit down meals a day though we usually only do one. With just my wife and I now we take a few more liberties than when we had both kids with us. But a light and easy breakfast, sit down lunch and light dinner (many times soup or salad or just share an appetizer) and we're satisfied (or worse). The meal plan makes sense for some and not for others. But there appear to be some people that think it makes sense for them when it doesn't, their choice of course.

 

[Tamar]

Hi Dean~

What about MNSSHP? We're going 10/31, so I was hoping you'd have some great tips for us first-timers?

 

[rigsby25]

We went to MNSSHP on Thursday, 10/13. We got there at about 4. We got a wristband at the turnstyle. I thought I heard that everyone would be in tomorrowland, so that is where we headed first. We ate at Cosmic Rays. Then we were told to go to Frontierland, not Tomorrowland. We walked through Fantasyland and went on all the little rides that usually have all those long lines, like Peter Pan, etc. We went on haunted mansion, big thunder railroad, pirates of the carribean. Mind you, we were still walking. All of the rides were walk on, no wait. There are spots where you can get candy. They pass out bags when you go in and have them at all the candy spots. We are not parade people, so I can't tell you about the parade, but we did see the fireworks. They were the absolutely best fireworks I've ever seen in my 51 years! It really got crowded, and since we had been on everything we wanted, we left right after the fireworks. I feel like we did like 2 days in a couple of hours. A lot of people were wearing costumes. I thought it was great fun.

 

[Dean]

Hi Dean~

What about MNSSHP? We're going 10/31, so I was hoping you'd have some great tips for us first-timers?

It was our first time for this event. We slept in and went to Whispering Canyon for an early Lunch then Tony's for dinner at the transition time of 6 pm. By the time the fireworks were done, we were spent. But since it was not crowded, we'd done most everything we wanted other than the Halloween parade, special fireworks and the trick/treat and character sightings. We will go back for MVMCP and plan to either arrive later or more likely get up early and go to AK then take an afternoon nap before MK and the party.

 

[Mark099]

We went to MNSSHP on Thursday, 10/13. We got there at about 4. We got a wristband at the turnstyle. I thought I heard that everyone would be in tomorrowland, so that is where we headed first. We ate at Cosmic Rays. Then we were told to go to Frontierland, not Tomorrowland. We walked through Fantasyland and went on all the little rides that usually have all those long lines, like Peter Pan, etc. We went on haunted mansion, big thunder railroad, pirates of the carribean. Mind you, we were still walking. All of the rides were walk on, no wait. There are spots where you can get candy. They pass out bags when you go in and have them at all the candy spots. We are not parade people, so I can't tell you about the parade, but we did see the fireworks. They were the absolutely best fireworks I've ever seen in my 51 years! It really got crowded, and since we had been on everything we wanted, we left right after the fireworks. I feel like we did like 2 days in a couple of hours. A lot of people were wearing costumes. I thought it was great fun.

We were there the same night. We had a lot of fun too, but made the mistake of getting to the park too early (around noon). We were tired and could not make it until the end.

 

[BCV23]

We were just at OKW - room 6221. I loved that building 62. Walking to everything! I think I will be spoiled from now on.

That was a good idea about stopping in to tell the manager the positives. We didn't do that. How can we do that now? I would like to mention Ramona's great service and pleasant personality at the Gurgling Suitcase. We had a wonderful time at the pool. We liked her margaritas better than the ones at the Mexican restaurant in Epcot.

We've only gone twice now, and both times were in the middle of the week. Last time in February on a Thursday, and this time on a Wednesday. Both times are rooms were ready before noon, right when we checked in, FYI.

We were in 6221 last Friday and Saturday nights! Right after you if I understand you correctly. I agree about that building being so convenient and I loved the view as well.

Dean, nice report and a great idea to give the front desk positive feedback on CMs.

 

[rigsby25]

Excuse me - typo - we were in 6220 - right at the end. I loved being on the end as well.

 

[snowbunny]

I had a coworker a couple of years ago leaving on Sat AM to take her twin grand daughters to WDW. On Friday (the day before she was leaving), I asked where she was staying and she said she hadn't made any plans yet but would likely stay off site. It was the very end of the day, right around 5 pm on Friday. I simply picked up my cell phone and called CRO to see what specials and availability they had for the following day for FL residents. She got French Quarter for $74 per day and was thrilled. .... She came in the following week and was almost in tears telling me about her story and thanking me for making it all possible. Truth is I didn't do much

Yes you did, you saved her grandchildrens' vacation! It is hard for an obsessive planner to read something like this without having heart palpitations

 

[Dean]

To add to the above info. We had another long weekend. This time 4 days at Allstar sports. As many times as we've been over the years, this is the first time we've stayed at a value. Things did not go particularly well but we still had a great time overall. Interesting that for the most part, the issues and problems we had were not inherent to the setup of the values but more to the service.

Front desk took forever. It took us 1.5 hours to get through the check in process and get in an acceptable room. Arrived at 10 pm and didn't get in a room until 11:30. The king bed was made with a queen sheet. No ice bucket. They didn't leave extra plastic cups a single cleaning (of 4). One day they took the open soaps and left new ones. Another they left the open ones and NO unopened. 7 phone calls on our bill from a time when we were at Epcot all day and even though when I was going over it with the CM at the front desk and there was a meal charge for both lunch and Dinner for Epcot flanking the times of the phone calls, I still don't think he ever believed they weren't really ours. EVERY time I went to the front desk it took 20-30 minutes to get to someone (with one exception when there was no line) even though there were only 1-3 people ahead of me.

On day 2, the maid knocked on the door at about 8:20. The next day she knocked at 8:40 or so. Too early in my book to be cold calling the rooms. I did put the do not disturb sign on the last two days. On day 2 when I opened the door the maid said "are you still here". I said, "excuse me" and she repeated her question word for word. I still have a place inside my lip where I bit it to stifle the desire to come back with a smart response. But on the inside I was saying "no, we left an hour ago, ....here's your sign".

BTW, With essentially 3 full days, we spent less than $22 per person per day. One day we had 2 sit downs, one day a sit down and a counter service (ribs) and another a large sit down lunch with popcorn and coke later and simply didn't want any more. We actually had reservations which we cancelled. Even then we had more food than we knew what to do with and we regretted ordering as much as we did.

Yes I did let the managers at the front desk know. I felt they needed to and hope the info will help them to improve.

 

[Mark099]

I think you get all the new CMs at the value resorts. Early morning cleaning service is pretty standard now. As a rule, we always use the DND sign until we leave the room.

 

[Dean]

I think you get all the new CMs at the value resorts. Early morning cleaning service is pretty standard now. As a rule, we always use the DND sign until we leave the room.

This seemed more than new, I hope this does not represent the abilities of the people currently being hired. I didn't know they turned the maid's lose at 8 am, I was thinking it was 9 am last time I asked but it is 8 am, at least at the All Stars. IMO, 8 am is still too early to be cold calling. Most hotels get the maid's started with known early checkouts and by observing who leaves.

I do have a friend who is a DVC member but commonly does what we've done this fall, do long weekends on points. They frequently stay at the Value Resorts and have never had these type problems.

 

[Dean]

Posting back to my thread from a few months ago rather than starting another. Here at OKW in a 1 BR on an II exchange. In building 17 and the unit is good. There are a few minor flaws but nothing to detract from our usage or enjoyment. We had our TnT today instead of yesterday as we had the privacy sign out yesterday. They called to reschedule and came today as planned. It's funny how the little things make a difference and catch my eye. We had thrown the towels in the washer and they left new ones, hanging them up as they would on a full cleaning. They left new soap, coffee, shampoo; more than was here initially. The thing that really caught my eye was they realized that we had been making a lot of coffee and left the items (with extras) we had been using.

Even on an exchange, they hade realized we were members and had us down as such when we checked in. There were several II members checking in at the same time we were.

 

[PBader]

Hope you are having a nice time. It is always nice when housekeeping spends a few extra minutes making us comfortable.
Paula

 

[Dean]

Hope you are having a nice time. It is always nice when housekeeping spends a few extra minutes making us comfortable.
Paula

Thanks, we are having a great time. It's always funny when I come in as an II exchange and am a DVC member. Neither MS nor the resorts know how to approach it. One thing they do know for sure is they want that $95 extra fee.