Treatment of DVC members

[athenna]

Us DVCers have to stick together (lol).

Yes, we do!
If we don't look out for each other, who will?

 

[LakeAriel]

I just got back from VWL and the cruise and what many are saying is sadly true. I did not like what went on at the Villa's. For starters they told me I couldn't have the room I reserved 11 months prior but they could give me one on the first floor. As I was staying just with my 21 year old daughter I said no way. The CM coldly showed me her room map and recommended one on the 4th floor facing the woods. I said OK and schlepped upstairs to room 4533. Well, much to my surprise there was no balcony! I was so tired after traveling by train for 24 hours I almost just accepted it. Thank God I did not. I called and they found a room only a few doors down. I had to schlep back to the lobby and wait on line again to get the keys changed. No apology, nothing! This is what an owner gets from them? Peak season, peak points and no balcony? When I opened my balcony and heard the birds singing I was so grateful I had complained. We were also able to go out and see the Wishes fireworks. They also need to card people, you couldn't get a seat anywhere near the pool. My daughter and I went to visit Fort Wilderness and when we got back on the bus there were 10 (I counted them) people with their beach bags to go to the Villa's pool! They were coming from MGM! This was last week, no pool hopping for members please but.. If you live in Orlando just come on over! I complained about this last year too and will make another call tomorrow! If they don't start improving they will go downhill fast.The transportation was also inadequate. The cruise on the other hand? Excellent!!!!!

 

[tjkraz]

I just got back from VWL and the cruise and what many are saying is sadly true. I did not like what went on at the Villa's. For starters they told me I couldn't have the room I reserved 11 months prior but they could give me one on the first floor.

I'm sure (OK, I hope) you realize that room requests are not guaranteed, regardless of whether the reservation was made 11 months or 11 hours before arrival. That's the system we all currently have to live with. If you have objections to it, you should really take it up with DVC. Attitude notwithstanding, the CM was just doing her job.

The CM coldly showed me her room map and recommended one on the 4th floor facing the woods. I said OK and schlepped upstairs to room 4533. Well, much to my surprise there was no balcony! I was so tired after traveling by train for 24 hours I almost just accepted it. Thank God I did not. I called and they found a room only a few doors down. I had to schlep back to the lobby and wait on line again to get the keys changed. No apology, nothing! This is what an owner gets from them? Peak season, peak points and no balcony?

In this case, I'm sorry but I have to admit that I'm awfully sympathetic toward the resort staff. DVC/DVD built the resort. I have no idea what design requirements lead to omitting balconies from a handful of rooms, but the resort staff must simply do their best to accommodate every guest. Like it or not SOMEBODY is in that balcony-less room nearly every night of the year.

No apology? Honestly, it sounds like they did their best to accommodate you. They got you a room (three actually) that matched your reservation. If they had tried to put you in a Studio when you booked a 1B, you'd have an issue. But unfortunately it sounds like all three of the rooms into which you were placed meet DVC's criteria for your reservation...including the first floor and non-balcony rooms.

 

[barb45]

tjkraz is right - you didn't reserve a specific room - nobody can. You can't expect to get the exact room you want. I usually get the furthest room away from everything but would never complain - I just think it is the luck of the draw and someday I will be lucky.

Your other complaint is right on though - these pool problems need to be handled right away. People staying at a resort should be able to use their own pools and chairs. I hate when the place is packed up with people staying at the campground, the Value Resorts or off-site. I don't even believe in pool hopping for DVC members anymore because of this. I hope they do something about it.

 

[LakeAriel]

I realized i wouldn't get a specific room but requesting a pool view should have been doable 11 months in advance. After paying $18,000 to Disney and paying over $1,000 a year in dues you bet I expect a balcony! I am certain there are some families with active toddlers that would wish to forego the balcony for safety reasons. I checked in at 11:30 AM, myself and adult daughter and no I don't think they should have sent me to a room without a balcony. They certainly could have offered it by telling me in advance but that was not done and I expect more from Disney. Maybe the new CEO will bring it back to where it was.

 

[tjkraz]

I realized i wouldn't get a specific room but requesting a pool view should have been doable 11 months in advance.

DVC's reservation makes absolutely no distinction based upon the date of the reservation. Again, it doesn't matter if you booked 11 months or 11 hours ahead. To expect preferential treatment based upon the date of the reservation is misguided.

After paying $18,000 to Disney and paying over $1,000 a year in dues you bet I expect a balcony!

That hardly makes you unique.

Unfortunately those rooms are part of the resort. SOMEONE who paid thousands of hard-earned dollars to Disney has to stay in them.

I am certain there are some families with active toddlers that would wish to forego the balcony for safety reasons.

DVC balconies are quite safe for toddlers. In fact, if any room is unsuitable for small children it would be the first-floor rooms with an open porch. But something tells me you won't be specifically requesting a first-floor room in the future to even though you and your adult daughter are demographically better suited for such a room.

I checked in at 11:30 AM, myself and adult daughter and no I don't think they should have sent me to a room without a balcony. They certainly could have offered it by telling me in advance but that was not done and I expect more from Disney.

"First floor?" "Uh-uh"

"No balcony?" "Not me!"

"Dumpster view?" "Try again."

"I don't care that it's Spring Break...I paid thousands of dollars for my DVC and I want a better room. Someone may have to say in those rooms tonight, but not ME!"

Maybe the new CEO will bring it back to where it was.

 

[MiaSRN62]

I checked in at 11:30 AM

I totally agree with those that state nothing is guaranteed (unfortunately first booked doesn't mean first choice), but I would think someone who checked-in at 11:30 am would at least not get the room with no balcony ? To Lake Ariel: did you check-in during the middle of the week or something ? I'm wondering if you had an odd check-in day like Tues or Wed or something ? Because if a room with no balcony is what you got for checking in prior to noon, gee, wonder what the people after you got ?
Also, just curious.....what size room is this one with no balcony ?
Glad the cruise turned out nice !

 

[Beca]

fwiw....My mom got that "no balcony" room in Jan....on her FIRST trip home to VWL. She was a little bummed. She went down to the front desk to see if there was anything else (she had checked in at 8:00 AM), and was told that her room had been "preassigned" and she could not switch.

The front desk cm did tell her, however...that there is only ONE room in VWL that does not have a balcony (it is a studio). She just "dealt" with it. But, I thought you would like to know.



Beca

 

[tjkraz]

...but I would think someone who checked-in at 11:30 am would at least not get the room with no balcony ?

Just to clarify, if you read the original post, the no balcony room was actually the second room assignment. The first was a ground-level room that was also deemed unacceptable.

During high-capacity periods, rooms are pre-assigned before guests even arrive to attempt to best meet requests. CMs have very little flexibility to shuffle people around on the fly (unless you scream loud enough, apparently.)

 

[LakeAriel]

I checked in on Palm Sunday. After I called the desk a perfectly suitable room a few doors down was given to me. Frankly it was obviously available from the beginning and not offered. That tells me they try to dump the less desireable rooms. After what I've read on the boards I wonder if they are dumped on DVC members since we are going to come back.Your Mom should have persisted. There is a world of difference with a balcony. The space is larger, you can hear the birds, get fresh air and see the fireworks. The studio without the balcony was very stuffy. Each floor in the line is balcony-less.
I have always praised DVC and a couple of friends have bought following my recommendations. I am going to be less likely to do so now unless there are improvements.

 

[DrTomorrow]

[...]The front desk cm did tell her, however...that there is only ONE room in VWL that does not have a balcony (it is a studio). She just "dealt" with it. But, I thought you would like to know.
Beca

That's good know. We're staying our first night in a VWL studio before moving to an SSR 1BR - so I'll plan on DW and I getting the dreaded unbalcony-ed studio!

 

[LakeAriel]

PS
I don't scream...ever I do assert myself politely however and alas there was a room with a balcony available and even empty at noon. Gee...isn't that amazing?

 

[robinb]

I think LakeAriel has a point, although it's not a popular one around here. I also received one of the no-balcony rooms at VWL and requested another. She didn't want a ground floor and she wanted a balcony. So what? I would venture that most DVC members would be disappointed with a Dumpster View or windows instead of a balcony. Another room ended up being available, so I have a feeling that the CM was "punishing" her for objecting to the first room by putting her in a sub-standard room. I agree with LakeAriel that the CMs should warn you that a room doesn't have a balcony, just as they should warn you that a room is handicapped accessible.

It seems like we are going to go around and around on this for pages to come. There is nothing wrong, IMO, with making specific requests for a room. If you don't like the room you are assigned, you should be able to request a different room. As many pointed out, a specific room location/view is not guaranteed (Boardwalk View being the exception), but that doesn't mean that a DVC member should just take whatever room is assigned and shut up about it.

There are times where a DVC member will be assigned an undesirable room when there are no other options: the Dumpster View, the last room at BWV, the smoking optional room, the handicapped accessible room or the room with no balcony. In that case, {{shrug}} there is not much you can do. Take the room and see if you can move in the morning, or just keep it like we once did. I see a problem in the way that room are assigned with the undesirable rooms mixed in at random with the better rooms. It makes it difficult to know when there are no "better" rooms available when you are assigned an undesirable room. In LakeAriel's case, she was assigned a non-balcony room and when she complained a balcony room magically appeared. I still think the CMs assign undesirable rooms hoping that the DVC member will feel that they cannot or should not question the room assignment. Unfortunately, some of us are more high maintenance than that .

 

[Cyndy]

I've listed above the 2 attributes I am working on when it comes to understanding the new version of room assignments. We've been members for several years and I find the previous version of room assignment based on earliest bookings to be preferable, it helped me rationalize a less than "perfect" room location. This new plan works pretty well for us as we arrive by car early on check-in day, but I would love to know the rational DVC used in making the switch to the new policy.

Not wanting to flame any opionions listed here, I must remind everyone that we all pay a great deal for our points and dues. That alone does not entitle one member to better service than other members. We paid an outragous amt. of points (in our opinion, even though we own several hundred pts) for the GV at BWV only to find we had a hc room. On the bright side, we were delighted to get the GV just a few months out and much to DH delight, it was the room directly above the Screen Door and he would never have dreamed it was a GV. He was always curious so it made his day. For now we are trying to adopt a cup 1/2 full attitude and figure that we're lucky to get our 1st choice 1 in 3 visits....seems like we have the best luck at OKW with views and we don't even own there! YET!

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Doctor P]

IMHO, this is exactly what gives DVC members a bad name with CM's. All that happened in this case is that LakeAriel made such a stink that someone else lost their preassigned room. The squeaky wheel gets grease, and the other wheels pay the price as we all get lumped together as complaining DVC members. Yes, I would have been disappointed, but I also recognize that I can't have a perfect room all the time.

 

[tjkraz]

PS
I don't scream...ever I do assert myself politely however and alas there was a room with a balcony available and even empty at noon. Gee...isn't that amazing?

Nobody ever said that there weren't any other rooms available. During high capacity periods, rooms are pre-assigned before guests even arrive in an attempt to meet as many requests as possible. Your first assignment was the first-floor studio that was initially deemed unacceptable.

Second try was perhaps the one unassigned room in the entire resort...let's call it the "Dr. Tomorrow Suite." Again, no dice.

Third try was the upper level woods view studio. That room was most likely pre-assigned to someone who had requested "upper floor, woods view." But, after you asserted yourself politely, the resort caved and gave you someone else's room.

The net result is the family that requested "upper floor, woods view", and was initilaly granted that request, ended up in either a first floor room (reject #1) or the room with no balcony (reject #2.) Too bad for them, I guess. Hopefully they were smart enough to assert themselves politely and bump someone else to the crappy rooms.

 

[robinb]

The net result is the family that requested "upper floor, woods view", and was initilaly granted that request, ended up in either a first floor room (reject #1) or the room with no balcony (reject #2.) Too bad for them, I guess. Hopefully they were smart enough to assert themselves politely and bump someone else to the crappy rooms.

And exactly what is wrong with that? That is exactly what happens 95% of the time when rooms are not pre-assigned.

 

[LakeAriel]

The fact that people come in from Orlando on Disney buses to use the pools tells me that security is poor at the resorts. That is the only reason I did not take the firast floor with just my daughter and I. If not accepting a stuffy sub standard room with no balcony makes me too fussy for your taste, so be it. I am happy to know you will be happy to accept that room when you go.

 

[tjkraz]

If not accepting a stuffy sub standard room with no balcony makes me too fussy for your taste, so be it.

Then don't be surprised by the treatment you get from Disney CMs. As Doctor P alluded to, it's this type of elitist behavior that has lead some CMs to treat DVC members with such disdain.

I am happy to know you will be happy to accept that room when you go.

That attitude came through loud and clear in your first post.

 

[tjkraz]

And exactly what is wrong with that? That is exactly what happens 95% of the time when rooms are not pre-assigned.

Preassignment is designed to serve the greater good. The resort CMs make a legitimate attempt to match up the incoming guest requests with the rooms available. We all know that no assignment system is perfect.

You previously made the comment that "I think LakeAriel has a point, although it's not a popular one around here." Perhaps that POV is popular because it mirrors the attitude that many of us share. It's not like we're debating the unknown future of the 7-month booking window here--this is more of a philosophical or ethical stance. Personally, I don't feel that I am more or less important than any other guest. If rooms are pre-assigned and I got the crappy room, who am I to "assert myself" and basically demand that someone else take that room?

One other message that shouldn't be lost here is the fact that LakeAriel never did get the room originally requested. She received "upper floor, woods view" when the request was "upper floor, pool view."

This is just another example where restrictive requests handcuffed the room assigners. If the requests had been limited to smoking preference and "upper floor", LakeAriel may have received room #3 right from the start and avoided a lot of headaches.