Unusual DVC purchasing question - Reduction in level of "Disney" service?

[frank808]

I have stayed at Grand Cal and Villas Grand Cal, have not noticed different decor in the hotel rooms versus studios. Have stayed at studios in Aulani and seen the hotel rooms and have not seen any difference. different layout of beds such as 2 queens instead of a bed and sofabed. Not much difference in quality though. Is it just the WDW resorts that have the difference?

 

[Sammie]

I have stayed at Grand Cal and Villas Grand Cal, have not noticed different decor in the hotel rooms versus studios. Have stayed at studios in Aulani and seen the hotel rooms and have not seen any difference. different layout of beds such as 2 queens instead of a bed and sofabed. Not much difference in quality though. Is it just the WDW resorts that have the difference?

Yes at least in some of the resorts. The most noticeable being BCV, BWV, VWL as compared to the resort rooms at those locations.

 

[tjkraz]

I have stayed at Grand Cal and Villas Grand Cal, have not noticed different decor in the hotel rooms versus studios. Have stayed at studios in Aulani and seen the hotel rooms and have not seen any difference. different layout of beds such as 2 queens instead of a bed and sofabed. Not much difference in quality though. Is it just the WDW resorts that have the difference?

The two resorts you mention by name are only 2-4 years old. The disparity between hotel rooms and DVC isn't necessarily by design, rather it evolves over time.

Hotel rooms tend to be refreshed every 5-7 years to keep up with trends in the hospitality industry. Even Disney will have trouble charging $500+ per night for a Deluxe hotel room if the rooms look dated and do not offer amenities comparable to much cheaper off-site options.

Timeshare villas--whose rehabs are paid by owner dues--do not typically receive upgrades on such an aggressive schedule. "Soft goods" like bedding and window coverings will be updated every few years. But the "hard goods" like furniture, appliances and counter tops are updated less frequently. Two years ago Old Key West received its first wholesale "hard goods" rehab. That came 20 years after opening.

Newer resorts like Bay Lake Tower and Kidani Village mirror current-day trends in hotel room design because they are less than 4 years old. But unless Disney gets more aggressive with DVC rehabs--which would cost owners more money--you will see the differences emerge over time. In the next 5-10 years hotel rooms at the Contemporary Tower will get another major update and, by comparison, Bay Lake Tower will begin to feel stale by comparison.

 

[k3chantal]

I have stayed at Grand Cal and Villas Grand Cal, have not noticed different decor in the hotel rooms versus studios. Have stayed at studios in Aulani and seen the hotel rooms and have not seen any difference. different layout of beds such as 2 queens instead of a bed and sofabed. Not much difference in quality though. Is it just the WDW resorts that have the difference?

I think the word 'studio' explains it all. The difference is really found in the one, two bedroom and grand villas.

 

[DLgal]

I totally agree with your husband. Villas don't appeal to me at all. We spent the first twelve years of our married life living in a very nice, resort style apartment complex. We like HOTELS on vacation. The villas feel like we are staying at some relative's apartment and they all look quite shoddy. Not for us either. We always book using 40% room only discounts anyway. The savings of DVC is non existent when you have access to such steep discounts.

 

[tjkraz]

I think the word 'studio' explains it all. The difference is really found in the one, two bedroom and grand villas.

Not really.

If you look at the BoardWalk photos I inserted above, you'll see how the BW Inn and Studio Villa rooms differ today. Pretty much everything you see in that photo is of higher quality in the Inn room: Bedding, throw pillows, nightstand, wall coverings, light fixtures, headboard, etc.

Other recent examples could include the upgrades from tube to flat panel TVs which took several years longer to reach the DVC resorts. The addition of DVD players to rooms was slow in coming. Hotel rooms received solid surface bathroom vanities and upgraded fixtures before DVCs.

DVC rooms tend to be slower to respond to changing trends and some corners tend to be cut as designs are finalized.

 

[tjkraz]

The villas feel like we are staying at some relative's apartment and they all look quite shoddy.

Yes and no. Newer resorts like Bay Lake Tower, Grand Californian, Aulani and Animal Kingdom Villas are virtually indistinguishable from their hotel counterparts.

But, as stated, older resorts like BoardWalk, Beach Club and Wilderness Lodge have not be kept current to the same degree as the hotel rooms.

We always book using 40% room only discounts anyway. The savings of DVC is non existent when you have access to such steep discounts.

My savings run closer to 70% as a DVC owner. Personally, I'll take the additional savings and accept the moderately lower quality at some locations. YMMV.

 

[disneynutz]

Not really.

If you look at the BoardWalk photos I inserted above, you'll see how the BW Inn and Studio Villa rooms differ today. Pretty much everything you see in that photo is of higher quality in the Inn room: Bedding, throw pillows, nightstand, wall coverings, light fixtures, headboard, etc.

Other recent examples could include the upgrades from tube to flat panel TVs which took several years longer to reach the DVC resorts. The addition of DVD players to rooms was slow in coming. Hotel rooms received solid surface bathroom vanities and upgraded fixtures before DVCs.

DVC rooms tend to be slower to respond to changing trends and some corners tend to be cut as designs are finalized.

Are DVC units not decorated the same as the cash rooms because Disney wants them to look like a timeshare or is it because of the cost? Since the cost is paid for by the owners, why don't they offer better amenities/décor. Could it be that they don't want the DVC rooms competing with their cash rooms so they maintain a noticeable difference?

Bill

 

[chainkid]

If you only plan to stay in a studio and expect luxury and service then DVC is probably not for you. I bought at BWV for the location which IMO cannot be beat. I had the plan to use all my points every third year so I could bring my entire family and friends. This has become such a hit that there is a waiting list of people who want to come and I have had to use renting to accomodate all the people. Could I have ever afforded two grand villas and several studios for 12 nights if not for DVC..no way. I often pay for extra cleaning if I have guests moving in or out or just want to be pampered but I frankly find having maids enter the room has exposed us to major theft so in future will completely avoid it as much as possible.

I have stayed at almost all the luxury resorts on a cash basis and never been overly impressed with the difference in service if you are talking one room. The bigger DVC units however blow away staying in a resort room. I like having the washer and dryer, the refrigerator and kitchen.

The perks of owning DVC were far greater when i first bought in but I could actually sell all my points today and make a substantial profit on my original investment...like over $12 per point. DVC has not saved me money though as I spend more time AT WDW then i ever would have without it and the maintenance fees are a killer. However don't know any other timeshares that over time hold their value as well. It's a no brainer to me for what i use it for.

 

[tjkraz]

Are DVC units not decorated the same as the cash rooms because Disney wants them to look like a timeshare or is it because of the cost? Since the cost is paid for by the owners, why don't they offer better amenities/décor.

Personally I think it's all about the cost. We are still coming out of tough economic times and I don't believe DVC was willing to be overly aggressive when it comes to spending owners money.

Even today, there are cries of fraud and deception when dues increase by 5-6% instead of the anticipated 2-3%. During the worst of the recession, some owners were of the opinion that dues should have decreased year-over-year.

Could it be that they don't want the DVC rooms competing with their cash rooms so they maintain a noticeable difference?

DVC villa rooms are marketed to cash guests, too. If you book on waltdisneyworld.com, DVC resort options will be presented right alongside hotel alternatives. Those willing to pay cash for a villa see the same 20-30% room discounts, "free dining" offers, etc.

Honestly, no I don't believe there is a specific plan to keep villas looking inferior.

IMO, it's simply a case of two different groups making decisions which best serve their own interest. On the hotel side, you have resort managers and higher-ups who know they must meet certain guest expectations given the prices charged. Even 5 years ago, you couldn't put a 21" tube TV in a hotel room which runs $400-600 per night.

On the DVC side you have managers who must answer for the annual dues costs. They are bound to take a more measured approach to room upgrades.

And there's the Jim Lewis factor. Even soft goods rehabs at DVC resorts take 3 years to pull together. Lewis has only been gone for about 20 months so we are probably still seeing the results of his decisions.

When the Saratoga Springs refurb started last year, rooms were being outfitted with redesigned comforters--not duvets or triple sheets but the slick, heavy comforter blankets we are all familiar with. Then at the December '12 annual meeting, DVC announced they were going to begin phasing-out the comforters and going with the triple sheet approach. (And DVC is paying for the conversion.)

The immediate reaction to this is to wonder why money was wasted at SSR. In hindsight, it seems likely that Jim Lewis had approved the purchase of new comforters while his replacement, Claire Bilby, later decided to go the triple-sheet route.

When it comes right down to it, a small group of managers are making decisions on behalf of all DVC owners. And few decisions will be universally embraced. Even in this example, the triple sheets sound like a nice improvement but if it adds another 1-1.5% to annual dues for added labor and cleaning costs, some will immediately grab their torches and pitchforks.

Personally I would rather pay a little more for better quality...particularly during rehabs since they are so infrequent and the dollars can be spread over an extended period. Several aspects of the OKW rehab came under fire from owners. If memory serves, some pieces of furniture were re-painted rather than being replaced and the bathrooms were barely touched.

When rehabs on that scale occur once every 15-20 years, and the costs are shared by tens-of-thousands of owners, seems wise to just spend a little more money and do it right rather than cutting corners. Hopefully this was just a Jim Lewis philosophy and we'll see a different approach going forward.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Are DVC units not decorated the same as the cash rooms because Disney wants them to look like a timeshare or is it because of the cost? Since the cost is paid for by the owners, why don't they offer better amenities/décor. Could it be that they don't want the DVC rooms competing with their cash rooms so they maintain a noticeable difference?

Bill

Considering that a lot of the difference is in the soft goods and the costs difference would be virtually nil it may also be the sentiment of some owners being heard that they don't want the change. As with any issue there are a couple of sides and some strongly seem to want the look that exists and complain when they have done something different. I myself have held mixed reactions - for example I'd love the bedspreads gone in all the resorts and hope that hasn't been forgotten under the new management. But there were pictures of some possible updates for VWL and I might wish that some of those did not happen. But in the end as long as it's a quality refurb I'll adjust as looks can get too far behind if they aren't made with each rehab opportunity.

The fact that the newer resorts are generally the equal of the hotel counter parts I somewhat doubt there is much of a thought that they need to be different.

I think you were a person that mentioned more than once of Jim Lewis' view of DVC owners and I don't think that helped to keep things updated over the years. I felt we were seeing an improvement with Claire Bilby and hopefully we'll see that continue. But with complete silence from the new guy since taking over I'm losing some confidence that had been gained.