very disappointed with boardwalk

[nicurn]

hi guys, we just got back from a week at disney, staying at the boardwalk. We had a nice vacation, with the exception of checking in at boardwalk. We were there early, asked for a lagoon view if possible, oh sure we can do that is what we were told. Off we go to the parks because they don't have a room ready yet and check in really isn't until 4pm anyhow. We get back around 3:30 to check in and get ready for dinner... they have stuck us on the first floor in random back corner staring at the back of the community center. DH isn't happy so he calls and requests a room change. Well, then they move us to the 3rd floor and the bell person opens the door to our new room only to discover that it is very much occupied. (now we are going to be late for my birthday dinner with cinderella and dh is beginning to become very unhappy). So after 20 minutes they figure out where to stick us, still on the 3rd floor and now at least with a view. We go in and discover that the room hasn't been cleaned. (cigarette ashes in the shower (?), large chunks of old slobbered on cookies, mashed into the rug jellybeans, the utensils haven't been cleaned.... Call the front desk again. There really aren't any rooms to move too, they will send the house keeping supervisor up to clean up the room and then they will come back while we are out at dinner. Fine. Housekeeping guys shows up with a major attitude, the room is barely cleaned when we get back... (shall I go on?) Anyhow the front desk manager apparently felt bad and did pay for the birthday dinner... but it shouldn't have happened in the first place. We then stayed a night at a wingate hotel on our way home and honestly.... it was a much more pleasant experience... no attitude, free internet access, decent breakfast (also free) and hmmm... the room only cost 89$ a night! The room was also clean.

sorry for the rant, I just expect a lot better from disney and the dvc. maggie

 

[InstImpres]

Maggie -

Sorry to hear the room experience you had. Sounds like a victim of bad circumstance. I am surprised they moved you without a fee and encouragement to stay. My understanding is they were booked solid. You probably got the only clean room at 3:30.

Don't understand how they keyed you into an occupied room though.

Hope the rest of the trip was better and you enjoyed your birthday dinner.

Sandy

 

[tootsiemolly]

That is horrible. Last week while we were in Orlando, we stayed at the Marriott Cypress Harbour. We were there on a timeshare deal. I can relate. I asked for a newly renovated unit because my children have asthma and my baby was really sick with the flu. The first unit was so..... dirty, had mold growing in the bathrooms etc. So we go back and ask for a different room. It still had mold, but newer furniture and carpet. The towels were falling apart, the mattress and pillows were old and lumpy. etc. then on the last day after a long day at the parks we get back at 11:30 pm to a dirty room that had not been cleaned and still had all the dirty towels. Well, we had bought a marriott timeshare at Grande Vista that week they were clean, beautifully decorated, large. But, after our week we canceled before we came home. I am now considering DVC. But, I am starting to become reluctant after reading the numerous posts on dirty rooms with pests. I want to buy Disney because I have always had great hotel rooms at Disney. But, hmmm I am wondering. One thing I also noticed while there last week. The CM's were so......grumpy. In fact at Epcot while waiting in line at the food court. A retired disgruntled Disney employee went off on Disney. How it use to family run, now it is a big corporation, the benefits are slowly getting cut, the retirement age has increased etc. He went on for probably 15 min. I was hoping the food line would move quicker. I didn't know what to say. But, I wonder if employee moral is down. If the company is making cuts. The bathrooms in all the parks were soo... dirty. etc. What is going on at Disney.

 

[Boardwalk Garry]

We just got back from the Boardwalk ourselves. We had requested a top floor with a view of the Boardwalk. We got the third floor with a partial view. It wasn't what we wanted, but we understood since they were full. However, once in the room, we realized it smelled strongly of mildew.

We called the front desk to see about a room change, but they said they didn't have any studios available until two days from now. They sent a maid up with some disinfectant spray. She sprayed in a few places, but a couple of hours later, the smell was as strong as ever. She had even suggested turning up the air conditioner to help with the smell. This wasn't an option since it was in the 40's outside!


We called again and the front desk offered to bring up some kind of air filter to help with the smell. We assumed it would be some kind of free standing unit that might actually help. But upon our return from the parks a few hours later, we found nothing. We called Housekeeping and were told they didn't know anything about it. They then sent up a maintainance man with a furnace filter! We knew that wasn't going to solve the problem, and to his credit, the worker admitted that as well. He then called to have someone come up and shampoo the carpet. By this time, we were smelling the mildew smell on everything!

We agreed to wait and see if this helped before we demanded a room change. It didn't. Finally, two days into our trip, a room on the fifth floor became available and we were moved to it. This one was fine, and they had even put in a new shower curtain for us. I guess they were just making sure they didn't hear from us anymore!

All in all, it was a pain, but we were happy the problem was finally resolved. As a side note, we did have a problem with the housekeeper not doing a full cleaning when she was suppose to. We complained and it was done the next day.

I must admit, that housekeeping seems to be a weak link in the DVC resorts at times. It's twice as bad though when you are met with bad attitudes and people who don't want to take care of the problem. Fortunately, we haven't run into that. I get the impression sometimes that the cleaning staff doesn't think they need to do as good a job in the DVC resorts as the other hotels.

 

[Boardwalk Garry]

I have to agree about the employee morale. In fact, I commented to my wife during our trip last week that I noticed the CM's weren't quite as friendly. I saw a lot more of them talking amongst themselves and ignoring guests which is something I hadn't noticed before on previous trips. Quite a few seemed to just be going through the motions.

 

[tootsiemolly]

I agree. They were just going through the motions. Maybe I wouldn't have noticed If I weren't such a customer service freak. Or I hadn't been to DW numerous times. We were there in last Jan, and then again this last week. I wondered if the CM were just stressed with Christmas etc. But, after the retired guy went off, and he was probably only in his forties. Then I noticed the attitudes evern more. His wife and his mother and father still work for Disney, so even though he is retired he is still very much connected. I felt sorry for him. I use to work at a high end health club here. Where it costs $550 to join and then $140 a month. The club always preached customer service, then treated their employees terribly. I think anyone has a hard time when benefits or special treatment are taken away. It kills the moral.

 

[InstImpres]

Originally posted by Boardwalk Garry
must admit, that housekeeping seems to be a weak link in the DVC resorts at times. It's twice as bad though when you are met with bad attitudes and people who don't want to take care of the problem. Fortunately, we haven't run into that. I get the impression sometimes that the cleaning staff doesn't think they need to do as good a job in the DVC resorts as the other hotels.

Interesting thought. Does anyone know enough about Mousekeeping to know if they are different than the people on the resort side? Are they paid more since DVC preaches the "no tipping" (though many do, it can not be counted on....yes, I know not everyone in the world is travel savay, so I am sure they get stiffed in the resort side occassionally). Just wondering if this may now be coming into play.

Sandy

 

[CarolA]

Room views are not guranteed. SO.... once you started on this senic tour you were probably opening yourself up for more adventures. Especially at a busy time of the year. This is a prime example of my problem with getting all worked up about a view. Your first room was probably in good condition, but.... you had to have a view. I think sometimes the emphasis on views causes people to have a bad time on their vacation. My theory is to "bloom where you are planted". Community Hall view would have meant I was very close to the pools.


As for the posts on dirty rooms go look for the poll someone posted recently. There are LOTS more clean rooms then dirty rooms LOL!!!! Most of us don't bother to post if our room was clean.

 

[poohj80]

We are new to DVC and didn't know that DVC preaches no tipping. I'll always tip if the service is good. Something we found on cruse ships is that you tip partially in the beginning, they give you great service all week knowing that they won't be stiffed on the gratuities.

 

[Cruelladeville]

I ALWAYS stay part of my time in a regular resort--to stretch the points--and Mousekeeping is the same everywhere. They have very high turn-over, many foreign-speaking staff who have recently immigrated to the US, and they don't have the same level of cleanliness that many of us are used to. It's a thankless job--would any of you want to do it??? I wouldn't, that's why I have as cleaning lady at home. Working in customer service is the job from H***. No one is ever satisfied--you try to help, even give someone a nice expensive free dinner, and they still come home and dis you. But if your employees are demoralized, then you have another huge problem, because that makes things so much worse.

I would suspect that they are experiencing the same cutbacks as the rest of the world, where management expects you to do the job of three people in the same 8 hour day, at the same rate of pay. They are just as stressed out as everyone else, it seems. Still, we paid big $$$ for DVC, and we expect to become destressed at WDW--we don't expect to have to deal with their problems on top of our own.

by the way, when did DVC begin preaching no tipping? It must have been in the Vacation Magic that I didn't receive, because I always tip. I just thought it was courtesy to do so.

 

[raparker13]

I agree with the comment that CarolA made. I think too many people on this group get hung up on views. There really are a limited number of "great" views, and during this time of the year it is obvious that everyone won't get what they want. If the first room is OK, other than the view - I wouldn't push my luck.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I agree about the view hangups too. We have never cared about our views at OKW, because we have never had a bad one in a 1,2,or 3 bedroom unit there. Studios are a bit different, because many are overgrown with landscaping around the small patio. I have never let a view determine where I hang my hat though. I place the cleanliness and comfort far above the view.

 

[Lexxiefern]

I just wanted to say that I am sorry you had to deal with this. hopefully your next trip will be better.

 

[BeckyV]

We were also at Boardwalk last week and I must sing the praises of the manager and the front desk. We were on a wait list for a one bedroom and it did not come through until November 28. This was only for the nights of 12/8 and 12/9. On 12/4. a preferred view studio came through for the night of 12/7 so I took it even though I did not want to move. On the morning of 12/7 I checked in still no one bedroom, but the CM told me to keep checking back and maybe a cancellation would come it. Then I found out I was in a handicapped studio room with no bathtub and two kids. Also my husband is very tall so the lower cabinets are not good for him. I had faxed a list of preferences since it was so late and included no handicapped room on my confirmation. The resort said that MS had put handicapped room on the confirmation. The room was over the Screen Door and a wonderful BW view, but I really did not want it. After a few minutes I decided to take it since it was for just one night. While I was standing there, a cancellation came in for a one bedroom and we were able to move into it and stay all three nights. The BW manager Julie Piper was wonderful to us and the Front Desk CM named Pete. Our room was also on the first floor facing the quiet pool, but I was so happy to get it the view did not matter. It was nice to walk to the bus stop without using the elevator. Also the room was very clean. I am going to write Disney about the wonderful way this was handled by Boardwalk.

 

[CarolMN]

Wow~! We just got back last night, too and I can't believe we stayed at the same resort at the same time but had such different experiences!

Checked in on 12/7 around 12:30 p.m. and got into the room at 3:30 p.m. Had a 2 bedroom standard view room on the second floor overloking the tennis courts. Room was in perfect condition. We encountered very friendly, helpful, staff every where we went - don't recall even one frown.

Sorry that some of you had trips that didn't meet your expectations.

 

[DebbieB]

Sorry to hear you had problems. We just came back and thought the staff was friendly. The only problem I noticed was valet parking was slow. It looked to me that they were short staffed. Everything else was great.

 

[DeeP]

I am sorry you had problems. I just returned from BWV 3 weeks ago and I had an immaculate villa and very nice CMs.
I agree with DebbieB, on a few occasions valet parking was a little on the slow side. I also got the impression they were understaffed.

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

If the number of people who complain about the view continues to increase, I wouldn't doubt it if Disney puts an end to our ability to request a specific view (unless there is some kind of point difference). I'm with CarolA. We have on some trips received the view we wanted and on others have not. It all works out.

HBC

 

[ceejay13]

I am also sorry you had a bad experience. I have learned that for us, however, that the view is not at all important. When we first started going we always wanted the BW view. Now we actually prefer the standard views to save the points and I can say I have enjoyed every view we have had, even overlooking the front entrance. For us, the cleanliness is the most important, followed by whether we can get the room early or not.

 

[DebbieB]

They have taken a step to resolve the view problem by creating a boardwalk view category when making a reservation. They mentioned it at the annual meeting on Wednesday. Only 11% of rooms are BW view but many more were requesting it. Now you will know in advance if you have it or not and there should not be complaints about it at the front desk.