very disappointed with boardwalk

[nicurn]

I don't think the view would have been an issue except that we made a reservation with prefered view not standard view. I don't want to be next to the pool. If we had been a floor or two up that would have been better. What I am objecting to the most was the attitude of the staff. If there wasn't a clean room at the time, just say that, don't just shove me in an obviously dirty room. And how on earth did they manage to put us in a room that was already occupied? We have stayed here before and we have changed rooms before... we have not had the attitude before. If boardwalk only has 11% prefered view rooms, then don't offer it. Sorry if I'm a little grumpy still about it, I just really think it could have been handled better. (and yes, there were some very nice people at the front desk, just not that day) maggie

 

[robinb]

Originally posted by 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.

I admit I have a "view hangup". For me, the view adds to the comfort. I prefer a unit with a porch where I can relax and feel like I am "away from it all". I love to sit on my porch and people-watch from my standard BVW room, commune with nature from my OKW villa, watch IllumiNations or search for the gator at BCV. The worst view I ever had was a 1BR at OKW. We had a lovely "road, woods and vegetation" view which was interupted by busses at regular intervals. So much for relaxing in the "comfort" of my porch.

For some people comfort means being close to the elevator, or on the first floor of an OKW building. Some people prefer a Boardwalk view and some a view of Epcot. Some people prefer to have a unit they can smoke in and others prefer a unit that has not been smoked in.

Just because your idea of comfort doesn't include "view" doesn't mean that it is not a valid request. I see nothing wrong with asking for a change in location if you are not happy and nothing in the room was touched.

 

[manning]

We were there early, asked for a lagoon view if possible, oh sure we can do that is what we were told.

If they can't do it, then they should NOT say they can.

 

[Deb & Bill]

One night at a DVC resort is better than one night at home. Even the room with the less than wonderful view (tree view at OKW one time) was so much better than sitting at home and going to work. I ask for little and wait to be pleasantly surprised.

We even had a smoking optional room last summer and it was very good.

By the way, I thought a pool view was a preferred view at the BW????

 

[CarolMN]

Originally posted by nicurn
I don't think the view would have been an issue except that we made a reservation with prefered view not standard view. I don't want to be next to the pool. If we had been a floor or two up that would have been better. ....(snip)...... If boardwalk only has 11% prefered view rooms, then don't offer it. ........ (and yes, there were some very nice people at the front desk, just not that day) maggie

Your post indicates that you may have a misunderstanding of the preferred view category. (FWIW, I wish DVC had labeled the room categories somthing besides standard and preferred. Those labels really seem to mislead people. Categories A and B, or X and Y, or I and II would have been better, IMHO)!

Preferred view includes views of the Boardwalk/Crescent Lake, both pools and the Swan/Dolphin Hotels/canal. That first room overlooking the quiet pool and the Community Hall building was a preferred view room. Most of the rooms at BWV do fall within the prefered view category. Standard view rooms overlook the hotel entrance and the driveway leading up to the entrance.

The Boardwalk view rooms (believe that is what you meant by lagoon view) fall within the preferred view category. They "cost" the same number of points as other preferred view rooms. Those rooms are also the most frequently requested. Requests for BW view far exceed the availability. Because of that, BW view rooms were made a separate category (but the cost remained the same). Guests know right away when they make the reservation if their request for a BW view will be granted. You can actually get on a wait list to get a BW view if it isn't available when you first call. Nearly all who now get a BW view call and specifically reserve it as soon as the 11 month window opens.

I'm sorry that you had so much trouble getting checked in. It does appear that the CM who told you that you could have a lagoon view made a mistake - based on the reservation system it is unlikely that one really was available to you. Perhaps he just misunderstood your request.

Anyway, hope your room on your next trip meets every request!

 

[Mary Ellen]

Originally posted by nicurn
If boardwalk only has 11% prefered view rooms, then don't offer it.

I think CarolMN is right on about the op being confused about what a preferred view entails. The 11% figure is the amount of BOARDWALK view rooms - not the amount of preferred view rooms. As already mentioned, ALL water view rooms (be it pool, canal, or Cresent Lake/Boardwalk [what I 'think' the op meant by lagoon view]) are preferred view.

I'm very sorry the the op had problems with the subsequent rooms they were assigned, but the original room was a preferred view.

 

[nicurn]

hi again, not to beat a dead horse at this point. .. We couldn't see any of the pool from the original room. We were in a random corner on the pool side and were tucked in enough that all we got were all the people walking back and forth to the pool. If we could have actually seen the pool, that might have been a prefered view. maggie

 

[DebbieB]

I agree that some of the rooms they consider preferred have alot to be desired. I wouldn't be happy using preferred points and ending up behind a building or a pool slide. This is one of the reasons I have booked standard view the past 3 years. I think most of the standard views are good. Next year I'm going to try to splurge for the boardwalk view now that it's guaranteed.

 

[zurgswife]

I'm also sorry that your stay was hampered by disappointment with your room....unfortunately I also feel part of it is a missunderstanding by many members what is standard and what is preferred....Standard is ONLY the rooms that face the entrance and driveway....everything else is far game for preferred....They did make a bit of a change earlier this year by letting members know if they will acctually get a boardwalk view...

For Me I ALWAYS get standard and love every room we have ever gotten...(oops my mistake....our trip in Oct 2002 we got a smoking room and changed due to my sons asthma....) a bad room..

 

[Richyams]

hi again, not to beat a dead horse at this point. .. We couldn't see any of the pool from the original room. We were in a random corner on the pool side and were tucked in enough that all we got were all the people walking back and forth to the pool. If we could have actually seen the pool, that might have been a prefered view. maggie

If your view was anything other than parking lot, it is prefered. 80% of the hotel is prefered view.

Again, whiners forced the invention of the BW view catagory. If they had just called them A and B or had no catagorys at all, there would be no problem, but again, whiners back in the begining whined about parking lot views, so they jumped to create standard/prefered.

 

[DeeP]

Originally posted by Richyams
If your view was anything other than parking lot, it is prefered. 80% of the hotel is prefered view.

Again, whiners forced the invention of the BW view catagory. If they had just called them A and B or had no catagorys at all, there would be no problem, but again, whiners back in the begining whined about parking lot views, so they jumped to create standard/prefered.

Sure did, and then BWV even went a step further and created a 3rd category the guaranteed boardwalk view reservation. This then made BWV the only WDW DVC resort that guarantees it's premium view and the only resort having villas with 2 tiers of points and 3 tiers of views. Just another example of what a superior resort BWV is!

 

[Richyams]

I call that a big drawback.

 

[Richyams]

Let me tell you why.

BWV is now the only resort that if you dan't call right at eleven months, you get the worst deal every time. You pay prefered points for a non-BW View....almost every time. Sure, people will get lucky here or there, but now BWV is the worst deal for those that don't call till 10 1/2 months or less.

I think its awful.

 

[DeeP]

I don't! I consider it a big advantage in that you have more choices. You have the big advantage of standard view villas to save pts, or you can spend more pts and get a preferred view and if you reserve early and get lucky you can even reserve a boardwalk view. To me, having a bigger variety is an advantage, a plus of BWV.

 

[pmcpmc]

Originally posted by DeeP
I don't! I consider it a big advantage in that you have more choices. You have the big advantage of standard view villas to save pts, or you can spend more pts and get a preferred view and if you reserve early and get lucky you can even reserve a boardwalk view. To me, having a bigger variety is an advantage, a plus of BWV.

 

[DeeP]

Originally posted by Richyams
Let me tell you why.

BWV is now the only resort that if you dan't call right at eleven months, you get the worst deal every time. You pay prefered points for a non-BW View....almost every time. Sure, people will get lucky here or there, but now BWV is the worst deal for those that don't call till 10 1/2 months or less.

I think its awful.

Well again, I have to disagree with you and I will tell you why. I have stayed at BWV twice since the new booking policy went into effect, both reservations were made at much less than 7 months and both times I got great preferred view rooms. My last trip 3 weeks ago my view, that was preferred view villa made at 5 months btw, was overlooking the courtyard/boardwalk with a wonderful view of the Christmas tree, boardwalk street performers etc.
Also a very, very big % of BWV preferred view villas overlook the quiet pool and the waterway to MGM and these are truly lovely views!
In all honesty I have stayed in villas all over BWV in all categorys and I have never had what I would consider a terrible view. There are some villas that do not have as good a view as others but the % of really bad views or as you put it "the worst deal" are very few and far between at BWV.
BCV, which I love this resort very much, but they have many more villas with really crappy views than BWV does, and all BCV rooms are the same amount of points.

 

[fkj2]

Just to digress a bit, I'm an OKW owner, looking for a change and was able to book early March, one bedroom, Boardwalk view and I'm really excited. Probably doesn't exactly belong on this thread but thought I'd throw it in anyhow. It's great to have such alternatives in the program and since I'd have asked for a preferred view anyhow, since I'm not keen on looking out over the parking lot, I'm really looking forward to this chance.

 

[FredS]

a dirty room is just something I can't tolerate. Our last trip we spent a couple of nights at Boardwalk and got upgraded to a room with a wonderful view. However, the room was by far in the worst condition of any unit I have ever stayed in at WDW. Even my husband, who I didn't think noticed that sort of thing at all, commented about the rough condition of the room. Major chunks knocked out of molding, several cigarette burns on the bathroom vanity (supposedly nonsmoking room), crayon marks on many doors, broken door on dryer, missing lint filter, window looked like painted by amateur (paint smears on glass), water stains on sheetrock, etc., etc., etc. The bathroom floors were sort of mopped and water had been dripped on the carpet between the kitchen and bathroom floors. (Guess it was easier than using a bucket?!) I got the feeling that housekeeping spent about two minutes cleaning the room and it had never been updated since the resort opened.

The resort itself is beautiful, but the difference in our room there in '99 and this trip in fall of '03 was extreme. It seemed that there was some incredible need of painting and otherwise refurbishing.

 

[Donna]

This room in the last post sounds exactly like my BW room we had a few years ago. i counted 12 cigarette burns on the vanity. The carpet was wet exactly where you said it was; found out it was a leaking washer. Also, the finish on the table was GONE! looked like someone poured acid on it. There were crayon marks and pencil marks all over the door and footprints walking up the wall! When we asked for an extra blanket, it reeked of smoke! We haven't been in a 1br there since and probably never will. We were told there were none to move into, that was it. This was when bw was relatively new, so there was no excuse.

 

[dianeschlicht]

My last trip 3 weeks ago my view, that was preferred view villa made at 5 months btw, was overlooking the courtyard/boardwalk with a wonderful view of the Christmas tree, boardwalk street performers etc.

Interesting, since you seem to always think only OKW has available rooms that close!