VGF First Impressions

[Docmom]

We're here now for a short 3 day trip. Live in SW Florida so we've managed a bunch of DVC trips the past year and have now stayed at all the WDW resorts except OKW and SSR. Got lucky to get VGF at the fairly last minute so we were thrilled! 1 BR standard view rm 1622. So far my expectations have been pummeled to say the least...but it's taken care of addonitis I had developed, so I guess it's not all bad news ;(! First we drove up and noticed no valet and no one directing cars. There were maybe two bell service people and quite a lot of cars (it was around 11:30am). My DH dropped us and our luggage off and went to park the car. We had done online check in and hoped to have a room available so we lugged our bags in and waited to be helped. There was someone ahead of us and it seemed like one person directing check in with two others at desks checking people in. The man who checked us in was a bit surly and somewhat snide when he pointed out the bus loading location and I told him we had driven and would most likely use our car if we went out. "You SHOULD use disney transportation." He said snidely. Ugh. Did not sit well with DH after the initial entry / parking issues. With no room available and no idea when it would be we decided to check our bags and go have lunch (I know check in is officially at 4pm so this issue wasn't a huge deal but out of 6 trips we've been able to check in around noonish 4 times so perhaps we've been spoiled). DD9 had her Belle doll sitting on a doll chair on top of her suitcase but didn't want to lug her around along with her backpack we left her will Bell Services too. Now to leave stuff with Bell Services we had to lug our stuff back outside. As we were waiting at the Bell Service desk for a few minutes with no help we noticed a bellman just standing a few feet from us. After I called to him a few times he came over and checked our bags. Went to lunch at Grand Floridian Cafe (good food and service and I'll have to say the greeters at the main GF lobby were significantly more friendly than those we met today at the Villas). After lunch we wandered around the grounds, went by the wedding chapel (beautiful) and then went back to the Villas lobby. Our room was still not available so we added DDs 2 backpacks to our checked bags with Bell Services and headed to the Magic Kingdom where we met up with some friends. Around 3:40pm I got a text that our room was ready. DH did another ride with us then headed back to the room since he was tired from the drive. About half an hour later I got a text from him that DD's Belle doll and suitcase were missing...sigh...fortunately he texted me back a few minutes later that they'd found both Belle and the suitcase (someone had taken them off the cart and put them on a shelf). We later went to dinner and returned back to the room after 9 so my first impressions of the room were late in the day. It's beautiful but not as awe inspiring as I was expecting....except for the bathroom which is very nice. View is of the monorail, Porte Cochere, and a bit of the Poly and lake on the left. We were able to see some fireworks from we think EPCOT so not bad. I checked the fridge and freezer (DH unloaded our cooler) and noticed no ice. When I closed the drawer I noticed water on the floor so I wiped it. I opened it again and noticed water pouring out so I called housekeeping / maintenance. While waiting for them I noticed a few other items - no corkscrew to open wine (list said it was in the room but I searched 3 times and didn't find it), no remote for LR tv, and no bathrobes. I wasn't sure if bathrobes were included but I thought I'd read about them somewhere so I called housekeeping again and they said they'd send all 3 items up. Around 10pm Hector from maintenance showed up. He was very nice and looked at fridge. Said ice was all in back dripping out. He called his supervisor and asked for housekeeping to come clean out that part of the fridge but they must have told him it would be awhile because he ended up doing it after undoing the drawer for the ice compartment. He reset the ice maker and housekeeping showed up with the bathrobes, remote and corkscrew but said someone else would be by to clean the fridge (at this point not even necessary). So far maintenance man Hector has been the nicest we've dealt with at the Villas. He apologized for the inconvenience and said he'd keep the work order open in case there was no ice in the am. As for the room...it's nice but already showing some wear especially in the carpet edges between the bedroom and living room as well as a few areas in the bedroom and closet, and the dining table which had some dings on the top and I had to wipe down because it was sticky and looked to have some dried food on it.

So overall thoughts on VGF:
1) this is supposed to be the Disney flagship and you should get a "wow!" feeling from the second you step on property. Maybe it was a bad day for the staff here today but we did not get that feeling at all. In contrast at our home resort AKV we have gotten that wow feeling and exceptional service as well as at VWL and BLT, even BCV and BWV were ok and had friendlier people. The building is nice but it's the people who make the experience.

2). This is a small resort 100-147 possible rooms at any one point. I know they have been filled to capacity from the start (according to second staff member who checked on our room status and was nicer than surly dude) but if this is a surprise to Disney then they have serious management problems. Housekeeping really shouldn't take that long especially considering many of the rooms do not get daily cleaning. They should prioritize the rooms that need a full cleaning because people have checked out and then the regular cleaning. This resort will most likely always be full and needs to have a full staff and an efficient cleaning schedule for better room turn around...just my opinion.

3). Some of the wear and tear this early in the life of the resort is concerning. The carpet in the room is beautiful but it would not surprise me if it needs to be replaced in a couple of years. I can see maintenance fees going up earlier than expected.

4) for some humor - it's 10:48pm and 4 housekeepers just showed up. Since maintenance man had cleaned out fridge I just asked them to clean the counters where he'd put the fridge parts. I tried not to laugh because they did remind me of the Mary Poppins penguins. Then again it's also concerning from a staffing perspective that 4 showed up to wipe some counters and clean a fridge drawer. Perhaps have more working during the day and less at night?

5). The VGF thrill is gone for me, the addonitis is certainly gone and I'm even happier than ever with our AKV purchase. Being on the monorail is not enough to justify the extra point costs. It's nice...but not "wow" nice. Checked it off the to do list so could care less if we ever stay here again...and I've been coming to Disney since 1972 when I was 7, have stayed before at GF and love the resort, so that's a big deal for me to say. Heck...we even own an old GF entertainment unit / dresser that was sold by mouse surplus years ago.

6). Disney seriously needs to step up it's game here. If VGF are the flagship villas then they need to act that way.

I didn't intend for this to be so long or a trip report...more of a vent so hopefully it's at the right section...if not, moderators, I'm sorry.

 

[carlbarry]

I was there last month, in a studio, standard view. However, the balcony overlooked not only the spa, but the Poly and the lake all the way to the Contemporary.
I did notice 2 odd things about the studio:
1. No clothes hook at the shower. So no place to hang your clothes to shower, or the towel after!
2. The mini fridge had no freezer section. Concierge told me the "manufacturer specifies that the middle shelf is the freezer," but the middle shelf was just a wire shelf. If I turned the temperature down to make that the "freezer," everything in the fridge froze. Oh, and I looked up the model on the manufacturer's web site, and it does not mention a "freezer" shelf.
It is a lovely resort, but I agree: is it worth the points?

 

[Docmom]

And now..just opened couch for DD and found a few hairs on the sheets...as in short curly ones. Totally grossed out and called housekeeping to fix now! Spoke with front desk and they said they'd send someone right away. Will speak with manager in am. Totally pissed at use of points now. I went into this trip thinking we'd add on points in the coming months to be able to stay here once every year or two but now no way.

 

[Missyrose]

And now..just opened couch for DD and found a few hairs on the sheets...as in short curly ones. Totally grossed out and called housekeeping to fix now! Spoke with front desk and they said they'd send someone right away. Will speak with manager in am. Totally pissed at use of points now. I went into this trip thinking we'd add on points in the coming months to be able to stay here once every year or two but now no way.

If you want faster service, go down and report to the front desk. Calling from your room only gets you routed to the central call center, not the front desk.

 

[carlbarry]

And now..just opened couch for DD and found a few hairs on the sheets...as in short curly ones. Totally grossed out and called housekeeping to fix now! Spoke with front desk and they said they'd send someone right away. Will speak with manager in am. Totally pissed at use of points now. I went into this trip thinking we'd add on points in the coming months to be able to stay here once every year or two but now no way.

This seems to be a recurring theme on all DVC properties, that maintenance is not what it was, and definitely not what it should be.
I arrived at around 11 am, and my room was not ready. I was told I might have to wait until 4 pm, which I have never encountered before at a DVC property. The explanation was that they are a small property, with very few workers.
Indeed, I never received any text messages, and just kept going back to the front desk. At about 3:30 I was told that yes, my room is ready.

 

[Docmom]

This seems to be a recurring theme on all DVC properties, that maintenance is not what it was, and definitely not what it should be. I arrived at around 11 am, and my room was not ready. I was told I might have to wait until 4 pm, which I have never encountered before at a DVC property. The explanation was that they are a small property, with very few workers. Indeed, I never received any text messages, and just kept going back to the front desk. At about 3:30 I was told that yes, my room is ready.

Yes, same thing for us except at least we did get a text. I just don't expect this from the flagship resort....and frankly not even a value from Disney. They need to read their own books on leadership and management!

 

[Docmom]

On a happier note...the view of the Poly and wedding pavilion on one side, and the golf courses on the other this am is spectacular. Even the monorail driving by is cool. The small parking lot view and road are easy to ignore by just looking at the Poly and lake! A lake view at standard points so not bad. And the foot cream...I'll give that a wow too ! Need to figure out how to upload photos. Might have to wait till we get home. Oh...and the wedding pavilion is definitely worth a visit.

 

[carlbarry]

On a happier note...the view of the Poly and wedding pavilion on one side, and the golf courses on the other this am is spectacular. Even the monorail driving by is cool. The small parking lot view and road are easy to ignore by just looking at the Poly and lake! A lake view at standard points so not bad. And the foot cream...I'll give that a wow too ! Need to figure out how to upload photos. Might have to wait till we get home. Oh...and the wedding pavilion is definitely worth a visit.

My standard view was also excellent.
As for posting pictures, I asked how, too, as someone asked me to post of VGF. The answer was go to www.photobucket.com and upload them there, then paste the URL of the page into your post here.

 

[DebbieB]

This seems to be a recurring theme on all DVC properties, that maintenance is not what it was, and definitely not what it should be.
I arrived at around 11 am, and my room was not ready. I was told I might have to wait until 4 pm, which I have never encountered before at a DVC property. The explanation was that they are a small property, with very few workers.
Indeed, I never received any text messages, and just kept going back to the front desk. At about 3:30 I was told that yes, my room is ready.

All DVC rooms have a check-in time of 4:00pm or after. Check-out is 11:00am. You might be lucky and get it earlier but it's not late until 4:00pm.

 

[lovin'fl]

My standard view was also excellent.
As for posting pictures, I asked how, too, as someone asked me to post of VGF. The answer was go to www.photobucket.com and upload them there, then paste the URL of the page into your post here.

You can also upload to Facebook and right click on the picture (once it's on FB) and then click on 'copy image location'. Then in your post, click on the photo logo and delete the http:// part and paste the copy.

 

[carlbarry]

All DVC rooms have a check-in time of 4:00pm or after. Check-out is 11:00am. You might be lucky and get it earlier but it's not late until 4:00pm.

I know. But this is the first time my room was ready so late.

 

[BenDiscipio]

I'm sorry, but I find it difficult to understand how people are ranting and complaining about not being able to check in EARLY at ANY resort. This resort is booked up constantly...so the room servicing staff are very busy. Being an owner at VGF, I'm certainly glad they don't run out and hire more staff so they can get YOUR room ready early. You booked a room starting at 4pm....and you complain and check with them, grousing, until it is ready....and it was actually ready EARLY at 3:30....but still you complain.

While you may have been checked in earlier in your other experiences, it has no bearing on this one....and getting booked into a room early in NO WAY comments on the level of service of a resort. I've been booked early into cheap hotels and late into first class hotels. It depends on when you get there and what kind of a room you wanted...all kinds of factors.

My last visit was at AKV and I didn't get a room until 6:00 after being bandied about left and right, receiving a text that it was ready at 3:30...rushing back and finding that it wasn't ready....and sitting around until it was. That was an inconvenience, but I chalked it up to an honest mistake. They happen sometimes, you know...

As for the poor bellman that you had to "call" to more than once...whatever that means....perhaps if you walked up to him and introduced yourself, you would have gotten quicker service....

 

[Docmom]

Thanks for the info on uploading pictures. We spoke with a manger today so feel we've gotten the issues resolved and our voice heard. Any need to let member services know also? I thought they didn't communicate about any issues. Not sure if it would matter since it was a resort specific issue unless it would aid them in making the DVC experience better for all.

 

[carlbarry]

I'm sorry, but I find it difficult to understand how people are ranting and complaining about not being able to check in EARLY at ANY resort. This resort is booked up constantly...so the room servicing staff are very busy. Being an owner at VGF, I'm certainly glad they don't run out and hire more staff so they can get YOUR room ready early. You booked a room starting at 4pm....and you complain and check with them, grousing, until it is ready....and it was actually ready EARLY at 3:30....but still you complain.

While you may have been checked in earlier in your other experiences, it has no bearing on this one....and getting booked into a room early in NO WAY comments on the level of service of a resort. I've been booked early into cheap hotels and late into first class hotels. It depends on when you get there and what kind of a room you wanted...all kinds of factors.

My last visit was at AKV and I didn't get a room until 6:00 after being bandied about left and right, receiving a text that it was ready at 3:30...rushing back and finding that it wasn't ready....and sitting around until it was. That was an inconvenience, but I chalked it up to an honest mistake. They happen sometimes, you know...

As for the poor bellman that you had to "call" to more than once...whatever that means....perhaps if you walked up to him and introduced yourself, you would have gotten quicker service....

I know that the "check-in" is at 4 pm. And most likely, DVC has worker management software that allows them to figure out how many rooms on average are vacated at 11 am on any given day, and how many employees they need to get those rooms ready for occupancy by 4 pm. Thus, hiring more employees to get the rooms ready earlier will cut into their bottom line. But the 4 pm should be the cut-off time, chosen late in the day so as to cover their backside.
As for your satisfaction with being inconvenienced: There seems to be an attitude among some DVC owners that Disney is doing them a favor running the entire enterprise. I don't feel that way. I feel that I am paying a premium price for a certain level of service, and I expect that level of service. Ergo, when I at 11 months ordered OKW in the "Hospitality House" category, and was told upon arrival (Dec. 10, 2013) that there was nothing available there, and was sent to a condo FAR from HH, AND the room had a soaked carpet from the air conditioner running a stream of water from the ceiling--I was NOT happy with the level of service I received for my money.
DVC is NOT a friend doing me a favor--they are a business that charges me money for a certain level of service. Therefore, I should receive that level of service.

 

[Docmom]

I'm sorry, but I find it difficult to understand how people are ranting and complaining about not being able to check in EARLY at ANY resort. This resort is booked up constantly...so the room servicing staff are very busy. Being an owner at VGF, I'm certainly glad they don't run out and hire more staff so they can get YOUR room ready early. You booked a room starting at 4pm....and you complain and check with them, grousing, until it is ready....and it was actually ready EARLY at 3:30....but still you complain. While you may have been checked in earlier in your other experiences, it has no bearing on this one....and getting booked into a room early in NO WAY comments on the level of service of a resort. I've been booked early into cheap hotels and late into first class hotels. It depends on when you get there and what kind of a room you wanted...all kinds of factors. My last visit was at AKV and I didn't get a room until 6:00 after being bandied about left and right, receiving a text that it was ready at 3:30...rushing back and finding that it wasn't ready....and sitting around until it was. That was an inconvenience, but I chalked it up to an honest mistake. They happen sometimes, you know... As for the poor bellman that you had to "call" to more than once...whatever that means....perhaps if you walked up to him and introduced yourself, you would have gotten quicker service....

First of all, if you re-read my post my rant was more about the service and lack of typical Disney wow factor. We have had quicker check in at all but one other DVC resort and many times before that for regular Disney resort rooms. I specifically stated it wasn't a huge deal that the room wasn't ready since we were early but the surly attitude about that was an issue as well as no direction and limited staffing when we first drove up. As for calling to the bellman...we were at the bell station, the only ones in the area at the time and he was about 15-20 feet from us if that, just ignoring us. I called out, excuse me are you the bellman a few times after being ignored for a few minutes. As for us going over to him...seriously? We were at the bell station with 2 kids and a load of bags. Isn't that HIS job to come over and help the clients? We didn't complain nor grouse later, we just asked if the room was ready or they had a better ETA (and that CM was friendly and helpful). They are not cleaning every room daily and they certainly didn't clean ours well, so I see no reason for it to take so long for room turnaround in a small resort such as this one. And yes, honest mistakes happen and we are all human but if you don't let management know what's going on then it cannot be fixed. I have been coming to WDW since 1972 and have certainly seen a decrease in the service and cleanliness. It's still overall fun for me and still overall a magical experience otherwise I wouldn't come anymore. For the current cost of Disney, I expect more from them than I would any hotel. The Grand Floridian is their flagship resort and from the moment you walk in it should have you thinking and feeling "wow, I want to do this again" not "eh, resort X was a significantly better experience."

 

[BenDiscipio]

You see, that's where we differ. I realize that no matter how wonderful the hotel I book and no matter the price, when I book a room for 4 and it is ready early, I'm thrilled and quite appreciative. If it's ready at 4, that's what I ASKED FOR. I don't say, there's only 147 rooms in this place, can't you WORK FASTER for me? I booked it for 4pm. It was ready at 3:30. You should have been thrilled in a booked up resort.

I've had many great resort experiences where rooms weren't available until after they were supposed to be. It happens.

One of the things you complained about was that they missed a bag and doll that was unpacked that took them a few minutes more to find. That qualifies as bad service?

I'll agree on the remote and the hair on the sheet...but then that's one reason why I don't ask them to rush me into a room. Additionally, no matter the premium cost, this is still a timeshare and not a hotel. I expect that there could be glitches upon entering the room. No matter how nice the resort. I find it interesting that you didn't comment much about the resort other than your view. You paid money to be on property (and in BEAUTIFUL rooms) in the nicest RESORT in WDW. No matter what your experiences were, you were still on property at a phenomenal resort...with exemplary service and more bells and whistles than any other.

Yet you call it ordinary because they didn't fly you in on a magic carpet, whisking your luggage away before you could ask, and providing you a room well before the time you booked it for....in a room without any flaws....

 

[Candy Orlando]

I have food allergies and bring frozen items I can't get in Florida. I book a flight at 11:00 am so I won't get to VGF until 4:00pm so I can put these frozen items in my villa freezer when I get there.

My experience with the Grand has always been Grand including this past Dec at the VGF.

We purchased 500 VGF points so we can always stay at VGF.

 

[disneynutz]

I have food allergies and bring frozen items I can't get in Florida. I book a flight at 11:00 am so I won't get to VGF until 4:00pm so I can put these frozen items in my villa freezer when I get there.

My experience with the Grand has always been Grand including this past Dec at the VGF.

We purchased 500 VGF points so we can always stay at VGF.

Bell Services can store frozen and refrigerated food until you get your room.

Bill

 

[carlbarry]

My studio had no hook by the stall shower to hang clothes or a towel.
The fire alarm right outside my room was installed backwards, so that the instructions were backward!
I let concierge know about both.
I also asked why there was no freezer section in the mini-fridge, and was told that the middle shelf is the freezer section according to the manufacturer. The manufacturer's web site does not mention that this unit has a freezer section.
I felt bad going to the concierge with 3 "complaints," but also felt it's a new resort, and they need to know the problems.

 

[mandjblum]

DVC is NOT a friend doing me a favor--they are a business that charges me money for a certain level of service. Therefore, I should receive that level of service.

I agree with this quote 100%. Well put.