was just about to book OKW......then

[dalt01]

But there is normal wear and tear in a Timeshare, especially one with the high occupancy rates of DVC. It is just the way timeshares work, including DVC. A regular hotel can rehab whenever it wishesm if it want to go into debt and borrow money to do so, it may. In a timeshare, the rehabs are funded by the membership, and the management company is 1)limited in the amount that they raise dues annually and 2)has a fiduciary responsibility to its owners to manage costs. Restrictions a hotel does not operate under. If a hotel want to rehab, they simply raise nightly rates.

forget your principle outlay for a moment, just look at your maintenence fee............now multiply it by total membership.............no small chunk of change........you say they manage costs............... i say they manage profits.

 

[Chuck S]

forget your principle outlay for a moment, just look at your maintenence fee............now multiply it by total membership.............no small chunk of change........you say they manage costs............... i say they manage profits.

By law, their management fee, (profit) is limited to a percentage of the dues. And those dues are legally tied to the actual operational costs of the resort.

So again, we look at the operational and income differences between a cash resort and a timeshare.

To replace worn/damaged equipment and furnishings, a hotel raises rates at will. Not possible in a timeshare. Items are replaced on a schedule, funded by a long term reserve fund.

 

[Deb & Bill]

forget your principle outlay for a moment, just look at your maintenence fee............now multiply it by total membership.............no small chunk of change........you say they manage costs............... i say they manage profits.

The only cost they can legally raise to anything they want is the initial buy-in price per point. They can set it at anything the market will allow. I paid about $50 a point 12 years ago. I would never buy in at the price they are selling it at now.

But, like Chuck says, they are legally required to limit maintenance increases to legitimate costs. And they provide members an annual budget each year to let us know what each outlay is.

By the way, there are already reports of damage to furniture, scraped paint, etc at BLT and that is only partially sold out so some of the damage may be from non-members to DVC.

If you want pristine, I'd advise somewhere other than WDW.

 

[Lost in Neverland]

We were at OKW in January and had a wonderful room. The bed was great and the furniture was fine. Yes the colors are a little dated but we LOVE OKW. We were at BLT that same week and had issues with damage to the furniture and we all know how new that property is. I think it is just luck of the draw as to if you get a great room with no issues at any of the resorts including the non DVC ones. Go ahead you will love OKW.

 

[Lost in Neverland]

That's just the OKW owners trying to keep you out of their resort. We do it all the time. OKW is Disney's Best Kept Secret and we're keeping it secret.

Who us?????

 

[Deb & Bill]

Who us?????

Yep, us.

 

[dalt01]

That's just the OKW owners trying to keep you out of their resort. We do it all the time. OKW is Disney's Best Kept Secret and we're keeping it secret.

Who us?????

Yep, us.

if you really feel that way.........................quit renting me the points. (disclaimer) i am speaking in broad strokes..........i have never rented points from these people......its a joke son.......................and i understand what everyone is saying.....i am an annual visitor and more. i have had some good some bad with rooms. it just seemed as i looked, that OKW came up far more often than other DVC resorts.

 

[tjkraz]

.....i am an annual visitor and more. i have had some good some bad with rooms.

And you'll get the same thing with DVC resorts.

it just seemed as i looked, that OKW came up far more often than other DVC resorts.

And if you look at a different time you'll see a rash of BCV complaints...and the next time you may see a wave of SSR complaints...and after that it will be VWL.

There isn't much room for qualitative analysis when it comes to message board posts. There are about 700 families staying at OKW on any given day. That means thousands of groups per month. Yet you'd be hard pressed to find a dozen forum posts describing experiences over the same time frame. Not exactly a representative sample.

 

[dmoore22]

i must say i am very suprised at the comments with the kind of money that you folks spend on your memberships i would think that you would indeed expect pristine conditions everytime you walk into a room. i am one of those "cash" customers that was mentioned and i would expect nothing less. and that is not snobbish. i would expect cleanliness and good smells and dry carpets and clean linens and the proper untensils and such from a motel 6.

Pristine: Etymology: Latin pristinus; akin to Latin prior
Date: 1534

1 : belonging to the earliest period or state : original <the hypothetical pristine lunar atmosphere>
2 a : not spoiled, corrupted, or polluted (as by civilization) : pure <a pristine forest> b : fresh and clean as or as if new <used books in pristine condition>
--Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Us "folks" do have very high expectations. Otherwise we would not have purchased into DVC. We expect, and get "cleanliness and good smells and dry carpets and clean linens and the proper utensils." If anything is ever so slightly amiss we call the front desk, they jump, and the issue is remedied IMMEDIATELY. We can honestly state that the DVC accommodations in which we have stayed, OKW and others, have met the definition of "pristine." We "folks" most definitely get what we pay for and then some. Otherwise we would not be DVC members. Since Motel 6 rooms do not have kitchens I can only imagine what "proper utensils" are provided and what they are used for.

 

[dalt01]

Pristine: Etymology: Latin pristinus; akin to Latin prior
Date: 1534

1 : belonging to the earliest period or state : original <the hypothetical pristine lunar atmosphere>
2 a : not spoiled, corrupted, or polluted (as by civilization) : pure <a pristine forest> b : fresh and clean as or as if new <used books in pristine condition>
--Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Us "folks" do have very high expectations. Otherwise we would not have purchased into DVC. We expect, and get "cleanliness and good smells and dry carpets and clean linens and the proper utensils." If anything is ever so slightly amiss we call the front desk, they jump, and the issue is remedied IMMEDIATELY. We can honestly state that the DVC accommodations in which we have stayed, OKW and others, have met the definition of "pristine." We "folks" most definitely get what we pay for and then some. Otherwise we would not be DVC members. Since Motel 6 rooms do not have kitchens I can only imagine what "proper utensils" are provided and what they are used for.

was that snarky?.................................i can never tell............................

 

[zalansky]

Have any of the rooms at OKW been refurbished yet? If yes, does anyone have a picture?

One last question - will the mattresses be replaced? That was my one major complaint at that resort. I love the ones at the newer resorts! So comfy.

 

[dmoore22]

Have any of the rooms at OKW been refurbished yet? If yes, does anyone have a picture?

One last question - will the mattresses be replaced? That was my one major complaint at that resort. I love the ones at the newer resorts! So comfy.

We spent the Christmas Holidays at OKW with accomodations at Southpoint. The mattresses, if not new, were very close to it. And oh so comfortable! Not too hard, not too soft, but just right!

 

[sajetto]

if you really feel that way.........................quit renting me the points

Whether you stay at OKW or not makes no difference to me, but I just wanted to point out that you are not actually a "cash" customer as you stated. Although you are paying someone to secure a reservation for you like you would a travel agent, it is still from DVC inventory and it is a member's reservation you are paying for. A true "cash" reservation would be booked through CRO and would be at a much higher rate.

 

[dmoore22]

was that snarky?.................................i can never tell............................

'snarky
Pronunciation: \ˈsnär-kē\
Function: adjective
Etymology: dial. snark to annoy, perhaps alteration of nark to irritate
Date: 1906

1 : crotchety, snappish
2 : sarcastic, impertinent, or irreverent in tone or manner <snarky lyrics>"


Snarky,. . . I don't think so. "All we know are the facts, ma'am" -- Sgt. Joe Friday

 

[BEASLYBOO]

'snarky
Pronunciation: \ˈsnär-kē\
Function: adjective
Etymology: dial. snark to annoy, perhaps alteration of nark to irritate
Date: 1906

1 : crotchety, snappish
2 : sarcastic, impertinent, or irreverent in tone or manner <snarky lyrics>"


Snarky,. . . I don't think so. "All we know are the facts, ma'am" -- Sgt. Joe Friday

 

[5forDiz]

Don't like what you've read ? then don't stay there. Why concern yourself if you are not an owner at OKW and you've got plenty of on property DVC and non-DVC cash options ? you will be at POR for upcomping trip so stick with that if you are confident about that resort & it gives you peace of mind you seek. You will no doubt have a great time there although now that I think about it maybe not as much fun as you are having on this thread.

 

[dalt01]

Don't like what you've read ? then don't stay there. Why concern yourself if you are not an owner at OKW and you've got plenty of on property DVC and non-DVC cash options ? you will be at POR for upcomping trip so stick with that if you are confident about that resort & it gives you peace of mind you seek. You will no doubt have a great time there although now that I think about it maybe not as much fun as you are having on this thread.

i did not try to stir up anything.........i asked a very legit question of the people who would know the answer and what happened is what always happens on the boards. some folks feel obligated to get all up in someones face and make smart remarks. i did nothing to warrant that.

 

[dmoore22]

i did not try to stir up anything.........i asked a very legit question of the people who would know the answer and what happened is what always happens on the boards. some folks feel obligated to get all up in someones face and make smart remarks. i did nothing to warrant that.

Obviously somewhere along the line this thread managed to get !!!!!

Back to your original question, I cannot verify any of the alledged "rumblings and crumblings" you alluded to in your original post. We've been DVC since 2000 and have never had an issue. It has actually improved over the years since the policy regarding smoking in the rooms was changed. If you like a laid back ambiance reminiscent of Old Florida while enjoying Mickey Mouse on your own terms then I can think of no better place on property than OKW. The rooms are always clean, fresh, and well appointed when we check in. I would not wast my hard earned wages if DVC did not consistently maintain high standards. As to those who post complaints I ask, "What resort are you staying at?" It's definitely not the DVC in which I stay.

 

[dalt01]

Obviously somewhere along the line this thread managed to get !!!!!

Back to your original question, I cannot verify any of the alledged "rumblings and crumblings" you alluded to in your original post. We've been DVC since 2000 and have never had an issue. It has actually improved over the years since the policy regarding smoking in the rooms was changed. If you like a laid back ambiance reminiscent of Old Florida while enjoying Mickey Mouse on your own terms then I can think of no better place on property than OKW. The rooms are always clean, fresh, and well appointed when we check in. I would not wast my hard earned wages if DVC did not consistently maintain high standards. As to those who post complaints I ask, "What resort are you staying at?" It's definitely not the DVC in which I stay.

thank you............we are most likely going to change our plans from POR to OKW this year......by the way i actually had the DVC contract in hand at one point with a 500 deposit in and chickened out at the last minute. deposit was returned to me with no questions asked. i am still sitting on the fence about doing it again. i am such a wuss....................

 

[DizGirl20]

We stayed at OKW in January 2009. We loved it so much that I started looking into DVC because of our stay at OKW. We just purchased our first contract at AKV but will be looking to add on at either OKW or BLT.

Best of Luck to you... I just love the atmosphere there and the 1 BR Villa was huge! A bit dated but nothing objectionable.