What exactly is the thermostat issue at BCV all about?

[debbiebones]

I've seen posts in which people have complained about the thermostat and temps in the BCVs but I'm still not clear on what the real problems have been.

Can anyone fill me in on the problems and if Disney is addressing them? We're going down there in November and I'm just curious about what we'll encounter.

Thanks,

Deb

 

[kdonnel]

The thermostats have a motion sensor. If they do not sense motion for some period of time the temperature is automatically turned higher in the summer and lower in the winter.

I believe that all the Disney hotels will have these before long. We just stayed at the Poly. It has motion sensor thermostats and motion sensor bathroom fans.

When ever we returned to our room, opening the door turned on the air conditioner. A few times at night the 75 degress it turns it up to seemed a little warm. One of us would just head to the bathroom and the air would come on.

 

[Melrosgirl]

Come to think of it, the room at VWL (studio) two weeks ago was also warm at night. I'd wake up several times and it was warm. Was that just me or are the motion sensors there now also?

 

[dlvanslyke]

We recently stayed in a studio at BCV and the temperature at night was uncomfortably warm. After a couple of nights of this, we just left the patio door open all night....was much better!

 

[Disney Doll]

As the others have stated, it is a motion sensor thing. I have stayed at BCV twice in the last 6 months, and didn't notice a problem either time, although it was also not the middle of summer.

I saw a hint somewhere(maybe it was here!) to buy a helium balloon and leave it in front of the thermostat so that as the balloon slowly moves around, it will trip the motion sensor and keep the AC going during the day.

Don't know if it would work, but it seemed to make sense, and give people an excuse to buy those shiny mylar Mickey head balloons they sell on Main Street USA!!!!!!!!!

 

[MichelleB]

We stayed at BCV in January (it was sweatshirt and jacket weather) and the thermostat sensors wouldn't sense anything at night. It got very cold in the room. Also, the washer/dryer are on the other side of the wall where the thermostat is. When drying clothes, the thermostat would sense it being warmer in the room than it was and the air conditioning would kick on. Talk about really cold in the other rooms. We all came home with colds and I WILL NOT stay there again. Matter of fact, we took my sister who was debating a purchase and she was turned off because we were either cold or hot all the time. Never just comfortable. She point blank said she would rather stay offsite than that. I have to agree and I LOVE DVC. I think it's the best purchase we ever made, but I was miserable that week and if I had my purchase to make over again and BCV was the only choice, I wouldn't buy. I know we all have our opinions and to each his own, this is just mine. I love DVC and WDW, but BCV isn't in our future again.

 

[JOC]

MichelleB,
Sorry to hear about your stay.

Is BCV your home resort? Ours is BWV, but we were thinking it would be nice to try BCV at some point just for Stormalong Bay, but not if the room temps are going to be a problem.

 

[MdmMim]

I am very disappointed in the thermostat situation at the BCV. I've stayed in 4 different rooms there during different trips and was not comfortable once--too hot. Maintenance said they could do nothing. I regret adding on there. The place is gorgeous, but not comfortable.

 

[Terry S]

I have stayed in 2 rooms so far at BCV, and will be staying in my 3rd one in 6 days! I did not have a problem at all with the thermostats. The only thing we did notice was that the room was a bit stuffy after we returned after being gone for a bit, but after only about 5 minutes of being in the room the room was cooled right back down. My understanding is that the thermostats read both movement and body heat. I do not normally sleep very soundly at night and toss and turn quite a bit so maybe this is why we didn't have any problems at night, I am not sure, but we didn't have any problems at night.

 

[MichelleB]

Our home resort isn't BCV, it's HH, VB, and OKW. I told you we love DVC! We have over 150 pts. at each of the listed resorts. Before we went this past January, I was hoping to get DH to add some pts. at BCV, but I have to say that after staying there and the temps not being comfortable, I didn't even broach the subject because it wasn't something I wanted to do anymore. It's a beautiful resort, but I think we'll be satisfied walking around, eating at Beaches and Cream, and staying elsewhere. I truly hope they don't install these thermostats at the other resorts. I intend to write a letter regarding this to DVC and hope those of you that have had similar situations will do the same. If we don't voice our dislike, they'll never know. I can't believe I just said that because I'm normally the one writing the letters to tell how great someone/something was because that usually goes unspoken. However, in this situation, I was very unhappy.

 

[sgtdisney]

We had a similar situation last summer at OKW. The unit had a new thermostat and I couldn't control the temps in the villa no matter what.... Others here have said OKW doesn't have the sensors (yet) so I don't know. All I know is it was hot at night, hot when we got back to the room and I just couldn't get the temp in the unit to stay constant.

 

[Lady Hiss]

MichelleB -
I hope you WILL write a letter to Disney and register your unhappiness with the temps in the BCV. I had the same problem - always too cold in the room (maybe due to the dryer being on and triggering the AC). On the surprise survey card we recently recieved asking us to evaluate our visit, I made note of the problem. I hope more people will do the same so maybe the problem can be resolved. It's such a great resort and location otherwise.

 

[icydog]

We went down when BCV was first opened. The room was hot, as everyone has stated. We called engineering and the guy "fixed" the thermostat so that cold air would come on even if we weren't moving. When I went in Feb I called Engineering to do the same thing since we were dying at night from the heat, and they said "what fix" this is the way it is, will be, forever and ever, Amen!

 

[disney4me4ever]

We were at BCV and I agree with MichelleB----I froze the entire stay!

I just received an email survey from WDW, where I noted my dissatisfaction with the motion sensor thermometers and followed up with another separate email to WDW Guest Communications. If we don't voice our dissatisfaction to this issue, certainly it is a vote of acceptance.

On another thread, another poster noted that as an "owner" he felt the least he could do was to be able to control the temperature in his own villa. I wholeheartedly agree!

Nancy

 

[lomillerin]

So, does this mean when your in the room the air just runs. I get very cold inside in the summer because I wear summer clothes. I do not want cold air blasting in. If it gets cold there is nothing I can do? What temperatures does set it at?

 

[sgtdisney]

Originally posted by lomillerin
So, does this mean when your in the room the air just runs. I get very cold inside in the summer because I wear summer clothes. I do not want cold air blasting in. If it gets cold there is nothing I can do? What temperatures does set it at?

I think what people are saying is that it gets too warm in the summer if you aren't moving or in the room and too cold in the winter. In your situation it may work out for you if you prefer it to be warm...

 

[Terry S]

lomillerin... You can set the temp at whatever you want to set it at. The problem is that if the sensor doesn't detect someone in the room, the air (summer) or heat (winter) will turn off to save money.

 

[Sammie]

Pretty soon, as other resorts are rehabbed, all Disney rooms will have these.

So if you really don't like them, you may have to stay off site to avoid them.

 

[ditzy]

It sees you when you're sleeping, it knows when you're awake.
It knows if you've been bad or good . . .

 

[Uncleromulus]

Good one!!

My suggestion is to arrange for several "temperature wake up calls" during the nite. Say at 1:30 AM and again at 4:00 the front desk will call to wake you up so you can get up and start the AC (or heat) running again.

At OKW it might sound something like :

"Ahoy Matey!! It's 97 degress in your room right now. Time to move around and cool down!! Enjoy what remains of your sleep!!"