WHOA?! OKW "near HH" ONLY for CRO right now?!

[Chuck S]

Chuck, I'm not quite sure how my post led you to believe I was reading a "private upside-down note in a letter of complaint"...

What I read was written on at least a 3x5 piece of paper (probably more like 4x6) and was written in a sharpie marker. There was nothing else on that piece of paper, so it was very easy to read. It was clearly to serve as a reminder for the CM when assigning rooms.

Please don't tell me that your eyes have never wandered while you're just standing somewhere waiting and that you have never read something upside-down. It caught my eye. I read it. I couldn't believe it. I re-read it. I am not ashamed to admit the whole thing. Now, if I had reached over the desk, moved some papers, then saw it and squinted to read it, you might have a point. I think you owe me an apology.

Your point about possibly blocking entire buildings to make it easier for daily housekeeping is a good one. However the ONLY building on this note was 25. I don't think it's fair to take such a prime, highly-requested location and use it exclusively for non-members. Nor am I saying that CRO should only get the least-desirable locations. But I do think that members, who have made a commitment for the next 35 years, should not be shut out of this building.

I don't know, I know I usually don't read notices/reminders meant for staff when I check in at hotels, or check-out at stores, especially if they are facing the other direction. Sort of like reading the "do not accept checks from: " lists that some stores gave their clerks prior to everything being computerized. Be that as it may...

It is interesting that some folks have reported that it said "Members Only" while other have reported "No Members". Both could easiliy be true, depending upon the date of check-in. There certainly could be explanations and legitimate reasons for a building to be "No Members" as well as "Members Only." Given the overall size and number of building at OKW, it is still likely that whether CRO can book this category or not (and we still don't know that they CAN, given the CRO website doesn't list it) that it would have a negligible impact.

 

[tjkraz]

. I don't think it's fair to take such a prime, highly-requested location and use it exclusively for non-members. Nor am I saying that CRO should only get the least-desirable locations. But I do think that members, who have made a commitment for the next 35 years, should not be shut out of this building.

I wouldn't question what you saw on the note, but I do think you're jumping to some major conclusions regarding its intent. Previously you asked if anyone had stayed in Building 25 lately and a couple posts later someone indicated that they had stayed in the building two months ago. Clearly there is not a blanket "no members" block on that building.

I really don't know where else this thread could possibly go. It's clear that the computer system is not currently set-up to guarantee the category at the time of booking. However, recent guests have come forward to state that their reservations ARE being manually manipluated prior to arrival to indicate that they will get the "near HH" category. If these changes are being made based upon the date of the reservation as DVC claims, then it sounds like they are making the best of an imperfect system.

The only problem right know is that guests wouldn't know with 100% certainty whether they are getting that category when they hang up the phone. But the end result remains the same--those who call earliest and ask for "near HH" will get it.

 

[disneyfan2kids]

...If these requests are being converted at a later date the overall actual impact of CRO having the capability vs a later conversion, would probably be pretty negligible, and MS should explain that to people that inquire, vs. simply saying CRO can book it, DVC can't.

I think that's what's bothering me... WHY ON EARTH would they TELL me that CRO has the capability? Meaning - why not just tell me that they can't do it yet, and leave it at that? I didn't bring up CRO... I didn't ask if CRO could... I just asked for near HH and was told "well we can't do that, ONLY CRO can right now". Seriously - how on earth would anyone in MS not think that was a LOADED statement to say to a member??

Tell me you can't do it "yet"... I"m fine with waiting for it. But DON'T add the qualifier of "but CRO can!!"... that's just plain bad for business. KWIM?

It's almost as if they are attempting to get members fired up about them not being able to do it.....but CRO being able to. Had they not mentioned CRO at all... I would NEVER had assumed one could do it if the other couldn't.

Again, just wondering what the motive behind mentioning this would be...

 

[disney-super-mom]

Maybe this has something to do with booking a guaranteed room near HH for medical/health reasons?

When you call MS to book a room at OKW, and you need a guaranteed room near HH for medical reason, don't you have to call another number to set that up? MS can't set up that, right? I thought I read that before.
I know I'm probably wrong, but thought I would just quietly ask, hopefully without looking too dumb.

 

[Chuck S]

Maybe this has something to do with booking a guaranteed room near HH for medical/health reasons?

When you call MS to book a room at OKW, and you need a guaranteed room near HH for medical reason, don't you have to call another number to set that up? MS can't set up that, right? I thought I read that before.
I know I'm probably wrong, but thought I would just quietly ask, hopefully without looking too dumb.

Yes, if you need a specific type of HA room for your trip, you need to block the room through Special Needs after making the DVC reservation.

 

[JudithM]

Has ANYONE else called MS to ask this question?? (Judith - thanks for calling your contact, but did you call MS directly, or was this just a friendly CM you know?)

The "friendly" DVC CM I was in contact with yesterday works in management at Member Services. I have known this CM for several years & have no reason to doubt the reply I received is accurate at this time.

 

[disneyfan2kids]

The "friendly" DVC CM I was in contact with yesterday works in management at Member Services. I have known this CM for several years & have no reason to doubt the reply I received is accurate at this time.

I hope you understand that I wasn't questioning your source , just genuinely didn't know if you called MS or another CM you knew... hope my post conveyed that. I wasn't trying to imply you didn't speak to someone valid

 

[BroganMc]

They can add the request to a reservation, and the front desk will try to honor it upon arrival if they have those rooms available in inventory.

Judith first off thanks for the inside info. Now I just have one lingering doubt.

Assuming CRO's system can book a "close to HH" category and these bookings are done at the time of booking. (i.e. months before check-in) Then is it possible when MS gets around to converting the reservations there isn't availability simply because CRO got there first?

I ask only becase I have a similar issue with my need of HA rooms. My booking is taken out of MS' hands and booked via Special Needs. (SN actually does the blocking of the room including location assignment.) Since Special Needs handles all Disney HA rooms that means I am competing with CRO guests directly, as well as members.

There have been many times when I've called to book a room and MS had it but Special Needs did not. (i.e. MS had regular rooms in that booking category but Special Needs had already assigned the HA rooms.) I'm in the situation now of not having exactly the type of room I need for April and I called at 7 mos for SSR. There are plenty of rooms available at SSR. Just not ones with roll-in showers. (Well not studios. If I pay double points I can get a roll-in shower 1bedroom. Otherwise I'm stuck with a tub and a bath transfer seat. I keep calling back, as I was told, to get MS to check with Special Needs for availability. There are no waiting lists for HA rooms and no I'm not allowed to speak with Special Needs or the resort directly.)

 

[DebbieB]

The strange thing is at BWV there are 3 categories of rooms for members. CRO does not have a distinction, cash guests get what is left. Why wouldn't they do the same at OKW? Why would it even be offered to CRO guests as a guarantee since it's only a handful of buildings?

 

[colleen costello]

I booked OKW at the 7-month window for this March. A month or so ago I got a new reservation letter saying "Modified." It freaked me out! I thought they had messed something up, cancelled something,etc, because I had not modified ANYTHING. I called and they basically acted as if they had no IDEA why the new letter had come. I didn't request HH at any point in the process -- we like SouthPoint and Turtle Pond best. I just wonder if they are assigning actual rooms at this point and sending a new letter no matter WHERE you request at OKW? All my sheet says is "Request Vacation Home on First Floor," which is just what the first one says. I will be interested to see where they assign me.

 

[TCPluto]

Yes, if you need a specific type of HA room for your trip, you need to block the room through Special Needs after making the DVC reservation.

Actually no, you don't make a 2nd call. Member services does this.

You simply call member services, tell them you need HA room, they put you on hold to confirm and block off the room. One call.

 

[rantnnravin]

I'm not an OKW owner, but I am a DVC member and this is all sorts of wrong. There is no legitimate reason that I can think of that would place CRO guests ahead of members/owners.
This is akin to saying that Boardwalk View is available to cash-paying guests who book at any time (which is prior to 60 days out because of developer points) but it is only a request to owners of BWV who book at 11mos. They'll try to accommodate you if there are any boardwalk view rooms left when you check in.
see the point?

 

[medalla74]

Hmmmmmmmmmm...Now, I'm starting to wonder. Although OKW is not our home resort I reserveed a one bdrm near HH right at 7 mos and was told it would only be noted as a request and just like someone else posted here, I also got a "modified" letter right before our trip. I called MS as well and noone could tell my why I received this letter when I had never called back to make any changes after my initial call....Needless to say, we didnt get our request near HH. I think we ended up in bldg #46.

 

[Chuck S]

Hmmmmmmmmmm...Now, I'm starting to wonder. Although OKW is not our home resort I reserveed a one bdrm near HH right at 7 mos and was told it would only be noted as a request and just like someone else posted here, I also got a "modified" letter right before our trip. I called MS as well and noone could tell my why I received this letter when I had never called back to make any changes after my initial call....Needless to say, we didnt get our request near HH. I think we ended up in bldg #46.

Were you part of a grand gathering? The line in your signature seems to indicate that. Did the group have more than one room reserved, I would assume so, since grand gatherings are larger than a 1 bedroom unit can hold.

If that is the case, then the priority shifted from "near HH" to finding availability for all the rooms of your group near to each other. Grand Gatherings try to block rooms so that the entire group in nearby, rather than have some at Turtle Pond, others at HH, and others at South Point or Miller's Rd.

 

[DBBN]

We booked a grand villa at OKW for a stay in October right at the 11 month mark and requested to be close to the HH. After noticing this thread I checked on the members only web site and found what I believe shows our stay near the HH as being CONFIRMED rather than simply a request. In the case of this specific reservation it looks like HH is not a request but an actual booking category. "Villa near H.House" appears in the "Accommodation" field of the reservation. MS made this change automatically without any involvement from me other than making the reservation with the HH request. Since I haven't yet received a confirmation letter showing this modification I suspect this was modified recently. It's too bad the members only web site does not show the date when a reservation was modified. I plan on calling for a new confirmation in the interest of looking into this a bit further. I cut and pasted the reservation details in italics below.

Resort / Experience Disney's Old Key West Resort Accommodation Grand Villa near H.House Reservation Number XXXXXXXXXXXX Vacation Points Used 372

To compare with another reservation - we have a reservation at BCV as well for a stay in June when we booked right at the 7 month mark. On this stay we reserved the type of 2 bedroom villa with 2 queen beds. 2 queen beds is a booking category and not a request. This appears in the same "Accommodation" field as the H.House notation appears on our OKW reservation.

Resort / Experience Disney's Beach Club Villas Accommodation 2BR/2 Queenbeds in 2nd BR Reservation Number XXXXXXXXXXXX Vacation Points Used 235

 

[blizzard]

It's too bad the members only web site does not show the date when a reservation was modified.

If you look at "view activity statement", it will give you the date when the change was made.

Although mine was changed, I never received an updated confirmation, so I wouldn't recommend anyone count on that for notification.

 

[DBBN]

If you look at "view activity statement", it will give you the date when the change was made.

Thanks for the info.


In my case MS modified our Grand Villa reservation to - "...near H.House" on 1-11-08.

Home Resort Disney's Old Key West Resort

01.11.2008 Modify reservation #XXXXXXXXXXXX at Disney's Old Key West Resort on 10/XX/08 - 10/XX/08 for Grand Villa near H.House

 

[medalla74]

Were you part of a grand gathering? The line in your signature seems to indicate that. Did the group have more than one room reserved, I would assume so, since grand gatherings are larger than a 1 bedroom unit can hold.

If that is the case, then the priority shifted from "near HH" to finding availability for all the rooms of your group near to each other. Grand Gatherings try to block rooms so that the entire group in nearby, rather than have some at Turtle Pond, others at HH, and others at South Point or Miller's Rd.

No, my grand gathering mentioned in my signature is for the end of this year..We were just there for Thanksgiving week.

 

[Chuck S]

No, my grand gathering mentioned in my signature is for the end of this year..We were just there for Thanksgiving week.

D'oh, I didn't notice the year.

 

[disney54us]

Just called to book a June stay at OKW, requested "near HH" and MS told me "at this time that's only available to CRO bookings." I asked her to double check, she put me on hold and came back and said she asked her manager and he confirmed that I could "request" near HH, and if "upon check-in" there's availability (outside of CRO requests) we'll be close by HH. BUT the only "confirmed" near HH at this time is available by booking through CRO?!?

Why would cash guests get preference over Members?!?

Not really happy with this....

You are 100% right. It is unacceptable and instead of waiting on hold, while a CM spoke with her manager, tell her/him that you want to speak with the manager. You really need to email member satisfaction and voice your opinion. DVC needs to remember that we the members are the ones who pay for these resorts and the CRO's are at 60 out and that has to do with FL timeshare laws.