Why All the Complaints?

[HeffalumpB]

I am new here- but I just wondered why so many complaints on DVC?
I've owned for years and I have been very happy with my decision to join. I am just wondering- too picky? It's still a timeshare, and a high quality one I think. Thoughts?

 

[CarolMN]

People are people. People who are happy just don't post about it as often as people who have a complaint. And some just can't resist the temptation to post their opinion when someone complains. Anyway, I think it just seems like there are more complaints. Most are happy.

 

[katmittens]

I am happy with DVC about 99% of the time. I love all the resorts. My home is OKW, and we have stayed numerous times there, but lately I feel they need some updating. I don't like the new beds they have been putting in, yet others do, so I know they can't please everyone. We are staying in a studio for two nites in Jan at OKW and then 5 nites in a 2 bedroom at WL, and will be in a studio at AKV at Jambo for 2 nites in Oct. I know nothing is perfect, and sometimes there are problems with DVC, but overall I'm happy with DVC.

 

[ftballfan7]

Another thread complaining about complainers. Gotta love it.

 

[WolfpackFan]

Another thread complaining about complainers. Gotta love it.

And another predictable response. Gotta love it also.

 

[ToddyLu]

DH and I are new members and our first trip is in Oct. I try not to pay attention to member's personal opinions and mostly come here to learn about planning and operations. A while back I was very dismayed at the comments being posted but it seems they have simmered down a bit this last month and I am here almost everyday for a couple of hours (true time spent on the DIS will never be admitted). I think I was dismayed becasue all we have ever done is Value at WDW (well there was one trip to POFQ that was a gift)....so how can I possibly be picky about seeing Kidani for the first time...I mean comparing my Pop room to a studio at AKV with a SV in Oct.....no complaints here.

 

[HeffalumpB]

Another thread complaining about complainers. Gotta love it.

Not complaining. I was asking a question. But thanks for the "warm" welcome.

 

[Dean]

Even those that complain are likely satisfied with the overall system. However, there have been 2 issues that have caused some to rethink their judgement of DVC. These are the reservation changes last year and the Reallocation this year. IMO, neither were appropriate reasons for being upset with DVC but some were. Fortunately the reservation change has died down and those that had all the fears about not being able to get the same reservations have not found that to be the case. The reallocation is still a sore spot for some. In addition, there have been several times when people have had to be moved (AKV concierge, AKV savannah view with no animals and BWV refurbishment) where DVC and Disney did not handle things as well as they could but they got better at addressing the issues with the 3rd issue. Unfortunately they relied on AK staff the first 2 times and it didn't go so well.

 

[JimMIA]

My experience has been that you have to evaluate complaint threads. There are some complaints that I read and simply shake my head, wondering how anyone could be upset over something so trivial. But there are other complaints that are legitiimate, and worthy of posting.

To me, the only complaints I've seen in the last year or so that I paid attention to are in two categories.

One is poor housekeeping. We have never experienced a dirty room, but we have seen fairly consistent signs that the housekeepers are a) not paying attention, and b) are mostly completely unsupervised...because a supervisor would have caught obvious issues. We've never had a dirty room, but we have had 2-month old literature laying on a counter, light bulbs burned out, a small appliance missing (hello!), etc.

The other type of thread that concerns me is the one where a DVC owner staying on points is "walked" by a hotel-connected resort. I know just enough about the hospitality industry to know that what probably happened there is the hotel managers got an opportunity to increase cash revenue and took it out of some owner's hide. That also has never happened to us, but it's reported here enough to be troubling.

 

[jarestel]

I am new here- but I just wondered why so many complaints on DVC?

DVC is a nice program, but it's not perfect and sometimes things aren't exactly "magical". It's actually a good thing when people point this out, since many have unrealistic expectations about Disney/DVC to begin with.

 

[DisneyWalker44]

I think a lot of what you see isn't so much a DVC phenomena, but a DIS phenomena.

Message boards tend to have personalities. For whatever reason, the DIS seems to collect more complainers (and, in particular, sky-is-falling-we-are-doomed complainers) than other Disney/DVC message boards.

 

[eliza61]

I am new here- but I just wondered why so many complaints on DVC?
I've owned for years and I have been very happy with my decision to join. I am just wondering- too picky? It's still a timeshare, and a high quality one I think. Thoughts?

I'm one of the weird ones Heffalump, I want to know about legitimate problems with my property. Now complaints about towel animals, I ignore but complaints about legitimate (I know every one's definition of legitimate is different) problems should be shared.

As with any thing I spend money on, I want to know the good, bad and the ugly. If our resorts are not being kept up, I want us owners to complain away, not just on the boards but also to the appropriate management.

We pay good money and lots of it to DVC and disney for a certain standard so if a lot of my dis dvc'ers say they are having issue I think they should complain away.

 

[alamode]

I've been on internet boards since back in the BBS days, and trust me, complainers are the majority of any board.

It's similar to the evening news. No one wants to see, "All's good". People use boards as their own soapbox, to voice their opinions, both good and bad.

I'm not saying the complaints are or aren't justified, it's just human nature to say what's wrong rather than what's right with something.

Personally, I'll take a "bad" week at a DVC resort over a "good" work week any day.

 

[eliza61]

I think a lot of what you see isn't so much a DVC phenomena, but a DIS phenomena.

Message boards tend to have personalities. For whatever reason, the DIS seems to collect more complainers (and, in particular, sky-is-falling-we-are-doomed complainers) than other Disney/DVC message boards.

I think the Dis is just the opposite. I find that if you don't tow the standard "Disney is absolutely perfect and if there is a problem it is your fault" line, you are quickly flamed. Don't you dare say you had a bad stay at the Poly or that Le Cellier is the best steak known to man, whew talk about getting cyber killed.

We take our disney seriously and woe to those who don't agree.

 

[monkeyknuckler]

The other type of thread that concerns me is the one where a DVC owner staying on points is "walked" by a hotel-connected resort.

I have no idea what that means. Can you expain that, please?

 

[JimMIA]

I have no idea what that means. Can you expain that, please?

Sure. "Walking" is when you have a confirmed reservation and arrive to find you have no room. The hotel you reserved has arbitrarily moved you to another property. It usually happens in major resort destinations when they overbook. They take the lowest-revenue rooms and "walk" them somewhere else to make room for the big spenders.

It's happened several times in the last year or so at VWL and AKV. At the hotel-connected resorts, the front desk is run by the hotel management, so you know which side of the house they take care of.

 

[JimMIA]

I think the Dis is just the opposite. I find that if you don't tow the standard "Disney is absolutely perfect and if there is a problem it is your fault" line, you are quickly flamed. Don't you dare say you had a bad stay at the Poly or that Le Cellier is the best steak known to man, whew talk about getting cyber killed.

We take our disney seriously and woe to those who don't agree.

Agree.

 

[CarolAnnC]

I think there is a mix of posting here on the DVC Boards. There are those who will see the glass half full, and then there are those who will see the glass half empty. For that reason, some postings may be taken with a grain of salt.

But, for the most part you will find our DVC community to be a close knit group, where like minds meet and share their love of DVC and Disney. As much as we like to think we make up the majority, however, keep in mind that there are many thousands of DVC members who probably do not surf the internet or may never have read the DIS. Hard to believe, I know...

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

I absolutely love the DIS and DVC.
We've always had clean rooms. Our very 1st DVC room was rather tired, but we didn't realize it. Our rooms have been spotless on the 2 subsequent trips.

My biggest concern is how CRO can always have availability for even the hardest to obtain reservation months after we can't get in.

I somewhat understand the concept of why this happens, but wonder if Disney manipulates the system to make that happen since they can get more money for a Beach Club Villa room over a Saratoga room.

Overall, DVC is a great program! However, its a discount program, its not a "make Mickey your best friend" program.

 

[starbox]

I think that the past 12 months has had Disney making a lot of decisions that gave huge discounts/advantages to CRO guests seemingly at the expense of DVC owners.

For non-DVC owners - discount city:
1. The buy 4 get 3 free promotion pretty much made staying via. CRO cheaper than even renting points.
2. Free Dining extended to cover pretty much everything but peak seasons.
3. Mass free upgrades of free diners from value resorts to one-bedrooms at DVC resorts.

For DVC owners:
1. Point re-adjustment really hit the point-conscious owners hard - took away the ability to really save by doing Sun-Thurs stays.
2. 90 day window made it almost impossible to get desirable reservations during free dining or periods.

It just makes people feel like they got a bum deal and the rose colored glasses come off.