Why All the Complaints?

[HeffalumpB]

Guys- thanks for all the feedback. Defintely some good points to consider.

 

[Quilter007]

We recently purchased VGC & stayed @ SSR using our devleoper points. The theme parks were fine. It was July in Florida -- hot, humid & rainy, but we had a good time. SSR, however, was an unmitigated disaster. Honestly, if we'd stayed there before we'd purchased, we never would have bought. When I spoke to the member satisfaction team, I was told that my "concerns" were well-known to management. Oh, I feel so much better now! Sheesh! The member satisfaction team did absolutely nothing to satisfy me. So, I went from thinking I might need more points, to waiting until we stay @ VGC a couple of times to make sure it is what we were promised to decide whether or not to sell. We've stayed on property twice @ WDW -- once was OK and the 2nd was YUCK, so now we're wondering what we've done......Really I think they should've let the new people use developer points somewhere other than SSR -- at least the West Coasters -- SSR is just too big for folks who are used to the coziness of Disneyland.

 

[disneynutz]

I am one who tends to tell it like I see it and as wonderful as Disney is, I see a disturbing trend. The issue is Disney wide and not just limited to the DVC.

Slowly but surely, hours, maintenance, quality, and quantity are being reduced in a effort to increase profit. Cast Members are expected to do more with less. The restaurant menus are dumbed down and the focus is to serve as many Guests as fast as they can. Most eating locations now expect the wait staff to bus their own tables.

The Mousekeepers are expected to clean additional rooms in less time. Many of them team up to complete their assignments in the alloted time.

DVD seems to spend all of their effort marketing new resorts and the management side of the business has suffered a bit. 3% of room inventory is supposed to be held in reserve for maintenance spares but there doesn't seem to be any available when a room has a major problem. Many DISers have posted that they had to stay in a flooded room because there weren't any other rooms available. Where did they go? At what point are they given to Disney for cash Guests?

 

[vellamint]

We recently purchased VGC & stayed @ SSR using our devleoper points. The theme parks were fine. It was July in Florida -- hot, humid & rainy, but we had a good time. SSR, however, was an unmitigated disaster. Honestly, if we'd stayed there before we'd purchased, we never would have bought. When I spoke to the member satisfaction team, I was told that my "concerns" were well-known to management. Oh, I feel so much better now! Sheesh! The member satisfaction team did absolutely nothing to satisfy me. So, I went from thinking I might need more points, to waiting until we stay @ VGC a couple of times to make sure it is what we were promised to decide whether or not to sell. We've stayed on property twice @ WDW -- once was OK and the 2nd was YUCK, so now we're wondering what we've done......Really I think they should've let the new people use developer points somewhere other than SSR -- at least the West Coasters -- SSR is just too big for folks who are used to the coziness of Disneyland.

I respectfully request a PM with your concerns as I am seriously considering purchasing here and am attending a special production in our hometown this Sunday....and would purchase then if there are great incentives....

Thanks.

 

[disneynutz]

I respectfully request a PM with your concerns as I am seriously considering purchasing here and am attending a special production in our hometown this Sunday....and would purchase then if there are great incentives....

Thanks.

Forget the PM. Post so we can all read.

 

[rocknspots]

Quilter007, we used our developer points to stay at the Grand Californian this year. It was so convenient since we live in Northern Calif. Weren't you given that option?

 

[vicki_c]

We recently purchased VGC & stayed @ SSR using our devleoper points. The theme parks were fine. It was July in Florida -- hot, humid & rainy, but we had a good time. SSR, however, was an unmitigated disaster. Honestly, if we'd stayed there before we'd purchased, we never would have bought. When I spoke to the member satisfaction team, I was told that my "concerns" were well-known to management. Oh, I feel so much better now! Sheesh! The member satisfaction team did absolutely nothing to satisfy me. So, I went from thinking I might need more points, to waiting until we stay @ VGC a couple of times to make sure it is what we were promised to decide whether or not to sell. We've stayed on property twice @ WDW -- once was OK and the 2nd was YUCK, so now we're wondering what we've done......Really I think they should've let the new people use developer points somewhere other than SSR -- at least the West Coasters -- SSR is just too big for folks who are used to the coziness of Disneyland.

Quilter - I think I've seen you post in at least 3 different threads about this disastrous SSR visit. But I don't recall ever seeing any report from you about what went so wrong (maybe I missed that post). Could you please elaborate on what was so awful?

We had a great stay at SSR last year and can't wait to stay there again (although my next trip I will be staying at AKV for the 1st time), but I own at SSR. So mainly for my own curiousity, what happened to you at SSR?

 

[Sammie]

I am one who tends to tell it like I see it and as wonderful as Disney is, I see a disturbing trend. The issue is Disney wide and not just limited to the DVC.

Slowly but surely, hours, maintenance, quality, and quantity are being reduced in a effort to increase profit. Cast Members are expected to do more with less. The restaurant menus are dumbed down and the focus is to serve as many Guests as fast as they can. Most eating locations now expect the wait staff to bus their own tables.

The Mousekeepers are expected to clean additional rooms in less time. Many of them team up to complete their assignments in the alloted time.

DVD seems to spend all of their effort marketing new resorts and the management side of the business has suffered a bit. 3% of room inventory is supposed to be held in reserve for maintenance spares but there doesn't seem to be any available when a room has a major problem. Many DISers have posted that they had to stay in a flooded room because there weren't any other rooms available. Where did they go? At what point are they given to Disney for cash Guests?

I agree completely and it bothers me because we have seen the changes happen slowly but surely.

I only complain because I do not want it to get worse. I do wonder about the 3% reserve because I have been there when we needed to be moved and no rooms were available.

 

[BeccaG]

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 kinda look at it as this is a safe place to come vent. Here you find other owners who understand you a bit. Its not like you can go complain to someone who doesn't own a timeshare, they would probably thing you were a snob or worse. Its like group therapy. Most of us our happy with DVC, but, just like we sometimes get annoyed with our spouse, sometimes DVC annoys us too. Just because we complain about our spouse doesn't mean we want a divorce, like most of us do not want a divorce from DVC. If any of that makes sense!!

 

[E&K's Dad]

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.

How has DVC been resolving these situations? Has there been reasonable resolutions reported? How were "point" issues resolved? Is there a specific thread on this that you can point me to?

 

[lark]

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

At a minimum, I think it's a pretty safe bet that any thread that starts off asking about why there is complaining will very quickly turn into a thread cataloguing all manner of complaints that otherwise would have remained latent. So, no matter what the intentions, posting about complaining is always going to result in complaining, at least until the thread is shut down. Just how it goes.

 

[Quilter007]

We knew the buses were going to be an issue. So let's put that one aside. We were given the exact opposite of our room request & were never told that we could have changed rooms at any point during the week. We weren't offered a bell hop to take us to our room even though our room was the farthest possible point from check-in & we were traveling with elderly MIL and 2 small over heated kids. We weren't told that wheelchairs were available @ SSR (again despite obviously elderly MIL). We were given wrong information every time we called the front desk, every time we went to the front desk, at Artist's Palette, etc. We found the Artist Palette confusing and employee's rude. Their cash registers kept deleting extra dining plan credits & we'd have to go the front desk to get that fixed. The lifeguards were so rude to the guests that other employees called them out in front of us. The only thing that went right at SSR was Magical Express. We paid cash for 2 nights. I wish I'd thought of it sooner & canceled the two nights cash, checked out sooner & stayed at the Marriott where I know they give a darn about me. This is a short summary of the issues -- I sent a 3 page espistle to DVC Member Services -- they did nothing except log my complaint & let me know that they were "aware" of the issues. Oh -- I feel better now!!!! I really, really, really hope that our stays at VGC in November & January are what they promised. Really, really hoping....closely watching those VGC resales just in case my guide was a liar. I a bit jaded now you see. Sorry it took me a while to post this -- several people have flamed me. We spent several thousand dollars for a really horrible "vacation" and no one a Disney has done anything to fix it. After a month I'm still pretty mad & concerned that we might have made a bad decision buying 220 VGC points.

 

[Deb & Bill]

We knew the buses were going to be an issue. So let's put that one aside. We were given the exact opposite of our room request & were never told that we could have changed rooms at any point during the week. We weren't offered a bell hop to take us to our room even though our room was the farthest possible point from check-in & we were traveling with elderly MIL and 2 small over heated kids. We weren't told that wheelchairs were available @ SSR (again despite obviously elderly MIL). We were given wrong information every time we called the front desk, every time we went to the front desk, at Artist's Palette, etc. We found the Artist Palette confusing and employee's rude. Their cash registers kept deleting extra dining plan credits & we'd have to go the front desk to get that fixed. The lifeguards were so rude to the guests that other employees called them out in front of us. The only thing that went right at SSR was Magical Express. We paid cash for 2 nights. I wish I'd thought of it sooner & canceled the two nights cash, checked out sooner & stayed at the Marriott where I know they give a darn about me. This is a short summary of the issues -- I sent a 3 page espistle to DVC Member Services -- they did nothing except log my complaint & let me know that they were "aware" of the issues. Oh -- I feel better now!!!! I really, really, really hope that our stays at VGC in November & January are what they promised. Really, really hoping....closely watching those VGC resales just in case my guide was a liar. I a bit jaded now you see. Sorry it took me a while to post this -- several people have flamed me. We spent several thousand dollars for a really horrible "vacation" and no one a Disney has done anything to fix it. After a month I'm still pretty mad & concerned that we might have made a bad decision buying 220 VGC points.

Did you have something tatooed on your forehead or something to make everyone treat you so badly? Sounds like everyone and everything was terrible for you. In my many trips to DVC resorts, I've never had that much trouble even if you combine them all.

 

[bmalonef45]

Quilter007, so sorry to hear of your bad experiences. I can honestly say in my many trips since we've been members, almost 4 years, that we've never had troubles. I've stayed at almost all of the resorts, including SSR and they all have been up to expectations. I know that you were not the original poster but I do think your post and those that share their experiences will help the OP. I see so MANY complaints about the busses and I've waited on a few longer than I would have liked but I also understand that as big as WDW is and how many people use this system it usually runs above average. Give WDW and DVC another chance, never be afraid to ask questions or for help if you feel underserved. Hopefully you will feel better about your next visit and your purchase of DVC.

 

[Quilter007]

Bryan & Deb -- We hope we left our rather large black rain cloud in Florida! We're schedule to try out VGC in November & January and really, really hoping!!!! At least we know there will be no waiting for buses! That was one of my comments to member services, that it was probably not a good idea to make people who are used to Disneyland use their developer points @ SSR, simply becuase SSR is so massive in comparison to Disneyland. We wanted to stay at a smaller DVC and had we been told up front that our developer points could only be used @ SSR, we might not have purchased when we did. OK -- deep breath -- back on track -- looking forward -- hoping for the best in November...

 

[Sammie]

Sorry you had such a time, sometimes it is more about finding what fits us than the actual resort. I would recommend Villas at Wildnerness Lodge or Beach Club Villas if you try WDW again, much smaller resorts.

I will agree that calling the Front Desk is hopeless, because you never get the front desk you get the Disney Call center but that is not a SSR or even DVC problem, that is a Walt Disney World problem and it is horrible.

Also I think many cast members think that due to the Internet that all guests come prepared with all the info they need and therefore they don't make suggestions unless you approach them, such as wheelchairs, bellmen, etc.

Not sure what happened with the lifeguards but in 25 years of going to Disney World I have never experienced a rude lifeguard, I have experienced parents who thought they were rude because they were enforcing the rules.

As to the dining plan credits, to me the dining plan is the scrouge of Disney and I avoid it like the plaque.

Hope your California trip is everything you want it to me.