Why do so many people have problems with DVC

[eliza61]

Maybe my wife and I are too easy going or dont complain as much as other people but DVC has been very good for us so far. We get our points, we make a reservation, we go and we come back. I have been reading a few different posts about people having problems and it just seems odd. They are not going to be perfect and every situation is different but they have been very positive for us so far.

personally I like complaints. don't get me wrong I don't go around reading people whining but if some one has had a legitimate problem, I think it's very beneficial to post it.

1) many times if you post a problem or complaint some one else may have had the same issue and found a creative way to solve it or avoid it in the first place.

2) knowledge is power. I admit that some times I don't read up on all the new changes management makes to our policies. so complaints about new policies here can cause me to contact disney directly and voice my opinion.
Procedures have changed quite a bit since I first brought. forums can some times be more informative than those hard to read disclosures companies send out.

My father who was a combat soldier in Korea and Vietnam use to have an old saying, "if one person makes a complaint about some thing it may be whining, if many people make the same complaint about some thing it may be a fact".

Don't dismiss negative reviews simply because they are critcism, some times they contain a wealth of information and warning.

 

[edk35]

Maybe my wife and I are too easy going or dont complain as much as other people but DVC has been very good for us so far. We get our points, we make a reservation, we go and we come back. I have been reading a few different posts about people having problems and it just seems odd. They are not going to be perfect and every situation is different but they have been very positive for us so far.

I agree with you. We have had a few bumps in the road, nothing that was not solved right away. We are not picky people either..maybe that is part of it. Our very first stay as DVC was at SSR... our room had only had the Trash and Towel service. It was not that big a deal. It was taken care of. We have had other issues but they take care of it. Maybe these people are not letting the proper people know about their issues. We were even given some gift cards/fast passes that first trip to compensate us for our troubles. I would have been perfectly fine had we not gotten them.

 

[Laurabearz]

Any issues, except for the coffee pot at SSR, have been resolved to our satisfaction.

Some things dont thrill me... like the new flooring at OKW lol but some things still do, like being able to have 5 in a 1 bedroom at Vero which I just learned today lol

 

[dwelty]

.

That said: discussion boards devoted to a particular topic are populated by the people who obsess over that topic. Strike up conversations around the pool at the resort next time you are there, and I'll bet you dollars to donuts that every Member you find is pleased as punch.

I'll go one further, I'll bet none of them have even heard of these boards.

 

[dwelty]

I was just thinking about the fact that few people post when they are satisfied with a stay (just human nature I suppose).

With that in mind here are some of the positive experiences I have had with DVC.

-member services preventing our points from going into holding less then a month from travel during my mom's terminal ilness. (They did this 3 times over the course of a year and a half).

-helping us clean up our villa after our girls got ill with the flu, then bringing two large Minnie Mouse dolls to them the same evening.

-multiple Van rides between resorts by a driver from the resort, just because we mentioning that we were moving our luggage.

-Trying to hail a cab at OKW to get back to SSR and being given a ride by a castmember instead.

-Getting our own private campfire at HHI in January because no one else showed up. Both Cast Members still did their best to show us a good time.

-Getting upgraded to a Savanna View Villa (without asking) just because there was avaliability.

I could keep going, but I think you get the point.

We generally only post problems because we are more passionate about them.

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

When I read about people who go over every little thing that went wrong in their trip and how it ruined their vacation or that it was a nightmare I am reminds me of something I heard a preacher talking about. When you have a person that has had failed relationship after failed relationship and can tell you what the problem was with each partner, the only common denominator in all the relationships is them. Everywhere you look there you are. Not sure everyone will agree with this analogy but I think it is appropriate.

That's mostly true, except some of them just like to pick real losers! [Not me of course!] That anology would go along with people who fall for the slimeball timeshare pitch...and then wonder why it didn't work out.

 

[Longhairbear]

Maybe my wife and I are too easy going or dont complain as much as other people but DVC has been very good for us so far. We get our points, we make a reservation, we go and we come back. I have been reading a few different posts about people having problems and it just seems odd. They are not going to be perfect and every situation is different but they have been very positive for us so far.

We agree.
We've been members since 2003 and never had a bad vacation. Sure some things aren't perfect, like a burnt out light bulb.
Most that complain unfairly about DVC are ones that feel they are entitled. We know a few CM's and they tell us the few DVC members with entitlement issues have given the rest of us normal members a bad rep.

 

[jmpurdy]

we are BWV now and we wish it were more than just a burnt out light bulb. We are in a less than adequate room. Studio has huge crack on bathroom door, we had no a/c upon checkin and a very bad odor in that studio that housekeeping thought a spray on the carpet would eliminate. The one bedroom has a very loose and leaky kitchen faucet, there was dried on food left behind on the wall by trash buckets and cereal on the floor in living room by lamp quite visible and not vacuumed upon check in. Door knobs are loose, grout is looking dingy in bathroom. This is not WDW quality. What has happened? We love the location,are very happy to be here, but the money spent to stay here does not equal the quality of accommodations. Not even close. We were compensated by management. We did not ask for it. We calmly explained the issues. Andn we do appreciate that he listened and appeared to hear us.

 

[Sammie]

we are BWV now and we wish it were more than just a burnt out light bulb. We are in a less than adequate room. Studio has huge crack on bathroom door, we had no a/c upon checkin and a very bad odor in that studio that housekeeping thought a spray on the carpet would eliminate. The one bedroom has a very loose and leaky kitchen faucet, there was dried on food left behind on the wall by trash buckets and cereal on the floor in living room by lamp quite visible and not vacuumed upon check in. Door knobs are loose, grout is looking dingy in bathroom. This is not WDW quality. What has happened? We love the location,are very happy to be here, but the money spent to stay here does not equal the quality of accommodations. Not even close. We were compensated by management. We did not ask for it. We calmly explained the issues. Andn we do appreciate that he listened and appeared to hear us.

This is the very reason me, Deb and Bill and others feel that DVC has gotten so large and still wanting to keep expanding that they can't keep the exsiting resorts in the shape that we all want and expect.

They are not rehabbing them with quality furnishings, BWV and OKW are examples, they are not building a product that will last, BLT is an example, and more and more members are getting rooms not properly cleaned.

I don't blame the resort staff, they do the best they can do with the help they have, I blame management for being so greedy that sales is the focus instead of the exisiting members and existing resorts.

While compensation is nice when a member has problems, I personally would much rather not experience the problems.

I love my DVC, if I didn't I would not care, but I am afraid that upper management is building a DVC out of a house of cards, and it is going to come tumbling down.

Bigger is not always better.

 

[cmanuli]

We love our DVC, we bought in 2008, and have been a bunch of times already with out any major issues!!

 

[crisi]

we are BWV now and we wish it were more than just a burnt out light bulb. We are in a less than adequate room. Studio has huge crack on bathroom door, we had no a/c upon checkin and a very bad odor in that studio that housekeeping thought a spray on the carpet would eliminate. The one bedroom has a very loose and leaky kitchen faucet, there was dried on food left behind on the wall by trash buckets and cereal on the floor in living room by lamp quite visible and not vacuumed upon check in. Door knobs are loose, grout is looking dingy in bathroom. This is not WDW quality. What has happened? We love the location,are very happy to be here, but the money spent to stay here does not equal the quality of accommodations. Not even close. We were compensated by management. We did not ask for it. We calmly explained the issues. Andn we do appreciate that he listened and appeared to hear us.

Well don't you know that in the last edition of Disneyfiles Jim Lewis says you are supposed to just report your loose doorknobs!

 

[Disneywedding2010]

Maybe my wife and I are too easy going or dont complain as much as other people but DVC has been very good for us so far. We get our points, we make a reservation, we go and we come back. I have been reading a few different posts about people having problems and it just seems odd. They are not going to be perfect and every situation is different but they have been very positive for us so far.

Same here, I've not had any problems with my DVC.

 

[Silver Queen]

Eight trips since we joined in 2008 and no problems. DVC has been an excellent experience for us.

 

[disneynutz]

This is the very reason me, Deb and Bill and others feel that DVC has gotten so large and still wanting to keep expanding that they can't keep the existing resorts in the shape that we all want and expect.

They are not rehabbing them with quality furnishings, BWV and OKW are examples, they are not building a product that will last, BLT is an example, and more and more members are getting rooms not properly cleaned.

I don't blame the resort staff, they do the best they can do with the help they have, I blame management for being so greedy that sales is the focus instead of the existing members and existing resorts.

While compensation is nice when a member has problems, I personally would much rather not experience the problems.

I love my DVC, if I didn't I would not care, but I am afraid that upper management is building a DVC out of a house of cards, and it is going to come tumbling down.

Bigger is not always better.

My feelings exactly.

For what we pay, we shouldn't have to accept any problems or feel that minor issues are OK. If it doesn't matter to the members do you really think that it will matter to Disney?

Some of their decisions and policy changes have not been in the best interest of the DVC Membership and for the life of me I sometimes have a hard time following their logic. Did the SSR Paddock really need a new pool that the SSR owners are paying for and why did it take a year to start the renovation? Was it a coincidence in timing that the construction fences went up a week before the annual members meeting?

I wish that they would fix what they have before they build more. Getting reservations is becoming more difficult as time goes on. Building additional resorts outside of WDW is really going to make getting a WDW reservation at 7 months more difficult since WDW is the major draw.

Bill

 

[Brancaneve]

We all know about those occasional threads in which someone is thinking of purchasing a contract, and they invariably ask members to talk them out of it, or they ask if anyone regrets their purchase. I think that is when the happy DVC members come out. Typically, people say that the only thing they regret is not having bought it sooner! AMEN to that!!!!

 

[BroganMc]

Some of their decisions and policy changes have not been in the best interest of the DVC Membership and for the life of me I sometimes have a hard time following their logic. Did the SSR Paddock really need a new pool that the SSR owners are paying for and why did it take a year to start the renovation? Was it a coincidence in timing that the construction fences went up a week before the annual members meeting?

Yes of course it did! There has been a lot of strain on the High Rock Springs pool since the resort opened. The Grandstand pool was billed as another feature pool but it hasn't lived up to the hype. It's basically a quiet pool with a splash area and a pool bar that is only open seasonally. And it is far too close to the main pool to draw people away.

The Paddocks pool services 5 buildings in the Paddocks section and 2 in Carousel. It is far enough away from HRS pool to be a draw. And with the pool slide there requiring lifeguards on duty you can bet the pool bar will remain open on a more regular basis. (Probably daily.)

As for why they started the construction now well you need to start something like that during the non-peak times. It's the same reason the waterparks go down for refurb in Dec-March.

Of all the decisions management has made this is one I absolutely agree with. I'm glad our maintenance fees are going toward it. So is swapping the CRT TVs for LCDs, which they just started doing this past week.

I think people complain because they like to. Some have incredibly high expectations that no one can meet. I do think the Housekeeping and Maintenance are under strain, but then I'm gonna blame members here. They really only have 5 hours to clean all those rooms and repair any damage... if they know about it. And members are being bad about noticing problems but not reporting them while in room. Meanwhile they whine if they don't get into their rooms before 4pm.

I had an issue this last trip. The shower drain was clogged. I didn't have a huge problem with it because I knew how to handle it but I knew the next guest would. So I called Maintenance before I left the room for the parks that day and let them know. They had it fixed before I returned. Wish I had remembered about the light in the bathroom that was flickering.

As with life, you get out of membership what you put into it.

 

[jmpurdy]

We are as loyal diser's as anyone and I have been wanting to own for a long time. This experience with this 2 bedroom at BWV really soured me. I think it's true that Disney needs to focus on bringing their level of cleanliness and maintenance to a higher level.

 

[Sammie]

Yes of course it did! There has been a lot of strain on the High Rock Springs pool since the resort opened. The Grandstand pool was billed as another feature pool but it hasn't lived up to the hype. It's basically a quiet pool with a splash area and a pool bar that is only open seasonally. And it is far too close to the main pool to draw people away.

The Paddocks pool services 5 buildings in the Paddocks section and 2 in Carousel. It is far enough away from HRS pool to be a draw. And with the pool slide there requiring lifeguards on duty you can bet the pool bar will remain open on a more regular basis. (Probably daily.)

As for why they started the construction now well you need to start something like that during the non-peak times. It's the same reason the waterparks go down for refurb in Dec-March.

Of all the decisions management has made this is one I absolutely agree with. I'm glad our maintenance fees are going toward it. So is swapping the CRT TVs for LCDs, which they just started doing this past week.

I think people complain because they like to. Some have incredibly high expectations that no one can meet. I do think the Housekeeping and Maintenance are under strain, but then I'm gonna blame members here. They really only have 5 hours to clean all those rooms and repair any damage... if they know about it. And members are being bad about noticing problems but not reporting them while in room. Meanwhile they whine if they don't get into their rooms before 4pm.

I had an issue this last trip. The shower drain was clogged. I didn't have a huge problem with it because I knew how to handle it but I knew the next guest would. So I called Maintenance before I left the room for the parks that day and let them know. They had it fixed before I returned. Wish I had remembered about the light in the bathroom that was flickering.

As with life, you get out of membership what you put into it.

The light that was flickering was it in the toliet area?

As with life, you get out of membership what you put into it.

This comment truly I don't understand. So if I pay my dues on time, and take care of the units when I stay, reporting all maintenance issues while there, never once I have even attempted to check in before 4pm, I should get a dirty room.

 

[Dean]

Maybe my wife and I are too easy going or dont complain as much as other people but DVC has been very good for us so far. We get our points, we make a reservation, we go and we come back. I have been reading a few different posts about people having problems and it just seems odd. They are not going to be perfect and every situation is different but they have been very positive for us so far.

DVC is not perfect, no timeshare is. DVC members have high expectations and a subgroup simply can't be reasonably pleased. However, there are issues that DVC could and should do better and these generate legit complaints.

 

[nunzia]

I'm happy with my DVC..I do agree that all I really want when I check in is a clean room with stuff that works. Some things (like the scratches on the wooden chairs at VGC, after the resort had only been opened a short time) don't make me mad at Disney, they make me mad at people who stay in the rooms with no care. Yes, Mousekeeping should catch things left behind, etc., but it's helpful if people staying in the villas show a level or courtesy and leave the room tidy with things that need work obvious...load the dishwasher, pick up junk your kids shoved under the bed, etc.
I also agree problems should be reported immediately..we really can't complain, nor can Disney identify mousekeeping issues, if they are not notified of the problems in a timely fashion.
My biggest gripe with VGC, and it was the same in the hotel rooms, is that for some reason the tub plug never seems to work very well...maybe most people are shower people and don't notice, but I've gotten where I check it right away (instead of discovering this after a long day) and get it taken care of if need be. I also don't like that the overfill drain, or whatever they call it, is so low that it is really hard to have a nice soak because the tub won't fill as much as I'd like. I notice this in alot of hotels though, so I guess it's done to prevent idiotic guests from flooding the place. But still...