Would you like to see separate booking categories at BLT?

[dizfan]

At BLT, it seems like the room locations are either great or a disappointment.

Just added...
From what I've seen, there are generally two requests most people make...
(MK, LV, and SV) higher floor.
(LV and SV requests) are often outer C with a partial MK view.

Requests are just not guaranteed, but it seems many are disappointed if they don't get them.
The poll is an attempt to see if people are happy with things the way they are, or is there some way Disney could perhaps improve the experience without significant changes.

My understanding is at BWV, Disney recognized many people requested the Boardwalk view, so they created a separate booking category (but used the same points as preferred view).
Similarly, didn't they add a near Hospitality House booking category at OKW to reduce the number of requests and people asking for a different room assignment?
Would implementing something similar help at BLT?

If you favor separate booking categories, how would you like to see it split?

For example, maybe splitting the LV booking category into inner C and outer C.
If most people request the outer C MK side, that could be a separate category

 

[MinnieGirl33]

I think the structure that's currently in place is totally sufficient.

 

[Donna M]

Yes, I want the outer part of the C only.

 

[wdrl]

I'm a little confused about the choices. I'm assuming that the choices in this poll are that BLT either stays the same with three separate point categories (Standard, Lake View, and Magic Kingdom), or that BLT changes and all villas cost the same but that the MK view becomes a separate booking category, much like the Boardwalk View is a separate booking category at BWV.

There have been several posts from members dissatisfied with their view at BLT. For some, anything less than a 100% view of the MK or the Lake is unacceptable. Given the subjective nature of members' expectations regarding their views, I think there will always be some unhappy with their assigned room.

One thing that people should realize if that the number of villas in BLT's three current view categories are changed, it will definitely result in a reallocation of points. I can imagine there will be some BLT members who bought or added on to BLT thinking they would always book the lower cost Standard View rooms. If all BLT rooms are the same cost, then the Standard View room will definitely increase in price, perhaps approaching the cost of the current Lake View category.

I can't do it right now, but I'll recompute BLT's point chart as if it had a single booking category for all villas.

 

[Granny]

Right now there are three booking categories just like BWV. Does it need to be broken out more? Or is the suggestion for a lower (standard) point view classification?

I'm not sure that they need more view classifications. But if the check in desk gets enough uproar I guess they'll consider it. As usual, I feel very sorry for the check-in desk employees at all resorts.

 

[ChiSoxKeith]

Only been at BLT once, inside C Lake View. It was totally fine by me.

 

[Elise79]

I would like to see lake view split into 2 categories: inner and outer.

They can stay the same points but then you get the type of view you want.

This would only increase the categories by one and not make it to complicated.

 

[dizfan]

Thanks for pointing out I wasn't very clear in the initial post.

I just modified it.

I thought it would be fun to see if anyone had some creative ideas to improving what seems like the most often topic that CMs and the front desk deal with...room assignments.

I agree that no matter what, some will always be disappointed...for example a dumpster view.

Is there anything that Disney could implement relative easily?

 

[disneynutz]

The problem is the way that Disney assigns the existing categories and it isn't limited to BLT.

We have had a lake view at BLT that was across from the Contemporary. You could see the lake if you looked hard to the left.

At Kidani our Savanna view was across from the pool, with a view of the Savanna from the balcony if you turned to the far right.

Bill

 

[Chuck S]

Remember that the more separate booking categories they create, the less overall availability there will be, especially for those that do not, or can not, book right at the 11 month window.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I think they already have booking categories similar to BWV but they need to do some tweaking to the rooms they have assigned to each. I also look at the LV category as the middle of the road - similar to the preferred pool/garden at BWV but thankfully not as many points as MK view.

I've been disappointed in the view my MK studio had which is why I think they need to revist what rooms are assigned what but I wouldn't want to see anymore than 3 categories at BLT. It would cause more problems in bookings IMO.

 

[Rob S.]

They definitely need to address the Magic Kingdom (or Theme Park) view. On my last trip I requested a high floor (just a request, not a guarantee) and I was assigned a room on the third floor. I asked to be moved to a higher floor and the best they could do was the 5th floor. I moved the next day to the 10th floor.

I don't see how they can charge the same amount of points for the 3rd floor "view" as the 14th floor. From the 3rd floor, you are below the monorail tracks and can't see much more than trees.

I would be in favor of splitting "Theme Park" view into 2 categories based on floors. The lower half and the upper half. I would also support the reallocation of points to accommodate the change. The upper floors would go up a few points per night and the lower floors would go down a few points per night.

If enough people complain, will they do something about it?

 

[Rob S.]

Remember that the more separate booking categories they create, the less overall availability there will be, especially for those that do not, or can not, book right at the 11 month window.

Chuck, I certainly respect your vast knowledge of DVC but I'm not sure how an additional booking category would create less availability. I can see where it might limit the availability in a certain booking category. If for example, the Theme Park view was split into 2 categories (A & B). You might not be able to book a 7 night stay in category A, but end up having to split it into 3 nights in A and 4 nights in B. But, since this is currently only one booking category, no move is necessary and it can be booked as a 7 night stay.

It could create availability issues for stays of more than a few nights within a given booking category, but overall availability would not change. The number of rooms stays the same.

 

[Greysword]

The only addition to the current categories would be a "Pool View". The inner half of the "C" would be a Pool View room (as you can definately see the pool! ). The points for this would be between a Standard and Lake view. In this respect, they could reorganize the rooms to allow more Standard rooms facing all directions by reallocating the points to the current Standard cat rooms int he inner "C". They could also make the Lake view rooms in the outer half of the "C" more expensive as an offset.

 

[Tara]

Chuck, I certainly respect your vast knowledge of DVC but I'm not sure how an additional booking category would create less availability. I can see where it might limit the availability in a certain booking category. If for example, the Theme Park view was split into 2 categories (A & B). You might not be able to book a 7 night stay in category A, but end up having to split it into 3 nights in A and 4 nights in B. But, since this is currently only one booking category, no move is necessary and it can be booked as a 7 night stay.

It could create availability issues for stays of more than a few nights within a given booking category, but overall availability would not change. The number of rooms stays the same.

Maybe you've never had to wait list a room when you couldn't get all your nights. There are already 6 categories for wait listing (dedicated and lock-off for each of the views). Splitting into an A and B for theme park view would mean DOUBLING the number of booking categories. Talk about a nightmare!

And you say "it could create availability issues for stays of more than a few nights" as if it's no big deal...most people stay "more than a few nights." Like I said...nightmare.

To answer the OPs question - NO, there are already plenty of booking categories. Maybe DVC needs to clean up where some of the rooms are assigned, but adding more categories is not a good solution.


Now, for the part I bolded...

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Chuck, I certainly respect your vast knowledge of DVC but I'm not sure how an additional booking category would create less availability. I can see where it might limit the availability in a certain booking category. If for example, the Theme Park view was split into 2 categories (A & B). You might not be able to book a 7 night stay in category A, but end up having to split it into 3 nights in A and 4 nights in B. But, since this is currently only one booking category, no move is necessary and it can be booked as a 7 night stay.

It could create availability issues for stays of more than a few nights within a given booking category, but overall availability would not change. The number of rooms stays the same.

What happens is that the availability in a category is less so while room availability is the same a person may not be able to book within the same category and will they would have to move during a single stay. People who like to move dismiss or don't care about the time it takes but I'd rather have bigger categories and be able to stay in the same room and not spend my vacation time in that manner.

 

[Chuck S]

What happens is that the availability in a category is less so while room availability is the same a person may not be able to book within the same category and will they would have to move during a single stay. People who like to move dismiss or don't care about the time it takes but I'd rather have bigger categories and be able to stay in the same room and not spend my vacation time in that manner.

Exactly. Even at OKW with only 2 booking catgories that has been an issue according to reports on these boards. When OKW had a single booking category, a room was either available for an entire length of stay, or it wasn't. Now you may have to move from near HH to the rest of the resort, or vice-versa, simply because peope demanded that their "Near Hospitality" request be honored and made scenes at the check-in area, even though it was really just a request under the old system. I witnessed one such meltdown, with the husband yelling at the CM that "he paid a lot of money for DVC and he should be able to get the room he wanted, the CM worked for HIM, etc." Now, members may have to take the time to move from one room to another, and do another check-in, dining plan, and make multiple calls to Member Services, costing us all money in dues.

 

[Rob S.]

While changing rooms is not a big deal for me, I believe that I am in the minority here. Perhaps the better option to creating more booking categories would be to reevaluate the current rooms and change their category designation. There are some rooms that are considered "Lake View" that have a better view of the Magic Kingdom than some "Theme Park" view rooms.

My only gripe with the current booking categories is that a room on the 3rd floor should be considered "Standard View" and not "Theme Park" view. It might require some adjustment to the current point charts since there would be an increase in the number of standard view rooms.

I think that we can all agree that from a "Theme Park" view room, you should be able to see the Magic Kingdom and from a "Lake View" room you should be able to see the lake - and not by leaning over the balcony and looking to the side. Everything else should be standard view.

 

[bobbiwoz]

...
My only gripe with the current booking categories is that a room on the 3rd floor should be considered "Standard View" and not "Theme Park" view. It might require some adjustment to the current point charts since there would be an increase in the number of standard view rooms.

I think that we can all agree that from a "Theme Park" view room, you should be able to see the Magic Kingdom and from a "Lake View" room you should be able to see the lake - and not by leaning over the balcony and looking to the side. Everything else should be standard view.

I agree. We had a 3rd floor "lake view" that viewed the pool. MS agreed with me and returned the points over "standard view" to our account. They said they were adjusting the room view category.

 

[wdrl]

I did some quick calculations to see how BLT's Point Chart would change if the Magic Kingdom and Lake View categories were combined into one booking category. Remember that any adjustment to a resort's point chart must be "point neutral." If something goes down, something else has to go up. If the higher priced MK View category was eliminated, then the other view categories must go up to compensate.

I used BLT's 2011 Point Chart and I assumed that the Standard Category would remain unchanged both in number of villas and point requirements. I combined the MK View and LV categories into one category.

As you can see in the chart below, the point requirements for a two-bedroom villa that is currently classified as Lake View increases from 2 to 4 points, depending on the season, compared to the current Lake View point cost. The increases in the GV daily charges are even higher.