My trip to BCV or so I thought!!!!!!!

[SuzanneSLO]

My understanding is that it is common in the hotel industry that if you are "walked" -- moved to another hotel due to overbooking of the hotel you reserved -- the entire cost of the hotel stay is complimentary. I recall being bumped from the Palace Hotel in SF a number of years ago and my stay at the nearby W Hotel was free.

Best of luck to the OP -- Suzanne

 

[loveit]

Ok, this just scares me! I would hope that DVC or ANY hotel I book 10 months out that I would get what I booked! I would not have been as nice if I had received that call a day before we left. (with my packing stress, NOBODY wants to give me bad new a day before my vacation, DH learned that REAL quick!!)

Laura

 

[VBfan]

We just got back from BWV last night and we had a WONDERFUL time. Check in was great. Bell service was great. I do agree with you about the Counter service. Somewhat of a pain to get anything. We actually used almost all of our CS at the bakery. Very good sandwiches. I thought the pool was very clean but didn't really care for the circus theme. But now that we have stayed at all 5 DVC resorts it is our 2nd Favorite resort behind BCV. Sorry you had such a bad time but I to would have been FURIOUS about the down grade of resorts. Sorry to hear about that.

I believe there are EIGHT DVC resorts....

OKW, BWV, VB, HH, VWL, BCV, SSR & AKV.

There are 5 OPEN WDW area DVCs, with AKV apparently opening before Sept 1!

To the OP:

Contact your guide, explain what happened and ask why you were 'Downgraded' ?

I suspect allof your points may be refunded.

As to overbooking, there could have been a room or more out of service due to damage, mishap, abuse or police investigation.

Or some Big Wig VIP decided to stay longer or that they wanted the BCV!

Best of luck

 

[dvcmember]

Did they even tell you they were refunding the difference in points. Standard view at BWV is less points than BCV. I would have made a fuss. How did they to decide to bump you and not someone who made later reservations. Definitely pursue this. Barb

 

[roadtripper]

I agree with the posters who think you should be reimbursed your points. Making a home resort reservation should guarantee you a room at your home resort.
We were bumped once at Disney-- had an AP rate at Port Orleans Riverside, checked in at 11PM, and were told that they had to move us to another moderate resort. I politely said that if we were being bumped at such a late hour, I would like to be upgraded to a deluxe resort. As a result, we stayed at AKL for 79/night.

 

[gracelrm]

I'm supposed to be at BCV in 14 days - good thing I won't be home the week before checking in - so they can't call me and move me! Now, if they wanted to upgrade me to a BW - Grand villa - I'd take it. I would be quite angry if I were you and would certainly pursue this with DVC.

 

[Olaf]

We were bumped once at Disney-- had an AP rate at Port Orleans Riverside, checked in at 11PM, and were told that they had to move us to another moderate resort. I politely said that if we were being bumped at such a late hour, I would like to be upgraded to a deluxe resort. As a result, we stayed at AKL for 79/night.

That reminds me of when we were bumped and upgraded. We had ressies at the values for a Fri & Sat before our first DVC visit to VWL. The rate was a FL resident rate of $49 a night. We came in really late, and DH was at the counter forever. He came out with the news that they'd overbooked and were sending us to the AKL for those two nights. We had a standard pool view room with bunkbeds. I was a happy camper.

 

[DISNEYFOS]

Oh my goodness, I would never think this would happen without a serious upgrade!! Some of us make these reservations 11 months out, day by day. (as I did). I would expect a grand villa, a suite in Grand Floridian in addition to a complete refund of points (completely bankable, btw).

Of course, I don't have anything against BWVs, but its not what you expected or reserved..

I'd be making some phone calls

 

[mickeysgal]

I think you were treated very poorly, and they must have been thanking their lucky stars they got someone as easy going as you were. At the very least they could have offered you pool privileges at Stormalong Bay and a complimentary dinner or something!

To tell you the truth, I've never heard of this happening. How could it happen when you hold a booked reservation for over 10 months??

This is the very reason we try to book at BCV. To have to move to another resort and lose Stormalong Bay is unacceptable. At a minimum, I would have expected them to grant you swim privileges no matter where they put you, or perhaps offer you concierge at BC first, before moving you. At least then you would have had some sort of choice.

 

[JimMIA]

Compensation is not the big issue here, even though I posted above that I think you should receive a full refund of all your points for that stay.

The thing that mystifies me, however, is "How could this happen?" We hear all the time that there is a DVC inventory and a CRO inventory. If MS will only book what they have in inventory, how could a previously-reserved room NOT be available?

I can understand getting "walked" in a traditional hotel, or even at a DVC resort on a cash ressie. But on a DVC points ressie? How?

 

[kathleena]

I would suspect the room availability could go something like this: names and ressies are released to resort 5-10 days in advance (I was told it was 10 days once by the resort, but have read it could be 5 days) Room assignments are done in advance because the resort is fully booked. The day before you arrive, Mousekeeping goes to the room and the toilet has backed up and the entire villa is flooded. You get called because you were assigned to that villa and all the other ones are already booked to other people. In other words, the villa was down, the resort was full. I very much doubt they actually over-booked. JMHO.

Anyway, I was at BWV from 4/20-4/25. Our stay was great, from valet to mousekeeping. Sorry that you seemed to have been handled by a couple of crabbies. I would have reported them to the BWV management right then.

The pool and the whole pool area was very clean and we went every day. The slide was just repainted in January. Having stayed there a few times in the past year, I can tell you that even the elephants were taken away for repainting recently. One day this trip, they were even painting the light poles.

I'm not sure why being moved to the BWV is a downgrade from the BCV. Unless the word "downgrade" is referring to the fact that it's a standard view? I have stayed in room 4133 and it was my favorite room of all the BWV views I have ever stayed in. Quiet view of a lovely pond, the Tot and the Canal. Very nice and much better than a woods or noisy road view that I've had at the BCV. I understand the disappointment of not being at SAB or BCV at the last minute and I'm not trying to downplay that part of it, but they refunded the points, it was still a 2 bedroom. It's not a downgrade.

What I would have done, was insist that they give me passes for SAB, however.

Oh, and down on the boardwalk they have all the fast food like hotdogs, chicken fingers, pizza etc. It's just not all in one place. I agree, I wish they hadn't taken it away from the pool area and do wish they would open a marketplace where the old Harbor Club is. Still waiting on that one......

And in my experience - the porches are filthy everywhere. Doesn't excuse it, but BWV has not cornered the market on it.

 

[Mule2007]

Just open up your Spring 2007 Vacation Magic mag from Disney - there on page 2 is the MAN... Jim Lewis - President Disney Vacation Club.

Send him a nice letter (not email) detailing your experiences -- I always found contacting the top man works most of the time.

Mule

 

[Sammie]

If MS will only book what they have in inventory, how could a previously-reserved room NOT be available?

The only thing I know that could have happened was a maintenance or damage issue that was not a quick fix and the room while available on booking became unavailable right before the OP checked in.

 

[edk35]

I believe there are EIGHT DVC resorts....

OKW, BWV, VB, HH, VWL, BCV, SSR & AKV.

There are 5 OPEN WDW area DVCs, with AKV apparently opening before Sept 1!

To the OP:

Contact your guide, explain what happened and ask why you were 'Downgraded' ?

I suspect allof your points may be refunded.

As to overbooking, there could have been a room or more out of service due to damage, mishap, abuse or police investigation.

Or some Big Wig VIP decided to stay longer or that they wanted the BCV!

Best of luck

I thinkposter was talking about the Disney World DVC resorts minus AKV because no one has stayed there yet.

 

[Treacle44]

OMG, can they do that then?? That's awful and refunding your points is the very least they could do. I would've expected a serious upgrade or free DDP or similar.

I would write a very strong complaint letter now you're home as you should get better service than that.

They better not do it to me!

T
x

 

[bobbiwoz]

This is the sort of "lottery" nobody wants to win! I think they should have upgraded you to something out of the ordinary...where's the Disney magic??? DVC should have done BETTER for free!!!

Bobbi

 

[starbox]

I'm not sure why being moved to the BWV is a downgrade from the BCV. Unless the word "downgrade" is referring to the fact that it's a standard view?

I'd personally prefer BWV to BCV, so the term "downgarde" has nothing to do with the merits of one resort over another.

But I do think that when you purchase a home resort like at a premium price specifically so you can BWYWTS, and make home resort reservations inside the 11 month window, anything less than a larger, more luxurious unit elsewhere would is a downgraded reservation and is not okay.

 

[dvcmember]

I think the term downgrade is being used because of the switch to standard view requiring less points. While standard view is a bargain when you plan for it-it is a downgrade when you are being charged the premium points. If they had given Boardwalk or Preferred view it would have been an equal swap.. Barb

 

[starbox]

If they had given Boardwalk or Preferred view it would have been an equal swap.. Barb

Respectfully, if we say that there is such thing as equal swapping that can be done by MS, then we essentially give up the home resort advantage.

If you are switched to equal accomodations at a non-home resort, you are being downgraded because you are having your 11 month home resort advantage taken away from you at the discretion of MS. This is not right.

 

[dvcmember]

I completely agree this is not right. I would have been kicking up a huge fuss. I wonder how they determined the day before it was an owner to be bumped. I would think there were many people who booked long afer the 10 month mark Barb