ColoradoBelle1
My beast never turned into a Prince. Remember, it
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2005
A trip report or, how to get a room with a great view and stay off the naughty list!!!!
First time to my new DVC home away from home. I wanted to check in around noon so as to maximize my chances of a great view. I chose to ask for a room in the area where the sales center used to be because many of those rooms were 'standard' views (I guessed cause of the blocked view). Now that the sales center is gone, the rooms have awesome views of the canal and Swan and Dolphin and TOT.
Nope . the CM said...we preassigned you a room and it is over the entry near the elevators. Well, I'll walk a mile for a good view,and I know that some people really want to be near the elevators, so I asked for something else and said I didn't need a room ready just then and I'd be glad to wait.
She offered me the 'only other room available that day' and said it was a handicap room. I am a little over sensitive to liesso I pretended she meant that it was the only other room available right then , and repeated that I'd wait for a room further down either wing. I added that I didn' t think it was Disney policy to preassign rooms anymore and that I 'd heard they adopted a room ready guideline and could she clarify that for me cause I wanted to tell the 1000's of people on the Disboard who thought that preassignment was a thing of the past. I guess she was not sure what to say to that, and she did have a bit of an accent, so maybe just didn't get my fast talking, schmoozing ways. Anyway:
She left and went to get a manager, so I knew I was on the naughty list.
The manager was a sweetie..Alfredo . Other BWV disers have already sung his praises. He's really cute too! So he tried to get me to take the HA room, but I said that I just wanted to know if there actually were standard view rooms in the area over by where the old sales office was...and that if there weren't any AVAILABLE that I was fine with that...no harm asking...but that I just wanted him to tell me if they existed so that, if not, I wouldn't waste time requesting them. Well, he got me a great room on the second floor...smack dab in the middle of that area. where the sales office used to and the croquet game will someday be. (Right now it is new lawn and looks pretty)
I went back to the front desk CM, thanked her profusely...and she said that me, my daughter and MARVIN were checked in.....who the heck was Marvin? I think she may have had a different 'colorado belle' and that 's who's 'request to be high near an elevator' had come up! HA! So I told her no, it was me, my kid and my sis...unless 'marvin' was a stage name for Johnny Depp. She almost, but not quite, smiled. Then I thanked her again and gave her one of my tagrel.com appreciation cards...she seemed puzzled but pleased.
Room was in great shape and great view. Too bad my kid was in a bad mood.
Buying her a ticket from Calif and paying for her expenses so she could visit me on Mother's Day was apparently not quite enough. Guess I need to get me another kid.
I gave out appreciation cards w/tip to the bellman (who delivered my bags to the room without my having to walk down that long corridor again.), to the valets who brought my car around and started the air conditioning for me, to the CM at guest services who helped me with an 'expiring in 14 days' option that I wanted to use at Typhoon Lagoon one afternoon, but it rained out.
We had great weather, I traded for some great pins, I used old passes instead of starting my AP now and then not going back til October, I met a fellow disboarder for a quick few rides in the animal kingdom, I saw a beautiful Epcot decked out in flowers and there were NO LINES ANYWHERE!!!!!
If I hadn't had to spend 6 hours writing a legal brief and fed exing it to be filed on time and more than 6 hours fighting with my kid...it would have been a magical trip. Disney sure did everything in its power to make it a magical trip.
A few mishaps: A DISBOARDER had offered ot share his Wishes cruise the first night I flew in. So I was there at WL at the appointed time, so excited to be doing a Wishes cruise!!!!!!! and he nor the boat ever showed. Disappointing.
That day, Saturday after arriving at 2, doing chores like picking up tickets and food and stuff and touring Celebration which I really liked but is is kinda stepford town, and finding the perfect room at the Wyndham (I am picky) and then driving back down to Disney for the Wishes cruise that was a no go, I had to go back up to the airport to pick up kid and sis at midnight. We went to Universal for Mother's day...no crowds, rode everything at least twice, got really tired. Checked into BWV on Monday and ran over and did a timeshare presentation at Bonnet Creek....great 1 bedrooms, low maintenance fees, beautiful furnishings. Felt like it was 'on Disney' property right next to Caribbean Beach. They even have their own 'Disney' sign. THey were a little defensive when I said I was comparing them with DVC...but in truth, they really shouldn't worry...their units are very well done. But they couldn't resist the 'close the sale the same day or we won't give you this great price ' crap...and I calls it as I sees it. Then they offered me a great deal: try it for 18 months and if you don't like it, you don't have to pay us a thing. This was almost too good a deal to pass up. I think they offered me enough points for 30 days in a 1 bedroom for $2225 amd if I bought, they would take the 2225 off the purchase price. The only reason I didn't go for it was that I feared I couldn't use all those points in 18 months..I checked with the hotel front desk and yep, no 1 bedrooms available in October or December. And no new building completed for a year.
But hey...you might consider taking advantage of some great deals Fairfield gives you for touring (3 nights at the wyndham orlando, 2 tickets to Disney and $25 dollar dinner coupon for $60 on sky auction. Can't beat that and I liked the units!
Monday night was the 'yelling part', Tuesday I had family go have fun in Epcot while I finished the legal stuff and joined them late afternoon. Illuminations was great and we had seats at Mexico outside cafe. Margaritas were good. Food, not so.
WEdnesday I met disboarder at Pops and drove her to AK. My kid went home early in a huff, I got to spend the late afternoon and late night at MK solo and man, can you do a whole lot solo. I spent 1 hour at MGM and did TOT and RnR twice and saw half of Beauty. Then I went back 'home' and relaxed for an hour before heading to MK in big rain. It kept people away and lucky me got to stand right in front of the castle for Wishes. and then I rode on everything twice til closing! Thurday I didn't leave until 5:30 so i pooled it, packed and sent my bag to the plane right from the hotel...loved it!!!!...went over to Beaches for a meal and did some more last minute pin trading and left for the airport (a little late at 4:30) but made my flight with a couple minutes to spare! Home without a hitch, regrets that kid was so out of sorts and that we didn't have a magical mother/daughter vacation, but I did my best.
That's it!
First time to my new DVC home away from home. I wanted to check in around noon so as to maximize my chances of a great view. I chose to ask for a room in the area where the sales center used to be because many of those rooms were 'standard' views (I guessed cause of the blocked view). Now that the sales center is gone, the rooms have awesome views of the canal and Swan and Dolphin and TOT.
Nope . the CM said...we preassigned you a room and it is over the entry near the elevators. Well, I'll walk a mile for a good view,and I know that some people really want to be near the elevators, so I asked for something else and said I didn't need a room ready just then and I'd be glad to wait.
She offered me the 'only other room available that day' and said it was a handicap room. I am a little over sensitive to liesso I pretended she meant that it was the only other room available right then , and repeated that I'd wait for a room further down either wing. I added that I didn' t think it was Disney policy to preassign rooms anymore and that I 'd heard they adopted a room ready guideline and could she clarify that for me cause I wanted to tell the 1000's of people on the Disboard who thought that preassignment was a thing of the past. I guess she was not sure what to say to that, and she did have a bit of an accent, so maybe just didn't get my fast talking, schmoozing ways. Anyway:
She left and went to get a manager, so I knew I was on the naughty list.
The manager was a sweetie..Alfredo . Other BWV disers have already sung his praises. He's really cute too! So he tried to get me to take the HA room, but I said that I just wanted to know if there actually were standard view rooms in the area over by where the old sales office was...and that if there weren't any AVAILABLE that I was fine with that...no harm asking...but that I just wanted him to tell me if they existed so that, if not, I wouldn't waste time requesting them. Well, he got me a great room on the second floor...smack dab in the middle of that area. where the sales office used to and the croquet game will someday be. (Right now it is new lawn and looks pretty)
I went back to the front desk CM, thanked her profusely...and she said that me, my daughter and MARVIN were checked in.....who the heck was Marvin? I think she may have had a different 'colorado belle' and that 's who's 'request to be high near an elevator' had come up! HA! So I told her no, it was me, my kid and my sis...unless 'marvin' was a stage name for Johnny Depp. She almost, but not quite, smiled. Then I thanked her again and gave her one of my tagrel.com appreciation cards...she seemed puzzled but pleased.
Room was in great shape and great view. Too bad my kid was in a bad mood.
Buying her a ticket from Calif and paying for her expenses so she could visit me on Mother's Day was apparently not quite enough. Guess I need to get me another kid.
I gave out appreciation cards w/tip to the bellman (who delivered my bags to the room without my having to walk down that long corridor again.), to the valets who brought my car around and started the air conditioning for me, to the CM at guest services who helped me with an 'expiring in 14 days' option that I wanted to use at Typhoon Lagoon one afternoon, but it rained out.
We had great weather, I traded for some great pins, I used old passes instead of starting my AP now and then not going back til October, I met a fellow disboarder for a quick few rides in the animal kingdom, I saw a beautiful Epcot decked out in flowers and there were NO LINES ANYWHERE!!!!!
If I hadn't had to spend 6 hours writing a legal brief and fed exing it to be filed on time and more than 6 hours fighting with my kid...it would have been a magical trip. Disney sure did everything in its power to make it a magical trip.
A few mishaps: A DISBOARDER had offered ot share his Wishes cruise the first night I flew in. So I was there at WL at the appointed time, so excited to be doing a Wishes cruise!!!!!!! and he nor the boat ever showed. Disappointing.
That day, Saturday after arriving at 2, doing chores like picking up tickets and food and stuff and touring Celebration which I really liked but is is kinda stepford town, and finding the perfect room at the Wyndham (I am picky) and then driving back down to Disney for the Wishes cruise that was a no go, I had to go back up to the airport to pick up kid and sis at midnight. We went to Universal for Mother's day...no crowds, rode everything at least twice, got really tired. Checked into BWV on Monday and ran over and did a timeshare presentation at Bonnet Creek....great 1 bedrooms, low maintenance fees, beautiful furnishings. Felt like it was 'on Disney' property right next to Caribbean Beach. They even have their own 'Disney' sign. THey were a little defensive when I said I was comparing them with DVC...but in truth, they really shouldn't worry...their units are very well done. But they couldn't resist the 'close the sale the same day or we won't give you this great price ' crap...and I calls it as I sees it. Then they offered me a great deal: try it for 18 months and if you don't like it, you don't have to pay us a thing. This was almost too good a deal to pass up. I think they offered me enough points for 30 days in a 1 bedroom for $2225 amd if I bought, they would take the 2225 off the purchase price. The only reason I didn't go for it was that I feared I couldn't use all those points in 18 months..I checked with the hotel front desk and yep, no 1 bedrooms available in October or December. And no new building completed for a year.
But hey...you might consider taking advantage of some great deals Fairfield gives you for touring (3 nights at the wyndham orlando, 2 tickets to Disney and $25 dollar dinner coupon for $60 on sky auction. Can't beat that and I liked the units!
Monday night was the 'yelling part', Tuesday I had family go have fun in Epcot while I finished the legal stuff and joined them late afternoon. Illuminations was great and we had seats at Mexico outside cafe. Margaritas were good. Food, not so.
WEdnesday I met disboarder at Pops and drove her to AK. My kid went home early in a huff, I got to spend the late afternoon and late night at MK solo and man, can you do a whole lot solo. I spent 1 hour at MGM and did TOT and RnR twice and saw half of Beauty. Then I went back 'home' and relaxed for an hour before heading to MK in big rain. It kept people away and lucky me got to stand right in front of the castle for Wishes. and then I rode on everything twice til closing! Thurday I didn't leave until 5:30 so i pooled it, packed and sent my bag to the plane right from the hotel...loved it!!!!...went over to Beaches for a meal and did some more last minute pin trading and left for the airport (a little late at 4:30) but made my flight with a couple minutes to spare! Home without a hitch, regrets that kid was so out of sorts and that we didn't have a magical mother/daughter vacation, but I did my best.
That's it!
