Northern Lights
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2005
We were hooked on WDW after taking DD on consecutive trips in 2003 and 2004. Our May 2005 trip was fast approaching and we were booked at our beloved tower room at the CR. This trip was especially exciting as DS (born in January 2005) was going on his first trip. In early March, despite our love of the MK view and being on the monorail, we began having second thoughts about the CR - thinking the trip would be much better in a studio with a kitchenette. We had admired the BCV on our prior trips and decided to purchase a resale contract. We were able to switch the CR ressie to a VWL studio with an AP discount (could not get our future home resort of BCV) - which was fine b/c we had also admired the VWL and wanted to stay there one day anyway.
We submitted our BCV contract on 3/10, passed ROFR on 4/8, closed on 4/22, and were in the DVC system by 5/3. I would like to point out that this was not without glitches. Because we were going May 7, we wanted to purchase annual passes using the DVC member discount. However, member services would not sell us the discounted passes without our member numbers. I asked politely if they could expedite the normal 10-day process given our current situation - and they were very helpful to oblige, but there was a hang-up with accounting. Apparently, the escrow agent had never sent them the final check to close out the amounts owed by the seller. I spoke with the escrow agent about the problem, and she disputed this saying they had sent the fedex package to accounting (delivery acknowledgments had been properly executed) and that DVC must have misplaced the check. I knew that the ownership situation would get resolved eventually and was not too worried about it, but again requested politely on April 29 (a week before our trip) that since we had the recorded warranty deed in our names - and thus were the legal owners - would MS kindly allow us to purchase the APs using the DVC discount. They told me that since they still had a week to work it out lets deal with that solution later next week. Later that Friday, DVC called me back and come to find out the escrow agent had located the check - it had been issued but never sent in the fedex package to DVC. The agent sent the check for delivery first thing Monday morning and DVC promised to walk it through and get us our member numbers by the following Tuesday at the latest. By Tuesday morning, we had our member numbers and were ready to buy APs. GREAT JOB to both DVC and the escrow agent for working together to quickly resolve the problem!
Unfortunately, the glitch did not end there. When I tried to purchase the passes on Tuesday, May 2, DVC told me that they would never get to me in time (would not even allow me to pay the fedex cost). Instead, they told me I needed to stop at SSR and pick up a temporary ID that would allow us to purchase the discounted APs at any guest relations location where APs were sold. Since Magical Express had been a total bust at this point - we still had not received our tags and ME told us that we could just describe our bags to the rep at the airport and they would get them off the luggage carousel (yeah right!) - we decided to rent a car at the airport and then make the appropriate stops before checking into VWL.
We got the car w/o a glitch (love Alamo Quicksilver) but Delta had lost 2 of 4 bags we had checked (or so it seemed). We filed the claim with Delta and tried to forget about the bummer of having 2 bags missing while we made our way to SSR. The DVC CM who had been very helpful in getting us into the system had given the contact person info at SSR who would issue our temporary IDs. We called her when we landed and she said she would have them printed out and ready for us to receive at the front desk of the preview center. We got to SSR and the IDs were waiting for us. GREAT JOB!! We drove to DTD GR to purchase the APs and the CM could not find us in the system - apparently the temp IDs were not good enough to effect the purchase. After a couple of phone calls, that situation was resolved and we made our way to VWL with APs in hand.
Check in was very smooth - no more than a 10-15 minute wait - which was no problem as the rest of the family breathed in the wonderful ambience of the lobby. DD especially loved the bridge. Made our way to room 1505 which we loved! Laundry room was only 2 doors down, nice patio overlooking the quiet pool, very close to bus stop, etc. We were very happy and were trying to fight off the nagging fact that we were still missing 2 bags. I decided to go drop the car off at the Car Care Center while DW unpacked. As I walked to the valet area I noticed several bags had just been unloaded by ME - 2 of which were noticeably similar to the 2 we had lost. Could it be? Was I seeing things? As I got closer to the bags my heart began racing as they appeared to be the correct shape, size and shade of red. HOORAY! After hugging the surprised ME supervisor, I told her how we had never received our tags, had never checked in with ME when we landed, and did not expect them to get our luggage. Her face gleamed as if to say that their makeshift solution to failing to deliver the tags had worked - I didnt have the heart to tell her that they had still missed 2 of the 4.
Thus, the beginning to our wonderful vacation last week! Summary Points:
1. Escrow agent was very sloppy, but did step up to make things right. DVCs customer service was excellent throughout.
2. ME has problems, but should be fine.
3. VWL is AWESOME! I can totally understand the devotion by some of you. We would have no problem staying there again. Great hotel. Great pool. Great location. Great restaurants. Loved it!
4. We are going to try to stay with studios as long as possible b/c there is so much more value in the points. Perhaps in a couple of years we will only want to take one trip per year - if so, we will start staying in 1BRs. Until then, studios are more than what we were accustomed to in the standard hotel room and still provide the extra touches that make staying with an infant so much more convenient.
Now the better news. To get over the post-trip blues, we just booked a 6-day return trip for early September! We were able to use our points (only 58) at BCV for every day but the Saturday, but were able to pay cash for that Saturday room at a member discount ($220). MS was able to link it all together so that we never have to change rooms. GREAT JOB!! So we said, why not?!! Park tickets are paid for. Room is paid for except the one night. We still have enough points to take at least another one-week vacation in a studio before August 2006. Airline tickets are frequent flyer freebies. Food/souvenir costs average approx. $100-125/day. So we are back to WDW in just over 100 days! Best part - the blues have been replaced with excited anticipation!
We submitted our BCV contract on 3/10, passed ROFR on 4/8, closed on 4/22, and were in the DVC system by 5/3. I would like to point out that this was not without glitches. Because we were going May 7, we wanted to purchase annual passes using the DVC member discount. However, member services would not sell us the discounted passes without our member numbers. I asked politely if they could expedite the normal 10-day process given our current situation - and they were very helpful to oblige, but there was a hang-up with accounting. Apparently, the escrow agent had never sent them the final check to close out the amounts owed by the seller. I spoke with the escrow agent about the problem, and she disputed this saying they had sent the fedex package to accounting (delivery acknowledgments had been properly executed) and that DVC must have misplaced the check. I knew that the ownership situation would get resolved eventually and was not too worried about it, but again requested politely on April 29 (a week before our trip) that since we had the recorded warranty deed in our names - and thus were the legal owners - would MS kindly allow us to purchase the APs using the DVC discount. They told me that since they still had a week to work it out lets deal with that solution later next week. Later that Friday, DVC called me back and come to find out the escrow agent had located the check - it had been issued but never sent in the fedex package to DVC. The agent sent the check for delivery first thing Monday morning and DVC promised to walk it through and get us our member numbers by the following Tuesday at the latest. By Tuesday morning, we had our member numbers and were ready to buy APs. GREAT JOB to both DVC and the escrow agent for working together to quickly resolve the problem!
Unfortunately, the glitch did not end there. When I tried to purchase the passes on Tuesday, May 2, DVC told me that they would never get to me in time (would not even allow me to pay the fedex cost). Instead, they told me I needed to stop at SSR and pick up a temporary ID that would allow us to purchase the discounted APs at any guest relations location where APs were sold. Since Magical Express had been a total bust at this point - we still had not received our tags and ME told us that we could just describe our bags to the rep at the airport and they would get them off the luggage carousel (yeah right!) - we decided to rent a car at the airport and then make the appropriate stops before checking into VWL.
We got the car w/o a glitch (love Alamo Quicksilver) but Delta had lost 2 of 4 bags we had checked (or so it seemed). We filed the claim with Delta and tried to forget about the bummer of having 2 bags missing while we made our way to SSR. The DVC CM who had been very helpful in getting us into the system had given the contact person info at SSR who would issue our temporary IDs. We called her when we landed and she said she would have them printed out and ready for us to receive at the front desk of the preview center. We got to SSR and the IDs were waiting for us. GREAT JOB!! We drove to DTD GR to purchase the APs and the CM could not find us in the system - apparently the temp IDs were not good enough to effect the purchase. After a couple of phone calls, that situation was resolved and we made our way to VWL with APs in hand.
Check in was very smooth - no more than a 10-15 minute wait - which was no problem as the rest of the family breathed in the wonderful ambience of the lobby. DD especially loved the bridge. Made our way to room 1505 which we loved! Laundry room was only 2 doors down, nice patio overlooking the quiet pool, very close to bus stop, etc. We were very happy and were trying to fight off the nagging fact that we were still missing 2 bags. I decided to go drop the car off at the Car Care Center while DW unpacked. As I walked to the valet area I noticed several bags had just been unloaded by ME - 2 of which were noticeably similar to the 2 we had lost. Could it be? Was I seeing things? As I got closer to the bags my heart began racing as they appeared to be the correct shape, size and shade of red. HOORAY! After hugging the surprised ME supervisor, I told her how we had never received our tags, had never checked in with ME when we landed, and did not expect them to get our luggage. Her face gleamed as if to say that their makeshift solution to failing to deliver the tags had worked - I didnt have the heart to tell her that they had still missed 2 of the 4.
Thus, the beginning to our wonderful vacation last week! Summary Points:
1. Escrow agent was very sloppy, but did step up to make things right. DVCs customer service was excellent throughout.
2. ME has problems, but should be fine.
3. VWL is AWESOME! I can totally understand the devotion by some of you. We would have no problem staying there again. Great hotel. Great pool. Great location. Great restaurants. Loved it!
4. We are going to try to stay with studios as long as possible b/c there is so much more value in the points. Perhaps in a couple of years we will only want to take one trip per year - if so, we will start staying in 1BRs. Until then, studios are more than what we were accustomed to in the standard hotel room and still provide the extra touches that make staying with an infant so much more convenient.
Now the better news. To get over the post-trip blues, we just booked a 6-day return trip for early September! We were able to use our points (only 58) at BCV for every day but the Saturday, but were able to pay cash for that Saturday room at a member discount ($220). MS was able to link it all together so that we never have to change rooms. GREAT JOB!! So we said, why not?!! Park tickets are paid for. Room is paid for except the one night. We still have enough points to take at least another one-week vacation in a studio before August 2006. Airline tickets are frequent flyer freebies. Food/souvenir costs average approx. $100-125/day. So we are back to WDW in just over 100 days! Best part - the blues have been replaced with excited anticipation!
Now be prepared for that add-on in your future!
