We are DVC members from Norway. Normally we visit WDW twice a year for 8-14 days at a time. We own at BoardWalk and always stay there. Needless to say - we love it! Just back from a visit to the Epcot Food and Wine Festival, where we had two signature dinners and an evening with Party for the Senses - absolutely super!
We have about 14 hrs of flight before we arrive in Orlando. What never stops to amaze me, is the lenghty check-in procedure guests need to go through when arriving at the resort. My wife always drops down in one of the comfortable armchairs in the main lobby, while I do the check in. Over the past five or six visits she has made a habit of checking how long time I spend at the front desk during check in.
You should think that a vacation club, having all your personal details on file, having stored your past 15 visits in their computer system, having recorded names of all members of your party during an old fashioned voice reservation procedure months in advance, greeting you with a welcome home every time, would just take an imprint of your credit card, verify your passport and speed you through to your room faster than any downtown hotel chain. Not so. While I enjoy the small talk, I cannot understand the hundreds of computer keystokes and or scrolling that go into the computer every time I check in. Some times accompanied with a concerned look on the cast member's face. More often than not I have experienced that another cast member need to be called to assist with the computer registration or the key card printer. According to my wife, I have never spent less than 8-10 minutes plus a variable waiting time in line. Some times she claims upward of 15 minutes. My average check in time at a Marriott or Hilton in the U.S. (where I don't own a piece of the magic...) is less than two minutes. I wonder if DVCs computer systems are outdated, or the staff members are not sufficiently trained? I have noticed that some front desk staff are regulars for years, and allthough they are very nice people, even they can not speed this up in any significant way. Any other who have similar experiences?
We have about 14 hrs of flight before we arrive in Orlando. What never stops to amaze me, is the lenghty check-in procedure guests need to go through when arriving at the resort. My wife always drops down in one of the comfortable armchairs in the main lobby, while I do the check in. Over the past five or six visits she has made a habit of checking how long time I spend at the front desk during check in.
You should think that a vacation club, having all your personal details on file, having stored your past 15 visits in their computer system, having recorded names of all members of your party during an old fashioned voice reservation procedure months in advance, greeting you with a welcome home every time, would just take an imprint of your credit card, verify your passport and speed you through to your room faster than any downtown hotel chain. Not so. While I enjoy the small talk, I cannot understand the hundreds of computer keystokes and or scrolling that go into the computer every time I check in. Some times accompanied with a concerned look on the cast member's face. More often than not I have experienced that another cast member need to be called to assist with the computer registration or the key card printer. According to my wife, I have never spent less than 8-10 minutes plus a variable waiting time in line. Some times she claims upward of 15 minutes. My average check in time at a Marriott or Hilton in the U.S. (where I don't own a piece of the magic...) is less than two minutes. I wonder if DVCs computer systems are outdated, or the staff members are not sufficiently trained? I have noticed that some front desk staff are regulars for years, and allthough they are very nice people, even they can not speed this up in any significant way. Any other who have similar experiences?