Very Upset by WL Pool Closing

[stlrod]

After giving up rooms at BWV during F&W months ago in favor of the VWL since this will be a trip with 6 adults celebrating birthdays (one a 60th) and we wanted a more peaceful environment, I was very upset to learn today of the WL pool closing from September to November. Now, the only availability at any resort for a 2BR and a studio is SSR and if we choose to stay at VWL, the quiet pool will be anything but quiet. DVC asks us to plan 7-11 months out, they should do the same. Thanks for letting me vent.

 

[LisaDKG]

I'm with you!

 

[disneynutz]

DVC doesn't control or have much of a say in what Disney does. Disney loves the DVC money but in their world, DVC doesn't have any power or a voice that gets listened to.

We have been upset when they make our vacation less than expected due to maintenance or other work. I guess not maintaining would be worse in the long run.

At least as a member you can pool hop to other pools in addition to FW and CR.

Bill

 

[Dean]

After giving up rooms at BWV during F&W months ago in favor of the VWL since this will be a trip with 6 adults celebrating birthdays (one a 60th) and we wanted a more peaceful environment, I was very upset to learn today of the WL pool closing from September to November. Now, the only availability at any resort for a 2BR and a studio is SSR and if we choose to stay at VWL, the quiet pool will be anything but quiet. DVC asks us to plan 7-11 months out, they should do the same. Thanks for letting me vent.

They have to do it sometime and usually try to pick a slower time, which this is. They've never been good about announcing it very early. It's simply part of the compromise we accept when we buy in.

 

[bumbershoot]

Is the villa pool really considered a "quiet" pool? It certainly wasn't quiet when we were there. Downright noisy, actually.

I don't even consider the other, smaller pools around WDW to be "quiet" pools in terms of noise levels. I just consider them to be smaller pools. And since I've never been to the WL pool, just the VWL one, I don't even know if one is physically smaller than the other.

 

[DebbieB]

Is the villa pool really considered a "quiet" pool? It certainly wasn't quiet when we were there. Downright noisy, actually.

I don't even consider the other, smaller pools around WDW to be "quiet" pools in terms of noise levels. I just consider them to be smaller pools. And since I've never been to the WL pool, just the VWL one, I don't even know if one is physically smaller than the other.

They call it "quiet" because it doesn't have a slide. You don't have to be literally "quiet". The WL courtyard pool has a slide and it's definitely larger.

 

[Dean]

They call it "quiet" because it doesn't have a slide. You don't have to be literally "quiet". The WL courtyard pool has a slide and it's definitely larger.

I agree, this seems to be a common misperception.

 

[Msmithmd]

We are VWL owners and are staying during the closure as well. Agree that it's disappointing. But at least in perspective, we will all have plenty more opportunities to visit. I feel bad for the cash guest folks for whom it might be their only visit.

Check out this thread from the main resorts page:

http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3290482

Currently 370 posts long. (!). Man, the DISsers know how to vent...

 

[eliza61]

They have to do it sometime and usually try to pick a slower time, which this is. They've never been good about announcing it very early. It's simply part of the compromise we accept when we buy in.

But why do we accept it Dean? Are we really asking for some thing that is so hard or strenuous to do? Is it to much to ask that if you are planning renovations to some thing major like a resorts pool that you announce it early and often?

Disney knows when it plans to make these types of renovations. They don't simply fall out of bed on Monday and say,"gee what should we do today? I know let's renovate some thing".

Sorry for the sarcasm but I'm with op. They do this full well because they know people will be stuck and God forbid they take the chance that some one else won't spend their money there.

I'm with Op, it is inconsiderate. As much as I would love to add on at the Poly, crap like this is why I refuse to.

 

[Sandisw]

But why do we accept it Dean? Are we really asking for some thing that is so hard or strenuous to do? Is it to much to ask that if you are planning renovations to some thing major like a resorts pool that you announce it early and often?

Disney knows when it plans to make these types of renovations. They don't simply fall out of bed on Monday and say,"gee what should we do today? I know let's renovate some thing".

Sorry for the sarcasm but I'm with op. They do this full well because they know people will be stuck and God forbid they take the chance that some one else won't spend their money there.

I'm with Op, it is inconsiderate. As much as I would love to add on at the Poly, crap like this is why I refuse to.

I do understand it is going to be frustrating for those that booked at VWL. But, it's the pool at the main lodge that is closing and that is not DVC...it's one of Disney's hotels, and it's going to impact someone when they announce a closure...

I agree that for DVC members, making a switch will not be as easy as those cash paying guests who may choose to do so...but, I agree with Dean, we have to be prepared for things like this..

What I'd be curious about is if they set a tentative closure window way ahead of time and then adjust when they see what the numbers look like for cash stays and announce when determine the least impact in terms of occupancy rates. Could getting only 3 months notice be an outcome of that?

 

[Disneybuckeye]

I also agree that if they expect us to book so far out they need to let us know these things in advance. I would have moved to SSR at seven months had I know this for our October trip. Now nothing else is available.

We only go to the parks two full days on our trips and one night at MNSSHP. I love to lounge around the pool for multiple days and read and relax. After 30 plus trips I don't need to run to a park everyday. Pools are important to me.

The only plus is that as a DVC member we can pool hop. We may spend one day at the Boardwalk pool and then eat dinner on the Boardwalk. We will probably spend another day at the Paddock Pool at SSR and then visit Downtown Disney. I worry about how crowded the Contemporary and Ft Wilderness pools will be and may stay away from those. Making lemonade out of lemons.

 

[cvjw]

I think that if you vacation at Disney enough, this will happen to everyone. It happened to us a few years back. We got a letter right before our upcoming BCV stay telling us that Storm Along Bay would be closed while we were there. We had young boys, and had booked BCV just for the pool - talk about disappointment. But, we lived thru it and still had a great time. Just try and have a positive attitude and understand that Disney does have to do maintenance and someone is always going to be infringed upon negatively.

 

[stlrod]

Why do we accept this is a very good question. I sold my Marriott timeshares over a decade ago after believing that Disney had the better product. Now I'm not so sure, especially with better luxury options becoming available in Orlando all the time. We had a problem at the VGF in December also. The front desk/concierge staff was unknowledgeable and our experience with Magical Express returning to the airport was bad (when we were kind enough to let others with younger children board the bus first and it became full, 5 of us we were placed in a hot taxi with a driver playing foreign-language music loudly whose only English seemed to be telling me that Disney didn't cover the tip.) The overall decline in service and value is affecting our trips. We loved, loved, loved the relaxing comfortable bus ride at the Hilton Bonnet creek when we went last March for Spring Training and the Ritz has always been one of our favorites. Since rooms can be had there for under $200 per night during our upcoming stay, that's probably where we will end up.

 

[DebbieB]

I'm sure it was in the plans awhile ago. I stayed at WL May 22-25 and we had a courtyard view room (non-DVC). The water that starts under the bridge in the lobby under the little bridge and then goes outside was all closed off, our room was above the outside part. So what would have been a pretty view of the waterfall was dry and walled off. The pool is probably the next phase. The issue they have is they probably can not nail down exact dates months in advance. Construction often gets delayed.

 

[Dean]

But why do we accept it Dean? Are we really asking for some thing that is so hard or strenuous to do? Is it to much to ask that if you are planning renovations to some thing major like a resorts pool that you announce it early and often?

Disney knows when it plans to make these types of renovations. They don't simply fall out of bed on Monday and say,"gee what should we do today? I know let's renovate some thing".

Sorry for the sarcasm but I'm with op. They do this full well because they know people will be stuck and God forbid they take the chance that some one else won't spend their money there.

I'm with Op, it is inconsiderate. As much as I would love to add on at the Poly, crap like this is why I refuse to.

IMO it's part of the compromise of a timeshare, maybe they should plan better but they are not going to. If one can't accept the risk then either go at a higher demand time or more likely a better choice, don't play. It's reasonable to complain about the big picture in an attempt to change the culture but not to get all upset about a given trip.

 

[Splashboat]

It's not just timeshare.
I know someone who booked one of the Disney values for this summer and she was not told that the CS is going to be under rehab. Disney plans to shuttle them to another resort if they want CS.
Not convenient for all these families with little ones.
I know this family immediately canceled and booked at another resort when I told them I read it but they would not have know until they got there if I had not told them.

 

[disneynutz]

It's not Disney policy to pre-announce maintenance schedules unless they feel that it's really necessary. Having guests cancel their reservation and moving to another resort or to Universal isn't good for business. They can't have a resort sitting at 50% occupancy due to a pool fix.

As I previously posted, Disney is doing maintenance every day, sometimes it's a small inconvenience, other times it's major. We checked into VWL once and there was a scaffold outside out balcony the entire vacation. Roof work and painting can be a major bummer but we experienced both.

Front Desk CM's hate it during these times and deal with upset guests on a case by case bases. Our only recourse is to move to another resort or reschedule our vacation if we really feel that the conditions are unacceptable.

Bill

 

[Dean]

It's not just timeshare.
I know someone who booked one of the Disney values for this summer and she was not told that the CS is going to be under rehab. Disney plans to shuttle them to another resort if they want CS.
Not convenient for all these families with little ones.
I know this family immediately canceled and booked at another resort when I told them I read it but they would not have know until they got there if I had not told them.

Good point but the difference is that you can cancel or have other options for a hotel reservation though it's possible to get caught with other issues like time off scheduled, air booked etc.

 

[eliza61]

IMO it's part of the compromise of a timeshare, maybe they should plan better but they are not going to. If one can't accept the risk then either go at a higher demand time or more likely a better choice, don't play. It's reasonable to complain about the big picture in an attempt to change the culture but not to get all upset about a given trip.

It's not the planning that's the issue, it's the lack of communication. Why do they wait until 3 weeks prior? When I'm willing to bet it was planned way before. I disagree, About it being a part of timeshare ownership. Dh and I have owned villas in Aruba and Lisbon Portugal. Disney is the only one we experienced the total disregard for their members. But you are absolutely right, like I said in my first post, I would love to own at the Poly, but stuff like this is preventing me from playing. Just saddens me

Yes, you tun the risk of losing guest for a brief time, so the underlying message is, as long as I make my dough who cares how inconvenience you are. Lol

I went to Paris last spring, the Ritz Carlton shut down the entire hotel during maintenance. Ahhh the joys of a true deluxe. Lol

 

[DenLo]

It's not the planning that's the issue, it's the lack of communication. Why do they wait until 3 weeks prior? When I'm willing to bet it was planned way before. I disagree, About it being a part of timeshare ownership. Dh and I have owned villas in Aruba and Lisbon Portugal. Disney is the only one we experienced the total disregard for their members. But you are absolutely right, like I said in my first post, I would love to own at the Poly, but stuff like this is preventing me from playing. Just saddens me

Yes, you tun the risk of losing guest for a brief time, so the underlying message is, as long as I make my dough who cares how inconvenience you are. Lol

I went to Paris last spring, the Ritz Carlton shut down the entire hotel during maintenance. Ahhh the joys of a true deluxe. Lol

I think one of the above posts gave the reason. They don't want a resort half empty because guests moved to another Disney resort or off property. Disney never has a time period where one of their resorts can just be shut down for a number of weeks for maintenance. It's the hazard of never having a time period where no one goes to WDW during a specific month.