Would you send a letter?

[crltkcagle]

Wow that really stinks. I would write a letter after all it couldn't hurt anything right? I know my voicemails were delayed while there last year. I kept checking my phone for the text to say my room was ready. I finally did get it.... that night while sleeping in the bed in our room! LOL I just called POR and asked if our room was ready and it was. I do wish the check in time was earlier but that also means check out time would be earlier and we definitely don't want that!

[buzznwoodysmom]

What I've always wondered is, why all the secrecy about the room numbers? Why can't they just give that out when you check in?

Natalie on some trips we have been given our room number. I've always wondered the same thing when at some resorts they act like our room number is top secret info, yet at other resorts we are given our room number at check in, even when the room isn't ready yet. I know for sure, as recent as last Oct., we were given our room number at POFQ. I know this because we went up to see where our room was located, then I watched as the housekeeper worked her way to our room from a lounge chair by the pool as my kids swam.

[BrerGnat]

Natalie on some trips we have been given our room number. I've always wondered the same thing when at some resorts they act like our room number is top secret info, yet at other resorts we are given our room number at check in, even when the room isn't ready yet. I know for sure, as recent as last Oct., we were given our room number at POFQ. I know this because we went up to see where our room was located, then I watched as the housekeeper worked her way to our room from a lounge chair by the pool as my kids swam.

Lack of consistency. We were given our room number MANY years ago at POR before it was ready, but since then, it's been top secret until such a time as Disney sees fit to tell us. It's so weird...

[gerald72]

Last time we didn't have to be in the room to get the bags. Our room was assigned and bags in our room while we were still in the parks.. I don't know why it is all different now.[/QUOTE]

If you had stayed in Epcot and not cancelled your ADR, your bags would have been waiting for you in your room again when you got there

[peemagg]

Does the BC have 2 different check-in times? I know that the check-in time for the DVC resorts (which Beach Club is one of) is 4 pm not 3 pm like at other non-DVC resorts.

I just thought that this might be part of the issue with the time the room was ready.

[KatrinaJ91]

When I arrive before check-in time, I have no expectation of our room being ready. Our plans reflect that. We usually arrive from the airport at around 10:00 am, get on the Disney's Magical Express, take a short ride to our resort, check in with the desk, and then drop our carry-ons with Bell Services, and proceed to EPCOT, where our first meal is always scheduled for 12 noon.

When we arrive back from our slightly drunken Biergarten adventure, all our luggage, including our carry-ons are waiting for us in our room which is now ready for us.

There is no rule stating that you have to go to your room before you go anywhere else.

Next time, forge ahead. What did you gain by waiting? Frustration. Go. Start your vacation.

I totally agree! No matter what time we arrive, we usually head out immediately to the parks and start our vacation! On that first night, we are usually so excited to be there, we don't return to our room until after fireworks!!

[javamama]

Let me know how your response goes, I'm debating on writing a letter still on our deal with the bus still. No one can believe it when I tell them the story still....service is slipping it seems like.

[Stitch98]

I am sorry your day and dinner didn't go as planned, I hope it your trip goes better!

[Mickey91]

I could see maybe they wanted to maybe change cloths and freshen up before going to there special dinner. I can also see, even though the room was ready only an hour later, that after hearing it happened to another family and they got a special car ride and all day FP's and you did not how that would make you a little upset.

Except that is the way unexpected magic happens at Disney. Many times I read about people making their accommodations at a value or moderate resort and get to upgrade to a deluxe or sometimes even a presidential suite. This has never happened to me. But I'm not going to write a letter to complain.

For whatever reason, a CM decided to compensate one couple and another CM chalked it up to a computer glitch and the fact that check in is at 3:00 or after. Disney makes it very clear that you can check in and go to the parks and call later to get your room number. Though it wouldn't have been their ideal dinner to go without freshening up, it can be done (and often is). I just don't see where there is anything to write about.

[lylone]

Yes, we were already at the parks, but went to check on our room and then was stuck for 45 minutes while they went to check the room, then another to go to room and get our bags. If I would have known that this would have taken until 5p to accomplish then we would have stayed in the parks.
And yes, you have to be in your room to get your bags. When we called to get them the first question they asked is IF we were in our room. The person who brought us our bags even had to go through a speech about where the coffee maker and iron was and etc.
To me the situation was handled badly from the time we asked if our room was ready.
The communication was horrible and wondered why they didn't offer another room that was ready and to have our bags follow us up to the room. That would have helped!

[DizneyRox]

Last time we didn't have to be in the room to get the bags. Our room was assigned and bags in our room while we were still in the parks.. I don't know why it is all different now.

If you had stayed in Epcot and not cancelled your ADR, your bags would have been waiting for you in your room again when you got there

Only bags that come from Magical Express (checked bags) are automatically delivered to the room without you having to be present. If you check bags yourself at bell services, they want you in the room so they can collect their tip.

[Georgesgirl1]

OKW REFUSED to give us a number to call. I insisted and they REFUSED.

Are you serious? What about people who don't have phones because they are traveling overseas or have texting turned off on their phones like DH and I do? Next time just tell them your phone doesn't have texting capabilites and they will have to give you a number!

[Georgesgirl1]

Oh and I would write and letter to let them know that the system failed you, but I wouldn't expect to get too much out of it. Honestly, it is nice if they do something, but it is crazy to get a private car and all day fast passes just because a room was delayed?! I agree with the pp that those people must have completely lost it on a CM to get all of that when the computers were down.
I wouldn't have personally cancelled my ADR's. We have been to many WS eateries after 10 hours in the park and have never felt out of place, but that was your call to make. I am sure if you called Rose and Crown and explained to them what had happened they would have been more than willing to get you another ADR at a later time even if the system said they were booked up.

[buzznwoodysmom]

I am sure if you called Rose and Crown and explained to them what had happened they would have been more than willing to get you another ADR at a later time even if the system said they were booked up.

I'll second this suggestion. In the future you should try to have someone help you with contacting the restaurant about being late for an ADR. In Oct. we took the haunted carriage ride at Ft. Wilderness. Our driver was having trouble with the CD player or whatever she was using for the "story". Our carriage ride ended up being delayed and I expressed my concern that we'd be late for our ADR at Whispering Canyon. They were more than willing to make sure we would still be seated even if we were late. Told me "no problem, we'll call WCC and let them know you guys will be late, that its beyond your control, and you will still be able to have your dinner there". When we arrived at WCC, on time, they were surprised we were on time since they were expecting us to be late. Most of the time if you politely express your concerns about these kinds of things, they can and will try to help you. Just something to keep in mind if you find yourself in this situation again.

[ransam]

If i understand your email correctly then i wouldn't write a letter. From what i can see it wasn't anyone's fault, just a computer problem. Unless they were rude to you, then i'd write.

back in 2005 i went w/ a buddy, and we got there early. he took a cab to go to universal, and i hung out at the hotel. they said a room would be ready at 1pm...but it wasn't. they gave me a number to call to check if it was ready, at 3pm, check-in time, it still wasn't ready. i remember it was hot, i was in the snack bar, and all i wanted was to change and go swimming... finally about 5pm it was ready. It wasn't anyone's fault, it just happened.
what i learned is since then, i've brought everything i thought i would need in my carry on!

[Figaro]

My DH and I stayed at the BC May 2-7th. We arrived at about 11am and our room wasn't ready. I asked the CM if the room would be ready before 3p since we had ADRs at the Rose and Crown at 5:15p and he said that there wouldn't be a problem. This was special to us because on our last trip we did the same thing....spent the first night at the Rose and Crown. Well there was a problem and at 3p I went back to the desk and was told the computers went down and that they couldn't tell if our room was ready. We weren't the only folks who were waiting on a room, but we didn't get in the room until 4p and then had to wait for our bags. I had to cancel our ADRs for the Rose and Crown and we ended up eating elsewhere at 6:45p. While at dinner I was talking to another family sitting next to us and found out the same thing happened to them. They were actually given a special car ride from ASMovies and then even given all day FastPasses to the park they were visiting the next DAY! We didn't get anything, but a missed opportunity to relive a fond memory. So, is it even worth writing a letter and complaining to Disney? We did get a survey about our stay but nothing about the service we received, more about where we came from and what kind of $$ we spent while we were there...
SO is it even worth it?
Lylone

It never hurts to write a letter. Also, believe it or not, every letter and guest comment that is sent in is filtered thru to every level so everyone sees it. Our local manager or supervisor/coordinator prints them off for us and hangs them all up in our CM areas to be read. I've read hundreds of them myself, and they do have an effect on the way the area operates and in general overall. Careful attention is payed to negative feedback so it can be improved.

[lylone]

See that is part of the problem... there were so many things that WE could have done that could have been suggested but they weren't. If WE would have known that getting the room and getting our bags would have taken two hours then WE would have avoided the situation.

Was it our fault the computers went down and that it took 2 hours for them to find us a room and get us our bags?

Did the CM offer to call the Rose and Crown, or did they even suggest us to call them and see if they could work us in later? NO.

They are the deluxe resort and we paid for a certain level of customer service and in my opinion...they failed.

Instead of offering ideas to help, we got excuses. Being a paying customer I should be helped!

[lylone]

Hello again,
Well I did write the letter and received a response. I got a phone call from a live person and we spoke about 45 minutes about the experience. One issue was that they had actually paged my home phone number instead of my cell phone when the room was ready! They had my cell as a backup number and there was no record of them sending a page to that number. Yeah, that was a messup.
I am really glad that I wrote the letter and they definately were concerned and are making things right. Thanks for all your insight guys!

[brownie]

Good to hear that you heard back from Disney.