VGF Handicap/ADA studio room 1428-offered a $200 credit/no other room available

[princesslayla]

When we checked in last week, we were assigned a handicapped accessible room, which we did not request nor did we need. I visited the front desk and informed the cast member that we had no shower stall or drawers under the bed for our clothing. Our bathroom consisted of the shower/tub combo, vanity and toilet in one room. This was an issue for us as we were counting on the two showers and the separation each provided.

The cast member informed me there were no other rooms available and awarded me a $200 room credit. Yes, this was unexpected and welcomed. However, I was still bummed as I used my points for this room for the "bathroom benefit". I chose not to press the issue any further as I did not want to upset the kids or my husband.

Does anyone know if have any further action against DVC? i.e. point refund? Has anyone experienced a similar issue?

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Doubtful. In general, if no one needs the ADA room, the ADA room is still booked and occupied, especially at a resort with only 47 studios in high demand.

You booked a VGF Studio Villa. You got one.

 

[Marionnette]

When we checked in last week, we were assigned a handicapped accessible room, which we did not request nor did we need. I visited the front desk and informed the cast member that we had no shower stall or drawers under the bed for our clothing. Our bathroom consisted of the shower/tub combo, vanity and toilet in one room. This was an issue for us as we were counting on the two showers and the separation each provided.

The cast member informed me there were no other rooms available and awarded me a $200 room credit. Yes, this was unexpected and welcomed. However, I was still bummed as I used my points for this room for the "bathroom benefit". I chose not to press the issue any further as I did not want to upset the kids or my husband.

Does anyone know if have any further action against DVC? i.e. point refund? Has anyone experienced a similar issue?

You already got $200 for your inconvenience. What additional recompense do you want? If you want to escalate this to member satisfaction, then you might want to have an idea of what they would need to do to make you happy before you call/email to discuss the issue. In the long run, someone has to have that HA villa. When someone books it specifically because of a need, it's great to have it there to offer. But when no one books it, someone has to be assigned to it. It's unfortunate that it was you, but I can't see DVC giving you anything more for your inconvenience. You got a VGF studio, which is what you reserved. If the room had been in poor condition with numerous maintenance issues, I could imagine getting some points refunded but not for this issue.

 

[princesslayla]

I feel that it should be made known at time of booking there is a chance of obtaining this type of room. I had no knowledge that some of the studios did not contain the stall showers/pocket door. Copper Creek advertises that some of the studios have different bathroom configurations. . And, yes, I booked a studio at VGF, however I did not receive a studio as advertised on the DVC website.

 

[cvjw]

Unfortunately, someone has to be in the handicapped villas when dvc is booked to capacity. It was your families turn. If you visit dvc villas frequently enough, you can get some unfortunate villas and views - but someone has to be in them.

However, I do agree with you that it would be nice if you were given the option of knowing you were getting one when you book. that way, you could book somewhere else if you would be inconvenienced too much.

 

[Marionnette]

I feel that it should be made known at time of booking there is a chance of obtaining this type of room. I had no knowledge that some of the studios did not contain the stall showers/pocket door. Copper Creek advertises that some of the studios have different bathroom configurations. . And, yes, I booked a studio at VGF, however I did not receive a studio as advertised on the DVC website.

You got a studio and you got $200 for your inconvenience. Why do you feel that you deserve even more? Personally, I don't see your complaint getting you any additional compensation, but go ahead and contact member satisfaction. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Wow! I had a HA studio at VGF, and got no compensation. I never thought to complain. What would our dues be if everyone got $200! I am truly sorry they gave you so much money.

 

[princesslayla]

Wow! I had a HA studio at VGF, and got no compensation. I never thought to complain. What would our dues be if everyone got $200! I am truly sorry they gave you so much money.

I did not ask for money nor did I complain. I asked to be moved and when he could not move me, he offered me the money. It was a burden not having that separation in the bathroom. We purchased at VGF because of the separate bathroom in the studio. I would have foregone a room at VGF had I know this prior. I feel that member services should make it known that there is a possibility of obtaining this room configuration. I had no idea this configuration existed prior to our stay.

One of my favorite things about disboards is that everyone typically replies in a kind and friendly manner and is able to voice their opinions. This has been my experience for almost 15 years. I do not have thousands of posts, like you, but I truly appreciate disboards when I have a question or concern. While I appreciate your opinion, your response is not very nice and it makes me sad.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Every DVC property has HA villas. Priority is given to those who need the HA in assignment. However, DVC is designed to operate at capacity, and those villas are part of capacity. In the absence of someone who needs an HA villa, someone will get the HA villa.

There is always a possibility of getting the HA configuration, whether via DVC or a cash booking on the resort side. It is the nature of requiring lodging to offer HA lodging.

This is the kind of thing that I'm not surprised they don't "warn" about, because it's just operations. Somewhere in the lodging contract even for DVC they reserve the right to just reassign you totally, as well. There has to be -- if a toilet explodes in a studio at VGF because someone's kid tried to flush their toy monorail and they're full up (as they so often are), someone's gonna get displaced.

 

[disneynutz]

All resorts have HC rooms and we run the risk of getting one even if we don't need it. HC rooms are a booking category but if there are HC rooms not booked, the room assigners will change your reservation and assign you an HC room.

Bill

 

[VrBchJ]

I've gotten HA/ADA rooms at BWV several times. I always ask to change rooms because I really don't like the layout of the rooms. Front desk always tells me there are no other rooms available and they send me on my way. This is my one request for every reservation at every resort. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

 

[LisaS]

When we checked in last week, we were assigned a handicapped accessible room, which we did not request nor did we need.

On our very first stay at our home resort (BWV), we were assigned an HA studio that we did not request or need. It was a very inconvenient room -- no storage in the bathroom, no wall safe and a wardrobe instead of the usual large closet in the room. The wardrobe was fully loaded with the vacuum cleaner, ironing board, iron, and a pack'n'play. In order to hang up some clothes we had to unload all that heavy stuff and pile it up in one corner of the room. It kind of ruins the magic when you have a vacuum cleaner and ironing board sitting out in your room all week! We did go back to the front desk after first seeing the room and asked to be moved but it was early December and the resort was fully booked. I knew from reading these boards that we all must be prepared to "take our turn" in an HA room so we dealt with it. We improvised as best we could to make the room work for us and we didn't let it ruin our stay.

What did upset me was how poorly those rooms would work for someone who actually needs an HA room. No storage in the bathroom yet there was plenty of room to install a few shelves. No place to hang clothes without unloading a bunch of large, heavy items and even then, the hangers were too high to be reachable from a wheelchair. No safe. Why? There was nothing "accessible" about those rooms except for the roll-in shower. Everything else was awkward and inconvenient. I hope that in one of the recent refurbishments at BWV, Disney has made some improvements to those rooms. There is no reason for the HA rooms to be so undesirable.

OP, I'm sorry you didn't get the room you were expecting but as you can tell from the responses, it has happened to many of us.

 

[Gizmo74]

We were there last week and got a ha room at Poly Villas. The only thing that made me realize it was a ha room was the automatic door. The door was so heavy to open and forced us to push the the button to open door. If you forced it close, the door would reopen. So we had to wait for the door to close on its own which took forever. I agree with above and was shocked at how poorly the ha rooms were equipped for someone that really needed it. I guess for future you can always request not to have that type of room.

 

[supersnoop]

We got an HA studio there, too. But I didn't realize it until we got home. Instead, I was simply shocked at the terrible layout. The HA room I got wasn't even identified as one on the VGF room thread here.

 

[Dean]

Wow! I had a HA studio at VGF, and got no compensation. I never thought to complain. What would our dues be if everyone got $200! I am truly sorry they gave you so much money.

No one should, it's part of the cost and risk of a timeshare. And that's from one who'd generally rather not go than have one.

 

[bumbershoot]

Wow! I had a HA studio at VGF, and got no compensation. I never thought to complain. What would our dues be if everyone got $200! I am truly sorry they gave you so much money.

All you have to do is question or comment on the situation and $200 is where they start. You don't even have to ask for it.


I'm actually astonished that the HA room had a tub shower!!! How is that accessible? It's not like HA rooms I've been put in (the first of which being the time we learned that they just throw $200 at you if you ask about it). In fact the actual problem with the first HA room we had was that there was no tub! I was much heavier, my feet were thinking about developing PF, and I had to soak in Epsom salts or I couldn't move the next day. Not having that tub literally made me sob as I stood there with feet feeling like someone was hammering my feet.

So I'm surprised.


On that first trip, as we waited for our new room to be ready the next day, I learned that the HA rooms seem to be very specific in scope. I met a grown mother-daughter pair; one had a scooter so they booked the HA room. It had a single King bed. It barely had room for the scooter. And they didn't need the roll in shower. They were unhappy. When I see posts about people wanting HA rooms now I try to make sure they actually need them.

 

[crisi]

We've also had one. It was our first trip. It wasn't a terribly convenient room - since it was our first trip we didn't realize how different it was until our next trip. But its part of owning a timeshare.

As a member and a shareholder, I think its a bad use of dues or profits to give $200 in compensation to members for the inconvenience. But I don't blame anyone who takes it if its offered, just the corporation for offering.

 

[bumbershoot]

As a member and a shareholder, I think its a bad use of dues or profits to give $200 in compensation to members for the inconvenience.

Our first time with this being offered (second time had nothing to do with HA) it was from the front desk staff at Jambo house (we were staying dvc there). So I'm not sure who was paying for it.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

When we checked in last week, we were assigned a handicapped accessible room, which we did not request nor did we need. I visited the front desk and informed the cast member that we had no shower stall or drawers under the bed for our clothing. Our bathroom consisted of the shower/tub combo, vanity and toilet in one room. This was an issue for us as we were counting on the two showers and the separation each provided.

The cast member informed me there were no other rooms available and awarded me a $200 room credit. Yes, this was unexpected and welcomed. However, I was still bummed as I used my points for this room for the "bathroom benefit". I chose not to press the issue any further as I did not want to upset the kids or my husband.

Does anyone know if have any further action against DVC? i.e. point refund? Has anyone experienced a similar issue?

A little study on DVC will inform you that the HA rooms are part of all the rooms sold at the resort - they are not out of the rotation. They are required to be assigned when either booked or held until last in case they are needed, but they will not go unassigned as the points were sold to them in the pool of point at the resort just like all the other villas. It will always be a risk and not something that you will get compensated for on a regular basis nor should be. The larger villas are the only way to guarantee bathroom separation although at VGF that means moving all the way up to a 2BR as the 1BR bathroom config provides just a single shower.

What did upset me was how poorly those rooms would work for someone who actually needs an HA room. .

Whomever designed HA rooms in the older resorts did not truly understand needs - they are some of the worst in many ways. Even the new resorts have issues. PVB - the microwave is up on a shelf that a wheelchair bound person could never hope to reach. My DSis can at least stand but still couldn't even come close to it. VGF - a rather large lip at the bathroom threshold because they used the same "marble" thresholds that are quite high. And the list can go on - some simple things and some really ridiculous like no bathroom storage in the older HA bathrooms. IMO if they had been better designed it might no be so onerous for non-HA needing guests to stay in them.

All you have to do is question or comment on the situation and $200 is where they start. You don't even have to ask for it.


I'm actually astonished that the HA room had a tub shower!!! How is that accessible? It's not like HA rooms I've been put in (the first of which being the time we learned that they just throw $200 at you if you ask about it). In fact the actual problem with the first HA room we had was that there was no tub! I was much heavier, my feet were thinking about developing PF, and I had to soak in Epsom salts or I couldn't move the next day. Not having that tub literally made me sob as I stood there with feet feeling like someone was hammering my feet.

So I'm surprised.


On that first trip, as we waited for our new room to be ready the next day, I learned that the HA rooms seem to be very specific in scope. I met a grown mother-daughter pair; one had a scooter so they booked the HA room. It had a single King bed. It barely had room for the scooter. And they didn't need the roll in shower. They were unhappy. When I see posts about people wanting HA rooms now I try to make sure they actually need them.

Not everyone needs the same things. In some cases a tub is needed, not a roll in shower or it might be some other requirement. When booking an HA room they differentiate mostly on the bathroom side whether it's an accessible tub or a roll in shower.

 

[bumbershoot]

Not everyone needs the same things. In some cases a tub is needed, not a roll in shower or it might be some other requirement. When booking an HA room they differentiate mostly on the bathroom side whether it's an accessible tub or a roll in shower.

Oh I definitely know. But does Disney, lol?