NEWS: Disney's Beach Club Villas announces new check-in process

[TrvlPrincess]

saw this in the DVC Members website: Nice! Has anyone try it yet?

LATEST NEWS
Disney's Beach Club Villas announces new check-in process
Having tested a Member check-in location in the lobby of Disney's Beach Club Villas since August 2007, resort leaders have announced that, effective June 1, 2008, all Members and Guests staying at Disney's Beach Club Villas will check in at the front desk of the adjacent Disney's Beach Club Resort.

The move once again establishes a single, consistent check-in location serving both Disney's Beach Club Resort and Disney's Beach Club Villas.

[carolina_yankee]

Hmmm. It sounds like the check-in trial didn't work and they're going back to the old way. I liked the new system - you go straight to the lobby of BCV, you were greeted and seated in a parlor with TV and refreshments. They took your Credit Card and processed the paper work while you relaxed and waited. I imagine it was like a concierge level check-in elsewhere.

If I'm reading the notice right, they are doing away with that and going back to the old system of checking in at the main Beach Club Resort desk, which removes some of the 'special' from the DVC experience.

Dirk

[Blue&Gold]

Hmmm. It sounds like the check-in trial didn't work and they're going back to the old way. I liked the new system - you go straight to the lobby of BCV, you were greeted and seated in a parlor with TV and refreshments. They took your Credit Card and processed the paper work while you relaxed and waited. I imagine it was like a concierge level check-in elsewhere.

If I'm reading the notice right, they are doing away with that and going back to the old system of checking in at the main Beach Club Resort desk, which removes some of the 'special' from the DVC experience.

Dirk

Nice how they package this like it is good news...

[carolina_yankee]

Nice how they package this like it is good news...

It's possible that it eases customer confusion about where to go for assistance. The BCV lobby check-in only operated limited hours - about 10 - 6, I think. I enquired at the BCV check-in about BCV guest laundry (no bags in rooms ) and was told to go to front desk at BC. There was also a credit snafu on the last day, so I went to lobby check-in and was sent to BC front desk to resolve. Both were painless and fast, but it wasn't clear that BCV lobby check-in handled just that: check-in.

Dirk

[harmrose22]

It's possible that it eases customer confusion about where to go for assistance. The BCV lobby check-in only operated limited hours - about 10 - 6, I think. I enquired at the BCV check-in about BCV guest laundry (no bags in rooms ) and was told to go to front desk at BC. There was also a credit snafu on the last day, so I went to lobby check-in and was sent to BC front desk to resolve. Both were painless and fast, but it wasn't clear that BCV lobby check-in handled just that: check-in.

Dirk

I could definitely see where that would cause confusion. It seems kind of pointless to have people there only for check-in purposes.

[norm&linda]

What we found was that they weren't able to make and change dining reservations - that would have been a big help. And there seemed to be two or three cast members on duty throughout the day, who didn't do much more than greet.

We ended up going to the main resort check in to get info a few times.

[lats118]

We've used the BCV lobby check-in a few times and found it very convenient; sorry to see they're going back to the BC lobby check-in. The CMs at the BCV were able to easily find us a room in the location we requested and last visit, even though the room wasn't ready, told us the first 2 digits of the room number so we had a good idea of where the room was. They also helped us with printing out our airline boarding passes.

Of course these things can (and will be) handled by the BC check-in, but the CMs at the BCV seemed to be experts. Previously when we dealt with the CMs at the BC, they always seemed to have some issues during the check-in process. Not that they were bad, it just appeared that the CMs at the BCV were more efficient and were 'specialists'.

Another thing I'll miss is the short walk to the BCV check-in from the parking lot. We always rent a car and it was nice having the check-in so close. If the room was ready we could quickly get back to the car to get our luggage and run up to our room.

[mamiamjo]

We are arriving on May 31 with a one day points ressie and then are staying on for another week with an II exchange.
We would like to be able to stay in the same unit for the whole 8 days if possible. Will we have to check out and back in on June 1st? If we have to do that, should we just check in on teh 31st at the BC lobby or would the BCV check in still be OK on the 31st and then the BC lobby on the 1st?

Thanks,
Mike

[JimP]

We are arriving on May 31 with a one day points ressie and then are staying on for another week with an II exchange.
We would like to be able to stay in the same unit for the whole 8 days if possible. Will we have to check out and back in on June 1st? If we have to do that, should we just check in on teh 31st at the BC lobby or would the BCV check in still be OK on the 31st and then the BC lobby on the 1st?

Thanks,
Mike

Mike,

I generally do the same as you... have split reservations between using my precious DVC points... and my inexpensive inbound II exchanges.

In my experience... the resort will be happy to work with you so that you do not have to switch rooms... BUT they can only do so IF both of the reservations are for the same room code.

For example... I was at OKW in Jan in a 1BR (DW and I)... followed by our two daughters joining us for a 2nd week in a 2BR. OKW could NOT assign us into a 1BR and then open the door for the 2nd BR... because the 2BR reservation through II was for a dedicated 2BR unit.

The exact same situation last year at BWV resulted in us being able to simply "open the connecting door" on the day of our room change.

For this upcoming Dec/Jan trip... we have a 2BR dedicated SSR reservation followed by a dedicated SSR 2BR II exchange. I suspect that the resort will work with us to allow us to remain in our room (based on past experience)... but there is no guarantee.

In any case... at the transition... you will technically move out and in... clear your bill, and receive new room keys.

BTW: This can be a benefit if you want to use DDP for only some days ;)

/Jim

[rlcarmichael]

How about a MEMBER ONLY line for DVC check in at the main desk? It would be pretty quick as most of us know the drill!

[PolyColleen]

We check in June 8th. I was looking forward to the separate Villas check-in. I guess this way we'll get to see Art sooner.

[vtstarr]

We are arriving on May 31 with a one day points ressie and then are staying on for another week with an II exchange.
We would like to be able to stay in the same unit for the whole 8 days if possible. Will we have to check out and back in on June 1st? If we have to do that, should we just check in on teh 31st at the BC lobby or would the BCV check in still be OK on the 31st and then the BC lobby on the 1st?

Thanks,
Mike

How does one get an II exchange into Disney? I assume not using DVC points - do those who do it have another II timeshare?? Or use an II getaway?

[JimP]

How does one get an II exchange into Disney? I assume not using DVC points - do those who do it have another II timeshare?? Or use an II getaway?

Yes... we use other timeshares to trade into DVC. It goes very nicely along with owning DVC points.

/Jim

[jadejazzkayla]

i checked into bcv june 1st. the bellman must have used a radio to tell someone i was there.

we were met before the sliding doors by a manager who said "welcome home mr and mrs halle". he then brought us inside to a waiting checkin person. very impressive and very smooth.

[mamiamjo]

We had a great stay at BCV last week.
It was nice to be able to check in at BCV on May 31st. i'm sorry to see that they closed off that ability (probably to save some labor costs?). There were 4 CMs in the BCV lobby on the morning of the 31st.
They had me in different units for the two parts of my stay. They were able to get me in the same unit for the whole week, but they had to call BC desk twice to get it straight:innocent:
The good news was that the morning of the second part of my stay, I woke up to find a new set of keys had been delivered underneath the door and I didn't have to go to the BC lobby for anything:dancingba

Mike

[kimberh]

When we checked in last Dec, the bellman sent us to the front desk, they were getting ready to close. Maybe this will just make things easier. The front desk was probably still been handling a lot of DVC check ins.

[JimP]

In the dozen's of trips that my family has made to the Y&BC hotel... the check-in process has always been flawless. When I joined DVC, I was really surprised to hear so many complaints... and wondered why DVC members were so dissapointed.

Then we made our first DVC trip to BCV... and once again... the check-in process was identical to being a guest at the hotels... with the exception of the "welcome home" greeting.

If there is a problem... I have not seen it, and we have gone to the Y&BC nearly every year since 1991.

/Jim

[lenshanem]

I loved the BCV check-in. Gave me a choice in rooms - that was the first time that has happened to me there! They actually made dining reservations for me, too...

[PolyColleen]

We checked in on the 8th and it was very smooth. A young man met me at the front door and said "Welcome Home" and escorted me to the front desk. I am not really sure how he knew I was a DVC person... Maybe they greet everyone checking in now? I had not spoken to the bell person yet.

Hazel, who has worked there forever, was at the front desk and was very nice. My parents were joining us in their own studio a few days later and she worked with the computer to assure our rooms would be close together. A day later when I went through the lobby she called out to me by name. It made me feel great.

When my parents checked in, all her efforts had been undone and my poor Mom got stuck in a HC studio nowhere near my room. In fact they told my Mom to her face that the room was NOT a HC room. It was a weird room... The counter was set up so that you had to put appliances on the floor to use the otheres (Mom tried to make toast and had to remove the hot coffee maker). It had the low bed, no closet, no space for toiletries in the bathroom but it had a tub -- with bars -- so I guess they say it is "not HC?" My parents found the room very inconvenient (we devised a table in the bathroom by laying the travel-size ironing board over the folding suitcase rack) and my Mom stopped at the desk to complain about being lied to about the HC room... Where they basically told her "That room is no different than others except for the bar in the tub" and that "We have never had a complaint about that room before." I actually think perhaps the jokers at the front desk have never BEEN in these rooms? Mom and I could not figure out exactly who would benefit from such a room. Someone actually IN a wheelchair could NOT get into that tub and no one NOT in a wheelchair could make any sense of that room...

They are working hard to greet you and make check-in nice but they will lie to your face about the room and you really have to be relentless in questioning them: Does this room have a closet? Does this room have a counter in the bathroom? Does this room have a bar in the tub? Is the bed low? Only through strict interrogation can you find out what the room really is. So bottom line is I think all the nicey-nicey stuff may be just there to lull you into a false sense of security!

BCV is gorgeous and the pool is fabulous and we had a wonderful time.

[Daitcher]

BCV is gorgeous and the pool is fabulous and we had a wonderful time.



Not to mention that fantastic location!


DAVE