"Good" units in OKW

[sueg]

I'm going to complain, then I'll ask a question. We are long-time OKW owners. The last two trips, I've been unhappy with the units that we received. In Dec., DH & I were in a studio in Building 27. Music, specifically Christmas music, played all night long & it interrupted our sleep.
We just returned from a week long stay in a 2BD #4926. I did not like this unit because the lock-off bedroom bordered on the highway and DSs heard traffic noise all night. The unit was not in good shape. The shower dial was loose and water dripped constantly. We were shorted one towel. Now I know it's only one towel, but seven towels for 4 peoples just doesn't work. Also, as I said, we are long time owners & I remember when the towels were "colorful" "fluffy" and unlimited, so the towel stinginess irks me. This trip, the trash & tidy crew left our stack of freshly-laundered towels, but in Dec. they took them.
My question is: Aside my my standard request of top floor, am I the only person who doesn't make special requests & is this why we seem to be getting less desirable locations?
OKW is our home resort - we book far in advance and always check-in early in the day. None of that seems to insure prime units. Should I be adding special requests or can I just say that we don't want to be in #4926 again?

 

[Chuck S]

As a long-time OKW owner, we've stayed in every general area of the resort...and we have our likes and dislikes..but the rooms have always been fine. Depending upon weather conditions and private events at parks, etc, you can, unfortunately, get the music almost anywhere. There seems to be no rhyme or reason.

But if you really don't like a particular area of the resort, I would request the area you do like. Certainly the coral colored towels were changed to white because of bleaching/sterilization and fading. If you want them to leave fresh towels, without removing the other towels on trash/towel or housekeeping days...just throw them in the washer or dryer that morning.

 

[Simba's Mom]

I'm going to complain, then I'll ask a question. We are long-time OKW owners. The last two trips, I've been unhappy with the units that we received. In Dec., DH & I were in a studio in Building 27. Music, specifically Christmas music, played all night long & it interrupted our sleep.
We just returned from a week long stay in a 2BD #4926. I did not like this unit because the lock-off bedroom bordered on the highway and DSs heard traffic noise all night. The unit was not in good shape. The shower dial was loose and water dripped constantly. We were shorted one towel. Now I know it's only one towel, but seven towels for 4 peoples just doesn't work. Also, as I said, we are long time owners & I remember when the towels were "colorful" "fluffy" and unlimited, so the towel stinginess irks me. This trip, the trash & tidy crew left our stack of freshly-laundered towels, but in Dec. they took them.
My question is: Aside my my standard request of top floor, am I the only person who doesn't make special requests & is this why we seem to be getting less desirable locations?
OKW is our home resort - we book far in advance and always check-in early in the day. None of that seems to insure prime units. Should I be adding special requests or can I just say that we don't want to be in #4926 again?

Also, different people have different levels of sleep and so may or may not hear things. When you mentioned the music, I was reminded of a stay we had in Building 32 or 33 (can't remember which). DH was up complaining about hearing the calypso music at night. Apparently, he even called the front desk to complain because he couldn't sleep, he said it was so loud. Meanwhile, I slept-music, what music? And one year he insisted the "singing frogs" kept him awake. So we just ask for an upper floor, non-smoking. And DH always likes it-even if the singing frogs keep him awake.

 

[OKW Lover]

We've stayed in just about every area of OKW. We've enjoyed just about all of them (except for a studio that was too near a curve in the road leading to the South Point area that was way too noisy) but we do have a preference.

We usually specify the Turtle Pond area. Building 35 is convenient because it is across the street from the bus stop. A short walk, but far enough away not to be bothered by noise.

 

[joepoe]

We've stayed in just about every area of OKW. We've enjoyed just about all of them (except for a studio that was too near a curve in the road leading to the South Point area that was way too noisy) but we do have a preference.

We usually specify the Turtle Pond area. Building 35 is convenient because it is across the street from the bus stop. A short walk, but far enough away not to be bothered by noise.

We've enjoyed OKW since 96. We did get a unit near the highway and had to listen to Disney transportation zoom by at regular intervals. I travel on business a lot and I always carry earplugs just in case there is noise. Sometimes it is people who stay up late upstairs with kiddies who run back and forth, or a noisy washer and dryer upstairs. You never know.

 

[cdnsluvdisney]

Last year we went to OKW and checked in early. They told us at that time there wasn't much of a selection. After a red-eye flight we were so tired and didn't want to wait until 4:00 to see what better selection they had. When we got to our assigned room, we could hear the highway noise and the bus making its stops. We called the front desk right away and told them we weren't happy with the location and they switched us to a better room right away. We're going back at Christmas, spending time in a Grand Villa.

 

[Caskbill]

Some of the traffic noise is worse than in the past because the hurricanes a few years ago took out a lot of the trees that previously acted as a buffer.

I really liked the 'original' beige (pinkish) Key West colors towels. I don't know if they switched because too many of them grew legs and walked, or if it was a laundry issue, or what. Anyway, we now get the standard, bland, white towels.

 

[living la vida mickey]

As for locations, usually we're given a choice of several. As for being shorted a towel, did you bother to call mousekeeping and let them know? They would have brought one over right away. As for the loose and dripping shower head, did you call maintenance? They have always been on the ball when we've had a problem in any of our rooms and have taken care of them immediately. I don't understand the complaints if you didn't ask to have these issues taken care of. Did you and they weren't? That would be a different situation. If the music only bothered one of the family then the ear plug idea is a good one. Hope that your next trip is better.

 

[MiaSRN62]

We usually book our OKW villa about 6 months in advance and go during the summer (mostly). Our only requests of late, have been N/S and "water view". We check-in early (usually 10-11 am) and so far for the past 3 years, we've had a choice of at least 3 different locations (2 bedrooms the last 2 years and a 1 bedroom 3 years ago). Last year, we were given the choice of 30, 34 or 38 and told "sorry...no water views available". We chose 34 and got in to our room immediately and were pleasently suprised to have a water view. The other most recent stays have been #45 and #62. Loved both these locations. Maybe our time is coming for a less-than-desirable location, but so far everything, including the room condition, has been terrific. The only problem we had, was the sofa bed in 34 was the old style and very uncomfortable. It actually sat crooked on the floor. I told OKW front desk as well as emailed MS when we got home.

 

[SueM in MN]

As for locations, usually we're given a choice of several. As for being shorted a towel, did you bother to call mousekeeping and let them know? They would have brought one over right away. As for the loose and dripping shower head, did you call maintenance? They have always been on the ball when we've had a problem in any of our rooms and have taken care of them immediately. I don't understand the complaints if you didn't ask to have these issues taken care of. Did you and they weren't? That would be a different situation. If the music only bothered one of the family then the ear plug idea is a good one. Hope that your next trip is better.

When we get there, we always go thru and try all the lights to make sure they work. We also call right away for things like loose or dripping shower heads.
We've never not had something fixed right away. We are usually profusely thanked by both the person we call it in to and the person who comes to fix it. Housekeeping should be finding some of the things (like dripping shower head), but may find it and forget to call it in. Other things (like lights) might not be turned on by Housekeeping.
Anyway, we've always gotten things fixed if we reported them.

If you want them to leave fresh towels, without removing the other towels on trash/towel or housekeeping days...just throw them in the washer or dryer that morning.

We do that too.

 

[drakethib]

I never understood the problems people have with towel shortages.

When in a one bdr we chunk them in the washer. No biggie. Even then if we need more or if staying in a studio, we ask a Mousekeeper who is near if we could get a few more and they have always given us a couple more (and were rewarded with a tip for their trouble). This goes for anything else that we may need or want (paper plates, washing powder, etc.)

Should we have to tip to get more towels?, probably not, is it worth a few bucks to me to not have to worry about the small things in life and to help out someone who is usually overworked and underpaid? Absolutely.

Disney magic works both ways sometimes.