posted 05-15-2005 09:30               

As theirs are Sunday checkin's in the 2 bedroom sleeps 8 configuration, I'm now starting to panic with these exchanges because my friends are accustomed to nice vacations and I don't want them incovenienced by poor housekeeping, biting insects in the beds, old shopworn accomodations with tobacco smells (and obviously coming back at me with their complaints). Should I be searching around for other properties for them at this late date???

help!

------------------
Barb

posted 05-15-2005 11:35            

My extended family and I trded into OLCC the last weekend in April. Our unit did smell of cigarettes but we bought some Oust and left the windows open for a day and it was fine. Aside from that, we were very pleased with our unit as well as my neice's (hers had not problems at all). Even though we were in an older unit (the furniture was not new, the appliances were a few years old), we thought it was a very nice place. My expeience with the staff was also good - check-in, check-out and maintenance were all polite and quick.

When I read reviews, I try to keep things in perspective - some folks just can't be made happy, others dwell on the negative, others just like to complain. Read them all (in the case of OLCC, a lot) and try to get a "sense" of them. We found OLCC to be delightful and I suspect that your friends will too.

As an aside, we stayed at the Legacy Golf Resort in February. When I read the reviews, there were several "negative" ones, including one about the bad neghborhood it was near. In a nutshell, this was one of the nicest, well-kept resorts we have ever visited...and we never saw the "bad" neighborhood. It's all persepective.

Hope it all works out for you.

Judi Z

posted 05-15-2005 12:26               

OL has the most aggressive refurbishing schedule I've personally seen, but we all know that some people check into a unit and have the domestic manners of a pig. They figure..."hey I don't own it so who cares if my 2 year old spills liquid and squashes food all over the place."

How many times have you seen this in a restaurant....ie....a table that looks like a nuclear explosion happened on it and around it....with the tell tale sign of a couple of high chairs surrounding the table.

I personally have yet to check into any OL unit that I considered to have "bad housekeeping". I'm not saying it hasn't happened, but I know it's rare.

You need to read alot of the reviews...and you will see that overwhelminly...the majority of the reviews are glowing. Relax....your family and friends will have a wonderful time, and if they can't find anything to do "onsite"...well let's just say they can't be pleased anywhere.

posted 05-15-2005 12:40               

I gave a family of 6 a unit to use about 8 years ago. After their week there they stayed in a unit at Vistana that we had vacated for 3 days. They liked Vistana but enjoyed Orange Lake more.

I don't think the units at OLCC are as nice as some (mainly HGVC) but I can't imagine anyone being unhappy with them.

posted 05-15-2005 18:40               

Mike and I stayed at OL a few years ago, when you and David and Mike and Nancy were there as well. We loved the Tennis Villas. Having said that, my brother and sister-in-law were there in February and stayed in the two-story villas on Kem Way. We visited and were surprised to find their unit dark and dingy. I was not impressed with these tired-looking units. I hear that the new section is very nice. I'm not sure if it is East or North Village.

posted 05-15-2005 19:57               

quote:

---

Originally posted by Dana123me:
I was given a exchange into the cottages Aug-04. Room 2124. It was the worst, spiders 4 times. Patio table rusted and upside down. Not to mention our unit overlooked 192, light fixture in the foyer missing glass, and a wheelchair in the dining room.
I could go on but will not.

---

Mary....your description sounds horrific! As a very involved owner, I'm quite obviously upset. Did you happen to immediately call back down to the front desk? Or head right back up to the office and discuss the units condition?

I just cannot imagine OL deliberately placing a guest in a unit in that kind of condition. It sounds to me like this unit was actually not being used, and was on the refurbishing schedule. But somehow, the unit had not been pulled from the reservation system.

posted 05-16-2005 06:53               

The problem with reviews is they tend to be more subjective based on the reviewer experience and background. For instance, someone new to timeshare with limited experince in TS units but has spent nights mostly in Motel 6, Days Inn's or Comfort Suites will be bowled over by any TS resort. On the other hand someone new to TS who is accustomed to accomadations at the Ritz/Carlton, JW Marriott's or any other upscale hotel with tend to be more critical about the condition of the unit, amenities and service.

I sometimes think it would be helpful in the reviews if we could have a brief history of the reviewers TS background. Things like # of exchanges completed and number of years owning. I know my first reviews were more glowing and subjective and my more recent reviews have been more objective and critical. Of course, my background prior to timesharing was not taking vacations and when we did go somewhere, I'd rent the cheapest room available rather than plusher accomadations. For instance, the year we purchased into our first timeshare, we were staying at the Riviera in Vegas rather than one of the newer, nicer resorts in the middle of the strip.

Of course, objective statements like the number of spiders killed, balcony table turned upside down and rusting and light fixtures missing will always draw my attention. It wouldn't matter if this was someone on thier first exchange or 300th exchange. Things like that just aren't acceptable for anyone.

posted 05-16-2005 13:39            

I did not like the fact there are NO towel bars/hooks/shelves whatsoever within reach of the shower in the MB. No shelves inside it either (where do you people put your soap and shampoo bottle? On the floor?!) The bath itself was huge and beautiful, and the towels were folded into such pretty shapes! But, really, not a place to hang a towel or set a razor????

The screened porch was smallish, but nice. The pool was huge. One smile was the "no diving" signs posted at every pool, including the FLAT CONCRETE fountain area. (The kind where the water jets up out of the "ground"...I can't imagine anyone thinking that diving was even an option there. There wasn't even an indention holding standing water)

posted 05-16-2005 23:22               

I will have to tell my friends to arrive early on the Sunday if possible and ask about unit availability in the North and East Village. As dougp (?) said, it will all depend on their experiences with accomodations before - if they have Ritz Carlton expectations then it won't be good, however if they go with Comfort Inn expectations and treat it like an adventure then it will hopefully turn out okay. The pools and the grounds should still be attractive for all visitors.

posted 05-17-2005 07:16               

I will admit though that I have hesitated to trade into OLCC because of the big difference in reviews or to even send friends to the resort. To me a truly Gold Crown resort maintains that status no matter which section you are assigned or whethor you are an owner or exchanger. If units are in need of refurbishing that badly, they should be taken out of inventory. I have also heard the same types of comments from Vistana exchangers regarding the section you are assigned makes or breaks your stay. I hestitate to trade there also. I am very happy that I have been successfull in getting trades into onsite Disney so far (we go in slow times), so I don't need to decide which off site resort to stay at. But, even onsite Disney has complaints about room locations, etc. So I guess no resort is perfect. I just keep reminding my kids that my first trip to Disney wasn't until I was 23 years old and I paid for it myself and I stayed at a COMFORT INN and I LIKED IT. It is amazing how spoiled we get. Recently I was just thrilled to get a trade into a one bedroom Disney's Old Key West and my 11 year old daughter told me she wasn't going because it wasn't a 2 bedroom - we will be sending her a postcard - lol.

Bugs of any kind I would have a very hard time tolerating, especially that close to my sleeping area. The recent posts about bed bugs really give me the hives just thinking about them.

One last comment, I think that alot of our friends tend to have higher expectations when we send them to our timeshares. We are always so excited about our vacations and staying in timeshares that it can't help but pump them up. This excitement then leads to higher than normal expectations that can't help but disappoint.

Just some of my thoughts this beautiful May morning.

Lisa

posted 05-17-2005 10:12               

I have yet to see a Comfort Inn offer all that. Heck, I have yet to see a Ritz Carlton offer all that.

posted 05-17-2005 13:43               

In addition to the unclean unit, there were many maintenance issues which did get resolved, but not too quickly.

We did not see any bugs.

We also did not ask to be moved because they gave us a thorough clean as soon as we noticed the problems, and the maintenance issues were not enough to make us move and risk the same thing elsewhere. However, if there had been bugs we definitely would have moved!!

I probably wouldn't stay at OLCC again with all of the other choices available, but if I were sending someone there, I would just tell them to check the unit thoroughly and insist on a different one if they are dissatisfied.

posted 05-17-2005 16:11               

I did wipe down and thoroughly clean the bedside and phone as I thought there may be some invisible food residue there from the last visitors attracting the ants.

We didn't ask to be moved as figure stuff like that could happen any unit, any resort. It was disconcerting, but not a big deal.

The facilities weren't a big deal for us as our kids are happy with any place with a pool and playground. If we ever make it back to Orlando, we'd try a different resort.

quote:

---

Originally posted by mjasp:
OK Insect issues are entirely different than if your unit is dated or not. Getting a note left in my room that there will be an increase in insects would have had me with my luggage at the check in desk asking (politely, at first) for a bugless unit, and I have to also say that I would NOT stand for ants in my bedroom either. I can deal with older units etc etc, I have no problem with any unit (old or new) that is clean and BUGLESS.

Did you guys ask them to switch your villa?

---

posted 05-18-2005 02:33               

We have ants at home, too. I saw some this morning. We even have trouble with them in our van from time to time (which is why we had spray along with us) because of where we park it near the woods.

posted 05-18-2005 08:41               

As far as OL goes...we always go in the early spring, and again by the first part of June, and a few more times in the fall. We've not had ants or any kind of bugs for that matter in our units, but maybe that's because of the time in which we travel.

posted 05-18-2005 17:55               

I do know that ants are a problem in Florida year round, my cousin lives in Daytona Beach and she deals with them and spiders constantly. Eeeeeuuuu!

posted 05-19-2005 05:58               

When we were there in January the bug guys were very prevalent. They came out trying to trap big spiders. Then the entire resort got sprayed, a putrid smelling something-or-other, all outside. All the grounds and the exteriors of all the buildings.

It could be possible that all of the construction has displaced a lot of God's creatures. The new road is cutting right through the resort and the resort golf course is being reconfigured to accomododate it. The road is on formerly undeveloped land which would have been full of little critters and since the golf course is torn up at the same time, they couldn't just go there.

The construction in the East Village and water park are a ways away, but those critters have to go somewhere too.

I'll be going away again now.