Our 1st 24 hours at Orange Lake CC

[Carl D]

Do you really think a tube costs $960.00?

LOL! No. That would be quite a tube!
As you point out, I'm sure there is profit built into the numbers. My point was that they do cost something.
The price may off-set some of the liability costs associated with a lazy river. I know, that is passing along the cost of the lazy river, but I don't see that as a big deal.
Many beach resorts charge for cabanas, lounge chairs, umbrellas, wave runners, and so forth.

 

[gjw007]

I know that I am guessing here, but I can't be that far off base:

Let's say the useful life of a tube is about six months. Let's be very conservative and say each tube is only rented 2/3s of the time or 120 days. Do you really think a tube costs $960.00?

This has got to be a HUGE profit center.

Okay, now let's add in the labor cost and the cost of the building. Also, let's use a single unit rather than a double which using this methodology is $5 times 120 or $600. Also, there are other resorts with lazy pools that also charge for the tubes. Disney's SAB charges $10 per day for a single - check it out. There really isn't the windfall that people are making this out to be. Of course, OLCC could pass the cost on to owners, many who many never use the feature, and increase their maintenance fees. The cost has to be recovered somewhere and I'm trying to figure out what is so wrong with having those who use them pay for them rather than passing on the cost to the owners. Can anybody please explain that? It's not like exchangers have to pay while owners don't. Everybody who wishes to rent the tubes has to pay. Now granted, I have stated this before that I would rather they charge less than more but I don't have a problem with charging those who use them. And as has been said many times, there is no charge for using the pool. I never rented a tube last May when I was there and I used the pool all the time (by I also spent a lot of time at the Olympic-size pool in the West Village - I like that pool). There are multiple aspects to this from many perspectives.

 

[timeos2]

The tube questions are overinflated

OIt's not like exchangers have to pay while owners don't. Everybody who wishes to rent the tubes has to pay.

This is a key point. If both exchangers AND owners have to pay the fee then the resort isn't "double dipping". While that still leaves a fee on the table it is optional (no one has to use a tube or even the lazy river for that matter) and it isn't being forced on owners who don't want it.

The only down side is trying to say it's a feature of the resort. If you have to pay it's not a feature but an available option at a cost. Since the rest of the pool complex apparently is free for any guest to use and only the optional extras of the tubes and also the cabanas - those aren't an expected amenity at any resort I'm aware of - it seems this approach is fair. For the heat they take you'd think OL management would either allow private floatation devices or make the resort supplied ones free but that is their choice to make. In this case I don't have any problem with a charge to all for the tubes or the cabana's. If you use it you pay guest or owner. That sounds fair to me.

 

[timetraveler]

you beat me to it Gary. :rofl: A bit scary, but I would have said the same thing. And we also used RI in June, but did not get in the lazy river.

Oh, and I forgot to add, we are really looking forward to trying the new restaurant. It opened a couple of days after we left in June, and I've heard the food is awesome.

 

[Jeni]

Checking back in...

We opted not to move. I wanted to, but the rest of our group did not want to pack up all of our stuff, the baby, and all of our groceries. So we stayed, especially since we had my brother driving in from Tampa that same night.

Re: WHO said we must tour RI, I will ask my husband- he checked us in.

Housekeeping did come pick up the wet towels and some loose trash they left in front of our unit, but not the brillo pads and eggshells, salt packets, etc. My issue is that none of the employees seem to take any pride in stewardship of the resort, just the "not-my-job-someone-else-should-do-it" mentality.

Our dryer broke, as did the jetted tub, and a roof leak started. We are in unit 3822 in the North Village, periwinkle blue walls. Furnishings look new/good shape. The dryer was replaced and tub fixed within an hour of us reporting it. Disappointed they said they could not repair the leak right now. However, it is not a major one...some seeping from the above unit? It's not hitting the floor, but bubbling and peeling away about a 8 inch diameter circle on the ceiling.

Re: RI, I refuse to pay for a tube. It should be included in part of staying here, as other resorts have already figured out.

I will say, OLCC is quick to respond to complaints, but they are not surprised with the unit issues- there seems to be no preventative maintenance. When the dryer broke and the guy exchanged it, he cleaned out the venting, saying, "yeah, this happens all the time"- well, if you know that cleaning the vents fixes the issue, why not maintain the vents? It also appears that they need to have some pest control methods in place, if not already. I expect bugs in Florida, not ants, and now silverfish, in the kitchen.

I will say, our 18 month old LOVES the Splash Lagoon/North Village pools. We are not in a unit by the pools. so we drive. We have not had any problem getting chairs, etc. The bottom of the kiddie pool needs a good scrubbing. No problems using the slide. Very nice woman working in the pool shop. The clock on the tower at the pool is working, but has shown the wrong time (off by hours) for almost the whole week now- again, no sense of pride/responsibility around here.

I'll check in again when we get home. We all agree, the units are large and nice, but we do not think this is a "gold crown" worthy resort. We feel that we are treated better and preventative maintenance is on-going at the Marriott and Fairfield resorts we have stayed at.

 

[lvhmbh]

I exchanged our relatives into OLCC a while ago and they will never go back. I read with interest the owners who can't seem to understand that rather than defend their resort they should be writing letters to their HOA, management company or whatever to see some changes. It is, after all, their investment. Linda

 

[DianeV]

What good is a lazy river if you dont have a tube? This isnt like swimming in the pool and wanting to rent a blown up dolphin to use for your extra enjoyment...I dont see many people just walking around a lazy river

If OL wants to have a lazy river then tubes should come with IMO

 

[ajsmithtx]

...I dont see many people just walking around a lazy river

When were there at the end of May 06, there were a lot of people, walking and swimming around the lazy river, without tubes.

 

[timetraveler]

Well, I will agree that OL is not for you Jeni. From the description, you are in a brand new soft goods refurbished unit in the North Village. A very highly coveted area for owners. It obviously is substandard to you from your report. Your in a unit second only to the brand new RI units.

The appliances are only 6 years old. Everything else is brand new. We were in a new one in June and found it to be gorgeous. Even though my personal preference for the walls is still the pastel yellows or peaches.

When hurricane dennis hit a couple of years ago, we had a pouring leak in the corner of the 3rd bedroom. It didn't ruin our trip or even upset me for that matter. I quickly called maintenance who showed up in minutes. The poor guys...actually he was an engineer. Yes OL has engineers on staff. Anyway, they were just exhausted. The resort definitely received damage.

I was just glad the building was still standing and the power didn't go out. :whoopie:

As far as customer service.....you can't get much more pampered than Four Season's or the Ritz. We frequent both chains regularly. My point, is that I don't compare them to OL. It would'nt be fair to OL. Or for that matter, any other TS, or any other hotel chain, in any city, in any state. LOL

I'm glad your little one loved Splash Lagoon at least. And I'm also glad you will be able to return to Orlando and enjoy the hotel/TS chains of your choice in the future.

 

[SBK]

When were there at the end of May 06, there were a lot of people, walking and swimming around the lazy river, without tubes.

For someone who has never been to OLCC, and is not likely to go for a few years (we moused out in 2004 and won't go back to Orlando for a while), I am having a ball with this thread.

I thought that I read somewhere that one of the purposes of renting the tubes was to control the number of people in the river. If folks can walk and swim at will, that sort of pokes holes in at least one argument for only allowing OLCC tubes in the Lazy River.:whoopie:

 

[Jimster]

HOA

Lvhmbh said complain to the homeowners association about the problems. Not a bad idea and I'm sure it should be done but I think this is indicative of the difference between OLCC and almost everywhere else. That is there is no HOA- there are several HOA. If i recall correctly, there are 7 of them. OLCC is huge. It is not going to work the same way as some quaint little timeshare or even some other bigger TS. OLCC and for that matter Vistana are in a class of their own. I live near Chicago. It would be the same as saying but in my town of 10,000 they handle the problem differently than in Chicago. DUH! Don't get me wrong. OLCC has some warts that need to be fixed but the measuring stick to measure its effectiviness is entirely different than the one used for other resorts. It is the classic case of measuring apples and oranges. What may work in a small resort just doesn't fit as well at OLCC.

 

[timeos2]

Not so different

If i recall correctly, there are 7 of them. OLCC is huge. It is not going to work the same way as some quaint little timeshare or even some other bigger TS. OLCC and for that matter Vistana are in a class of their own.

If thats the case all the more reason there should be multiple ID's for OLCC and thus a separate RCI score for each. It also means that an owner from section x that exchanges his unit should have the guest placed back into section x not y,w,or z since the deposit wasn't from those areas. OLCC is big but, like every other resort that thinks they are "different", they aren't. A resort is a resort. They can vary in size, features, quality, management etc but under it all they are a timeshare just like every other. What would make OLCC different than Westgate? Marriott? Blue Tree? Vistana? Nothing. They all have the same issues just different amounts of owners, units and land they have to handle.

 

[ajsmithtx]

I thought that I read somewhere that one of the purposes of renting the tubes was to control the number of people in the river. If folks can walk and swim at will, that sort of pokes holes in at least one argument for only allowing OLCC tubes in the Lazy River.:whoopie:

One of the purposes is to control the number of tubes, within the complex. When we were there, in May 06, the tubes were sold out on many of the days we were there. People were still walking and swimming the river. Many of the tubes that were rented out, were not being used but were sitting on the deck where people had their lounges, chairs, and etc., while they engaged in other activities within the complex. While we were in our cabana, there were times when our tubes were lying next to us, while the kids swam in the river.

 

[Jeni]

You can add to our list that we woke up this morning to cold showers- the hot water heater died and maintenance cannot seem to figure out the problem as of yet.

 

[Carl D]

You can add to our list that we woke up this morning to cold showers- the hot water heater died and maintenance cannot seem to figure out the problem as of yet.

I know you've had a string of bad luck, and I feel badly for you.
To be fair, some things such as a broken hot water heater can happen at any resort at any time.

Good luck!

 

[timetraveler]

jeepers Jeni. You guys need to throw some salt over your shoulder! It's almost like a little black cloud is following you around just waiting to zap your families fun.

 

[senorak]

I have been to OLCC twice, and my brother was there this past June (based on my recommendation). We have stayed in the West and North Villages. Thankfully, we did not suffer from the problems that Jeni has encountered! However....to trivialize her difficulties..."OL not up to your standards", blame it on damage suffered from hurricanes (if there was such damage, why was the building open to owners/exchangers?), being lied to/misled by the staff.....is ridiculous. :annoyed:

Yes, she has a "choice" whether or not to rent the tube...but all the other problems/difficulties are things that she has absolutely no control over. She did state the positives she has encountered; as well as the negatives. I would hope (at this point) that OLCC would compensate Jeni in some way ---$$ to be spent at the resort, refund exchange fee (working w/ RCI), offer a free visit in the future, etc.

We noticed a change in OLCC on our most recent visit (last summer). Customer service was not at the friendly, positive outlook it was a few years ago. Overcrowding at the pools, "free activities", such as "welcome party" (ran out of food & drink the first hour), were a definite turn off for us. While those difficulties were nothing compared to what Jeni is going through, it does have us rethinking a return to OLCC. We've been there twice; but will probably choose another resort should we return to the Orlando area in the future.

DEB

 

[rickandcindy23]

Marriott does it right!

When Marriott has any problem at all, they acknowledge the problem, move you to their newest units and give you free food! I know because this happened to and for us at Grande Vista. We went away from that entire encounter with a great impression of the entire company. It is what a great company does. It is all about customer service and that attitude that "the customer is always right."

 

[lvhmbh]

Hmmm, I did say whatever for bringing up problems. Just because the place has multiple HOA's doesn't mean owners have no voice. Certainly if staff is surly it should be mentioned at least. As to trivializing Jeni's problems. That's what I meant about owners merely being defensive rather than taking the criticism to their resort's attention. JMHO, Linda

 

[timetraveler]

Hmmm, I did say whatever for bringing up problems. Just because the place has multiple HOA's doesn't mean owners have no voice. Certainly if staff is surly it should be mentioned at least. As to trivializing Jeni's problems. That's what I meant about owners merely being defensive rather than taking the criticism to their resort's attention. JMHO, Linda

Owners definitely have a voice Linda. We have an annual meeting every year that owners can attend. The phase boards are there.

I don't think anyone is trivializing Jeni's problems. A water heater can go out anywhere, anytime. I don't call that a lackluster maintenance issue. It's just life and it happens.

She was also placed in a North Village unit that had just received all new carpeting, drapes, interior paint, sofa, chairs, decorator pillows, stools, kitchen table booth, bedding, bedspreads, pillows and decorating touches. The only thing not new would be the plumbing and appliances. Those would all be 6 years old.

I was in a unit just like hers (only a 3br in June.) It was gorgeous. Well....ok we had a slight headache that afternoon from the smell of fresh paint. We took a couple of tylenol and went off into the Florida sunshine for the rest of the day.

As an owner I have definitely addressed a couple of issues with my home resort with regards to posts here. The ones I address would be staff blatantly telling "untruths", things along those lines.

Ants, or bugs, no....show me one timeshare or home in Florida that doesn't battle them. They are a fact of life in Florida. What someone considers a noisy exhaust fan in the bathroom, someone else may not even consider period. Some trash out front after cleaning the unit, as another family is checking in....is well just trash pick up day to someone else.

Jeni's having in her opinion an awful experience. She's entitled to that opinion. And entitled to voice it.

As an owner, I have to look at the big picture and determine whether I consider it just "one's personal perspective", or something much more serious. And then decide whether or not to voice it to TPTB

 

[J Wayne]

L of OL

jeepers Jeni. You guys need to throw some salt over your shoulder! It's almost like a little black cloud is following you around just waiting to zap your families fun.

Sounds like at Orange Lake it would take a dumptruck full of salt!

As someone else said - these threads are really enjoyable.http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/images/smilies/smile.gif

 

[gjw007]

Sounds like at Orange Lake it would take a dumptruck full of salt!

As someone else said - these threads are really enjoyable.http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/images/smilies/smile.gif

Not really, there is work on resolving problems that are in progress but it takes time. I have never had an issue during any of my stays at OLCC. I don't understand why some people have a lot of problems and others don't have any. Jeni staying in a fairly new section of the resort (1999/2000 were when the units were built). I am also glad that she brought to their maintenance's attention rather that letting it get worse. Currently I am at HGVC I-Drive and stopped by OLCC earlier today. One of the things discussed was random surveys to get an idea of what the guests think. This is something that upper management can look at. If there are multiple comments about something, it probably is occurring and it helps provide a daily metric of the status of the resort and provide guidance on actions that should take place.

Some of the problems are easily fixed but if there is a leak in the roof, it may take more effort than just patching. As an owner, I would rather have it fixed than simiply patching a problem and then forgetting about. Just before I left home, I found some water by the refrigerator After removing the fixture, I found that the floor was deteriorating and further investigation revealed that the water heater was leaking and the water settled at the low spot which was under the refrigeration. Not only do I have to replace the water heater (already done), but I have to tear the floor out (when I get back home) and hope that there is no major structural problem. Things happen, not always good. It would have been much better to see the problem before I did but how many times do people move the refrigeration to check for leaks?

The concerns about the tubes have been heard as well and are being discussed from what I was told. As mentioned here, SAB at Disney Beach Club has a lazy river and they charge $10 per day. It isn't like OLCC is the only one that does. I don't know what the final resolution on the tubes will be but as I mentioned, it is still something that is being discussed at various levels. I haven't made my mind on this as there are strong reasons for both positions although I did state during my discussion at OLCC that the tubes being free might solve a number of issue especially how it is being perceived. We need to consider that it is not being supported out of the owner's maintanance fees. So the choice of funding comes from owners who may never use it or those who choose to use them. As mentioned, the topic is still being discussed with management from what I was told.

 

[Sydney]

Our unit was also not clean when we stayed. We're not fussy by any standard. We also had ants in our unit - in Winter. Maintenance personnel came out to spray the unit. My kids have asthma so I was not pleased but it didn't spoil our stay.

Hygiene is my biggest peeve about any resort. If the unit itself is not clean, I'm not talking about the ants here, I find it very hard to overlook. Gives me the creeps actually when the tub, floor, benches and furniture are dirty like it was in our OLCC unit. I didn't use the hot tub there for this reason.

I thought the decor looked brand new and very nice but I'm not much of a decor person so if it hadn't been new, I wouldn't have minded. I didn't find the staff friendly or helpful which didn't bother me but I can imagine it may put some people off. We were on holiday and contact with staff was minimal and quickly forgotten about.

We enjoyed our stay at Summer Bay much better and wished we had stayed there for the full two weeks instead of moving to OLCC.

I hope the rest of your week improves Jeni. At least now you have your own opinion and experience of the resort instead of relying on others'.

 

[sumauri]

We enjoyed our stay at Summer Bay much better and wished we had stayed there for the full two weeks instead of moving to OLCC.

I would have complained until the cows came home to management if the unit was not clean.

I do believe it's hard to go from a 3-4 bedroom Summer Bay house with a private swimming pool to any resort including Orange Lake. A house just cannot compare to any resort.

 

[Jeni]

Well we're home, and OLCC is definitely not for our family. We all agreed the resort had much to offer re: activities, but failed to meet what our family has experienced "Gold Crown" to be in our ownership and travels.

The positives of OLCC- the pools, pool towels were provided, the various activities/options, the unit size, and the unit appeared to be recently refurbished. Additionally, when we did telephone or stop by the clubhouse with a maintenance concern, it was addressed immediately (except for an exterminator being sent, as promised).

The negatives (in our opinion)- ants all over the kitchen and living room, towels and loose trash left in front of our unit, unit not very clean, stained towels, holes in towels, holes in one set of sheets, no blankets or pillows for the sofa bed, jacuzzi tub jets did not work, hot water heater broke, dryer broke, replaced with another dryer that was not operating properly and smelled moldy, lied to by sales staff (Marcus said we had to take a 1 hour RI tour to use the new RI facilities), disherwasher not installed in cabinet securely, no ceiling fans in bedrooms or on porch, kiddie pool at Splash Lagoon needed a good scrubbing, no hot tubs at Splash Lagoon, and a leak that developed in our unit was not repaired. The number 1 negative in our eyes was staff attitude; customer service and stewardship/responsibility seemed to be non-existent.

Maintenance issues can happen anywhere, but an ongoing maintenance schedule would have prevented many of the issues we had during the week. As for the bugs, yes, I expect to see a bug, frog, or lizard in my unit while in Florida, but I do not expect to have a swarm of ants in my kitchen and living room...for a week. Again, this was something that could have been prevented. Also, an exterminator never arrived, as promised. We stay at our unit at Seascape in NC once a year, which is like a blast back to 80s decor, but we don't care because the unit is clean and the staff is friendly. We also stay with Marriott often and we've not had the aforementioned problems. While at the Westgate Smoky Mountains, we had a mouse in our unit, and being in the mountains, we took it in stride and appreciated the exterminator coming out to catch the little thing. We are not a family that is impossible to please, but we do not expect or excuse multiple problems in one week, especially when the staff never took responsibility in caring about these issues. We were told multiple times "this happens all the time."

My point is, if this "happens all the time" you are aware of the problems and should fix them, not leave them to be problems for your next set of guests arriving. In 6 years of timeshare ownership and trading, this is honestly the worst place we have stayed. No, it's not terrible overall or like a dumpy motel, but OLCC is not the top-notch resort it attempts to represent itself to be.