Why didn’t you just drop your bags with the bell desk at the front if you were early and then go back later? How early did you arrive? We’ve done this in the past and it’s worked like a charm.
I find this story very confusing. I’ve never found the VIP check-in to be high pressure at all. In fact the times I’ve used it the staff have been fantastic and even gave us an extra two free light-sabres for the kids even though we declined the update.
I’m not a fan of the sales staff at SVR and how they behave relative to those at other Vistana resorts - but the VIP check-in has always been smooth for us.
Our original plan was to do just that - drop the bags, and go on about our day. We arrived around 10:30 am via Uber, and were told by Bell that we had to at least let them know at the front desk that we were there. Also, since we would not be returning until very late that night, we didn't want to be considered "no shows" and have our booking canceled. So we went to the front desk. That is where we were told we
HAD TO check in at the VIP check in. I questioned that, but they were adamant that as owners, that was the only way and place we could check in and get our Villa keys.
As we had no car, they arranged for a shuttle to take us over. They loaded up our bags, along with those of three other parties, and off we went. After dropping off the other parties at three different locations, we eventually made it to VIP Check In. There was a young man at the desk there who informed us that there was nothing he could do, that we had to be checked in by the VIP Concierge, but he wouldn't be there until 1:00 pm. Fortunately, the shuttle driver had stayed there, in case we were to be taken to our villa. Instead, he took us to the front desk. There, my husband arranged for Bell to store the bags - not just sit on a cart out front - while I went inside and tapped into my inner Karen.
I went back to the front desk and asked why we couldn't just be pre-registered, park our bags, and be on our way. Why did they not know there was no one to check us in over there? Why were we being jerked around like this? I was furious. That's when the front desk guy decided to be honest, likely at risk of getting in trouble, since he spoke almost in a whisper to me. He said that the VIP Check In was just to get us in front of someone that would try to get us to schedule an Owner's Update. He said to just leave our bags with Bell, and whenever we came back, there would be someone there to give us Villa keys and shuttle us over.
Had I known all this beforehand, I would have refused the VIP thing, and just told them we would be back after midnight to finish getting checked in.
Oh, and also found that there is no way to turn the ringer off on the phones in the villa. After two mornings of 9 am calls, I unplugged the stupid thing.