Orange Lake From Over Yonder

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

This thread speaks for itself, emblematic of a long-running situation Over Yonder. For reasons obvious to some, this is not a topic that would be allowed Over Yonder.

For whatever reason for the last three or four years there always seems to have been someone Over Yonder over-hyping this one particular resort, as if there was a reward for doing so.

How do you feel about over-zealous owners, or a handful of owners who team up to defend their resort endlessly, countering virtually anyone who says anything they disagree with? Of course, that would also apply to Over Here, if anyone did that Over Here, which I have not noticed.

If the purpose of these forums is to disseminate factual information, do you feel these individuals distort the reality of their resorts by stifling others comments?


http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21764

[BocaBum99 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close BocaBum99]

She is passionate about OLCC. Nothing wrong with that. She does come across as if she gets personally compensated by the resort for positive remarks posted about it.

But, I think some times, she just responds to your posts because she thinks you are personally trying to annoy her. I have often wondered if that was your intent.

At this point, there is an automatic pavlovian response to when she sees the letters JLB and OLCC together. It tells her to immediately take the opposite position.

You should try to do a test. Post a new thread that says something like OLCC is great. She will probably come out and say, "no it isn't, it actually sucks." LOL.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

Yup.

So if I had said there is not a lighted golf course in the North Village, she would have said, "Yes there is!" And if I had said that you can shortcut throught the golf course to get to Splash Lagoon, she would have said, "No you can't. You can't walk on the golf course. You have to go around by road or sidewalk, and that makes it a pretty long walk from some places in the North Village."

I see.

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

Over hyping OLCC

I happen to be one of those poor people that was pretty under-whelmed with the accomodations at OLCC. They were not BAD but they were pretty plain vanilla.

Let's take a look at what OLCC hypes as a 2 bedroom accomodation on their website: http://www.orangelake.com/tour_our_r...om_villas.html

1,275 square feet
sleeps up to 8
award-winning interiors
ceiling fans
videocassette player
TVs in living room & bedrooms
dining room table seats 6
bar stool seating in kitchen
fully equipped kitchen
pantry & ample storage space
ceramic tile floors
oversized tub with hydro-jets in master bath*
walk-in showers
full-sized washer & dryer
screened patio / balcony

We ended up in a golf villa. The TVs were so old and small my son couldn't hook up his Nintendo. Our unit overlooked the "moonscape" reconstruction to the golf course from our cement slab non-screened patio and the bathrooms were smaller than many Holiday Inn Hotel rooms have. No walk in showers or jacuzzi tubs in those. And let me tell you folks "award winning interiors" they are not!

I guess they cover themselves with this little disclaimer located below the lenghty unit amenity list: *Tub styles vary depending on villa.

So between the RCI VC congratulating me on my trade, the resort web page and all the wonderful OLCC posters you can imagine my disappointment. It did not help that we had stayed a night with friends in one of the gorgeous newly refurbished Cypress Pointe Resort 3 bedroom units before our arrival.

My issue with Vicky is the fact that someone like me can post all this truly factual information in a non-inflamatory post and get torched. She and the other OLCC Cheerleaders should give it a BREAK and admit that SOME of the units aren't at all what you are led to expect. It is also OK for someone not to like a resort. We don't all go for the big mega-resorts.

We are not huge Orlando fans but if I go back it won't be to OLCC.

[BocaBum99 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close BocaBum99]

I'd say that the Sheraton Vistana and OLCC have a lot in common regarding older units.

If you stay in the Lakes, Cascades or Fountains I or II, you will have very nice accommodations. If you are in the spas or courts, you may not be as lucky.

I do like Orange Lake and I like the Sheraton Vistana. And I agree, we should be able to share facts about a resort without someone feeling like we are calling their baby ugly.

[rapmarks Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close rapmarks]

I agree with Lawren's assessment, and I have been torched by Vicki on 4 occasions so I stopped posting.. I read with interest the recent posts on the distance between Vistana Resort and OLCC. When I posted that it took about 30 minutes from our villa at OL to Universal Studios, the immediate response was several posts by people who only took 10 minutes for that drive. What is it about 15 miles? It almost took me ten minutes to get out of OL and through the stop sign. Isn't this a bit overprotective?

[BocaBum99 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close BocaBum99]

I just don't like attempts to obfuscate the truth.

Orange Lake is a great resort in my book. But, it isn't that close to Disney and it's really far from Universal.

Anyone who wants to primarily visit Universal, I would recommend against OLCC. Any resort on International Drive is way more convenient to Universal Studios.

This is coming from a person who goes to Orlando every month or two. I know the EXACT best way to get to the Sheraton Vistana from OLCC using all available short cuts and adjusting for traffic patterns.

Heck, I was just there a little over a week ago.

[Nancy Platinum Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close Nancy]

Not only OLCC

I find owners at many resorts, get upset when someone posts a negative comment about "their" resort. I got flammed over younder about Powhaten many years ago by an owner. I complained about her nastiness and she did come back and apologize. I guess it is just territorial about what you own.

I used to wonder if Vicky worked for OLCC as she was so territorial about it.

ps. I stayed there once at JLB's recommendation and we had a great time and will probably go back again sometime.

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

I think you missed the point

I no longer access Tug but I used to see this happening all the time with regard to OLCC and one person always seemingly trying to start negative controversies concerning OLCC, even though that person has said many times that OLCC is the finest resort he has ever stayed at. Some people live to push the envelope and to push people's buttons on certain topics, it seems, and they wonder why they are always in trouble with neighbors and others.

Vickie IS passionate about OLCC and it's her prerogative to be so. She has a right to express her opinion. We've stayed at many resorts the 5 years we were into timsharing and OLCC was by far the finest.

"You can please some of the people some of the time but not all of the people all the time".

Maybe it is how I read the OP but the gist of it to me was: "If the purpose of these forums is to disseminate factual information, do you feel these individuals distort the reality of their resorts by stifling others comments?"

I personally did not write a review after the way I was treated for posting my "it was OK" post on the Florida Forum over yonder. I like to sign my reviews. I spend a lot of time writing them. I did not want to deal with any issues about it. I also no longer contribute to any post that has the words Orange Lake Country Club in them.

I get the impression that Rapmarks had the same reception and I have seen others get trounced by the same old gang; everytime; by posting a simple "I was un-impressed" thread comes up regarding that resort.

Obviously we all have different views, tastes and expectations. How boring would the world be if we did not?

Another example is Powhattan. I read the reviews (the good and the bad) and was prepared. and Spence helped me get a renovated 2 x 2 unit. That is probably why I enjoyed that exchange over OLCC. Another solid 7 or maybe 7.5 resort.

What people don't get is it is individual tastes involved. My saying the unit was clean but nothing special is not meant to be a personal assault. I like Desert Breezes. It is a solid 7, small, clean resort with not a huge amount of amenities and it does not pretend to be otherwise. But if you do not care for it after reading what I might say as an owner, I'm OK with that.

SO are people like "Timetraveler" suppressing the "Hey it was OK I give it a 7 because of...." YES THEY ARE. and it is unfair to others that may consider it for the "GLITZ", because not all the units are that way. If there are posters with tougher skins than mine who try to shed a little reality on some of those posts I say "Hooray! and more power to them".

JMHO.

[tonyg Goomba & Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close tonyg]

I don't know hat it is about Orange Lake, but the defenders of the resort do get overly reactive. I toured it in the 80's and wasn't impressed and toured it again last fall. It's too big and spread out IMHO and really not that impressive when you compare it to the other top Orlando resorts. My theory() about the water being treated to create mind control and barbeque counter acting that didn't last 5 minutes over yonder.
It is natural to defend one's owned resort, but such defense needs some reasonability that the OL crowd's defenses have lacked.

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

I have been to a lot of resorts in Orlando. So far OLCC IS MY FAVORITE. You realy do not need to leave the resort. Ilove the lake with the jet skis and micky mouse boats. The large pool by the lodge is assume but so is the one in north village. The east village has from what I hear greatr rooms and with the addition of the new water park how can you go wrong. I won't mention the golf coarse on site or all the tennis courts.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

It's a relief to know that it is not all me. Just somewhat me. That others have felt the same way.

In the surreal world of the Internet, people behave differently than they do in the real world of face-to-face interpersonal relationships. Well, hopefully that is the case, in some cases.

Now that timesharing is available to everyone, not just those who have invested in a resort, it's nice to be able to go to sites like Tripadvisor and read reviews from guests who do not have the bias baggage of ownership.

[3kids4me Super Moderator and Super Mom Find all posts View Profile Close 3kids4me]

We had a very bad experience at OLCC, with a dirty unit (I'm talking hairs in the tub and sheets...ewwww) as well as some other pretty major and icky things.

I posted about it once, but there were too many overzealous owners to contend with, so I never really mentioned it again, except recently when someone asked specifically about that resort vs. some others that I liked more.

I understand that every owner feels a special bond to their resort and I'm sure feels sensitive when others have a bad experience, but I really think that owners should try and address the problem with their resort as that is the way to continue to make sure their resort delivers value and that can only be a help to owners.

Sharon

[katiemack Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close katiemack]

It is bad enough to have one's perception of their own experience about a resort trounced upon...but , trouncing came easy to some, even when I was reporting facts about the state in which I live....rude, obnoxious and retaliatory remarks...from people who only visited the state for one week....Heaven forbid I tried to advise on driving conditions in the winter, heat index in the summer, elevation risks....etc.

As for doing a review, once over there, I mentioned that a resort in Orlando was overhyped and badly managed....when I complained that the furnishings were rundown and broken, I was told they were "distressed" and meant to be in that shape, and that I had no idea of what the devil I was talking about.

The spin doctors aren't just on CNN.

As for OLCC, when we visited, we were in the older section, the 2 BR and it was not up to "resort standard" no less the "perception: Gold Crown"...however, we didn't let it stop us from enjoying the trip or the resort. There were lots of fun things there, and yes, the lighting outside was annoying as the dickens! We felt like we were being watched from the guard tower.

[shopgirl Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close shopgirl]

That yellow light on the patio is annoying.

I try to wake up to the sunshine, but I never could tell quite when that was, with that light shining through the drapes all the time.

We had a terrible stay at OLCC on S. Magnolia Ct. Bugs, dirty everywhere, broken and loose ceramic tiles, broken oven handle, stained carpets and furniture, yuck in the very small tub. When I described our unit on TUG, which was my very first post almost a year ago, I was lambasted by one owner who told me that I was wrong about my experience. I was also told by that member not to say anything about others' resorts.

I was informed that my unit had white tile, not the blue-green color that we had. I was also told that the tub was big enough for two, which was also incorrect. Our tub was regular-sized.

She says she just corrects wrong information, but she actually calls you a liar when you tell her that your unit did not look as she described. Very insulting. If it wasn't for the nice TUG members that apologized for her attacks, I would have stopped posting.