lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
How is there a guarantee of such an agreement?
-
Welcome to the WDWMAGIC.COM Forums!
Please take a look around, and feel free to sign up and join the community.
The Spirited 8th Wonder (WDW's Future & You!)
- Thread starter WDW1974
- Start date
sweetpee_1993
Well-Known Member
Your post is EXACTLY why we didn't bite on DVC and why now we are beyond thrilled we didn't. I'd like to say I feel sorry for those folks that did bite but we all had the moment when the decision was made. I will say this: compared to other timeshares DVC owners don't have it so bad. They can rent out points to cover maintenance fees and/or resale for more than pennies on the dollar. Ya know?
flynnibus
Premium Member
Yup... I've mentioned this before but people get so defensive that they think they can't be influenced at all they refuse to acknowledge that Disney's messaging and product choices have altered how people experience the property. The messaging, the pricing models, the advertising, they all work to shape this idea of what is important and what you prioritize. The biggest chunk is as you said... "We spend so much on park tickets that it seems silly to waste time doing other things" - people feel they need to maximize their park time so they "can do it all"
It was much different when there was only 1 and 2 parks.
flynnibus
Premium Member
You mean like how standards have been gaurunteed at Paris ? Where Disney is still half owner?
TDL's execution standard is because of OLC - not because Disney contracts
On my June trip, I stayed at both Beach Club (for around $340 for one night to take advantage of a PIN that include 8 day park hoppers for free) and Royal Pacific (for $300 plus $20 for parking to take advantage of unlimited express pass). If not for the unlimited express pass, I'd never stay at RP again based on the hotel experience and how it stacks up. I'd stay at BC again without the free park hopper based on the experience and how it stacks up. Maybe it was just the rave reviews by the sunshine pumping wand strokers, but RP didn't come close to my expectations.
Last edited:
tissandtully
Well-Known Member
cw1982
Well-Known Member
I'm not doubting you at all, but I'm curious. Can you elaborate? What made Beach Club so much better than Royal Pacific?
cw1982
Well-Known Member
So... you think he should have to post his updates twice? No offense, but I hardly think that's a fair thing to ask of him, seeing as how he does this for free and all.
I wish you'd say something dumb or combative just for the sake of it because I am growing tired of agreeing with you. Maybe you could write a post defending CP and having BRAND advocates like The Mongello?
I say this because I so agree with the above. I'll add a caveat that Disney lets loudmouthed, rude and crude (and often times borderline criminal) guests walk all over its CMs. If you are quiet, polite and rational, then you'll largely be told that your concerns will be shared with the proper people and to have a MAGICal day/night.
I never thought I'd defend what you term ''stuffy, proper places'' but compared to what we have now, I love them. I'd rather have that, than the alternative.
I was at the Grand Floridian back in 1988. Back when Georgie K was the lowly head of food and beverage and Michael Eisner and Frank Wells had just commissioned an outside firm to study whether Disney should get into the timeshare business. I can assure you that even with that tacky mall food court brown and white tile that was down in the public areas, the Grand truly was that. No one was sleeping in the lobby or putting shoes up on the tables while chowing down on Gasparilla's crap serve in it.
No, DVC isn't entirely to blame for the Walmarting. Neither is Disney. Our society has gone to hell and it's been years (many would say decades) in the making.
But you can either fight that, fight for being classy and doing things right and demanding that your cast and guests do likewise or you can throw in the towel because it is easier and cheaper. Disney has moved in one direction steadily ... and the reason the 'snowflakes', as my pal @PhotoDave219 calls them, get offended is because people see themselves (rightly or wrongly as clearly I am speaking in general and not of anyone or even a group in particular) in that light and inside ... in those dark crevices of the brain where you just hate when people like me are right ... a part of you sees yourself spilling fruit punch all over carpeting at a WDW resort and ignoring it or letting your brats put their filthy shoes on sofas in a lobby or room/villa or yelling at a server because there isn't a burger on the menu at a fine dining locale ... and you don't like what you see.
Last edited:
devoy1701
Well-Known Member
You can go to his profile to see just his activity.
DisneyDenis
New Member
I have saved a bundle just on one DVC trip. I went to Animal Kingdom Villas (Jambo House) during Spring breaktime in 2013. Because I had 4 adults and 1 child I stayed at 2 studios for 5 days each. The average rack rate (cash) cost per night for Savannah View was $531 per night + 12.5% tax X 2 rooms X 5 nights = $ 5974. Note: No discounts were available from Disney at the time for that room type at Jambo House.
2 DVC Studios cost with 2 years dues + 2 years depreciation + 13 extra points @ $15/pp = $ 1772.
In addition I used my DVC membership card to get $200 in discounts on merchandise purchased (Disney just loves me). This is at the resort that the OP classifies as 4 stars because it is unique, great themeing, (and has great restaurants).
My savings were 5974 - 1772 + 200 = $ 4402 on just one trip. My resale contract cost me $ 6450 with closing costs. On top of that I rented 154 points at $6 over my membership fee cost for a gross profit of $ 924.
To be frankly honest, DVC allows me to stay at Disney for what it REALLY should cost ($ 177.20 per night total) not their outrageous non-discounted rack rate !!!
I just love DVC !!! I am hoping this rumor really happens...I am so happy about it !!!
That's the whole DVC conundrum ... and why it is such a successful product. Folks who could barely afford rooms at Disney's value and moderate resorts (and this goes back to when they weren't so obscenely priced) wind up staying in 'deluxe villas' that are only 'affordable' by buying DVC. But that is just going around the circle that spirals deluxe resorts down the drain.
DVC may be deluxe accommodations (and that point is very debatable), but they don't attract deluxe guests largely and they wind up removing deluxe aspects from deluxe resorts as soon as they are added.
Check in, room size, parking, pool and pool side restaurant service at BC were vastly better than at RP. RP was nice, but BC was better and well worth the extra $20 per night. But that unlimited express pass helped me forgive all the shortcomings at RP and would be the only reason why I'd stay there again. If WDW ever goes to something similar, they won't hear the outcry from off site, moderate, and value guests over the non-stop money printing presses that their deluxe resorts will become.
This is getting off-topic and, worse, into another UNI vs. Disney debate. But I'd say you are jumping to some awful large (and not accurate) conclusions based on an area that's been open two whole weeks.
I don't disagree with Diagon not being a game-changer, though. It wasn't supposed to be. Potter 1.0 was the game-changer ... everything that has happened at UNI since is simply building on that.
crispy
Well-Known Member
Do you think that the "blessing" of size turned into a curse of sorts? I was pondering this today. I can stay at WDW for a week and not experience everything in the parks, but when you add things like Downtown Disney, water sports, golf, hard ticketed events, special events like F & W, two water parks, etc., etc., etc., it's absolutely overwhelming. It almost makes me wonder if things were overbuilt to a certain extent. I know that WDW wants to create a vacation product that appeals to all demographics, but is the addition of all the other stuff what has caused the erosion of the main attraction?
I am not actually sure of my own feelings about this. In some ways, all of the "stuff" is what has made me return again - there is no "one and done" at WDW because there is always something I have never done before (I admit that it took me until trip number 8 or 9 to actually visit Downtown Disney because I'm just not much of a shopper). On the other hand, it seems to have removed the focus from what we as fans see as important. TDO may see themselves in the hotel business or as a massive retailer, but that comes secondary because almost all visitors who want to see the parks and experience new attractions. Things like Downtown Disney and golf are nice, but I am not going to Orlando to visit Downtown Disney and golf. I may, however, golf and visit Downtown Disney if I am at WDW (okay, I will never golf, but my DH might).
I don't know, it just see that, at some point, the whole thing got twisted around. Maybe WDW is a victim of it's own success. They have to build all the peripherals to handle the crowds that see WDW as a rite of passage, and they have created a bit of a monster that they don't know how to run with both excellence and efficiency.
(I don't think this is off-topic, but I apologize if it is).
crispy
Well-Known Member
You would have saved even more if you had stayed offsite.
I understand that you might not consider it a tragedy, but I find it thoroughly depressing to realize that between the Poly and apparently now the WL, corporate Disney effectively is signaling that WDW is 'done'. Yes, there will be updates from time-to-time but WDW's glory days are firmly in the past.
I'd argue that WDW's glory days ended over 15 years ago ... back last century myself. ... I'm just hoping there is enough pixie dust left so that it remains a place I can still enjoy visiting for the foreseeable future.
Speaking of hotels... Disney and more has renderings of Shanghai's hotels. Thankfully, the flagship isn't another GrandFlo xerox.
http://disneyandmore.blogspot.com/2014/07/shanghai-disneyland-update-first.html
Nope. But not for lack of trying/pitching by WDI.
I'm wondering if Angie and I will be able to exchange DVC points for a room there for the opening ... or maybe a suite big enough to fit @Lee, his ego and his lovely wife ... and the rest of my entourage.
Last edited:
Interesting. Never stayed there. Matter of fact, the only Waldorf I have stayed at is the original in NYC before Hilton decided to create a chain. But seeing how amazing the Hiltons are at both Bonnet Creek and the O-Town/O.C. Convention Centers, I can only imagine.
I've meant to get over to the WA for a meal or drinks since it opened and I haven't done so yet.
What's particularly interesting is that if you look at the entire Parks & Resorts (P&R) segment, 7 of Disney's worst 10 years for P&R margins have been under Iger, and Iger has been CEO for only 8.
I like this line the best (even if I hate it at the same time).