True enough.
As I said, in every conversation I have had with DVC they insist that free valet truly was a perk and there was no charge to annual dues. For whatever reason (contract renegotiation, Disney no longer wishing to provide for free, etc.) that perk ended on October 11, 2009.
It certainly would have been legal to transition it to a "resort service" which was funded by member dues. But DVC looked at usage data and determined that it was better to make valet a pay-as-you-go option rather than forcing all owners to share in the cost.
Well, it would not have been leagal to "just transfer" it. I dug out my Public Offering Statement for Saratoga Springs. They can make changes to the Offering at will unless such a change "would predjuice or impair to any material extent the rights of the Owners". Adding valet into my dues would be a material impairment. So such a change would have to go before the Board.
I also found just what our dues cover (Well, at least for SSR). Safe to say, I am not going to transcribe 3 pages of type. It is on pages 111-115. Summarized dues are for the following
- Admin and Front Desk (Which is front desk operations and resort management. I take that NOT to include parking operations)
- Annual Audit
- DVC Reservation Component
- Fees to the Division (thats a "tax" the State of Florida collects)
- Housekeeping (includes replacing linens and towels)
- Income Taxes
- Insurance
- Legal
- Maintenance (interior and exterior maintenance, pest controll, fire alarm monitoring, landscaping)
- Management Fee
- Member Activites (Newsletter, Annual Meeting, printing and postage for Association mailings, and certain recreational activites at the resort)
- Security
- Transporation
- Utilities
Just some other interesting little things you may or may not know.
When you signed your agreement, you agreed not to bring firearms onto the property - no matter if you are legaly allowed to carry or not. For that matter no explosives or other weapons either. That is an issue to some, because I know of a few people that have coupled a hunting trip in the area with a Disney stay.
No pets either
No decorating your balcony for the holiday - in specific ""No Owner shall decorate ... to affect the apperance from the exterior ... including display of plants or other object from the balconies, railings, window sills, or ledges. Reflective film, or other window treatments, draperies, window shades, screen doors, or lights." However the Association has the sole discretion based on asthetic properties only to determine complaince with this provision. So in other words, if they wanted to be a hard case about it, they could.
Kids are only allowed to play in areas clearly designated for play
No putting up your own sattelite dish or ham radio antenna
No shaking out the mop or rugs from the balcony
Your not allowed on the roof
If you use suntain oil or cream, then you have to put a towel on the chair so you don't get it all icky for the next person - yep, its not just polite, its a rule
You agreed to lock your car and not leave valuable in plain sight when it is parked on property
No using your private watercraft unless you get permission.
Interesting stuff in that document.
-dave
