Fellow DVC Members: Are we owed something???

[lynnie5150]

Fellow DVC Members:

All had to have noticed these great deals that Disney is offering. Whether you went for the Buy 4, get 3 free or the free dining plan, They were both great deals.

Yes, these deals were offered because of the state of the economy and I am glad they did. However, I am a little upset with the whole thing. What did I spend all that money on up front for if they were going to offer deals like this? I called member services today and voiced my displeasure in DVC members getting the shaft. The cast member did his best to show me discounts on annual passes and free use of the Magical Express for my investment. All I could do is laugh.

So lets here it people. Do you think that we should be entitled to free tickets or atleast a free meal. I mean, something atleast, ANYTHING! I would love to hear your thoughts or suggestions.

 

[Monty]

Nope. :shrug:

 

[DisneyJoe]

What did I spend all that money on up front for

This is the complete premise of DVC - you are spending the money up front to lock in your costs over time - a long time.

You should have understood this before you bought in.

 

[Rob562]

This is the complete premise of DVC - you are spending the money up front to lock in your costs over time - a long time.

You should have understood this before you bought in.

That's pretty much it. It's like the people up north here who locked in their home heating oil prices last summer by pre-paying. That's when oil prices were around the $100 a barrel mark. Then oil prices dropped a lot, and so did the price of heating oil. There was nothing that people who'd pre-bought could do. They were locked in at the higher prices while their next-door neighbor who didn't pre-pay paid half the price. It's a gamble. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.

As for all of these specials, Disney runs them to fill rooms. Plain and simple. If hotel occupancy at the Disney hotels were at 100% year-round, there wouldn't be any specials, and you could laugh all the way to the bank at all those people paying full-price for their rooms and meal plans.

Over the lifespan of your DVC points and the discounts on your AP etc, even with these other discounts the DVC is still probably a better deal.

-Rob

 

[wdwfan100]

I say if disney is running a great deal book it with out points and save them for the future. Take advantage and get to stay some where new. Then use your points for a bigger better trip in the future

 

[djpoore94]

For us the DVC membership IS the great deal. Without it we would not be going twice this year (probably not even once), would not be staying at AKV in a Savanna view room and my cousin and his wife would not be able to go with us in December!

 

[wdwmagic]

If you want all the deals and full flexibility DVC is not for you. DVC is all about locking in for the future. It's not about last minute deals and offers.

 

[Lynne M]

DVC owes us what's in the contract. Nothing more.

I've never heard of a timeshare offering free dining, free tickets to area attractions, etc. That's not what timeshares are about. In fact, I think DVC is fairly generous in terms of perks, compared to other timeshares, in that we get the AP discount, restaurant and tour discounts,etc.

I understand the impulse to be jealous when you think other people are getting something you're not. But run the numbers, and compare your costs as a DVC member to some of those 'deals' that the general public is offered.

When I stayed at a savannah view studio at AKV in March, I calculated out the cost of that stay, based on my initial buy-in cost and maintenance fees. It was around $95 a night. My purchase cost was paid off long ago, so all I'm paying now are maintenance fees. If you figure it on that basis, the room was $75 a night. No member of the general public is EVER gonna see a deal that good. I could have added the dining plan and never come close to what a non-member would pay for a comparable room at AKL.

So, I agree with the poster that said... DVC *is* the deal.

 

[slappy magoo]

20 years from now, when a night in a Value resort is more than 200 bucks a night, so a buy 4 get 7 promotion is still 800+ before park tickets or airfare, see if you still think DVC buh-lows

 

[gardenia]

Do you think that we should be entitled to free tickets or atleast a free meal. I mean, something atleast, ANYTHING!

Not at all.

As a DVC member, you're entitled all the perks membership entails, as outlined in the documents given to you before closing. And wow - you can still take advantage of Buy 4, Get 3 deal to stay at a resort if you want! You can have both, so why the sour grapes?

 

[wdwfan100]

Not at all.

As a DVC member, you're entitled all the perks membership entails, as outlined in the documents given to you before closing. And wow - you can still take advantage of Buy 4, Get 3 deal to stay at a resort if you want! You can have both, so why the sour grapes?

Right. That is what I wanted to say, but you are far more concise

 

[tjkraz]

I really don't mean for this to sound catty but if you would rather go back to being a cash guest, then look into selling your DVC interest. Unlike many timeshares DVC's value has held up pretty well. Many members have sold for as much or more than they originally paid, and have years of low-cost vacations to show for it.

It's unrealistic to think that Disney will ever offer DVC members the same discounts that are given to cash guests. "Free dining" is nothing more than an incentive to get people to buy a hotel room and park tickets at full price. The "seven for four" offer still requires that people pay full price for the four nights.

Disney doesn't give hand-outs. People choosing to participate in either of these programs are required to spend THOUSANDS of dollars.

The biggest problem I have with cash discounts is they are unreliable. The most reliable incentive they offer is the fall "free dining" which has been around for 4-5 years now. But that's only offered for a 4-6 week period of time. And anyone who thinks "free dining" will still be around in 10-20 years is kidding themselves. Honestly I'm surprised it has lasted this long.

Last spring there were no "seven for four" offers. There have been other annual pass discounts and codes, but when the economy is good (which tends to be most of the time), great offers are hard to come by.

If you have the flexibility and tenacity to chase those discounts around, go for it. The value provided by DVC is the closest to a sure thing you will get. Viewed over a 30-50 year period, I suspect DVC members will save FAR more than people who chase those code around.

But Disney isn't about to give DVC members that type of incentive on top of what we already have. You aren't going to get the best of both worlds. You have to choose which camp better suits you personally.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

The only thing it owes me, is to maintain the resort to a good standard and to ensure the parks are as vibrant and exiting as when I took my membership out.

So Id guess its definitely in the red to date:drevil: I mean I cant blame Disney for me hating SS.

 

[DisneyPirate85]

Sure it would be nice for Disney to thow us a "freebie" when they do General discounts, BUT as stated all they owe us is what we signed up for.
But we do get discounts off AP's, 25% off rack price for cash ressies at DVC's, dining discounts. I mean there is discounts out you just need to carry your Perks booklet to know where/what they are. I understand your rant but you have to look at the picture as a whole, Shawn

 

[bears163]

Like a few others have said. DVC is really a discount in the long run. Yes it is slightly frustrating to hear of free dining & free nights they give away. It would be nice to get like a 10% discount on the dining plan. They give discounts on the AP. but i understand if they dont. i am still going to enjoy each & every vacation i can for the next 50 years & when you are only paying your maintance dues per month in a few years & everyone else is still paying a few thousand, then you will be thankful of DVC

 

[slappy magoo]

Sure it would be nice for Disney to thow us a "freebie" when they do General discounts, BUT as stated all they owe us is what we signed up for.
But we do get discounts off AP's, 25% off rack price for cash ressies at DVC's, dining discounts. I mean there is discounts out you just need to carry your Perks booklet to know where/what they are. I understand your rant but you have to look at the picture as a whole, Shawn

I'll tell you one perk that, again, we are not owed, but it'd be nice to have. That 25% off rack price for cash ressies at DVC resorts you mentioned (and which I've taken advantage of as I'm many of you have as well)? It'd be nice if, during any slow seasons where they're already offering discounts to the general public, if they offer a comparable cash discount for DVC members to non-DVC resorts. Whether you want to spend a few extra days at a different resort, or the time of your arrival day is pretty late and you'd rather not start using your points when you're too jet lagged to enjoy anything. OR you'd just like to spend a few nights in the Poly or GF. So to be able to stay at a non-dvc resort inexpensively, at a time when they're offering free dining or buy 4-get 7 deals anyway...I mean, offering DVC members a 25% discount on the same rooms seems like a comparable deal.

I know, if it's a choice between a discount for a short stay or a discount for a long stay, they'd rather keep the room booked longer. But if it's a choice between a short stay or no stay, they'd prefer the short stay. And as I said, it can be a limited offer, so if those resorts are at or very near capacity, then there's no discount for us in those resorts at that time. But if they're not at or near capacity...I'd think they'd want to get something for those rooms. :shrug:

 

[look1angel]

Minor glitch but no regrets

My husband & I became DVC members back in Dec 08. The only thing that upset me was I swore & so did DH, our rep said we could be on the DDP & not everyone in the room had to join. (I had just done Magic Your Way the year before & added the DDP for both my daughter & I since it was just the 2 of us.) Well when DH & I returned from our trip last year I began to try to understand all the ins & outs of DVC & came upon the DDP having to include EVERYONE in our room; I called & they confirmed it to be true. I was hoping to do the DDP next year when we rent out the Grand Villa (for 12 people) but couldn't ask the 2 families joining us to do the same....so I just went ahead & got an Annual Pass & sent away for the TIW card which I actually like better than the DDP! So for sake of argument we agreed MAYBE we mis understood our rep, but all ends well & I have NO regrets about becoming a DVC member, only wish I'd done it sooner!

 

[DisneyMom4]

The way I look at it is they give a substantial discount on your APs. That's a pretty big perk. This year alone when I go for 'free dining' which I'm paying cash for (not using points) I will save $125 per person for 5 people (getting the PAP). That's $625 they don't have to give me!

 

[brianheather]

Sure it would be nice for Disney to thow us a "freebie" when they do General discounts, BUT as stated all they owe us is what we signed up for.
But we do get discounts off AP's, 25% off rack price for cash ressies at DVC's, dining discounts. I mean there is discounts out you just need to carry your Perks booklet to know where/what they are. I understand your rant but you have to look at the picture as a whole, Shawn

were do you get the perks booklet

 

[Phonedave]

were do you get the perks booklet

They mail it to you

I am also pretty sure that if you asked at a DVC resort they have some around.

If you want one before hand, you can call and they can mail you one.

-dave