Resort Fees at DVC resorts

[mac41099]

We have a trip to Saratoga Springs DVC planned for December. We are timeshare owners with another resort in Hawaii, but exchanged for SS.

They say we need to pay a $95 resort fee prior to check-in. They say it is for airport transportation and maybe something else.

We are driving to Orlando and will not be using the bus system during our stay. We probably won't even be at the hotel that much considering we like to put in a lot of time at the parks.

We stayed at Boardwalk Villas 2 years ago and paid the fee, but we flew and used the buses. Last year we just booked a Magic Your Way package and stayed at Pop Century and didn't pay a fee.

So, does everyone who stays at a DVC (owners or exchanger) have to pay this? Is there a way out of this fee??

I find it to be a ridiculous amount. :brick:

Thanks

 

[brkgnews]

Not sure about your situation, but as I understand it, DVC owners can stay at DVC resorts on the WDW property (as well as Vero Beach and Hilton Head)without paying the fee, but have to pay that fee if they book a Disney Cruise Vacation or other non-Disney-in-Florida property. I'm not sure if it applies to using points for Disneyland, Tokyo Disney, etc.

 

[slappy magoo]

I know that, when I used my DVC points to spend some time in San Francisco last year, I had to pay some kind of transfer fee. I believe it was 75 dollars. It's not exactly a hidden fee as it can be found in the agreement DVC members receive and agree upon when they buy their membership. You might want to look at the member agreement you signed and agreed upon when you bought your time-share membership, voluminous though it may be, there might be a similar clause in there.

I'm just guessing, but maybe whenever time-share organizations have some joint of joint agreement when members of Time Share Company A want to spend time at a resort controlled by Time Share Company B, a fee is incurred.

This is also just a guess, but since people staying on-property can use Disney Magical Express for free, they probably are supposed to use that as a reminder or an incentive in case people balk over the fee. But what should come across as...

"Yes, there is an additional surcharge, but please understand, since you're using a non-Disney time share agreement to stay on a Disney property, this fee helps us to cover costs inclurred with guests staying on-property that is usually absorbed either by a guest's resort fee or their DVC membership, those costs including but not limited to transportation within the WDW resort complex, as well as the ability to use Disney's Magical Express to and from the airport..."

Instead comes across as...

"Uh, yeah, that fee is for transportation and other fees during your stay."

 

[mac41099]

This is also just a guess, but since people staying on-property can use Disney Magical Express for free, they probably are supposed to use that as a reminder or an incentive in case people balk over the fee. But what should come across as...

"Yes, there is an additional surcharge, but please understand, since you're using a non-Disney time share agreement to stay on a Disney property, this fee helps us to cover costs inclurred with guests staying on-property that is usually absorbed either by a guest's resort fee or their DVC membership, those costs including but not limited to transportation within the WDW resort complex, as well as the ability to use Disney's Magical Express to and from the airport..."

Instead comes across as...

"Uh, yeah, that fee is for transportation and other fees during your stay."

You are probably right.

We've exchanged at a few other places over the past 6 years and never had a fee. We do pay an "exchange" fee with Interval International, but this $95 fee is on top of that.

I do plan to question it and fight it this time around.