Should Disney offer " Frequent Guest" Perks?

[captainkidd]

If you go all the time anyway, you're the last person they need to offer incentives to.

It would be nice to show some loyalty to their most loyal guests, but I wouldn't hold my breath, unless the stockholders decide they don't really care about making money after all.

True, but showing good will to repeat customers is never a bad idea.

 

[jaques21]

YES! Disney should definitely do this, if not for me then absolutely for my parents who have spent a fortune over the years on the trips they have taken me and my sisters when we were younger or now when they join us on trips. it would also give another reason to make a trip.....(like us on here need another excuse to go to WDW :ROFLOL

 

[stuart]

Stay at POR every year and never any reconition we have been before - presumably the way the checkin system brings up the reservation for the current stay and not our previous trips which is understandable

However, at the risk of opening a can of worms here, as far as perks go I think we've saved quite a sum on drinks over the years with our 'mugs for life' bought in 1996. (This can of worms has been opened in a number of the places on the board so Id keep any replies on that there - quick search will find the threads.)

 

[Phonedave]

Interesting thought.

Hotels have loyality programs - I belong to a number, and will base my stays on them sometimes.

Airlines have loyality programs, and somtimes I will make a choice of carrier based on them.

WDW is different. As Fosse said (and very often I don't agree with him) there is no other WDW. If I want to go to WDW and stay on property, I am stuck going to WDW and staying at a WDW hotel (well, there is the Swan & Dolphin). I don't have a choice of WDW 1 or WDW 2, there is just WDW. True, there are other theme parks, but they are all differnt enough to create a seperate market.

Disney's cruise rewards program is nice (Castaway Club) perks for return cruisers include priority boarding lines (just like my airline perks), the ability to book excursions and other events in an earlier window, and a welcome gift in the stateroom.

However, there is competiton with the DCL

I don't think it is something that is required for WDW. I also think it would be a bear to impliment. How do you define a stay? One person stays over a long weekend in Pop, and the other spends two weeks in the GF. Is that both one stay? Some people switch resorts in the middle of a vacation. Is that two stays ? Some people have DVC, but allow other people to use them, who gets credit for a stay? Too many issues.

-dave

 

[loveofamouse]

Im going to say this again lol

Perks doesn't always equal DISCOUNTS. A perk could just be small tokens of thank yous. Maybe a tiny plush mickey or your room key being a different color. Just a tiny something that offers acknowledgement of frequent visits without costing the precious corporation(that just gave their CEO a HUGE raise) much money. Would it really cost a lot to stock some gold plastic cards for guests with more than X amount of visits? It only costs a few cents to make a tiny plush or a keepsake trading pin. Hell, how about a candy bar in the room? lol.

The main thing people are saying is that they would like SOME type of acknowledgement of frequent visits. It doesn't have to be a discount on all future stays. It doesn't have to be a huge merchandise or food discount. Hell, I'm sure many of us would be happy with a 5% 1x discount lol. so, like I said, some type of Thank You would be lovely, even if it's just a gold piece of plastic.

 

[DisneyJoe]

Perks doesn't always equal DISCOUNTS. A perk could just be small tokens of thank yous. Maybe a tiny plush mickey or your room key being a different color. Just a tiny something that offers acknowledgement of frequent visits without costing the precious corporation(that just gave their CEO a HUGE raise) much money. Would it really cost a lot to stock some gold plastic cards for guests with more than X amount of visits? It only costs a few cents to make a tiny plush or a keepsake trading pin. Hell, how about a candy bar in the room? lol.

I can see it now - I'm in the food court of Pop Century and I notice that about half of the guests have gold cards, the ones that I was told were for frequent travelers - and I get really annoyed that I'm not being treated more special...

 

[Iteachwood]

Wow some real awsum responses. My original request wasn't said because of frustration of not getting perks, it was just something the DW and I often joke about. You know, we have been so many times they should give us this or that. Im saying it has to be huge like big discounts, but hec would it kill Disney to reward their loyal customers? If I opened my mail and found something like a fast pass for the day ( that would break disney?) for your 225 years of patronage to disney I would freak....it would be awsum and just make us want to come back even more. Lets face evry year it gets tougher with this economy. They would go a long ways to insure people keep thinking disney. And I know some of you might go even more than us. Whatever they deem proper for this, its just a fun thing to think about.....So the comments about "Just being able to go back to Disney often should be perks enough" PLEASE lighten up!

 

[loveofamouse]

I can see it now - I'm in the food court of Pop Century and I notice that about half of the guests have gold cards, the ones that I was told were for frequent travelers - and I get really annoyed that I'm not being treated more special...

Well, if you go there, than anyone spotting the military tickets(they are different, too) would know they got a discount. The VIP program should be stopped because people get jealous that those people are gettign special escorts. etc.

Maybe that person would think "Cool! I want to get that gold key. I'll come back some more. I'm only X amount of trips/nights away"

And it wouldn't be half as the number would be set pretty high.

 

[Jimmy Thick]

Disney DOES offer perks to frequent guests, but they are not the kind of "perks" people expect, as in anything "free".

One perk I will share, as I go 2 to 3 times every year, is that I can get an ADR pretty much anytime, anywhere I want with no hassle.



Jimmy Thick- For the love of money....

 

[gallerie]

Look at the "perks" you get when you Cruise the Disney Cruise Line over and over. That is the type of program that should be implemented, even though you are talking about a lot more people to keep track of, at least a free backpack on your 10th stay or something!

On the other hand since you have been so very many times you know how to work the system so you don't stand in line all the time, what not to waste your time on that you know you don't particulary enjoy, where to eat for your type of food, ect. ect. thus making your future trips enriched thru not wasting all the precious time doing things end the end you don't really like, so a benefit for sure just not given to you as a free prize?

 

[DisneyJoe]

Look at the "perks" you get when you Cruise the Disney Cruise Line over and over. That is the type of program that should be implemented, even though you are talking about a lot more people to keep track of, at least a free backpack on your 10th stay or something!

See if you can access this PDF

http://www.disneytravelagents.com/StaticFiles/DTA-Domestic/pdf/DCL/CastawayClubAmenities.pdf

 

[DTM93]

I'm hearing Disneyland customer service/parks in general are much cleaner and nicer these days than Disneyworld. It will be interesting to see if this is true.

They were the same really, I would say that Disneyland was slightly better but it was nearly 2 and a half years ago since WDW so I can't really remember.

I think Disney will be in for a rude awakening. We're going this summer, but we won't be back until at least 2013. The resort prices are getting outrageous. I'd rather skip going than stay off-site.

I completely agree with you here. All up to October 2012 bookings have come out in the UK and we've priced up October 2012 in the Pop Century and we're looking at £4400 just for a week (about $7000 I'm guessing.) Now clearly about £1,800 is the extortionate flight (and the ridiculous amount of tax) but we've noticed that Disney has gone up quite a lot in price aswell and for us to stay at Disney we might have to wait until 2013/beginning of 2014 to afford to be able to go back where we could have the same wait and go off property. (That's never going to happen though as I'm persistent about staying at a Disney hotel in Florida as we didn't last time.) :lol:

And to stay on topic I say no just because I'd be jealoud of every single one of you because you get to visit frequently and I can't. :lol:
Juuust kidding. :lookaroun

 

[mickey2008.1]

Disney DOES offer perks to frequent guests, but they are not the kind of "perks" people expect, as in anything "free".

One perk I will share, as I go 2 to 3 times every year, is that I can get an ADR pretty much anytime, anywhere I want with no hassle.



Jimmy Thick- For the love of money....

We go about two times a year, and have only gotten 25% of our ressies. Plus we have never gotten a pin code, just the advertised discounts. We use two rooms, party of five and six, and two, we only get the published discounts. Free dining or % discount on rooms, is thre anything more we are missing, yes! My mom just got 45% deluxe room, and she has been once in 8 years! good for her, im happy. But are regular guests paying more for infrequent visitors to get there?:brick: To me it seems the more you visit, the less wdw needs us, because noobs are coming at full price.

 

[cymbaldiva]

I still wanna know how those people get VIP escorts lol

Easy - they pay for them! LOL

Not really sure that any monetary reward would be something Disney would do. There are a lot of us out there that are frequent visitors. I have made over 50 trips since 1981 and spent 45 days in the world last year. I do think that some kind of acknowledgement would be nice besides the welcome home we always get. I also have never received a pin code of any kind, and the bus service at the deluxe resorts is not any better than that at the value.

Disagree on the bus service - seems like the deluxe stops are always a bit closer to the park entrance than the values are. Not a big deal in the morning, but at the end of a long day? It's a perk!

To this day, my father claims that in the summer of '72, they offered lifetime passes for $500 a piece. The way he tells the story, they had a person asking you as you walked through the turnstiles if you were interested in possibly buying a "Golden Ticket" and that my parents said "What would we need that for? We'll probably never be back."*

I've never seen this alluded to anywhere (and like most everyone on this board, I'm a bit of a Disneyphile), but he's not really the type to make up stories or embellish either. I tend to believe there's some truth to it, but it was a very, very short lived offer.

I've heard of that! I don't remember where I read it and if it was for DL or WDW ~ don't know if it's a Disney urban legend or not, but wow ~ wouldn't it be great to have one of those!!!

For example, if they offered people who have stayed 25 times or more 30% off their entire stay from then on they would loose a considerable amount of money. If they offered first time guests 30% off their stay and 25% off their second stay they have a much better chance of them coming a third time and paying full price and so forth.

Yes it would be awesome if they did, but don't hold your breath.

The first time my exDH and I booked a stay at Disney made our reservations for All Star Sports - it was what we could afford and I was fine. Then one day Disney called us to upgrade us to Dixie Landings at no charge. Brilliant move on their part ~ we were spoiled and went with moderate resorts every time after. I have no idea if they still do that now, but worked like a charm on us!

 

[Chef Mickey]

True, but circumstantial evidence points my way rather than yours (no offense).

I would see that the dialing back of perks for passholders and DVC over the years is an indication that they don't produce any increase revenue (i.e. you get the annual pass for Disney, not for the free Coke in the lounge).

Meh...forget it.

 

[Scuttle]

Yes!!!!! It's kind of crazy that they don't have some kind of point system or room upgrades or something!!

 

[WDWFigment]

Interesting thought.

Hotels have loyality programs - I belong to a number, and will base my stays on them sometimes.

Airlines have loyality programs, and somtimes I will make a choice of carrier based on them.

WDW is different. As Fosse said (and very often I don't agree with him) there is no other WDW. If I want to go to WDW and stay on property, I am stuck going to WDW and staying at a WDW hotel (well, there is the Swan & Dolphin). I don't have a choice of WDW 1 or WDW 2, there is just WDW. True, there are other theme parks, but they are all differnt enough to create a seperate market.

Disney's cruise rewards program is nice (Castaway Club) perks for return cruisers include priority boarding lines (just like my airline perks), the ability to book excursions and other events in an earlier window, and a welcome gift in the stateroom.

However, there is competiton with the DCL

I don't think it is something that is required for WDW. I also think it would be a bear to impliment. How do you define a stay? One person stays over a long weekend in Pop, and the other spends two weeks in the GF. Is that both one stay? Some people switch resorts in the middle of a vacation. Is that two stays ? Some people have DVC, but allow other people to use them, who gets credit for a stay? Too many issues.

-dave

Like you, I rarely agree with fosse, but he hit the nail on the head with this one.

"Frequent ____ Incentives" are pragmatic from a business perspective in a crowded marketplace. Disney theme parks, at least to frequent guests, are often the only product in the marketplace. Granted, there are some yearly visitors who might just as soon spend a week at a different theme park, but I'm betting they are far from the majority.

In the case of airlines and hotels, there is a near-equivalent competitor vying for a customer's business and/or loyalty. Disney theme parks are not the same.

The incentive is just not there. I could see offering some sort of "token" incentive under the guise of customer loyalty, but nothing of substance.

For those who are saying "yes," is there any reason you have beyond, "we deserve it for spending so much money there"? That's not really a business-reason so much as an expectation.

 

[loveofamouse]

to me, it would just be something nice. Of course, I'm talking about my perk plan, not crazy price cuts or whatever. Just something small that says we recognize your constant choice to visit us and we thank you. Personally, I don't require resort discounts or whatever. Just maybe candy in the room or a gold key(i really like my gold key idea lol).