What are your thoughts on the new DVC guidebook?

[jennybobenny]

I apologize if this has already come up but other than the "Have your received the book yet?" thread I can't find any comments.

So....do you like it? What does everyone think?

On a scale of 1 - 10 (with 10 being the best) how would you rate the new guidebook?

[dianeschlicht]

Wow, looks like I was the first to vote! As I posted a couple weeks ago when we got ours, I think it looks great, but I will miss the ring binder and will probably put this inside it. I liked the calendar in the back. I wish they would have had something in with the member number, since I have that in my ring binder, and will still need to search for that when I call MS. I suppose they don't want to run the risk of it getting into non-member hands with a member number in it.

[DisneyHumbug]

I haven't gotten the new one yet.....

[MinnieMe2]

Haven't gotten ours yet...

[DVCDAVE]

I received mine two days ago, and had a chance to review it last night. While it looks, reads, and feels fine, I don't see or feel that it is signifacantly better than the 3 ring binder. My major concern here is COST of publication, and mailing. IMHO I would be hard pressed to jusitify this major added expense in light of the ongoing financial hardships Disney is experienceing, compounded by layoffs, reduced hours, and cutback of services. Hence I voted for a '1' on this poll. My only added concern is who is paying for all this, US or Disney ?? Either way, I would have been just as pleased receiving an update for my old binder.

[wdwnut]

hi to all: we haven't received ours yet either. if it's like the vm, we'll see it in a month or so.

[Pa@okw95]

Haven't seen one yet, but we live in Connecticut so anything received from DVC is questionable to start with, I figure I have a 50% chance of getting my guide book without calling someone to send me one.

[Granny]

Our Guide Book came in the mail yesterday.

As I posted on the other thread, my DW immediately grabbed it and wouldn't let go of it! She used to think I was nuts for planning next year's vacation so early....now she's talking about 2003 and 2004 already! ;)

I do wish they had better pictures of the interiors of the various resorts....guess we'll just have to visit them all throughout the next 40 years!

[WebmasterDoc]

We received our guide in today's mail. While I liked the old binder, I was never very good about removing the old info and inserting the current information, so mine always had many years of "stuff" to wade thru to find anything. (My desk is the same way!)

The new guidebook appeals ot me, since all the information is current and the format is very easy to read/understand. The question/answer sections provide a simple way to find your way thru the book and often can provide the solution I'm looking for without a major hunt.

My hunch is that there is not much more cost involved to print and mail this guidebook than the page inserts for the old binders- and now the binders themselves don't need to be purchased for future owners.

Now I can have a nice collection of DVC guidebooks on my shelves- next to my overstuffed DVC binder(s) and my Birnbaum's (dating back to 1987), Perlmutter's, Sehlinger's and Aero's.

I'm pleased with the new guidebook and feel the concept will continue to improve in years to come. I gave it an "8"- has a good beat/easy to dance to! :D

Enjoy!

[dianeschlicht]

Cute, Doc! I was first to vote, and I gave it an "8" also! I know what you mean about all the old Birnbaums and old DVC info. I need a whole office just for that stuff!

[Mickbee]

The quality stinks! As soon as I opened mine, the binding was cracking and letting go. The pages in the folder in the back were creased and GLUED into the binding. It appears to have been read/thumbed through (bend cover and pages). If I hadn't opened the package I would have thought it was in the lobby of a dentist office.

The content is nice and I enjoy reading it.

Sorry to be the black cloud... I gave it a "4" based on quality.

[Paul in CT]

Doc,

Your collection sounds a lot like mine, that's why I was glad to see the new format. Now my binder can become a "collector's item", especially since it has three mountains in the logo! :)

I think they did a great job and I like seeing the Vacation Magic pictures again.

[Firefighter Mickey]

Mickbee, you must have accidentally been sent Doc's copy. Maybe he'll trade with you ;)

[baileybrad]

No book yet, so no rating.

[Disnydad]

I do not like it. We got it today and I just spent a half hour going through it. I like the ring binder. I was easy to work with on the desk while on the phone w/member services. It layed flat. My binder on the new one has already cracked too!

But, then again, I'm one who properly updated the ring binder.;) Not a lot of old stuff to wade through. Sorry Doc.:)

I gave it a 4 .

[rbuzzotta]

I really like it. The pictures are more brilliant and it is easy to read. My DD's also like it better (more pictures for them to look at). I like the calendar and the papers to track points.

I guess I like anything with Disney pictures on it.

[KarenB]

I also gave it a 4but that was just on the physical end since I really haven't had a chance to go through it page by page.

As someone else mentioned, I liked the way the binder could lay flat. I liked the "tabs" on the binder to allow me to find the section I wanted easily. The back cover is already coming unglued and I only had a chance to glance through it.

Maybe I'll punch holes in it and put it in my binder!

Does this mean we will get a new one every year?

Karen

[Mickbee]

FF Mickey, I think you are right. ;) That's okay, the info is still good. It certainly won't keep me from reading it. :D

[DVCDAVE]

Sorry DOC, but I find it hard to swallow that printing and mailing 6 or so pages for the binder, is the same cost as producing, binding, printing and mailing a whole new book of 160 pages. Postage alone is 5 times the old cost !!! Seems to me the money for postage alone could keep Adventureland opening the same time as the rest of the MK for a year or more. Logic, and priorities like this makes a shareholder like me wonder why I even own the stock.

[WebmasterDoc]

that printing and mailing 6 or so pages for the binder, is the same cost as producing, binding, printing and mailing a whole new book of 160 pages.

Maybe you've been missing a lot of pages!

I always got new point charts for each DVC resort, a new listing of descriptions for Concierge Collection, World Passport Collection, Adventurer Collection as well as the Disney Collection- plus point charts for each of those. There were also updates on other programs when appropriate. I ALWAYS got far more pages than just the "6 or so" you remember. They were also sent out at various times of the year. As my mailer didn't show any postage, I don't have any idea what the postage was- but find it very hard to swallow that it was 5 times the old cost. It was, after all, sent by Parcel Post. I seriously doubt the postage difference (if any) could keep Adventureland open for more than a few hours, but that's an entirely different discussion- NOT appropriate for this board.

I like getting all of the pertinent information at once and in one concise format. The table of contents makes it very simple to navigate.

I guess we'll just have to see how this affects our dues. I expect there will be little change at all. As a stockholder, I'm not worried about the cost- as it's being paid by the DVC dues as it always has been and I'm certainly willing to hold my stock, as I'm confident it will increase in value again.

I'll still stand by my original statement- "that there is not much more cost involved to print and mail this guidebook than the page inserts for the old binders- and now the binders themselves don't need to be purchased for future owners."

[drusba]

I believe the cost of the guidebook is a cost that is covered by our dues. If it was actually a huge difference in cost I doubt they would have changed the system.

The one thing I noticed, or maybe I cannot just find it in the new guidebook, is that there is no mention of pool hopping. If I recall correctly, the only document that actually stated in writing that you could pool hop was the old guidebook.

[jennybobenny]

I actually like the new guidebook *alot* more than the old binder. I too was not very good about adding/removing the pages and consequently had alot of info to wade thru to answer the simplest of questions. My laziness certainly isn't DVC's fault, but I guess I just find the new guidebook to be much more convenient. I even took it with me to my son's speech therapy appointment so I could read while I was waiting - something I never would have done with the old binder.

Something to consider - much of the information in the guidebook is 'old news' to us diehard DIS DVCers. Banking, borrowing, use years, holding accounts etc. are terms we're all familiar with, often times, so familiar that others come here to the DIS to ask questions. For anyone just starting out, or even for those of us who need to review, the information is given in a much more 'user-friendly' way. It's alot easier to understand and seems to flow much smoother than the way the info was presented in the binder.

Just my opinion, of course, but I gave it a 10. It's better than what I expected it to be - and ya gotta love those pictures. ;) FYI - on the back cover (behind the planner sheets and calendar) is a list of photo credits.

[DVCDAVE]

DRUSBA; I always find it easier to spend other peoples money, rather than my own. So, I wouldn't conclude that they were being sensative to costs in making their decision to change the format, as we are paying for that decision anyway. Good obervation on pool hopping though !!! I wonder if we can read anything in to that....

[CRobin]

I agree with you, Jenny, and I think there is a method to their madness. Providing more "DIS-like" information relative to banking, borrowing, etc. cuts down on the "informational" calls to MS.

Drusba, interesting note on the conspicuous absence of pool hopping. I noticed the same about member - member transfers.

I like it. Gave it a 9.

[donald@home]

I work in the printing industry and I agree with Doc 100%. It is more expensive to manufacture and print future binders and tab pages for the new members plus the insert pages for all of the members than it is to print a large run of perfect bound books (like the new ones). I am sure Disney gets a HUGE volume discount on their printing with all of the materials they have printed each year.

[antnee]

the inserts were about the same as a new guide book, but I think the binder was better anyway. I also gave the poll a 6 because I wanted to see more color pics of the rooms and resorts to remind me what I own

[Peggy Sue]

received ours yesterday. Had a brief chance to thumb through it last evening. I like it, but I must admit I like the "binder" better. I've kept it up to date, and I loved the tabs and the fact it can be laid flat on a desk surface. I'll confess that I'm also a DVC trip dreamer..and I often take the book off the shelf and begin planning future vacations.

The color pictures are cute, but would have liked more pictures of the resorts, rooms etc.

Point charts are through 2003, so I assume they are going to be publishing again next year?

I liked the pull out calendar in the back of the book. That will be great for planning!

I gave it an 8. If it starts to pull apart from all the use and abuse I will heap upon it over the next year, I'll just punch the pages and put it back in the binder! Sort of best of both worlds!

[PKK/MJK]

In my opinion, the new book is OK. It is bright and colorful, easy to read. I far preferred the ringed binder. It was far more durable and I, too, liked the tabbed pages and the way it would lay flat on the table. Guess I'll have to get used to the new one--don't have any other choice.

[Hilary]

Still waiting for mine... :rolleyes:

[ILuvDVC]

I thought the new book was nice, however, I didn't see anything new in there, that isn't on the web page. I'd much rather they updated the web page, and allowed us to see our point balances on there.

I guess there are still members out there that are not on-line though, so the book is necessary.

[Jeanne]

I give it a 7. I like the area where it tells more about the different activities available and what is in the area. I miss the tabbed sections (color coding doesn't work for me, I forget what each color means, just like in trivia pursuit). I am sorry to hear that bindings are already letting loose. I had planned on having mine 3 hole punched and putting it into the binder, now I have all the more reason to get myself over to the print shop with it. Some of the pictures are great, esp. the one of Hilton Head, it made me anxious to book a trip there.

[Doctor P]

In general, I like it. I will miss the flexibility and durability of the binder, but there is lots of new and interesting information in the new guidebook. I also think I like the organization of the point charts (all in one place). I think that the frequently asked questions sections seem a little more detailed than before. I do, however, miss the pictures of more of the Member's Getaway sites. I gave it a 7.

[TinkerbellRules]

The photo on page 14 is awesome! It's a photo of my little cousin!