Thoughts on the DVC Lounge

[keishashadow]

Someone has to pay for the lounge, might be DVD, might be our dues. Question is the benefit worth the expense?

Bill

Yes, it's difficult to put a $ value on an intangible. Would think it doesn't cost them a fortune to staff it/utilize the space, but the warm & fuzzy feeling members achieve when visiting could easily translate into $ for DVC.

Ps the gummie Bears are amazing

 

[disneynutz]

Yes, it's difficult to put a $ value on an intangible. Would think it doesn't cost them a fortune to staff it/utilize the space, but the warm & fuzzy feeling members achieve when visiting could easily translate into $ for DVC.

Ps the gummie Bears are amazing

It isn't about warm and fuzzy, it's about selling timeshares. DVD closed their remote sales sites in the malls because they weren't selling enough. They look at numbers and marketing and decide what works and what doesn't. IMO the lounge is a marketing tool, not for those who actually use it but for prospective buyers who are told about the exclusive direct buy only member perk.

Bill

 

[keishashadow]

It isn't about warm and fuzzy, it's about selling timeshares. DVD closed their remote sales sites in the malls because they weren't selling enough. They look at numbers and marketing and decide what works and what doesn't. IMO the lounge is a marketing tool, not for those who actually use it but for prospective buyers who are told about the exclusive direct buy only member perk.

Bill

No, it's absolutely about warm & fuzzy! Do not make the mistake of underestimating the power of a perk/freebie as to creating good will among the members. whether they are adding on or Serve as unofficial brand ambassadors for DVC.

Negative members are poison to them. Word of mouth recommendations are gold. Never did understand those who express how much they detest DVC here but still hold onto their membership.

Of course the bottom line will always be the final determination as to whether the lounge will be a continued perk.

 

[zavandor]

We (adults and kids alike) enjoyed it during our one Epcot day in August.

A nice thing about the lounge is it's a perk all (eligible) DVC members can take advantage of no matter when they travel to WDW ... unlike some of the other events (Beach Bash, Merry Mixer, etc.).

I strongly agree. I haven't had the opportunity to participate in a party yet and probably never will since I cannot book last minute trips (coming from Europe) I should be lucky to be there while one happen and I won't count on it.
But the lounge is a great idea and certainly a perk that could cause some buzz around DVC. I'd be curious to see how many Facecebook photos or tweets it generated.
Looking forward to try the lounge on Janauary during my next visit.

 

[disneynutz]

No, it's absolutely about warm & fuzzy! Do not make the mistake of underestimating the power of a perk/freebie as to creating good will among the members. whether they are adding on or Serve as unofficial brand ambassadors for DVC.

Negative members are poison to them. Word of mouth recommendations are gold. Never did understand those who express how much they detest DVC here but still hold onto their membership.

Of course the bottom line will always be the final determination as to whether the lounge will be a continued perk.

Don't know if word of mouth is gold, DVC canceled the referral program without official notice. According to DVD contacts new buyers are much more profitable than add-ons, that's why they create wait lists for legacy resorts. You don't create good will by restricting resale buyers.

Bill

 

[keishashadow]

Don't know if word of mouth is gold, DVC canceled the referral program without official notice. According to DVD contacts new buyers are much more profitable than add-ons, that's why they create wait lists for legacy resorts. You don't create good will by restricting resale buyers.

Bill

Yes, surprised they didn't give notice for the program, not sure how popular with members or profitable it was.

I have both direct and resale contracts, grandfather'd in...at the risk of being hypocritical agree with the restrictions on perks for new resale buyers. If DVC has to trim the fat somewhere, would prefer it happen there.

Obviously, they can't please everybody, but the member lounge is a winner IMO. Most I've spoken to who have visited are of the same mind and appreciate the effort/recognition, whether it's a thinly disguised sales tool or not.

 

[disneymath]

Don't know if word of mouth is gold, DVC canceled the referral program without official notice. According to DVD contacts new buyers are much more profitable than add-ons, that's why they create wait lists for legacy resorts. You don't create good will by restricting resale buyers.

Bill

Just throwing this out there, but maybe the referral program was dropped because an increasing number of DVC owners (e.g. Canadian and other international purchasers) were not eligible for it anyway. Weren't owners from certain states also ineligible?

 

[jekjones1558]

I love virtually everything DVC. We have been very, very happy with our membership. But I am not a fan of the DVC lounge. It just is no big deal to us. A place to sit in AC and a free soda aren't worth the hassle of waiting for someone to escort me and DH in his scooter up the elevator. But I am happy that others really like it. It is fine if specific DVC perks appeal to some more than others.

 

[disneynutz]

Just throwing this out there, but maybe the referral program was dropped because an increasing number of DVC owners (e.g. Canadian and other international purchasers) were not eligible for it anyway. Weren't owners from certain states also ineligible?

True but for years it wasn't an issue, even though we live in a state that didn't allow a reward, we still referred several families.

Bill

 

[disneymath]

True but for years it wasn't an issue, even though we live in a state that didn't allow a reward, we still referred several families.

Bill

Oddly enough, your history of referring without being able to benefit from any perks, coupled with the ongoing growth of (direct) members, supports the idea that the referral program wasn't needed any longer.

I think happy DVCers tend to help sell the product unintentionally when we rave about our vacations and share our unique member experiences, such as the DVC Epcot lounge to put this thread back on topic.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I had a call from DVC a couple of days ago to let me know my guide was no longer with the company and to introduce my new one. At the end of the call he asked if I had any referrals. I almost asked what was in it for me if I did.

 

[DMKEDM]

I am very surprised by how much I (and my guests, including the 10-year-old!) loved the Epcot DVC member lounge (haven't tried the Disney Visa lounge). It is a "feeling"...the room is nice; the perks are nice (being able to print out my boarding pass there the day before departure was great)...the snacks are a nice touch, but as snacks go, they're not a big deal. But I loved it. And our 10-year-old wanted to go there more than he wanted to do anything else (including going on the roller coasters or "video game" rides (Toy Story & Buzz))...I've been puzzling over why this is so. Obviously, a 10-year-old (whose family were my guests, not DVC members themselves) isn't feeling the "special DVC treatment." And I can get my boarding pass via my phone or at the concierge desk at my resort if I don't happen to be at Epcot within 24 hours of my flight's departure. "Free" pop is not all that big a deal and I have a smart phone and a laptop w/me so use of computers/tablets in the lounge shouldn't be a particular draw either.

But even tho I don't understand it, I do unqualifiedly love the member lounge. Kudos to whoever it was at Disney who figured it out and made it a "place of love" even though I have no clue how or why it happened--

 

[Simba's Mom]

We just got back from a week and I enjoyed the members' lounge twice. The first time, DH complained about it being too cold, but I thought it was great. The second time, I visited while waiting for DH to finish golf. Great place to sit and relax, read my kindle while sipping a soda and recharging my scooter. I'd like to see it continent-I thought it was a welcome perk.

 

[amym2]

We used the lounge twice this past week during our 3-day visit, and we loved it! It was great being able to bring our friends (who were staying in our GV) up with us to get out of the heat and to get free soda (esp since we had 4 tweens/teens). I absolutely hope it will stick around, especially because it will be a great place for my parents to get off their feet and relax when they come along with us. The parks were pretty crowded this past week, and there were always quite a few people in the lounge, but it never felt crowded.

 

[luckyman_apd]

Never did understand those who express how much they detest DVC here but still hold onto their membership.

I agree 100%. I read it all the time. Complaints here and there, general negativity overall. I also have seen a coincidence with the negativity in members with far more points than I. As a smaller contract I find DVC to have been a tremendous value for us. We have gone far more often than we ever would have, and it's been great. We are at the point now where we've been a bunch of times in the last few years, and are taking a year off....maybe 18 months.

I for one love the lounge. I was there for 8 days in the summer, and always got to Epcot after the lounge was closed. We were able to pop in for our September food and wine trip. My only complaint was lack of a bathroom in there. Having to leave the lounge to go around the building when my son needed to go was a tad inconvenient. I also didn't see the snack lady. I find it quite disgusting that there are such greedy people out there who were grabbing so many snacks they had to restrict them. It was also pretty sweet that a CM from Pittsburgh was at the entrance the day of the Eagles/Steelers game while I was wearing my Eagles gear. LOL.

 

[Kim&Chris]

We (adults and kids alike) enjoyed it during our one Epcot day in August.

A nice thing about the lounge is it's a perk all (eligible) DVC members can take advantage of no matter when they travel to WDW ... unlike some of the other events (Beach Bash, Merry Mixer, etc.).

Totally agree. We've been with DVC for a long time, but have never been able to participate in most of the events you mentioned.

It was a nice break from the day. Nothing fancy, just a place to sit, charge your phone, have a cold drink and move on.

Mostly, we just liked the "cool factor" of being inside that part of the building.

 

[LisaS]

Totally agree. We've been with DVC for a long time, but have never been able to participate in most of the events you mentioned.

It was a nice break from the day. Nothing fancy, just a place to sit, charge your phone, have a cold drink and move on.

Mostly, we just liked the "cool factor" of being inside that part of the building.

I agree. We've missed out on all of the other DVC 25th anniversary events so it was nice to be able to use the lounge. It was interesting being inside the upper level of that space.

We were there for nearly 30 minutes and never saw the snack person. I think we just missed him/her because when we first arrived, I saw several people with bags of munchies. Is there any reason they can't just put the snacks behind the desk (the one at the top of the stairs) that you pass as you enter? The CMs at the desk could let each person pick one thing from a basket of snacks as they enter the lounge.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I agree. We've missed out on all of the other DVC 25th anniversary events so it was nice to be able to use the lounge. It was interesting being inside the upper level of that space.

We were there for nearly 30 minutes and never saw the snack person. I think we just missed him/her because when we first arrived, I saw several people with bags of munchies. Is there any reason they can't just put the snacks behind the desk (the one at the top of the stairs) that you pass as you enter? The CMs at the desk could let each person pick one thing from a basket of snacks as they enter the lounge.

I think if you're there for an hour or more, you will hit the snack cart, but not in the last hour. At least I heard a CM say they take inventory in the last hour.

I like the idea of just offering a snack as you go up. Maybe doing that will Blow the Budget?

I enjoyed the lounge, and I hope to get up again in December.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

what kinds of snacks do they have? We'll be there in a few weeks.

 

[chalee94]

I agree. We've missed out on all of the other DVC 25th anniversary events so it was nice to be able to use the lounge. It was interesting being inside the upper level of that space.

Yep - the free drinks were also a big plus for me. I was there during food and wine, so it was pretty sweet to eat lunch from the kiosks and then get free drinks later in the DVC lounge. (I turned down the free snacks so I could use all of my "calorie allowance" for the day on the Korean BBQ at the Korean kiosk and baby filet with mushrooms at the Canadian kiosk and so forth...)