2017 Points Charts Out

[SpaceMountain77]

I also got locked out of the room after bringing in one bag. The Magic Band stopped working. Later, the "runner" who was helping me brought me a gift basket of popcorn. But then there was a flood from the air conditioner, so she moved me to a 1 bedroom.

I had thought you might be offered dinner at Olivia's Cafe. On two separate occasions, guests had told me that they were compensated with dinners for room availability issues.

 

[carlbarry]

I had thought you might be offered dinner at Olivia's Cafe. On two separate occasions, guests had told me that they were compensated with dinners for room availability issues.

Nope, not me. In any event, I have religious dietary restrictions, so I returned the popcorn, and could not eat at Olivia's anyway.

 

[Dean]

Although I doubt it is a standard policy, if one's reservation cannot be accommodated by the reserved resort, then one should be accommodated by the home resort. I would hope that a guest would not be randomly sent to an available resort.

There was a post on this board, not too long ago, from a member with a BWV boardwalk view reservation that could not be fulfilled. The member accepted a Disney Dining Package and PhotoPass. I remember several members taking issue with the DDP offering because last minute ADRs are challenging.

In principle I would agree even if they are to be upgraded but I'll point that they can't give what they don't have so one cannot take an absolute stance that the "have to". Sometimes overbooking happens or sometimes room go out of service unplanned. Certainly a system the size of Disney's can absorb this most of the time but my point was it could never be 100% guaranteed and since the things more likely to be available in that situation are less desirable options, the chances of making someone happy are not always good. I'll reference the AKV relocations from a few years ago. If you go from having a concierge unit you booked 11 months out to SSR, that's a big jump. To complicate it further, they were VERY inconsistent in how they dealt with members. Some got nothing but points back and some got free dining (IIRC) or room credits. A few were able to get something other than SSR.

I am surprised that you were not offered anything for the inconvenience.

There's really not much inconvenience here. Given DVC's history I'm surprised as well and a small something might have been reasonable say $100 room credit, but this is not a major issue.

 

[SpaceMountain77]

I'll reference the AKV relocations from a few years ago. If you go from having a concierge unit you booked 11 months out to SSR, that's a big jump. To complicate it further, they were VERY inconsistent in how they dealt with members. Some got nothing but points back and some got free dining (IIRC) or room credits. A few were able to get something other than SSR.

Although I did not write it, I tried to allude to your example. If a member had booked a VGF 1-bedroom lake view villa or PVB deluxe studio lake view and could not be accommodated by the resort at check in, I would hope that one would not be sent directly to SSR. Our ADRs are based on our resort reservation and a move to another area of the resort would make them a challenge.

Back in May 2015, when the PVB Phase I villas (Moorea and Pago Pago) were without power for 10+ hours, there was significant variation in compensation. Numerous families were in the lobby sharing their outcomes with other guests. One family claimed to have received a $500 resort credit upon check in, while another that had just arrived said they were offered a complimentary dinner at 'Ohana. At the time, many seem to have received nothing, but post-event board discussion suggested that some members received some points back.

Based purely on observation, I believe the outcome to be largely dependent on the cast member-guest interaction and, specifically, the willingness of the cast member to work with the guest.

 

[Dean]

Although I did not write it, I tried to allude to your example. If a member had booked a VGF 1-bedroom lake view villa or PVB deluxe studio lake view and could not be accommodated by the resort at check in, I would hope that one would not be sent directly to SSR. Our ADRs are based on our resort reservation and a move to another area of the resort would make them a challenge.

Back in May 2015, when the PVB Phase I villas (Moorea and Pago Pago) were without power for 10+ hours, there was significant variation in compensation. Numerous families were in the lobby sharing their outcomes with other guests. One family claimed to have received a $500 resort credit upon check in, while another that had just arrived said they were offered a complimentary dinner at 'Ohana. At the time, many seem to have received nothing, but post-event board discussion suggested that some members received some points back.

Based purely on observation, I believe the outcome to be largely dependent on the cast member-guest interaction and, specifically, the willingness of the cast member to work with the guest.

DVC is nothing if not inconsistent, your report for the Poly is consistent with what we've seen over the years. Recent reports for VB seem more consistent but we don't know if this comes from DVC or VB, with the 2 AKV relocations they left it up to the resort which was a mistake in a number of ways. The bottom line is they cannot give you what they don't have and that's an absolute. They will not displace another guest for any reason in this situation no matter the situation or argument. Sometimes if they're fishing when they call, like at VB, they may have some flexibility in this area. Unfortunately DVC doesn't seem to plan these type issues well. IMO they should have a specified framework of how to deal with such issues and work within that so that they have some consistency. SSR is going to be the main direction since it's the main thing available. But in reality there is the chance that someone will be canceled without options and there's no way to completely take that risk away with DVC, any timeshare, any resort or any hotel.

 

[Brian Noble]

R. Supposedly, resorts are compensated for point use.

Sure, the resort budget is paid in part through dues and in part through cash guests. However that those DVC points are being used *somewhere* and so the revenue is being generated to Disney one way or the other. And if points aren't used at all, Disney gets to rent the rooms out as breakage and keeps anything over 2.5% of each resort's Dues budget.

If anything, Disney has an incentive to get Members to *not* use their points.

 

[SpaceMountain77]

DVC is nothing if not inconsistent, your report for the Poly is consistent with what we've seen over the years. Recent reports for VB seem more consistent but we don't know if this comes from DVC or VB, with the 2 AKV relocations they left it up to the resort which was a mistake in a number of ways. The bottom line is they cannot give you what they don't have and that's an absolute. They will not displace another guest for any reason in this situation no matter the situation or argument. Sometimes if they're fishing when they call, like at VB, they may have some flexibility in this area. Unfortunately DVC doesn't seem to plan these type issues well. IMO they should have a specified framework of how to deal with such issues and work within that so that they have some consistency. SSR is going to be the main direction since it's the main thing available. But in reality there is the chance that someone will be canceled without options and there's no way to completely take that risk away with DVC, any timeshare, any resort or any hotel.

I have an intriguing question for you, Dean. VGF has 17 lake view studios. What do you suspect would happen if a VGF lake view studio fixed-week owner arrived and the villa category was overbooked?

 

[SpaceMountain77]

Sure, the resort budget is paid in part through dues and in part through cash guests. However that those DVC points are being used *somewhere* and so the revenue is being generated to Disney one way or the other. And if points aren't used at all, Disney gets to rent the rooms out as breakage and keeps anything over 2.5% of each resort's Dues budget.

If anything, Disney has an incentive to get Members to *not* use their points.

I understood the explanation to be comparable to traditional University tuition. Full-time students generally pay a flat tuition rate for up to 18-credits per semester (i.e., fall and spring). Depending on the courses that are selected and subsequently taken, tuition dollars are funneled to the appropriate college/division and then to the appropriate department. If a student took Developmental Psychology, a 3-credit course offered during the spring semester, for example, then the Psychology Department would receive appropriate compensation. If the student did not take any courses offered by the History Department, then the History Department would not receive any of this student's tuition dollars. Although the student's tuition check is written to one University, it breaks down based on how courses are taken.

Similarly, if the statement of the member services representative is accurate, members' checks and direct debits may go to DVD/DVC, but a member's vacationing determines how money is funneled. Although it was only a 20-minute conversation, it seemed as though the standard category was created to increase the number of owners and non-owners vacationing at SSR.

 

[Dean]

I have an intriguing question for you, Dean. VGF has 17 lake view studios. What do you suspect would happen if a VGF lake view studio fixed-week owner arrived and the villa category was overbooked?

I can't speak for DVC, I can only speculate. First, as I've stated they can't give what they don't have, that's an absolute and no amount of they should will change that. My suspicion is if they were in a situation where they had to make a choice between a fixed week owner and one or more points reservation, they would give the nod to the fixed week owner. If it were a standard view at VGF, I could see them bumping the LV reservation and upgrading the standard view fixed week owner to the LV villa. IF the LV fixed week owner arrived and there was nothing for some reason which could happen if a pipe burst or a fire, etc; I suspect they'd look at other availability and we'd see the usual inconsistency from DVC. Most likely they'd put them up in the best option available, return the difference in points and give them additional compensation such as free dining or a major room credit. Possibly a concierge at VGF for studio points. Again, just speculation but based on situation, the assumption they'd favor fixed week over points reservation and past DVC history.

 

[SpaceMountain77]

I can't speak for DVC, I can only speculate. First, as I've stated they can't give what they don't have, that's an absolute and no amount of they should will change that. My suspicion is if they were in a situation where they had to make a choice between a fixed week owner and one or more points reservation, they would give the nod to the fixed week owner. If it were a standard view at VGF, I could see them bumping the LV reservation and upgrading the standard view fixed week owner to the LV villa. IF the LV fixed week owner arrived and there was nothing for some reason which could happen if a pipe burst or a fire, etc; I suspect they'd look at other availability and we'd see the usual inconsistency from DVC. Most likely they'd put them up in the best option available, return the difference in points and give them additional compensation such as free dining or a major room credit. Possibly a concierge at VGF for studio points. Again, just speculation but based on situation, the assumption they'd favor fixed week over points reservation and past DVC history.

While I hope to never find myself in this situation during the life of my VGF fixed-week contract, personally, I would expect at least an Outer Building - Lagoon or Theme Park View resort room. Although I would expect to have a comparable room and view, I would not expect concierge level access.

 

[Dean]

While I hope to never find myself in this situation during the life of my VGF fixed-week contract, personally, I would expect at least an Outer Building - Lagoon or Theme Park View resort room. Although I would expect to have a comparable room and view, I would not expect concierge level access.

Given DVC's history that might or might not be something they'd do. They might simply offer you a different DVC resort and return of the points difference just like you'd taken the points and reserved elsewhere. And while I'm sure you'd consider that unacceptable, it's happened before from AKV concierge to SSR with just the points difference returned and from BWV BW view to BCV without additional compensation. That's not to say that everyone in the same boat got the same thing, some got more, but there were reports of no compensation for both relocations. Obviously this is something more likely to happen when there are a larger group of rooms out of service.

 

[supersuperwendy]

I'm so tired of the them tinkering with SSR. There are so many huge trees now blocking many views of DTD/Disney Springs I would NOT pay the additional points for Congress Park in the future. The quiet pool there is nice but not a draw with children. Back to the grandstand I'll go.

 

[DieHardJoe]

I'm so tired of the them tinkering with SSR. There are so many huge trees now blocking many views of DTD/Disney Springs I would NOT pay the additional points for Congress Park in the future. The quiet pool there is nice but not a draw with children. Back to the grandstand I'll go.

If they had set up the Std/Preferred based on views as with many other resorts, I would totally agree with you. But this looks like it was done based solely on location, especially as it pertains to access to Disney Springs. For that reason, I would not mind paying the extra points, which I believe is about 2 points/night for a studio.

 

[supersuperwendy]

If they had set up the Std/Preferred based on views as with many other resorts, I would totally agree with you. But this looks like it was done based solely on location, especially as it pertains to access to Disney Springs. For that reason, I would not mind paying the extra points, which I believe is about 2 points/night for a studio.

I am saying I personally wouldn't spend the extra points for Congress Park anymore when I previously requested it for the view, not the location. I understand why they did it.

 

[rfc0001]

FYI -- I've updated my WDW Point Chart Spreadsheet for 2017. Note, you can view room configuration details by hovering over points for any Resort/Room Type in Excel.

Russ