Anyone else get the DVC survey re: DVC 'elite' club?

[LIFERBABE]

I hate the whole idea of a "special perks club". One way of thinking about it maybe Disney's way - is that it raises the perceived value of certain members. The catch, though, is that it can also make the majority of members feel less special, less valued than the "elite".

Will Disney be tempted, next time it considers extending extra benefits to all DVC members, to just extend those benefits to the elite? Over time this strategy could make a lot of 2nd class citizens...I mean members... reconsider the "specialness" of owning DVC at all.

I agree. As DVC gets larger, we become more visible and businesses want to market to us. It's like AAA and AAA Plus offers. You pay more you get more discounts and benefits. I can see where there would be a tiered system of benefits and perks. There will be some businesses that want to market to DVC but target certain members and this will allow that.

Maybe this is 1 reason for this consideration. We are becoming too large to offer some benefits to as a whole.

 

[revrob]

I've not read the whole thread, I just had to post to say that the minute that the minute that I feel as if I've become "second class" because I don't own enough points, is the day that I will be putting our points on the market and never returning. We have made a very large (for us) investment into DVC. If it isn't enough for DVC to continue to treat us equally, then I'm sure there are plenty of places that would love to have our money. ESPECIALLY in this economy!

 

[zulaya]

Just wanted to chime in...430 points...all purchase direct from DVC...no survey for us.

I'm guessing the 1000 points threshold is probably it. As dearly as I'd love to, not happening in the foreseeable future for us.

Going to be following this closely. I'm very curious what they plan to implement.

 

[Candace]

Just wanted to chime in...430 points...all purchase direct from DVC...no survey for us.

I'm guessing the 1000 points threshold is probably it. As dearly as I'd love to, not happening in the foreseeable future for us.

Going to be following this closely. I'm very curious what they plan to implement.

Well, I own over 1000 and I have not received anything about a survey.

 

[hcortesis]

1000 points here and yep, I got a survey.

 

[Jaaron2]

we own 450 points and love DVC. I am not upset one bit about this. First DVC is not going to take away the perks we already have because the majority of the owners will be below the threshold for the "potential" extra perks they might offer. I dont see how someone receiving some small extra perk because they invested alot of money into DVC makes any of us second class citizens. We built a nice large home 5 years ago (for us at least 2,800 sq ft) and love where we live. many people have bigger homes with more land but it certainly dosent make me feel like a second class citizen.

I think there could be a bit of over-reacting to what these perks will actually be. I dont think Disney is going to be building another park for these folks or anything I am a premier member with airlines and hotels. Sure there are some additional perks but nothing earth shattering for sure. I dont think Disney is going to do anything to offend 90% of its members for the sake of the other 10. And hey, if they put that much money into it more power to them! I always though (and I am sure everyone else did as well" that as DVC members we already feel seperate from the "non DVC" members that visit the World. Are we then treating non DVC members like second class citizens?

 

[corpcomp]

we own 450 points and love DVC. I am not upset one bit about this. First DVC is not going to take away the perks we already have because the majority of the owners will be below the threshold for the "potential" extra perks they might offer. I dont see how someone receiving some small extra perk because they invested alot of money into DVC makes any of us second class citizens. We built a nice large home 5 years ago (for us at least 2,800 sq ft) and love where we live. many people have bigger homes with more land but it certainly dosent make me feel like a second class citizen.

To your point we love the fact that we have DVC ownership and can stay at what we consider a luxury resort on vacation as compared to the value or mid level resorts we used to stay at. I have all the perks I need now (except for complimentary Gelatos - hey, now that's a great perk!!!! ).

 

[AnnaS]

No survey here.

 

[BrentR]

I think it would be a great marketing move for Disney to create some sort of club. If it creates sales and improves the product. Let's remember that Disney is a corporation and the last time I looked it was not a non-profit corporation. From their standpoint they are looking at ways to enhance their bottom line and create loyalty. Loyalty means people will keep coming back and spending more money. The folks with 1000 point contracts already spend thousands of $$ a year on dues, tickets, meals, merchandise etc etc..
From Disney's standpoint why not give back to this group of people they are a great marketing force for Disney. I am in no way suggesting that the rest of us members who don't have the thresh-hold are not a great marketing force, it's just that those who have mega points have proven to Disney that they bleed mouse ears. I have a long ways to go in order to be at a level where I would be considered for the "club" and don't really have the desire because we definatly don't get to use our membership as much as others due to distance from the World. But then again you never know, one can always dream!!

 

[Dean]

It will be interesting if DVC goes the way of other points systems where they offer perks to those who own more points and usually ONLY if they bought them retail though they often grandfather those that currently qualify otherwise. IF so one can fuss and gripe or one can position themselves to be in the top group. Can you see the threads on this BBS if DVC did decide to head this way.

 

[kdzgon]

I've not read the whole thread, I just had to post to say that the minute that the minute that I feel as if I've become "second class" because I don't own enough points, is the day that I will be putting our points on the market and never returning. We have made a very large (for us) investment into DVC. If it isn't enough for DVC to continue to treat us equally, then I'm sure there are plenty of places that would love to have our money. ESPECIALLY in this economy!

Yes, you are right - you are always free to spend your money elsewhere. However, many if not most of those places will have elite status, incentive and/or loyalty programs as well. Some are fee based, some on frequency/ownership levels, etc. but there are many, many programs in place.

How many people that are saying "everyone should be treated the same" turn down the AP discounts or never avail themselves of "special" events, etc? Why should AAA membership warrant special treatment, but not large ownership? The latter is a much more significant monetary investment than an AAA membership. Having an AP brings plenty of rewards as well - is that discriminatory, or good business practice, rewarding regular visitors?

As to the booking windows, I have a question for the more informed members here: doesn't the POS just guarantee a minimum 1 month advantage at your home resort? Granting large contract owners an additional window does not take away from the guaranteed 1 month home advantage - does it say anywhere that all owners must have the same advantage, or is it just a 1 month minimum?

 

[nunzia]

<<<Funding for the program would undoubtedly come from the sales department (no member dues) since the purpose is to increase sales and/or referrals from existing members.>>>

I'm confused..where does funding for the sales department come from? Sales of DVC points? I'd think so, but then after the sale wouldn't all costs associated with maintaining the member (DisneyFiles, MS, etc) come from our MF? I guess I don't see how the sales team would get stuck forever paying for extras on high points members long after the sale is over.

 

[Dean]

Legally I doubt that is true.

The POS makes general statements about room requests not being guaranteed, check-in time being after 4pm, etc. If they were to give preferential treatment to a certain group, I suspect it would be legally permitted as long as the other group still received the benefits guaranteed by the ownership docs.

In other words, they could take steps to block off a room for a "club member" that meets his/her exact location and view request, and make sure the room is ready by 8am. As long as the rest of the guests have their reserved room in-hand by 4pm, DVC has not violated any agreements with members.

What they could NOT do is bump someone from, say, a Preferred BW View room class to a Preferred Garden/Pool View in favor of a "club member." But if one of these club members books the BoardWalk View and requests "5th floor over Crest 'o the Wave", DVC could take extra steps to make that request happen.

Funding for the program would undoubtedly come from the sales department (no member dues) since the purpose is to increase sales and/or referrals from existing members.

The only thing they couldn't change is home resort access. Everything else including the option to trade points for tickets, a shorter lead time to none home resort reservation, even all the exchange options currently available and expected to cont and about every other option you can think of could be shifted to such a program at the expense of the rest of the members.

 

[tjkraz]

Well, for 1, we have a new way of reporting availability here on the DIS where people report availability or lack of, that was implemented at the time of the change. We also have the waitlist threads.

Do those resources provide any indication that members are being shut-out because they are no longer able to place day-by-day calls?

I still have to call several times to get what I want, just don't see the point in complaining about it here, since we all have to do the same thing. I dont like it, but I have enough points to get what I want when I want, so not going to worry about it.

Depending upon the duration of the trip I'm sure there are reservations that require multiple calls. But many thousands of calls have certainly been saved since DBD was eliminated.

Not to mention, we are in a recession and the competition for reservations is not as fierce as it was. Even with DVC, people have postponed or cancelled trips. I picked up AKV Concierge for Christmas Eve last week.

Cancellations are not exactly unheard of in the DVC world. While DVC reservations may have dropped to some degree, I doubt that it's anything substantial since the points are a sunk cost.

My point is simply this: people like to think that DVC makes kneejerk reactions without even thinking things thru. In this case, evidence would suggest that day by day reservations were unnecessary and this move did exactly what it was designed to do. DVC had the data to make that determination before implementing the change.

2. What I stated was fact from JL himself, not heresay or assumption. I did not say that everyone in the organization agreed with him, they have stood up for Exchanges and that is why we see the push for members to use them.

Fair enough.

I guess that goes to show that JL doesn't always get his way. It sounds like he has a personal dislike for the exchange programs. That sort of attitude is not exactly unheard of in the business world. I'm sure most CEOs would privately admit a dislike for some product/service/process their company is forced to provide.

Still, business decisions must be made based upon what is best for customers and the business as a whole.

 

[Laurabearz]

If someone rents from a big time renter, will they now have access to something most members dont, mearly because the person they rented from owns (X) number of points?

 

[tjkraz]

If someone rents from a big time renter, will they now have access to something most members dont, mearly because the person they rented from owns (X) number of points?

99% of this thread is pure speculation but I have to believe DVC would guard against that. They certainly know that chronic renters are high point owners.

They could easily create some sort of unique member ID (different from the blue card) which must be presented to access certain perks.

 

[Deb & Bill]

...They could easily create some sort of unique member ID (different from the blue card) which must be presented to access certain perks.

But if DVC has this capability, why haven't they instituted it previously instead of putting DVC member on each and every room ID where points are used? I think they just choose not to. We've always heard they want to treat all the guests at DVC resorts like members (so they get more purchasers); so now they can treat some DVC members better than other DVC members?

 

[Sammie]

If I felt this was in fact a way to reward DVC big spenders, then I would have no problem with it, even if I am not part of the "club" as long as it does not diminish the product that I bought.

However based on the recent mindset of the DVC upper management, I have to believe that instead of it being a reward to the members, it will be a marketing ploy for sales.

 

[tjkraz]

But if DVC has this capability, why haven't they instituted it previously instead of putting DVC member on each and every room ID where points are used? I think they just choose not to. We've always heard they want to treat all the guests at DVC resorts like members (so they get more purchasers); so now they can treat some DVC members better than other DVC members?

I guess it depends upon one's perspective.

Treating certain groups of guests at Disney different than others is nothing new. DVC members receive a lot of perks that are not extended to non-members. Guests staying at Disney resorts get perks that those staying off-site do not receive. Florida residents get perks. Annual Passholders get perks.

So I don't view this a fundamentally being outside of anything Disney has done in the past. They reward guests who choose to spend their money in a certain fashion. In this case the reward appears to be going to those who spend upward of $100,000 for their points (and $4-5k per year in dues) as opposed to someone who spent $15,000 and $600 per year.

Personally I don't see this as any different that airline "medallion clubs" or rental car express lanes.

When I travel with someone in one of these airline clubs, we're on the same airplane and paid the same amount for our tickets (actually he may have gotten a discount and paid less.) But he gets access to an airport lounge and gets to board the plane before I do. Again, I don't see anything fundamentally wrong with that. The airline is rewarding its best customers.

In DVC's case, I'm sure they would love to capture more of our vacation dollars. With Hawaii and California coming on-line, HHI and Vero already available and trades thru RCI, they want folks to consider more DVC points rather than Marriott or Wyndham purchases for their non-theme park vacations.

As to the issue of who will get those perks, again this is just my opinion but I can see Disney limiting it to the member only.

I really don't know why they extend perks to non-members via the room key. According to the information from DVC, we members are supposed to TELL DVC when renters are using our points. Then the "DVC Member" notation is removed. But renters have no incentive to do so and if push came to shove, they'd probably just lie to get their "customers" the added perks. Besides, is Disney really losing if les Chef de France gets another customer at lunch time even if it costs them a 10% discount?

As the AP discount has shown, Disney isn't afraid to put additional restrictions on member perks. My sense is that they would take steps to limit access to this discount program to only deeded members. Again, just my opinion.

 

[drusba]

The survey said: "Today you will be answering questions about a potential new Disney Vacation Club program. This program would be available to a select group of Members who qualified by reaching a certain threshold through their own purchases and by referring friends and family. The program would give this qualified group of Members access to additional and/or highly sought after benefits."

First, I want to say that not everyone with a lot of points got this survey. Second, I doubt there will be any perks that are going to cost members as a whole anything -- think about it, what perks do we have now that cost the members as a whole extra, they are mainly things consisting of some discounts where members are not funding the difference between regular and discount price. Third, I particularly note the reference to "additional and/OR highly sought after benefits" and I doubt the "highly sought after" are anywhere high on the list of potentials. This is Disney and when it comes to extras, you are more likely to see things like:

1. A plaque with your name on it buried somewhere on a part of Disney property where no one ever goes and you cannot find.

2. $5 off a $70 bottle of wine at a Disney restaurant that you could purchase in a wine store for $25.

3. Fast Passes to the Treehouse.

4. A gold colored room key. It won't get you anything extra but it is a souvenir that's yours for a lifetime.

5. A t-shirt that says you are Club (whatever name is chosen) DVC member that you can buy for the special one-time discounted price of $65.

6. Another tote bag for only $15.

7. Your room will be guaranteed to be ready by 5.

8. An extra recording you will have to go through on the phone to get to a special MS employee that deals with the Elite Club members who just happens to be the same MS employee that you would have reached if you hadn't taken the time to wait through the extra recording.

9. The ability to have your family photo taken for $20 and put in a cardboard holder that says Elite Club member.

10. An Elite Club member cruise that will cost only double the points of the usual cruise .