Anyone go to the BWV member meeting?

[Jecca]

I'm just curious because I've seen reports from the OKW and VWL meetings, but nothing from BWV. Not that I'm expecting lots of great new info to have been discussed, but I was just curious about what went on.

 

[CarolMN]

I was there. The format (and content) was the same as has been reported for the other resorts. I did take a few notes, so I'll post a few things that may not have been reported on the other annual meeting reports.

Since 1998, dues for BWV have increased an average of 0.5% per year. This year, the dues increased 4.77%. That is the lowest increase of the DVC resorts. Dues are flat except for the costs not controlled by Disney. The increase drivers are

*Property insurance (which went up 64%)
*Health Insurance for CMs (and CMs contribute part of the cost)
*Decreased interest earnings


I was happy to hear that actual taxes for 2002 were less than originally estimated by the taxing authorities. The result is a credit of 0.1015 per point which will be applied to 2003 dues. That means our 2003 maintenance bills will be that much less than the original estimate for 2003 which was $4.1084 per point.

The BWV General Manager (Vincent Valdez) said that the BWV resort enhancement was 45% complete. It is scheduled to be 100% complete by September 2003, but he is shooting for an August complete. The resort enhancement project includes the exterior painting project. It will be nice to have all the rooms back in service.

Items about the BCV, SS, Perk Pages, Member Clubhouse, addition of Windor Court property to the CC, and the single chart for II exchanges have all been covered elsewhere.

These are the Member Questions after the official meeting(s) that I deemed interesting enough to make notes:

*Question about adding some type of Food Court. This was also asked about at the last annual meeting. Mr. Valdez said they were still looking into this. One of the options under consideration was an expansion of the Boardwalk Bakery's offerings.

* Question about parking. Mr. Valdez said they are looking into "flipping" the public lot with the valet lot. Apparently, the valet lot is bigger and seldom (if ever) full. Personally, I'm not sure how much that will help. I'd like some type of system that allows guests actually staying at the BWV/BWI priority over those just visiting the Boardwalk, going to EPCOT or attending a convention. That said, I think the "lot flipping" will help some.

* Question about better park admission discounts for DVC members, similar to those given to Florida residents. The answer (from the chairman, G. Aguel) pretty much boiled down to the fact that DVC members go to the parks anyway, so DVC would rather concentrate on discounts to entice us to other areas like DQ, the waterparks, mini-golf, PI, etc. He said that DVC members visit more often than non-DVC members and thus have the time and inclination to visit other WDW attractions. They realize that they will not get every vacation dollar spent by DVC members. In contrast, it is very difficult to attract Florida residents to the parks. The chairman also said that Disney/DVC has lots and lots of data about visitors (including DVC members) and their spending habits. He said Disney is "king of the survey". I took that to mean that the data doesn't show it is in Disney's best interest to offer DVC members park admission discounts beyond the 10% on UPH tickets.

* A few compliments (mostly about housekeeping) and various minor (to me) complaints. One member wanted the same restrictions for Luna Park as there are at SAB. Another member wanted MS to have weekend hours or some type of "on call" system for last minute problems since the resort CMs have limited access to member accounts probably due to their limited expertise working with points). Someone else wanted more towel bars/hanging space in the bathrooms.

There were other items, but I did not take notes as they were not of much interest to me.

Hope that helps.

 

[JudithM]

Carol, thanks for taking the time to share info from the BWV annual meeting.

 

[Wes]

Originally posted by CarolMN
One member wanted the same restrictions for Luna Park as there are at SAB.

Did you get a sense of what the relevant restrictions are at SAB? What was the response to this issue being raised?

 

[DebbieB]

Carol,

Thanks for the info.

I noticed the parking situation did not seem as bad last week as it was on our 2 previous December trips. Maybe the guards are doing a better job of turning away those who shouldn't be parking there. On our May trip, I parked behind the guard shack one night and when walking up I noticed the valet parking lot was mostly empty. Maybe it would be a good idea to turn some of those spaces over to BW guests.

The restriction at SAB is DVC members from other resorts are not permitted to "hop" there but they can hop to Luna Park, making it more crowded.

 

[Jecca]

Thanks, Carol, for all the great info. It was exactly what I was looking for.

 

[Zurg]

I was there too. Good reporting by Carol she got the gist of it.

I was the one lobbying for the equivilant of a Florida pass. They said they were working towards a added value to a regular AP.
I'm not holding my breath waiting for a value added AP.

I think Carol's report was a more clear way of saying what they said than what they actualy said, if you get what I am saying.

 

[CarolMN]

Originally posted by Zurg
I was there too. Good reporting by Carol she got the gist of it.

I was the one lobbying for the equivilant of a Florida pass. They said they were working towards a added value to a regular AP.
I'm not holding my breath waiting for a value added AP.

I think Carol's report was a more clear way of saying what they said than what they actualy said, if you get what I am saying.

Hi, Zurg - I should have introduced myself to you - I was the one sitting one row behind you on the center aisle. At first, I wasn't sure that Mr. Aguel even understood your question but I soon realized he was just trying to spin "forget it, that would be a bad deal for Disney" into something positive. For awhile I thought I had been transported to a political event - I'm quite sure Mr. A could hold his own with the best campaigners in America.

Let's ask him the same question again next year and see if the story changes!

 

[CarolMN]

Originally posted by Wes
Did you get a sense of what the relevant restrictions are at SAB? What was the response to this issue being raised?

Hi, Wes - My understanding was that the questioner wanted the same restrictions at Luna Park as there currently are at SAB - i.e, pool fenced in, no entry without resort ID and no pool hoppers from other resorts.

The BWV/BWI Recreation Manager explained that she and her staff did challenge those who seemed as though they did not belong. For example, guests with green towels (apparently from the Swan & Dolphin Hotels) and those with large bags (could signal a local or other resort guest) frequently do not belong. Except during specified peak periods, DVC members staying on points at other DVC resorts are welcome at Luna Park. They do fence in the pool during peak periods, but that is apparently quite an undertaking and not deemed necessary during "normal" times.

 

[CarolMN]

Originally posted by DebbieB
Carol,

Thanks for the info.

I noticed the parking situation did not seem as bad last week as it was on our 2 previous December trips. Maybe the guards are doing a better job of turning away those who shouldn't be parking there. On our May trip, I parked behind the guard shack one night and when walking up I noticed the valet parking lot was mostly empty. Maybe it would be a good idea to turn some of those spaces over to BW guests.

The restriction at SAB is DVC members from other resorts are not permitted to "hop" there but they can hop to Luna Park, making it more crowded.

Hi, Debbie, - Glad you found parking easier than it has been in the past. Parking 12/1 to 12/7 at BWV was difficult to find. We tried not to use our car unless it was absolutely necessary because it was so hard to find a space when we returned in the late afternoon/early evening.

I also noticed that the valet lot had unused space. However, I think that unless BWV/BWI institutes some type of parking system that gives priority to hotel guests, that the bigger lot will just fill up with non-hotel guests, too - we'll still have the same problem. Personally, I'd like to see a gated parking lot with access restricted to those with resort IDs. Perhaps the BW can run a tram from the lot across the street for those who visit the Boardwalk or insist on parking there to go to EPCOT. JMHO.

 

[Wes]

Originally posted by CarolMN
Hi, Wes - My understanding was that the questioner wanted the same restrictions at Luna Park as there currently are at SAB - i.e, pool fenced in, no entry without resort ID and no pool hoppers from other resorts.

That's a bit of a bummer to find out about SAB. We have never pool hopped away from BWV, but we did go over to Beaches and Cream and while we were there, the kids were looking forward to pool hopping over to SAB next time we are at BWV. So they are going to be disappointed to find out that they cannot go there.

Does anyone know why SAB has this restriction against letting in the rest of us?

 

[CarolMN]

Originally posted by Wes
That's a bit of a bummer to find out about SAB. We have never pool hopped away from BWV, but we did go over to Beaches and Cream and while we were there, the kids were looking forward to pool hopping over to SAB next time we are at BWV. So they are going to be disappointed to find out that they cannot go there.

Does anyone know why SAB has this restriction against letting in the rest of us?

The stated reason is that the addition of the villas was expected to significantly increase the demand on the pool. Disney said that it wouldn't be fair to the BC/YC/BCV guests to allow additional guests access to the very popular pool.

You'll have to stay at the BCV to get access to SAB. Some say that is a selling point of the BCV and many added on there for that very reason. Sorry your children will be disappointed - maybe you can stay at BCV instead of BWV every now and then.

 

[Zurg]

Originally posted by CarolMN
The BWV/BWI Recreation Manager explained that she and her staff did challenge those who seemed as though they did not belong.

I talked with the rec mgr after the meeting - I got the strong impression she would be happy to fence off the pool to be sure that only BW guests used the pool. She said they have the fence and do close it off at peak use times.

 

[Zurg]

Originally posted by CarolMN
At first, I wasn't sure that Mr. Aguel even understood your question but I soon realized he was just trying to spin "forget it, that would be a bad deal for Disney" into something positive. For awhile I thought I had been transported to a political event - I'm quite sure Mr. A could hold his own with the best campaigners in America.

Let's ask him the same question again next year and see if the story changes!

Yeah he understood just fine, I like his quip. "Just get a Florida licence." He dropped that joke real quick when I came back, "The thought has never crossed my mind as far as you know" I can play the smart alec game too.

Yeah I enjoyed watching him do the fast foot work - he was good - I kept up the "keep us from giving that other park across town money by keeping us on property" to see if he would come off message. Oh well it was fun and I am an EVIL emperor after all. Nice to see him earning his pay.

I was talking with him after and asked about in room internet and he did say that was something they are working on for all resorts.

 

[Wes]

Originally posted by CarolMN
The stated reason is that the addition of the villas was expected to significantly increase the demand on the pool. Disney said that it wouldn't be fair to the BC/YC/BCV guests to allow additional guests access to the very popular pool.

The total ban on pool hopping to SAB seems extreme, and there has to be some happy medium. It seems to me the SAB pool could handle a fixed number of non-BC/YC/BCV guests, if they had to sign up through their own resort at least a day in advance -- and if more want to sign up than the number set for pool hopping, then they just won't be able to pool hop there that day.

This could actually be set up at every DVC resort pool, so that they could all be restricted to those who really should be there. Then pool hopping to any DVC pool would still be possible, though limited. And in peak periods, they could still just say no pool hopping at all.

 

[PKS44]

Wes-

You are right. It is extreme to completely restrict SAB poolhopping and you yourself were just there and know for yourself if the added traffic from BCV seemed to put the pool near capacity or even close to uncomfortably crowded..(I have never seen it that way in my last three trips)...Your idea for a sign up is a good one BUT it will never happen because the real reason poolhopping was stopped at SAB was to make SAB a selling point/exclusive feature of BCV...others think that is not true but the recent newsletter announcement about suspending poolhopping at peak times further supports the idea...the announcement says tht IF you are poolhopping at a resort other than your own at these peak times, you MAY be asked to leave to accomodate resort guests...that is a sensible policy and has been the policy to protect pools from overcrowding....but for SAB they just shut it down from hopping completely...unlike the usual measures they have taken in the past to keep pools from being overcrowded by hoppers...so why the different approach? Why was SAB exclusivity even mentioned in the sales pitches for BCV? Why can't they just be honest about it?

Paul

 

[Wes]

Originally posted by PKS44
... the real reason poolhopping was stopped at SAB was to make SAB a selling point/exclusive feature of BCV... ...but for SAB they just shut it down from hopping completely...unlike the usual measures they have taken in the past to keep pools from being overcrowded by hoppers...so why the different approach? Why was SAB exclusivity even mentioned in the sales pitches for BCV?

Since I had already bought at BWV and have no inclincation to add on elsewhere, I was not aware of the BCV sales pitch that you mention (which I highlighted in red).

Frankly, if I saw that kind of a sales pitch, I would start to wonder where they cut corners at BCV or whether they are charging a lot more for BCV than elsewhere, so that they felt that they had to compensate by offering pool exclusivity. My red flag sensors would certainly go up when I saw that.