First let me preface this by stating that my wife and I have been coming to WDW nearly every year since we first stepped foot into the Polynesian Resort in 1975. We happen to love WDW. And we’ve been
DVC members since 1993. Ask any of our family and friends and they will know of our tremendous fondness for “The happiest place on this earth”.
I certainly would not advocate for a moment an unnecessary increase in dues for the mere purpose of discounted Park tickets; that would be defeating the purpose all together.
However, I do believe that WDW in general, the parks, in particular would benefit if they provided an added incentive to DVC and its members in the form of a discounted program for Park Passes other than just the Annual Pass. I believe it would encourage DVC members to visit the Parks more often (myself included). WDW would soon see the positive financial return and at no cost to WDW, the DVC or its members. It would be a win-win for everyone.
Although I would very much like to, we do not visit WDW often enough during a given year to make the annual pass worth our while.
As you know, the WDW Parks do not make any money from their guests, if the guests are spending more of their time and money at the Resorts or for that matter off property all together. For example we all know how ridiculously priced the restaurants are in the Parks, but yet we somehow justify the expense and happily eat at them.
Except for those individuals who purchase annual passes (which is a great deal) how many of the Park guests determine which Parks they wish to visit by the restaurant choices available to them.
I have often noted that WDW’s marketing is amazing in that WDW marketing actually creates such a demand for eating at its restaurants that guests will actually want to purchase park tickets so that they can have the opportunity to spend more money at a Park restaurant. It’s sheer genius.
However, as you astutely point out, we are a captive audience and WDW and DVC knows that all too well. And over the years I have seen dues rise and perks diminish and instead of rewarding us and showing us “genuine” signs of appreciation, not just a token Member Wednesday, it seems more and more that we DVCer’s are all being taken for granted.
The DVC concept is a great revenue maker for WDW, which is why they can’t build them fast enough. DVC makes money from its members whether or not we actually visit the World at all. But sometime soon the guest will have to wake up and tell WDW and DVC that we are really partners in all this growth and ask “What is in it for us? Where is the “real” loyalty payback”?
The fewer and fewer rewards that come back to the members, the more we will have to recognized that we may as well be regular resort guests. The “Magic” would then soon fall off the DVC concept.
God willing, my wife and I will continue to visit WDW every year as we have been doing for so many years, but we will spend more of our time and money at the resorts and less time and money in the Parks.
