Booking DVC online?

[scrap-n-mom]

Why is it that Disney doesn't offer the capability to book DVC rooms online?

 

[rocketriter]

In the next couple of weeks they're opening a new DVC web site that will, we're told, gradually acquire more and more features over the next couple of years. Points management might be one of the features the comes early. Online booking, if it's part of the plan (they're not telling us) would probably come later, since it's more complex.

If you're a DVC member, watch your mail for two separate envelopes, one with your web site ID and the other with your PIN.

 

[scrap-n-mom]

What I don't understand is you can book the villas as "home away from home" resorts through Disneys website. It seems like there shouldn't be a technical reason why they don't offer it. It must be something to do with customer service...maybe.
Trying to become a DVC owner. Bought through resale, and our 30 day ROFR is up on 4/28. For some reason, Disney is pushing the 30 days with us.

 

[las3888]

I know I really would love to see that feature. Disney just doesn't seem to be real big with online booking so I am not counting on it, but that would be great. I have yet to see my personal account information mailing...still checking the mail for it.

 

[CarolMN]

I believe it is a matter of cost to develop and maintain a suitable system. DVC is more complicated than booking for the more traditional timeshares and/or resorts. I don't think it is as simple as many of us would like to believe.

For example, I often wonder how large and robust a system would be required to handle all the "hits" from the many people who want something in short supply and try to book the instant the 11 month or 7 month windows open!

FWIW, I'd rather call and get a busy signal than have to deal with slow or crashing computer servers.

 

[jekjones1558]

Trying to become a DVC owner. Bought through resale, and our 30 day ROFR is up on 4/28. For some reason, Disney is pushing the 30 days with us.

Have you called your resale agent to check on the status? Sometimes they neglect to call and inform you that you have passed ROFR.

 

[scrap-n-mom]

I have spoke with the resale agent 3 times last week. She is calling Disney again on Monday. Disney's reponse is that we are within our 30 days. I have a feeling that they just don't have enough staff to keep up with the volume. Unfortunately, ours is the one that is being neglected.

 

[timC]

What I don't understand is you can book the villas as "home away from home" resorts through Disneys website. It seems like there shouldn't be a technical reason why they don't offer it. It must be something to do with customer service...maybe.

A good IT department could have built on-line tools by now. The solution would likely be quite complex/custom development, but possible.

It must be either a budget or business case issue. Business case: How many Member Services calls will be eliminated? How much is saved? What improvements in customer satisfaction will result? What is the cost? What is the ROI?

 

[Caskbill]

Originally posted by scrap-n-mom
What I don't understand is you can book the villas as "home away from home" resorts through Disneys website. It seems like there shouldn't be a technical reason why they don't offer it. It must be something to do with customer service...maybe.

Actually it's considerably a lot more technical. Booking with cash simply requires a system check availability, and get your information and credit card number.

With DVC it isn't just checking availability. The system also has to have your personal account information stored in it, including what resorts you own, how many points you have at each resort, what your use year is and so on. It would have to know about banked points and how to borrow points. It would need to understand 11-month and 7-month windows. It would need to know how to combine points from different add-on's to make a reservation at 7-months when needed. And the system would need to interface correctly with all the CM's who are taking reservations by telephone. At times there are over 100 CM's on the phone banks. An on-line system would have to work real-time in combination with the CM's.

Finally keep in mind that those who would use such a system may be very small compared to the total membership. And then of that number, how many are knowledgable enough to reserve, bank, borrow, transfer, combine, link ressies, and so on on their own without any assistance from a CM? So there's a lot more to it.

I could see it happening in stages:

1. An on-line system simply to check availability. I.E. how many 1-B/R BCV villas are available for your specific dates. This could save a lot of calls to DVC simply from those members who are still in the planning stages.

2. An on-line account status system. Similar to a bank's system. You could check your points, bank points, transfer points. Again saving more calls from Members who are strictly banking points, or checking account information.

3. Finally combine the above two to make a full on-line reservation system. (Adding the last parts of reservation windows). This is a big step.

Yes, it can be done, but there is a cost justification factor to consider. I'm sure DVC has been looking at everything.

We'll see what happens in May.

Bill

 

[jekjones1558]

scrap-n-mom

Here's pixie dust that you will get good news on Monday!

 

[timC]

Caskbill. Good summary.

I agree. I do this kind of work for a living. They can do this by breaking it down into bite-sized chunks. The only risk with this approach is that users might get confused/frustrated, by the seemingly constant changes to the functionality.

It's really going to be interesting to see how they design this. I'd love to get involved. If they ever recuit external testers, sign me up!

 

[tjkraz]

Originally posted by timC
I do kind of work for a living.

I "kind of" work for a living, too. But only when forced.

 

[timC]

I "kind of" work for a living, too. But only when forced.

LOL ... Sometimes my fingers don't do what my brain tells them.

 

[Dean]

Originally posted by scrap-n-mom
I have spoke with the resale agent 3 times last week. She is calling Disney again on Monday. Disney's reponse is that we are within our 30 days. I have a feeling that they just don't have enough staff to keep up with the volume. Unfortunately, ours is the one that is being neglected.

Sorry to say that this doesn't sound good for you. It sounds very possible that DVC may have excercised their ROFR already. They let the seller, not broker, know in writing. It's entirely possible they didn't even check when the broker called. The broker shoud likely talk with the seller also to see if they've heard anything. I think the committee usually meets on Tuesdays which would be the 27th I believe.

One common misperceptions is that, as I understand it, this is not a hard 30 day window for DVC to excercise the ROFR. It simply says you must give them at least 30 days from closing. I do think however that DVC looks at it as a set 30 days. If brokers are smart, they are setting up closing right at 30 days from the date it's sent to DVC. Maybe Shontell will be around and post as I'm sure she's far more knowledgeable in this area than any of us.

 

[arminnie]

Some of the functionality has to be there already for MS to use - I don't think that they are rummaging through boxes of index cards trying to figure out what inventory is available and who has points.

While I agree that this is not something that could be purchased off the shelf, it is really not a gargantuan development activity. The basic functionality isn't something that should take years to accomplish.

I managed (and programmed) online systems for decades. I installed a online systems to handle parts ordering and inventory for Texas Instruments in Dallas and London in 1969. We've come a LONG way since then.

Based on past experience in automating functions ranging from medicare and insurance claims, ATM and credit card transactions, banking transactions, inventory, etc, I am fairly certain that it would be cost effective. Believe me the most complicated banking, borrowing, linking reservation is NOTHING compared to medicare claims.

The biggest challenge in providing such a service in house is usually getting the IT resources allocated to it. There is always a big competition in a large corp for which projects will come up next. Even if a project could save a lot of money there might be another project that could save more or has a sponsor with more influence.

I've heard the argument "only a few would use it" all of my professional career. I think a lot of people would use it.

I worked on some of the very first ATM systems - lots of people couldn't understand why someone would want something like that.

 

[rocketriter]

My guess is that we'll see features very carefully ramped up against a projected calendar of sales at SSR. That resort is going to add tremendous population to DVC. Each time the DVC population growth crosses an appropriate threshold, another website feature will be rolled out at the moment when it's most cost-effective for DVC to convert to it.

I've been involved in these projects, too. You can bet that a complete start-to-finish plan has been scoped, budgeted and approved already. The roll-out will be timed against cost-effectiveness, not against the availability of programming resources.

 

[Beca]

I have seen a LOT of posts lately of people whose ROFR is taking nearly the whole 30 days! It's interesting...DVC seems to run in phases... a few months ago, they were buying a lot of these contracts, now they seem to be "dragging their feet" getting through ROFR. I am not sure what is going on...but, I would not give up hope yet. I think DVC may just be "slammed" right now.

Good luck, and let us know,
Beca