Can Disney change this too???

[Chuck S]

Isn't this true of any timeshare?

I would think so, but maybe some timeshares do guarantee access to associated resorts.

 

[CarolMN]

.......
DVC is already approaching the threshold where guests are finding it difficult to get reservations. As the program grows (and as Hawaii comes online), I think the writing is on the wall and DVC will adjust the booking advantage to make it easier for the majority of owners to book anywhere. .....

Changing the booking windows isn't going to make it any easier to get into the smaller DVC resorts.

There are very few times of the year that it is hard to get into SSR or OKW. In a year or two, I think that will be true for most times of the year for AKV l and maybe even BLT. It's not all that hard to get into BWV PV Pool/Garden now as long as you aren't trying for the last three months of the year.

If Disney goes ahead and makes the PI area into a 5th park or something else very special, then a lot of the pressure on the smaller resorts at 7 months will go away. More people will want to stay at SSR & OKW.

I am NOT saying SSR or OKW or AKV are undesirable - just that they are substantially larger than the others. It's just math. And there are VB & HHI points used for WDW at 7 months as well. I've not heard anyone complain about having a tough time getting into HHI in the wintertime.

There just isn't enough availability at the smaller WDW resorts to handle the non-home resort demand for them. Changing the window won't change that.

 

[Dodie]

It's amazing how many people seem to not understand that, even though they're called "guides," they are SALES PEOPLE. I am always surprised at the folks who come on here and post how disappointed they are in their home resort and that they didn't understand that they couldn't stay somewhere else whenever they wanted. You know - the folks who bought what was for sale at the time because of the incentives or whatever - whether or not that is where they really wanted to stay the majority of the time.

If you're thinking about buying DVC, be less concerned about what Disney might change and more concerned about buying into a home resort where, if you had to, you would be happy staying most (if not all) of the time.

Oh. And before you sign on the dotted line - read the documents.

My PSA for the day, LOL.

 

[JimMIA]

Isn't this true of any timeshare?

I don't know. I don't consider myself an expert in ANY timeshare, including DVC. I thought I knew DVC once, but I was mistaken.

Don't own any other timeshares, so can't help you with the rules for others. Maybe Dean, or one of our other knowledgeable folks, can answer that question.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I don't know. I don't consider myself an expert in ANY timeshare, including DVC. I thought I knew DVC once, but I was mistaken. ....

Love it, Jim.

 

[JimMIA]

Love it, Jim.

It's not a joke, Deb!

 

[Deb & Bill]

It's not a joke, Deb!

Yeah, I know that. Sad, isn't it? It's what I've been thinking since Jim Lewis took over.

 

[jade1]

Isn't this true of any timeshare?

Yea Dean would know, but dont most (maybe its just a few?) time shares give you the same room the same week every year? I wouldn't think availability would come into play.

 

[tjkraz]

DVC is already approaching the threshold where guests are finding it difficult to get reservations.

I'll be curious to see what impact--if any--the reallocation has on resort availability. One element of DVC reservations which has, in retrospect, been overlooked until now is the increased competition for weekday reservations.

The shifting of points from weekends to weekdays suggests that demand for weekdays was disproportionately high. That high demand would have contributed to the previous patterns of calling as early as possible and even DBD bookings.

Once the points are shuffled, resort demand should ease up a bit.

 

[Dean]

believe many of us (admittedly unrealistically) expected kindler, gentler treatment from the mouse , all that pixie dust got in our eyes and we thought with our hearts, not our heads.

LOL, you said it, not me. There are many things that could change including minimum stays. DVC could also restrict some perks to only those who buy from DVC directly and not resale. I think you'll eventually see some type of minimum stay or a charge for housekeeping and I think you'll see walking go away relatively soon. I doubt you'll see any change in the 11/7 month window, no real reason to do so. Ultimately we're not even truly guaranteed the ability to book at our home resort because if a resort is damaged sufficiently, there is no requirement to restore it and any members affected would cease to be a member of the club. EVERY timeshare purchase is a gamble to a degree. DVC is less of a gamble in some ways because it has Disney behind it but is more of a risk than most due to the $$$ involved. I know of timeshares that have simply closed up and even worse, some that had such a high special assessment that most members would have been better off had they closed.

I owned fixed weeks in Aruba prior to converting those weeks to BG points. That resort recently had a SA that amounted to a $1K charge for each studio and 1 BR. Had I still owned that resort at the time of the SA, I would have owed a full almost $8K, that with the increase in dues over the years would have put me at over $11K for that year for SA and maint fees alone. Fortunately even though my weeks are still based at that resort, the SA was spread among all BG members. The set up at DVC is different and DVC members would pay for their own resort alone. With BG you don't get a home resort priority using your points as you do with DVC, same for Club Intrawest. Maybe DVC should have set it up this way in a trust where there were no home resort points.

I too was surprised at how many people think with their hearts rather than their heads and take their personal situation as the main issue above a rational interpretation of the situation.

 

[keishashadow]

im guilty as charged - strapped in, lap bar down & braced for the ride; hope it's not too bumpy

 

[Dean]

Yea Dean would know, but dont most (maybe its just a few?) time shares give you the same room the same week every year? I wouldn't think availability would come into play.

There is no such thing as a "traditional timeshare" any more. Many are a full week but often not a set week or unit and many others work on points as well. The fixed week/fixed unit timeshare is a dying breed other than for high demand locations and times like Xmas HI or certain ski weeks and you pay for that privilege. One of the advantages to selling this way is your are increasing the buyers perception of value often without actually increasing the true value. Lets take DVC HH. Assume that for some year DVC HH members were only allowed to reserve at that resort. You can bet that those that ended up getting Jan, Feb and early Dec didn't buy to stay then. This allows the seller to get more than they would have otherwise because of the perception you're buying a better time than you may actually be able to reserve. This is a major advantage to the seller as each point sold is a high demand point in the buyers eyes even though there will not be enough units during higher seasons to go around. This happened at Marriott's resort on Maui where the season is floating for 50 weeks (or 51 weeks at some resorts). Obviously the demand for May and Sept is not the same as 4th of July. The end result is due to Marriott's advantage to multiple week owners, single week owners are almost shut out of the best weeks. You then have a choice, fuss and gripe or buy an additional week somewhere. Points systems compensate for this to a degree by varying the points from one season to another.

Once the points are shuffled, resort demand should ease up a bit.

I'm sure it will after things settle down, which will take a couple of years. The question is whether this is enough or only one step of several. The other component of this equation is that of the seasons themselves and times associated. It seems there is some inequality there are well, we'll see if it's enough to force another change down the road.

 

[Dean]

im guilty as charged - strapped in, lap bar down & braced for the ride; hope it's not too bumpy

At least you can admit it, you're about 90% of the way there.

 

[disneynutz]

DVC has moved from a Member based business to a sales based business. It's obvious that sales are the number one priority.

Sure some of us will complain, but it's like dealing with the Government. We know it's wrong and it needs to be fixed, we will complain to each other, but in the end, they will do what they want.

Some of us may sell, but someone has to take our place. Mean while, new members are attracted by the advertising and hype, not understanding that things are different now as compared to a couple of years ago.

 

[Deb & Bill]

DVC has moved from a Member based business to a sales based business. It's obvious that sales are the number one priority.

Sure some of us will complain, but it's like dealing with the Government. We know it's wrong and it needs to be fixed, we will complain to each other, but in the end, they will do what they want.

Some of us may sell, but someone has to take our place. Mean while, new members are attracted by the advertising and hype, not understanding that things are different now as compared to a couple of years ago.[/COLOR]

Ahhh, wise words.

 

[keishashadow]

At least you can admit it, you're about 90% of the way there.

resistance is futile

i don't forego my right to kvetch though

 

[Dean]

resistance is futile

i don't forego my right to kvetch though

Think of us as the little brother you can beat on when you're upset.

 

[keishashadow]

Think of us as the little brother you can beat on when you're upset.

 

[bub]

DVC has moved from a Member based business to a sales based business. It's obvious that sales are the number one priority.

Sure some of us will complain, but it's like dealing with the Government. We know it's wrong and it needs to be fixed, we will complain to each other, but in the end, they will do what they want.

Some of us may sell, but someone has to take our place. Mean while, new members are attracted by the advertising and hype, not understanding that things are different now as compared to a couple of years ago.

I know that many think Disney is different from other businesses (theme parks, hotels, etc.). In terms of maintenance and quality of employees, in many ways that has been true. The "magic" experience provided there causes some to have a rosy view, which is not always based in reality.

I think anything associated with Disney has been profit based for a very long time - as I guess any good business must be. When DVC began, it was necessary to offer more perks and incentives (such as the free passes) to get the sales started. The organization was relatively small, and there was a perception created that members were special.

Now that DVC has done so well, the concern is with accelerating the level of profit. Within the larger DVC, membership doesn't feel as special as it once did (based on perceptions, maybe not always reality). The many recent changes, and in particular, the poor way in which most were communicated, has contributed to this feeling. Providing more notice when changes must be made (especially major changes such as booking rules and point allocations) would go a long way toward making people understand the need for such changes. But, there are so many members now, and so many waiting in the wings, that Disney does not see the need to coddle the membership. Their treatment of members reflects what they feel is required to keep current members coming and attract new ones, but nothing more.

Many of us are in some way addicted to Disney, in that we can't imagine not going there regularly, and feel that such a trip is the best use of our vacation resources (time and money). It seems to me that the challenge for Disney is to walk a fine line between maximizing profit, and keeping visitors like us addicted by providing the traditional aspects of a Disney experience, such as enthusiastic CMs, cleanliness, fun for all ages, etc. They constantly adjust ticket media, attractions and many services based on this balancing act.

While I get frustrated when I personally believe some changes are due primarily to maximize profit, of course I should not be in any way surprised. Disney is first and foremost a profit-making business.