Can someone explain the rumors of tiered membership?

[connorlevismom]

I am thinking about buying a 25 point contact to keep my perks and selling my 175 point contract. I saw here a few times about a possible tiered membership that may be coming based on the amount of points you own.

Can someone please they think might be coming? I don't want to make a short-sighted decision.

Thanks!

 

[DVC Sue]

Subscribing. I'm curious about this too.

 

[bwvBound]

Disney Vacation Club was "late to the party" differentiating between direct vs retail purchase. Most, if not all, of the other timeshare "clubs" across the industry had already instituted a number of ways to set direct as the "front-door" purchase route and resale as either the "side-door" or "back-door" depending on your cultural point of view on these terms. Disney did not institute direct vs resale measures until 2011 and again in 2016.

But time(share) moves on. Most of the other players rolled out tiered benefits long ago. Disney has not yet done that ... but Jim Lewis did give some hints towards that end during his leadership period. Thus, we anticipate that DVC will again play catch-up to the industry by introducing tiered benefits based on loyalty/volume. This would likely define certain privileges based on the number of points you own. Of course, we are only counting direct purchase points, or those grandfathered as direct-purchase equivalents.

We know nothing on the minimum steps for each tier -- but it would make sense that they follow, or be in line with, the tiers of competitive timeshare groups. Perhaps the first tier will fall somewhere near the number of points required for a studio week in "High" but not "Holiday Premium" season, averaged across the properties. Perhaps the next tier is near the points required for two weeks in same method: studio, high but not peak season. Etc?

 

[drusba]

I am not aware of recent rumors to that effect but there have been such in the past particularly because a previous management group (headed by Jim Lewis) actually mentioned the possibility at an annual meeting, but it never occurred (including because Lewis and two other officers were fired shortly thereafter). At that time you had two layers to the rumor: (a) that somehow DVC was going to award high point holders (who purchased mostly from Disney) with reservation advantages like having first pick at 11 months out; that rumor was created mainly by members and had no particular support from anything DVC said; and (b) high point purchasers from Disney would get special perks not available to other owners, like extra fast passes, extra discounts at restaurants, some freebies, etc.; that part of the rumor actually had some possible support from things said by DVC management. My personal view is that (a) cannot legally happen but that DVC can do (b) all it wants

 

[disneynutz]

Well the current management has created two tiers based on resale or direct, anything can happen.

Bill

 

[Dean]

There was discussion and apparent consideration a few years ago by DVD (it was included in some surveys I understand) but the last few years the only discussions about it have been either related to just the possibility or conjecture. I wouldn't be surprised if it happened but I don't think it overly likely either. I certainly wouldn't pay more now as a hedge against the possibility.

 

[DebbieB]

I think the answer is the same as what happens in 2042. No one knows.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

A long running rumor and only that.

Back with Jim Lewis it was going to be added benefits for higher point owners but that was about all that was thrown out at an annual meeting. He's long gone and nothing yet.

 

[DisMomof2Princesses]

What's the purpose? I think all DVC members should be treated equal and all deserve perks as we have been given. Why should members who have more money and can afford more get treated better than other members? This is another example of $ talks and s**t walks!

 

[SL6827]

What's the purpose? I think all DVC members should be treated equal and all deserve perks as we have been given. Why should members who have more money and can afford more get treated better than other members? This is another example of $ talks and s**t walks!

Well direct vs. resale are now treated different in regards to the perks, and I believe it is just going to continue. Disney is going to do what they can to make themselves more money. They do not care about equality, they care about money.

 

[connorlevismom]

Very interesting. Thanks for all the insight!

 

[tjkraz]

What's the purpose? I think all DVC members should be treated equal and all deserve perks as we have been given. Why should members who have more money and can afford more get treated better than other members? This is another example of $ talks and s**t walks!

One aspect not mentioned here was that both owned points AND referrals would count toward participation. The inference was that if my brother bought 250 points, as the referring member I would get SOME credit for those points without spending anything myself.

Regardless, the idea died nearly 7 years ago. Clearly they had second thoughts. Not worth getting aggravated over, IMO.

 

[crisi]

What's the purpose? I think all DVC members should be treated equal and all deserve perks as we have been given. Why should members who have more money and can afford more get treated better than other members? This is another example of $ talks and s**t walks!

Because DVC is first and foremost a business - and Disney makes the bulk of their money with DVC when you buy more points direct. So to incentivize you to buy more points (direct, of course), they could dangle extras in front of you. "If we only owned 50 more points, we'd get an annual pass discount" makes it more likely you'll buy 50 points. Any extras will probably be discounts and perks (only members of the Platinum Club can take advantage of this extra special Illuminations dessert party offer!)

 

[Dean]

What's the purpose? I think all DVC members should be treated equal and all deserve perks as we have been given. Why should members who have more money and can afford more get treated better than other members? This is another example of $ talks and s**t walks!

And they really never have been and certainly not now. But that's the reality with business in general. The only alternative is not to play in their sandbox.

 

[Wakey]

I got the master deeds with exhibits recently (posted a link on here). Despite what others say I cannot see how legally they have any wiggle room to give one set of owners priority over another on home resort and then non home resort booking priority. Despite what others say, DVC/ DVD cannot do what they like with the base product. As mentioned above, all they can do (and it was mentioned in this context by previous management) is give extra freebies to direct buyers. There's been suggestions they could somehow try to persuade buyers to move over into a new club etc, but it's pie in the sky.

 

[SL6827]

I got the master deeds with exhibits recently (posted a link on here). Despite what others say I cannot see how legally they have any wiggle room to give one set of owners priority over another on home resort and then non home resort booking priority. Despite what others say, DVC/ DVD cannot do what they like with the base product. As mentioned above, all they can do (and it was mentioned in this context by previous management) is give extra freebies to direct buyers. There's been suggestions they could somehow try to persuade buyers to move over into a new club etc, but it's pie in the sky.

So you think that they would love to be able to give direct buyers an earlier period to book at other resorts vs the resale buyers? But they can't?

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I got the master deeds with exhibits recently (posted a link on here). Despite what others say I cannot see how legally they have any wiggle room to give one set of owners priority over another on home resort and then non home resort booking priority. Despite what others say, DVC/ DVD cannot do what they like with the base product. As mentioned above, all they can do (and it was mentioned in this context by previous management) is give extra freebies to direct buyers. There's been suggestions they could somehow try to persuade buyers to move over into a new club etc, but it's pie in the sky.

That's actually a different rumor than what was talked about for Tiered membership. It could have been part of it although it's not one I remember hearing but that has been a hinted "threat" to encourage direct sales. Slight differences but different rumors.

 

[Dean]

I got the master deeds with exhibits recently (posted a link on here). Despite what others say I cannot see how legally they have any wiggle room to give one set of owners priority over another on home resort and then non home resort booking priority. Despite what others say, DVC/ DVD cannot do what they like with the base product. As mentioned above, all they can do (and it was mentioned in this context by previous management) is give extra freebies to direct buyers. There's been suggestions they could somehow try to persuade buyers to move over into a new club etc, but it's pie in the sky.

IMO the complete control over reservations without input easily opens the door to such an option.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I attended a cocktail party this afternoon on the MC, and a Club, made up of members with 1000 points or more has been considered, and looks like a sure thing to happen.

 

[ziravan]

I attended a cocktail party this afternoon on the MC, and a Club, made up of members with 1000 points or more has been considered, and looks like a sure thing to happen.

1,000 seems kind of high. At current prices, that's $176,000 buy in. The point of a club isn't to reward current qualifying members, but to encourage non-qualified members to qualify.

Establishing a tier at 1,000 points would put it on par with Club 33. Exclusivity is nice, but not if the goal is to encourage participation. (The goal of Club 33 IS exclusivity. The goal of a DVC tier would be to sell points).

At that level of entry, if DVC wants to encourage people to join, you'd have to be talking about perks like free annual passes. An extra FP or two isn't going to cut it.

If I had to guess on tiering levels, I'd guess multiples of the original buy in minimum of 160. Say 320 for a high tier. I guess it depends on what they're offering.

For example, if the average member owns 150 points and a tier is set at 320, then that member is almost halfway to being a "VIP". Throw in a perk or two, mix it with addonitis, and voila! - pixie dusted magic.

Take that same 150 point member and tell him he's only 850 points away from joining, and you might as well tell him it's unobtanium. "For only another $150,000, you too could ........."