Counterfeit blue cards? Wow.

[RoseGold]

I am very confused by this thread. Is it that hard to pull this up on your phone? People actually let their phones die? Or have not-smart phones?

Maybe that's the point. They want to create an additional step so you don't get your discount.

 

[Cybertruck]

We are low tech and have difficulty using our phones. I have vision issues which adds to my frustration. We carry our old DVC cards and current AP cards. We do have MB+ for our November trip but really don't know why we bought them LOL.

We had issues at Le Cellier including our son and DIL who have I Phones and watches and we are all DVC/AP. The waitstaff has acknowledged issues at their location. What to do? I do want my discount on that $400+ ticket! We had enough proof so it wasn't an issue but I can imagine there are times when a legitimate discount is not given.

I would gladly pay for an ID card with my photo like a drivers license.

So sorry to hear that. They are members of our party who struggle with apps/wallets on their phone as well. In the last year we have become locals and I must say most of the time our servers say we just you and give us the discount even though I have already pulled up the card in my wallet. I am shocked no one is scanning the code yet.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Really, putting enforcement responsibility with tipped staff? Never a good idea.

 

[Carol_]

I printed the paper copy on my last trip. I kept it on me while consistently forgetting to pack a phone charger.

 

[Carol_]

We are low tech and have difficulty using our phones. I have vision issues which adds to my frustration. We carry our old DVC cards and current AP cards. We do have MB+ for our November trip but really don't know why we bought them LOL.

We had issues at Le Cellier including our son and DIL who have I Phones and watches and we are all DVC/AP. The waitstaff has acknowledged issues at their location. What to do? I do want my discount on that $400+ ticket! We had enough proof so it wasn't an issue but I can imagine there are times when a legitimate discount is not given.

I would gladly pay for an ID card with my photo like a drivers license.

Now I want a WDW driver’s license. I’ll wear my ears.

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

This has the sounds of “a bus driver said X” type of rumor. I find it hard to believe that people were counterfeiting blue cards for a small discount on a few restaurants and some merchandise. I find this even more unlikely given that those same discounts are available to annual pass holders, and the types of people for whom blue card counterfeiting would be worth the trouble would also be the types of people who would go to the parks a lot. We really think the “once every few years” type visitor had both the know-how and the desire to counterfeit a membership card to save literally tens of dollars during their trip?

 

[newdeal]

So Disney got rid of the blue cards so that they could stop a handful of people from saving 10% on souvenirs which have a profit margin of likely 200%? Sounds VERY Bob Chapek like to me so I imagine it is true

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I do actually know people who were fsking them for lounge access.

 

[Pigletpal40]

So I just heard from a cast member that the reason why dvc switched to the digital cards is because people were getting counterfeit blue cards from a third party vendor!! Now it all makes sense. I couldn’t figure out why they switched. The digital cards are a total PITA for me. People ruin everything. Reminds me of the 80s when people bought fake IDs.

Up until the switch, I had most places accept my original dark blue DVC card from '03 for discounts. CM's commented on how old it was

 

[tjkraz]

I have the same feelings about this as I do when people steal the decorative pillows or coffee table books. If Disney figures out that you tried to cheat the system, you get charged a huge penalty. Call it a convenience fee, I don't care, but make it expensive. That book you just stole costs $35 in our gift shop but we're going to charge you $60 to make up for the hassle of putting another one in there. People using fraudulent cards get their accounts locked until you pay up. There are people out there who will always find a way to skirt the rules, making it extremely painful to get caught is about the only deterrent you have.

On paper that sounds good but it's costly to police and can easily lead to ill-will.

First you need some amount of additional labor resources to ensure that the items are properly inventoried and documented between guests. Then you need staff to handle billing issues and to respond to the ensuing complaints.

They must be confident that the $35 coffee table book needs to be in every room before guests arrive. And it has to be cross-checked after every departure. If you miss a check, someone else stays in that room for 1-2 nights and then it's discovered missing, you end up billing the wrong guest. If the resort runs out of spare books and some rooms don't get them, that has to be tracked.

If a child spills their juice box on a decorative pillow and housekeeping is called to launder it, its removal must be tracked. If any of these tracking / inventory systems fail, you're billing guests for things they didn't actually "steal." Nothing says Disney Magic like having a $65 stolen pillow charge appear on your credit card a week later.

Kitchens have dozens of cheap dishes and utensils. Are we really going to bill someone if a glass or spatula comes up missing after they depart?

Yes there are bad actors in the world. But most of this is just part of the cost of doing business.

 

[Memorymakerfor4]

On paper that sounds good but it's costly to police and can easily lead to ill-will.

First you need some amount of additional labor resources to ensure that the items are properly inventoried and documented between guests. Then you need staff to handle billing issues and to respond to the ensuing complaints.

They must be confident that the $35 coffee table book needs to be in every room before guests arrive. And it has to be cross-checked after every departure. If you miss a check, someone else stays in that room for 1-2 nights and then it's discovered missing, you end up billing the wrong guest. If the resort runs out of spare books and some rooms don't get them, that has to be tracked.

If a child spills their juice box on a decorative pillow and housekeeping is called to launder it, its removal must be tracked. If any of these tracking / inventory systems fail, you're billing guests for things they didn't actually "steal." Nothing says Disney Magic like having a $65 stolen pillow charge appear on your credit card a week later.

Kitchens have dozens of cheap dishes and utensils. Are we really going to bill someone if a glass or spatula comes up missing after they depart?

Yes there are bad actors in the world. But most of this is just part of the cost of doing business.

I agree it would be very hard if not impossible to pull off realistically. At the moment I just felt like shaking my fist at the idiots that ruin nice things for everyone else.

 

[Doberge]

Disney's IT systems are ridiculous and basically designed in ways that make communication between different systems seemingly herculean. DVC, Disney Ticketing, Disney Dining, etc are different systems that you'd think would easily communicate with each other but they don't. It'd be a Big Deal for them to work on a system that works at a point of service (POS) and weaves its way through multiple systems to kick back a verification or denial. Could they do it? Absolutely! Will they do it? Doesn't seem likely because it'd cost money and it's cheaper to just push a digital card that works for most guests.

But if we're going to dream realistic dreams then a system that automatically applies a discount would save everyone time. Instead of a waiter verifying and adjusting, the system could just auto apply a discount if the primary reservation holder is entitled to a discount. Same thing at merch checkouts, like Rose Golf said, people should be able to tap in but also have discount auto applied. This *does* come together in the app where mobile checkouts for merch and TS auto apply discounts, so we know they can do it.

 

[DonMacGregor]

Disney's IT systems are ridiculous and basically designed in ways that make communication between different systems seemingly herculean. DVC, Disney Ticketing, Disney Dining, etc are different systems that you'd think would easily communicate with each other but they don't. It'd be a Big Deal for them to work on a system that works at a point of service (POS) and weaves its way through multiple systems to kick back a verification or denial. Could they do it? Absolutely! Will they do it? Doesn't seem likely because it'd cost money and it's cheaper to just push a digital card that works for most guests.

But if we're going to dream realistic dreams then a system that automatically applies a discount would save everyone time. Instead of a waiter verifying and adjusting, the system could just auto apply a discount if the primary reservation holder is entitled to a discount. Same thing at merch checkouts, like Rose Golf said, people should be able to tap in but also have discount auto applied. This *does* come together in the app where mobile checkouts for merch and TS auto apply discounts, so we know they can do it.

MDE (run by DPEP) already does that with mobile merch checkout and mobile ordering (at least at DL). In fact, while you can't even add your DVC membership to the DL MDE, you still automatically get discounts on QS and mobile merch checkout at the DS WoD, just like in WDW. Obviously the systems can and do integrate and communicate, so Disney must be avoiding it deliberately.

 

[Jwaire]

They already use your Magicband to verify your hotel parking, your ticket status, your party status, your after hour status. I actually shows you are DVC also, but not white or blue card, because that's apparently too hard.

I get the ID thing for loaned out ones, but I don't understand why you MB doesn't already know all of this.

As DonMacGregor said, it's used during Mobile Checkout for both food and merchandise (supported stores like the Emporium). So, the information is there.

DVC stopped making cards because (gasp) it saved them money. Last week, I found that most cast members knew about the digital DVC card once reminded. However, a few didn't understand why my Magic Mobile card was "blue" and not "yellow."

I finally just switched the "card" to the yellow AP design and had no trouble from anyone after. Plus, the discount for AP is now 30% until early October.

In another bit of fun, they actually scan your MagicBand before you are given your AP magnet. Don't bother showing them your Magic Mobile card as they won't accept it. There's legitimately TWO cast members standing there (at least at EPCOT) with special iPads that scan your MagicBand (and I'm presuming passholder card but maybe not?) and look up your AP status. In addition, you are required to show photo ID.

How do I know? After waiting in line, they refused to give me my magnet because I didn't have my driver's license with me. The cast member (elderly man) was very serious and rude about it too. The younger cast member with him looked embarrassed.

The cast member at [a store] asked me about my day and I told her about the experience. I was laughing at the absurdity of it all because I was saving like $90 bucks off merchandise without a driver's license, but couldn't pick up a 20 cent magnet.

She laughed with me and apologized and said they weren't allowed to accept DVC or passholder cards anymore. She said they weren't even supposed to ask about discounts either.

 

[DonMacGregor]

DVC stopped making cards because (gasp) it saved them money.

I don't buy this for a second. It cost them probably 25 cents to make my one and only Blue Card, and maybe another 30 cents to mail it to me. One and done.

Four times a year, I get a shiny copy of Disney News, mailed to me with the added expense of putting it INSIDE an envelope. The postage alone on each edition is likely more than my Blue Card was in total to produce and mail. And they do it four times a year. Every single year.

There's zero chance that they haven't already spent orders of magnitude more sending my copies of the magazine every quarter, a magazine they could very easily (and maybe even justifiably) have converted to digital (arguably in keeping with their whole purported global digital transition), or completely eliminated under the guise of greatly reduced original content during the pandemic.

 

[Jwaire]

I don't buy this for a second. It cost them probably 25 cents to make my one and only Blue Card, and maybe another 30 cents to mail it to me. One and done.

Four times a year, I get a shiny copy of Disney News, mailed to me with the added expense of putting it INSIDE an envelope. The postage alone on each edition is likely more than my Blue Card was in total to produce and mail. And they do it four times a year. Every single year.

There's zero chance that they haven't already spent orders of magnitude more sending my copies of the magazine every quarter, a magazine they could very easily (and maybe even justifiably) have converted to digital (arguably in keeping with their whole purported global digital transition), or completely eliminated under the guise of greatly reduced original content during the pandemic.

Disney Files magazine is pure marketing. We are a high affinity group. They send it in order to drum up business for Disney's other product and services.

Creating DVC cards is different. MagicMobile, by design, was created to save Parks & Resorts money—just like making resort guests pay for MagicBands, Direct-to-Room check-in and key service, Mobile Checkout at shopping locations and mobile food ordering.

They're using "technology" to reduce operational costs. They have even bragged about this on the financial calls.

It won't surprise me if they stop issuing passholder cards next.

 

[Sandisw]

I don't buy this for a second. It cost them probably 25 cents to make my one and only Blue Card, and maybe another 30 cents to mail it to me. One and done.

Four times a year, I get a shiny copy of Disney News, mailed to me with the added expense of putting it INSIDE an envelope. The postage alone on each edition is likely more than my Blue Card was in total to produce and mail. And they do it four times a year. Every single year.

There's zero chance that they haven't already spent orders of magnitude more sending my copies of the magazine every quarter, a magazine they could very easily (and maybe even justifiably) have converted to digital (arguably in keeping with their whole purported global digital transition), or completely eliminated under the guise of greatly reduced original content during the pandemic.

And I will add that both DH and I get a copy of the magazine!

So, I do agree that the change to digital was not due to cost..I think it was to move in the direction of having everything all in MDE.

 

[RichVIII]

And digital is much more up to date. Our last physical card was good for five years. We could have easily sold the contract and kept the card. I personally liked have the card. With APs, when I renewed they said I didn’t need to come get a physical card if I didn’t want it.

 

[Jwaire]

And digital is much more up to date. Our last physical card was good for five years. We could have easily sold the contract and kept the card. I personally liked have the card. With APs, when I renewed they said I didn’t need to come get a physical card if I didn’t want it.

Sure, but I could screenshot someone else's MobileMagic/Wallet to show cast members or even better log-in into their account on the app and add their card to my wallet.

There's always going to be a way for the fraudsters.

 

[Sandisw]

Sure, but I could screenshot someone else's MobileMagic/Wallet to show cast members or even better log-in into their account on the app and add their card to my wallet.

There's always going to be a way for the fraudsters.

But you would need the ID to match. that is why they want to see the actual digital now..and yes, I realize some CMs are a little more lax than others…

I do have a feeling that the no screen shots rule will be enforced, it will be automatically applied when scanned and All that will be asked for Is ID.

There will always be ways for cheat and nothing is ever full proof.