Digital Member Cards

[dez1978]

We've own DVC for 15 years. I got a smart phone 3 years ago and my DH less than a year ago.

But you do have a smart phone so....

Sure there may be a few out there who don't own a smart phone, but the overwhelming majority do. If you don't, print a copy to bring with you. Problem solved. However, these days, being at Disney and not having a smartphone, getting DVC discounts will be the least of your hurdles.

 

[Aussie RJ]

I’m all for the digital wallet. No more cards weighing down our pockets. Bring it on I say.

 

[jo-jo]

But you do have a smart phone so....

Sure there may be a few out there who don't own a smart phone, but the overwhelming majority do. If you don't, print a copy to bring with you. Problem solved. However, these days, being at Disney and not having a smartphone, getting DVC discounts will be the least of your hurdles.

yeah and I'm not looking forward to it. Our last trip with FPs. I was still printing out FP and ADRs. A few times the system went down and no one could see anything.

 

[dez1978]

yeah and I'm not looking forward to it. Our last trip with FPs. I was still printing out FP and ADRs. A few times the system went down and no one could see anything.

But if you had a smart phone you could just have screen shots on your phone instead of having to remember printing something out and taking it with you. I guess I just don't understand the reluctance at this point. I don't love being on my phone, but it 100% beats remembering to print stuff out at home and carrying it all around hoping I don't lose it. Why would anyone want to do that?

 

[PCFriar80]

And if you don't own a smart phone?

 

[Brian Noble]

And if you don't own a smart phone?

Is that hypothetical ("I wonder what people without smart phones will do?") or individual ("I do not own a smart phone, what do I do?")

 

[Princess Merida]

I've had my DVC contract for 5 years now. We bought a resale contract at Boardwalk and are white card owners. We typically go three times a year and stay about a week at a time. We shop a decent amount and also dine out the whole time we are there. I have only been asked for a blue card and declined the discount one time in 5 years. It was at the gift shop in Pandora at the Flight of Passage exit when they first opened. I've probably gotten the discount in that same store 10 times since then. We have also been to Hilton Head and had the same experience there, no problem with the white card. This is so widespread and existed well before covid that I don't think it's a training issue. Maybe Disney isn't as strict about it as DVC would like them to be. I would say it probably helps Disney parks tremendously to offer the 20% discount to white card members. Our family would have spent thousands less in the shops without the discount over the last 5 years. I'm sure all of that is about to change if there's no card at all, but who knows what DVC is doing. I was definitely hoping I could upgrade my tickets to sorcerer's pass in January like so many white card holders have done, but I may be a month too late. Probably need to fly down in December. If not, I'll just do resort only for our second 2022 trip and do 3-4 day tix for the third. I wonder if Disney selling the sorcerer's pass to everyone has prompted this change for DVC. Was everyone's blue card set to expire on 12/31/21 already or no?

 

[JETSDAD]

I've had my DVC contract for 5 years now. We bought a resale contract at Boardwalk and are white card owners. We typically go three times a year and stay about a week at a time. We shop a decent amount and also dine out the whole time we are there. I have only been asked for a blue card and declined the discount one time in 5 years. It was at the gift shop in Pandora at the Flight of Passage exit when they first opened. I've probably gotten the discount in that same store 10 times since then. We have also been to Hilton Head and had the same experience there, no problem with the white card. This is so widespread and existed well before covid that I don't think it's a training issue. Maybe Disney isn't as strict about it as DVC would like them to be. I would say it probably helps Disney parks tremendously to offer the 20% discount to white card members. Our family would have spent thousands less in the shops without the discount over the last 5 years. I'm sure all of that is about to change if there's no card at all, but who knows what DVC is doing. I was definitely hoping I could upgrade my tickets to sorcerer's pass in January like so many white card holders have done, but I may be a month too late. Probably need to fly down in December. If not, I'll just do resort only for our second 2022 trip and do 3-4 day tix for the third. I wonder if Disney selling the sorcerer's pass to everyone has prompted this change for DVC. Was everyone's blue card set to expire on 12/31/21 already or no?

Yeah, the expiry has been that way for everyone for a while (we bought in 2017 and it has the expiry).

 

[PCFriar80]

Is that hypothetical ("I wonder what people without smart phones will do?") or individual ("I do not own a smart phone, what do I do?")

I don't own a phone. I do my MDE navigation on an iPad and that's not coming to the parks with me!

 

[Brian Noble]

I suspect you will be able to print it out if need be. However, without some MDE device with you in the parks you will not be able to make Genie+/Individual Attraction reservations during the day.

 

[Brian Noble]

his is so widespread and existed well before covid that I don't think it's a training issue.

It's not just a training issue, but it is partly that. It is also something of a consequence of the First Rule of Disney Guest Services: "Never say no unless you have to." That culture almost certainly biases Cast Members to just give the discount to anyone who incorrectly assumes that they are entitled to it rather than argue with them, because CMs are very much not rewarded for arguing with Guests.

 

[Sandisw]

I have a few thoughts rolling around right now that I'd like to throw out there...

First, agree that we may soon see a distinction between "owners" (resale, or less than 150 point direct) and "members" (direct with over 150 points). Until now, we have seen DVC "grandfather" everyone when changes were made. For example, I own 100 resale points bought in 2008 which are completely unrestricted and treated as direct in all regards. I also own 50 points that I bought direct at another resort in 2011. *IF* DVC were to implement a "member" vs "owner" system, do you think they would opt to remove the grandfathered "permissions" and make them compliant under the new system? It seems like it would be easy to do, but would it be legal under the POS? I would then change from "member" to "owner" status because my resale points are, well, resale, and I do not own the minimum of 150 direct points. I would NOT be happy if this were to happen (naturally) because this was NOT the system that was sold to me when I purchased, but it was "subject to change" so I agreed to it.

Second, I agree that on my recent trip, the DVC discount was much more "unrestricted" than on our previous trips. I never had to show my ID...not once! Just for kicks, I gave my card to my friend when she went to pay for a shirt at the Emporium and she showed it to the CM and got the discount without batting an eye! (FWIW, she charged it to our room which was on my credit card so I ended up "paying" for it anyways) We ate at Boma on our checkout day and asked that our tab be split because we wanted to pay separately and I have the DVC discount and she does not. Our waiter split the tab and gave us BOTH the discount. I am wondering....are they perhaps giving the discount to EVERYONE to get us accustomed to it with the plan to soon take it away and restrict it to MEMBERS ONLY?? It would be incredibly silly because resale is still the more financially prudent decision, but getting 10% off food and 20% off merchandise on the spot and repeatedly throughout the vacation is such a mental boost.

My friend started talking to me about purchasing DVC and she made a comment about how she would "definitely want to be eligible for the discounts". I told her that, reasonably, she should expect to pay about $6000-$8000 MORE (minimum) upfront to be eligible for discounts. Then, I pointed out that I saved about $170 on food and merchandise on our 6-night trip, which was 1 year's worth of points. So, based on that math, she would have to take 30 trips (or one per year!) before she would break even and start to see a discount! She'll be 80! Simple math would dictate that the 10/20% discounts that DVC offers to "qualified" members/owners is not enough of a perk to persuade an educated buyer into buying a direct contract. So that makes me wonder...are more/different/better benefits on the horizon? Or are they planning to further restrict and take away more from the resale buyers??

My experience with discounts last week was different and while I did get it with my white card a few times, most of the time I needed my blue card, and some with blue card and ID.

In terms of grandfathering, I think nothing prevents them from changing the terms and make it so only those with the current amount is required.

I do think we may see a difference, but not sure they will use the terms members vs difference since it has been discussed that those two terms are used throughout our contracts.

But, I can see them change it to the words “ qualified membership” in order to be eligible. For example, “Those owners/members who have a qualified Membership with 150 points direct are eligible for….” and only those will be given a notation or digital card attached to DME.

 

[dez1978]

I don't own a phone. I do my MDE navigation on an iPad and that's not coming to the parks with me!

You're gonna have a rough time with that these days.

 

[PCFriar80]

You're gonna have a rough time with that these days.

Just got back from an 8 night stay at BCVs and had no problems at all.

 

[jo-jo]

But if you had a smart phone you could just have screen shots on your phone instead of having to remember printing something out and taking it with you. I guess I just don't understand the reluctance at this point. I don't love being on my phone, but it 100% beats remembering to print stuff out at home and carrying it all around hoping I don't lose it. Why would anyone want to do that?

It's not reluctance, it's what feels more comfortable. I'd rather have the paper than worry if my phone dies and I forgot the charger.

 

[ILoveMyDVC]

I had a CM at the general store at Old Key West refuse my blue card right for my DVC member account in September. They wanted my hard physical card. I had it with me just wasn't planning on stopping in the store at that particular time.

 

[drusba]

Of course, as we should all realize based on the website history, you will have many times when you will be unable to get a DVC discount while at WDW because the only thing the app will be showing is the dwarves.

 

[von Monster]

It's not just a training issue, but it is partly that. It is also something of a consequence of the First Rule of Disney Guest Services: "Never say no unless you have to." That culture almost certainly biases Cast Members to just give the discount to anyone who incorrectly assumes that they are entitled to it rather than argue with them, because CMs are very much not rewarded for arguing with Guests.

This - if a cast member gives the discount to someone not entitled to it nothing happens; however if they rightfully deny the discount and the guest leaves poor feedback on them they wear it. It's not like they're going to remember 'oh, yeah that specific guest showed the wrong card...'. Anyone who has ever worked retail now's exactly how that conversation is going to go with their supervisor - not well, and I'd assume a place like Disney where the customer is 'number one' would be worse than most.

Honestly, the fault for the whole mess lies with Disney itself - I suspect the original calculus they had that said x number of guests are eligible for y discounts; however z percent will fail to claim it is now less than the number of a guests who claim it without being eligible plus b guests who keep their blue card after selling. It all could have been avoided by simply turning a flag on in your Disney account and making it happen automatically, but they decided to risk it and are now getting burned.

 

[DVCjj]

I have both DVC (1/2 contracts Direct, 1/2 Resale) and AP. I carry both AP & DVC. I have found that the discount has been exactly the same on both of them so I take out the first one I grab.

Has anyone actually had a merchant specifically ask for a DVC card rather than take an AP? I have not. Possibly restaurants I don't go to?

 

[Imkarlawithak2005]

I have had stores ask for a DVC card and photo Id. I’ve also been asked to for the card at restaurants. My husband never asks for the discount because he’s not on the contract, but he’s been given it before. It’s so hit and miss. I just wish it were consistent.