Disney Hotel Booking FEE!!!!!

[dianeschlicht]

You are still overlooking the fact that "trading" out to the non-DVC Disney hotels, is STILL a trade OUT, and as such will have attendant bookkeeping costs. That's what the fee is all about. It was a no fee thing for awhile, and I suspect the cost was taking it's toll on the dues and that's why they decided to add the fee to Disney exchanges too. I guess I don't really see the beef. There are fees to trade out to II and Concierge Collection, so why not the Disney Collection too?

 

[DVC Mary]

Instead of debating this, how about if we encourage more DVC members to complain.

Look what happened when people complained about the change away from glassware in the studios. DVC was flooded w/ so many emails that they changed it back right away.

Not enough of us are complaining about this. I understand many of you don't like to use this option but for some of us staying 1-2 nights at a Disney non-DVC resort w/o being charged an excessive fee is very helpful to us.

Please complain & keep complaining:

dvcmembersatisfactionteam@disneyvacationclub.com


They listened about the glassware, maybe they'll listen about this.

 

[SanDeeKath]

Oh I am so bummed too! One of the main reasons we actually bought was because of their wonderful point program with Hotel Del Coronado. We love to stay there for 2 nights 2-3 times a year. We thought we could use our points for these quick little get aways when we can't travel 3000 miles to WDW (and we want to be just the two of us without the kids!).

UGH. Forget it. With the $95 fee, it's less expensive to just pay for a room someplace. WHAT A BUMMER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If someone finds a customer service rep high up at DVC, I would be happy to compose a letter form that we can all use to email him/her to complain.

Katherine

 

[eva]

I have no hard feelings one way or the other on the $95 fee. But I did want to mention that as they add DVC resorts to current Disney resorts the ability to trade out to the other Disney resorts is getting pretty slim. You can no longer book BWI, BC, AKL, WL, and probably soon to come the Contemporary. About all that is left are GF, the Poly, YC, and the moderates. I just see the whole thing disappearing sooner or later. I think their plan is to make is less appealing by increasing points and adding the fee. Then they can cut it off because the members are not using it. It looks like the CC will soon be out the door too. I feel that within a couple years the only trades available will be DCL, ABD, and II.

 

[Tiger926]

Very timely thread as we just experienced this - 3x! Here is our story:

Cruise - booked our cruise on Developer's points last June after adding on at AKV. Fee $75.00 (before increase). Cancelled cruise a few weeks ago (see below) and lost this fee.

Contemporary - booked 1 night concierge for arrival day @ 66 points, plus fee $95.00

Yacht Club - booked 3 nights at end of our AKV stay (see my signature) concierge @ 198 points, plus fee $95.00

*Over the past 6 months, we have had several family emergencies as well as baby son was just in hospital for pneumonia, dehydration & ear infections. Tried to add DVC insurance many times as we figured getting a small monetary cash-out would be ok if something went wrong. No go! Insurance has so many clauses & exemptions, as we all know, so no insurance for us. We cancelled our cruise approx. 4 weeks ago, and so we had a surplus of reservation points to use up by end of our use year (May 31). This is the only time we travel at end of use year as I'm on maternity leave.

Basically, no family members can travel to use up our points due to taking care of ill relatives, job or school restrictions, so, instead of losing all of our Developer's points (200) plus banked points from next year, we added on the one night @ Contemporary and 3 nights @ Yacht Club. These sandwich 2 nights @ Saratoga and 8 nights @ AKV. Our vacation is a total of 14 nights and we are staying in 4 different resorts - it cost a boatload of points that we would have lost anyway, plus 3 different fees. We still have 50 points left!

Bottom line - we are looking at this as being able to stay at the Contemporary in Concierge for $95.00 and Yacht Club for 3 nights at $95.00. We are not putting the points in there as they were free and will be gone at end of May.

We have used our points to stay at Disney Collection before the exchange fee was implemented - we are of the mind that they are our points, and we can do with them as we wish. That being said, we will never book a cruise on points again as the point requirements, fee and restrictions about cancelling/modifying are too great. We may still use our points to stay at a Disney Collection hotel as a treat once in awhile as the $95.00 fee really adds up. This fee should really only be nominal for us as guests, but, Disney has set it this high I'm sure to discourage people from booking outside of DVC, plus, it's built in profit as each time you cancel, re-book or modify a ressie, you are subject to the same fee, over and over again.

I have had a busy week preparing for our trip and dealing with doc appointments, but I plan on emailing Member Satisfaction - I've spoken with a bunch of MS agents over the past several weeks since making our changes, and they are all agreed that it was unfortunate for us, but, there was nothing that they could do. I really didn't make a big deal about it, as we've chosen to make a bunch of modifications to our ressies as they will suit our family situation better at this time.

I will post once I get a response from them - I don't want points to go up, nor, do I want them to take something else away as that wouldn't be good for the majority of members, but, I do want some explanation as to how they came upon this fee - more than the silly explanation that Jim L gave in our DVC mag!

Thanks for reading my long story, Tiger

 

[Chuck S]

If someone finds a customer service rep high up at DVC, I would be happy to compose a letter form that we can all use to email him/her to complain.

Just a reminder that it is fine to encourage others to contact DVC with their feelings on an issue, but anything that includes form letters or petitions is not allowed on the DIS.

Thanks.

 

[DVC Mary]

Sorry, we didn't know this was a problem. We'll just encourage people to email their own feelings:

dvcmembersatisfactionteam@disneyvacationclub.com


These boards are powerful. Word about the glass policy in the studios raised awareness, raised an uproar, & got the policy changed.

We appreciate the ability to communicate on these boards & cry out for change when we feel it's needed.

Thank you to the DIS for giving us a place to discuss, debate, celebrate, and enjoy our passion for Disney.

 

[senecabeach]

You are still overlooking the fact that "trading" out to the non-DVC Disney hotels, is STILL a trade OUT, and as such will have attendant bookkeeping costs. That's what the fee is all about. It was a no fee thing for awhile, and I suspect the cost was taking it's toll on the dues and that's why they decided to add the fee to Disney exchanges too. I guess I don't really see the beef. There are fees to trade out to II and Concierge Collection, so why not the Disney Collection too?

ITA.
Remember you own pts. on a "timeshare" and any transfer from your "home" is a normal and customary fee with "any" timeshare company. Disney just decided to start charging...nothing new in the world of timeshares.

 

[crisi]

Sorry, we didn't know this was a problem. We'll just encourage people to email their own feelings:

dvcmembersatisfactionteam@disneyvacationclub.com


These boards are powerful. Word about the glass policy in the studios raised awareness, raised an uproar, & got the policy changed.

We appreciate the ability to communicate on these boards & cry out for change when we feel it's needed.

Thank you to the DIS for giving us a place to discuss, debate, celebrate, and enjoy our passion for Disney.

Keep in mind as well that these boards are powerful, but not everyone agrees on this. I think the $95 booking fee for DC bookings is one of the BEST changes DVC has made during my ownership. If it accomplishes to put fewer DVC rooms in the CRO system, that could lower overall trade rates. If non-traders are paying the administrative costs for trades, that could lower dues for us that don't trade. The balance between trades, renting and DVC owner use has become unsustainable - and will not get better as DVC grows. Its nice to see Disney recognizing this.

 

[senecabeach]

Keep in mind as well that these boards are powerful, but not everyone agrees on this. I think the $95 booking fee for DC bookings is one of the BEST changes DVC has made during my ownership. If it accomplishes to put fewer DVC rooms in the CRO system, that could lower overall trade rates. If non-traders are paying the administrative costs for trades, that could lower dues for us that don't trade. The balance between trades, renting and DVC owner use has become unsustainable - and will not get better as DVC grows. Its nice to see Disney recognizing this.

Hummmmm!!
Good point! Never thought of it that way..but..I like the way you think !!

 

[dianeschlicht]

Keep in mind as well that these boards are powerful, but not everyone agrees on this. I think the $95 booking fee for DC bookings is one of the BEST changes DVC has made during my ownership. If it accomplishes to put fewer DVC rooms in the CRO system, that could lower overall trade rates. If non-traders are paying the administrative costs for trades, that could lower dues for us that don't trade. The balance between trades, renting and DVC owner use has become unsustainable - and will not get better as DVC grows. Its nice to see Disney recognizing this.

I agree with you Crisi. I applaud the fee. It made no sense to me that the Disney Collection was a no fee trade.

 

[CarolA]

This actually came out 3 or 4 months ago. It upset me because sometimes I go to Orlando on business and try to sneak in a night or two at WDW. When I went last October, I called about 3 weeks before, no DVC rooms at any resort, any size. So I used 18 points to stay at POFQ. Not the best use of points, but there's no way I'd pay $95 on top of it now! The AP rate was $125 plus tax. Plus you can no longer book outside of DVC 4 months or less before the end of your use year (used to be 2 months). I have an April use year, so 12/1 to 3/31 I can't do a last minute trip at a non-DVC.

Actually your logic equals mine.

However, what they have done for one of my upcoming trips is that IF I can't get a DVC room to clear... I am at the Marriott Courtyard... So all revenue is gone LOL!


I didn't complain, but I did change my use habits. It's no biggie to me....

It's peak season at Disney and I don't pay Disney RIP OFF prices for those hotels. The Courtyard is nicer LOL! I can give up the theme!

 

[eva]

Keep in mind as well that these boards are powerful, but not everyone agrees on this. I think the $95 booking fee for DC bookings is one of the BEST changes DVC has made during my ownership. If it accomplishes to put fewer DVC rooms in the CRO system, that could lower overall trade rates. If non-traders are paying the administrative costs for trades, that could lower dues for us that don't trade. The balance between trades, renting and DVC owner use has become unsustainable - and will not get better as DVC grows. Its nice to see Disney recognizing this.

This seems to make good sense. I wasn't too concerned about the change to begin with because the only trades we do are DCL and ABD. And those are far and few between over the past 11 years. But those trades have always had a $75 fee anyway. So the only change to me was a $20 increase. But this reasoning sways me towards believing the increase is a good thing.

 

[DVC Mary]

Ok, I'm always willing to listen to a different opinion, but can you dissect this and help me understand you're points.

How will this lower overall trade rates? What rates are you referring to?

How can administrative cost for this be so high? The same DVC people who book me a DVC room at BWV for example, are the same people who book a room for me at the GF for example. If I have a problem w/ my ressie, I have to talk to DVC. The regular CRO or even hotel can't help me. It all has to go through DVC. I had a problem the Sunday before I was going to down & I had to wait for MS to open & then couldn't get through to them ever before I left b/c their phones were jammed.

Does anyone know how many non-DVC Disney ressie members actually make & how long they normally stay?


Can you explain what you meant when you said: "The balance between trades, renting and DVC owner use has become unsustainable - and will not get better as DVC grows. Its nice to see Disney recognizing this."

I am a teacher & like to understand all sides. Help me to understand your side.

I see this as a loss for Disney, b/c if I can't get a 1-2 nights that I need despite booking many months in advance (usually 5-9 months in advance) I will start staying off property for a few nights & enjoying the Universal parks which we almost never go to. I can't always get the flights that far in advance at a discount. I also sometimes have to wait until we know certain big summer event dates that can't be missed. I'm a teacher & our only long trips are in the summer. It's rare we can go during the school year for more than 3 -4 nights & that's almost not worth it.

I paid 41 points (1 night smallest room) to splurge for my Mom's 80th b-day + had to pay the new $95 fee--which I was not informed of when I booked.

Where do those points go? How Disney make $ from us paying more points for such a room? If we pay so much in our points, don't they make something off of that? Why the fee, when it's the same company? I'm not dealing w/ a different company.

I am a teacher & like to understand all sides. Help me to understand your side.

Thanks for helping me understand all sides!

Keep in mind as well that these boards are powerful, but not everyone agrees on this. I think the $95 booking fee for DC bookings is one of the BEST changes DVC has made during my ownership. If it accomplishes to put fewer DVC rooms in the CRO system, that could lower overall trade rates. If non-traders are paying the administrative costs for trades, that could lower dues for us that don't trade. The balance between trades, renting and DVC owner use has become unsustainable - and will not get better as DVC grows. Its nice to see Disney recognizing this.

 

[Chuck S]

I think what Crisi and others are referring to is this, though I may be mistaken and don;t want to speak for them.

If you call MS to book a DVC resorts, that is the end of itm the reservation is booked.

If you trade, while MS books the rooms, there are also behind the scenes things that happen. What room type, location, and season turned over for cash rental to offset that cost of the non-DVC trade has to be determined and placed into cash inventory. Then DVC receives some percentage of the cash, if it is rented. Somewhere in the fiscal year, DVC has to reconcile the rooms turned over, the agreed upon price for the trade and any overage or shortfall has to be calculated and adjusted. Thus, it is at least a 3 step process, whereas a DVC rental is a one step process.

Then on an annual basis there is also the process of the overall negotiation of the trade prices and calculation of the number of points deemed necessary for each trade type and location.

 

[RobDoc]

The imbalance occurs when DVC members use points for these non-DVC options since MS has to "reimburse" the other resorts for the reservation by providing and renting rooms at DVC resorts.

If the DVC rooms are easily rented, there would likely not be any issue but if the rooms end up not being used with cash reservations, the other resort does not get reimbursed. The negative cash flow may impact the points needed for future non-DVC options so that those resorts are compensated.

As for the administrative fee, there are definitley costs involved since MS must cross reference the points used with a reservation thru the CRO system (whether this is for a WDW resort, DL Resort or DCL reservation). Why not ask those using that service be the ones to pay for it with the $95 fee? If that fee also helps defray the cost of "paying" for the non-DVC option, then it may help to minimize the points needed in future years.

One option would be to do away with the non-DVC choices or raise dues for all members to defray the unreimbursed expenses for these exchanges.

I prefer to just think of this as a "Users Fee" - just like the fees charged for cruises, Concierge Collection stays and World Passport stays since the beginning of DVC.

Another possibility would be for DVC to take more Studios out of the member's inventory since those villas can be rented more easily than 2BR villas thru CRO. The net effect of such a decision would likely harm DVC members by the loss of availability. Again, the $95 fee helps to maintain the balance of member inventory by reducing the number of members using the program and yet allows MS to offer non-DVC options to members.

The bottom line is that someone has to pay for these options - either with more points for the reservations, additional adminstrative fees or higher dues to all members.

 

[crisi]

Each time someone uses their points for a non-DVC room, that room is paid for by putting DVC rooms into the other system. For II this is controlled, for Disney Collection its less controlled. As more members trade out there is a bigger supply of DVC rooms going into CRO. Bigger supply with the same demand means lower prices, which decreases the DVC value and increases the number of points it take to trade. Rentals enter the equation because they are a very low cost way for non-members to get access to DVC rooms, furthering lower the value. By creating a $95 fee to trade out, DVC increases the cost of trading, lowering the demand for trades and lowering the supply of DVC rooms in the CRO system.

As to how can administrative costs be so high, that gets into cost accounting. I don't know how Disney accounts for administrative costs, but I know at my company it costs $65 to process a simple purchase order, $85 to process an expense report and $50 to do an interdepartmental charge. Every large firm I've ever worked for has similar charges, so I'm guessing that the cost to move DVC rooms into the CRO system has similar costs associated with it.

These factors are much bigger than having you stay at Disney - if you can't use your points, they become breakage income for Disney.

And you are dealing with a different company - you are not dealing with a different corporation. DVC is a different operating division with different P&L than the Disney Resorts Division or Disney Parks (I'm not sure exactly how they are all structured currently, Parks and Resorts may currently be one division - I believe they are).

 

[disneycrazed139]

this is an outrage

 

[dianeschlicht]

this is an outrage

What is? The fee or the opinions of those of us who agree with the fee?

 

[Tiger926]

Although I don't like the fee, you have all helped me realize that I am not going to email Member Services about the fee, as it's a necessary part of doing business in the trade world. Even though the Disney collection is part of the Disney company, it is a separate entity that requires the fee for administrative purposes.

I had to pay the fee 3x, but it is what it is! Thanks for helping me decide not to email MS since they have been inundated enough with the cupgate issue - I'll give them a break - LOL!!

Thanks, Tiger