Disney Vacation Club adjusts 2010 Vacation Points charts

[dis-happy]

I'm confused about this. I've seen the date of January 15th for requiring 200 points, but I got offered 160 at BLT on January 19th. Not sure what's going on there. We settled on 190 which leaves me enough for a 10 day studio with a MK view every year (even with the new points). Not sure how I was able to come in under the minimum points.

Smaller add-on in my other post refers to existing members who could buy an add-on for 25 points or more. The new minimum add-on (since Jan. 15th) is 100 points for BLT and AKV.

 

[Maribel]

If the change is going to stay they have to announce it NOW before the January 1st window opens on Feb 1st, although I guess with the new reservations policy you can start reserving those dates starting on the 25th (with check in date Dec 25 2009), am I right?

For us this is great news. We live in FL and like to take long weekends breaks into the world, it used to be to expensive to do so (points wise), so it looks like now we are going to be able to do it more frequently now or at least with less points, if it is that the change stays, as it looks that they pull off the point charts for 2010 of the site.

I understand those folks that really plan their stay to be the same every single year, it has to be frustrating for you to have your vacations plans changed all of the sudden, but in all honesty, for me, the one thing that attracted me to DVC is the flexibility of being able to stay at different dates in different resorts so that every vacation is kind of different.
I didn't buy my points so that it matched a specific time or resort, knowing that some years I could bank or borrow points to match my needs that year.
It has worked so far.
In any case, if their looking at a trend were they have waitlists for the su-th period and then vacancies during the weekend, they should then adjust the points charts accordingly as it is specified in the contract.

 

[twebber55]

I don't know what the average contract is. I have 180 points. I won't be able to stay as many days as I have in the past. If I don't stay as long I won't be spending as much money there.

thats what i find so interesting/frustrating.......disney will lose days from me... which means one less day per trip so one less day for buying tickets or being on DDP or anything else i would have bought

 

[KLR-wlv]

Unbelievable! I just cancelled my 145 point BLT add on. I had bought enough points at VB for a beach cottage every other year in summer or Thanksgiving - I no longer have enough points to do that. I had enough points at BLT for a GV for every 3rd year - no longer have enough points for that. I know it says that in the contract - but it hasn't been done since I've owned in 2001 and I thought basically it gave them ability to change points around for holiday seasons. I am not spending $16000 on an addon for specific accomodations if that can be changed so drastically. I can buy 2-3 marriott resales for that amount and be guaranteed of 7 days in a 2 br.

 

[Cindaddy]

Smaller add-on in my other post refers to existing members who could buy an add-on for 25 points or more. The new minimum add-on (since Jan. 15th) is 100 points for BLT and AKV.

Right. That's understood, but I don't understand how I was offered a smaller buy-in after the date that the minimum points changed to 200. It just made me think of that.

 

[mom2rb]

I actually am happy about this change. I tend to book 10-12 day stays and make sure that I only book one week-end. That means DH uses more vacation days and the kids miss more of their activities. Now I will book my stay using two week-ends. It will use a few more points but will be worth it to save DH's vacation days.

 

[Towncrier]

I recall the last time they adjusted the points at Old Key West. As I recall it was a minor adjustment and Disney took a lot of heat for it. I also recall them saying at one of the annual meetings that they would think twice before doing that again. Apparently they thought twice.

I did a google search and found that someone had posted jpegs of the point charts on photobucket before they were taken down and I managed to snag them. It looks like our 12 night strategy for summer vacations will have to turn into an 11 night stragegy unless we want to buy 36 more points. Swell.

 

[epcotwanderer]

This is SO much better for me. I usually get pretty beat up on point values for only staying a long weekend!!!

YAY DVC! Thank you! I believe that this is more fair and equitable.

 

[tjkraz]

thats what i find so interesting/frustrating.......disney will lose days from me... which means one less day per trip so one less day for buying tickets or being on DDP or anything else i would have bought

Your spending may change but, as an aggregate, this may only help things for Disney.

The number of guest rooms isn't changing and that's what is important. Even if you have to shorten your trips by one day per year, someone else will fill that room on the night you have lost and spend their own money.

The problem this move is trying to address is that weekend occupancy falls off sharply under the current charts. Since the timeshare resorts are SUPPOSED to be near 100% occupancy all the time, low weekend levels means people are letting points expire unused, banking them into the future or perhaps being forced to trade out of DVC as an alternative to losing the points.

Ideally weekday occupancy will still remain close to 100% as it has been. Meanwhile weekend occupancy will rise due to the lower costs.

Many members (myself included) will undoubtedly get less value for their points. But with the number of points in circulation remaining the same and the number of rooms unchanged, I don't see Disney losing any ancillary revenue from this.

 

[Cindaddy]

I recall the last time they adjusted the points at Old Key West. As I recall it was a minor adjustment and Disney took a lot of heat for it. I also recall them saying at one of the annual meetings that they would think twice before doing that again. Apparently they thought twice.

I did a google search and found that someone had posted jpegs of the point charts on photobucket before they were taken down and I managed to snag them. It looks like our 12 night strategy for summer vacations will have to turn into an 11 night stragegy unless we want to buy 36 more points. Swell.

Exactly. The new points seem to punish anyone who wants to stay longer than a week. People who stay 8-12 days with only one weekend will pay more.

 

[december14disney]

Apprently dvcnews.com took down all 2010 point charts as well...

 

[cogero]

It probably won't effect us we bought 270 points to be able to stay a full week and are looking to add on at another resort for home resort booking so I am not worried. and booking those weekends really hurt for our NOvember 09 trip.

I feel bad for those it really hurts though.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

Its not just the charts that are gone, but the notification of the change, even the words about it are gone.

 

[wildernessDad]

A growing member interest in weekend stays, eh? I'm not buying that one.

Perhaps the actuality is that there is a growing interest in stays period, and weekends stays are part of that growing interest. So, if that is the case, then they are correct - in a manner of speaking.

 

[stopher1]

A 1 br SV at AKV went up 1 point in our preferred season. For us it's okay in theory since we have a few extra points over what was needed for that, but the reality is we don't always vacation at the same times each year, and like to mix it up when we can. We aren't "locked in" to a school calendar since our kids are home educated, so the flexibility of the DVC system was really cool for us in that regard. We use our points in varying manners between WDW and DL, at different times of the year.

I haven't seen all of the various charts yet, only AKV and I really only looked at a few of the pieces of information that would apply to our scenarios, but from what I've been reading, I agree with many that I don't think I like it. But what can we do? If they reserve the right to make these changes we're kind of stuck, aren't we? Obviously if someone were unhappy enough they could put their points up for sale and leave the system, or make adjustments to how they do Disney. I know that's not what many people want to do having bought in with something particular in mind, but isn't making adjustments sometimes just part of life? We certainly haven't been in the DVC system as long as many of you have, but didn't I read somewhere in this thread or another one that the points were adjusted at least once before? How long ago was the last adjustment, and for those of you who experienced it, was it as "drastic" as this one appears to be from some of the comments that have been made?

 

[JasonDVC]

What happened?

They took it off the website!!

 

[dallastxcpa]

Has anyone been able to talk to their guide or member services yet?

 

[BrADmatt]

Here are the charts as posted by squidmo

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2067216

 

[december14disney]

Has anyone been able to talk to their guide or member services yet?

I left a message for mine, Rob Shapiro, and he hasnt called...

 

[Shadeaux]

Exactly. The new points seem to punish anyone who wants to stay longer than a week. People who stay 8-12 days with only one weekend will pay more.

This is exactly what I told my husband when I saw the new charts. We've been members at OKW since '94. All our trips are between 10-12 nights and include one weekend so this is going to cost us more points every trip. We've not been happy with a lot of the recent changes to DVC, but this has pushed us to the point of seriously considering selling our contract.