Disney Vacation Club adjusts 2010 Vacation Points charts

[alldiz]

I understand the Sun-Thurs people being upset. And a 30 point increase does seem high to me. But another way to look at it is those who stay more weekend days who have been gouged for points for years in the past are finally getting a break with a more even allocation of points during the week. It's still higher on the weekends but not double, which was just nuts IMHO.

IMO...it is still to "high" on the weekends.

For me at WLV staying in the 1BR's.....looks like my weekdays AND weekends increased.
Kerri

 

[epcotwanderer]

In the long run, I think this is a good idea, and what some people seem to miss is that it actually provides more flexibility to trips.

Instead of the high weekend points more or less forcing people to either stick to Sunday-Thursday night trips or having to move because they can't afford Saturday and Sunday, now it makes the days more balanced. I don't have to look for airfare arriving Sunday and leaving Friday; arriving on Saturday or departing on Sunday is now a realistic option and opens me up to some better rates on airfare.

Once the dust settles, I think that most will find it is a better system.

I think people have trained themselves to travel Sun-Thurs nights. It's just going to be an adjustment.

 

[crazydaisy00]

Wow I am so glad we did not buy in Dec. when we were there. We would have had to turn around and immediately purchase more points just to stay the first time. We were going to buy into BLT but hesitated trying to figure out how many points and if we should buy at BLT or AKV. Sound like I should hold off for a while until they get the points figured out. I feel sorry for all of you guys who now have to deal with this delimia while they are planning future vacations.

 

[bwvBound]

As Cindaddy points out above, Suzanne's statement is true from a contract view. My ownership at Grand Pacific Palisades in Carlsbad, CA is for "week 33 in a 1BR unit of layout B every odd year." I am guaranteed the same unit type, the same week every odd year. My check-in is Saturday and I can write that into my planning calendar for years to come because I purchased a "fixed week" ownership. I can exchange my week but the underlying ownership doesn't change. DVC's points are different - they are not a "fixed week" or even a "floating week" -- they are points in a system subject to fluctuation. Point systems offer great flexibility -- but also less certainty of booking the "same vacation" year after year.

Sorry Suzanne...but this is how the whole sales pitch with our guide at the time, went back in 2000. We sat down at a table and went over points. She asked when we planned on vacationing and in what type of accomodations. Then she guided us to the amount of points we should purchase to fit our vacationing needs. This is why I'm suprised Members who primarily stay over weekends didn't plan the same. I would think they did and purchased the amount of points they would need to stay mostly weekends ? If I call for a reservation too late and there's no availability....then yes, I don't get the vacation scenario I want. But to not get my 5 nights in a 2 bedroom simply because now DVC wants to charge me an extra 30 points is a whole other scenario.

So I disagree with your above statement. We pay alot of money for our points and the MF's every year. To induct a change of this magnitude can significantly impact some of us in a negative way. I cannot find any way to get a 2 bedroom in Magic season for 5 nights now with 150 points. I don't even have the option to go with a resort that has lower point cost, because I'm already there with OKW. I've got nowhere to go but to shorten our vacations yet pay the same points.

 

[MiaSRN62]

I think people have trained themselves to travel Sun-Thurs nights. It's just going to be an adjustment.

Quite a simplistic answer epcotwanderer.........
But where do I get an extra 30 points without:
#1) buying more points (not going to do that especially with how I see DVC is trending)
#2)downgrading to a smaller unit which is not possible with my family of 5 and sometimes 6 (teens so they're adult sized---need a 2 bedroom)
#3)going in a season with lower points (also not possible with kids in school).


I could have saved or stretched out my points like others are able to do because they travel in Adventure or Choice season. I paid Magic Season points primarily for 8 years. So I could say, as someone else posted, I got "gouged" for years. We could never vacation in early Dec or Sept or other low point seasons. We planned according to when our kids were out of school which is Magic season. So just as those who have been getting gouged because they have had to pay weekend points for years, I could say we have been getting gouged because we had to pay Magic season points for years. But that is what we knew we would be doing 8 years ago and PLANNED accordingly. But now, I can't even swing that due to a DRASTIC point jump.

So what do I "adjust" ? I could really use some suggestions here. I really feel my DVC has lost value for us with this allocation.

 

[MiaSRN62]

bwvBound : they are points in a system subject to fluctuation. Point systems offer great flexibility -- but also less certainty of booking the "same vacation" year after year.

Boy....sure wish my guide would have pointed this out back in 2000 as they watched us sign the contract...........

 

[dis-happy]

I venture to guess that Saturdays will become the new Sunday as far as check-in goes---it will by busy and those coming in early on Sunday won't be as likely to get their requests.

Those who have blissfully booked weekends up to now, I'm glad the new point chart works in your favor. But plan to book 11 months out; it's going to be a lot harder to get those weekend ressies now.

 

[bwvBound]

Boy....sure wish my guide would have pointed this out back in 2000 as they watched us sign the contract...........

I hear you. In 2000 we signed our names to a contract in a different point system for "7000" points equating to a studio in high season at any property in the system. We later learned that not every property in the system offered studios, that newer properties came on board with higher point costs, that reservation rules could be changes, etc. It was a bitter pill at first ... causing us to experience many of the feelings expressed in this thread. FWIW, we come to accept that we have little to no control over timeshare even though they are sold as "ownership" interests. Simply put, ownership does not mean control over anything. Better to enjoy the good parts and figure workarounds for the rest.

 

[PMDR59]

I really cant believe that all these people have the next 40-50 years of their life planned out .....and are only doing Disney!!!

We bought recently and havent made out first trip home yet. But so what if you need a few more points, borrow from next year, and just keep borrowing. I'm certain somewhere down the road, whether its 5 years or 10 years, LIFE will happen and you may not be able to make that Disney trip you planned, or you may decide to go somewhere else, or G-D forbid the economy really gets worse, or you or your spouse lose a job.........and the year you dont use your points and have to bank whats left after borrowing, it will all even out for you somewhere.

Life happens and NOTHING is ever set in stone. We all have to be flexible.

Roll with it. It is what it is.

 

[Inkmahm]

Because it's such an extreme change....and when I sat down with my guide years ago, our trips were planned this way according to the point charts. We planned it out. My husband and I took 3 days to think it out before signing on the dotted line. It's like having the rug pulled from under you with how drastic the change is (30 points is no joke to come up short every year), and the timing.........ALOT of us would have planned very differently with recent add-ons. The Magic season points already were high coming just under Premiere season.

My guide, back in Aug of 2000, never let on there would be a change of this magnitude or we would have planned differently. She did say something like , "they could switch the points around a little here and there" and made it out like it was not a big deal. I could see my stays coming up 4, 5, 6 points short....hell....even 10......but I cannot borrow 30 points every single year. So our vacations with DVC, as they have been planned out in conjunction with our knowledgable guide 8 years ago, are now changed forever. Unless of course Disney one day changes it back. Sorry you cannot manage to see how some of us are impacted by this in bigger ways than others.

I DO see how some are impacted by this in bigger ways than others but I don't disagree with Disney and believe you SHOULD be impacted. The people who stay Sun - THurs have been getting a better deal for years than those of us who have to stay over weekends due to work schedules, vacation shortages, whatever. Disney is finally evening out this inequity. A little bit, anyway. I don't at all disagree with the adjustment to the point charts.

I DO, however, disagree with how and when Disney is making the adjustment.
More information sooner would have been good. Not selling BLT with an "old" chart would have been good. Allowing very small add ons of points for people who need to add only 5 or 6 (or whatever) due to these changes would be good. There are a lot of things Disney could do differently that would be good. Keeping the points required heavily in favor of those who travel only Sun - Thurs is not one of them, IMHO.

 

[logan115]

What are the odds that DVC offers current owners a chance to buy smaller add-ons to address any shortfalls ? Granted they may not be at the same resort, but just to get the points that may be a middle ground.

Realize that people that are short points now don't necessarily want to buy additional points to get the same vacation, but I'm guessing some people that are 1-15 pts short may be willing to do that, as opposed to buying a 50 pt contract in the resale market.

Just my .02,

Chris

 

[DISNEY FIX]

What are the odds that DVC offers current owners a chance to buy smaller add-ons to address any shortfalls ? Granted they may not be at the same resort, but just to get the points that may be a middle ground.

Realize that people that are short points now don't necessarily want to buy additional points to get the same vacation, but I'm guessing some people that are 1-15 pts short may be willing to do that, as opposed to buying a 50 pt contract in the resale market.

Just my .02,

Chris

I like the problemsolving angle you took. How about easing or eliminating the transfer rules? Just and idea.

 

[MiaSRN62]

bwvBound :Better to enjoy the good parts and figure workarounds for the rest.

Well, dh and I discussed squeezing 5-6 in a 1 bedroom at OKW from now on. Because 30 extra points is too bitter a pill for us to swallow. So gonna be shipping the air mattresses down to Orlando every year. That is the only way we can workaround it........wonder how many others will be squeezing more people into smaller units to stretch out points in the future. Ahhh...but that's a whole other thread topic..........

I really cant believe that all these people have the next 40-50 years of their life planned out .....and are only doing Disney!!!

Well believe it PMDR59....we have our offsite timeshare for trades to other places (especially now with DVC going with RCI !---that's another magic killer for us).
DVC was for our WDW trips (it is the best value for the points in our eyes) primarily and plan lots of them in the future. Kids......grandkids......that was our grand plan.

 

[twebber55]

Disney's responsibility is not to make things better for any individual DVC member but to try to balance demand for rooms. Currently that is not happening. The changes may not entice all current Sun.-Fri. vacationers to occasionally go on a weekend, but it will get some to do so. We currently stay at least a week but NEVER include 2 weekends. Now we will be much more likely to disregard the issue of weekday/weekend costs.
I hope that a side benefit for those who only book weekdays will be that demand for those days will ease up just a bit, making availability better at 7 months and during high demand times.

there may not be balnce but i can tell you this....This takes awasy one day per trip from me and many other families, one less day of buying tickets,one less day of DDP, etc....

 

[epcotwanderer]

Quite a simplistic answer epcotwanderer.........
But where do I get an extra 30 points without:
#1) buying more points (not going to do that especially with how I see DVC is trending)
#2)downgrading to a smaller unit which is not possible with my family of 5 and sometimes 6 (teens so they're adult sized---need a 2 bedroom)
#3)going in a season with lower points (also not possible with kids in school).


I could have saved or stretched out my points like others are able to do because they travel in Adventure or Choice season. I paid Magic Season points primarily for 8 years. So I could say, as someone else posted, I got "gouged" for years. We could never vacation in early Dec or Sept or other low point seasons. We planned according to when our kids were out of school which is Magic season. So just as those who have been getting gouged because they have had to pay weekend points for years, I could say we have been getting gouged because we had to pay Magic season points for years. But that is what we knew we would be doing 8 years ago and PLANNED accordingly. But now, I can't even swing that due to a DRASTIC point jump.

So what do I "adjust" ? I could really use some suggestions here. I really feel my DVC has lost value for us with this allocation.

It is a simplistic answer. But I have chosen to travel during Adventure season because my contract isn't big enough to handle the higher point values on the weekends of the higher seasons. I understand where you are coming from I have settled for less nights out of my DVC for years because I traveled on weekends. I made that choice to buy even though I knew I would only get three weekends (9 nights) or less a year. The contract states that the point values can change at any time. I am just happy that now I may get 11-12 nights now instead of 9. You may get less when you want to travel but that's when you CHOOSE to travel. I know it's difficult with the kids off season (believe me I know) but it's still a choice. We travel weekends with the kids is easier because its just one or two days out of school for us during the off season and it's much less crowded so we get to do more with less time.

 

[MiaSRN62]

and believe you SHOULD be impacted. The people who stay Sun - THurs have been getting a better deal for years than those of us who have to stay over weekends

You know what Inkmahm.....you believe I should be impacted negatively by being charged an extra 30 points ?

I can say the same thing about Members who FOR YEARS have been able to vacation in Adventure or Choice season and save TONS of points when we could only stay in Magic season ? Adventure and Choice season travelers have been getting a better deal compared to me in my Magic season for years.

Goes both ways...........so please............

 

[Inkmahm]

You know what Inkmahm.....you believe I should be impacted negatively by being charged an extra 30 points ?

I can say the same thing about Members who FOR YEARS have been able to vacation in Adventure or Choice season and save TONS of points when we could only stay in Magic season ? Adventure and Choice season travelers have been getting a better deal compared to me in my Magic season for years.

Goes both ways...........so please............

You can choose to travel in any season you like, just as the rest of us can.

It makes sense to have seasonality in the points, just like there is seasonality in the hotel rooms. It makes less sense to have variations between weekdays and weekends. SOME variation I have no problem with. But double the points for a Fri or Sat night? Nope.

 

[MiaSRN62]

We travel weekends with the kids is easier because its just one or two days out of school for us during the off season and it's much less crowded so we get to do more with less time.

Well that's great if you can do this epcotwanderer.....but I live over 1,000 miles from WDW, so quickie weekend trips with the kids during school or offseason is in no way a feasible thing for us ? Kids get out of school at 3 pm on friday....catch a late flight into Orlando ---get there maybe at 8 pm'ish ? Pretty much eat and go to sleep....spend Sat in the parks and have to fly back Sunday for school on Monday ? This scenario might be easier for you, but not me ? That is just stressful..........

 

[bub]

I'm really sad to see these changes...we have been members since 1996, and the points for our trips have been the same since we joined. We do spring sometimes for weekends, but not all the time. While I don't like paying so many points for a weekend, I always thought the much lower weekdays enabled people to stretch their points more (either by skipping weekends, moving, or staying one weekend in the middle of a trip). We have family members who have always traveled Sun. through Thurs. and now their trips will either be shorter or less frequent.

Somehow I can't hep but think they are doing this to get people to add on...and/or to encourage people to do full weeks.
I'll assume it's because they have more people who want to do just weekends and so were complaining about the points???

 

[DeeCee735]

Well, dh and I discussed squeezing 5-6 in a 1 bedroom at OKW from now on. Because 30 extra points is too bitter a pill for us to swallow. So gonna be shipping the air mattresses down to Orlando every year. That is the only way we can workaround it........wonder how many others will be squeezing more people into smaller units to stretch out points in the future. Ahhh...but that's a whole other thread topic..........



Well believe it PMDR59....we have our offsite timeshare for trades to other places (especially now with DVC going with RCI !---that's another magic killer for us).
DVC was for our WDW trips (it is the best value for the points in our eyes) primarily and plan lots of them in the future. Kids......grandkids......that was our grand plan.

I partially agree with PMDR59, but I also realize nothing is set in stone, however that's what planning is......putting something in your head or on paper and doing your best to see it through. If it works, great, and if not, improvising. We did initially buy in with a "plan" at least til the kids were out of high school. And that plan - a 185 point buy in (1 bedroom, BWV, 6 nights, Pres week), worked out great when we wanted it, and it worked even better when we threw in a trip here and there, as I'm in NO WAY opposed to borrowing (I'm in a constant state of borrowing as a matter of fact ).

But, within the last few years, not "planning" on any add-ons, we added on 4 times (25 point contracts each) , with 50 of those points being at AKV. We are also not in any way in a state of panic about the points structure changing, because our "planning" is always open to changes, and that works just fine for us. I book our family trips 11 months out, but my frequent 3 nighters with friends or cousins, I wing em! And that works just great too! I just booked three nights, starting on a Sunday in mid November in a savannah view studio at AKV WOO HOO and I don't even know who I'm bringing yet but I do know I'm going

I've learned the hard way, that all things work out they way they are supposed to, whether or not we plan on it So, again learning the hard way, I've learned to relax and enjoy ALL the good stuff the best way I can