Disney Vacation Club adjusts 2010 Vacation Points charts

[DVCSAMNH]

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

"Training"??? I don't think so. People do what works for them. What is "Optimal". We don't all live within a two or three hour drive from Disney. We can't all hop in the car and take long weekends. Some need to take their vacation all at one time. Some like my husband, who is self-employed, is not comfortable being away more than a few days. Weekends and end of month happen to be his busy time. We all do what we need to. We can't change because DVC gets a hair and decides they're going turn everything upside down. This change will not change the way I vacation it will change the number of days I spend at Disney. Training hasn't got anything to do with it.

Even if for the sake of argument it was all about "training", the weekend points still are much higher than the weekdays. What is the incentive for weekday travellers to put up with the weekend crowds? There still isn't any.

 

[MiaSRN62]

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

Are ya kidding me Inkmahm ??? Seriously ??? Then why don't you CHOOSE to vacation on WEEKNIGHTS ???

Not if dh and I don't want to get jailed or fined for truancy in relation to keeping our kids out of school on a consistant basis ????

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.

So EVERYTHING makes sense to you as long as those weekend points are made lower....I get it.........lol

I'm out of this discussion................

 

[PrincessDadx2]

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............

I believe you misunderstand this. You have been subsidized for years in Magic season to the detriment of everyone who travels in the other seasons. Assuming the change is based on actual DVC demand patterns, which seems logical, Disney had charged too few points for Magic season and Sun-Thurs. You should have paid higher points - closer to premier because Magic season has higher actual demand than Disney forecast. This has apparently become such a large subsidy that Disney needs to balance it out. This creates winners and losers, but is "fairer" in the sense that the point requirements better match when people actually want to travel on a whole. What they are saying is that you should have bought 180 points instead of 150 points based on hindsight. So you have been getting a bargain, but it will no longer continue. If the changes shift the demand back then they may readjust some time in the future, but the point costs should always follow the demand for nights.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

Since we're all speculating here, could someone be so kind as to pint me to the thread where the early charts were posted? Were they taken down?

I don't see how most of us can even comment since we haven't seen the charts, even if they turn out to be bogus. Maybe they're here somewhere and everyone knows where but me?

 

[jekjones1558]

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....

But Disney's projection is that someone else will book that weekday that you will now not be using plus, perhaps, a weekend night or 2 that no one is using. Disney's responsibility is not to guarantee the same amount of vacation time to any individual member. Their responsibility is to devise points charts that ensure as close to 100% occupancy as possible, thus keeping the whole DVC points system viable.

 

[Inkmahm]

I believe you misunderstand this. You have been subsidized for years in Magic season to the detriment of everyone who travels in the other seasons. Assuming the change is based on actual DVC demand patterns, which seems logical, Disney had charged too few points for Magic season and Sun-Thurs. You should have paid higher points - closer to premier because Magic season has higher actual demand than Disney forecast. This has apparently become such a large subsidy that Disney needs to balance it out. This creates winners and losers, but is "fairer" in the sense that the point requirements better match when people actually want to travel on a whole. What they are saying is that you should have bought 180 points instead of 150 points based on hindsight. So you have been getting a bargain, but it will no longer continue. If the changes shift the demand back then they may readjust some time in the future, but the point costs should always follow the demand for nights.

Thank you. You obviously said that better than I did. Any you're exactly right.

I CHOOSE to travel for 5 or 6 nights including weekends because that's what fits for me to get the most out of my vacation days at work. I also choose to offer the same schedule to any relatives who want to travel with us. We go over weekends but kids still have to be taken out of school if they want to travel with us. If they want to travel at another time, they can buy their own DVC. I offer what fits best for me.

 

[Inkmahm]

Since we're all speculating here, could someone be so kind as to pint me to the thread where the early charts were posted? Were they taken down?

I don't see how most of us can even comment since we haven't seen the charts, even if they turn out to be bogus. Maybe they're here somewhere and everyone knows where but me?

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

 

[epcotwanderer]

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..........

I'm in Massachusetts ( I think that's over your 1,000 miles away too) so we have to fly too. You choose to travel when you would like just like we do. We fly in Fri morning and leave Monday afternoon usually, while you CHOOSE to do it differently.

 

[Kmango]

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....

I'm not sure why people keep assuming that one day less of revenue from their family is a net loss for Disney. Sure, it's one less day of you buying tickets and DDP, but it's two extra days of tickets and DDP to Disney.

Totally Theoretical Math Time:
Let's say we have a room that is 30 pts weekdays and 60 points weekends under the old charts.

You come in and pay 150 points for the weekdays, but the weekend ends up vacant, because nobody wanted to pay 120 points for 2 days, and CRO didn't sell it either. So Disney has gotten 5 days of tickets and 5 days of DDP for that room for the week. And then there are 120 orphaned points in the system that somebody's not going to get to use.

Now under the new charts, you come in and pay 37 points a night for four weekdays, totaling 148. You buy 4 days of tickets and 4 days of DDP. Then somebody else comes in for a long weekend and IS willing to pay 121 points for three days. They buy 3 days of tickets and 3 days of DDP. No points are orphaned, everybody gets to stay proportional to their interest, and Disney gets 7 days of tickets and 7 days of DDP.

It's not as good for your individual family, but it ensures the longterm health of the system.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

Thank you, Inkmahm. I can see this is going to take some in-depth analysis before I can draw any definative conclusions.

 

[jekjones1558]

Great explanation, Kmango.

 

[dclfun]

After reading through most of this thread I realize how fortunate I am to have enough points to be flexible and to live locally to make trips affordable and possible without lots of pre-planning. I remember on the resorts board the uproar when weekend costs became greater than weekday and then recently when AP discounts didn't include weekends. Both of those changes were business decisions made to boost the bottom line and were in line with many other hotels policies on when to offer discounts or when to adjust rates. Many of those who were upset with the changes were DVC members who used those discounts on weekends to stretch their points. Nothing wrong with that- we did it too, but it did hurt occupancy levels at the DVC resorts on the weekends. It probably affected things we weren't aware of such as staffing for housekeeping or even front desk. I do trust DVC/Disney to do what's best for the business -that's actually their responsibility-and that may not be what's the best for individual member families who have planned their vacations the same way for years. Some of the other recent policy changes bother me more and I really feel for people who have been negatively impacted more than I have. I can work around the changes much more easily than someone who has to book air or has specific weeks in which they must travel. I haven't even looked over the charts yet and am anxiously awaiting the corrected charts. I do agree we should've been given more of an advance notice. If there's one major gripe I have over this whole issue that's the one that's the toughest to swallow- last minute notification of such a major change. I also didn't receive anything in writing about the new waitlist policy or the 7+ day booking window and only heard that by calling to make a reservation or request a waitlist and thus was told things had changed. I guess I need to visit the member website more often but does anyone else think we should be given these changes in writing IN ADVANCE before they are implemented, and by "in advance" I don't mean the day prior posted on the website?? How did everyone else get notified of the other policy changes?---Kathy

 

[epcotwanderer]

Thank you. You obviously said that better than I did. Any you're exactly right.

I CHOOSE to travel for 5 or 6 nights including weekends because that's what fits for me to get the most out of my vacation days at work. I also choose to offer the same schedule to any relatives who want to travel with us. We go over weekends but kids still have to be taken out of school if they want to travel with us. If they want to travel at another time, they can buy their own DVC. I offer what fits best for me.

You guys are both right on.
This is all about CHOICE. Some choose shorter, weekend stays even though they were more and some choice to travel weekdays only to stretch out the value. The new point system will even out the occupancy and points...which was long overdue. The net effect of this change is ZERO.

 

[Inkmahm]

I'm in Massachusetts ( I think that's over your 1,000 miles away too) so we have to fly too. You choose to travel when you would like just like we do. We fly in Fri morning and leave Monday afternoon usually, while you CHOOSE to do it differently.

And I think I'm about 1,300 miles away in Wisconsin. We always fly, too.

 

[Inkmahm]

Thank you, Inkmahm. I can see this is going to take some in-depth analysis before I can draw any definative conclusions.

You're welcome. I compared my 2008, 2009, and 2010 trips under the old and the new charts. Differences were 10, 12, and 14 points DOWN for us. I expect it to be an average of 12 points less for us each year in the future, too. We say Fri and Sat nights though so for us, it is a benefit.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

It is what it is (or more correctly; it will be what it will be). We might as well all just get the hell over it. (I don't have enough information to develop an informed opinion yet).

If arguing about it floats your boat, that's kool; but it won't change anything.

I sense there was much the same uproar when the weekend points were increased. I wasn't around but it appears all the hell-raisin' on one little internet forum didn't have much impact on changing it back.

It's business folks. It ain't about emotions with business and Disney is no exception despite what some of us may want to believe.

It is what it is. Sell or adapt. It's really very simple. Sorry to be the party-pooper but that's the bottom line.

 

[epcotwanderer]

And I think I'm about 1,300 miles away in Wisconsin. We always fly, too.

Thank you, Inkmahm. I'm glad to see that you see this is all about CHOICES.

I did compare all of our vacations (January, May and October)...May is a higher point value with the new chart (if I calculated it right it's just one point) but the overall net change is close to 17 DOWN.

 

[Sammie]

If I truly thought that DVC had made this decision on what is best for the total membership and not just a few and not just for future sales I would be less upset.

But in recent months, the focus has been more about what will make the product more saleable and less about what members who bought years ago want.

And yes I realize that a business has to make money but there was a time that DVC cared about it's membership, and not just about expansion.

If this change truly benefits a majority of members then it is fine they changed it. But truly I can not see that being the reason.

There was a time DVC cared about "the member" now their focus is "any" member will do.

And so many times lately it is less about what they have done and more about how they did it.

 

[DisFlan]

WilsonFlyer - we'll all get over it and move on. But that doesn't mean a few us can't vent a bit. For some of us, the increased points needed is a bit of a kick in the head. And it'll require a change in how we plan and vacation. I'd say that's worth at least a small vent.

DisFlan

 

[WilsonFlyer]

WilsonFlyer - we'll all get over it and move on. But that doesn't mean a few us can't vent a bit. For some of us, the increased points needed is a bit of a kick in the head. And it'll require a change in how we plan and vacation. I'd say that's worth at least a small vent.

DisFlan

Absolutely. I was just expressing the harsh reality of it all.

When I have thoroughly analyzed it, I may not like the end result either so I do understand.