Disney Vacation Club adjusts 2010 Vacation Points charts

[jdg345]

Last I was told, nothing less than a 100 pt. contract...no multiples to equal 100.

When did you hear this? I just shredded up 4x50's that I received last week.

 

[dd08]

Your reasons for the low-add on apply to add-ons at your current home resort. Since they allow me to add 25 points at another resort, wouldn't that implicitly promote the B & B method?

Actually it's interesting you brought this up because if these reallocations are due to what PART (IMO it's multi-factorial) of the problem MAY be, i.e. the B&B going on with small contracts, then I think this will be a change we will see in the future:

In order to enhance member services, DVC/DVD has decided that if you want to do an add-on at a resort that you don't currently own, you will need to purchase the same amount of minimum points that a new DVC member would for that resort. You may still add on at 25 points and above at your home resort, with the exception of BLT where you may add-on at 100 points or more. If you add-on to your home resort, those points will be added-on to your master contract, to let you have only one contract to manage in order to make your life more stress-free


(BTW - not trying to criticize the B&B'ers out there, just stating a change that I think will happen in the future)

 

[lugnut33]

There is nothing "wrong" with that. Except, let us say that 65% of members want to do the same thing, for the same week or season.

For instance, say that out of 100,000 members 65,000 only have enough points to book weekdays in adventure season. That then throws demand for those rooms out of balance with the rest of the year.

The problem isn't that you, as an individual happen to be booking that way. The problem is the sheer number of other individuals as compared to the overall membership that are booking that way.

We plan on staying the whole week, with one weekend included, so something like sunday through sunday. I never really thought I wanted to stay for 5 days only, eventhough we are doing precisely that this year so I can take my mother and in-laws, who wouldn't be able to afford it otherwise. In that sense, the Sunday through Friday stay worked out great and I'm really glad we are getting that done in 09. Then next trip will be in 2011 for a full week.

I still say people don't have a big problem with points re-allocation so much as they do with how it was executed by DVC. Of course some do have a big problem with re-allocation because it killed their value. And for others it was a dirty move (BLT owners in particular).

 

[White_Sox_Fan]

Well don't be surprised. Why pay more in MF's if you don't need to? Economically, purchasing smaller contracts, banking and borrowing, and having 11 home resort advantage is pretty savy. If I wanted 7 days at one resort, well I would have bought a Marriott.

I'm just saying that to have it down to the point you have pretty much locked yourself into a set number of days in a certain season. Most people I know, including myself, just don't vacation that way. I like the point system because of the flexibility I get from it to stay fewer or more days and at different times of the year.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

When did you hear this? I just shredded up 4x50's that I received last week.

Did you purchase before Jan 15th, even though you just received the paperwork?

 

[jdg345]

There is nothing "wrong" with that. Except, let us say that 65% of members want to do the same thing, for the same week or season.

For instance, say that out of 100,000 members 65,000 only have enough points to book weekdays in adventure season. That then throws demand for those rooms out of balance with the rest of the year.

The problem isn't that you, as an individual happen to be booking that way. The problem is the sheer number of other individuals as compared to the overall membership that are booking that way.

But the idea with B&B is that things should balance out ... Person-A would take their third-year trip in a year where person's B and C were banking or had borrowed out. The only time it would have been a problem, I'd think, was like 1999/2000 for the NYE and Holiday Celebrations.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

I'm just saying that to have it down to the point you have pretty much locked yourself into a set number of days in a certain season. Most people I know, including myself, just don't vacation that way. I like the point system because of the flexibility I get from it to stay fewer or more days and at different times of the year.

I have that same flexibility...I can choose when I want to bank and borrow, how long I want to stay, what seasons my points will allow to bank and borrow. I could go every year for 3 days, or everyother for 5 to 6 days. With my 50 pt. VB contract, I could go every year for 2 seasons Sun-Th. If I wanted bigger accomodations, I would bank or borrow. Don't see any problem with this. I like certainty....so I know at 11 mos. every other or third year, I have home resort advantage. To some, that doesn't matter.

 

[jdg345]

I was really hoping we could keep this dicussion away from insulting each other over the haves and the have nots as to point ownership.

For the record I have enough points to cover the change with little affect on my vacations. However I am upset that DVC has taken it upon themselves once again, to basically totally disregard treating members ethically.

They should be hiding behind closed doors today for what they have done to the BLT owners and they truly should be ashamed of the way they treated the rest of the membership that is going to very soon be booking upcoming trips.

They can justify all they want, "why" they did it and I might even agree with them, but they can never justify, "how" they did it. My concern is that this is how they do things now, with no regard to the effect on the membership.

I personally think just once when they screw up, they need to come out from behind the curtain and quit acting like the Great and Powerful Oz and simply admit they made a mistake and do some explaining.

I think it would go a long way in improving the way members feel about the change and DVC in general.

I agree with you wholeheartedly here.

And this has been the trend with all their annoucements, and it's not getting better -- if anything, it's worse. Booking Policy Based on Check In Date, Glass Removal, WL Changes, etc, etc. There's absolutely no accountability, they just make the change, say 'Deal with it', and hide behind it being an 'enchancement' based on overwhelming member requests.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

Disney has always promoted the banking and borrowing concept. I think now they have created a monster. The B&B is fundamental to their "flexibility" angle. If this were to cease, they would be greatly altering their product.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

We bought a small 120 point resale contract, what is wrong with that? We will use it every other year to stay for a week in a one bedroom at SSR or OKW. So really I'll have 240 points every other year. It works great for us, we didn't have to blow a ton of extra money on points by buying through DVC direct. Win win if you ask me.

And that's GREAT... but you're not complaining about how badly you got screwed either.

 

[Chuck S]

But the idea with B&B is that things should balance out ... Person-A would take their third-year trip in a year where person's B and C were banking or had borrowed out. The only time it would have been a problem, I'd think, was like 1999/2000 for the NYE and Holiday Celebrations.

Even if 65% of the members travel every 3rd year, that still could create an imbalance if they only book weeknights.

 

[lugnut33]

And that's GREAT... but you're not complaining about how badly you got screwed either.

No, but I was really upset by how I felt others were getting bent over, especially those who just bought BLT and AKV.

 

[jdg345]

Actually I'd say it's more of a question of what is a fair amount to charge for any given night. DVC cannot gouge anyone in particular since there are a finite number of points. But they have to balance the night point charges with the number of individuals willing to vacation on that night.

Perhaps we should be viewing Dream season (the middle one) as the baseline. That's equivalent to average demand levels. Specific dates are then priced downward to Choice or Adventure season when demand is lower. Other dates are priced upward to Magic or Premier when neutral demand exceeds supply.

For early December, the point charts are working counter to how they should. A discount is offered, yet there's no need for a discount.

There are dates (even weeknights under the current system) where rooms are sitting vacant. At the same time people are tripping over their feet trying to book 11 months out for December. That's why an adjustment is necessary.

I agree with Starr's previous post that late-August should probably be shifted to Adventure season in favor of early December. Disney has been offering the "free dining" deals starting around the 3rd week of August for quite some time now. That suggest late-August to September has emerged as the slowest time of the year for WDW.

With the popularity of early-December growing (and not just among DVC members), it may be time to change some of these old perceptions about when Disney is and is not busy.

While I agree with you overall here, I think we have a disagreement in a 'chicken/egg' scenario. For example, you think there is no need for a discount in this period because it sells out. I think it sells out because there is a discount.

How many people would vacation in that period if it was Magic Season? Shifting August/September down could ultimately run that into being sold out at 11 months in the same way December is.

In the end, I think DVC will tweak the points upward so that they can burn through more points ... they can then tweak down some of the more expensive periods to entice folks to extend and book there.

I don't know about you, but I have an easier time booking Magic/Premier season than I do Choice/Adventure the closer we get to it.

 

[jdg345]

Did you purchase before Jan 15th, even though you just received the paperwork?

Nope, it was last Tuesday I believe. 20-something.

 

[Starr W.]

While I agree with you overall here, I think we have a disagreement in a 'chicken/egg' scenario. For example, you think there is no need for a discount in this period because it sells out. I think it sells out because there is a discount.

How many people would vacation in that period if it was Magic Season? Shifting August/September down could ultimately run that into being sold out at 11 months in the same way December is.

In the end, I think DVC will tweak the points upward so that they can burn through more points ... they can then tweak down some of the more expensive periods to entice folks to extend and book there.

I don't know about you, but I have an easier time booking Magic/Premier season than I do Choice/Adventure the closer we get to it.

I don't think that August/September is ever going to be as popular as early December for DVC members.

School starts then, the weather is way too hot and you are in prime hurricane season. Plus you don't have Xmas decorations, only Free Dining resort folks who hog up all the ADR's(they are masters of holding more than one ADR per meal time).

 

[WilsonFlyer]

No, but I was really upset by how I felt others were getting bent over, especially those who just bought BLT and AKV.

Heck, I'M upset about THAT. I fall under BOTH categories for Christ's sake.

I think I got screwed because I purchased based on a chart that will only exist for 8 months for one resort and only 4 for another. I'm sure that's the "gotcha". The '09 numbers will exist, at least to some extent, to likely justify the 2010 charts even if they don't right now.

What I'm not upset about is that I can easily manage my vacations via B&B. I just cannot see it changing my vacation habits very much at all over the long haul.

Does anybody know if the history to rationalize change under FL law is per resort declared or on DVC as an entity (manager of X resorts)? Does that make sense?

I'm still trying to wrap my arms around how they CAN even change AKV and BLT now. That's why I ask.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I truly do not think that DVC could poll ALL of it's members and act accordingly to majority rule. I don't like the banking rules, but I am not as unhappy with the point allocation as some of you are. When it will no longer be fun for me to own DVC, I will try to sell.

Do most of you who are unhappy think that you can have this point allocation reversed? Is that the aim of this post? Do you think this is something the administrators will overturn the way the mugs and glasses in studio decision was?

Bobbi

 

[jdg345]

Even if 65% of the members travel every 3rd year, that still could create an imbalance if they only book weeknights.

But if we're talking every third year, aren't we dealing with numbers in the 30-40% range?

 

[jdg345]

I don't think that August/September is ever going to be as popular as early December for DVC members.

School starts then, the weather is way too hot and you are in prime hurricane season. Plus you don't have Xmas decorations, only Free Dining resort folks who hog up all the ADR's(they are masters of holding more than one ADR per meal time).

If it's cheap enough, it will be popular ... people will extend their stays. They might take a trip every few Decembers to see the decorations -- but let's face it, they don't change that often. The thing with DVC is getting the most of the membership. The cheapest periods (point wise) are going to be the hardest to get into imo. School may start during that period, but school is in session during December as well.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

School starts then, the weather is way too hot and you are in prime hurricane season. Plus you don't have Xmas decorations, only Free Dining resort folks who hog up all the ADR's(they are masters of holding more than one ADR per meal time).

Finally, some humor here!!!