Disney's waning commitment to DVC quality

[DonMacGregor]

I just priced out my August trip for the heck of it. Waldorf is 450, Ritz is 550, Four Seasons is 1050. There are two JWs, one is 450, the other is 360. Margaritaville is $160. Maybe I'll keep my points and stay there! I've always wanted to see that Margaritaville pool.

 

[RoseGold]

That week is FL and TX spring break. Surprised to see there's even availability!

 

[bobbiwoz]

Don't knock the Family Style meal at Liberty Tree until you've tried it. Family Style is usually not on my list of dining styles, but this is the exception. This restaurant was always a must do lunch spot for us when they had the traditional menu, but their family style meal is excellent, IMO. It is still a must do for myself and my traveling party, especially when someone has gluten allergies. They had a gluten free version of EVERYTHING! It was so awesome for her. Tony's has always been one of those places that has had good food one time, and lesser food the next. I haven't eaten there for quite some time.

I have to agree with the current Liberty Tree menu as being good to excellent!

 

[zackiedawg]

I have to agree with the current Liberty Tree menu as being good to excellent!

Honestly, I'm OK with the family-style there. And I still enjoyed the meals over the past few years - but my last visit there seemed like food quality had slipped - I was there in September 2022 and compared to the prior February, everything seemed much more bland and some foods were too overcooked and 'old' tasting. But that could have just been an off day or week - so I won't write the restaurant off unless I go back and find the same thing again.

I'll be up there March 10 for 4 nights on a solo trip - but my ADRs don't include Liberty this time. I've got an Art Smith, Steakhouse 71, San Angel Inn, and the 4th night I have no res and will just be winging it (I'll be at AK that day). On my upcoming June trip, I may try to book a Liberty Tree as I'll be with family.

 

[bakerworld]

We enjoy our DVC vacations but I have to say that the AK-J is our favorite in terms of service, cleanliness and having everything be in working order. Frankly, I always figured this was because Jambo is basically a hotel. Location-wise we prefer BCV but the DVC there is usually very 'worn'.

 

[Llama mama]

We enjoy our DVC vacations but I have to say that the AK-J is our favorite in terms of service, cleanliness and having everything be in working order. Frankly, I always figured this was because Jambo is basically a hotel. Location-wise we prefer BCV but the DVC there is usually very 'worn'.

They are refreshing BCV right now. Some of the finished rooms have been posted already. Love the Murphy bed in the studios.

 

[Sammie]

You are confusing two different posts. I never made any mention of room service or robes.

Disney Quality was not about posh stuff. It was about taking care of the little things -- like making sure you could get member services on the phone from your room instead of having to walk up to the lobby to have your question answered. What makes me think that it really was the gold standard then is because they really did take care of all those aspects to make the guest experience as perfect as possible.

I will relate one of the more recent (multiple) significant failures, disturbing as the bitter memory is. We went for a sit-down lunch at a restaurant in the park (California) and wanted to charge it to our room. First the waiter tried one of our room key cards - twice. Then he tried two more of our room keys. None of them worked. Then the restaurant manager came out and told us we could not use our room key cards. It felt like we were being looked at like people trying to fraudulently scam a free meal. We put it on a credit card and went straight to the desk at Grand Californian to ask them why this had happened and to fix the problem so that it did not happen again. They checked all of our cards and told us that from their end there was no reason that the problem should have happened since our room key cards were set to allow charging while we were in the park. So, there was no solution, and we did not dare to try to charge anything in the park again after that.

you can still get member services just call them on the 800 number. As to the restaurant what does DVC have to do with that, nothing? I haven't stayed at the Grand Ca. but don't they use Magic Bands like WDW does, I did not know anyone even had key cards anymore. Regardless, tech works sometimes and sometimes it doesn't. I don't get upset I just would have used a credit card and moved on. I also could care less what anyone arounds me thinks.

 

[Sammie]

I think some members have unrealistic expectations. We don't.
We have never had an unsatisfactory visit. Our rooms are clean, and everything works, if not they fix it. I don't expect DVC to be able to control everything I come in contact with on my trip. I would never complain about a restaurant and think that DVC is responsible. I stayed club level many times before buying DVC and never expected it to be the same. We bought DVC for 2 bedroom villas.

If I want or need to talk to the Member Services while there I use my phone and call.

I really think too many people live in the past. Things change, one either adjusts or is just an old somebody always unhappy.

As to the condition of rooms, members are harder on them than they used to be, that I will say. People in general just don't take care of things now. They don't clean up after themselves at counter service either. The year before scheduled rehabs the rooms do begin to look shabby. The only answer to that is change the rehab schedule which would cost more and dues would go up.

 

[Sammie]

We first looked at DVC in 1995 I believe. Did the spiel at OKW. They had color themed placemats, napkins, and dishes. Obviously that has been cut.

It’s also the minutia that I’ve noticed has been cut…
Before the “Disney Parks” era, the pens by the notepads were actually themed to the resort. No, a pen is not make or break, but it was truly impressive to see that kind of attention to detail.
Eventually all pens said “Disney Parks”. Not sure what it is now. Perhaps the pens went the way of the clocks.

I’m sure there are other things as well.

The themed dishes and towels left because of theft. We can thank our fellow members for that. Probably someone that thought gosh I pay enough in dues to take home a few things.

 

[New Mouse]

I think some members have unrealistic expectations. We don't. We have never had an unsatisfactory visit. Our rooms are clean, and everything works. I don't expect DVC to be able to control everything I come in contact with on my trip. I would never complain about a restaurant and think that DVC is responsible. I stayed club level many times before buying DVC and never expected it to the same. We bought DVC for 2 bedroom villas.
If I want or need to talk to the Member Services while there I use my phone and call.

I really think too many people live in the past. Things change, one either adjusts or is just an old somebody always unhappy.
As to the condition of rooms, members are harder on them than they used to be, that I will say. People in general just don't take care of things now. They don't clean up after themselves at counter service either. The year before scheduled rehabs the rooms do begin to look shabby. The only answer to that is change the rehab schedule which would cost more and dues would go up.

The rooms are actually cheaper materials, which is why it seems like people are being harder on them.

I don't understand the DVC fascination with keeping dues down when it comes to the quality of the room refurbs.

I'd also argue that there's have been a different split for dues based services back in the day as dues haven't gone down, but services and quality has definitely fallen off.

I wouldn't complain about a restaurant to DVC, but DVC is part of the bigger entity that ultimately makes our experience.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

They are refreshing BCV right now. Some of the finished rooms have been posted already. Love the Murphy bed in the studios.

Agreed it's in need of refreshing - glad it's happening. Should improve the look and feel for the immediate future!

 

[fumanchu2488]

I'd also argue that there's have been a different split for dues based services back in the day as dues haven't gone down, but services and quality has definitely fallen off.

Dues have gone up because of inflation, rising utility costs and aging infrastructure. Maybe the quality of the service has changed, but I bet they are using cost savings measures so dues do not rise as fast as they could be. Working in the engineering/construction industry, we have projects that are being completed in the past 12-18 months that are double or triple what they were pre-pandemic. I wonder how DVC will respond to the costs of all their refurbishments and refreshes being double what they have budgeted for over the past 7-10 years.

I would not be surprised if we see very rapid increases in dues to account for these increases.

 

[New Mouse]

Dues have gone up because of inflation, rising utility costs and aging infrastructure. Maybe the quality of the service has changed, but I bet they are using cost savings measures so dues do not rise as fast as they could be. Working in the engineering/construction industry, we have projects that are being completed in the past 12-18 months that are double or triple what they were pre-pandemic. I wonder how DVC will respond to the costs of all their refurbishments and refreshes being double what they have budgeted for over the past 7-10 years.

I would not be surprised if we see very rapid increases in dues to account for these increases.

This isn't an inflation based thing though, it's been ongoing. Recently maybe, but DVC illegally kept dues down at one point to boost direct sales. We are seeing the affects of that now at many of the resorts.

Disney/DVC is also notoriously bad at keeping their costs on certain things down so I can imagine the prices they pay on refurb goods are significantly more than you or I would.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I am really concerned about the significant degradation in the quality of our DVC stays in the last 10 years. (Been DVC fo 25+years now)

It first showed up at Boardwalk about 10 years ago. The legendary Disney Quality was slipping in little things. For example, the phone had the numbers for specialized services, but when you used the phone to try to contact that service, you got a message that left no options but to walk up to the concierge desk. They clearly were no longer staffing the services printed on the phone the way they once were.

Trying to reserve either the Disneyland Hotel or Paradise Pier in California was a bad joke a couple years ago. Calling DVC and telling them our plans, they had to call someone else to set up the reservation, and something got lost in the translation because when we arrived, Hollywood Hotel told us the reservation was for one person and that the room they had for us was thus just for one person. Then they did put us in a room but one without the extra bed that I had requested when making the original reservation. They finally accommodated us but only after a stressful 2 hours of having to deal with this not just at the check-in but also when we saw that the room was not what I had originally requested. It seems that DVC has extremely low ability to make Disneyland Hotel or Paradise Pier reservations that you can actually count on.

The real nightmare -- the most recent -- was at the Grand Californian, our third stay there so that we knew what it once meant to have Disney Quality there. The facility is still great since the Disney commitment was there when they built it. I don't even want to go again through the utter failures -- more like Motel 6 Quality -- during our stay, one thing after another, failures of member services ... I just don't even want to think about it again.

The bottom line seems to be that Disney has gone from cutting corners on DVC quality to a real downgrading of the commitment to quality anywhere close to the level of Disney Quality that DVC originally had. DVC is a cash cow now, deserving just enough to sustain it but nothing more.

This really is sad to see. Disney Quality used to be the gold standard. And in some parts of the Disney business the commitment is still there. But it is not there for DVC.

Honestly I'm not reading anything new in what you are stating. Trades to non-DVC resorts usually require contacting another department since they are not under DVC's control. That would be what it is with DLH and PP. They have always been that way. And those hotels have long had the weird necessity to request certain setups - never been guaranteed, even on cash. The room charge bit - also has always had opportunities for failure - and that's referencing back to staying at the Disney hotels in the 90's and 2000's. Disney has never been a top tier hotelier. They rely on location and throw in some fun stuff occasionally based on the brand.

 

[Sammie]

The rooms are actually cheaper materials, which is why it seems like people are being harder on them.

I don't understand the DVC fascination with keeping dues down when it comes to the quality of the room refurbs.

I'd also argue that there's have been a different split for dues based services back in the day as dues haven't gone down, but services and quality has definitely fallen off.

I wouldn't complain about a restaurant to DVC, but DVC is part of the bigger entity that ultimately makes our experience.

We will have to agree to disagree. I don't think the materials are cheaper than the rooms. I just think that when you have people cooking, more people in the room etc you will have more damage. People used to care more about the rooms.

 

[tjkraz]

The rooms are actually cheaper materials, which is why it seems like people are being harder on them.

I don't understand the DVC fascination with keeping dues down when it comes to the quality of the room refurbs.

The worst refurbs were saw were in the 2015-2016 time frame when budgeting was different. From the start, DVC only projected to do ONE full refurbishment of each resort over its 50 year contract. The rooms were supposed to last 25 years with only minor refreshes in between.

As such, resorts like Boulder Ridge, OKW and BoardWalk got half-assed mediocre refurbs around '15-'16. DVC realized they needed more attention, but hadn't budgeted to collect enough money. The most glaring oversight was that the ugly old bathrooms stuck around for a few years longer. Some had kitchen cabinets that were painted and old countertops that weren't immediately replaced.

More recently, refurbs at Saratoga, Poly, Grand Floridian and Boulder Ridge have been almost universally praised.

We recently spent 4 nights at Riviera and didn't hear a peep from our neighbors. Then we moved over to GF Big Pine Key and there was more noise from surrounding rooms. Of course, BPK was constructed in the late 80s and had consistent reports of noise issues. It's a shame Disney couldn't figure out a way to completely rectify that problem. But sort of punches a hole in the theory that "they don't build 'em like they used to."

 

[DonMacGregor]

It's a shame Disney couldn't figure out a way to completely rectify that problem. But sort of punches a hole in the theory that "they don't build 'em like they used to."

They wouldn't even have to figure it out, it already exists. Cellulose and other fibrous injection solutions have been around for years and are designed to address sound attenuation issues, as well as fire proofing deficiencies. The material can be injected through small ports drilled in the wall, one port per stud bay. Only one side of each wall needs to be accessed, and the process is pretty simple and straightforward.

 

[Cfabar1]

They wouldn't even have to figure it out, it already exists. Cellulose and other fibrous injection solutions have been around for years and are designed to address sound attenuation issues, as well as fire proofing deficiencies. The material can be injected through small ports drilled in the wall, one port per stud bay. Only one side of each wall needs to be accessed, and the process is pretty simple and straightforward.

Want to spend a weekend dressing up in a Disney uniform with me? We might be able to knock this out in a few hours and make everyone happy!

Seriously though… DVC is not a luxury product. The “original” Disney Vacation Club was not given a prime location on the campus, and it was a long time before DVC got MK walkability. It was marketed as your classic 80s/90s timeshare - just on the Disney campus. Don’t buy your time share in Key West, buy it here, at Disney. The next two clubs were not on WDW property, and remember, the original plan was for it not to be a bunch of WDW properties…

In recent years, they have discovered there is more a market for properties at WDW, and in choice locations. And they charge you for it! Compare BW‘s point chart to Grand Floridian! You can have that robe, but it’s going to cost you a LOT more points per night!

we did our DVC guided tour at Riviera and Grand Floridian after staying at the (somewhat recently renovated) Westin Swan resort at WDW… The quality of Riviera and GF was SUBSTANTIALLY higher. DVC allows you to stay at Riviera or GF at Swan prices. But, it is not full service. And that’s okay! I’d rather have a dedicated bedroom, kitchen area, etc. tHan the daily mouse keeping, as fun as it might be.

As to DVC being “special”… it is no more or less special than any of the many products Disney sells to make people feel a part of the Disney community and have residual revenue - D23, DVC, Club 33, Annual Pass, etc. Some are members of several of these…

 

[SL6827]

I believe after the contracts expire and if they resell the Boardwalk as DVC, they will price it just as high as the Grand Flo. And match the point charts well.

 

[Cfabar1]

I believe after the contracts expire and if they resell the Boardwalk as DVC, they will price it just as high as the Grand Flo. And match the point charts well.

Yes, but they will probably add some bath robes at that juncture! Or maybe they’ll take them out of the Grand Floridian…