Do any other DVC members feel left out when

[OKW Mom]

You see free meal programs, etc. for hotel guests?

We bought OKW in 96 when we got park passes depending on the size of the room reserved. In 1999 we asked about the cost of Park Passes in 2000 and they said members would be given a great deal......

Since 2000 I have not seen a great discount program for the people investing major $$ every month.

I have watched as the OKW rooms have been stripped of their salt and peper shakers, placemats & napkins, basic kitchen accessories....it is saddening.

I feel especially annoyed with the mandatory DDP for all guests for the length of stay. In years past, we have family visit from time to time for a day or two at weekends. We have family that stay in the room and enjoy the pool-it all depends on their schedule. I have explained to MS that one family member is on a medical diet and we eat in the room when she visits....no leniency and that results in our hiding the relatives or their not coming at all.

I believe that DVC members have provided a tremendous amount of capital for the expansion of their resorts....Yes I enjoy our accommodations, I just see all kinds of other deals for the hotels.

Free DVDs for the room, getting 10% on a meal or boat rental is not wowing me. I am seeing way too many promotions for the casual visitor.

If the Resort Guest is special....I think the DVC member is a cut above that and we deserve something more.

 

[DebbieB]

Considering the rack rate of rooms, I don't consider the free meal plan a better deal than DVC. A 1 bedroom rack rate is over $400 a night, no way. You can't have it both ways - a deeply discounted room and the free meal plan. Keep in mind that DVC wasn't even included in the dining plan at all for the first year. The requirement that all be included is a Disney rule, not a DVC rule. I think that's the key to Disney making money on the dining plan.

I consider the $100 AP discount a great deal.

I do consider the $95 fee to book a non-DVC WDW resort a step back for DVC. I frequently book 1 night as an add-on to a business trip.

 

[Granny]

I don't feel left out at all. After all, we could take advantage of the free dining by just booking a cash package at rack rates like those who are getting the free dining.

 

[Sammie]

not in the least, because they are not free. They are included in a very expensive package.

 

[Beca]

Well, I didn't....until now!!!

Seriously, I don't usually feel too bad becuase whenever I look at those free dining packages, it still ends up being expensive, and not what I want.

The DDP (even free) is WAAAAYYY too much food. I really try hard not to gain weight on vacation, and eat as organically as possible. For me, that means bringing some food from home, and NOT being encouraged to eat in excess because they are "free". The dining plan is good if you eat all the food, but seriously....who needs all that food??!!!! We usually eat organic foods for breakfast out of our wonderful room (with a full kitchen), have a late lunch TS meal (or, alternatively a CS meal), and then for "dinner", dh and I will often split one meal, as we are still full from lunch. Between us, we may get ONE snack, and we may not. There is absolutely NO way we would eat all the food we are paying for, and that makes it not such a good deal.

And, I am happy with the AP discount...I think it is pretty good!!! I also like DDE, and are happy we get it. Sometimes, I think it is easy to look around and feel left out, but when you stop and think about it....would you really trade the way you vacation for any other way???

 

[TDC Nala]

Not at all. I think the AP discount is the greatest. I want an AP. I don't want the dining plan.

DVC doesn't have to offer its members incentives like "free dining" to get them to book. Disney, however, needs help convincing people to book rack rate rooms in September (the only slow season left, apparently).

Not to mention that if you are buying a "free dining" package and you want a room that is either at a deluxe resort or actually in the DVC resorts, you are paying a massive amount of cash for the room and tickets. As a member, you get the room, and you can still add the dining plan if you want it. And you save.

Disney made a huge concession allowing DVC members to buy the dining plan without a ticket purchase requirement, so I'm sure they didn't want to change the requirement that all parties on the reservation take the DDP for the length of stay.

 

[jjpenguin]

No, I don't feel left out. For the deal I'm getting on accommodation with DVC and the discount on the AP's I have more money to spend on dining if I wish.

 

[WDWLVR]

Another who doesn't feel left out at all. I enjoy the flexability of DVC. We usually do breakfast in the room and treat ourselves to one sit down a day using the DDE card (we are AP holders).

As for things like salt/pepper/napkins/placemats being pulled from the villas. Personally I would think that is more due to people walking away with them. I'd rather they not be there than to have to increase dues to keep replacing them because people feel that if it isn't nailed down they can take it. Now I know that the majority of people don't do this but it must have been enough to cause a problem.

 

[Lynne M]

Yes, I paid Disney a lot of money for my DVC membership, but in return for that, I get a huge discount on lodging. I really don't think they 'owe' me anything else at all.

I read the contract and all the other paperwork when I signed. I understood quite well that what I was getting was the right to stay in their resorts, and nothing more. I was fine with that at the time, and I still am. I carefully ran the numbers, and believe me, it more than comes out in my favor.

I think you may be misunderstanding the purpose of the free dining discount, and other deals that Disney offers......you're seeing them as a reward for frequent visitors, or proof that they somehow 'like' the resort guests better than DVC members.

In truth, they are promotions. Marketing tools. In effect, offering a discount so that you'll come and spend even more money. Disney will sometimes offer a discount on rooms (AP or other) as an enticement for people to come during a slow season. Of course, you then have to pay full price for your food and tickets.

The free dining plan is just a variation on that theme. They offer you a steep discount on food (two free meals a day), and then make you pay full price for the resort room.

So no, I don't feel left out or cheated at all. I'm getting a much better deal on my total vacation costs than the non-DVCers get with their various packages.

 

[n2mm]

I never feel left out because I booked them too!! I've been to WDW during free ddp 3 years now. Last year when I did it, I booked Pop and was upgraded to CSR free. So had free dining and a moderate resort that I paid value price for. Plus I got to save my points for an extra trip.

 

[dianeschlicht]

No, never feel left out. I don't have to pay rack rate to get my great kitchen, so free dining at the over crowded venues the free plan causes, don't have me feeling resentful at all.

I also think our $100 discount on APs is a fantastic alternative to the free passes that we barely missed out on. You have to know that was a promotional item to encourage people to buy, right?

As for the missing amenities at OKW... YES! I wish we still had those things too. I especially miss the matching placemats, napkins, and pot holders as well as the beautiful colored towels.

 

[OKW Lover]

We don't feel left out.

First, we are staying a a very nice resort at only a fraction of the cost that Disney would charge others to stay at, even without the dining plan.

Second, the freedom to spend our dining dollars anyway we want is great. We can eat in the unit, we can to three signature restaurants, whatever we want, and never have to stop and figure out if we are going to use all our credits.

Third, we have the freedom to tip less than 18% on meals when we think its appropriate.

Fourth, my DVC membership gives me a great discount on an AP, which then makes me more likely to be able to do more trips in a year.

Fifth, even after paying for my DVC loan, I've got something of value (at least until the end of the contract).

 

[Dina]

I don't feel left out at all. After all, we could take advantage of the free dining by just booking a cash package at rack rates like those who are getting the free dining.

I was going to say the exact same thing---- in fact we have done that. We did a week at AllStarMovies during Free Dining 2005. Just buy tickets for one day in a package if you already have APs. It was fun!

We still book on cash sometimes--- that was one stipulation I had with my husband, I didn't want to feel limited--- so we still take non-DVC trips too!!

 

[keishashadow]

Agree it was a fantastic gesture to offer purchase of the DP to members staying on points ; although i think it may have had more to do with objections from potential "new" members ie reason they didn't purchase.

still wish they'd offer discounted MYW tix APs don't work for every, especially now that the DL properties are the real deal.

 

[CarolA]

Do you feel left out when you don't fork over $300 a night for your room? IF so, then DVC is not for you.

Since I think Disney hotel rates have reached the RIP OFF price point the "freebie's" etc only partially offset the fact that folks are OVERPAYING for the service/quality etc. at a Disney hotel. So I feel no reason to participate in the rip off! (Value and mods can still be a decent deal with a code, but not with "free dining" when you pay rack rate for that room)

 

[rayelias]

I'll say that I'm a bit disappointed at times, not just as DVC members, but also if/when we choose to stay at a moderate or especially at a deluxe.

It does leave me a little unsettled when you can book a family of 4 into a room at POP or All Stars for 5 days/4 nights (+$89/night), and get free dining (-$100/night) with a package that includes park passes ($168/day). So, in essence, the cost to stay on-site, all food & beverages, transportation to/from the airport, transportation to/from hotels, park passes, extra magic hours, etc, costs under $40/person/day. AND, if you're lucky, you just might be upgraded to OKW or SSR for certain promotions!!! AND get daily mousekeeping to boot. Total cost: $640. I would estimate that the average value accomodations visitor might visit WDW once every 2-3 years or so.

I would estimate that the average DVC owner might visit once a year. In addition, DVC owners paid for the construction and also pay for the upkeep and maintenance. We also pay for our own transportation. Disney gets to keep a certain % of the rooms for FREE (because we paid for the construction of the resort) to rent out for cash. What do we get in return? 10% off dining (that we have to pay cash for) that we also have to book 180 days in advance because of the vast amount of "free" diners, who most likely would NOT be eating at table service on site every night without the plan. The average DVC owner has to spend $16k, plus $750/year (dues) just for the privelege of spending every visit: park passes ($168/day), dining (same food w/o dining plan costs approx $250/day). So, total cost per day per person: $104 - NOT INCLUDING accomodations.

I could be wrong, but I don't seem to remember any deals of this magnitude being offered to people paying $300-600 a night at Deluxe accomodations. Or even anyone staying at Moderates.

It makes me wonder why Disney seems to give the least to those that spend the most, and give the most to those that spend the least. I guess, when your Board of Directors includes a slew of policitians, they really can't get away from the Robin Hood mentality.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not begruding the people who take advantage of the discount, but I'm just asking why the same deep discounting is not available across the board. Since we have AP's, we can't book the awesome packages at value (well, we could, but the park passes would be a waste).

 

[ead79]

I don't feel left out, and let me explain why. I just bought DVC a couple of weeks ago, so up until now I have been eligible for and using the various discounts at the WDW resorts. Those discounts have gotten harder and harder to get, and the rack rates keep going up for the WDW resorts. I got plain old sick and tired of trying to snag a discount for the WDW resorts (which I think have gotten quite overpriced as of late, especially with less discount availability/lower discount percentages). That's why I bought DVC. Though free dining may sound like a super great deal (if you're willing to go in the sweltering August/September heat), it's really not that great since you have to pay rack rate on your room to get it. We think we'll be MUCH happier with our DVC membership and won't have to play the discount grabbing game anymore.

 

[Dina]

You don't have to pay rack rate for the room for free dining, if you have AAA, and use a AAA travel agent--- that's what we did. For us it was a good deal that year, especially since we didn't mind staying at a value. Just wanted to add that. Our first night was the start of value season combined with AAA combined with a value--- It was a real good deal for 7 nights. I guess I just don't understand feeling left out because there's no rule saying DVC members can't book on cash and take advantage of special offers. but we go to Disney alot, so I wasn't worried about unused DVC points if we take a cash trip.

Don't forget as DVC members, we get some good discounts that others don't--- my family saves $400 on our annual passes (collectively) that's huge--- we got a discount on the pirate and princess party tix, because of the AP discount we can buy DDE which is a huge savings---- don't feel bad about free dining. It was great, but it doesn't beat the discounts we get IMO.

 

[Paulieuk1969]

I am happy for Disney to offer free dining, but I was not impressed to hear about guests who booked value resorts being upgraded to one bedroom villas at SSR. Personnally I would have moved them to a moderate or if they had to put them at SSR, they should have been given studios (upgrading DVC memeber to larger accommodations if necessary).

 

[Beca]

I am happy for Disney to offer free dining, but I was not impressed to hear about guests who booked value resorts being upgraded to one bedroom villas at SSR. Personnally I would have moved them to a moderate or if they had to put them at SSR, they should have been given studios (upgrading DVC memeber to larger accommodations if necessary).

Yes, but you have to look at that from Disney's perspective:
1) One bedrooms are available, as they are always the last rooms to fill, and

2) They are the most impressive to non-members. DVC members already own, and know what is available....people who stay value do not. If you are going to spend money to try to "wow" someone....you might as well give them the bigger rooms, since you are not getting any more from those who have already signed on the dotted line.

I am not saying I agree with this....I just understand it.