Do DVC Members deserve better perks

[dreaming4disney]

I don't blame you, moericus. I would feel the same as you do if we traveled to Disney every other year. I believe that members need to feel appreciated, even if it ultimately feeds Disney's bottom line. Good will goes a long way. Happy member may buy more points or go more regularly or may just speak well of their membership.

 

[Dean]

I don't blame you, moericus. I would feel the same as you do if we traveled to Disney every other year. I believe that members need to feel appreciated, even if it ultimately feeds Disney's bottom line. Good will goes a long way. Happy member may buy more points or go more regularly or may just speak well of their membership.

To me the problem is there's no endpoint. I think the message DVD has received in the past is you can't do enough to make everyone happy. Today's appreciation is tomorrows expectation. I'm always reminded of the valet parking issue where many were up in arms acting like it was a contractual obligation basically saying that other members should have to pay for their free valet parking. Now they truly didn't handle it well but in the end the ONLY option they had given the realities was to do away with it.

 

[dreaming4disney]

I was looking forward to a pap deal this year, but nothing materialized. Bought it anyway and will overlap our yearly trips. We will probably add a small trip in December to "get our money's worth"
Im not going to like or use every perk that Disney puts out there, but that's okay. As long as something comes my way every once in a while, I'll be happy.
Disney is not going to please everybody with every decision they make or perk they give. Maybe that's why some come and go- so that members don't get to attached as they did with the valet parking.

Personally, for us, as long as we continue to enjoy our trips and planning we will keep and use our DVC membership. If all perks went away tomorrow and all we were left with was a room, I'm not sure I would feel the same way. I'm not saying that I feel entitled and I know what I purchased with DVC but there are plenty of nice hotels and resorts out there.

I like perks and I realize that they are just a way to entice me to spend more money in some way or another. I'm okay with that.

I think your right, Dean. There is no end to it. Disney does it to themselves. They need to continue to add and change things to keep people interested. I see it like seasonal landscaping, yearly changes to Food and Wine or the occasional discount for DVC on a pass or tour. They are just small things to keep people interested. JMHO

 

[tjkraz]

I think paying full price for a WDW ticket is just insulting. I understand why they don't need to do it. I just find it insulting.

Problem from Disney's standpoint is that pretty much every member feels SOME missing perk is "insulting." There are folks who think we deserve discounts on the dining plans. Some think we should get FL resident passes and payment plans. Some want higher shopping discounts. Some want better ticket / AP prices for Disneyland. Some want more restaurant discounts or bigger restaurant discounts. Cruise discounts...golf discounts...the list is endless.

If DVC announced across-the-board member discounts of 20% off tickets, meals, entertainment and all other expenses at Disney destinations worldwide, it would be great for about 5 minutes until someone complained that the discount wasn't 25%.

The member perspective tends to lean toward: "I paid $xxxxx for DVC and will return to the Disney parks over and over again for decades. I deserve to be treated like their best customer!"

Disney's perspective is more along the lines of: "You paid $xxxxx for DVC in order to secure lodging discounts of 65-75% off for the next 50 years. Why should we pile even more savings on top of the discounts already guaranteed?"

To me the problem is there's no endpoint. I think the message DVD has received in the past is you can't do enough to make everyone happy. Today's appreciation is tomorrows expectation.

This exactly.

 

[moericus]

Good will goes a long way.

Exactly.

Problem from Disney's standpoint is that pretty much every member feels SOME missing perk is "insulting." There are folks who think we deserve discounts on the dining plans. Some think we should get FL resident passes and payment plans. Some want higher shopping discounts. Some want better ticket / AP prices for Disneyland. Some want more restaurant discounts or bigger restaurant discounts. Cruise discounts...golf discounts...the list is endless.

If DVC announced across-the-board member discounts of 20% off tickets, meals, entertainment and all other expenses at Disney destinations worldwide, it would be great for about 5 minutes until someone complained that the discount wasn't 25%.

The member perspective tends to lean toward: "I paid $xxxxx for DVC and will return to the Disney parks over and over again for decades. I deserve to be treated like their best customer!"

Disney's perspective is more along the lines of: "You paid $xxxxx for DVC in order to secure lodging discounts of 65-75% off for the next 50 years. Why should we pile even more savings on top of the discounts already guaranteed?"

I think we're confusing two arguments here. Yes... to some degree any perk will never be enough. But using that argument to say DVD shouldn't provide any perks ever is kind of silly.

I'm not really asking for some huge discount on park tickets. 20% or 25% would be ridiculous and definitely would affect Disney's bottom line. But a reasonable percentage or other type of deal (maybe even seasonal) would be nice. Just a little nod to say... thanks for believing in us. Because that's what we ultimately did. We took a leap of faith that 20 years from now WDW will be somewhere worth going.

I just find it funny that I get discounted tickets through work but not because I've prepaid thousands of dollars in future lodging expenses. That makes zero sense to me.

 

[tjkraz]

I think we're confusing two arguments here. Yes... to some degree any perk will never be enough. But using that argument to say DVD shouldn't provide any perks ever is kind of silly.

I never suggested that Disney "shouldn't provide any perks ever." In fact, Disney Vacation Club has a vast assortment of member perks, a list which is much larger than when I first joined more than a decade ago.

I'm not really asking for some huge discount on park tickets. 20% or 25% would be ridiculous and definitely would affect Disney's bottom line. But a reasonable percentage or other type of deal (maybe even seasonal) would be nice. Just a little nod to say... thanks for believing in us. Because that's what we ultimately did. We took a leap of faith that 20 years from now WDW will be somewhere worth going.

Remove "park tickets" from the statement above and insert any other product or service offered by TWDC.

Your argument is no different than any other perk argument ever made. We all have our own hot button issues: Dining Plan, TIW card, merchandise, recreation, tours, cruises, Disneyland tickets, valet parking and on, and on, and on.

Every argument is framed as "just some little sign of gratitude from Disney" and every member who isn't getting their own sought-after perk tends to take it as a personal affront.

In reality members DO get many signs of gratitude from Disney. Apparently they are easily overlooked.

Specifically on the topic of park tickets, I think it's obvious that Disney wants to encourage DVC owners to make more frequent visits and justify the AP purchase. Disney doesn't take discounting of admission media lightly. DVC owners and FL residents are the ONLY groups eligible for AP price reductions. Ever. If your workplace offers discounted MYW tickets it's either because they are purchasing thousands of units at wholesale rates or they are choosing to subsidize a portion of the cost as an employee benefit.

 

[medievaldave]

I miss the little things like welcome home wednsdays

 

[Dean]

I was looking forward to a pap deal this year, but nothing materialized. Bought it anyway and will overlap our yearly trips. We will probably add a small trip in December to "get our money's worth"
Im not going to like or use every perk that Disney puts out there, but that's okay. As long as something comes my way every once in a while, I'll be happy.
Disney is not going to please everybody with every decision they make or perk they give. Maybe that's why some come and go- so that members don't get to attached as they did with the valet parking.

Personally, for us, as long as we continue to enjoy our trips and planning we will keep and use our DVC membership. If all perks went away tomorrow and all we were left with was a room, I'm not sure I would feel the same way. I'm not saying that I feel entitled and I know what I purchased with DVC but there are plenty of nice hotels and resorts out there.

I like perks and I realize that they are just a way to entice me to spend more money in some way or another. I'm okay with that.

I think your right, Dean. There is no end to it. Disney does it to themselves. They need to continue to add and change things to keep people interested. I see it like seasonal landscaping, yearly changes to Food and Wine or the occasional discount for DVC on a pass or tour. They are just small things to keep people interested. JMHO

The valet parking debate was an interesting phenomena. You have a very small but vocal subset of people who were really attached to it so much so that they couldn't see straight thinking about it being taken away. No reasonable person could feel it appropriate to continue that perk given the realities at the time (and now). It was interesting seeing members strongly complain essentially that a perk that was not contractual should be continued no matter what and thus paid for by other members much like a pool or exercise room would be. It was truly like little kids laying the the floor at WalMart kicking and screaming. Still, DVC did it poorly in the implementation and notification.

I think the problem is that since they can't win, they've stopped trying much at all (not that they ever put a lot of effort into this area). IMO they could easily get a LOT more for members at no direct cost and make it a win for everyone. But it does take them being willing to play hardball to a degree, something DVC hasn't had much stomach to do and something that carries risk. I don't think it's as much they do it to themselves as the entitlement mentality is everywhere now days.

Problem from Disney's standpoint is that pretty much every member feels SOME missing perk is "insulting." There are folks who think we deserve discounts on the dining plans. Some think we should get FL resident passes and payment plans. Some want higher shopping discounts. Some want better ticket / AP prices for Disneyland. Some want more restaurant discounts or bigger restaurant discounts. Cruise discounts...golf discounts...the list is endless.

If DVC announced across-the-board member discounts of 20% off tickets, meals, entertainment and all other expenses at Disney destinations worldwide, it would be great for about 5 minutes until someone complained that the discount wasn't 25%.

The member perspective tends to lean toward: "I paid $xxxxx for DVC and will return to the Disney parks over and over again for decades. I deserve to be treated like their best customer!"

Disney's perspective is more along the lines of: "You paid $xxxxx for DVC in order to secure lodging discounts of 65-75% off for the next 50 years. Why should we pile even more savings on top of the discounts already guaranteed?"



This exactly.

One of my principles is someone else's gain is not automatically my loss. I remember a few years ago with one of the special tickets that many could not take advantage due to timing. There was quite a bit of dissent here about people upset that it was offered but didn't help them. I do personally feel that FL resident (or equivalent) options should be offered but there's a difference in having that opinion and being upset it's not.

 

[suebeelin]

I don't expect any perks... But the more perks, the more I like my dvc, the more likely I am to go more often-- spending more $$

So yes, a Florida pass equivalent would be very nice

 

[DVCPAT]

I hated to see the free valet parking go... I viewed the perk as a win/win. We always have a car, so valet parking was great way to visit other resorts for lunch and take in themed atmosphere. Once the perk ended, I actually spend less money and I rarely use bell services.

We still enjoy our vacations to WDW, but after a decade, the novelty does wear off. The quality and attention to detail has diminished, but the prices continue to rise. Disney is smart to give DVC members discount on annual passes. It makes it more difficult to spend the day at the #1 and #2 ranked Orlando theme parks, Discovery Cove and Universal. Competition is great and Orlando has a lot to offer vacationers. Disney should offer more discounts to DVC members to keep them on-site.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

I hated to see the free valet parking go... I viewed the perk as a win/win. We always have a car, so valet parking was great way to visit other resorts for lunch and take in themed atmosphere. Once the perk ended, I actually spend less money and I rarely use bell services.

We still enjoy our vacations to WDW, but after a decade, the novelty does wear off. The quality and attention to detail has diminished, but the prices continue to rise. Disney is smart to give DVC members discount on annual passes. It makes it more difficult to spend the day at the #1 and #2 ranked Orlando theme parks, Discovery Cove and Universal. Competition is great and Orlando has a lot to offer vacationers. Disney should offer more discounts to DVC members to keep them on-site.

Not to be contrary but rather to expand the discussion, should DVD really care whether we stay on-site or not? I could easily substantiate the argument that they don't care. Now as a disney business unit, we all know that's not completely true. We just have to be careful when we say that "Disney needs (or should) do this and that."

I agree. If I were Disney Parks and Resorts (50k foot view), I would see DVC members as being a captive audience so long as encouraged to be what they should be naturally and would go out of my way to make sure I had done my part to make sure it stayed that way, but if I were DVD, maybe not as much.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

Here's the whole problem in a nutshell, at least to me. Ready for an epiphany? Good!

So long as the parks fill up on a daily basis with people from all around the globe spending money and making P&R more profitable than ever, there is less and less motivation to discount services to any group in order to increase revenue.

IMO, every time we have a discussion about anything on here, we should go back to the sentence above and ask ourselves honestly, "How does that apply to this situation?" It's a reality check, and I find myself doing it often.

 

[Dean]

I hated to see the free valet parking go... I viewed the perk as a win/win. We always have a car, so valet parking was great way to visit other resorts for lunch and take in themed atmosphere. Once the perk ended, I actually spend less money and I rarely use bell services.

We still enjoy our vacations to WDW, but after a decade, the novelty does wear off. The quality and attention to detail has diminished, but the prices continue to rise. Disney is smart to give DVC members discount on annual passes. It makes it more difficult to spend the day at the #1 and #2 ranked Orlando theme parks, Discovery Cove and Universal. Competition is great and Orlando has a lot to offer vacationers. Disney should offer more discounts to DVC members to keep them on-site.

First, I get you're stating a reality of your situation and not complaining so my response is colored by past discussions on this topic and not specifically related to your situation. You still have the option of valet parking and/or visiting the other resort for dinner. You can pay for valet at your home resort and get it free when you travel to others, you can pay for valet parking only at the destination resort, you can visit resorts without valet parking or you can use the TIW for meals and get 3 hrs free valet parking. Technically it was free before and now it's full cost, the only question is who's going to pay for it now. I get that the change in reality may alter your or my approach and that there are trickle down realities to that that may or may not be bad in Disney's view. Generally they're not as negative to the system as many members seem to feel.

I think bob's point is a valid one, that just because some members alter their approach due to such issues doesn't necessarily mean that's a bad thing. The questions (WDW related) include whether it benefits WDW as a whole and whether it benefits DVD/DVC. It might benefit DVD/DVC but not Disney in general and DVC has to decide whether the benefit is worth paying for if it can be arranged at all. Or it might benefit Disney in general but not DVC in which case DVC should not be paying for it. I think members far too often think that if they don't do X or spend less money, that's bad for Disney or DVC. Often that's not the case. And if it's negative in some way, it may be negative in a compartmentalized way where the groups cannot or chose not to work it out. If a restaurant suffers due to reduced traffic related to loss of valet parking, that doesn't affect Disney as a whole enough to matter plus that loss is often offset in other ways. For valet parking it may mean a more streamlined, efficient and cost effective option. Another example is that currently having the rooms sold but not having those bodies in the park is likely a good thing.

 

[DVCPAT]

Not to be contrary but rather to expand the discussion, should DVD really care whether we stay on-site or not? I could easily substantiate the argument that they don't care. Now as a disney business unit, we all know that's not completely true. We just have to be careful when we say that "Disney needs (or should) do this and that."

I agree. If I were Disney Parks and Resorts (50k foot view), I would see DVC members as being a captive audience so long as encouraged to be what they should be naturally and would go out of my way to make sure I had done my part to make sure it stayed that way, but if I were DVD, maybe not as much.

I understand DVD mission has nothing to do with member discounts. Maybe Disney has become like the OLD General Motors, where divisions with walls have been erected and they don’t work in unison to create profit.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

I understand DVD mission has nothing to do with member discounts. Maybe Disney has become like the OLD General Motors, where divisions with walls have been erected and they don’t work in unison to create profit.

As is true with most any business, each profit center is responsible for its own goals, objectives, and profits during each period. It is the responsibility of the roll-up in management in divisions to find the balance. If you ask me, it's all working pretty damn well. Record profits in a stalling economy at best. At this rate, when things actually do get better, we may not even be able to get in the parks anymore.

 

[tjkraz]

Disney should offer more discounts to DVC members to keep them on-site.

It's impossible to argue the financial merits of that position without having access to hard data.

I suspect the vast majority of DVC members still visit the Disney theme parks, restaurants and other profit centers during their stays. If Disney were to offer additional discounts, they face lower revenues from members who are willing to play full price while possibly...maybe...luring some number back to the on-site venues. That added business needs to meet or exceed the amount they've surrendered via discounting in order to make it worthwhile.

 

[vandy]

So long as DVC sales are strong, there is little incentive for DVD to offer members new or better discounts or other perks. Should sales slow down, then offering better perks and discounts now becomes a valuable marketing tool. Of course they will need to use the disclaimer that perks can change at any time, but that won't stop them from hyping them up to people: "If you join now, look at these great NEW & BIGGER discounts and perks you get!"

For me, just give me back the 50% mini-golf discount for AP holders!!!!