Does Disney care less about DVC members now?

[heather2328]

For those DVCers that are all talking jumping ship. Is it solely the loss of AP access? If one goes once a year for extended time, a 10dy really isn't more than AP. I can see those going 2-3 a year it really affects, but not the yearly.

I think that's what Disney is trying to figure out the sweet spot with DVCers too; offer APs vs encourage yearly visits instead and concentrate the spending and boost the per person spend in park to address overcrowding

I do go a few times a year and flights are very cheap at times in the NE (as low as $29 one-way) and with an owners locker we only bring backpacks on the plane so no extra fees. I never had the chance to buy an AP as a DVC member so we don't buy tickets every time we go but would love an AP. When I buy tickets I feel the need to be there from open to close because its just so expensive, 1 day with a park hopper cost over $1000 for us(family of 4) last month, its literally insane.

Going forward I plan to do more resort stays and occasional park visits since we do enjoy our time at the resorts and on property so much. If I was to jump ship it would be to buy a vacation home instead in that general area and then I could buy AP's lol its silly but I would miss the resorts. I do find myself buying a lot less Disney merchandise and I am starting to ignore Disney updates on social media and listening to less podcasts(except The DVC Show) about Disney because I am not going to spend $1000 on 1 day tickets to ride Tron, try a few things at Epcot's food and wine festival or see HEA (I can see it from the poly's beach though lol). I don't think Disney even knows what their end game is because we're spending a lot less money now on property and still having a great time and will probably see what else Orlando has to offer while staying at Disney.

 

[BaybeeYoda]

APs would be $900+ with the obvious benefit of being usable for more than one trip if timed correctly.

Other than that, I don't see your math changing much. DVC dues aren't going down. Travel costs are out of Disney's hands.

I get it. The airfare and what not is out of Disney’s hands. But Disney is also making it much less pleasant to vacation there, and we are still spending $12k for our trip.

Sell dvc? Vacation elsewhere, or staycation and pocket the 12k+? A recession is coming, and with that bad taste in my mouth, Disney is less likely going to get our money going forward.

Brand loyalty matters. They have significantly eroded my loyalty. I don’t feel valued as a dvc member, so that’s that.

 

[BaybeeYoda]

I do go a few times a year and flights are very cheap at times in the NE (as low as $29 one-way) and with an owners locker we only bring backpacks on the plane so no extra fees. I never had the chance to buy an AP as a DVC member so we don't buy tickets every time we go but would love an AP. When I buy tickets I feel the need to be there from open to close because its just so expensive, 1 day with a park hopper cost over $1000 for us(family of 4) last month, its literally insane.

Going forward I plan to do more resort stays and occasional park visits since we do enjoy our time at the resorts and on property so much. If I was to jump ship it would be to buy a vacation home instead in that general area and then I could buy AP's lol its silly but I would miss the resorts. I do find myself buying a lot less Disney merchandise and I am starting to ignore Disney updates on social media and listening to less podcasts(except The DVC Show) about Disney because I am not going to spend $1000 on 1 day tickets to ride Tron, try a few things at Epcot's food and wine festival or see HEA (I can see it from the poly's beach though lol). I don't think Disney even knows what their end game is because we're spending a lot less money now on property and still having a great time and will probably see what else Orlando has to offer while staying at Disney.

I personally don’t see the value of dvc as a non park “resort” stay. Plenty of other resorts to go to that would offer me more. And $1k/day is a bit ridiculous, I agree.

So sell my 400pts and get $40k+ in resort stays elsewhere plus $3500 saved a year— and no commitment. Hmm. That sounds tempting. That would give me an extra $7.5-8k/yr for just hotel over 10yrs (tho bwv is till 2042, I’ll be too old to care by then).

Interesting. Thanks for helping me think of that option which is looking not bad right now.

 

[heather2328]

I personally don’t see the value of dvc as a non park “resort” stay. Plenty of other resorts to go to that would offer me more. And $1k/day is a bit ridiculous, I agree.

So sell my 400pts and get $40k+ in resort stays elsewhere plus $3500 saved a year— and no commitment. Hmm. That sounds tempting. That would give me an extra $7.5-8k/yr for just hotel over 10yrs (tho dvc is till 2042, I’ll be too old to care by then).

Interesting. Thanks for that option which is looking not bad right now.

I like Disney as resort only stays because I know what I am getting, a nice clean room, a nice pool, a resort with endless activities for my kids, tons of dining options, Disney Springs, we don't have to drive anywhere and love taking the Skyliner and monorail rides. I have traveled a lot in the past and you don't know what you're getting, you can get to the hotel or airbnb and it could be a total dump or in a bad area. I love being in the Disney bubble.

 

[Sandisw]

I like Disney as resort only stays because I know what I am getting, a nice clean room, a nice pool, a resort with endless activities for my kids, tons of dining options, Disney Springs, we don't have to drive anywhere and love taking the Skyliner and monorail rides. I have traveled a lot in the past and you don't know what you're getting, you can get to the hotel or airbnb and it could be a total dump or in a bad area. I love being in the Disney bubble.

Me too! Parks or not, I just enjoy being there!

 

[nalabear]

I personally don’t see the value of dvc as a non park “resort” stay. Plenty of other resorts to go to that would offer me more. And $1k/day is a bit ridiculous, I agree.

So sell my 400pts and get $40k+ in resort stays elsewhere plus $3500 saved a year— and no commitment. Hmm. That sounds tempting. That would give me an extra $7.5-8k/yr for just hotel over 10yrs (tho bwv is till 2042, I’ll be too old to care by then).

Interesting. Thanks for helping me think of that option which is looking not bad right now.

You can do that. I'm thinking Disney is gauging if DVC owners are adjusting to 1/year trips with loss of APs and how the spend per person per year is affected by that....along with the renters of your DVC points to see how their spend is.

Disney cares about the hotels/DVC being filled and the per person per visit. If ones cutting down results in another's opportunity to spend, and spend more....that's a win for Disney ultimately. Unfortunate truth.

 

[New Mouse]

And yet, they say the parks are more profitable than ever. Those who are going now (or are still going) are apparently spending more than those who went pre-pandemic.

As that changes, more discounts and perks will reappear.

This is also true. You see it in sports stadiums across the country. Tickets and concessions are sky high, attendance is down and profits are up.

It's basically the recipe on how to turn your product into upper middle class only while still enriching the elite.

 

[BaybeeYoda]

I like Disney as resort only stays because I know what I am getting, a nice clean room, a nice pool, a resort with endless activities for my kids, tons of dining options, Disney Springs, we don't have to drive anywhere and love taking the Skyliner and monorail rides. I have traveled a lot in the past and you don't know what you're getting, you can get to the hotel or airbnb and it could be a total dump or in a bad area. I love being in the Disney bubble.

Hmm. Maybe we can explore that option and stay at Saratoga. Since we have bwv, we tend to stay there. Being so close to Epcot and Hollywood means we feel compelled to go into the parks.

I know there are tons of nice timeshare resorts that are much cheaper than dvc- bonnet creek, for example….

You can do that. I'm thinking Disney is gauging if DVC owners are adjusting to 1/year trips with loss of APs and how the spend per person per year is affected by that....along with the renters of your DVC points to see how their spend is.

Disney cares about the hotels/DVC being filled and the per person per visit. If ones cutting down results in another's opportunity to spend, and spend more....that's a win for Disney ultimately. Unfortunate truth.

I agree. Win win I guess. I keep $12k and it’s a staycation!

 

[TiggerBouncy]

But being able to book 2 or 3 rides in advance,like the old FP+ system, for onsite guests would be awesome, even if we need to pay for it. We could work around our table service meals instead of having everything pop up and having to keep an eye on the phobe while we're trying to ejoy a bit of quieter time. And that should apply to ALL onsite guests, not just DVC. It is almost like Disney values the people at offsite cheap motels as much as their onsite guests when we're forced to get out up early just to book a ride or join a virtual queue. *** far as park reservations in general...I'm OK with that, as we always planned our table servioce meals in advance, which really is the same thing, as you have to choose a park to do that. Just be smarter about how you treat your onsite guests, Disney.

Agree 100%. Being able to reserve 3 rides was HUGE for my family, since we would often only have 3 or 4 rides we really care about per park. In this way, we were able to arrange to sleep in, know we were going to see the few rides we really needed to, grab our ADR and go back to the resort, and that was a day for us. We did not have to fight huge crowds. As you say, park reservations do not bother me since I had a plan anyway because I picked by ADR and my FP+. So my park reservations were a gimmie.

But back in the day I remember being frustrated when Disney started the good neighbor program. In fact, at the time I posted that I felt Disney was eroding the benefit of staying on site and that it was only going to get worse. It feels like they have continued on that path, and for those of us who enjoyed the benefits of staying on site as part of the argument for buying into DVC - I kinda feel a little slighted on that.

For those DVCers that are all talking jumping ship. Is it solely the loss of AP access? If one goes once a year for extended time, a 10dy really isn't more than AP. I can see those going 2-3 a year it really affects, but not the yearly.

I think that's what Disney is trying to figure out the sweet spot with DVCers too; offer APs vs encourage yearly visits instead and concentrate the spending and boost the per person spend in park to address overcrowding

Actually, the loss of AP's have not hit me. We bought them during the short window they were open and we maintain them - so for us, we still have ours. What is driving me from Disney are the choices the company is making in non park areas such as their programming and IP properties, the crowding at the parks (this is a big problem for me), erosion of benefits to staying on site, SOME park changes (Genie alone isn't enough, but it doesn't help when I compare it to FP+)...

Brand loyalty matters. They have significantly eroded my loyalty. I don’t feel valued as a dvc member, so that’s that.

This is what stresses it for me. I can deal with a lot of small negatives. I have been known many times on here as a Disney apologist, and I make no excuses. I have often said "give them time. Things go from good to bad, back to good", "it's cyclical", and things like that.

What I can't say enough is that it's about brand loyalty to me. If I love Disney and I love the company and I love everything Disney, then I am so proud to be an "exclusive member" of that company that I will put up with a lot I do not like. I can forgive Genie+ and I can deal with crowds with the smart strategies I have had to use over the many years, and I can deal with some short term missing services. But that's because I AM A MEMBER OF DISNEY VACATION CLUB. Not Marriott. Not Hilton. Not Joes Vacation Extravaganza. No, this is DISNEY. The Big D. The Mouse House. The greatest showmanship company in the world.

But WHY do I feel that way? Why do I not feel that way about Sandles, which is certainly a good destination resort? It's because of the IP. It's the stories that I love and the characters that I treasure. I want to see and meet those people whose lives I care about (as fake and made up as they are), to interact with them and see their stories come to life.

The problem is that the latest IP - the latest stories - they are not exciting to me. I do not connect with these characters. WORSE, the characters I do connect with are being systematically destroyed and replaced by different visions. I do not understand why there can not be room for both the characters I love and new characters with new stories and new backgrounds. Walt famously said “There's enough land here to hold all the ideas and plans we can possibly imagine." So, why then is there not enough room for both? Instead we have to change the backgrounds of existing characters into something that no longer resembles the ones I know.

I know I have gotten into an off topic rant here, but it's part of the package to me. If I do not care about the stories that Disney tells, then it's no longer important to feel a part of that culture. Know what I mean?

 

[Maria_Ohana]

I have been a member since 1999. In the last couple years I have seen and read things about Disney targeting first time visitors at the expense of long time fans. I have to say that I agree with these statements as of late. I love our stays at DVC resorts but have little interest in going to the parks or spending so much at Disney anymore. I feel my membership has lost the magic it once had. I wish I could get that feeling back.

With the theme being removed from so many of the Disney and DVC resorts during refurbs, the constant money grabs and being required to constantly be looking at a smartphone for planning and navigating a trip to a park, it seems like you have to spend so much and work so hard and plan so much to just visit a park both before you go and while you are there. I remember the days when I could use my phone to take pictures and tuck it back in my pocket. It wasn't required that I have to live my vacation through my phone.

What has happened?
Does anyone else feel this way? What have you done to get the magic back in your Disney vacations?

I hate having to look at my phone all day. It doesn't make the experience better, actually worst. You're running into people, and truly cannot enjoy the day at the park. I don't feel immersive as I once did or prior to all these changes.

 

[tjkraz]

I hate having to look at my phone all day. It doesn't make the experience better, actually worst. You're running into people, and truly cannot enjoy the day at the park. I don't feel immersive as I once did or prior to all these changes.

Honest question: what has Disney done that compels you to look at your phone all day? Isn't everything in the app optional? The parks still have wait time boards and restaurants have in-person order kiosks.

I guess if you buy Genie+ you need to book ride times, but that's maybe 5-7 times per day. Book ride, put phone away.

What other functions am I forgetting that require additional use of the phone?

 

[Chuck S]

What other functions am I forgetting that require additional use of the phone?

The other things I can think of:

The online check-out feature for merchandise

Online counter service orders

DVC Merch discount, even if checking out the old fashioned way

DVC Discounts for dining.

Of course the first two are optional and can be done manually, but the discounts do require the use of the phone.

 

[Maria_Ohana]

Honest question: what has Disney done that compels you to look at your phone all day? Isn't everything in the app optional? The parks still have wait time boards and restaurants have in-person order kiosks.

I guess if you buy Genie+ you need to book ride times, but that's maybe 5-7 times per day. Book ride, put phone away.

What other functions am I forgetting that require additional use of the phone?

What Chuck S listed, as well as a few others:
DVC/AP discounts for foods & merchandise, parade times, show times. If you are across the park most people would look at the show times. Yes, you can walk to the venue, but maximizing time is beneficial.
Each to their own in how they want to use their time, energy and technology that are available for use.

 

[tjkraz]

Respectfully, I still don't understand what you want to happen. We started out here:

I hate having to look at my phone all day. It doesn't make the experience better, actually worst. You're running into people, and truly cannot enjoy the day at the park. I don't feel immersive as I once did or prior to all these changes.

...and we've identified specific things that would require using a phone MAYBE 10 times per day, and that's only if Genie is purchased. On average, people will have to show DVC ID maybe 2 or 3 times per day for table service meal and/or shopping discounts. And then a half dozen times for Genie+ IF PURCHASED.

Everything else is completely optional, and if you want a throwback to the late 1990s then you go without.

You can't have it both ways. You can't declare that technology makes the experience worse, while still admitting you're going to use it when it suits your purpose. Nobody is forcing you to pull out your phone 30 times per day. That's a choice.

 

[john7994]

Respectfully, I still don't understand what you want to happen. We started out here:


...and we've identified specific things that would require using a phone MAYBE 10 times per day, and that's only if Genie is purchased. On average, people will have to show DVC ID maybe 2 or 3 times per day for table service meal and/or shopping discounts. And then a half dozen times for Genie+ IF PURCHASED.

Everything else is completely optional, and if you want a throwback to the late 1990s then you go without.

You can't have it both ways. You can't declare that technology makes the experience worse, while still admitting you're going to use it when it suits your purpose. Nobody is forcing you to pull out your phone 30 times per day. That's a choice.

Tend to agree and also very perplexed as I see this comment all the time.

I am an avid Genie+ User, Merch buyer and Disney restaurant patron with ADRs. Since the introduction of the new app features, after my first visit using Genie+ to get the hang of it, I am yet to feel that I am on my phone constantly all day - in fact - I check my work email, use the camera, and social media more than I have felt the need to use my phone for anything Disney focused while on property. This includes me being the point-person for groups of 2, 4, 8 and 10 people.

 

[MillauFr]

I personally don’t see the value of dvc as a non park “resort” stay. Plenty of other resorts to go to that would offer me more. And $1k/day is a bit ridiculous, I agree.

Agreed. If you take away the parks, I doubt if you could find any other timeshare that charges as much as Disney and delivers so little in return. Without the parks they would be hard pressed to charge 25% of what they do.

 

[E2ME2]

I hate having to look at my phone all day. It doesn't make the experience better, actually worst. You're running into people, and truly cannot enjoy the day at the park. I don't feel immersive as I once did or prior to all these changes.

Honest question: what has Disney done that compels you to look at your phone all day? Isn't everything in the app optional? The parks still have wait time boards and restaurants have in-person order kiosks.

I guess if you buy Genie+ you need to book ride times, but that's maybe 5-7 times per day. Book ride, put phone away.

What other functions am I forgetting that require additional use of the phone?

I side with Maria_Ohana on this one. I suffered from "tech-neck" after our last DVC trip, because virtually everything requires your MDE App. I also had to start taking a charging brick with me, because the phone dies near late afternoon every day. It does hamper the experience a bit, IMHO.

 

[Pinnochio]

Not having access to the AP and paying $825+ per park ticket for 10 days really put us over the edge and has left a terribly sour taste in our mouth.

Our kids would likely have just as much fun elsewhere for a whole lot less than $12,000. And my bank account a wee bit happier.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

I hate having to look at my phone all day. It doesn't make the experience better, actually worst. You're running into people, and truly cannot enjoy the day at the park. I don't feel immersive as I once did or prior to all these changes.

...and we've identified specific things that would require using a phone MAYBE 10 times per day, and that's only if Genie is purchased. On average, people will have to show DVC ID maybe 2 or 3 times per day for table service meal and/or shopping discounts. And then a half dozen times for Genie+ IF PURCHASED.

And to the original point, none of the things listed (DVC ID, Discounts, etc) would require you to have your phone out while you walk and bumping into people. For the most part, these are activities when you are already pulling out your wallet or other id / payment. Checking ride times and making G+ reservations and ADR's CAN be done while walking, but you can also make a choice to sit down for a moment, or do those activities while waiting in line where you might otherwise be staring at the backside of the person in front of you (my personal favorite time to check my email, texts and G+ / ADR, etc).

The one thing I would like very, very much would be to add our DVC and AP status to our MB so that we do not have to present our phone for this purpose. But as long as we have to show ID, it's a mute point. That would only matter to me if all you needed was your MB - and would be a nice to have.

That, and I would like Disney to invent a way for my phone to magically stay charged through the day via some low level charging beam technology that magically does not affect pace makers or have any detrimental effects to humans. I carry around a portable charger, but it's annoying. Disney - SOLVE IT.

 

[Chuck S]

I also had to start taking a charging brick with me, because the phone dies near late afternoon every day. It does hamper the experience a bit, IMHO.

Yep. I started carrying a messenger bag in the parks for my stuff. Phone, Charger BLock, Credit Card (in case the onsite rrom charging went down) ID, and room safe key (OKW safes use keys)