DVC 25th Anniversary Perks

[MsMagical]

Yes very much familiar with the workings of a large company similar to Disney. As to the process DVC went through for this anniversary package, I asked. I have a close friend in management and there is no reason for him to lie to me. I have watched them over the last year try to get the many pieces of this huge puzzle together to offer to the members. Many times due to this friendship I know before what they hope to offer but are not allowed to share that. I would never jeopardize his job or our friendship to scoop a story.

Believe me it is a huge process. Each division very much a company within a corporation. They all have budgets that have to balance and they all are very protective of their division. Getting the MK for extra hours is huge. Try and think of what is involved in keeping a park open for an hour. It is also very, very expensive and DVC is having to pay that amount to the parks division. Just because they have Disney in their name does not mean they get any of this for free.

Okay, thanks! I really wasn't questioning your knowledge. I was just genuinely interested in their business processes. All of that is true of any big company with divisions such as disney And, I think I should clarify that I was only discussing the park tickets. The parties and anything that keeps the parks open outside of normal business hours or includes venue and any kind of labor costs would, of course, have operational costs to consider and would need a lot of coordination and planning in addition to financial analysis of the impact of those costs.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Okay, thanks! I really wasn't questioning your knowledge. I was just genuinely interested in their business processes. All of that is true of any big company with divisions such as disney And, I think I should clarify that I was only discussing the park tickets. The parties and anything that keeps the parks open outside of normal business hours or includes venue and any kind of labor costs would, of course, have operational costs to consider and would need a lot of coordination and planning in addition to financial analysis of the impact of those costs.

Go a little deeper...

Disney development corporation...vacation club...foots the bill for these "exclusive parties" which carry huge operational price tags.

That comes out of their promotional or operational piggy bank...

So that limits their flexibility.

Now...are a couple of dates on week nights in the relative slow seasons a good use of money?

Or would say...a flat $50 off ticket promotion instead of $10 or $30ish attract more people, causing them to spend more money at wdw creating more revenue?

Certainly possible...the promo could end up to be cheaper as well...

But "somebody"...aka Robert Iger...wants the money going into ticket revenue at full price. There's some angle there. As many have speculated - especially in regards to Disneyland - they want to price people out of annuals and back into multiday tickets...I can see the angle there.

That's complelely opposite to what was once the plan...like a 90 degree turn. If people balk...the captain can reverse course again.

I think these decisions are out of DVC's in all but semantics behind the smoke.

 

[keishashadow]

The $200 ticket was "worthless" to me. One entrance to each park and no way to upgrade to extra days? It was pointless for most people.

hmmm....not sure i'd agree with your guess-timation. Many here reported they purchased them, for their guests if not for personal usuage. We were able to delay activating an already purchased AP from October to the following May. I had hoped to see it offered in same format last October. lol Still shocked as to the 'new' AP format.

Not sure if we will bother to renew our existing APs or not this spring as we still have some MYW tix on hand from old resorts stays. Our Universal PAP renewal is very reasonable & we have the black friday SW APs yet to activate. If WDW continues to price APs out of our reach, we will still use our DVC. However, will start to use up our stockpiled tickets for a day to the MK each trip, then visit the other parks and spend our dining $$$ outside 'the world'. Usually, just he & me at this point for trips. For those with kids I'd think it'd be hard to pull this strategy off without a great deal of fussing.

what does irritate me is that many of us book 11 months out in order to secure a particular resort/time frame. Why wasn't this factored into the release of this annoucement? imo, it's a bit self-aggrandizing & basicallly a sales pitch to churn bonus trips & attempt to convince less savvy members that the ticket offer is a great deal.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

imo, it's a bit self-aggrandizing & basicallly a sales pitch to churn bonus trips & attempt to convince less savvy members that the ticket offer is a great deal.

...cough...cough

 

[beer dave]

Third party ticket brokers have already been all but eliminated...I'm not entirely sure AAA even does it anymore. They don't do them in the Disney stores anymore.

UT will have its day too...

"Fire away"'and "let it burn"...I say...

Just bought AAA resident passes in september.... 285 I believe...

 

[lockedoutlogic]

They still sell...i double checked
Of course, a 5% discount on base prices that rise 5-10% annually gets swallowed up pretty quick

 

[beer dave]

I was thinking double the DVC discount on the annuals...

So my $469 premium AP that went 7/14-7/15 would now cost me $629 for the "platinum plus" to get equal benefit...and cause me to spend loads of cash at your fine dining establishment, watering holes, and unique one of a kind merchandise locales...

$180 Dollar increase in about 18 months x 4...

I'll take it...sound good? Let's draw it up...

But alas no...gotta hold that line on the useless $640 upcharge for photopass...which it's obvious they can't give away right now.

Wishful thinking...I suppose

It's a 720 upcharge...........

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Is it?
I was doing math on the fly...just talking about photopass...

Which nimrods said originally "now they include photopass..." As a defense.

Do you pay for your photopass per person...or per PARTY?

My BP hasn't been happy since october

 

[MsMagical]

Go a little deeper...

Disney development corporation...vacation club...foots the bill for these "exclusive parties" which carry huge operational price tags.

That comes out of their promotional or operational piggy bank...

So that limits their flexibility.

Now...are a couple of dates on week nights in the relative slow seasons a good use of money?

Or would say...a flat $50 off ticket promotion instead of $10 or $30ish attract more people, causing them to spend more money at wdw creating more revenue?

Certainly possible...the promo could end up to be cheaper as well...

But "somebody"...aka Robert Iger...wants the money going into ticket revenue at full price. There's some angle there. As many have speculated - especially in regards to Disneyland - they want to price people out of annuals and back into multiday tickets...I can see the angle there.

That's complelely opposite to what was once the plan...like a 90 degree turn. If people balk...the captain can reverse course again.

I think these decisions are out of DVC's in all but semantics behind the smoke.

I see what you are saying! Hmmm...lots to think about.

 

[supersnoop]

hmmm....not sure i'd agree with your guess-timation. Many here reported they purchased them, for their guests if not for personal usuage. We were able to delay activating an already purchased AP from October to the following May.

I don't think I read about more than five people on here actually buying those tickets. Lots of people came here and asked if those tickets could be bridged as normal 4-day tickets, and left disappointed when they learned they could not. That ticket just didn't match your typical DVC member's patterns.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I don't think I read about more than five people on here actually buying those tickets. Lots of people came here and asked if those tickets could be bridged as normal 4-day tickets, and left disappointed when they learned they could not. That ticket just didn't match your typical DVC member's patterns.

I usually can peg the angle to all their moves to a fair degree of confidence...

This i can't...only thing i got is "headfake"...

...I'm so disappointed in myself

The only thing clear about this is its meant to suck people in to fill what they perceive as light bookings..."last minute magic"..."special parties" at somewhat odd times. That's pretty obvious.

 

[PetePanMan]

I can hardly wait for the new member card!

 

[zavandor]

To get use out of the water parks...you typically need to spend at least 7 days In wdw...shorter stays require the park hopper to utilize the water parks...

Well, quite the opposite. I find that the water park option is the best way to avoid to purchase a park hopper option. Water park in the morning, a park in the evening.
Not that I use that anyway, living in the UK I can buy an Ultimate Ticket, which in 2016 includes a PhotoPass as well. It would be nice for you americans if DVC would give you access to the Ultimate Ticket as well, it's the best option for longer stays (10+ days), something that might appeal DVC guests with lot of points.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Well, quite the opposite. I find that the water park option is the best way to avoid to purchase a park hopper option. Water park in the morning, a park in the evening.
Not that I use that anyway, living in the UK I can buy an Ultimate Ticket, which in 2016 includes a PhotoPass as well. It would be nice for you americans if DVC would give you access to the Ultimate Ticket as well, it's the best option for longer stays (10+ days), something that might appeal DVC guests with lot of points.

For this promotion...you have to
Buy the park hopper to get the water parks...so does that defeat the argument in this case?

UK on holiday is a bit of a different scenario than most wdw travelers...I think you'll agree.

10-21 day typical stays - often with side trips to other Florida/Caribbean locals and back again - is a unique circumstance.


And the "ultimate park hopper" was the standard package ticket for Intents and purposes in the US as well for 10 years...they phased it out. All the ticket moves for the last few years have been laying the groundwork for day by day upcharge pricing...it's all but certain to hatch here sometime fairly soon.

If you don't fight it in the UK travel market...they will eliminate you're "ultimate" ticket and make you pay variable pricing as well down the road.

 

[moobar25]

So after stewing on this insult of a ticket offer - wrote to all that would listen about it. The limited time frame for purchasing got me thinking. Are they trying to tell us that this MAY, and that is a very slight may, be a good deal in the future? I know all of the APs were increased and block-out dates added last year. Does the deadline of 3/31/16 translate to the next MYW ticket price increase and new block-out dates? If so, then this might be somewhat of a perk. Just a thought that popped into my head. Haven't heard any inside info or anything - just speculating.
Either way my family will say thanks but no thanks!

 

[lockedoutlogic]

So after stewing on this insult of a ticket offer - wrote to all that would listen about it. The limited time frame for purchasing got me thinking. Are they trying to tell us that this MAY, and that is a very slight may, be a good deal in the future? I know all of the APs were increased and block-out dates added last year. Does the deadline of 3/31/16 translate to the next MYW ticket price increase and new block-out dates? If so, then this might be somewhat of a perk. Just a thought that popped into my head. Haven't heard any inside info or anything - just speculating.
Either way my family will say thanks but no thanks!

It would depend 100% on how sales - primarily AP since the bump and blackout introductions - are going.

What doesn't make sense about "across the board" large jumps in APs is that there is more tangible benefit to giving them to DVC at an attractive price. DVC spends like drunken sailors on shore leave...

They almost immediate recoup any "loss" in cheaper tickets almost from day one due to secondary spending.

Unless...the rumors floated are true that DVC spending has been steadily declining.

For years...DVC merchandise purchases were well below average. But who's fault is that? You can't cheapen/streamline the product and expect that see it the most to buy it...

I know my spending is down. Not because of budget...because they have changed policies to gradually force me to pick and choose - accept and reject - new realities over And over.

They pushed the dining plan, encouraged "right to left" ordering, then jacked the prices to squeeze certain demographics. Not my fault.

But I STILL drop far more seed on the farm than your average customer that goes for 8 days to wilderness lodge once every 3 years and drops $5-$10,000. I obliterate that.

And usually when I see Pounders talking about Disney being "great" and dropping the "M" word...you see a "only 1061 days to out next trip - Contemporary 2018!" In the sig below.

Right...worry about them.

So DVC and wdw should be wise not to squeeze the tomatoes too hard. They may burst.

 

[zavandor]

For this promotion...you have to
Buy the park hopper to get the water parks...so does that defeat the argument in this case?

UK on holiday is a bit of a different scenario than most wdw travelers...I think you'll agree.

10-21 day typical stays - often with side trips to other Florida/Caribbean locals and back again - is a unique circumstance.


And the "ultimate park hopper" was the standard package ticket for Intents and purposes in the US as well for 10 years...they phased it out. All the ticket moves for the last few years have been laying the groundwork for day by day upcharge pricing...it's all but certain to hatch here sometime fairly soon.

If you don't fight it in the UK travel market...they will eliminate you're "ultimate" ticket and make you pay variable pricing as well down the road.

I was replying to the comment telling that a shorter stay needs the park hopper option to use the water park.
If it's so short that you focus on the parks and use the park hopper to get the most of the parks, then you don't go to the water parks. If you stay longer, let's say 5-6 days, then to spend the day in a water park and an evening in a park, you don't need the park hopper. Unless I got it wrong, if you don't have a park hopper, you can still go to a water park and a park in the same day.

 

[keishashadow]

I don't think I read about more than five people on here actually buying those tickets. Lots of people came here and asked if those tickets could be bridged as normal 4-day tickets, and left disappointed when they learned they could not. That ticket just didn't match your typical DVC member's patterns.

not how i remember it lol we can agreee to disagree as to # that purchased. It was convenient to buy for guests and also for adult kids/grand kids who don't always tend to travel with us. Disney being Disney they were vague as to the details of the tickets and created confusion as to usage. I do agree it would've nice to not have a use-by day day &upgradeable feature but surely would love to see them offered again vs this mess.

 

[DenLo]

I don't think I read about more than five people on here actually buying those tickets. Lots of people came here and asked if those tickets could be bridged as normal 4-day tickets, and left disappointed when they learned they could not. That ticket just didn't match your typical DVC member's patterns.

A lot of people here on the Dis said they bought these tickets. I agree that it doesn't work for many members that have more points but for guests and members with a smaller number of points that also buy the less expensive ticket it worked well.

 

[supersnoop]

A lot of people here on the Dis said they bought these tickets. I agree that it doesn't work for many members that have more points but for guests and members with a smaller number of points that also buy the less expensive ticket it worked well.

We're both going from memory here. I can't even come up with a good search term to try to prove it either way. I remember a lot of people inquiring about the tickets, but very few actually purchasing them.