DVC Changes To Come?

[disneynutz]

With the new DVD/DVC management changes with Jeff Vahle as president of 'Disney Signature Experiences', a group which includes DVC, DCL, ABD, Golden Oak, Aulani and Terri Schultz as the SVP over DVC, ABD, and Golden Oak what changes can we expect? What changes did each of the prior executives make?

Jim Lewis gave us resale restrictions, different waitlist rules, different banking rules, Aulani dues issue.
Claire Bilby gave us
Ken Potrock made additional resale restrictions, membership magic and moonlight magic.
Terri Schultz gave us

Bill

 

[southerngirl528]

With the new DVD/DVC management changes with Jeff Vahle as president of 'Disney Signature Experiences', a group which includes DVC, DCL, ABD, Golden Oak, Aulani and Terri Schultz as the SVP over DVC, ABD, and Golden Oak what changes can we expect? What changes did each of the prior executives make?

Jim Lewis gave us resale restrictions, different waitlist rules, different banking rules, Aulani dues issue.
Claire Bilby gave us
Ken Potrock made additional resale restrictions, membership magic and moonlight magic.
Terri Schultz gave us

Claire was amazing, and it's too bad that she couldn't stay w/DVC for some time. Her strong suit is going into a Disney company that has issues and encouraging the CM's in that same company, leading by example and rallying the troops, so to speak, before handing off that company to their next leader. One of the truly nicest DVC leaders we have had in my 25 years as a DVC member.

Terri Schultz is also a truly nice person, very warm and approachable, and I think she will be very good for DVC. She was with DVC in a different role during what I consider the "glory years" of DVC. They surely could have chosen someone far, far worse, and I believe she will be great! Expecting some good stuff under her leadership!

 

[BWV Dreamin]

Hopefully more member perks.

 

[VTNuke]

Honestly, constant changes. That's how this all works. There are perks and benefits, but essentially, all we are guaranteed is what is in our contract. That's not to be negative. I'm happy for all the perks they give us. I may not be as happy if they took them all away, but I'd still be happy to have my points available every year.

Keeping the current owners happy is probably less than 1/2 of their job at this point. First, is getting people to buy into DVC directly from Disney. Second, is to look at where it makes sense to expand and getting new members to buy into it. This is a business and most of what they do is centered around those two goals. The good thing for the blue card members is we get to tag along with those benefits.

DVC is getting older, and over the next 10 years, I can see them releasing a plan for the resorts expiring in 2042. That long term discussion is probably their biggest challenge other than getting new members/resorts. You may even see new locations decline as you get closer to 2042 because they may resell a lot of those expiring points. They may offer extensions to some resorts, but not others. While we are still many years away, they will probably start getting their plan in motion and setting the long term goals for DVC.

 

[4luv2cdisney]

Hopefully more member perks.

Hope so too!

They have significantly raised direct prices, keep adding restrictions to resale buyers, and have started to increase minimum buy-ins.

I think that all will continue but the "up-side" will be that direct benefits increase. They have to in order to support the price differences and make it "worth it" to new buyers. I know they get impulse buyers but that's a big purchase. I hop online while in Target and look up the price of a big ticket item before I buy it to see if it may be worth going somewhere else. I think a lot of people do the same. And even if they wait until they get home, they can rescind. So, the guides have to dangle some pretty impressive perks in front of their buyers eyes to keep them willing to pay the premium price.

I also think they will start getting more strict on making sure perks are only given to blue card holders. People reading on message boards or talking to DVC members on the bus about how you can still get certain discounts and access to certain things without a blue card aren't good for direct DVC sales either.

I don't know how much of this will be because of the new leadership, but I think it was already in motion and it will continue.

 

[disneynutz]

Most new buyers don't really understand what they are buying. IMO perks are used for new buyers more than existing members. When buying the list of perks, events, extras are enough to convenience people to buy and if they mention resale, the guide only needs to point out which perks they will lose if they don't buy direct. Question is, what do the perks cost DVD, which ones do they think they can discontinue.

Bill

 

[Ben E N]

Most new buyers don't really understand what they are buying. IMO perks are used for new buyers more than existing members. When buying the list of perks, events, extras are enough to convenience people to by and if they mention resale, the guide only needs to point out which perks they will lose if they don't buy direct. Question is, what do the perks cost DVD, which ones do they think they can discontinue.

Bill

Just from reading people's posts when they consider whether to buy direct or resale, it sounds like the annual pass discount makes up about 80% of their interest in buying direct. The other perks are nice as well, but people can directly look at the financial benefit of the APs, and it benefits Disney to have people buy them because it means more people buying things when they are in the parks.

 

[disneynutz]

Just from reading people's posts when they consider whether to buy direct or resale, it sounds like the annual pass discount makes up about 80% of their interest in buying direct. The other perks are nice as well, but people can directly look at the financial benefit of the APs, and it benefits Disney to have people buy them because it means more people buying things when they are in the parks.

Might be 80% of the DIS posters but 90% of buyers don't do the DIS or even take the time to research buying the DVC. If they did, resale numbers would be higher and Disney would be selling only 75 point contracts.

Bill

 

[DenLo]

In the short time Claire Bilby was around did she make any decisions that affected DVC members other than raising the point cost per night for the TreeHouse Villas?

 

[BillPA]

Sadly she did nothing useful for DVC owners.

 

[disneynutz]

In the short time Claire Bilby was around did she make any decisions that affected DVC members other than raising the point cost per night for the TreeHouse Villas?

Hard to say, we only see the results that they want us to see. She may have saved Aulani, she did throw a great association meeting.

She may have been a PR fixer after the Lewis incident, I remember her saying that going forward, DVC would be more transparent making me think that much more was going on at DVC.

Bill

 

[miTnosnhoJ]

I predict
1) free Dole Whips in the lobby.
2) Free parking for your Gondola (direct purchasers only)
3) A new high-end DVC resort convenient to Universal Studios
4) Annual passes will be reduced to 11 months.

But then, I’ve been wrong before.

 

[DisneyTravelers2008]

Jim Lewis gave us resale restrictions, different waitlist rules, different banking rules, Aulani dues issue.


Bill

I cant recall...what were the wait list changes Jim Lewis made?

 

[4luv2cdisney]

I predict
1) free Dole Whips in the lobby.
2) Free parking for your Gondola (direct purchasers only)
3) A new high-end DVC resort convenient to Universal Studios
4) Annual passes will be reduced to 11 months.

But then, I’ve been wrong before.

Free Dole Whips in the lobby? Unlimited? Or will it be tiered based on # of points you own?

I'd buy all my points direct for that!

Sold.

 

[miTnosnhoJ]

Free Dole Whips in the lobby? Unlimited? Or will it be tiered based on # of points you own?

I'd buy all my points direct for that!

Sold.

Unlimited or tiered? My sources haven’t specified. Next time I am down there, I’ll ask a bus driver!

 

[disneynutz]

I cant recall...what were the wait list changes Jim Lewis made?

Didn't he reduce it to two active waitlists or was it waitlist by category?

Bill

 

[drusba]

Claire Bilby was the head of DVC from mid-Aug 2011 to Jan 31, 2013, only 17 1/2 months. The main things I recall with her are: (a) the first introduction, in fall 2012, of a special deal on the premium annual pass at $399, a little less than the DVC price of a regular AP at the time; (b) the DVC discount on the regular AP went from $100 to $150; and (c) DVC introduced the DVC merchandise discount, at the time 10%, currently 20%. The main things I remember about Potrock is that for the first two years he was in power, he seemed to spend an endless amount of time creating DVC only dinner events at the parks that generally charged members hundreds of dollars per person, he did away with perks for resale purchasers, and brought us Moonlight Magic but seemed incapable of realizing that DVC members need more than 4 to 6 months lead time per announcement to be able to get a room and attend one.

 

[DisneyTravelers2008]

Didn't he reduce it to two active waitlists or was it waitlist by category?

Bill

I dont think so . ...but I could be wrong. I dont recall changes to wait lists since we joined in 2008...?

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Didn't he reduce it to two active waitlists or was it waitlist by category?

Bill

Yes, it went to 2 waitlists under him. And also the booking from check in vs check out.

 

[disneynutz]

Yes, it went to 2 waitlists under him. And also the booking from check in vs check out.

I thought so, in the past if you needed a studio at BWV you waitlisted the studios. Now you can only waitlist two of the three studio categories, standard, preferred, or boardwalk view.

Bill