DVC Check-Out in the height of the Hurricane

[New Mouse]

People that expect free rooms aren't the most loyal customers....they are the ones Disney probably wants to fire. The entitlement on this thread is baffling. And if Disney prices are too high there are 100 hotels in the Orlando area that are $200 and under that probably would have accommodated people if they even attempted to plan. I know those pesky hurricanes can ruin a vacation....I can't believe Disney didn't do more.

And maybe it's the econ/finance majors in me....but people should Google price gouging before posting....would save them from looking uneducated.

Price Gouging

Demanding an exorbitant or excessive price in connection with the sale or lease of fuel, food, medicine, lodging, building materials, construction tools, or another necessity.

Considering DVC specifically, the way they market the discount of a DVC membership versus the actual cash price of the same rooms would indeed be qualified as price gouging when trying to force someone to pay the Inflated "discounted" cash price in a time of turmoil.

 

[kes601]

Pay us $500 for our studio room or good luck with the storm is a fairly opportunitistic stance.

So if gas was $3/gallon as a storm was coming in and the gas station said, sorry you can’t have it for free but we’ll discount it to $2.40 (20% off) it would be price gouging? No you’d likely be complimenting them for being so accommodating. But Disney providing rack rate discounts is price gouging? I don’t get it……

 

[Princess Disney Mom]

Just wondering if those of you that are visiting during the hurricane and can't go home have travelers insurance?

Maybe things are different because im international, but we stayed at WDW in 2017 when hurricane Irma hit and we couldn't fly home and had to stay 4 days extra. Because of that our travelers insurance paid the 4 extra days at VGF including food and airfare home.


regards

No travelers insurance here as I never get it. However for international it would be a good idea.
The few times we either had to cancel or reschedule the airlines and hotels have been flexible.

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

Traveler’s insurance is useless for points stays anyway.

 

[chicagodisneyguy]

Price Gouging

Demanding an exorbitant or excessive price in connection with the sale or lease of fuel, food, medicine, lodging, building materials, construction tools, or another necessity.

Considering DVC specifically, the way they market the discount of a DVC membership versus the actual cash price of the same rooms would indeed be qualified as price gouging when trying to force someone to pay the Inflated "discounted" cash price in a time of turmoil.

Demand is a strong word. Everyone who extended their trip to the 29th or 30th had ample time the days leading up to the storm passing to find cheaper accommodations.

As far as Disney marketing the discount, that's true for points but not cash. Several accounts reported here were allowed to use either cash or points....so people could have accessed the savings that points allow. But the cash rates being quoted seemed very close to the member discounted cash rates that have been available for years. The rates quoted weren't exorbitant...they were in line with prices Disney charges every day of the year. Just because you think Disney should charge highly discounted hurricane rates doesn't mean the rates they did charge constitutes gouging.

If you want a recent example of price gouging take a look at recent prices out of Russia when Putin called up 300k Russians. Flights that were normally $150-$300 were all of a sudden $1,000-$5,000. That's gouging. Disney giving a 20% discount on rack rate is not.

 

[Sandisw]

Pay us $500 for our studio room or good luck with the storm is a fairly opportunitistic stance.

Not when that is it’s normal price.

Plenty of guests canceled their vacations and left early because they did not want to be stuck having to extend their vacations or to go to other places that seemed safer.

They could have not allowed extensions so more of their CMs could have gone home to be with family instead of having to work.

Disney did some very nice and extra things for guests that were stuck there and I just don’t agree they..or any other hotel in the area who didn’t give for free are somehow now “opportunistic”, for staying open to accommodate those stuck.

 

[New Mouse]

Demand is a strong word. Everyone who extended their trip to the 29th or 30th had ample time the days leading up to the storm passing to find cheaper accommodations.

As far as Disney marketing the discount, that's true for points but not cash. Several accounts reported here were allowed to use either cash or points....so people could have accessed the savings that points allow. But the cash rates being quoted seemed very close to the member discounted cash rates that have been available for years. The rates quoted weren't exorbitant...they were in line with prices Disney charges every day of the year. Just because you think Disney should charge highly discounted hurricane rates doesn't mean the rates they did charge constitutes gouging.

If you want a recent example of price gouging take a look at recent prices out of Russia when Putin called up 300k Russians. Flights that were normally $150-$300 were all of a sudden $1,000-$5,000. That's gouging. Disney giving a 20% discount on rack rate is not.

Did they? Do you know all those families?

You asked me to Google it because you have a degree and know better. That's the first definition that comes up from the state of Texas. It falls in line with exactly what im saying.

Disney "values" the stay at significantly lower than the
DVC point price. They raise the price to the rack rate for those who don't have points. Hence their ability to advertise DVC at a huge discount. So when they attempt to charge you 1 night at the highly inflated cash rate during a storm, it is indeed gouging if you aren't allowing DVC discounted stays of "up to 70% off" but are instead forcing people to pay close to rack rate.

And yes, in the case of rack rate, disney prices are so inflated to begin with that in times of need for the community, trying to hold them hostage when they need shelter is indeed gouging.

 

[New Mouse]

Not when that is it’s normal price.

Plenty of guests canceled their vacations and left early because they did not want to be stuck having to extend their vacations or to go to other places that seemed safer.

They could have not allowed extensions so more of their CMs could have gone home to be with family instead of having to work.

Disney did some very nice and extra things for guests that were stuck there and I just don’t agree they..or any other hotel in the area who didn’t give for free are somehow now “opportunistic”, for staying open to accommodate those stuck.

The CM who stayed volunteered to stay.

 

[BeachClub2014]

And yes, in the case of rack rate, disney prices are so inflated to begin with that in times of need for the community, trying to hold them hostage when they need shelter is indeed gouging.

I've been tracking this whole thread as it is both interesting and amusing to read. I swore that I wasn't going to chime in until I read this comment. Are you seriously suggesting that ANYONE was "held hostage" at Walt Disney World? Come on, that's a bit strong, don't ya think? It's not like the storm suddenly blew in overnight.

 

[Sandisw]

The CM who stayed volunteered to stay.

Not the point..the point is Disney could have chosen to close so no CM had to volunteer to do it.

No sense in continuing because we simply don’t agree that Disney..and every other hotel chain who didn’t give rooms for free are the bad guy here.

 

[New Mouse]

Not the point..the point is Disney could have chosen to close so no CM had to volunteer to do it.

No sense in continuing because we simply don’t agree that Disney..and every other hotel chain who didn’t give rooms for free are the bad guy here.

They could have chosen to close. That decision would have cost in the 10s of millions in revenue if not more.

Choosing to close earlier would have also given those CM more time, which was needed, to prepare. Do you think the CMs that needed relief from their shifts were allowed to do so?

 

[CarolMN]

Going to lock this before it turns into a full-fledged debate.