DVC Concerns...

[rljslo]

Ok... I'll try to be brief (but I'm passionate about this...)

My father in law who worked VERY hard for his money (and was happy to have food on his table and warm house in the winter) said of Disney "It costs a lot of money - but yo get your moneys worth". This from a guy who spent 2 years buying a truck and paid cash when he bought it.

My wife and I have gone to Disney 5 times - 3 times before kids and twice after (our kids are 18, 16, and 14). We envision going again with our kids, alone as a couple, letting our kids go with their friends and ultimately going with our kids families.

Bottom line is we are sold on DVC and Disney.... BUT ...

While doing research over that past year, I have become increasingly concerned about DVC members thoughts about DVC service - specifically the cleanliness of rooms and the decreasing benefits memberships.

It would seem to me that Disney should view DVC members - people who have invested a significant amount of money in the company (and by the nature of that investment will invest A LOT MORE money into the company) - as VIP's... I'm not saying they should get everything free - but guarantee them a clean room and a hassle free vacation. THese people are Disney's biggest champions and salespeople.

As part of our research, we are renting DVC points in late July (I know - it's hot and crowded - but we are tied to school vacations right now). We will also take a DVC tour and I will bring up these concerns with the tour guide.

I know that Disney - like every big company - needs to be on top of cost. However, they need to be cautious that they do not take advantage of - or alienate - the customers who are their biggest champions.

Hopefully we'll be members soon... time will tell.
Rick

 

[Sammie]

Please do not expect a guide to do or say anything that would prevent a sale.

 

[rljslo]

I know the guide will not say "Yes, you're right - we suck". But my hope is he/she will know that the concern is out there, that Disney is aware, and that Disney has a plan to fix it - or let us know we don't need to be concerned about it because if I do have a concern, it will be taken care of right away....

Which is another question for members - do your concerns get taken care of quickly and to your satisfaction? (I know it's never perfect - but be fair - does Disney do it's best to resolve concerns of DVC members)?

 

[iloveokw]

While DVC has been one of the best investments we have ever done....we go more than one time a yr ....and don't expect perfection, I think that if you don't plan to go at least every other year....and even more importantly cannot plan 11 months out DVC is not for you.

 

[katied]

In response to your question about does DVC take concerns seriously, we had issues in our BLT stay in Dec. Mainly, the TV did not work for certain channels. That was unacceptable to DH. We called, we had 2 different teams working on it. It could not be resolved within the room - some type of issue where they needed a signal amplified for the hub??? (no idea what this means, or if it makes sense). The short of it was, DH could not get CNN and certain other stations. He was very unhappy, and communicated this. DH was also sick during our trip, and spent 2 days in the room while I was out with DS, so yes, the TV was a big deal.

What DVC did do was - first night of trouble, we received a $50 credit. Second night of trouble, we received our points back (which I was then able to bank). Third day - we were moved to a new room - Disney packed and moved us, and we did not have the TV trouble anymore.

So - I would say - do not expect perfection, but if there is something that you truly find unacceptable, it seems to me that Disney will try to fix it and make amends. We have not had any other troubles on our DVC stays.

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

Please do not expect a guide to do or say anything that would prevent a sale.

I disagree. We went to a presentation with friends, and almost wanted to sell our contract just by hearing the way the guide skirted the truth.

DVC guides may not be high pressure, but they can be kind of slick.

 

[AirGoofy]

OP, do as FIL did and save your money to buy a DVC. We had a great time on our first trip to WDW with children, knew we would be back every year, and have been. We wanted to buy DVC, but we saved our money until we could pay cash (well, I wrote a check). We bought a small resale contract and are happy with what we have.

As for other thoughts, I agree. My only complaint with DVC is the points reallocation, and that was simply because we waited and purchased just what we wanted, only to have it change 2 years in a row.

 

[Chuck S]

While doing research over that past year, I have become increasingly concerned about DVC members thoughts about DVC service - specifically the cleanliness of rooms and the decreasing benefits memberships.

It would seem to me that Disney should view DVC members - people who have invested a significant amount of money in the company (and by the nature of that investment will invest A LOT MORE money into the company) - as VIP's... I'm not saying they should get everything free - but guarantee them a clean room and a hassle free vacation. THese people are Disney's biggest champions and salespeople.

First off, while emotionally we are invested in the company...we truly are NOT financially invested in the company, unless you are a stockholder. And even Disney stockholders don't get any discounts or perks. So the changing perks we DVCers receive, like the AP discount or dining discounts, are nothing to sneeze at comparatively. But if you're buying DVC for perks, you are purchasing for the wrong reasons. Few timeshares, DVC or not, give substantial perks.

What you purchase with DVC is a pre-paid vacation plan. Nothing more, nothing less.

DVC resort rehabs are paid for by the members, not Disney, through our dues which contribute to a long term reserve fund which pays for major planned rehabs. Unlike an all cash hotel that can simply raise prices if they need to redo the rooms, DVC is limited in that dues increases are limited by law, and timeshares are state regulated. So I would not expect DVC rooms to always be as fresh as a cash hotel. But overall, DVC does a very good job. At every resort there are rooms nearing the end of their rehab cycle, and those that have just completed a rehab.

They are kept up well, but are not pristine.

 

[disneynutz]

The problems with the DVC and the DVC experience is the fact that Disney doesn't have to keep members satisfied to be successful.

Once a contract is purchased from Disney, they have made their money and they can be done with you. Once a contract is purchased it is sold for it's duration. The only way that you can get rid of it is to sell it to someone else, and Disney knows that they have a captive customer.

DVC contracts all support services such as, front desk, resort management, Mousekeeping, maintenance, Bell Services, from a third party, DVC Resorts, and they don't have a vested interest in our satisfaction.

99% of DVC buyers are not aware of any reasons not to buy. Disney does an excellent job of marketing and will continue to be successful selling to new members even if there are some problems that should be fixed.

Bill

 

[SusieBea]

Ok... I'll try to be brief (but I'm passionate about this...) While doing research over that past year, I have become increasingly concerned about DVC members thoughts about DVC service - specifically the cleanliness of rooms and the decreasing benefits memberships.Rick

I just want to suggest that as in all cases, those who have experienced a problem are more likely to take the time to post than those who have not. In seventeen years of ownership and having stayed at 6 of the DVC resorts, we have never had a major issue - maybe a missing cookie sheet or a cobweb here or there. And, whenever we've needed a little extra attention, our needs have been met promptly.

 

[Crystal_27]

I'm not saying they should get everything free - but guarantee them a clean room and a hassle free vacation. THese people are Disney's biggest champions and salespeople.

Rick, I understand your concern, but, in my opinion, some DVC owners have unrealistic expectations when it comes to what their membership entitles them to. There has been increasing concerns about disappearing perks, yes, but the reality is that, although perks are awesome, DVC didn't promise us anything other than an allotment of points each year, which, to my knowledge, it has never NOT done.

In terms of room cleanliness, I think that you will always read some negative reports about someone's experience with one particular resort stay, but I think that the majority of people find their rooms to be fine. Sure, you can run into a problem here or there, but that can happen during any vacation at any resort, not just DVC resorts. If something happens, you deal with it and move on.

As to guaranteeing a "hassle free vacation," again, I think that's unrealistic. Your best hope is that DVC does its best to correct any issue that you may encounter (provided its something that they are required to correct) as efficiently as possible. **Stuff happens** and not every vacation is going to be perfect.

Since you are obviously considering DVC, please do yourself a favor and not set yourself up for failure by thinking that DVC members are preferred to other guests. We aren't....but, that's okay!! We are getting an incredible savings on our vacations, and that is what DVC is about. Good luck!

 

[RCM]

We have been members since 2006 and are going in June for the 5th time and have not had any trouble. Out of how many thousands of bookings there has to be some glitches. Just in our homes things go wrong, The real important part is how the problems are corrected. I think for the most part they have been from what I have read.

I love we don't have to worry about lodging costs anymore. We have broke even so the rest of our years to 2054 will be our bonus. In fact we are waiting ROFR for 50 more points. We will have 3/2 bdrm condos this June with no worry about what they will cost.

 

[crisi]

Buy your contract for what you are contracted for - i.e. a room at your home resort following the booking rules (based on availability, etc.). Don't buy for perks - AP Discounts, parking, Magical Experess. Don't buy an cheap SSR contract believing you will be able to easily stay in a BLT Value Room or an OKW Grand Villa.

Buy with realistic expectations. We've never had a "pristine" room. We've also never had what we consider an unacceptable room. Most stays have had broken drawer pulls or slides, burned out lights, once a torn curtain, One loose towel rack breaking free of the sheetrock, broken tiles in the bathroom, sometimes rooms that have appeared to have been on the edge of the rehab cycle. We had a week stay in a HA room. We've had one toilet break. To some people these are unacceptable issues. (And we don't generally bother to call and have them fixed. They really aren't bothering us. Well, except the toilet - that did get fixed.)

We've had our requests met once. Other than that, we never get a requested floor or location.

And yet, despite all of this, we are fairly content with our purchase. We may sell shortly, but only because we've outgrown our "biannual" Disney trips and will probably move to a less frequent schedule. But we will see, we aren't quite ready to sell yet. And it doesn't have a lot to do with DVC - although I actually DO prefer daily housekeeping and a real hotel (but while the kids are with us, seperate bedrooms are SO nice). We might also just hang onto it and gift the points to friends or the church auction.

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

And yet, despite all of this, we are fairly content with our purchase. We may sell shortly, but only because we've outgrown our "biannual" Disney trips and will probably move to a less frequent schedule.

We are so glad that we just bought 100 points!

We went through a period with major addonitis, but resisted for personal reasons. So, we borrowed and borrowed. Now, we've averaged going to Disney every 9 months since purchasing, and are a little burned out. We will wait awhile after our next trip. After we wait, we'll be able to stay in a 1 bedroom.

Now keep in mind, 100 points is way too small for some people. We traditionally travel S-Th, in January, in studios. Of course, I may be burned out because it was 20 degrees on our last trip. Brrr!

 

[TisBit]

The problems with the DVC and the DVC experience is the fact that Disney doesn't have to keep members satisfied to be successful.

Once a contract is purchased from Disney, they have made their money and they can be done with you. Once a contract is purchased it is sold for it's duration. The only way that you can get rid of it is to sell it to someone else, and Disney knows that they have a captive customer.

DVC contracts all support services such as, front desk, resort management, Mousekeeping, maintenance, Bell Services, from a third party, DVC Resorts, and they don't have a vested interest in our satisfaction.

99% of DVC buyers are not aware of any reasons not to buy. Disney does an excellent job of marketing and will continue to be successful selling to new members even if there are some problems that should be fixed.

Bill

That is not entirely true, actually it can be quite false. If DVC ever stops expanding, then this may become true in the future. If the DVC owners were truly unhappy, sales would slow and stagnate just on word of mouth.

Most complaints I hear on the DIS is from people that feel entitled to something because they own DVC, which just isn't true. As already mentioned, we pre purchased vacations, that is it. Yes, some member benefits will come and go, but that is not part of the ownership.

Truth be told, people all over Disney will have complaints about their rooms not being cleaned properly, or a rude CM or whatever else we see on these boards, it is not exclusive to DVC and is a fact of life. No company or organization will ever be 100%, 100% of the time. Not to mention there is still a bottom line that has to be watched, not just for Disney, but for us as members. Do I want them replacing a couch every time it gets a stain....member dues would go through the roof. And I have never heard of any member basicly being given a blow off about legitimate concerns from MS (excluding the isolated CM's at the resort).

 

[sssteele]

My wife and I purchased DVC in 2002, and have added on over and over again. Are we satisfied with our purchase? Obviously, or we would not have increased the number of points that we own. We have had some "room issues, but they have always been minor, and usually didn't even warrant a phone call to correct - i.e a burnt out lightbulb.
We have never encountered a rude cast member; in fact, our experiences have been the opposite - friendly and helpful people. We often wonder if those who report encounters with rude or disrepectful cast members may sometimes be owners who feel a "sense of privilege" or entitlement because of their ownership status, and expect special treatment as a result.
I perceive myself as a Disney "guest" who has chosen to lower the costs of our trips - nothing more. I try to be outgoing and friendly to cast members, show my appreciation if they go "above and beyond" expected customer service, and never expect to be treated like royalty. The overwhelmingly positive experiences that my wife and I have had may be a result of the way we treat people. (Patting myself on the back too much?)

 

[DVCBELLE]

I do not think DVC is perfect. There are a lot of things they could do differently - BUT I have NEVER once regretted buying it!!

I find they are reactive to our concerns and a great deal. The only cleaniliness issue I have ever ahd was at BLT - tons of dust! Other than that - we have always been very happy with our Villas.

But I do think that if your expectations are to be treated like VIPs then DVC might not be right for you. After all - once a CM told me that something I asked them about was for "PAYING" guests...I thought my DH was going to lose it right then and there in the WL lobby!

 

[disneynutz]

That is not entirely true, actually it can be quite false. If DVC ever stops expanding, then this may become true in the future. If the DVC owners were truly unhappy, sales would slow and stagnate just on word of mouth.

I don't see my false statement, care to be more specific?

Most new owners only know what they are told by Disney. Of the 400,000 existing owners, less than 2% are members of the DIS. Where do you expect word of mouth to take place?

Bill

 

[rhonimouse]

We just purchased DVC last summer and made our first visit as DVC members at Christmas and stayed at 2 resorts over the week. We stayed at BWV and then transferred to AKV Kidani. I expected to find a clean and nicely themed resort and was happy to find exactly what I expected. It was so nice that the staff welcomed us "home" and bell service helped by transferring our luggage -making the move so easy! I look at a vacation as a relaxing experience and expect DVC to enhance this experience, NOT look for the negative, as it seems some do... I have to say I would have hesitated to purchase after reading the negativity that carries through some of the posters and I would have missed out on so much fun! I think if you expect fun you will find it and if you expect a negative experience you will find it- it is in the eye of the beholder....good luck in your decision and hope you enjoy your July stay- a hot and humid disney vacation beats no disney vacation!

 

[dzorn]

Buy your contract for what you are contracted for - i.e. a room at your home resort following the booking rules (based on availability, etc.). Don't buy for perks - AP Discounts, parking, Magical Experess. Don't buy an cheap SSR contract believing you will be able to easily stay in a BLT Value Room or an OKW Grand Villa.

Buy with realistic expectations. We've never had a "pristine" room. We've also never had what we consider an unacceptable room. Most stays have had broken drawer pulls or slides, burned out lights, once a torn curtain, One loose towel rack breaking free of the sheetrock, broken tiles in the bathroom, sometimes rooms that have appeared to have been on the edge of the rehab cycle. We had a week stay in a HA room. We've had one toilet break. To some people these are unacceptable issues. (And we don't generally bother to call and have them fixed. They really aren't bothering us. Well, except the toilet - that did get fixed.)Why? Whenever we saw something in need of repair we have always reported it. How do they know if it goes unreported?

We've had our requests met once. Other than that, we never get a requested floor or location.

And yet, despite all of this, we are fairly content with our purchase. We may sell shortly, but only because we've outgrown our "biannual" Disney trips and will probably move to a less frequent schedule. But we will see, we aren't quite ready to sell yet. And it doesn't have a lot to do with DVC - although I actually DO prefer daily housekeeping and a real hotel (but while the kids are with us, seperate bedrooms are SO nice). We might also just hang onto it and gift the points to friends or the church auction.

Whenever we have had problems it was always taken care of to our satisfaction.

Denise in MI