DVC Extras, WHY?

[Dean]

And the sad thing is - completely unnecessary.

Disney ignores more potential customers than other timeshare companies ever even see.

A few tweaks to how DVC markets would give them all the business they wanted without alienating people who are otherwise committing to spending 10s of thousands of dollars over decades at Disney.

I'm sure their current strategy is effective. It's just unnecessary.

Here's just a few ideas that would give DVC all the business it could build out:

1. Actually reach out to guests staying on DVC property who aren't members. That's as simple as putting an offer to tour and a "guide's" phone number on a flyer tucked into check in docs.

Permanently book out one of the 3 rooms at Be Our Guest and offer a 1.5 hour tour over a free meal. Make that offer in the flyer for non member guests.

2. Put a DVC rest area in each park and brag about it at the front entrance "Welcome Home DVC members! Your private ClubHouse is located in the Imagination Pavilion. (Find out how YOU can be a member, today.)"

3. 1 Extra Anytime FP per guest per day for members staying on points. (Member must be present in room.) This costs nothing, the mechanism already exists to do it and it would have a profound effect on the exact target audience: people who come to WDW routinely. If I know I'm coming back the next several years, let's check out how to get that extra FP...

4. This is something they used to do and should be standard fare: comp current tix and on site room charges for signing up.

I could think of others and have in the past. DVC has a potential to reach out to what, 200,000 guests each day? 250,000? (4 parks, 2 water parks, and Disney Springs)

Before they alienated people committing to spend 10s of thousands of dollars with them, they should have explored how to reach out more effectively to their captive audiences.

It wouldn't be that difficult.

All timeshares do what Disney is currently doing. BECAUSE of Disney's unique audience, they could afford not to do so.

Disney used to cultivate the advantages it's unique position gave them: the Disney Difference.

No matter what they do or don't do, differentiating themselves on the resale vs retail front is reasonable and an aid to selling retail no matter who they pull to tour. Those are buyers and no matter what anyone says, each and every one is a potential retail buyer. That some will claim they wouldn't have bought in any given set of circumstances doesn't change that. Plus there's no reason for them not to differentiate retail from resale. IMO it'd be unreasonable to think they shouldn't. It's a lot easier and cheaper to negatively impact resale than to try to continuously court retail by adding on, plus there's no end if that's the route they went. They do leave a lot of potential tours on the table. You can't please everyone, if they're more aggressive with roping people in for tours or in the sales process, some will complain as well. Much of the things you mention either aren't within DVC's control or are very costly. Personally I think they should reach out to the guests on property who aren't members, differential retail vs retail more than they have and be more aggressive in the sales process all.

 

[disneynutz]

And the sad thing is - completely unnecessary.

Disney ignores more potential customers than other timeshare companies ever even see.

A few tweaks to how DVC markets would give them all the business they wanted without alienating people who are otherwise committing to spending 10s of thousands of dollars over decades at Disney.

I'm sure their current strategy is effective. It's just unnecessary.

Here's just a few ideas that would give DVC all the business it could build out:

1. Actually reach out to guests staying on DVC property who aren't members. That's as simple as putting an offer to tour and a "guide's" phone number on a flyer tucked into check in docs.

Permanently book out one of the 3 rooms at Be Our Guest and offer a 1.5 hour tour over a free meal. Make that offer in the flyer for non member guests.

2. Put a DVC rest area in each park and brag about it at the front entrance "Welcome Home DVC members! Your private ClubHouse is located in the Imagination Pavilion. (Find out how YOU can be a member, today.)"

3. 1 Extra Anytime FP per guest per day for members staying on points. (Member must be present in room.) This costs nothing, the mechanism already exists to do it and it would have a profound effect on the exact target audience: people who come to WDW routinely. If I know I'm coming back the next several years, let's check out how to get that extra FP...

4. This is something they used to do and should be standard fare: comp current tix and on site room charges for signing up.

I could think of others and have in the past. DVC has a potential to reach out to what, 200,000 guests each day? 250,000? (4 parks, 2 water parks, and Disney Springs)

Before they alienated people committing to spend 10s of thousands of dollars with them, they should have explored how to reach out more effectively to their captive audiences.

It wouldn't be that difficult.

All timeshares do what Disney is currently doing. BECAUSE of Disney's unique audience, they could afford not to do so.

Disney used to cultivate the advantages it's unique position gave them: the Disney Difference.

Due to real estate laws and policies, DVD is limited to what they are allowed to do. In addition, DVD/DVC is such a small part of the Disney organization, they aren't given much power by the other Disney business units or groups. Once a contract is sold, Disney has a customer for the life of the contract so treating resale buyers poorly doesn't hurt them at all. In fact additional contracts are sold as resale owners buy additional contracts direct to regain the perks even though most may not take advantage of them.

Bill

 

[miTnosnhoJ]

Many years ago when I was selling mainframes for IBM, we had a saying that there were "Selling Apples" and "Installing Apples". There were those features that you built up and made important during the sales process. And then there were those features that actually mattered day-to-day when you installed and used the computer.

In this case, "selling apples" include:

1. access to special events (but you plan your trips 11 months in advance, and these events are not announced until 6 months prior, so most people don't get access - even those booking at 7 months out.
2. Using points for cruises. Sounds important, but not a good deal when you pull back the covers.
3. Using points for ABD. Not an efficient use of points.
4. Using points for Disney Hotels. You are better off paying cash.
5. Discounts on food, merchandise. This one is valuable and easy to use, but not in relation to the price. And it is just good marketing to sell people access to a kitchen, and then persuade them not to use it.
6. Annual Pass discounts. Valuable, but can go away at any time. And you can buy a lot of platinum AP's with the money you save buying resale.
7. RCI and other external timeshare opportunities. This is a selling Apple used to beat back the objection that we don't always want to go to Disney. In practice, not much used.
8. Disney can be trusted, unlike certain fly by night timeshare operations.

"Installing Apples" include:

1. Ability to book vacations for up to 50 years at a substantial discount from rack rates.
2. Eleven month booking advantage at your home resort
3. 7 months booking at all DVC resorts.
4. In my experience, Disney delivers on the promise of great vacations. The promises they made they kept. YMMV.

We could argue over whether the Annual Pass discount is a selling apple or an installing apple. It is, in my view, a selling apple because if it were part of the product, they would include it in the price of the contract. (I understand that in the early days of OKW, park tickets WERE part of the offering.) Not all people find AP's useful. A lot of people buy DVC with only enough points to come every other year or every three years. APs appeal to owners who have enough points to come multiple times in a single year. So once again, sounds important, but not so important for most people.

 

[Cyberc1978]

Also remember if no one bought direct, then no one could buy resale.

Almost all timeshare systems have benefits for those buying direct, i.e. Hilton has bonus points and their elites member tiers. It's the developers way of sweetened the deal, although I think DVC talk of perks is not much of a perk.

I think DVC need to do more, but as long as they can sell what they have, why offer more.

Regards.

 

[McCrae]

And the sad thing is - completely unnecessary.

Disney ignores more potential customers than other timeshare companies ever even see.

A few tweaks to how DVC markets would give them all the business they wanted without alienating people who are otherwise committing to spending 10s of thousands of dollars over decades at Disney.

I'm sure their current strategy is effective. It's just unnecessary.

Here's just a few ideas that would give DVC all the business it could build out:

1. Actually reach out to guests staying on DVC property who aren't members. That's as simple as putting an offer to tour and a "guide's" phone number on a flyer tucked into check in docs.

Permanently book out one of the 3 rooms at Be Our Guest and offer a 1.5 hour tour over a free meal. Make that offer in the flyer for non member guests.

2. Put a DVC rest area in each park and brag about it at the front entrance "Welcome Home DVC members! Your private ClubHouse is located in the Imagination Pavilion. (Find out how YOU can be a member, today.)"

3. 1 Extra Anytime FP per guest per day for members staying on points. (Member must be present in room.) This costs nothing, the mechanism already exists to do it and it would have a profound effect on the exact target audience: people who come to WDW routinely. If I know I'm coming back the next several years, let's check out how to get that extra FP...

4. This is something they used to do and should be standard fare: comp current tix and on site room charges for signing up.

I could think of others and have in the past. DVC has a potential to reach out to what, 200,000 guests each day? 250,000? (4 parks, 2 water parks, and Disney Springs)

Before they alienated people committing to spend 10s of thousands of dollars with them, they should have explored how to reach out more effectively to their captive audiences.

It wouldn't be that difficult.

All timeshares do what Disney is currently doing. BECAUSE of Disney's unique audience, they could afford not to do so.

Disney used to cultivate the advantages it's unique position gave them: the Disney Difference.

Can't see why Disney would do this. No need. Points are selling well and still have very high customer satisfaction ratings. The do not have a problem reaching out to customers and generating interest.

 

[McCrae]

Me and my wife are finally thinking about taking the plunge and buy DVC. I hate that Disney is limiting access to the extras. I know benefits are always subject to change or go away completely, But come on can't use the new members lunge, because bought resale. That free coke really going to break Disney!! Resale is more economical choice for me and my family, so want change my mind and buy direct. Just a little venting. I will at least have the best benefit and that is staying at a wonderful DVC resort.

Do you also hate buying an economy plane ticket and not getting the same extras as first class?

People who buy direct have IMO a better reason to complain about resale buyers having relatively such a good deal.

 

[disneynutz]

When sales go flat DVD does all kinds of things to increase sales, so people stop buying direct.
Bonus points, developer points, even free DCL cruises have been used in the past as enticements. We got a 7 day cruise when we bought BLT.

Bill

 

[Matty B13]

Do you also hate buying an economy plane ticket and not getting the same extras as first class?

People who buy direct have IMO a better reason to complain about resale buyers having relatively such a good deal.

The fact that there is such a healthy resale market is one of the huge reason's we bought into DVC and not another timeshare. Also, a healthy resale market has allowed DVD to steadily increase their prices, which also benefits all owners, direct or resale. I'm sure DVD wouldn't admit this, but the resale market has benefited them greatly.

 

[supersnoop]

Notice how DVC has a knack for opening up a new resort just as the previous one sells out? That's not by accident. If they sold more contracts, then they'd run out of contracts to sell. They can only build so much so quickly.

 

[ziravan]

Notice how DVC has a knack for opening up a new resort just as the previous one sells out? That's not by accident. If they sold more contracts, then they'd run out of contracts to sell. They can only build so much so quickly.

Again. All the more reason to be something different than every other timeshare.

It's evident (by their first marketing plan at OKW) that DVC and Disney originally thought they'd have to add things like long term APs to sell DVC at a fraction of the inflation adjusted price they're selling today. They are earning so much more per point WITHOUT having to give up on the revenue they gain with all of us buying park admissions, etc.

Indeed, they've spent the last 15 yrs deliberately seeking out their maximum price point.

It's much higher than they first dreamed.

DVC can afford magnanimity.

After all, Aulani aside, they're only building so many points at a time.

And that's really my point. Making a dig at the resale market is so unnecessary.

 

[Dean]

Again. All the more reason to be something different than every other timeshare.

It's evident (by their first marketing plan at OKW) that DVC and Disney originally thought they'd have to add things like long term APs to sell DVC at a fraction of the inflation adjusted price they're selling today. They are earning so much more per point WITHOUT having to give up on the revenue they gain with all of us buying park admissions, etc.

Indeed, they've spent the last 15 yrs deliberately seeking out their maximum price point.

It's much higher than they first dreamed.

DVC can afford magnanimity.

After all, Aulani aside, they're only building so many points at a time.

And that's really my point. Making a dig at the resale market is so unnecessary.

Maybe, maybe not. In reality sales of certain resorts have lagged compared to expectations on DVD's side including SSR, VB, HH, Poly and Aulani. To the point they abandoned at least 3, and likely 4 or 5, off property projects in the earlier years. I would agree there are a lot of other things they could do but sales is a year by year proposition, what they've done in the past few years is simply a floor for the next years expectations. In reality they were almost oblivious when they started selling OKW, they really didn't know what to expect. Just go back and compare BWV points to OKW. Why should they settling? Why not protect their brand and retail product? IMO they should further differentiate between retail and resale from a company standpoint. There are lots of things they could do and maybe should do that hasn't been done. Plus they didn't have to grandfather resale buyers with the last changes.

 

[ziravan]

Maybe, maybe not. In reality sales of certain resorts have lagged compared to expectations on DVD's side including SSR, VB, HH, Poly and Aulani. To the point they abandoned at least 3, and likely 4 or 5, off property projects in the earlier years. I would agree there are a lot of other things they could do but sales is a year by year proposition, what they've done in the past few years is simply a floor for the next years expectations. In reality they were almost oblivious when they started selling OKW, they really didn't know what to expect. Just go back and compare BWV points to OKW. Why should they settling? Why not protect their brand and retail product? IMO they should further differentiate between retail and resale from a company standpoint. There are lots of things they could do and maybe should do that hasn't been done. Plus they didn't have to grandfather resale buyers with the last changes.

Then they should change the name to something other than Club. Especially Disney with all the history that being a member of "the club" might mean. M-I-C...

K-E-Y....

Clubs don't have members and purchasers. They have members. Period.

Full disclosure: I own both resale and direct points. I'm not affected by the 4/4 change. I still think it doesn't fit the marketing of "a club".

 

[Matty B13]

Maybe, maybe not. In reality sales of certain resorts have lagged compared to expectations on DVD's side including SSR, VB, HH, Poly and Aulani. To the point they abandoned at least 3, and likely 4 or 5, off property projects in the earlier years. I would agree there are a lot of other things they could do but sales is a year by year proposition, what they've done in the past few years is simply a floor for the next years expectations. In reality they were almost oblivious when they started selling OKW, they really didn't know what to expect. Just go back and compare BWV points to OKW. Why should they settling? Why not protect their brand and retail product? IMO they should further differentiate between retail and resale from a company standpoint. There are lots of things they could do and maybe should do that hasn't been done. Plus they didn't have to grandfather resale buyers with the last changes.

If they were to differentiate direct sales from resales, I would think that direct purchasers would want it written into the deed/contract they sign with DVC for the "perks". But currently all the perks are subject to change at anytime and have, according to several people here. If it is written into the contract, wouldn't the "perks" have to go with the deed/contract during resale?

 

[Dean]

Then they should change the name to something other than Club. Especially Disney with all the history that being a member of "the club" might mean. M-I-C...

K-E-Y....

Clubs don't have members and purchasers. They have members. Period.

Full disclosure: I own both resale and direct points. I'm not affected by the 4/4 change. I still think it doesn't fit the marketing of "a club".

It's a timeshare no more and no less. Any informed owner will know that. Reading more into it than that is simply being ill informed and/or making assumptions that are legally and technically inaccurate. Everyone gets what they paid for but some may get a few crumbs more.

If they were to differentiate direct sales from resales, I would think that direct purchasers would want it written into the deed/contract they sign with DVC for the "perks". But currently all the perks are subject to change at anytime and have, according to several people here. If it is written into the contract, wouldn't the "perks" have to go with the deed/contract during resale?

It's written in that they are not guaranteed and we all bought knowing that or at least we should have known. Resale buyers take on the legal responsibilities of the original buyer in terms of risk and contractual paperwork.

 

[Brian Noble]

DVC can afford magnanimity. ... Making a dig at the resale market is so unnecessary.

Yes, they can afford it. No, it is not necessary. But, the current path is perfectly consistent with TWDC generally. It's in the company's DNA to be annoyed whenever anyone else profits off of their proximity to the Mouse, and has been since the days of Walt bemoaning all the second-rate motels surrounding Disneyland. Mickey always gets his cheese.

 

[Matty B13]

I would think that guaranteed "perks" are lot more valuable than "perks" that can disappear at anytime to a prospective direct buyer. I think if they take away the AP discount, there would really no reason to buy direct.

 

[Dean]

I would think that guaranteed "perks" are lot more valuable than "perks" that can disappear at anytime to a prospective direct buyer. I think if they take away the AP discount, there would really no reason to buy direct.

None of the perks are guarantees, all that's guarantees is the ability to use the home resort and certain parameters on being members of the "club" and using other resorts "depending". The only perk that I can think of that was guaranteed was the free passes for OKW & VB owners early on and those did transfer resale and would today if applicable.

 

[Dtw002]

Just bought resale. Do you get a DVC card with membership #? Or is that one of the perks not afforded to resale?

 

[Matty B13]

Just bought resale. Do you get a DVC card with membership #? Or is that one of the perks not afforded to resale?

"No soup for you!" You get the white membership card for resale owners, which only affords you a few perks. Like access to TOWL lounge, DVD rentals at the resort your staying at, pool hopping a a few more.

 

[kmorlock]

We are very new and trying to learn about DVC in the resale world. What, if any of the pre 4/4 "perks" are still available to resale buyers? Specifically, Pool hopping, discounts of any kind, taking the DVC boat shuttle to Disney Springs at OKW, purchasing add-on points as an owner? Any other info the DVC "experts" can help with is great! TIA!!!