DVC members/Why no free internet for us?

[paults]

if you want the service then pay for it.

I don't and therefore don't want my dues raise so someone else can check e-mails and whatever.


when I'm on vacation I don't need a laptop

 

[*elaine*]

if you want the service then pay for it.

I don't and therefore don't want my dues raise so someone else can check e-mails and whatever.


when I'm on vacation I don't need a laptop

No offense, but then the argument could be made about a number of services we DO receive. Should we then do away with all services that not everyone uses?

For example, we live too far to drive to WDW, so we fly in. And we don't rent a car.

when I'm on vacation, I don't need a car. I live in the DC area and spend plenty of time in the car as it is.

But I'm paying for everyone else who is DVC to get free valet parking.



Again, I'm not complaining, but I think that people who are looking for a break on internet access are making a valid point. It isn't as though free internet access is an unheard of luxury these days. And I'd be happy paying cost, rather than mark-up, for internet access as a member.

 

[bobbiwoz]

When we joined, DVC got free local calls, we don't anymore. I would like that back before internet service.

Bobbi

 

[jade1]

Its free on the second floor BWV above Big River Grille.

We used it for weather and radar, dumped our pics and sent some to family-OK rubbed it in, the Disboards-it really enhanced the stay-UPDATED THIS BOARD ON THE POOL TEMPS, something to do while the kids wake up, DW read the dailly Soap board-go figure.

Soon we will be entering our secret code and pre printing our 3 daily advance fastpasses and selecting our dining reservations etc.

we will currently pay for it, but also dont mind finding out actual costs and comparisons etc.

 

[MaryJ]

Dh and I take a 3 week WDW trip every year sometimes twice a year. DH owns his own company so having access to his emails is the only way we can do this long stay. He tries to do an every other day overlap to get the most time possible. We've stayed at other hotels, not disney, and have received free access. I think when the resorts that have a full service hotel attached get complaints/requests about free access from the "other side" of the lobby we will see a change but until then we'll continue to pay.

We are in this situation too. When you own your own business, checking in by email is almost a "have-to" situation, especially in our case where many of the emails originate overseas. I would be happy just to see a reduced rate...maybe $5.95/day or $40/week....for internet usage. We no longer have a ISP that allows us to use dial-up, and even if we did, local calls are not free to DVC members, just reduced (.35 instead of .75). It seems that if DVC can negotiate a deal like this for phone calls, they should be able to work something out for the internet. And for those of you who say "I never use the internet while at DVC," I have only used the phone once in the last 5 trips to WDW (to phone MS). Does that mean I don't want a phone in my room? Of course not! And I would be happy to pay for using it if I need to.

My recent experiences with internet services at various timeshare resorts other than DVC:

Marriott Sabal Palms Orlando: free wi-fi
Marriott Grande Vista Orlando: free wi-fi
Marriott Horizons Orlando: free wi-fi
Hilton Grand Vacation Club Seaworld Orlando: free wi-fi
Hitlon Grand Vacation Club Tuscany Orlando: free wi-fi
Hilton Grand Vacation Club Miami Beach: free wi-fi
Hyatt Coconut Plantation Bonita Springs Fl: free dsl
Hyatt Windward Pointe Key West: wi-fi @$10/day or $30/4 days or $50/7 days
Sanibel Cottages Sanibel Island Fl: wi-fi $10 for 7 days
Eagles Nest Marco Island Fl: free wi-fi in lobby
Seawatch Ft Myers Beach: free wi-fi in lobby
Sheraton Broadway Myrtle Beach SC: none
Swallowtail Hilton Head: none

You can also add the Bonnet Creek Resort to this list. We stayed there with my sister's family in March and were surprised to find out that in room internet was free.

 

[Deb & Bill]

The Grand California has free high speed (not wi fi) but you actually pay for it through the daily resort fee which also includes a paper, parking in the self parking lot.

 

[cavecricket]

I will stand by my earlier post....If you want it...you can pay for it.

maybe they should allow you to use your points towards internet access...like 1pt per day .... same thing right?...either way you will pay for it, this way no one else has to if they dont use it.

 

[Chuck S]

It seems that if DVC can negotiate a deal like this for phone calls, they should be able to work something out for the internet.

I'm not sure this was "negotiated" with anyone. The cost of providing phone equipment is included in the initial cost of a resort (ie, DVC members paid for the physical equipment when they bought their points). The cost of providing outside line access is controlled by the resort, not the phone company. It is much easier for DVC to offer this type of discount rather than dealing with an outside internet service vendor. Disney (corp) may have negotiated a master contract with the internet provider at $10 per day, with the provider doing the install of the equipment. DVC wouldn't have a lot of input into that type of negotiation. The same is true of the valet parking, people that own at the resorts that offer valet pay part of the salary for the valets under a contract with the attached resort. The internet provider, does not receive a fee (that we know of) whether the service is used or not, thus folks using the service pay for the service.

 

[dvc_john]

To the 'if you want it, pay for it yourself' crowd:

There are plenty of things I pay for in dues that I don't use. Maybe some of these should be fee based instead of dues base!

Telephone
Cable TV
DVD players
pool slides
lifeguards
magical express
fitness centers
tennis courts
valet parking
bell services

 

[crisi]

To the 'if you want it, pay for it yourself' crowd:

There are plenty of things I pay for in dues that I don't use. Maybe some of these should be fee based instead of dues base!

Telephone
Cable TV
DVD players
pool slides
lifeguards
magical express
fitness centers
tennis courts
valet parking
bell services

Many of those things were included when I purchased the resort...the room had TV, Cable, etc...and I knew upfront that was going to be part of my dues. The exception for me is Magical Express, and I wish they WOULD charge for that if it is increasing dues. (For OKW owners, the pool slide and lifeguards are post purchase increases - we own BWV, we knew about the pool slide going in). DVD players weren't in the rooms when I purchased, but are a technology change from the VCRs that were....and were upgraded for about the same replacement cost.

 

[cavecricket]

McDonalds is now wi-fi right?

I wonder if the one on property is??????? Maybe worth looking into!

To the 'if you want it, pay for it yourself' crowd:

There are plenty of things I pay for in dues that I don't use. Maybe some of these should be fee based instead of dues base!

Telephone
Cable TV
DVD players
pool slides
lifeguards
magical express
fitness centers
tennis courts
valet parking
bell services

 

[salmoneous]

We don't know that DVC, as an entity, is making $$$ from the internet service. It may be Disney Corp that is getting the profit.

Which would be kinda distrubing, don't you think? At least if DVC is making the profit, it goes to offset other costs. If somebody is going to make a profit off internet-viewing DVC's, I'd rather it be other DVC'ers than Dinsey shareholders.

 

[Paging Tom Morrow]

Eventually DVC is going to be "forced" to offer free internet in the rooms as it becomes the norm in the travel industry. It would be nice if DVC was a leader and not a follower for this transition.

Yes, we will see a nominal increase in our maintenance fees, but internet service costs have come down dramatically even as bandwidth has increased.

 

[Anewman]

McDonalds is now wi-fi right?

I wonder if the one on property is??????? Maybe worth looking into!

McDonalds wi-fi is not free, think it is like $3 for 2 hours.

 

[tjkraz]

Which would be kinda distrubing, don't you think? At least if DVC is making the profit, it goes to offset other costs. If somebody is going to make a profit off internet-viewing DVC's, I'd rather it be other DVC'ers than Dinsey shareholders.

I'm sure someone is making a profit off of it, but certainly not DVC itself. This is no different than dining at Cape May Cafe or buying a gift shop souvenir. Both represent services offered at DVC resorts, but clearly there is profit built into the pricing.

Eventually DVC is going to be "forced" to offer free internet in the rooms as it becomes the norm in the travel industry. It would be nice if DVC was a leader and not a follower for this transition.

Not necessarily. There are still many hotels, often upscale, who charge additional fees for things like daily parking, airport shuttles and even the use of health club facilities.

Interestingly, until about a year ago, the Dolphin and Swan charged guests a daily fee of about $16 per night (I think they called it a "resort fee") which included Internet service, use of the health club and a couple other things. That fee has since been eliminated and those are now a la carte services.

Until internet service cost becomes a make-or-break point as guests decide whether to stay on-site or off-site, Disney can charge whatever they wish and the impact on occupancy will be negligible.

 

[Sammie]

Not necessarily. There are still many hotels, often upscale, who charge additional fees for things like daily parking, airport shuttles and even the use of health club facilities

Several upscale New York hotels charge for the bathroom tolietries. It's like a mini bar, you either bring your own, or what is used is charged to your bill.

I think free Internet is becoming the norm for business hotels, not sure DVC fits that category.

 

[Towncrier]

When we joined, DVC got free local calls, we don't anymore. I would like that back before internet service.

Bobbi

Do you recall the year that our DVC dues went down? I was told at the annual meeting that the lowering of dues was a direct result of eliminating the free local calls for members. We still get a discounted rate for those local calls, but the amount of money that I saved in dues more than offset the loss of free calls.

I'm not so sure that I want to pay the increased dues to cover "free" internet access.

 

[CarolA]

Wrong! We just finished a 12 day travelling vacation and never once paid for an internet connection. And this included stays at so called budget motels. If nothing else, we're paying for DVC's mistake---most organization's with a clue or sense of customer relations would have bit the bullet by now and absorbed the cost. Since DVC has us as a captive group, there's no need for them to consider it. One of the few negatives of DVC ownership.....JMHO

Yes its free at buget and costs at deluxe. So the Fairfield Inn is free and the Marriott charges. (And it's called marketing. Disney does NOT need free internet to sell rooms, La Quinta does!)

I don't ever expect it to be free at Disney. Disney does NOT work like normal hotels. (How many of those hotels did you stay at that did NOT have pay per view movies??? Ever seen that at Disney) Disney does not want you ON the internet, they want you IN the parks spending money. Whole different model then the Days Inn, Marriotts etc.


I pay and I use it. I don't think that all the rest of you should pay for me to use it....

 

[Kenswing]

I can understand paying for internet access. But why $10 a day? None of us (I hope) pays $300 a month for access at home. Why does Disney get that much? Even at $5 a day, they're making $150 a month.

Ken

 

[bruceb]

I just got back from a 7 day trip. I was pretty disappointed to find that Disney was charging so much for internet access. I am a relatively frequent business traveller - and I have to say that $10/day for non-wf-fi is a real rip-off. At least provide it at cost - which is nowhere near $10/day considering that most people don't even use if for more than an hour per day.