DVC Mission Statement - Reason for being DVC

[sandieb]

This post is really spurred by the post on if DVC is losing it focus, but I think it is broader than that so:

This is the Walt Disney Company mission statement:

"The mission of The Walt Disney Company is to be one of the world's leading producers and providers of entertainment and information. Using our portfolio of brands to differentiate our content, services and consumer products, we seek to develop the most creative, innovative and profitable entertainment experiences and related products in the world."

Recently in the Disney Files magazine the new DVC president, Claire I don't remember her last name, stressed the DVC mission statement as providing wonderful vacations for it members.
I can't find my copy does anyone still have theirs?

Frankly, with very few brief exceptions, our vacations over the last decade as DVC members have been spectacular. So much so, that we now have 4 contracts at BCV & HH.

Our vacations are so much fun that when we take non-DVC vacations we are comparing them and they come up short. Recently we went to Senaca Lake, NY on a camping/fishing trip. We spent $1400 on a charter and boat rental and caught 9 fish. It was hot. The area is lovely, but economically depressed. No one was interested in whether my vacation was wonderful or not. The couple times we ate out, the food was terrible - our best meal out was at McDonalds!!!!! I could go on...

So, if you could think back on your experiences as a DVC member whereby member services works to find you what you want/need, the website developments, the wonderful CMs, the great restraurants, the lovely grounds, the swimming pools, parks, clubs, entertainment, shops. etc. - and does the mission of WD/DVC hold up?

 

[KatieRach]

Thank you.
I was hesitant about responding, for I felt almost like an odd man out. We have been fortunate to have traveled a great deal and I honestly believe that the DVC vacations have been our most enjoyable. We couldn't be more more satisfied with our purchase. I feel we get so much more out of our Disney trips than vacations to other places. Count me as a firm believer of the DVC/Disney magic.

 

[disneynutz]

Disney is a magical vacation, that's why we love it there. DVC provides us a room and it's the DVC that needs some work IMO.

Bill

 

[disney212]

I agree, I have lived and traveled abroad. I have visited 20+ countries (thanks to the US Army) and vacation in many of them. I have been going to WDW since I was a small child and chose to purchase 2 contracts at DVC within the last 2 years. We love Disney and find that if we have a problem that the CMs do seem to care. It is one of the only places we have found this to be true. And yes, I have visited many other theme parks. Love that Disney

 

[Monorail Purple&Gold]

We are in the same boat, we love being members, find the quality of our trip experiences have only increased since joining, and recognizing what DVC is (prepaying for deluxe types accommodations for the next 50 years) the addition has exceeded our expectations! Our experience has shown to us DVC has provided for us what the mission statement has expressed.

 

[com_op_2000]

We love our DVC.
We would not sell for any reason that we can think of.
We just recently added on.
Any problems we have had at any resort, DCL, or park; has always been resolved to our satisfaction.
DVC has allowed us to enjoy vacations that we never would of had, but for us owning DVC.
The memories we have had and are expecting in the future keep us well entertained.

 

[Deb & Bill]

This post is really spurred by the post on if DVC is losing it focus, but I think it is broader than that so:

This is the Walt Disney Company mission statement:

"The mission of The Walt Disney Company is to be one of the world's leading producers and providers of entertainment and information. Using our portfolio of brands to differentiate our content, services and consumer products, we seek to develop the most creative, innovative and profitable entertainment experiences and related products in the world."

Recently in the Disney Files magazine the new DVC president, Claire I don't remember her last name, stressed the DVC mission statement as providing wonderful vacations for it members.....

It better damn well be their mission. Otherwise, what would their mission be? To take as much money from members as possible? And they seem to be pretty good at that one. I wish their mission wasn't to let guests get away with as much BS as possible and still give the guest what they want and more.

Note the word "profitable" in the WDC mission statement. And of course, they need to make a profit for their stockholders and the bigwigs at the top. I wouldn't expect anything less.

I actually find most mission statements are just a bunch of words unless the company truely takes them to heart.

Oh, and, bah humbug.

 

[crisi]

Sure, but I can't think of a vacation I've had anywhere that wasn't wonderful - ok, one - we went camping, we aren't campers, it was incredibly hot the weekend we went, and the place we went had HUGE horseflies. But other than that, we've had wonderful vacations. I've had wonderful vacations where my hotel reservation got lost, wonderful vacations where I've slept in trains or on floors. A wonderful vacation where we were evacuated for a tsunami. Great vacations where we've spent way too much time in airports. I've even spent wonderful weekends staying at my sister's with my brother in law home It isn't much of a goal, most people are easy to please on vacation.

Now, the question could be "does DVC and WDW hold up to our non-WDW vacations?" And for us, now, the answer is no. We enjoy other vacations more. We've stayed in far nicer hotels and eaten way better food. But we often pay a lot more for accommodations than we do for DVC - its a good value, but it doesn't favorably compare to what we do when we don't travel at Disney.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Sure, but I can't think of a vacation I've had anywhere that wasn't wonderful - ok, one - we went camping, we aren't campers, it was incredibly hot the weekend we went, and the place we went had HUGE horseflies. But other than that, we've had wonderful vacations. I've had wonderful vacations where my hotel reservation got lost, wonderful vacations where I've slept in trains or on floors. A wonderful vacation where we were evacuated for a tsunami. Great vacations where we've spent way too much time in airports. I've even spent wonderful weekends staying at my sister's with my brother in law home It isn't much of a goal, most people are easy to please on vacation.

Now, the question could be "does DVC and WDW hold up to our non-WDW vacations?" And for us, now, the answer is no. We enjoy other vacations more. We've stayed in far nicer hotels and eaten way better food. But we often pay a lot more for accommodations than we do for DVC - its a good value, but it doesn't favorably compare to what we do when we don't travel at Disney.

I agree, crisi. We've had some pretty wonderful vacations pre-DVC and post-DVC in Yellowstone, Glacier National Park, Marco Island, and, most recently, NW Arkansas.

 

[Starr W.]

I agree, crisi. We've had some pretty wonderful vacations pre-DVC and post-DVC in Yellowstone, Glacier National Park, Marco Island, and, most recently, NW Arkansas.

I am marking this day down, agreeing with both Deb & Crisi!

While we enjoy our WDW DVC trips, you ask either kid(16/11) and WDW is probably 3rd-4th on the their list. Washington DC, Hawaii, Park City UT, N. Michigan and even DVC Vero Beach come out before WDW.

That's why we are taking a break, going to DL this year and going skiing for MLK weekend instead WDW. Will be staying a few days in Orlando before heading to VB, but will be at Wyndham Reunion instead of DVC. Kids

We're off the Beaver Creek, CO next week.

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

I'm a big DVC fan and absolutely love our WDW vacations. We average two-to-three weeks at WDW every year. I've never regretted purchasing our three contracts and anticipate that, before all is said and done, we'll probably wind up owning even more points.

I frequently recommend WDW vacations to friends and co-workers, and in cases where I think it's a good fit, have also recommended DVC.

Having said all that, it doesn't mean I find every aspect of DVC or WDW to be flawless. Just because it has the Disney name on it doesn't mean it's perfect. I'm a firm believer in pointing out that the Emperor has no clothes if he truly is walking around in the nude, but at the same time, I'm not one to cry foul that "my whole vacation was ruined" because of a small flub or fault.

My parents own several Marriott and Fairfield timeshare weeks in the Florida area, so before we purchased our DVC contracts I had a lot of experience with other, off-site timeshare accommodations. In general, I'd say that my experience has been that these other timeshares offer larger rooms and have better upkeep. We still chose DVC, and continue to prefer our DVC stays over something out in town (even if the off-site location is a nicer room).

Yes, it's disappointing to walk into a villa and find a torn couch, broken lamp, or chipped table. It's also a little embarrassing when you've invited friends or family to share a villa with you and "your" timeshare looks a little tattered. It’s also disappointing (and uncomfortable) when a mattress is way past its prime, yet still in use. Maid service that isn’t up to par, a check-in experience that didn’t go well, a cast member with an unexpected poor attitude, a request that couldn’t be accommodated… yeah, these are all disappointing, too.

I would certainly like to see DVC improve in these areas.

But when all's said and done, these minor disappointments or slight inconveniences don't taint the overall experience for us. Perhaps we have a high tolerance for dealing with such things. As evidenced by the posts that appear on this board from time to time, not everyone has that same level of tolerance. I don’t mean to sound judgmental with that statement – we all have different preferences, tastes, and expectations. Disney has done a wonderful job over the years in establishing their brand and associating it with excellence. That sets a high expectation with people who use Disney products, and those expectations aren’t always achievable. I suppose we’ve been vacationing with DVC long enough that our expectations, through experience, are closer to the realities of DVC.

My overall outlook is Hey! We're at Disney World! We have accommodations that include home-like conveniences that wouldn't be found in a standard hotel room (kitchens, whirlpool baths, washers & dryers). We often have very “Disney” views and unmatched access to the theme parks (think BLT, BCV, BWV, and AKV -- you can't get closer than that!) We get resorts that are wonderfully themed, beautifully landscaped, and full of tiny details and surprises. We get Disney resort perks like Magical Express, Extra Magic Hours, transportation, room charging, and package delivery. We get a great discount on annual passes and some other DVC-specific perks thrown in here and there.

Bottom line: I'm happy with our purchase and would do it again.

The OP indicated that DVC's mission statement should be something along the lines of "providing wonderful vacations for it members." I'd agree that this sentiment should be a tenet of the DVC mission. As a publicly-traded company, though, the ability to make a sustainable profit is also a part of their mission. I'm ok with that. I also want their mission to have “affordability” as a consideration – I want improvements, but also don’t want to pay $40 per point in annual dues. Many of the things I mentioned in my “disappointments” paragraph would involve extra staff or increased spending on refurbishment. It’s important that DVC find the right balance between the three concepts of wonderful vacations, affordability, and profit. They’ve got it really close, but a little bit of tweaking would be welcomed.

Come on, admit it… hands in the air… how many of us have participated in both “maid service is poor/furniture needs to be replaced threads” and “I can’t believe how much dues went up” threads? Yep. There’s the dilemma.

 

[BEASLYBOO]

Sure, but I can't think of a vacation I've had anywhere that wasn't wonderful -

Totally agree!

My DVC purchase is not & was not ever intended to be my only mode of vacationing. As a Floridian though, I've been able to share our DVC with our local friends, they just buy park tickets, I provide the rest and it's an affordable few days for every one! Something I couldn't or wouldn't do when we vacation out of state or abroad!

We've had many wonderful times at Disney with our friends & family and DVC is a positive addition to the whole experience!

 

[BWV Dreamin]

I am marking this day down, agreeing with both Deb & Crisi!

While we enjoy our WDW DVC trips, you ask either kid(16/11) and WDW is probably 3rd-4th on the their list. Washington DC, Hawaii, Park City UT, N. Michigan and even DVC Vero Beach come out before WDW.

That's why we are taking a break, going to DL this year and going skiing for MLK weekend instead WDW. Will be staying a few days in Orlando before heading to VB, but will be at Wyndham Reunion instead of DVC. Kids

We're off the Beaver Creek, CO next week.

After October ( F&W at OKW with Universal) we are skipping WDWIS for two years. We have NCL Alaska cruise booked for next May and then California/DL trip planned for September 2013. ( My son lives in LA so he will be our tour guide)

 

[BWV Dreamin]

After October ( F&W at OKW with Universal) we are skipping WDW for two years. We have NCL Alaska cruise booked for next May and then California/DL trip planned for September 2013. ( My son lives in LA so he will be our tour guide)

Star, OT how about that crew chief change!!

 

[Starr W.]

Star, OT how about that crew chief change!!

Sad to see Bob have to leave, but according to some insiders he called the meeting and said he needed to get off the box due to health issues. I'll miss the witty conversations with Bob/Carl and Jason. Though John thinks I have a huge crush on Bob Osborne.

So as not to pirate this thread with 99 talk, back to DVC! Not sure when we will get back to WDW at the moment. Early November 2013, I'm looking to cruise with a bunch of ladies I met on Cruise Critic. That's kind of a moveable date, looking for deals.

So my guess the earliest WDW trip maybe January 2014 or May 2014. But you'll see me on here in 6 months with 2 trips planned and doing strategic planning on buying an AP.