DVC new 2005 Annual Discount - I am only eligible for just ONE !

[Horace Horsecollar]

I really did send the "email" to MEMBER SERVICES.

I hope they are laughing, it is my attempt to make them feel silly on the subject.

I doubt that the folks at Member Services will "feel silly" because and this really has nothing to do with Member Services.

DVC/DVD management worked out an agreement with WDW theme park operations to extend a new AP/PAP discount to DVC members. Presumably, this will be good business for DVD because DVC Guides will be able to use this as a sales tool. Many DVC members will be happier (and may spend more in the process). And, presumably, this discount will greatly increase the number of DVC members who actually buy annual passes. And, none of us know what other "deals" were made as part or this agreement.

They had to come up with rules that would allow the discount to be available to more than just "mom-dad-and-two-kids" families -- but not so liberal that DVC members could buy passes for the neighbors or their "Internet buddies."

Meanwhile, the folks at Member Services help DVC members with vacation arrangements. They don't control the pricing and rules for theme park admission media.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

I was wondering if my fiancee would get the discount? We have a house together and he is able to make ressies for our DVC trips although he is not on the deed. Since we have the same address how would they know if he is my fiancee or my BIL living in the same house? Since if you live with your BIL he is able to get your discount.

My guess is that two adults with IDs showing the same address will have no trouble buying DVC-discounted APs or PAPs. I really doubt that the CMs will be instructed to quiz potential AP/PAP buyers about the exact nature of their relationship. And I doubt that age or same/opposite sex will matter. There are even plenty of married couples who don't share the same last name.

I don't think Disney will expect a packet of documentation -- just a blue DVC card and DL or state ID for each adult, with the same address on each card.

 

[crisi]

Why do you think so, sjdisneywedding? All adult Florida residents have to show ID. All adult DVC members have to show ID indicating the same address as the member with the blue DVC card. I suppose that is a little more difficult, but not much. It does make the DVC card (one of those pieces of plastic I carry that has no value to me) more valuable than its been in the past. Formerly, if I wanted to make sure I got the discount at Marrakesh, I might want to be sure I carried my DVC card - for a $10 discount - but I'd probably be able to get it with my room key that said "DVC Member." Now I'll need it (well, I won't, this discount isn't cost effective for me) if I want to take advantage of the AP discount.

I suppose there are cases where people have moved in together (say post wedding) where there addresses do not yet match. And I'm sure this has been the case for Florida residents as well - when you first move there, you may not yet have proper id to prove yourself a resident. But for the majority of adults, you should have some form of ID that indicates your address. Either it matches the address of the person with the blue member card, or it doesn't. I really can't worry too much about someone who can't be bothered to change their state ID (which is difficult to get, at least in my state, without a utility bill stating you live there, or someone willing to sign that you do - and anyone willing to commit fraud against your state government for $100 off more than a week worth of Disney -- well....they have other problems) not getting the discount.

Disney has decided it makes no difference how many points you have - just as they have decided it doesn't make any difference how much property in Florida you own. Its a binary decision - are you a FL resident with proper id, yes-no.....are you are DVC member with proper id, yes-no. This may not be fair, and it may be abused. My guess is that if its abused (people buying 25 resale points to get the discount, as Dean postulates in other thread), Disney will drop the discount rather than making the program more complicated. Unlike others here, I doubt Disney will be lienent and apply different rules to this discount - they don't have a track record doing that with the similar Florida discounts, and, in fact, have been historically strict about the FL resident discount - however, I've been wrong before, so I can be wrong again.

 

[Beca]

Not unless they all register as domestic partners.

Unless Doc's on the deed and the dwarves are actually brothers or something...

OMG...I was thinking the SAME thing!!! Those sneaky dwarfs!!!

It reminds me of a story I heard on the radio. A mom was a little concerned when, out in public her 4yr old noticed two men holding hands and asked why. She paused, and then replied, "Well, some couples are made of a man and a woman...like Mommy and Daddy. And, some couples are made of two men. Do you understand what I'm saying?" The little boy immediately smiled, nodded and said, "Of course Mommy...now I get it!! They're a couple just like Ernie and Bert. That's cool!!!" You GOTTA love kids!!!



Beca

 

[sgtdisney]

Disney has decided it makes no difference how many points you have - just as they have decided it doesn't make any difference how much property in Florida you own. Its a binary decision - are you a FL resident with proper id, yes-no.....are you are DVC member with proper id, yes-no.

That is very true, and that shows the very difference between the two. Either you are a Florida resident or not. If you aren't a Florida resident, you don't get a Florida pass. Period. However in the case of the DVC discount, you don't have to be a member to get it. Just someone living in the member's house. In fact it doesn't even have to be immediate family. So, Joe Smith can get a pass discount for his brother in law because he lives in the same house, but Mary Jones' 23 year old daughter lives in an apartment in a school town and changed her residence. She doesn't get anything. The discount isn't applied fairly, IMHO. If your family doesn't live with you, it's too bad for you. In the airline industry they give certain pass benefits for employees and their families (or domestic partners) only. It doesn't matter where they live but who they are in relation to the employee. That would be the more fair way to do this in my opinion.

 

[EmptyNester]

That is very true, and that shows the very difference between the two. Either you are a Florida resident or not. If you aren't a Florida resident, you don't get a Florida pass. Period. However in the case of the DVC discount, you don't have to be a member to get it. Just someone living in the member's house. In fact it doesn't even have to be immediate family. So, Joe Smith can get a pass discount for his brother in law because he lives in the same house, but Mary Jones' 23 year old daughter lives in an apartment in a school town and changed her residence. She doesn't get anything. The discount isn't applied fairly, IMHO. If your family doesn't live with you, it's too bad for you. In the airline industry they give certain pass benefits for employees and their families (or domestic partners) only. It doesn't matter where they live but who they are in relation to the employee. That would be the more fair way to do this in my opinion.

I suspect that Disney chose to go the household route, because it's easier to prove your residence than it is your relationship to a DVC member. You could acquire new "family" members each trip if all you had to do was tell the CM: "This is my brother Larry and this is my other brother Larry..."

Bottom line is Disney is offering the discount and they make the rules. No discount is ever going to be "fair" to every member. DH & I are a household of 2; depending on our travel plans, we may or may not take advantage of the AP discount. If we can, great! If not, maybe next time.

JMO, YMMV
-Sharon

 

[crisi]

I read the following as "you must have a blue member card" i.e. - you must be traveling with a member. And you must be immediate family (though I'm not sure how they intend to prove that - in reality, it will be "residing at the same address." I don't have the same last name as my husband and we don't carry our marriage license around to prove we are married.)

I could get the discount for myself and my family living with me, as I have a member card. My husband could as well - he has a member card. When our son is old enough to travel alone, but still resides at our house, he won't get the discount unless one of us is there with our member card.

So the process would be check the member card and member's ID. Check the IDs of all the other adults in the party to make sure the addresses match.

The scenario you give is no different than Florida residents have. If I move in with a friend in Florida and change my license, I'm a resident. If my friend's 18 year old daughter goes to college out of state and changes her ID, my friend can no longer get a discount for her. If my BIL moves in with us here in Minnesota with our DVC membership, he is a resident of our household. If my kid goes away to college, he no longer resides with us.



FAQs
Who is eligible to receive the discount?
Disney Vacation Club Members receive a discount on the Pass for themselves and their immediate family residing in the same household only. At the time of purchase or redemption, your Disney Vacation Club Member ID card must be provided and all adults must present a valid driver's license or state identification card showing they reside in the same household.

Who is defined as "immediate family"?
"Immediate family" is defined by Walt Disney World Resort for discount purposes as noted below:
Spouse/Registered Domestic Partner
Parent/Step Parent
Mother-In-Law/Father-In-Law
Child/Step Child
Brother, Sister/Step Brother, Sister
Brother-In-Law/Sister-In-Law
Grandparent
Grandchild

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

You gotta wonder how you go about proving "Registered Domestic Partner"...

Anyway let me say thank you Disney...I'm a member of the DVC herd who had drifted off the ranch and started free range grazing in the Orlando area. An annual passholder for just two years I stopped buying it when the Disney Club discount was discontinued. I went back to hoppers and (gasp) a Universal annual pass. I found myself ruminating the sweet grasses on the vast plains of outlet stores and megamalls. However for this I'll come back to the ranch and spend the next year making use of my AP and DVC membership.

 

[PHILCT]

I have been reading all the suggestions and remarks, thanks for the feedback.

I especially liked the feedback from SGTDISNEY.

For all of those who didn't read that reply, it wonders if your children that live with you now, will LOSE the privilage once they move out and get their own nest. Wouldn't that bother you then ?
Or will Disney only record the names of the people that live with you on January 1st 2005?

I guess you can always have more children or adopt some, to increase your chances of keeping your maximum number of annual passholder discounts.

Disney is always going to have to check how many pass discounts each membe is receving, so that they know it doesn't go over the maximum of 8.
Since they have to check anyway, I think they could easily change the policy to state:

"A member can buy up to 4 passes per year and 4 additional passes per year if the additional members live in the same household".

Now Me Myself and I could take 4 people to Disney 4 times a year at a very af-"four"-dable price, especially if all 4 of us stay in a STUDIO from Sunday thru Thursday off season only.

I wonder if Disney DVC would go "four" this idea.
Or will this be an un"four"tunate attempt on my part.


I hope your laughing !




Hakuna Matata,

Phil

 

[crisi]

For all of those who didn't read that reply, it wonders if your children that live with you now, will LOSE the privilage once they move out and get their own nest. Wouldn't that bother you then ?

Nope. Just as when they turn 10 I know I have to buy adult passes for them. That eventually they won't be "my little tax deductions."

Kids get older. As they get older, their expenses change. Sometimes you lose discounts for them (no more "free" admission when my daughter turned three and I started paying for buffets). Sometimes they cost more (college) sometimes less (no more diapers!). A thirteen year old doesn't need car insurance, a five year old requires a babysitter, and an adult child living on their own doesn't qualify for the AP discount.

(Course, I'll be able to pass my 22 year old kids off as under eighteen so they won't need ID, right - after all - I can pass my four year old off as under three. ---- kidding!)

 

[Beca]

.

(Course, I'll be able to pass my 22 year old kids off as under eighteen so they won't need ID, right - after all - I can pass my four year old off as under three. ---- kidding!)

Yeah! And, maybe you can get your 22 yr old to sleep in the pack 'n play as you crowd your 8 family members (that all live with you & get the discount) into your studio!!!

(Okay...before you flame me, I am KIDDING on this one!!!)



Beca

 

[CarolA]

If I was DVC and I received the feedback they appear to be receiving.... I would tweak all right.....

"In the future we will only be able to give DVC perks that everyone can agree on. Since the chances of all of our members agreeing on anything are non-existent, we have determined that no future perks will be given. Thank you for your understanding."

 

[wanna-b-Tink]

If I was DVC and I received the feedback they appear to be receiving.... I would tweak all right.....

"In the future we will only be able to give DVC perks that everyone can agree on. Since the chances of all of our members agreeing on anything are non-existent, we have determined that no future perks will be given. Thank you for your understanding."

As I read this thread, this thought ran through my mind also. I can totally understand the single person who wants to bring someone with them on their vacation. But I think pass discounts based on points would bring about the swift demise of this perk.

My APs run out December 11, 2004. I will not renew, but will buy vouchers on January 2, 2005. Even though my trip isn't planned until Fall 2005, I want to get the vouchers before this perk disappears. I'm afraid it won't last.

 

[PHILCT]

I too have a Annual Pass ending in December, and I would like to activate my next Annual Pass in 2005 instead of renewing now in 2004.

Who do you contact for the discount, and how does the voucher work?
Can you activate it at any time in 2005 to start the 366 days of your annual pass?


Thanks


Phil

 

[TDC Nala]

I can totally understand the single person who wants to bring someone with them on their vacation.

We can still bring them along. We just can't buy them a discounted AP unless they move in with us and achieve some familial status.

This policy doesn't seem that bothersome to me.

 

[MikeSquared]

For some reason I just can't stay away from this thread. I held my tongue a page back but I just can't any more. OK, so your ADULT child moves out of the house but still travels with you, or your parents, or in-laws, or brother/sister/cousins travel with you every time you visit. WHY should you be able to get a DVC AP discount for him/her/them? THEY don't own DVC, YOU do! They are not eligible for the DVC perk, (unless they live in the same household) but YOU can still use YOUR DVC UPH (LOS) discount when you bring guests. I have friends that are as close to me as any of my family, but none of them own DVC, I do! WHY should Disney give an AP discount designed for DVC OWNERS to someone, even your ADULT child not living with you, that could then be used by that person to enter the park when they're not with YOU the DVC owner? My mother and her husband stay with us every time we visit Disney, would I ever expect my DVC AP discount to apply to them? No.

 

[sjdisneywedding]

For some reason I just can't stay away from this thread. I held my tongue a page back but I just can't any more. OK, so your ADULT child moves out of the house but still travels with you, or your parents, or in-laws, or brother/sister/cousins travel with you every time you visit. WHY should you be able to get a DVC AP discount for him/her/them? THEY don't own DVC, YOU do! They are not eligible for the DVC perk, (unless they live in the same household) but YOU can still use YOUR DVC UPH (LOS) discount when you bring guests. I have friends that are as close to me as any of my family, but none of them own DVC, I do! WHY should Disney give an AP discount designed for DVC OWNERS to someone, even your ADULT child not living with you, that could then be used by that person to enter the park when they're not with YOU the DVC owner? My mother and her husband stay with us every time we visit Disney, would I ever expect my DVC AP discount to apply to them? No.

IM GLAD YOU FEEL THAT WAY!!!! and even happier you didnt hold your tongue, i am sure many people feel the same way. HOWEVER, Maybe one reason might be 2 parents buy DVC to have there family reunion every year whether their kids still live them or notand think the dvc is all of theirs no matter whos name is on the deed, i dont know, but I do know everyone has their own reasons to give input as to what they feel may be a better system.

It doenst mean people arent happy with what they have, but there is always room for tweaking and changing things.

I love the current discount, but I am also all ears to hear others thoughts to make it even better

 

[sgtdisney]

The bottom line for me is this. Some members, based on their living situations can get more discounts than others. It is that simple. If they want to limit the number, limit the number. If they want to make it member and spouse do that. But when they say Member A can have 8 passes because all his extended family live at Southfork Ranch with him, but Member B who has no one living at his address isn't entitled to any. That, to me, isn't fair.

They should allow each member a number of discount passes to assign to whomever, or if that is too liberal, Member, spouse/partner and all dependant kids still at home. It is when they allow extended family to the point of shirt tail relatives for some and not for others it seems slanted in my opinion.

As I mentioned, this isn't a problem for me, because I have people living in my house and also I will probably never buy an annual pass discounted or not. However I can understand why people who live alone might be miffed because they can't invite their inlaws, cousins, parents, grandparents or whatever at a discount simply because they don't share the same address whereas someone else can who lives with everyone they are related to. It is the inequity that bothers me.

I am sure Disney won't drop this discount if some members voice a concern, or at least I would hope not. Of course if they do then at least the discounts (none) will be fairly dispersed again.

 

[sgtdisney]

For some reason I just can't stay away from this thread. I held my tongue a page back but I just can't any more. OK, so your ADULT child moves out of the house but still travels with you, or your parents, or in-laws, or brother/sister/cousins travel with you every time you visit. WHY should you be able to get a DVC AP discount for him/her/them? THEY don't own DVC, YOU do! They are not eligible for the DVC perk, (unless they live in the same household) but YOU can still use YOUR DVC UPH (LOS) discount when you bring guests. I have friends that are as close to me as any of my family, but none of them own DVC, I do! WHY should Disney give an AP discount designed for DVC OWNERS to someone, even your ADULT child not living with you, that could then be used by that person to enter the park when they're not with YOU the DVC owner? My mother and her husband stay with us every time we visit Disney, would I ever expect my DVC AP discount to apply to them? No.

I agree in principle. The discounts should be for the DVC member and his immediate family. If they want to exclude adult children, I am all for it. It is the way they allow extended family living at the same address. What does the address have to do with it? They are either immediate family or they aren't just because they live together is not relevant. Make the discount for the member and spouse/partner and dependant children living with them. I would think that would be much more fair than allowing priveledges to extended family simply because of a mailing address. I don't think it's fair for one member whose 30 year old daughter who never moved out to get a discount when another with a 30 year old son who doesn't live at home can't.

 

[DrTomorrow]

[...] WHY should Disney give an AP discount designed for DVC OWNERS to someone, even your ADULT child not living with you, that could then be used by that person to enter the park when they're not with YOU the DVC owner? My mother and her husband stay with us every time we visit Disney, would I ever expect my DVC AP discount to apply to them? No.

But the second that an ADULT child, your mother and/or her husband move in with you, presto non sequitur, they qualify, as do your sister-in-law, grandchildren or - since they're unlikely to force you to graph your family tree - anyone who shares your address.

Hey, I'm on one of the first pages of the "Thank You For The Perk" thread, but I do think that discussing its implementation - and any tweaking Disney might do - is a valid topic for this forum. And Disney does respond - anyone remember the Member Homecoming "One Price Only - What? - Oh, OK, another price for AP Holders" change?