Dvc non perks

[goofy4tink]

I wish they would go to 30 days out and no +10 for dining ADRs. I think the +10 is what makes it harder to get ADRs for the popular places.

Have to agree. If you call today, to book your 5 night stay, you are going to be locked out of the more popular spots. It's just a numbers game. I almost wish they would go back to day by day calling. We now have ADRs being made online, and that's a big deal. Did it the other day and it worked wonderfully.

More perks through DVC? I doubt it. We bought DVC in order to have already paid for, nicer resort, trips into the future. And that's what we get. The amount that I am actually paying for a one bedroom villa at BWV, is so much cheaper than the going rate. My friends are always amazed when I tell them how little they need to give me, in cash, to cover their cost for the room.
It's wonderful that we get a discount on APs. I was thrilled when I got that. Most DVC owners go to WDW more than once a year so it works for them. And then we can get the TiW card..another money saver.

Have I stayed at a resort and gotten free dining? Yep. Did that at POP last year. I saved about $350 on food that trip. But that was my choice. I have run figures back and forth, trying to make free dining work for us this August. But it is still cheaper for me to stay at BWV in a one bedroom unit than to go to POP and get two rooms for free dining.

Disney offers these perks in order to entice people to come to WDW. There is a reason you don't see these 'special deals' over Feb or April vacations, or at Christmas-time. They don't need to get people into those resort rooms. They started free dining in the fall simply to fill rooms during hurricane season. Disney was not 'just being nice'....they have a business plan.They want to make money..plain and simple.

More perks? Sure, that would be nice. I would love to be able to get a discount on longer park hoppers. My dh doesn't go to WDW as often as I do, so he uses a 10 day, non-expiring hopper, not an AP. He will be finishing up his current one in August..he's had it for almost two years. It would be nice to get a bit of a discount on future ones.
It would be nice if DVC owners were allowed to make early ADRs, through MS...maybe 100 days before their arrival date vs 90 days. But they would have to go through MS not Disney Dining directly.

Disney already has our money...they don't need to entice us to get us back down to WDW. Therefor they won't be handing out any great deals to us.

 

[hockeyprincess]

Um, I don't think OP has even been back to this thread since the first day they posted? Wierd.....

 

[crisi]

The +10 was billed as a advantage to Disney guests - you only had to make one phone call and could still get all those hard to get reservations! But in reality, MOST reservations at MOST times of year do not involve calling exactly at the booking window (whether that is 90 days or 180 days). The problem Disney was having was twofold....

1. If you call day by day it increases DISNEY'S cost - yeah, it isn't convienient for you, but it involves multiple calls into Disney. Its more efficient for their reservationists to take all your reservations at once.

2. People were under the perception that they needed to call day by day for EVERYTHING - prior to the +10 rule the restaurant board was filled with people calling day by day 180 days out for restaurants and times that were likely to have availability for a LONG time.

In short, we've done it to ourselves. Our own insistance on calling day by day created a cost to Disney that was unsupportable.

If I were going to change Dining I'd:

Put a credit card hold on ALL reservations.

Consider putting a token cancellation or change fee on ALL reservations ($2) - even if you are cancelling a month out - with a more significant charge for less than 48 hours. I'd give the CMs a lot of leeway in waiving the 48 hour charges (sob stories about sick kids). The number of people on the restaurant board who change their minds a dozen times between the time reservations are made and the time they eat isn't insignificant - and each of those changes means a "cost" to Disney.

Put in a table minimum (none of this 'just dessert' stuff - particularly problematic for California Grill, Rose and Crown, and Sci Fi).

Limit the number of DDPs sold (or given away during 'free dining') to supportable levels

Get rid of +10

 

[jlewisinsyr]

Put a credit card hold on ALL reservations.

Consider putting a token cancellation or change fee on ALL reservations ($2) - even if you are cancelling a month out - with a more significant charge for less than 48 hours. I'd give the CMs a lot of leeway in waiving the 48 hour charges (sob stories about sick kids). The number of people on the restaurant board who change their minds a dozen times between the time reservations are made and the time they eat isn't insignificant - and each of those changes means a "cost" to Disney.

I absolutely think a credit card hold should be required. I'm not sure about the change fees outside 48 hours, maybe if you do it via phone, but web is free. No show/cancellations/changes within 48 hours, $10/person no-show charge.

 

[photobob]

I absolutely think a credit card hold should be required. I'm not sure about the change fees outside 48 hours, maybe if you do it via phone, but web is free. No show/cancellations/changes within 48 hours, $10/person no-show charge.

I agree with the credit card for reservations, however i don't agree with a cancellation charge. I do agree with a no-show charge. I don't have a problem with cancelling it within 24 hours with no charge, sometimes plans change while you're there. At least this would open up a slot for someone.

 

[crisi]

I agree with the credit card for reservations, however i don't agree with a cancellation charge. I do agree with a no-show charge. I don't have a problem with cancelling it within 24 hours with no charge, sometimes plans change while you're there. At least this would open up a slot for someone.

A token cancellation charge would keep people from making reservations they "might" want - but it would still allow people to change reservations if it was important to them. Yes, plans change at Disney. But there are often a bunch of people planning their trips who really want to get into that restaurant you don't care enough about to commit to. And there are people who book multiple restaurants for the same meal because they can't decide. Using different phone numbers, that's easy to do.

 

[tjkraz]

I think Disney has probably looked at some form of guarantee system and concluded that they have little to gain. Think about some of the things that could keep people from making their ADRs:

* Disney buses running late
* Disney attraction lines too long / breaking down
* During certain times of the year, parks reaching capacity and not allowing those in who have ADRs
* Long lines at resort check-in
* Delays getting into resort rooms (I've heard people complain about missing arrival day ADRs due to late access to their room.)

And then there are issues outside of Disney's control which impact guests:

* Accident / traffic jam in Orlando area
* Unreliable non-Disney transportation
* Flights running late arriving in Orlando
* Airport shuttle running late

I'm sure many of these reasons contribute to people blowing-off ADRs. And if they automatically result in a credit card charge, it can turn into a real downer for guests. Folks would have to jump thru hoops to try and get the charge reversed...a process that is likely to take 60-90 days to begin with assuming the CM's transaction gets filed properly in the first place.

I'm guessing there isn't a lot of room for added profit in these fees once you factor in the expense of fixing problems and loss of goodwill with customers.

I have always assumed that Disney overbooked its restaurants on the assumption that a certain percentage would be no-shows. I know there have been times where we were seated quite early for ADRs (which I assume means the no-shows worked in our favor), and other times where we had to wait a considerable amount of time (which I assume means few no-shows.) Anyone know if this is true? I'd be shocked to learn that restaurants are booked only to capacity since I'm sure each location has dozens of ADR's missed daily.

 

[crisi]

You are probably right that a fee would create a lot of problems. I'm one of those "show up 15 minutes early for everything" people - so in a hundred Disney reservations, I don't think I've ever been more than 5 minutes late (and we've had lost tickets, kids to hustle out for a 7:30 breakfast, have caught cabs to ensure we will be there on time because the bus might make us late) except once when I had friends with me and THEY were late. And we aren't nuts enough to make reservations for the day we arrive unless we are flying in early afternoon and have mid evening reservations at the resort we are staying at - too much opportunity for delay.

I have heard that they overbook based on statistical historical no show data.

 

[tjkraz]

I have heard that they overbook based on statistical historical no show data.

Thanks.

If true, then there really isn't much to be gained in taking deposits. It might serve as a deterrent against double-bookings and no-shows but there would also be fewer slots to begin with. Sounds like credit card guarantees would be a zero-sum move.

Although I do think there is the potential for some changes over the next 6-12 months. If the on-line system causes an increase in no-shows, it will take Disney a while to adapt and increase the number of slots they make available.