DVC non-restricted environment

[Chuck S]

So true. In the 3 or 4 years they were scheduled, I have been able to go only to one. I like the lounge benefit so much more. It's not a huge perk, a free coffee or soda and some time off you feet in air conditioning, but it's cute that you have a secret space only you can access and it's always there, available to everyone and anytime. I'd prefer if they remove Moonlight Magic and replace with a huge discount on one after hours party of your choice (75% or 50%). So you can pick one whenever you're at WDW.

I'd even say an after hours event, or a fireworks party discount But in reality, I'd expect the discount to be in the 20% to 25% range. Or put a lounge in every park. A place to sit and relax from rain or heat, charge your phone, have a light snack or beverage.

 

[Prince John Robin Hood]

The Moonlight Magic only benefitted a small portion of the membership, though. You had to be traveling when an event was scheduled, and since many of us plan our trips 11 months out...As far as rare characters, open a special meet and greet every two or three days for blue card members for a few hours, like Chase Bank did for their special photo ops for card holders, except theirs was daily. And give Blue Card Members one or two anywhere fastpasses for their entire party for every day they are staying at a DVC resort, like you get when a ride breaks down. That would likely be just as good for sales marketing as the Moonlight Magic events, and wouldn't cost them nearly as much. And it would benefit every blue card member, not just those lucky enough to travel at a select time.

I find the dates don't work with our school schedule. Seems like an amazing benefit for locals or people with flexible schedules but for most DVC members it's just frustrating to not be able to go.

 

[Brian Noble]

Ya but something changed right? I think not long ago YouTube and internet search was not the primary action of a target purchaser. Disney is starting to target a new demographic.

Google has been a verb in the common lexicon for almost 20 years now.

I've written this several times before, but I think there are some very good reasons why it simply doesn't matter that there are almost never any dollars-and-cents justifications for a direct purchase.

 

[sethschroeder]

Google has been a verb in the common lexicon for almost 20 years now.

I've written this several times before, but I think there are some very good reasons why it simply doesn't matter that there are almost never any dollars-and-cents justifications for a direct purchase.

Smart phone usage was at 20% in 2010 and now is at 72% in 2020 (which is the biggest driver since you now can "Google" at all times not when you get home). So there is going to be a change over the previous decade in the target demographic for DVC.

To your point about Wyndham though that only applies to a certain percentage of buyers. Does Disney want to angle to get anyone who can afford it to buy direct and have resale buyers just be people who can't afford buying direct? Historically you would have less and less options to "research" a DVC purchase.

There is a change specific to the resale benefits for a reason. We would have to ask Disney though to what exactly was brought up in that meeting where they finally said "yes lets make a white card" or "yes lets make resale restrictions for RIV".

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Probably missing other things as well.

You get a shiny wristband at the Aulani pool.

 

[Brian Noble]

Smart phone usage was at 20% in 2010 and now is at 72% in 2020 (which is the biggest driver since you now can "Google" at all times not when you get home). So there is going to be a change over the previous decade in the target demographic for DVC.

The folks at TUG have been saying that the Internet would collapse the timeshare sales model for as long as I've been a member there---and that's closing on 15 years now. I suspect the conversation predates me, and it's part of the raison d'être of TUG in the first place.

It hasn't happened yet.

Past performance is no guarantee of future success, of course, but this is somewhat reminiscent of the "Disney has priced their theme parks out of the middle class market" conversations we have every year.

You are right, of course, that the resale restrictions have been applied incrementally, and were not introduced all at once. You are also right that there is a reason for that. But, I suspect the benefits are incremental. A good sales agent will certainly take advantage of them, and likely gets better conversion rates with them in place, but probably does not need them to make decent numbers.