DVC perk wish list...

[mickeysbestfriend]

Since don't know how to post a poll I'll just leave this as an open feedback thread.

Since the dawn of the DVC there have been many perks for owners that have come and gone including free park admission, free golf club and shoe rental etc.

What I'd like to know is what would be your choice for a perk that they could offer us as DVC owners.

My first choice would be a better dining discount, say 30%, without having to buy a Tables in Wonderland card. This would help mitigate the issue with DVC'rs not getting free dining!

Let me know what your choices for a perk would be and if someone knows how to make it a poll after a few posters have weighed in )

Thanks!

Bill

 

[Sandisw]

I would like the option of being able to get the TIW card without having to have an AP and would like it if DVC members could get those Fast Pass cards they give out for the tours on a more regular basis.

 

[CrazyDuck]

My wish list is specific to Disneyland only so it will be different than others:
- more than a $20 discount on Disneyland annual passes
- discounts on parkhopper tickets
- the ability to buy more than 6 day hoppers.
- online check-in

 

[Buckeye Fan]

The best one I've seen yet is lifetime APs. I'd jump all over that, even if I had to buy one every year or two.

My next two would be TIW card, and other options for discounted passes. We don't always get down there enough to take advantage of the discounted APs, even though that's one heck of a deal!

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

The issue with any perk is who pays for it.

The Disney restaurants have no reason to give DVC members a better discount than to Tables in Wonderland members who have paid for a card.

Some perks are really marketing expenses paid for by Disney Vacation Development as an incentive to buyers. The best one was the program of free park passes through 1999 that early DVC buyers received. DVD had to pay for those tickets, but it was part of DVD's business plan in those days.

Some perks are really things that we're paying for out of our dues. Here I'd be careful what I wish for. I want my dues to pay for excellent services (front desk, housekeeping, landscaping, maintenance, utilities, insurance, etc.) related to DVC stays. I don't want to pay for "perks" that I might never use.

And some perks are mutually beneficial business alliances. When a restaurant that operates below capacity at lunchtime offers a 20% lunch discount to DVC members, the restaurant fills empty tables and the DVC member saves money. There's no hit to the DVD marketing budget or the operating budgets of the DVC resorts. But such "perks" have to make business sense to the entity providing them.

There have been similar threads about DVC perk wish lists in the past. People post wishes for things such as 25% discounts on all kinds of theme park tickets, free dining, and several free instant FastPASSes each day. Sure, I'd love to get such parks, but I don't expect to see anything that doesn't make business sense.

If wishes don't have to make business sense, I want unlimited free Disney theme park tickets, unlimited free Disney dining, and unlimited free Disney merchandise (okay, I'll settle for $100 of Disney merchandise for every night in a DVC room).

So the real challenge is to suggest perks that are good for DVC members but also make business sense.

 

[CrazyDuck]

There have been similar threads about DVC perk wish lists in the past. People post wishes for things such as 25% discounts on all kinds of theme park tickets, free dining, and several free instant FastPASSes each day. Sure, I'd love to get such parks, but I don't expect to see anything that doesn't make business sense.

When I asked for more than $20, i wasn't expecting them to give away the farm... I'd just like to see perks at least somewhat comporabable to the $125 and $100 discount on the annual passes offered at WDW. Also at DL there is no middle ground between the 6 day hopper at $220 and the Premium annual pass at $450. It is expensive for us to get "home" so our once a year trips last 10-14 days. We end up buying the 6 day hopper and spend more than half our days at other parks in the area (Knotts, legoland, universal etc..etc..). It doesn't make much sense for Disney to cap the hoppers at 6 days forcing us to take our money elsewhere. Just sayin...

 

[Deb & Bill]

It would be nice to have a discount on MYW tickets in case you are bringing guests or not getting the AP for the trip.

Or for something that might not cost anything, allow an upgrade to no expire on a MYW ticket for free.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Unfortunately, there is no business incentive for the executives in charge of the of theme parks (at WDW and DLR) to provide discounts for ticket media that DVC members and their guests are likely to buy anyway.

Such discounts won't happen until someone can make a compelling business case that giving DVC discounts (lower prices or freebie options) on MYW tickets would result in higher revenue and profit for Disney (because total volume might increase dramatically) rather than lower revenue and profits (because most of the DVCers would otherwise have paid more).

Arguably, the substantial DVC discount on WDW annual passes encourages many DVC members to move "up the food chain" to spend more money than if they had only bought MYW tickets.

 

[rmcildw2m]

That would be a good start ,but I think a better one would be to only charge us half the points cost on first day of check in, since we can only have it half the day anyway most of the time . I know sometimes we get in early which is nice , what do you fellow dvc 'ers think ?

 

[mkpat]

i would like to see either free or discounted dining plan. Not even all the tim, just have promotions every now and then...

 

[Brian Noble]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again.

I want a pony.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

i would like to see either free or discounted dining plan. Not even all the tim, just have promotions every now and then...

And who would pay for it?

Would it come out of the resort budgets, so our annual dues would go up to pay for it? Or would DVC Marketing pay for it, even though it would make no business sense for them to do so? Or would the restaurants be expected to give away meals (and destroy their profits in the process)?

I'm sorry that I'm throwing cold water on these perk ideas. But the money to pay for perks has to come from somewhere.

Free dining is essentially a discount program to fill hotel rooms when demand is down. Guests pay a high room rate and get a discount in the form of a "free" dining plan. As DVC members, we don't pay a nightly room rate.

 

[Greysword]

A real perk (per Horace's description) would be to open the ADR booking window for DVC members (especially for hard to reserve restaurants like CRT). This would have a two-fold advantage for Disney:

1) I would likely schedule more ADRs using the extra time, as sometimes I can't get the reservation I was hoping for and just gave up; instead, opting to eat in the room or just try once at WDW. BTW, this is a win for Disney since we pay OOP instead of using the dining plan.

2) It may be the one enticement needed for regular WDW travelers on the fence about buying in (new members). This would also be a good perk if they do a tiered system. This is good for Disney as it may get people to buy points.

As a dream perk, I also would buy lifetime (or life of DVC contract) park passes if offered.

- Chris

 

[DizDays]

That would be a good start ,but I think a better one would be to only charge us half the points cost on first day of check in, since we can only have it half the day anyway most of the time . I know sometimes we get in early which is nice , what do you fellow dvc 'ers think ?

You pay points "per night" stayed - it doesn't matter when you get in (nor when you leave) (as long as you're out by 11:00, that is).

 

[schoen]

I would like the free valet back. I used that service ALL the time, and it really WAS a nice perk.

 

[mdsd8700]

Being able to buy a TIW Card without buying an AP would be a real perk for us. However I am not holding my breath

 

[arthur06]

There is a difference between what I "wish" for and what I realistically think is a possibility...

#1. ADD One FP per person per night for the length of stay.

#2. KEEP the free internet!

#3. KEEP the DVC AP Discount

Those are on the practical list!

 

[Rest&Relax]

A real perk (per Horace's description) would be to open the ADR booking window for DVC members (especially for hard to reserve restaurants like CRT). This would have a two-fold advantage for Disney:

1) I would likely schedule more ADRs using the extra time, as sometimes I can't get the reservation I was hoping for and just gave up; instead, opting to eat in the room or just try once at WDW. BTW, this is a win for Disney since we pay OOP instead of using the dining plan.

2) It may be the one enticement needed for regular WDW travelers on the fence about buying in (new members). This would also be a good perk if they do a tiered system. This is good for Disney as it may get people to buy points.

- Chris

This is always been my number one wish list perk.

 

[palaemon]

Being able to buy a TIW Card without buying an AP would be a real perk for us. However I am not holding my breath

I agree. I just want the ability to buy the TIW card, w/o an AP, like Florida Residents. After all, isn't DVC my home away from home.

 

[arielrocks]

Living in the uk means annual passes are not always an option for us, so I would a discount on myw tickets to make our trips a bit cheaper! Flights have gone up so much I am worried our trips home are going to turn into every third year trips!!