DVC plans to target commercial renters

[lowlight]

Exactly. But some people would rather be DVC martyrs it seems.

Who?

 

[Genie+]

There is a difference between lazy and functional. I’m not too lazy to infinity walk all my points and contracts. I’ve stalked the RAT for Poly Tower at least 100+ times the last 2 months. There’s always more I could be doing though.

I guess the clearest way to describe my position is IF DVC decides rentals &/or walking stress the system to the detriment of how it was intended to function for the membership, I’m not likely to defend pushback and join along like I did with 1BR point increase and the base year increase fiasco.

 

[Sandisw]

Yeah! Be less lazy! Check the notoriously awful website 10x a day. The fact that thousands of confirmed bookings and 10s if not 100s of thousands of points are available to rent has no impact on availability. It’s all down to grabbing those boot straps and pulling yourself up.

Well, I did by a product that allows me to use my points to book rooms for owners, guests and renters and I knew all the other owners could do that same.

So, I have no problem putting in a little extra work for certain rooms because I never went into this believing I’d get what I want when, I want the first try, given the whole FCFS.

But I understand that some owners think differently..and that’s the best thing…we all get to decide how to manage our use of it all!

For the record, whatever rules that DVC puts in place that I feel mesh with the way contract is written…I will adjust.

Walking is one of them…if they want to stop it, they should change the rules.

They will only see push back from me if they decide to implement rules regarding renting that have nothing to do with using a membership as a commercial business

Not saying I’d get anywhere but it will be worth a bit of $$ to have pushback for me, especially if those don’t come with a crackdown on owners who transfer for money..

 

[Sandisw]

Yeah, just gotta pull yourself up by your bootstraps…kids these days want everything just given to them!

Uh… Walking is 100x easier to get what you want as opposed to picking up scraps leftover by walkers and hoping you can piece together a trip with waitlists, checking back each day at 8 and several times through out the day to find a dropped day. That’s why people do it.

Of course…but until DVC decides that there is a better booking option, people can do it or not..I choose not and hope for the best. And yesterday, karma shined down.

But, if they go back to the old rules and we now need to book by check out day to stop walking, how much of a pain will it be if you have to book daily?

Would you personally rather see that?

 

[Cyberc1978]

Yeah! Be less lazy! Check the notoriously awful website 10x a day. The fact that thousands of confirmed bookings and 10s if not 100s of thousands of points are available to rent has no impact on availability. It’s all down to grabbing those boot straps and pulling yourself up.

That’s your words not mine.

We all have to learn to work with what we got. I don’t know where you own or which room types you try to book.
As a BWV and AKV owner I can book standard and value. Yes it comes with some effort. But I think if I can do it, so can you. I’m even international meaning I’m already at a disadvantage internet connection wise, assuming you are located in the U.S.

 

[lowlight]

Would you personally rather see that?

Yes. I realize it’s not a popular sentiment, but yes. It’s not the ideal solution, but it’s a solution.

 

[Cyberc1978]

But, if they go back to the old rules and we now need to book by check out day to stop walking, how much of a pain will it be if you have to book daily?

Booking daily will be much more of a pain than walking.

If we end up there I foresee that the website and member services will see a huge increase in load. Unless it also comes with additional rules I don’t think DVC will go there as it would cost them money and they will go for a solution that is net neutral or less.

 

[kilik64]

Heck lets just go back to no online booking and you have to call to make a res. Stops all the bots, would curb a lot of the walking, and would kill commercial renters cause

 

[Sandisw]

Yes. I realize it’s not a popular sentiment, but yes. It’s not the ideal solution, but it’s a solution.

And you should tell DVC that! I personally would rather deal with walking.

However, I don’t want them to impost limitations in changing dates because that does change the current flexibility so I’d take the day by day booking over any of those levels of changes.

But, I also have the time to book daily…just not sure how those you have an issue having to put in time to follow behind walkers or stalk, would feel about this.

And, we don’t know what they might do, but since they did this before, they might decide it’s a better change than complicated rules on when and when you can not change dates of a trip.

That’s why each of us has our own take on it and that no matter what rules they choose, some owners will not see them as better.

They just need to figure out which ones cause the least impact.

 

[xdan0920]

That’s your words not mine.

We all have to learn to work with what we got. I don’t know where you own or which room types you try to book.
As a BWV and AKV owner I can book standard and value. Yes it comes with some effort. But I think if I can do it, so can you. I’m even international meaning I’m already at a disadvantage internet connection wise, assuming you are located in the U.S.

I own at OKW, for nearly 30 years. I never ever have a problem booking at my home resort at 11 months. However I used to be able to book across WDW at 7 without much issue. Now, not so much.

Lucky for me I can hop on over to the boards sponsor and scoop up an already booked room!

 

[kilik64]

I own at OKW, for nearly 30 years. I never ever have a problem booking at my home resort at 11 months. However I used to be able to book across WDW at 7 without much issue. Now, not so much.

Lucky for me I can hop on over to the boards sponsor and scoop up an already booked room!

Your beef is on 7 month availability...wow.

 

[xdan0920]

Your beef is on 7 month availability...wow.

Yeah, ya know, a major selling point of DVC.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Not to beat a dead horse, but I wonder….
If DVC did return to booking in arrears from checkout day, in addition to eliminating walking, how many commercial renters would really take the time to book the hard to get reservations day by day??

The old booking method really could solve both problems.

 

[kilik64]

Not to beat a dead horse, but I wonder….
If DVC did return to booking in arrears from checkout day, in addition to eliminating walking, how many commercial renters would really take the time to book the hard to get reservations day by day??

The old booking method really could solve both problems.

Doesn't fix commercial since they all use bots (allegedly). Just change the bot script to book every day.

 

[lowlight]

The old booking method really could solve both problems.

Apparently going back to what worked before would cause the product to self implode. Or something.

 

[Cyberc1978]

Not to beat a dead horse, but I wonder….
If DVC did return to booking in arrears from checkout day, in addition to eliminating walking, how many commercial renters would really take the time to book the hard to get reservations day by day??

The old booking method really could solve both problems.

Not if bots are used, which someone here thinks.

Bots would just take the room anyway.

 

[Cyberc1978]

Doesn't fix commercial since they all use bots (allegedly). Just change the bot script to book every day.

You beat me to it

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Doesn't fix commercial since they all use bots (allegedly). Just change the bot script to book every day.

Not if bots are used, which someone here thinks.

Bots would just take the room anyway.

Ahh… okay. Didn’t really understand the whole bot thing.
I guess I’m old.

 

[Cyberc1978]

Ahh… okay. Didn’t really understand the whole bot thing.
I guess I’m old.

Basically a bot, if used, supposedly can book a room within milliseconds after 8am.

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

I agree but want to add something.

Florida law allows the managing entity to determine how timeshare reservations are made as long as the method is in the best interests of members “as a whole”.

My assumption is that the (vast?) majority of members are not walking.

Therefore, Disney has the authority to implement changes to curb walking.

Would that also give them the ability to directly control the rental process and ban all rentals through third parties?

I highly recommend everyone write to Shannon Sakaske at shannon.sakaske@disney.com to let him know your feelings on walking and renting. You could also snail mail him or Stephanie Young at:
1851 Community Drive
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830

I sent a short email letting them know we are concerned about commercial renters taking a huge chunk of prime dates (like school vacations) using bots and that my husband asked why we would buy more points at DLR when it is so much easier (and possibly cheaper) to simply rent from commercial renters who have all the good dates.

They do have that ability....and the DVC membership agreement as well as other aspects of the POS make that clear. But, it states that the home resort rules and regulations must include both the produres and limitations for booking and cancelation.
<snip> But, you are correct that nothing is preventing DVC from doing that if they decide that they want the booking, modifiying, and canceling rules and limitations to be different.....which is why the board did state they are open to considering rules changes

So is there anything that stops them from making rentals subject to different booking procedures than owner personal use?

Any chance the use of bots could be added to this?

Also added that in my email.

That's targeted and whatever Disney decides to target....that's their decision and fully within bounds. Their playground. Their rules.

Disney does want us to play on it too. They have clearly mentioned in bad PR slips that they track per visitor spend. I have no doubt that they have this granular data down to include DVC members stays and even rentals as all this is cross linked on MDE and easily minable.

Disney does Disney. Not Wyndham. Not Marriott. DVC is directly linked to its parks ecosystem. Decisions aren't so simple upstairs.

I generally agree with your post, but wanted to mention it’s not PR slips when Disney reveals they track per visitor spend, it’s a metric they acknowledge and share with $DIS shareholders. They are going to do what’s best for the bottom line, and while happy DVC members helps, I think we’re going to see enforcement directly on the folks undercutting their hotel occupancy numbers/pricing more than enforcement on the folks simply getting a jump on other owners — why commercial renting is more of a priority than walking.

Yup! And my experience yesterday proves that someone can get a room even when it’s been walked. Might not be easy but booking for December never has been.

I was obviously okay with getting PV for the second one, but so far, I have yet to be able to use stalking and waitlists to end up in the RV rooms for my trips!

So I do expect that I will end up with them in the end!

I meant to mention yesterday— it’s probably slightly easier to find rooms/start walks on 11/29-12/2 this year as people (like me) who travel for Thanksgiving week check out on Sun/Mon/Tue.

Booking daily will be much more of a pain than walking.

If we end up there I foresee that the website and member services will see a huge increase in load. Unless it also comes with additional rules I don’t think DVC will go there as it would cost them money and they will go for a solution that is net neutral or less.

I agree but also if they stop walking and/or require booking daily before cracking down on for profit rentals, the most sophisticated renters will have an even easier time locking out the average owner.