DVC President Fired!

[Faldred]

A 2009 survey for the American Resort Development Association, the time-share industry trade group, found that one in four recent time-share buyers cited annual maintenance fees as a top reason they had been hesitant about purchasing a time share.

I can believe that. I've seen maintenance fees at my own (non-DVC) timeshare go up by 65% in the 11 years since I purchased there. The (originally) low maintenance fee was one of the deciding points to buy in, and I am a bit miffed at the rate of increase. (Though some of that is due to a major refurbishment intended to raise the standards of the joint in order to increase it's RCI trading power, I'll admit.)

 

[DCTooTall]

Holy crap! If all this is true... wow. Just, wow.

PS: I hear the numbers shot through the roof when Rohde insisted on including a massive, expensive, non-working yeti.

Don't worry,

They were able to find an inexpensive strobe light at Spenser's Gifts in the local mall in order to give the Yeti some sense of movement.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Oh I was against it from the beginning but honestly the towels is what bothers me the most that can not be defended in any way!

Except that towels require employees to deliver them... And about 90% of everyday decision at WDW is an attempt to get more paying customers with fewer employees...
So housekeepers don't jive with that

 

[nytimez]

I usually just ask for more towels and they give them to me. Especially easy if you catch them passing your room with the cart anyway.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I would like to point out that Scupper nailed this one...as usual.

Especially that 'defecation hit the rotary oscillator' line...I cried on that one

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I usually just ask for more towels and they give them to me. Especially easy if you catch them passing your room with the cart anyway.

The carts are always sitting around...I'm just saying...

 

[nytimez]

Especially that 'defecation hit the rotary oscillator' line...I cried on that one

That was pretty classic.

The carts are always sitting around...I'm just saying...

Yeah, but it sounds nicer when I at least say I asked for them.

 

[Figment632]

Except that towels require employees to deliver them... And about 90% of everyday decision at WDW is an attempt to get more paying customers with fewer employees...
So housekeepers don't jive with that

Well how do they manage to bring fresh towels everyday for non DVC?

 

[tjkraz]

. . . then, Rohde went overboard and too many costly things added
. . . such items were never considered for the development
. . . the estimated fees could no longer cover the annual maintenance

Agree with pretty much everything you've written except the Joe Rohde tie-in. Imagineers are notorious for running roughshod on budgets if not watched, but that shouldn't have had a disastrous impact on DVC dues estimates.

Dues only cover the basics of a resort--the physical structure, free recreation options like the pool(s) and the cast to operate those amenities. Aulani was always planned as a highly-themed structure with an elaborate pool.

Resort services like restaurants and gift shops are not covered by dues. Add-on services like the spa, snorkel lagoon, etc. are not covered by member dues. The wedding pavilion and conference facilities aren't included in dues.

Construction costs may have been exceeded, particularly if they went overboard with features like Aunty's Beach House, the Menehune trail or elaborate spa / restaurant facilities. But construction budgets and annual dues are separate issues.

I've heard several different stories from people with knowledge of the situation and each one varies in important ways. One individual claims that the deception / errors go all the way back to the original pro forma used to gain project approval in 2007.

The one constant to all of the story variations is that budgeting mistakes were made along the way and subsequently covered up. Exactly when those mistakes were made and how deliberate they were tends to vary depending upon who you speak to.