DVC should be PRIORITY 1!

[crisi]

Souvenir spending is most certainly lower for DVC owners than the average Disney guest, but DVC owners do still spend a decent amount on food and drinks. And food/beverages are still one of the main expenses for every family.

But probably on average (and with Magic Bands Disney certainly knows) less than regular guests. You can put your soda and water in the fridge in a DVC room - and its a full sized fridge in a good portion of the rooms. You can have a breakfast that is bigger than pop tarts or hostess donuts if you are in a room with a stove and a fridge - while Disney's cinnamon rolls are so good, it isn't a huge deal to have cinnamon rolls ready to go as my family gets out of the shower in the morning in my DVC room for a fraction of the cost. As regular guests, we learn over time how big to make the grocery order to have appropriate snacks stashed in our day bags - and from previous discussions on this board, while most of us have a treat or two that is on our must for every stay list - a Dole Whip, a Mickey Bar, A Grand Marnier Orange Slush from the booth in the France pavilion.....we also know what we aren't going to bother with.

I am among the least cost conscious DVCers. But I will admit that while DVC has me spending more at Disney because I bring friends and go more often, we also spend less in water, we spend less in soda, we spend less on breakfast in the morning.

 

[crisi]

I won't pretend to be able to predict what DIsney will do, including whether there will be any phase in period.

I have no idea what they will actually do. But I would like to discourage the sense of entitlement from all parties that is running around on every corner of this board believing that they are the most important and central factor in Disney's business model. And that entitlement runs DEEP on the DVC board, it always has. If DVCers get earlier access to parks than any other type of guests, it would surprise me, but it wouldn't disappoint me. But I think too many people are setting themselves up to not only be disappointed, but WRONGED if it goes a different way. I really would hate to see people's long term enjoyment of something they love destroyed because they have convinced themselves they have been treated unfairly, unethically, or even illegally during a time when its hard to make things fair for all parties and ethics involves "Let's see if we can keep the number of DEAD people to a minimum."

 

[tjkraz]

Average guest spending by DVC members is absolutely lower than other groups. However, Disney does have to work harder to earn business from most of those groups: advertising, travel agent commissions, daily housekeeping, etc. In the case of locals, Disney is battling with Universal, Sea World and others for the monies of FL residents.

DVC is best viewed as a quid pro quo...something for something. Members agree to give Disney a large sum of money in return for guaranteed discounts for up to 50 years. If you fool yourself into thinking the up-front payment places you among "Disney's most important customers", you will be consistently disappointed.

Enjoy the savings and the security of knowing you'll be back. DVC owners have a decent range of perks, often equal footing with pass holders. But don't expect to be placed on a pedestal.

 

[TisBit]

I will reiterate the fact that there is two issues.

DVC reopening- This is opening the resorts for use. It has no dependencies on the parks opening. Although, opening the parks and not the DVC resorts puts them on shaky ground that the resorts are closed for "safety". They can reopen the resorts and not allow park access and while DVC members may be upset, they have the ability to use the timeshare they own.

Parks reopening- If they have the opportunity to reopen the parks sooner with a phased approach, I highly doubt Disney cares about making money at this point. They will be wanting to build the brand and trust in the brand. They will be looking to expand their phased approach to get more capacity (and ultimately money). They don't want to make a bunch of money for a month or two selling souvenirs and then having to shut down again because an outbreak is linked to them.

 

[mustinjourney]

But probably on average (and with Magic Bands Disney certainly knows) less than regular guests. You can put your soda and water in the fridge in a DVC room - and its a full sized fridge in a good portion of the rooms. You can have a breakfast that is bigger than pop tarts or hostess donuts if you are in a room with a stove and a fridge - while Disney's cinnamon rolls are so good, it isn't a huge deal to have cinnamon rolls ready to go as my family gets out of the shower in the morning in my DVC room for a fraction of the cost. As regular guests, we learn over time how big to make the grocery order to have appropriate snacks stashed in our day bags - and from previous discussions on this board, while most of us have a treat or two that is on our must for every stay list - a Dole Whip, a Mickey Bar, A Grand Marnier Orange Slush from the booth in the France pavilion.....we also know what we aren't going to bother with.

I am among the least cost conscious DVCers. But I will admit that while DVC has me spending more at Disney because I bring friends and go more often, we also spend less in water, we spend less in soda, we spend less on breakfast in the morning.

there is certainly some truth to it...but think about all those Disney families that stay pop century and do QS and snacks only. My guess is that DVC owners are more likely to hit up TS as well as do different types of tours that cost additional money (not to mention golf/massages) that your typical park goer won't do. I'm also guessing that DVC owners (although largely value seekers), probably have higher incomes than non-DVC members. No idea if that is correct -- but it would seem like it's the case...I would love to see Disney's data on this.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Souvenir spending is most certainly lower for DVC owners than the average Disney guest, but DVC owners do still spend a decent amount on food and drinks. And food/beverages are still one of the main expenses for every family.

Internal info?

I think our own souvenir spending has gotten greater in recent years. Merchandise has gotten better vs a few years go when it was the same old cheap stuff in every store with little variety. We do ebb and flow over the years with purchases And guests we bring seem to add a lot to the bottom line too. It may be frequent visitors purchase less but I don't believe that DVC as a group doesn't contribute quite a bit.

 

[crisi]

there is certainly some truth to it...but think about all those Disney families that stay pop century and do QS and snacks only. My guess is that DVC owners are more likely to hit up TS as well as do different types of tours that cost additional money (not to mention golf/massages) that your typical park goer won't do. I'm also guessing that DVC owners (although largely value seekers), probably have higher incomes than non-DVC members. No idea if that is correct -- but it would seem like it's the case...I would love to see Disney's data on this.

Values are a lot of DVC rooms, but more than half of all rooms at Disney are Moderate or Deluxe. I know more people who golf at Disney who aren't DVC members than people who golf who are - mostly Dad's escaping park days - and on the tours we've taken, its about half hotel guests (except at HHI, at HHI everyone is DVC). And the spa is outsourced, that isn't Disney revenue.

I said before that if Disney is forced to make this decision based off revenue, they will leave the Values closed and the first guests in the parks will be Deluxe hotel guests. At at $30M a day in losses, they might be forced to make a revenue driven decision.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Values are a lot of DVC rooms, but more than half of all rooms at Disney are Moderate or Deluxe. I know more people who golf at Disney who aren't DVC members than people who golf who are - mostly Dad's escaping park days - and on the tours we've taken, its about half hotel guests (except at HHI, at HHI everyone is DVC). And the spa is outsourced, that isn't Disney revenue.

I said before that if Disney is forced to make this decision based off revenue, they will leave the Values closed and the first guests in the parks will be Deluxe hotel guests. At at $30M a day in losses, they might be forced to make a revenue driven decision.

I thought the Spas were taken back by Disney a few years ago.

 

[Brian Noble]

IIRC the Florida resident discount was part of the agreement between Disney and Florida government that allowed them to form the Reedy Creek Improvement District.

I don't believe this is true. The excellent book "Married to the Mouse" talks in some detail about how RCID was created. Essentially, Disney's lawyers drafted the legislation, and the Florida legislature adopted it without edit. They were turning a useless swamp into something with a lot of money behind it; FL state government was not particularly picky about how.

 

[mustinjourney]

Values are a lot of DVC rooms, but more than half of all rooms at Disney are Moderate or Deluxe. I know more people who golf at Disney who aren't DVC members than people who golf who are - mostly Dad's escaping park days - and on the tours we've taken, its about half hotel guests (except at HHI, at HHI everyone is DVC). And the spa is outsourced, that isn't Disney revenue.

I said before that if Disney is forced to make this decision based off revenue, they will leave the Values closed and the first guests in the parks will be Deluxe hotel guests. At at $30M a day in losses, they might be forced to make a revenue driven decision.

still might be worth opening at a loss assuming the loss is less than $30MM

 

[crisi]

still might be worth opening at a loss assuming the loss is less than $30MM

Yep, but they'll want to maximize their revenue to minimize that loss - which is why if I were looking at a soft open for just one class of guests, it would be opening the Deluxe resorts at half capacity - possibly with a special (and more expensive) ticket for "exclusive park access for a limited number of guests."

 

[sethschroeder]

Yep, but they'll want to maximize their revenue to minimize that loss - which is why if I were looking at a soft open for just one class of guests, it would be opening the Deluxe resorts at half capacity - possibly with a special (and more expensive) ticket for "exclusive park access for a limited number of guests."

As long as they are willing to see DVC take a nose dive.

Any exclusion of DVC or resale exclusion will result in suffering in the future for sales.

I think if Disney had their way they would sell every resort room as DVC.

 

[crisi]

As long as they are willing to see DVC take a nose dive.

Any exclusion of DVC or resale exclusion will result in suffering in the future for sales.

I think if Disney had their way they would sell every resort room as DVC.

Again, their money is mostly made in DVC. When they sold the points the first time to whomever bought them direct. They are sitting on Riviera capital - but they can sell that slowly over five or seven years - like they did SSR or Aulani or HHI. Will they lose some current customers that are DVC? - yep. They will be replaced by the person who bought your contract for a song in six months, who will, statistically speaking, have pretty much the same spending patterns you do. Disney doesn't care about that - not right now.

The biggest thing DVCers can internalize to keep them happy with their DVC over the long term is that Disney made you a simple deal - give us your money up front, and you will get a room discount in the future. The part of the deal that benefits them the most is done and over with.

 

[LAX]

As long as they are willing to see DVC take a nose dive.

Any exclusion of DVC or resale exclusion will result in suffering in the future for sales.

I think if Disney had their way they would sell every resort room as DVC.

You are underestimating Disney/DVC's marketing prowess. DVC's image won't suffer even if the owners are not included as the initial group of park guests when it reopens as long as they put the right spin on it.

Prospective DVC buyer: "I heard DVC owners were not allowed into the parks during COVID-19 after it reopened, is that true?"
DVC sales rep: "Yup. We didn't want our valued owners to be guinea pigs. We wanted to work out the kinks before DVC members return so they can have a good experience."
Prospective DVC buyer: "Wow, how thoughtful?!"
DVC sales rep: "Oh, we treat DVC owners really well. They enjoy deluxe accommodations. They get perks no other group get such as lounge inside our park and special events."
Prospective DVC buyer: "Where do I sign!"

LAX

 

[sethschroeder]

They will be replaced by the person who bought your contract for a song in six months, who will, statistically speaking, have pretty much the same spending patterns you do. Disney doesn't care about that - not right now.

I am not saying me, I am not threatening anything. I am specifically talking about future growth of DVC which is going to add millions of points to the pool.

6 Million Points for Riviera left
15-18 Million Points for Reflections
5-7 Million Points for Disneyland
26-31 million points over 6-8 years?

Also every time someone sells their contract there is less buyers for direct. Every time someone lowers the price on their contract the math skews more in favor of resale.

You are underestimating Disney/DVC's marketing prowess. DVC's image won't suffer even if the owners are not included as the initial group of park guests when it reopens as long as they put the right spin on it.

Prospective DVC buyer: "I heard DVC owners were not allowed into the parks during COVID-19 after it reopened, is that true?"
DVC sales rep: "Yup. We didn't want our valued owners to be guinea pigs. We wanted to work out the kinks before DVC members return so they can have a good experience."
Prospective DVC buyer: "Wow, how thoughtful?!"
DVC sales rep: "Oh, we treat DVC owners really well. They enjoy deluxe accommodations. They get perks no other group get such as lounge inside our park and special events."
Prospective DVC buyer: "Where do I sign!"

LAX

Except marketing won't remove legal actions taken by members. If they open resorts but keep DVC closed there possibly would be a case for someone to bring up.

I don't see Disney not including DVC in whatever plans it has for the first phase including opening resorts of any kind. There is also zero reason to have DVC closed if/when sister resorts reopen.

Also there is nothing better than the marketing story of "our members were the first to be allowed back at Disney after we reopened and had restricted crowds, this is the exclusive club you are joining".

 

[Sandisw]

I am not saying me, I am not threatening anything. I am specifically talking about future growth of DVC which is going to add millions of points to the pool.

6 Million Points for Riviera left
15-18 Million Points for Reflections
5-7 Million Points for Disneyland
26-31 million points over 6-8 years?

Also every time someone sells their contract there is less buyers for direct. Every time someone lowers the price on their contract the math skews more in favor of resale.



Except marketing won't remove legal actions taken by members. If they open resorts but keep DVC closed there possibly would be a case for someone to bring up.

I don't see Disney not including DVC in whatever plans it has for the first phase including opening resorts of any kind. There is also zero reason to have DVC closed if/when sister resorts reopen.

Also there is nothing better than the marketing story of "our members were the first to be allowed back at Disney after we reopened and had restricted crowds, this is the exclusive club you are joining".

I agree that if any resorts open, they will include all DVC or it would need to be questioned.

But I dont think DVC members have to be given an edge into the parks over any other resort guests.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

One thing in favor of Florida residents is that not all of us flock to the park as it’s a once or twice a year vacation (other than F&W).
One thing in favor of resort guests / DVC Members is that it’s a more known quantity of folks trying to get into the park(s).

I guess we’ll find out. Doesn’t affect me until F&W season.

 

[sethschroeder]

But I dont think DVC members have to be given an edge into the parks over any other resort guests.

100% I think its more so that DVC and whatever other group they let in to the park will happen at the same time. Maybe its just all DVC and Deluxe? Its not really that big of a group and they could easily hit 10% park capacity to ease back in.

Not sure what thread I broke down the math but its like roughly 8-16% of the average attendance if you just let in those two groups and its 2-4 people per room on average.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

100% I think its more so that DVC and whatever other group they let in to the park will happen at the same time. Maybe its just all DVC and Deluxe? Its not really that big of a group and they could easily hit 10% park capacity to ease back in.

Not sure what thread I broke down the math but its like roughly 8-16% of the average attendance if you just let in those two groups and its 2-4 people per room on average.

In theory, DVC is deluxe.
That said, I don’t think they would put certain folks in second or third class.
On site, is on site IMO. Doesn’t matter if you’re GF suite or Allstars.

or Allstars

 

[LAX]

I am not saying me, I am not threatening anything. I am specifically talking about future growth of DVC which is going to add millions of points to the pool.

6 Million Points for Riviera left
15-18 Million Points for Reflections
5-7 Million Points for Disneyland
26-31 million points over 6-8 years?

Also every time someone sells their contract there is less buyers for direct. Every time someone lowers the price on their contract the math skews more in favor of resale.



Except marketing won't remove legal actions taken by members. If they open resorts but keep DVC closed there possibly would be a case for someone to bring up.

I don't see Disney not including DVC in whatever plans it has for the first phase including opening resorts of any kind. There is also zero reason to have DVC closed if/when sister resorts reopen.

Also there is nothing better than the marketing story of "our members were the first to be allowed back at Disney after we reopened and had restricted crowds, this is the exclusive club you are joining".

I thought the thread is about giving DVC owners "priority" to access parks once they reopen, not about whether DVC resorts would be given priority to open first. There is no doubt that DVC resorts will reopen as soon as it is deemed safe to do so regardless of whether other non-DVC resorts or even parks are open at the same time.

While DVC owners may be included as part of the initial group of park visitors, Disney certainly won't be doing so because it considers them as "priority." Perhaps they do want DVC owners to be guinea pigs so that any kinks can be worked out before others come. There are plenty of reasons to include or exclude DVC owners as the initial group, but the fact that we have spent "tens of thousands of dollars" to join this "exclusive club" isn't likely to be the deciding factor no matter how much some owners feel like they ought to receive "special" treatments from the mouse, IMHO.

LAX