DVC travel agents

[waltfan1957]

Hi can someone tell me why so many travel agents are selling holidays at DVC resorts?

 

[ChelleinNC]

Disney maintains an ownership in each DVC resort and those rooms are available to the general public thru CRO (or a travel agent). The availability of those rooms has nothing to do with availability of rooms for "points".

Also, some of Disney's inventory is from DVC members that have traded out to non-DVC resorts, cruises, II exchange, etc.

 

[waltfan1957]

Disney maintains an ownership in each DVC resort and those rooms are available to the general public thru CRO (or a travel agent). The availability of those rooms has nothing to do with availability of rooms for "points".

Also, some of Disney's inventory is from DVC members that have traded out to non-DVC resorts, cruises, II exchange, etc.

thanks, i thought it was 4% but what with he akl developer points and all the threads regarding offers through travel agents i was'nt sure, also if they can offer upgrades to these visitors why don't dvc members get any?

 

[ChelleinNC]

Quite simply, DVC members don't get the upgrades because they already bought in.

For Disney, it's a win to upgrade families to the DVC resorts. They can overbook a resort and send some of the overflow to empty rooms at the DVC resorts (rooms that aren't available to members) and *hopefully* persuade those families to buy DVC. Even if they don't buy in, they're happy about getting upgraded and Disney has filled what would have been an empty room.

 

[mnra]

That is one issue I have with DVC you buy in and only so much available to members. Then disney is happy to sell you the room for cash but not let you use points. Not sure there is a good fix for this but just a point that seems to happen some.

 

[ChelleinNC]

That is one issue I have with DVC you buy in and only so much available to members. Then disney is happy to sell you the room for cash but not let you use points. Not sure there is a good fix for this but just a point that seems to happen some.

It really isn't a bad thing. By Disney keeping an ownership in DVC resorts, they have a vested interest in keeping them maintained. The other part of their inventory of rooms is from rooms the DVC Members traded out of. Those rooms have already been "booked with points" by the member trading out, Disney has to sell those rooms for cash. This is good for the members, because if Disney didn't do that, members couldn't trade out for cruises or weeks in Aruba.

 

[CarolMN]

That is one issue I have with DVC you buy in and only so much available to members. Then disney is happy to sell you the room for cash but not let you use points. Not sure there is a good fix for this but just a point that seems to happen some.

Hardly any of the rooms are from the small ownership percentage that Disney retains. Those room nights owned by Disney are only rented out for cash if they aren't needed for maintenance or administrative purposes.

Almost all of the rooms that are available for cash at the sold out DVC resorts come from DVC members who used their points for a cruise or one of the non-DVC WDW resorts. The only way DVC has to pay for those choices is to rent out the equivalent number of DVC room nights. If that didn't happen, then members could not use points for anything except DVC resorts or exchanges.

 

[tjkraz]

Quite simply, DVC members don't get the upgrades because they already bought in.

That may be one reason, but I think there are some more important reasons for the no upgrade policy.

The first is simply an issue of fairness. If I spend 50 points for a Studio at the BoardWalk and you spend 50 points for the same Studio, we should both receive the same value for our points. In the cash world there are always numerous rates and discount programs to deal with, so the playing field is far from level. But in the DVC/timeshare/ownership world, it should be level. As an owners, I wouldn't be too pleased to find out that you got a One Bedroom for your 50 points just because you arrived sooner or a CM liked you better.

Another problem could be creating upgrade trends which are known and abused by members. Take the weekends for example. Most members would agree that the points are probably a little too high for weekend nights, and this almost serves as a disincentive to book it on points.

Assuming that is true, and assuming that upgrades from a Studio to a 1B were commonplace, members would begin intentionally booking smaller rooms expecting to get the upgrade. Sure they may not be successful all the time, but people will still do it if the success rate is high enough.

Suddenly you've got people spending 30 points for a Studio rather than 50 points for a One Bedroom. That leaves people with "extra" points to otherwise extend their vacations.

Similar trends would occur during other slow periods at DVC resorts (September, winter months at HHI, etc.) The foundation of DVC is for the resorts to be 100% booked year-round, less some accommodation for maintenance. If you start putting extra points in people's accounts (via the expectation of free upgrades), we would all suffer in the long run.

 

[waltfan1957]

Quite simply, DVC members don't get the upgrades because they already bought in.

For Disney, it's a win to upgrade families to the DVC resorts. They can overbook a resort and send some of the overflow to empty rooms at the DVC resorts (rooms that aren't available to members) and *hopefully* persuade those families to buy DVC. Even if they don't buy in, they're happy about getting upgraded and Disney has filled what would have been an empty room.

i understand that, what i dont get is travel agents selling these direct. thats not disney upgrading overbooked resorts as how can they know if they will be overbooked or not

 

[Chuck S]

Also, if upgrades were available on a routine basis to DVC members, it would probably mean other folks could no use their points. That in a way would mean that Disney could illegally be overselling a resort, and that the department that oversees timeshares in FL would probably investigate.

 

[waltfan1957]

Also, if upgrades were available on a routine basis to DVC members, it would probably mean other folks could no use their points. That in a way would mean that Disney could illegally be overselling a resort, and that the department that oversees timeshares in FL would probably investigate.

thanks i get that now, still dont get how a travel agent can sell a dvc resort a year in advance, with all the developer points disney cant know what will be available,