Has anything gotten BETTER over time?

[crisi]

Disney's social media presence is not doing bad. Look at this board. Heck, a toddler gets eaten by an alligator and they bounce back - they'll bounce back from not giving DVC perks.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Disney's social media presence is not doing bad. Look at this board. Heck, a toddler gets eaten by an alligator and they bounce back - they'll bounce back from not giving DVC perks.

Disney controls wildlife? That's not a comment that is fair to them or people who continue to utilize their products.

 

[crisi]

Disney controls wildlife? That's not a comment that is fair to them or people who continue to utilize their products.

Disney could have put up fencing ages ago, but didn't. They didn't even when the alligators started getting aggressive having been fed from the bungalows. And heck, the bungalows were a bad idea - anyone who has worked with humans and gators could see that tragedy a mile off. But the point isn't whether it is fair, because social media doesn't care if its fair. It that Disney has such a following that even that did not really impact them.

 

[DisneyMountainWoman]

GameStop and AMC on Reddit had little to do with customer service or anything else. That was creating a call for short sellers for a pair of dying companies. Both have had lousy fundamentals for years, and Covid was really hard on AMC.

And while I agree with you that is how companies should work, the reality is since the 1980s, investors and shareholders reward short term gains. A quarter - a year. Maybe three. They don't care beyond that. Executive compensation reflects this short term thinking. And Disney is in a state of complacency regarding theme parks - no matter what they cut, theme park attendance goes up. AND they did decide to make a bunch of long term investments in theme parks - they invested a TON of capital - then Covid hit and their bottom line took a hit. Its going to be a few years of belt tightening to make sure they can meet their covenant obligations. Since their biggest line item is employment costs, expect to not see pre-Covid levels of staffing for some time.

My husband invested in Gamestop before it hit big, actually what started it was they were revamping the system and modernizing it, so he believed it was undervalued. As my husband was a gamer, he understood the gaming community and felt it was making good moves to make it relevant again. (The other part was it being over shorted, but that is not the part to focus on with this conversation.) But customers now can put pressure on companies in more ways than just buying a product. With the day trading apps making trading stocks easier for the everyday person to get involve, regular people can push companies in more ways now with the combo of social media and day trading apps.

 

[davidl81]

The one thing I will add is can we at least wait till everything is fully open and running again before we decide if DVC has taken too much away? We think APs are coming back, but we have no idea about other perks etc. I’m willing to give Disney the benefit of the doubt and give them till 2022 before I make a decision on if DVC has cut too much etc. I will say that as long as DVC is actively selling resorts I expect we will have a decent level of perks. I personally don’t feel like I’ve lost much in the 12 years I’ve been part of DVC, I actually feel like I’ve gained a bit.

 

[jodifla]

Well, the fireworks are back! Just like I expected they would be.

 

[Bjaiken77]

Well, the fireworks are back! Just like I expected they would be.

yeah, I’m happy about that. I have a trip to DL in August and WDW in October. Fireworks were going to be missed if not back. Hopefully, this is the beginning of things getting back to normal, whatever that may be.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

We've been members since 93. There was one resort then - call The Vacation Club (now OKW). They offered free park passes for each stay we had, based on the room size we reserved. But we knew that would only last until 1999. I don't view that as a 'perk', but it was a sales ploy! And it worked. The biggest improvements for us would definitely be the member discount on Gold APs, and the ability to use our points directly at so many resorts now, including several not at WDW (especially Aulani and GC for us). Looking back on 28 years of DVC, it was one of the best things we did for our particular family. We have SO many memories from trips over the years. Trips that range from just my wife and me, to several family reunion trips with as many as 23 of us. Throw in the discounts for merchandise and some meals - I have no quarrel with the benefits we've gotten, and continue to get with our membership. But everyone's situation is obviously different.

 

[jodifla]

We've been members since 93. There was one resort then - call The Vacation Club (now OKW). They offered free park passes for each stay we had, based on the room size we reserved. But we knew that would only last until 1999. I don't view that as a 'perk', but it was a sales ploy! And it worked. The biggest improvements for us would definitely be the member discount on Gold APs, and the ability to use our points directly at so many resorts now, including several not at WDW (especially Aulani and GC for us). Looking back on 28 years of DVC, it was one of the best things we did for our particular family. We have SO many memories from trips over the years. Trips that range from just my wife and me, to several family reunion trips with as many as 23 of us. Throw in the discounts for merchandise and some meals - I have no quarrel with the benefits we've gotten, and continue to get with our membership. But everyone's situation is obviously different.

We always say it was probably the best purchase we ever made. We bought in '96 and have enjoyed each stay over the past 25 years.

The biggest perk is that we can treat ourselves... regularly... to rooms like the Riviera. We would never spend almost $1,000 a night on a hotel room. But there were were, for several nights in May, enjoying the resort with our friends.

 

[CarolynFH]

We've been members since 93. There was one resort then - call The Vacation Club (now OKW). They offered free park passes for each stay we had, based on the room size we reserved. But we knew that would only last until 1999. I don't view that as a 'perk', but it was a sales ploy! And it worked. The biggest improvements for us would definitely be the member discount on Gold APs, and the ability to use our points directly at so many resorts now, including several not at WDW (especially Aulani and GC for us). Looking back on 28 years of DVC, it was one of the best things we did for our particular family. We have SO many memories from trips over the years. Trips that range from just my wife and me, to several family reunion trips with as many as 23 of us. Throw in the discounts for merchandise and some meals - I have no quarrel with the benefits we've gotten, and continue to get with our membership. But everyone's situation is obviously different.

We always say it was probably the best purchase we ever made. We bought in '96 and have enjoyed each stay over the past 25 years.

The biggest perk is that we can treat ourselves... regularly... to rooms like the Riviera. We would never spend almost $1,000 a night on a hotel room. But there were were, for several nights in May, enjoying the resort with our friends.

Yes, DH and I have often said to each other that DVC was the best purchase we made for our family. It enabled so many wonderful trips, where I could truly relax and enjoy being with them, not to mention feel like I was 10 years old again! The true value of DVC for us has been in our long term ownership, just carrying on through all the changes.

 

[beccasmom]

My grandparents were early buyers at Old Key West (back when the resort was simply called Disney's Vacation Club Resort) and honestly it just felt like a better overall experience compared to now. The castmembers (for example those running poolside entertainment) seemed to be real people with individual personalities rather than interchangeable parts. The food from Good's Food to Go was better. You got free park tickets to use during your stay (I believe this was a purchase perk in the early days, and forget how long it lasted).

We purchased in 1992 (OKW was indeed called Disney Vacation Club). Free park tickets were part of the deal until 2000 (did not include the Animal Kingdom). We had already decided to purchase (we took a tour and were “sold” - we had a terrific guide - but didn’t immediately jump in; we purchased a few months later) before the ticket incentive was announced, so it wasn’t a major consideration, although we certainly enjoyed that perk. I think our total price was just under $15,000 for 230 points (which was the minimum purchase at the time). We were able to pay in cash, which was an important factor in our decision. On our first visit as members in May 1992 the resort was still under construction; it was not built out beyond half of Old Turtle Pond Road.

 

[sssteele]

We always say it was probably the best purchase we ever made. We bought in '96 and have enjoyed each stay over the past 25 years.

The biggest perk is that we can treat ourselves... regularly... to rooms like the Riviera. We would never spend almost $1,000 a night on a hotel room. But there were were, for several nights in May, enjoying the resort with our friends.

What room costs $1000 cash per night at Riviera? I'm just curious. Would that be a studio or 1 bedroom?

 

[davidl81]

What room costs $1000 cash per night at Riviera? I'm just curious. Would that be a studio or 1 bedroom?

I just checked and picked a random August 11-14th. The option for Riveria was a 1BR Preferred view for $1050 a night. Granted that’s full rack rate. On points it’s 49 a night on the weekday and 59 a night on the weekend (which as I type that seems crazy high)

I also found a studio during the week at $666 per night before taxes. That would end up being about $749 a night after taxes.

 

[bakerworld]

I’ve read a ton of write ups about how DVC members got more, paid less, and the experience was more advantageous in the past. Has ANYTHING gotten better? No is an acceptable and somewhat expected answer.

I don't really understand this question. A timeshare/vacation club is the room. While the perks are nice the DVC is about the room. Maybe the OP should have said 'Has any of the PERKS of owning DVC gotten better'.

All one has to do is try to book a room at BC/YC, BW, Contemporary, GF, Poly, etc. and the questions is answered. Am I not understanding what this is about?

 

[Bjaiken77]

I don't really understand this question. A timeshare/vacation club is the room. While the perks are nice the DVC is about the room. Maybe the OP should have said 'Has any of the PERKS of owning DVC gotten better'.

All one has to do is try to book a room at BC/YC, BW, Contemporary, GF, Poly, etc. and the questions is answered. Am I not understanding what this is about?

No, I wrote the question as intended. Many people said they enjoy more variety in booking and an improved online system. That has nothing to do with perks.

However, if you focus more broadly on the question, it does include a focus on perks, and I’d say that’s part of the vacation club. If it were just about the room, you wouldn’t have seen people scrambling to add on direct points when they recently rose from 125 to 150.

Sorry you found the question confusing. I thought it was pretty open ended and straight forward. I hope this provides some clarity.

 

[sethschroeder]

What room costs $1000 cash per night at Riviera? I'm just curious. Would that be a studio or 1 bedroom?

Preferred studio can be over $1000 while 1br is normally $1000-$1400+

 

[SarahWI]

They didn't even when the alligators started getting aggressive having been fed from the bungalows. And heck, the bungalows were a bad idea - anyone who has worked with humans and gators could see that tragedy a mile off.

this is totally off topic but do the gators get up on the decks or boardwalks at the bungalows? I get the risk etc on the beaches and waters edge. But are the bungalow decks a risk?

 

[princesscinderella]

this is totally off topic but do the gators get up on the decks or boardwalks at the bungalows? I get the risk etc on the beaches and waters edge. But are the bungalow decks a risk?

No they are too elevated for them to get on them and they have a railing, which unless it was a small gator it wouldn’t fit through. A small gator can’t climb so it’s safe.

 

[SarahWI]

No they are too elevated for them to get on them and they have a railing, which unless it was a small gator it wouldn’t fit through. A small gator can’t climb so it’s safe.

thank you for reassuring this Pacific Northwest/Midwesterner!!!

 

[bakerworld]

For us the DVC perk that continues to improve is we're still reserving rooms at the '08/'09 rate. We believe that perk will do nothing except improve. For us another improving perk is when the DVC incorporates existing venues, like the Poly and Wilderness Lodge, into the club which allows us to stay at hotel venues that were outside of our sight line previously. Our DVC home is Kidani however in 12 years we've stayed there twice because our choice is to enjoy Jambo. Truthfully, the annual dues impact this slightly however when I factor the rise into our spreadsheet I'm still staying at the BC for about the same cost per night as the Dolphin - actually it was a bit less until we added more BC points in 2018. We justified adding the 2018 BC points with a probable future sell of one of our other homes, which will cause our room per night cost to be less than the Dolphin.

While the perk of reduced park tickets will hopefully return, I have to admit our age is working against the parks. I can no longer enjoy Space Mountain when that use to be a favorite ride. Now most of our Epcot days don't involve a single ride. We'll enjoy a few rides at HS but we prefer Baseline and the Brown Derby Porch more than Mickey's Train. LOL

While I will miss the Magical Express, the better half is looking forward to not having to wait hours between arriving at our hotel from MCO. This begs the question of whether the discontinuance of the ME is a diminished perk.