How many guides are there?

[MyDogTink]

Sorry but I didn’t know where else to post this question. We will be staying in BLT and I’d like to get over to RIV for a tour. Will my guide arrange for transportation or is that my responsibility? That’s fine if it’s my responsibility. I just want to plan accordingly. We aren’t there long so I may go over myself. Thanks.

 

[DonMacGregor]

Sorry but I didn’t know where else to post this question. We will be staying in BLT and I’d like to get over to RIV for a tour. Will my guide arrange for transportation or is that my responsibility? That’s fine if it’s my responsibility. I just want to plan accordingly. We aren’t there long so I may go over myself. Thanks.

Yes, your guide or the desk at BLT can arrange for a van to take you over to RR.

 

[Bucketfoot]

Our first guide was Brad Smith when we bought in a VGF in 2013. Then he left and we were assigned Mohamed Elaroussi. We have done 4 add-ones with him since that first purchase with Brad. Mohamed has been great, very informative and helped with our CCR add on in June. Never pushy and quick to help us out and answer questions.

We have bought two contracts with Mohamed. He was very helpful on our first purchase (VGF) and has always been very responsive to any questions we've had. At the same time he is never bothersome.

 

[MyDogTink]

Yes, your guide or the desk at BLT can arrange for a van to take you over to RR.

Thank you!!

 

[RichVIII]

Our guide Andrea Malone was featured recently in the Disney Parks blog.
https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/b...ub-guide-makes-disney-guests-feel-like-ohana/

She is great. We were hoping to catch up with her when we were at Aulani at Christmas but for good reason, she was off. She calls and we exchange emails occasionally.

 

[thelionqueen]

Not sure if this will help, but, during my DL visit last month, I stopped by the VDH sales office with me being the only guest. As it turns out, the SVP of sales was there and we spoke a good long time. He asked how my buying experience was and such. Being a former CM & Imagineer piqued his curiosity and bought me fave time I think.

I told him my experiences since 2008 as well as currently - tripling my points in 6 months. He asked my guides names (I’ve had 6 over the years) and he knew of or had heard of, all but one. That one was on the cruise line sales side, so not sure if that matters. My thinking is that it’s not so big that the head honcho knew almost off of them (broadening that example to include the whole department overall makes me think it’s under 100ish)?

I personally applied to be a guide a dozen times during my Disney career and never got off the ground. My crowdsourcing in FL left me thinking the group was smallish..but I’m just making a semi experienced guess honestly.

 

[Noodlez]

Our first guide was called Alan. He didn't seem to like us very much. Our last contact with him was to ask for information on the upcoming Riviera resort. He said he would let us know as soon as they heard anything! I'm not sure when he left but we spoke to someone the other day who said that we had been passed on to a different guide (I believe he had the surname Winter), but he had also left (changed jobs) without ever contacting us.

We wanted a look round a Riviera room while we were there, so we now have Meghan as our new guide. I think we've already had more contact from her than we've had in the last few years!

 

[TinkAgainU]

My Guides to discuss WDW contracts (I'm guessing if you buy in Florida they need a Florida Real Estate license, just like for sales in California they need a California Real Estate license) were Jonathan "Joe" Veloira and Gib McCain (although Gib's email shows a California License number?).

I felt Joe was more friendly and helpful than Gib, but by the time I spoke with Gib it was clear I wanted only small contracts and knew about resale - so that might have colored his enthusiasm for talking with me

It took me multiple calls this week to DVC (and an ignored online request thru the AddOn button) for me to reach anyone at DVC to even discuss Adding On at a non-Active resort. Which contrasted sharply with the immediate call back from a Resale broker.

 

[DonMacGregor]

My Guides to discuss WDW contracts (I'm guessing if you buy in Florida they need a Florida Real Estate license, just like for sales in California they need a California Real Estate license) were Jonathan "Joe" Veloira and Gib McCain (although Gib's email shows a California License number?).

I felt Joe was more friendly and helpful than Gib, but by the time I spoke with Gib it was clear I wanted only small contracts and knew about resale - so that might have colored his enthusiasm for talking with me

It took me multiple calls this week to DVC (and an ignored online request thru the AddOn button) for me to reach anyone at DVC to even discuss Adding On at a non-Active resort. Which contrasted sharply with the immediate call back from a Resale broker.

Gib is in Florida, He's has been my guide for years. When the California real estate licensing rules changed a year or so ago, if you didn't hold a California license, you couldn't sell real estate to anyone living in California, regardless of the location of the real property. He had to pass me along to a California-licensed guide for a direct add-on at Aulani, but now that he holds a CA license, he can assist me moving forward. His CA license may be featured prominently because VDH is in active sales.

I've had him add on as few as 25 points for me, as well as larger contracts, without hesitation (and he always sends a gift). From what I gather, he's a bit of a "whale" and has a very large and robust client list, so you will likely never see him on property anymore.

 

[J-Dog]

Just out of curiousity, how are the guides paid? Do they work on commision?

I only ask because I had a guide that I've worked with in the past and was just fine, but on the last contract I bought direct, I asked a question via chat, and got a different guide. She was fine too, but she asked me at least 3 times if she could be my guide from now on.

At first, I said "no", but eventually she broke me down and I said "yes". She wasn't pushy, and was very nice about it; I just found it weird that she asked multiple times.

 

[Cfabar1]

I believe the guides receive commission and also receive additional incentives that Disney may offer from time to time - that has been speculated as to why they might push a certain resort over another at a given time.

This is all truly speculation, but we have had that speculation on this board before.

I'd be curious also what the salary is. Honestly, if you can cut it, I think it would be a relatively fun job to have.

 

[TinkAgainU]

I only ask because I had a guide that I've worked with in the past and was just fine, but on the last contract I bought direct, I asked a question via chat, and got a different guide. She was fine too, but she asked me at least 3 times if she could be my guide from now on.

At first, I said "no", but eventually she broke me down and I said "yes". She wasn't pushy, and was very nice about it; I just found it weird that she asked multiple times.

I've always been asked that too - but I just assumed they were on commission or bonus (traditional way to pay salespeople) and wished to have you on their "list" if you purchased. I think I'd be torn as to whether it's a fun job - you KNOW there are people stretching too far to buy, and it would be hard to represent both the company and buyers' best interests. While calling a park employee a Cast Member, or calling a timeshare salesperson a Guide is a lovely euphemism - the basic job description is still the basic job description.

 

[DonMacGregor]

I did have a guide get a bit pushy to send me some info on VDH a few months, when we were looking at the Aulani
model rooms at DLH, and I had already told him I already owned Aulani, didn’t want any VDH points, and was just showing my sister. He asked me once too often (wasn’t a hard sell, but the question was asked and answered), and I said I didn’t think Gib would appreciate it. He said “Oh, he‘ll be fine with it” to which I replied ‘Cool, let’s call him”…

 

[superlarz]

my original guide was Hubert Van Alphen, he was amazing. Was recently switched to a California guide named Maria Gomez, and she has been very helpful, willing get me information and tweak different things for me to see different numbers and scenarios (I'm needy) and even met me over in the lounge at Disneyland one day when I let her know I would be on site. I'm not sure if Hubert is still with the company, but he was there for well over a decade before I bought off of him. Not sure how long Maria has been with the company but she has been knowledgeable and helpful.

 

[cdirazonian]

I got a guide’s name from someone on here back in April (resale 15 yrs ago so never had one). She was in CA, I contacted her to buy VGF in May. She was very nice, very helpful & efficient even redid our contract when summer incentives changed. She did have me sign something saying she permission to contact me in the future because without she said she wasn’t allowed to call me, which I didn’t realize they needed permission.

When we bought last month, last day of incentives, at the resort (VGF) spur of the moment with a different guide overhearing me & husband talking so he approached us. But when he looked up my account he said we had no guide listed & he could help. We purchased again thru him.

But now I feel bad. We just closed last week and I just got a voice mail yesterday from the 1st guide. A very nice upbeat message from her just saying congratulations on our additional purchase and so on then if she could be of any help in the future please contact her & let her know.

I don’t know if she forgot to put her name on our account or what happened but she was able to see that we purchased again, so something must’ve come across her desk somehow.

To me it seems like it’s a tight circle of info within all the guides, seeing she in California knew what we did in Florida.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

my original guide was Hubert Van Alphen, he was amazing. Was recently switched to a California guide named Maria Gomez, and she has been very helpful, willing get me information and tweak different things for me to see different numbers and scenarios (I'm needy) and even met me over in the lounge at Disneyland one day when I let her know I would be on site. I'm not sure if Hubert is still with the company, but he was there for well over a decade before I bought off of him. Not sure how long Maria has been with the company but she has been knowledgeable and helpful.

Hubert is awesome. He was still there as of last May.

 

[Ruttangel]

 

[J-Dog]

I got a guide’s name from someone on here back in April (resale 15 yrs ago so never had one). She was in CA, I contacted her to buy VGF in May. She was very nice, very helpful & efficient even redid our contract when summer incentives changed. She did have me sign something saying she permission to contact me in the future because without she said she wasn’t allowed to call me, which I didn’t realize they needed permission.

When we bought last month, last day of incentives, at the resort (VGF) spur of the moment with a different guide overhearing me & husband talking so he approached us. But when he looked up my account he said we had no guide listed & he could help. We purchased again thru him.

But now I feel bad. We just closed last week and I just got a voice mail yesterday from the 1st guide. A very nice upbeat message from her just saying congratulations on our additional purchase and so on then if she could be of any help in the future please contact her & let her know.

I don’t know if she forgot to put her name on our account or what happened but she was able to see that we purchased again, so something must’ve come across her desk somehow.

To me it seems like it’s a tight circle of info within all the guides, seeing she in California knew what we did in Florida.

That's what my new guide said too, that I had no guide previously listed.

But I did have a guide previously who I had worked with for 2 previous contracts and her name was listed on all email correspondence. And I had just talked to her about 2 months before the new guide told me that.

Not sure if she "conveniently" deleted my previous guide, or they get "unlisted" after a set amount of time?

 

[Cfabar1]

That's what my new guide said too, that I had no guide previously listed.

But I did have a guide previously who I had worked with for 2 previous contracts and her name was listed on all email correspondence. And I had just talked to her about 2 months before the new guide told me that.

Not sure if she "conveniently" deleted my previous guide, or they get "unlisted" after a set amount of time?

We had the same thing, but were told that Kathy retired. I found it odd that our emails were just not responded to, rather than being forwarded to another guide or agent.