I love credit cards so much!

[DisneyMandC]

An FYI for those who had the streaming/entertainment credit on Amex- my Spotify charge posted yesterday and the credit showed up this morning. $3.90 back on a $12.99 bill.

 

[PolyRob]

I'm going to chime in here. I think it's really concerning for some properties such as OKW and SSR and of course Vero and HH in off season. These are the 'last to book' properties. I would not be at all concerned if I were buying a 'near park' property such as BCV, BWV, BLT, GF, or even Poly on the resale market. These are the properties where people most want to stay. So, if I buy 100 points at BCV, who cares if I cant go to Riviera - didn't want it to begin with, sky gondola to Epcot or not. And, if I get OKW or SSR at a lower price and I'm prepared to stay there, I've still got a Disney property and possibly a good deal. I think the key is to get that small contract from Disney up front, and then buy where you don't mind staying. Or buy where you want to stay from get go, which is what has been preached for all the time I've been a member. I haven't read what they are saying on the thread referenced yet, so of to check it out.

DVC has obviously been good for the bottom line. And also, thankfully renting is allowed in the POS! No DVC point ever needs to go to waste with care and planning.

DVD's job is management and sales. This is obviously another sales tactic aimed at pushing the new resale buyers over the edge. And, it's a lesson to all - Disney is not the benevolent company or the happiest place on earth when it comes to stockholders and their bottom line.

This concerns me as well. I am also wondering what this will do to the value of the contracts on the resale market. I always had in the back of my head that I could sell a contract and get a decent amount back based on how the price per point kept increasing if it did not work out. Now I wonder if Disney has stripped enough benefits to actually push more people direct?

My plan after the last change was to purchase minimum direct VGF and then add-on VGF because that is where I wanted to stay. I would have had a direct master contract with enough years to get me benefits regardless of what resort I added on with resale down the line. I think VGF would still be high demand enough resale contract because it is so small and there are issues getting certain accommodations at the 11-8 month mark, but I really need to look and reevaluate my plan.

I am also curious how Disney will get the resale points back. Will it be more aggressive in ROFR in order to offer the direct points? Does it hope that stripping more benefits makes people make lower offers and it pulls more back so it can sell it higher? I love Disney, but I would not put any of this past it. Maybe it will offer a trade-up program, pay the difference in the new price per point on your current resale contract from when you initially purchased the contract and we'll give you a blue card (JK).

Off to read some of those other threads on the topic...

 

[Judique]

OK...read what DVC News had to say and to me I think DVC actually is shooting itself in the foot. Why would I want to buy points at those new resorts if you are restricting my ability to unload it? Buyers are much more educated now than they were when I purchased. Hey Disney - they can read all this on the internet!!! Maybe they'll pitch it as an 'exclusive' perk. haha.

None of their recent offerings - Copper Creek, Riviera, or even the Bungalows have been appealing to me past initial curiosity. I think they are really stretching it. The last thing Disney built that I was mildly interested in was Golden Oak, and I didn't win the lottery, lol.

 

[amalone1013]

D'oh, DHs SW Biz card had a payment date of 12/28 so I figured the statement close was 12/30, 12/31... It was 1/3 If I'd realized I'd have thrown a payment on there on Jan 1st. Oh well, only CP plans were trying to do a weekend for Festival of the Arts...

ETA: OH, also I got the fastest refund ever from Disney this morning. Canceled my magical rates last Thursday and received the confirmation emails at 7:30 this morning. At 8:00 I got an email from Amex that the credit for $394 was on my card!

Aw man, I booked Wed morning, cancelled those around noon and rebooked paying with a GC... no refunds yet. Plus I'm waiting for another refund for a room I cancelled Wed or Thurs too.

 

[DisneyMandC]

Aw man, I booked Wed morning, cancelled those around noon and rebooked paying with a GC... no refunds yet. Plus I'm waiting for another refund for a room I cancelled Wed or Thurs too.

I've definitely waited weeks before for a refund. I don't know if it's because this was the magical booking or what, but the refund says it's from Disney.

 

[happ]

So Dh and I haven't quite decided on the BOA Premium Rewards card yet. We're most hesitant about the fact you can't PC to a no AF card. We understand it comes with a $100 credit for airline stuff, but don't think we will really use that.

Buying a AA gc works for that credit. I have done that twice and sold them.

 

[PolyRob]

The last thing Disney built that I was mildly interested in was Golden Oak, and I didn't win the lottery, lol.

I always joke that is the first thing I would buy if I ever won! One can dream, right?

 

[Psychodisney]

Ugh, I thought I was gonna get my companion pass this month, but I didn’t make it for my 1/2 statement so I’ll get it in February.

But my flight for March has only 6 seats left. I don’t want to transfer 8k ur to book the flight.

Can I book a refundable ticket and then change that to a companion ticket once I get it?

I think so, but you have to call. Do you have enough points to book the flight on points? I know I've read that people have called in and changed a points fare to a CP ticket.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

Ugh, I thought I was gonna get my companion pass this month, but I didn’t make it for my 1/2 statement so I’ll get it in February.

But my flight for March has only 6 seats left. I don’t want to transfer 8k ur to book the flight.

Can I book a refundable ticket and then change that to a companion ticket once I get it?

Once you have the CP you would have to cancel the refundable ticket, and immediately add your companion...and hope if there is only one seat left your able to grab it

 

[snugglebug]

P2's Sw Biz app was approved last night. Whoop! I see a Companion Pass in my future. Now off to Jury Duty.

 

[Jax1023]

I think so, but you have to call. Do you have enough points to book the flight on points? I know I've read that people have called in and changed a points fare to a CP ticket.

I do not have enough points. I could transfer from UR but I’d rather not.

 

[Judique]

I am also curious how Disney will get the resale points back. Will it be more aggressive in ROFR in order to offer the direct points? Does it hope that stripping more benefits makes people make lower offers and it pulls more back so it can sell it higher? I love Disney, but I would not put any of this past it. Maybe it will offer a trade-up program, pay the difference in the new price per point on your current resale contract from when you initially purchased the contract and we'll give you a blue card (JK).

Disney doesn't want resale points back. That's just costing them time and money. Do they want people not to use their points? No. They want the captive visitor there to sell them tickets, meals, souvenirs and experiences.

They only get aggressive in ROFR to keep the new resort price up, not to regain points, so they will nix any lowball bargains.

The objective for Disney is new sales, preferably to that purchaser with stars in their eyes. All else is just fluff.

And, resales are just a small part of this. 50% of buyers are not reselling. Most buyers are keeping or trading upwards as they figure out what they want. This may not be true for the newer resorts, but for the original ones, people were in it long term. OKW used to jokingly be referred to as a 'retirement home'. There are millions of contracts and points out there and only a few handfuls on the resale sites. There are over half a million members and that's a number I heard from DVC some time back. I remember getting a free hat when I was able to answer a question correctly about how many members there were back in the early 2000's and it was under 75K back then. Put all the resellers together and you may see 1-2K contracts......and that bothers Disney. Maybe I'm really off base with this, but someone mentioned greed a page or two back - there's no doubt in my mind that they want to squeeze every penny. Is that good management? Maybe.

 

[Lain]

I couldn’t agree more. The Tokyo parks are amazing. I can totally see us positioning the points hobby for visiting the Tokyo parks every couple of years the way many here visit the US parks.

Don't forget, new Beauty and the Beast attraction coming to Tokyo Disneyland in Spring 2020.

 

[DisneyMandC]

Don't forget, new Beauty and the Beast attraction coming to Tokyo Disneyland in Spring 2020.

I can't wait for the ungodly long line DH and I are going to have to stand in for that in August 2020 lol

 

[Lain]

I can't wait for the ungodly long line DH and I are going to have to stand in for that in August 2020 lol

Ouch. August in Tokyo is miserable.

 

[DisneyMandC]

Ouch. August in Tokyo is miserable.

Haha, yeah, one of our friends is Japanese and that's what she said. We're from Virginia and are experienced with 90% humidity though, so it sounds like it will probably just be standard weather for us. Plus, we're going for the Olympics which is a life dream of mine, so I don't really have an option on when to go haha.

 

[havaneselover]

Haha, yeah, one of our friends is Japanese and that's what she said. We're from Virginia and are experienced with 90% humidity though, so it sounds like it will probably just be standard weather for us. Plus, we're going for the Olympics which is a life dream of mine, so I don't really have an option on when to go haha.

Seriously, August in Richmond is pretty brutal! Which is nice because there's almost no where I've been in August that was worse including Orlando

 

[DisneyMandC]

Seriously, August in Richmond is pretty brutal! Which is nice because there's almost no where I've been in August that was worse including Orlando

Agreed! When we went to WDW in August 2017 I was like "wow, this weather is great, I don't even have to change my clothes midway through the day!"

 

[Lain]

Haha, yeah, one of our friends is Japanese and that's what she said. We're from Virginia and are experienced with 90% humidity though, so it sounds like it will probably just be standard weather for us. Plus, we're going for the Olympics which is a life dream of mine, so I don't really have an option on when to go haha.

Oh! I wish I could convince DW to do the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. No dice.

 

[elgerber]

I'm going to chime in here. I think it's really concerning for some properties such as OKW and SSR and of course Vero and HH in off season. These are the 'last to book' properties. I would not be at all concerned if I were buying a 'near park' property such as BCV, BWV, BLT, GF, or even Poly on the resale market. These are the properties where people most want to stay. So, if I buy 100 points at BCV, who cares if I cant go to Riviera - didn't want it to begin with, sky gondola to Epcot or not. And, if I get OKW or SSR at a lower price and I'm prepared to stay there, I've still got a Disney property and possibly a good deal. I think the key is to get that small contract from Disney up front, and then buy where you don't mind staying. Or buy where you want to stay from get go, which is what has been preached for all the time I've been a member. I haven't read what they are saying on the thread referenced yet, so of to check it out.

.

I am also in agreement with this. I don't think it's really going to hurt resale for those park resorts. It will still be a great deal cheaper than buying direct and those resorts are always going to be in super high demand. Plus per night points are almost guaranteed to be less than the new resorts, so you could buy less points.
Now, selling your contract for Riviera down the line, might be a bit of an issue.
I have had my points for 17 years, so it doesn't affect me at all, so I don't panic or delve to much into it. But I do see how it's causing an uproar at least at first.