Interesting Conversation

[crisi]

My DH had a business meeting with someone whose business card had Celebration, FL as a business address. This opened up the WDW/DVC discussion. This gentleman (who no longer works for Disney) had been one of the original project managers for DVC.

DVCs original resorts were OKW (not called that during planning, but not called the Disney Vacation Club either - DH couldn't remember the concept name), VB and HH. The original plan was to have 600 DVC resorts all over the country! But they discovered OKW sold like hotcakes - exceeding their expectations, while the sales at VB and HH were disappointing to say the least. So they changed plans and made their timeshare WDW centric.


I'd never heard the gossip here that the original plan for DVC was anywhere near 600 resorts - thought you guys might be interested in that little piece of DVC history.

 

[Chuck S]

Well, 600 off-site resorts would be 12 per state, on average. That seems way too amibitious to be believable. Although, certainly the DVC concept would apply to high tourism areas, like Aspen or Vail, So Cal, San Antonio, Vegas, etc. "Regional" DVCs near tourist and recreation areas would have been nice, but they surely would not have sold as well at the on-site properties. Alos, imagine the reaction of locals to anything with the name "Disney" attached, even if it would only be a hotel/resort complex without theme parks. There are always people opposed to any development and Disney is a great "target" for "anti-development" publicity.

I'm still a little disappionted that they never built one near DL, but any company has to go where they know the $$$ is, and that is WDW.

 

[J.P.]

thanks for the triva. we joined during the beginning and loving everytime we go down.JP

 

[PamOKW]

Thanks for sharing the info. DVC was also begun at the time Disney was going to build the "history" park in Virginia. They may have discovered that building out in the real world wasn't as easy as adding on in their own kingdom.

Who knows, maybe someday Disney will expand further into the resort/timeshare business. It seems like a natural, especially if they partner with someone like Starwood.

 

[Doug Wolfe]

I think this is great trivia, thanks for sharing! I wish they would put a history of DVC on their official website.

I do believe they had great plans for nationwide expansion/sales, but obviously the sales at VB & HH were disappointing.

DVC had purchased property and announced a project for California in the 90's. But that was canceled and the property sold to Marriott for one of their timeshares.

I still think they could have a profitable DVC if it were actually connected to one of the DisneyLand properties.

 

[danny1649]

Thanks for sharing

 

[timC]

Thanks Crisi. Interesting stuff.

I understand DVC was disappointed with VB and HH sales... but I wonder how sales compared relative to competing timeshares? Were sales that poor, or were DVC expectations too high? 600 locations seems inrealistic. Also, I wonder if DVC's low-key sales approach perhaps is not the best way to sell off-site timeshares.

 

[Pa@okw95]

OKW selling like hotcakes!!??? It took a long time to sell Disney Vacation Club when it first started. They had to give us free park passes for years, etc. I believe the last units were sold in 97, they started to sell them in 91. They were not sold as a savings back then like they are now. They went very slow, but BWV went fast as did WLV, and BCV. OKW which was known as the Vacation Club when I bought in 95 has been selling for 4 years and they had perks to go with it. I think it took close to 6 years to sell ,hardly hot cakes.

 

[Niagara2]

Anyone remember the rendering of a DVC in Time Square in New York City near the site of the Disney Store? I really thought that was a go but....... Also, we bought Marriott Newport Beach and use it to visit Southern California and Disneyland. It is a wonderful location, Disney should not have given it up. Views, location etc.

 

[mbw12]

I know the answer is probably NO, but do you think they will ever make more off-site Disney resorts? Especially near DL, it seems like it would make sense.

 

[crisi]

My DHs contact did not make it sound like there would be any more DVC resorts outside Disney World.

He basically said people are willing to pay the premium on a Disney timeshare if its at WDW. They are not willing to pay for a Disney timeshare off site.

(Although, I personally think that a DVC cruise ship may be an option - if the exchange rates are ever good enough to justify ship building).

 

[BWVDee]

Originally posted by Pa@okw95
OKW selling like hotcakes!!??? It took a long time to sell Disney Vacation Club when it first started. They had to give us free park passes for years, etc. I believe the last units were sold in 97, they started to sell them in 91. They were not sold as a savings back then like they are now. They went very slow, but BWV went fast as did WLV, and BCV. OKW which was known as the Vacation Club when I bought in 95 has been selling for 4 years and they had perks to go with it. I think it took close to 6 years to sell ,hardly hot cakes.

I thought excatly the same thing as I read this, but thought I better not post this or I would be accused of trying to start some DVC resort debate or some other such nonsense. I am glad someone else sees how invalid this statement is.

 

[JimC]

Sure wish someone would do a "history of DVC" book. There is so much written about all other aspects of Walt and the Disney company. I am surprised no one has published on this segment of the business yet.

 

[MiaSRN62]

I think OKW took a little more time to sell due to people not quite getting the concept----it was the groundbreaking, so to say. By the time BWV, VWL and BCV came around, people "got it". Also, OKW has more units than the other DVC resorts---thus it natually would take a little longer to sell out.
We were first introduced to OKW in '95 when we rented from my dh's boss. We LOVED it, but didn't quite understand the points and all. We knew right then and there we wanted "in" on this. Unfortunately, we had just purchased an offsite timeshare the previous year and finances didn't allow (we eventually became Members in '00). I just think it took some time for people to warm-up to the idea of Disney getting into the timeshare business, that's all

 

[crisi]

Hotcakes is an exaggeration.

It did, apparently, sell faster than Disney anticipated. And HH and VB sold much slower than anticipated.

 

[BWVDee]

Maria,
I respectfully disagree with your theory of why OKW took longer to sell; but regardless of that.........
The fact still remains that OKW certainly did not sell like "hotcakes". Also as Viking pointed out, OKW had to offer free park passes and had to do so for quite a few years; well after the concept and idea of DVC was introduced and known to the public. OKW was and still remains, the only DVC resort that has offered free park tickets, as an incentive, to get people to join DVC.

 

[MiaSRN62]

And I also respectfully disagree with you Dee. Regardless of the free hoppers, I just don't think people understood or were prepared for Disney to come up with a timeshare. I think the whole concept grew as time went on and OKW was the prototype. I never stated that I agreed OKW sold like "hotcakes". But I most certainly feel it sold average or better-than-average in relation to most standard industry timeshares out there. It must have sold well-enough, for Disney to want to add-on to the DVC family. When BWV, VWL and BCV came along, so many more people were DVC saavy--- word-of-mouth had definitely spread & this helps immensely in getting the product "out there" to the public. It was easier for Disney to sell DVC with less advertising and freebies by this time. I know when we purchased OKW, the higher point cost and lack of free hoppers didn't stop us or even make us think twice. I think the DVC concept is very widespread now compared to when the Disney Vacation Club resort first opened.
Meant to thank Crisi for the sharing the info too

 

[Richyams]

Actually, it sold way faster than BWV when both were open. BWV sales didn't take off until OKW sold out.

 

[PamOKW]

Originally posted by BWVDee
OKW was and still remains, the only DVC resort that has offered free park tickets, as an incentive, to get people to join DVC.

Vero Beach also offered free park passes (and I believe HHI did also). The park pass program was regarded by early purchasers as a part of the total program. It wasn't a fluctuating incentive like Magical Beginnings.

 

[BWVDee]

Originally posted by PamOKW
Vero Beach also offered free park passes (and I believe HHI did also). The park pass program was regarded by early purchasers as a part of the total program. It wasn't a fluctuating incentive like Magical Beginnings.

They offered free WDW park passes for resorts that are hours away from the parks? That is odd and also something I never heard of. See, you learn something everyday!

BTW, Mr Yams, I certainly do not remember BWV sales not taking off until OKW sold out. I purchased BWV when they first opened and OKW was still selling. At that point BWV sales were going very, very well and there were plenty of points still available at OKW. BWV sales continued to be very brisk even when OKW opened the new buildings and the additional pts came on the market. And BWV sales continued to be very good when the additional pts were released for BWV about a year or so ago. Those pts went so fast that, I do believe, they never even made it to be offered to the public because they were bought by existing DVC members so quickly.