Just Back from Member Homecoming!

[jarestel]

Well, I've been debating whether or not to chime in with my impressions of MH and at the risk of being labelled a "never-satisfied-grumpy-unhappy-complaining-why-do-I-own-DVC-anyway" person, I've decided to weigh in on the subject. We took the SSR tour on Tuesday afternoon and thought SSR looked like a great resort. We're looking forward to staying there in October. However, the event took way too long because of the speeches in the cinema area. None of the information presented was new and not worth sitting through for 45 minutes before the tour began. Tuesday evening, we went to Epcot and found ourselves crammed elbow to elbow in the "special" Illuminations viewing area. Seeing the crowd situation made us rethink our decision to go to the ride area afterwards since we don't care for Mission:Space, and didn't want to ride Test Track over & over for the next 2 hours. So we left after Illuminations and went to DD. On Wednesday evening, the MK event was great! This is more of what I had hoped for at Epcot, where many different things were open, rather than just 2 rides. We totally enjoyed the MK event and would love to do something like that again. On Thursday, we attended the SSR event at DD and stayed through the first part. We liked hearing the Dapper Dans and Jodi Benson, but decided rather than stand in a huge line for "free" food, we would just mosey down to the Earl of Sandwich for lunch. Deciding we had already seen SSR on Tuesday, we passed on the rest of the events for SSR day and returned to VWL for the rest of the afternoon. So I would rate the MK event a definite "10", the others ( Epcot and SSR ) fell a bit short in my opinion. Will we attend the next DVC event? Probably, since we like any excuse to go to WDW, but I would hope for a few improvements for next time. I apologize if my opinions of the MH rains on anyone else's parade, but these are just the humble opinions of yours truly and not to be taken as gospel in any event.

 

[Johnnie Fedora]

Originally posted by Marthajill
From the responses on the boards you can easily see everyone has their own opinion of what is the "royal" treatment and what is not - guess thats why there were DVC members who thought the event was worth the money and those who did not - I just happen to believe that for the money Disney and the expectations of what Disney can produce - fell short! Glad to hear that those of you that had a good time will be back on other events - you can thank us unhappy members when the future events are even better..........and less expensive!!

DVC did respond once already to complaints that many members had APs and did not require the park admission portion of the MH ticket price. The fair thing to do would have been to keep the price at $299.00 and give the members who have an AP a two day hopper that did not expire. That way they would have received the true value of the park admission. Instead they dropped the price to $249.00. Since they went the "discounted the ticket route" the price should have been dropped to $199.00, IMO.

Also, by not announcing very many specifics about the event ahead of time, it gave them the option to scale back the event from what they may have planned originally if it was not a sell-out. (i.e. the finger desserts instead of some more elaborate choices). Letting you know ahead of time what the MK dinner was would have eliminated the dissapointment over the counter service choices. It's nice to have surprises, but it appears DVC did not do a good enough job of letting members know what exactly they were getting for the big price.

Saw this thread after I posted. It makes my exact point. Kudos for being able to get the true value for you MH admission!! On my Moooo scale of cash cow treatment I'm going to give this treatment a 4.5 out of a possible 5.

Actual value of the MH park admission thread

 

[DisneyMeMa]

We just returned from MH. I have mixed feelings about the entire event. I wish that more consideration had been given to attendees comfort. IMO the Illuminations viewing area was too crowded to be enjoyable and the "decadent" desserts were what are typical treats for scout meetings. We really enjoyed the night at the MK, but would have been more comfortable eating the "meal" prior to 9 P.M. We thought the E night portion was terrific! That exceeded our expectations. We were told erronoustly by a CM that Spectro lights would be turned off and the parade would end at the end of Main Street, even though the map we were given indicated the parade route would terminate at the bridge. We moved from our comfortable bench on the castle circle to stand behind others on Main Street. We arrived at OKW about 1 A.M. Thursday. Buses for SSR opening ceremonies were to depart at 9:15 A.M. sharp. Hardly a comfortable schedule when we still needed to brush our chompers (twice), get baths, get a good nights rest, and have some breakfast. It was unusually hot and dry during these events. Sitting in the sun, on black chairs, wearing lots of sunscreen, I felt fried during Thursdays events held near Cirque. My DH and I really enjoyed seeing the presentation by Donald "Ducky" Williams at the SSR Cinema on Thursday. For me it was the highlight of the events. Knowing what we do now, we would skip the 2004 MH. If DVC were to have another MH type of event, I would not commit to it without knowing what to expect. Hopefully everyones comfort would be a consideration and CMs and the attendees would be better informed.

 

[burnsoc]

DisneyMeMa,
I agree with you about the illuminations viewing. We were jammed in there and they only had one exit. Being that was our initial MH experience, I got worried. But once they started the party over by MS and TT I had a great time. The only other problem I had was with the transportation after the MK night. The lack of bussing when the event let out was a disgrace. There was nowhere near enough busses for the amount of people. The only resort that had two busses within fifteen minutes was the AKL, which is not even a DVC resort (where most of the people were heading back to). Overall we had a great time and would do it again in a heartbeat.
-Chris

 

[MrsToad]

Sorry, this turned out to be long:
As others have said, we also had mixed feelings on the Member Homecoming events but overall, felt that the DVC staff tried very hard to make the event truly enjoyable for us. We also felt that there were costs related to putting on this affair that some people may not be factoring in when deciding if it was worth the cost of the MH tickets. I don’t believe you can add up the cost of the meals, gifts, and park admission fees to determine the value of the MH tickets. For example, some costs that people may not have considered could include:

• The cost to put on SpectroMagic on the MK night: E-Ride night doesn’t include SpectroMagic…the cost of running these floats and filling them with all of the characters has to be extremely high
• The cost of keeping MK open for an E-Ride night is typically shared by more attendees than was our MH night; the cost per person for MK to “break even” would be higher on our MH night than on a typical E-Ride night
• More attractions were open at MK than on a typical E-Ride night and hence, involved more paid staff to be brought in to operate them
• The fees for the costumed characters participating in the “Dancing on Main Street”
• The Mears transportation cost on Thursday for the coaches to bring everyone to DD
• The cost of the extra entertainment: Sara Toga; Dee Vee Cee; the piano player, DJ & American Vibe on Tuesday at Epcot; The Cirque performances, Dapper Dans & Jodi Benson on Thursday; the various speakers at the Member Updates and tours Tuesday and Wednesday; the various speakers at DD and SSR Thursday; and the Founders Day parade costs
• Expenses to bring in the mayor of Saratoga Springs, NY
• The always-present DVC team members, who were all so wonderful, may have been paid for their hours (if not salaried employees) and/or their expenses
• The cost of printing all the special MH materials provided at check-in and throughout the event
• The cost of the extra boat transportation to and from SSR from DD in the mornings during what would otherwise have been off hours
• The cost of the ever-present cold bottles of water throughout the event and the fans provided on Thursday

Our thoughts on the positive and the “learn for next time” aspects of the three days:
• Positive – the event at MK was great and we’d love to do it again. Having the park to ourselves, a great view of the parade without holding a spot for over an hour, dancing on Main Street, and free dining made for a great night. We knew in advance that the meal would be of the “quick and casual” variety because I had wanted to be able to plan our other priority seatings and had called ahead to ask. Given that we wanted to visit as many attractions as possible, we felt this was an appropriate meal offering.
• Mixed feelings – Epcot Illuminations viewing area was very crowded and if you needed a restroom, a place to sit for a few moments, or simply some space to avoid claustrophobic-like feelings, you were not allowed to leave the area. We did find a less crowded area to stand just before Illuminations started and found the cold beverages and deserts. Given the tight quarters, I think the desert choices were appropriate. Once at the Mission:Space and Test Track areas, we felt better about the crowd size. However, while Mission:Space was almost a walk-on, Test Track had a reasonably busy line. We chose to do the single rider line and faired better. Having a third attraction open would have been great. The entertainment was nice as was the availability of tables, beverages, and snacks.
• Mixed feelings – The opening ceremonies at DD were nicely planned and entertaining. However, though DVC couldn’t control the weather and thoughtfully offered water and battery operated fans to each guest, should a similar event be planned for the hotter months, we hope arrangements can be made to hold it inside. We decided to go elsewhere for lunch because of the heat and the lack of cool seating areas. I regret not having had the opportunity to sample the various lunch offerings as I think we would have enjoyed them. We also could not sit in the hot sun for the two Cirque performances; it was a nice touch by DVC to offer them and I regret that we had to miss them.
• Mostly positive – the nightly gifts were nice. We did meet up with someone who was very annoyed that only one gift bag was left per party on the last night. She said she requested, and received, additional bags. While I understand why DVC only gave out one decanter per party (rather than 2200 lesser value gifts, they could offer a nicer single gift per membership), they might have been able to stave off some of the complaints by offering each attending guest the Grand Opening pin rather than a single pin per membership. If you had multiple children or pin collectors with your party, I can see how the one pin could result in unnecessary hard feelings. Luckily, my DH doesn’t collect pins .

We thank the DVC staff for all of their efforts in preparing and conducting this event. We very much hope DVC will offer future special events and we will seriously consider attending based upon timing and event content.

 

[WDWguru]

Originally posted by MrsToad
... We also felt that there were costs related to putting on this affair that some people may not be factoring in ...

Actually, I would disagree with this. While I don't dispute those things cost money, I don't think the entire cost should be passed along to attendees. The cost for those things is generally offset as marketing and promotional expense, since an objective of these events is to promote the DVC, SSR and to make the attendees feel special. I've attended several press events in the last 10 years and they always have the extras you describe, plus more (fireworks shows, better food, etc) yet those events are completely free. Granted, that is a pure promitional event, but to some extent the Member Homecoming was too. I don't think all the costs should be passed on to attendees.

That said, we were there for an already-scheduled trip and chose not to attend the events. We have APs and felt the cost was simply not worth it. I was having second thoughts as it got closer and was worried I was really going to miss out on something special. Having read the reports and weighing both sides to get a realistic picture of what it was probably like, I can honestly say I'm not sorry we chose not to attend. I'm sure it was well worth it to many who attended, and I'm glad for that, but I think we would have been disappointed.

 

[DukeStreetKing]

I was on the fence with the Homecoming event when I saw the advertising for it. I live so close to WDW and the price didn't seem that outrageous, but I chose not to attend.

Now, after reading the reports, I'm sorry I didn't. I will surely attend the next homecoming or similar event.

 

[Mooobooks]

For some reason, most of the events held in Disneyland are much better run than those in Walt Disney World. I have been to events at both. The ones in Orlando are always a disappointment. Those in Anaheim are pretty much right on the money.
The fact that they are all run by the same WDW Event office in Orlando makes it a mystery as to why WDW just can't get these events right.
The lack of busses at the close of the Magic Kingdom evening, which I've read about in this thread, is ALWAYS a problem at these events. It's as if the same stupid person keeps making the same stupid decisions over and over again.
Lack of sufficient staffing to feed the attendees is also frequently a problem.
The next time this event takes place, if it does, there will be more options open in Epcot: Soarin will be online and is a much more family friendly attraction than either Mission Space or Test Track, and the best part is that it's superior to both of them.
I wasn't at this event because, as annual passholders, it simply excluded us. (And this is true of DVC members who would like to attend other events: they include a hotel room that we DO NOT NEED in their prices, and so we cannot register for the higher priced packages, even though we would love to have the additional meals, "experiences," and gifts.)
Disney is narrow in its thinking, and creating different categories of registration if you are an AP holder, a DVC member, or BOTH, should be the FIRST DAMN THING THEY DO because we are the people who put our money up front every year, year after year, and we deserve to be taken into account.
Frankly, they don't seem to give a crap about that!

 

[Sammie]

What area at Illuminations was used for viewing.

I know we have participated in VIP viewing at Epcot before near Italy and I will agree that this is one situation I don't think is worth the hype given it. The area is small, always more crowded than any other area and unless you are in the very front, the viewing is not good at all.

 

[jarestel]

Originally posted by Sammie
What area at Illuminations was used for viewing.

It was in the World showcase plaza area, staright ahead as you enter WS from FW. Not a bad location, just very crowded. One funny thing... as we were standing in line to get into the viewing area, people ( non MH guests ) kept asking what the line was for. As I remarked to my wife, only at Disney World do people see a line and want to get in it.

 

[MarkRG]

I will repeat some comments from before this event at this point. Yes, I have said from the beginning this event that yes, it was priced unfairly for families with multiple kids. I won't even go there arguing euclidian math. Yes, I also looked at it as a pay to get away from the crowds event first and foremost. I don't look forward to dodging people/strollers, or waiting in in insanely long lines. The main reason I usually NEVER go to Disney anywhere near a time when school is out.

Now, no matter what is said at Epcot, Illuminations is focused first and foremost on the Character Caravan plaza, as it's known now. Usually it's a spot that people start camping out to see it from before sunset. To me it being a bit crowded was kind of irrelevant. Also, they could have made it much more clear that people that entered that area near the railing they opened after the party was in full swing were expected to sit down. Yes, ceratinly. All of the disers that were still hanging around together who did get up near the rail did sit down for those behind. There were just a bunch of people up near the front who were clueless. Maybe they thought they were transparent to those behind or something. I dunno.

As far as the two rides were concerned, yes they should have had more running, but that was just about impossible. Wonders is closed, probably permanently, and Universe is a fussy ride as it is, and down more than up anymore. And there was no way they were going to have us running all over Future World, too much to keep track of. And as far as the lines, those lines certainly didn't last long as both were a less than 10 minute wait when we got onto them.

And something everyone has to get- DVC is NOT Walt Disney World. They are separate entities, and the costs of running the park past closing are going to have to be reimbursed by DVC somehow. Would you rather they took it out of our dues? No I wouldn't. Better to just pay it upfront and be done with it. That way they're not penalizing you who don't want to go.

And I would like to know how the Arribas crystal carafe and glass could be considered a pin.

And yes, there was a huge line for lunch at SSR opening at first. We went over to SSR and toured the resort and got some nice founder's day goodies instead. Then went back and walked directly in to the food area as the line had long gone by that point. I'll have a exact list of what was offered later on. I intend to spend part of the day tomorrow publishing webpages.

 

[WDWLVR]

Well once again my fingers aren't as fast as DH's so I'll follow him in giving my opinions on the entire event.

First impression - we checked in on Saturday night and were given the Member Homecoming packet. Very nice and it gave me a good feel as to what was going to happen. We had to change plans for Monday at this point because our plan for the day was Segway tour, then over to Magic Kingdom for the rest of the day. We were instructed to pick up Member Homecoming lanyards between 9 am and 9 pm. So after the Segway tour we went back to OKW to pick them up. Before we even saw them I was thinking the tone of the event would be shown by the lanyards. Would they be the regular DVC ones they give you on the cruise or would they be special like on the Member Cruise. They were special - got lots of nice compliments on them for people in the park.

Monday night - in our check-in paperwork it said we would receive an itinerary and surprises in our room starting Monday night. We got back in the room about 7:30 - nothing there. Went to the pool until about 8:30 and on the way back stopped and asked the person manning the Member Homecoming position about them. She said they were being delivered between 7 - 9 pm so back to the room we went. 10 pm and no package. Called and was told they were still being delivered and to be patient (I really wanted to go to bed). 11:30 and no package. I'm mad now and when I call again I'm told they were all delivered. Did I check my door? Yes I checked my door! Was told there was no one there to bring them up and I could pick them up in the morning. Well I had waited this long I wanted to see them so off I walked to the Hospitality House (thank goodness we were close) and got my bags. I was also told by the young man manning the front desk that my room was marked as being delivered. Could you come any closer to calling me a liar. Needless to say I was not a happy camper and let the manager know the next morning. Not sure where the blame lies, is it DVC, it is OKW and who they had delivering? Not sure but the event wasn't getting off to a good start in my opinion.

Tuesday Member Update. I would have liked if they had direct transportation to the updates. Instead we had to take a bus to Downtown Disney, get off the bus and wait for one to SSR. Oh our bus driver stopped and asked where we were all going (there were 4 couples) and we said SSR. He said to get back on and he would take us...dropped us right at the Cinema. Here we ran into a number of DIS'ers and the fun began. Yes most of what we heard was not that new, but I think most of that is because we belong to the DIS. The vast majority of those attending don't even know this site exists so to them the news was new. We had a great guide and I enjoyed the tour. Got to see a Grand Villa (maybe for the only time) and got a pin!

DIS meet - though held during MH but not an official part of it. I really enjoyed getting to meet many fellow DIS'ers.

Tuesday night - We got to Epcot early and staked out the Illuminations site. This is a site that people do camp out for so we knew we were in for something nice. We also figured that the desserts would be finger food. There was no way you could sit 2000 people down in that space. I thought they had a nice variety of tasty desserts and let me tell you that brownie was decadant in my opinion. They also had coffee, lemonade, and water. A nice variety. We ended up near the railing and when Illuminations started our group did sit down. No it wasn't easy, but we wanted a prime spot without getting in the way of others. I thought Dee Vee Cee was anoying, but in a fun way and enjoyed hearing Carol Stein from Comedy Warehouse. I've heard about her for years and finally got to hear her. Most of all I enjoyed the feeling that while we were singing along everyone else in the park was leaving! We made our way over to Mission Space and had a 10-15 minute wait. 2/3rds of our party rode - the rest went on their own special mission. Then all 10 of us headed over to test track and again had no more than a 10-15 minute wait. If it was longer maybe I didn't realize it because of the fun we were having. For those who wanted to dance there was a DJ. More desserts, pop, water, etc. We listened to American Vive for a while and then called it a night. By this time it was 11:30 and I didn't know where the evening went but we had a good time. Back in the room found that our second sets of bags made it just fine!

Wednesday - Magic Kingdom. By far my favorite evening. We got there about 7:45 and found DVC personnell up and down Main Street waving to us with big Mickey hands. We had looked over the options for tonight and figured out what was most important to us. As soon as WISHES was over we got to walk the opposite direction of everyone else and walked right on to Pooh. We did everything in Fantasyland, did Haunted Mansion, then back to Tomorowland. We stopped for some free food (drinks actually by choice) and then did the Tomorrowland attractions. We hung back from the Castle Stage figuring they would make us go down Main Street. When word came down we walked all the way to the end and grabbed a seat by the curb. Others had pulled chairs and made themselves comfy eariler - smart cookies. We were among the first to see the floats which worked to our advantage as we also got out of the park faster. My only complaint here is the pushy woman who kept going further and further into the street blocking our camera and camcorder view We walked right on to the OKW bus - even managed to get a seat and were soon back in our room. The evening's bag had come much earlier in the day. My only disappointment here was that there was only one pin. It would have been nice to have one per person.

SSR Grand Opening. Having direct transportation was nice and they did their best to keep everyone comfortable with water and the little fans (you can tell they were a last minute addition as they didn't have the DVC logo on them). The entertainment was great, but the heat was awful. I actually ended up with a heat rash Would have been nice if this could have been indoors or shaded in some way but then we wouldn't have seen the fireworks. We bypassed the long lines for food and instead took a walk over to SSR. Ran into some friends, met the artists, got some peppermint, some in our group even met the real Mayor of Saratogo Springs. Then took the water ferry back to the "taste". Yes we missed the parade and the talk by Ducky Williams. I felt this day was a lot like being on the cruise. So much to do and so litttle time. The taste offered a nice selection and I don't think anyone in our group went away hungry or thirsty. After that we headed off to some shopping and using the coupons that came in our bag. A great day!

Yes there were a number of things that could have been better organized. The gift bag delivery for one. Overall do I think we got a good value for what we paid for the event? Yes I do! Personally if we had kids I wouldn't have brought them to the event - from the start it had more of an adult feel (due to the times). Some we met did leave their kids behind, others brought them with.

Most of all I think the everyone with DVC deserves a great big thank you for making this event special.

I know there will always be those who don't think DVC does enough. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. If you have read this far thanks for listening to mine.

 

[jweiss]

First step towards future planning would be to cross Dee Vee Cee off the staff list. Hard to believe she is a "character" they PAY. Her screeches are still ringing in my ears. And Sara Toga????? Other than that.........

Why are people like Mark taking all the comments so personally and seriously???? this is disney, after all!!!!!! let it go and move on to the next trip!!!!!

 

[Sammie]

Originally posted by MarkRG
I will repeat some comments from before this event at this point. Yes, I have said from the beginning this event that yes, it was priced unfairly for families with multiple kids. I won't even go there arguing euclidian math. Yes, I also looked at it as a pay to get away from the crowds event first and foremost. I don't look forward to dodging people/strollers, or waiting in in insanely long lines. The main reason I usually NEVER go to Disney anywhere near a time when school is out.

Now, no matter what is said at Epcot, Illuminations is focused first and foremost on the Character Caravan plaza, as it's known now. Usually it's a spot that people start camping out to see it from before sunset. To me it being a bit crowded was kind of irrelevant. Also, they could have made it much more clear that people that entered that area near the railing they opened after the party was in full swing were expected to sit down. Yes, ceratinly. All of the disers that were still hanging around together who did get up near the rail did sit down for those behind. There were just a bunch of people up near the front who were clueless. Maybe they thought they were transparent to those behind or something. I dunno.

As far as the two rides were concerned, yes they should have had more running, but that was just about impossible. Wonders is closed, probably permanently, and Universe is a fussy ride as it is, and down more than up anymore. And there was no way they were going to have us running all over Future World, too much to keep track of. And as far as the lines, those lines certainly didn't last long as both were a less than 10 minute wait when we got onto them.

And something everyone has to get- DVC is NOT Walt Disney World. They are separate entities, and the costs of running the park past closing are going to have to be reimbursed by DVC somehow. Would you rather they took it out of our dues? No I wouldn't. Better to just pay it upfront and be done with it. That way they're not penalizing you who don't want to go.

And I would like to know how the Arribas crystal carafe and glass could be considered a pin.

And yes, there was a huge line for lunch at SSR opening at first. We went over to SSR and toured the resort and got some nice founder's day goodies instead. Then went back and walked directly in to the food area as the line had long gone by that point. I'll have a exact list of what was offered later on. I intend to spend part of the day tomorrow publishing webpages.

I agree with your assestment of Epcot.

MGM with Tower of Terror and Rocking Roller Coaster with special seating at Fantasmic would have been a much better choice. It would have been easy to contain everyone in this area and have food set up at the Sunshine Terrace area on the street.

 

[MarkRG]

Personally? No. Seriously? Certainly. As seriously as others who just read here take all the posts made on the subject. And if the only posts for what was a good event are the glass half empty crowd there is no balance to the reports. Or, even moreso people who even refuse to go to the events and do nothing but bash them every chance they get because they have an already outstanding issue with DVC and look for opportunities to burn them in effigy over it. None of it is as bad as ones I just outlined would paint it all with a very broad brush. Was the event absolute perfection? Certainly not. Also certainly not possible unless we are all clones walking around, as everyone will have different opinions, likes, dislikes. They tailored the event to do the best possible with what they had to work with and in my opinion did a very good job of it.

I would attribute some of the dislike of this event to a lack of patience as well, especially on the Epcot night. It does take time to shoo out the crowd that gathers for Illuminations, and the only way to make sure they did get the bulk of them out of the park is to hold us in one place until they're gone. And of course the first surge of us to hit the 2 rides would cause a temporary line. I anticipated that, and we stuck around in the viewing area, enjoyed some more of the piano comedy and headed over at our own pace and had no line to speak of on either ride.

And you all know Dee Vee was supposed to be annoying, right?

 

[Doug7856]

When it comes to travel in general, I feel that if I am looking for problems and things that could be done better if I were emperor of the world, I will definitely find them. However, if I am positive and look to enjoy an event, ship, theme park — whatever – I will enjoy it. In other words, if you are in a mindset to find problems you will. Being positive goes along way toward enjoying what we've been given in life.

Obviously, there is always room for improvement and things that could and do go wrong. It sound like a wonderful event and I for one wish I had been able to attend!

Just my $.02

 

[Muushka]

After reading several posts following the first few positive reports I am pretty sure that I would have been one of those complainers. I am so darn frugal (cheap!) that I know I would have been constantly thinking that it was a rip-off. Well, except for the MK night. That sounded pretty awesome.

I really wish I was not this way. So for this DVC'er, it is a certainty that we will never go to any DVC cruise or function with just plain old promises of a good time without it all written out exactly what I will receive for my small fortune that I plunked down.

Oh, to be able to see that glass half full.......

 

[Boo]

I didn't make this comment in my OP and think maybe I should now in regard to the whole price issue. Was the event expensive? Absolutely, especially when you consider that we also spent an additional $70 on a Fairy Godmother for our toddler and preschooler on Epcot night. Plus, we had to buy a ticket for our four year old who didn't even attend the Epcot night. But we figured that only having Mission Space and Test Track available- neither of which our kiddos could ride wouldn't make for a much fun evening. (Luckily they could see the fireworks from the balcony at BCV so they were just as thrilled.)

So looking at it strictly from a cash outflow, it was expensive. But I firmly believe that DVC had to have a price point on this event so that the choice to attend was left to the member. Can you imagine the outrage if the event was such a bargain that thousands upon THOUSANDS were clamoring to get a ticket only to told they had been sold in a matter of hours?

We didn't go looking for tons of freebies, we went to be entertained and for the special access. DH thought it was worth it b/c he was so looking forward to doing Mission Space without the 90 minute wait. We both thought MK night was awesome. I will cherish the picture of DD dancing with Prince Charming on Main Street. On Saratoga Day, we too went to Saratoga first and the taste of DD later, so again- we didn't run into lines later. It reminded us a lot of Taste of Chicago. Lots of great "tapas" style samples- but all you wanted to eat. It gave us a good overview of the restaurants we may want to try during future trips. (Which I'm sure was the whole marketing point, but enjoyable none the less.) We left stuffy not fluffy! I can see were members might be annoyed at lines and such if your primary focus at the events were just on the refreshments.

Overall, we felt that DVC bent over BACKWARDS to make everyone feel special. On Wednesday, we got so caught up in all the excitement that we forgot to buy our Mickey pictures we had taken earlier in the afternoon at toon town. So after the parade, we went to City Hall and asked if they could just send over the pictures to BCV- that we would buy them sight unseen, as we didn't have a park pass for Thursday or the rest of our trip. The CM said- b/c you are DVC members we want you to be happy- so they gave us a free 2 hour park pass. When we came back Thursday evening to pick up our pictures- the CM told us not to worry about the time limit and just go in and enjoy the rest of the evening. Needless to say- we enjoyed ourselves!

 

[jarestel]

Originally posted by Doug7856
In other words, if you are in a mindset to find problems you will.
Obviously, there is always room for improvement and things that could and do go wrong.

Doug, I think the main point those of us who "found problems" with parts of the event are making is this - rather than slap the DVC organizers on the back and tell them everything was perfect, we want to tell them what was great and what was not so great. We're not trying to discourage DVC from offering future events, we're trying to make sure the future events are even better. Hostile remarks regarding the event won't accomplish anything, but constructive criticism ( which I hope is what I am offering ) may go a ways towards making the next DVC event just a wee bit more enjoyable for all of us who attend.

 

[Rob&Jan]

Thanks for the excellent report, sounds like a great time.