Kinda Bummed

[Cajun28]

...and it creates crowds at traditionally quieter times.

That is exactly Disney's goal. They don't want any "quiet" times.

 

[TMB1203]

I can understand the disappointment in not getting free dining. Of course we all want the best bang for our buck;or dislike the feeling of being treated differently because we are DVC owners. I have to catch myself thinking the same thing sometimes.

I have to remember all the great things about being DVC. For example, we could not afford to take the yearly (sometimes twice a year) vacations that we do if we paid out of pocket. We also use our points to book rooms for our family, which we could never do if we paid cash. DVC allows us to take great vacations at a great resort (at the best vacation spot EVER) yearly and occasionally vacation with family.. Who could ask for anything more!

Enjoy your ownership!

 

[BEASLYBOO]

As I stated on the previous thread, someone elses good fortune with regards to these special offers/perks doesn't take anything away from me. I'm not interested in free dining, the reasons I purchased DVC in 2000 still remain intact, it works for me and my family and will continue to do so till 2042.

I stay where and when I want irregardless of any special promotion etc., by the same token I could take part in these promotions if I so wished but I don't have to, I'm a DVC member.

 

[Chuck S]

Moderator note:

Several posts have been removed from this thread. If you had a post removed and did not receive a PM stating a reason, it is because your post quoted or referenced a thread that was also deleted, other wise, it would have been pointless to remove the post in question.

A reminder to please keep the thread on the topic of the upgrades, without attacking other posters or Disney value guests. Thanks.

As far as the upgrades themselves, this is nothing new, they have happened before at free dining time. They are not removig rooms from DVC inventory, these are the result of either usold points that Disney owns or that have been turned over to CRO because a DVC Member traded to the Disney collection. For unsold points, those upkeep costs have been subsidized by the developer.

I really fail to see how Disney upgrading these people has any different impact upon the value of our ownership vs. a member renting out their points.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

I think part of the reason points are so high to trade to the Disney collection, is the cheap prices to stay at DVC for non members.
I mean, the more points in the rental kitty, the less dollars they need to recover from each point.

MG

 

[FindTheMickeys]

After all, it's about enjoying your vacation, and someone else getting a deal shouldn't take away from your vacation experience in any way.

HEAR HEAR THAT is exactly what life is all about. Don't begrudge someone else their good luck. Maybe they can't afford to by into DVC. So give them an incentive to go on vacation at Disney. I was able to make my ressies at the only 2 restaurantes I really care about eating in at 40 days out (forgot about free dining ) If the lines get too long at any of the others that we 'might' want to eat at, then I'll go off property. Life is WAY too short to sweat these little things. Those with free dining have the same rights as we DVC owners to eat. Biggest difference is that I can do so in my nice, spacious 2 bedroom villa and my guess is that most of them are in Values

 

[cj9200]

Our last trip I spent less than $700 for a full week at Disney. We did not scrimp and it includes shopping. So yes, DVC is still worth it for me. Plus, I have a Grand Villa in January for DD’s 16th birthday. There is no way I would pay out of pocket for that.

The thing I do not like about the dinning plan (free or not) is that it has dumbed down menu choices and the overall dining experience. I can’t go when free dining is offered because of DD’s school so I do not have to fight to get my restaurant choices. My perception however over the last few years is that dinning is not what it used to be at Disney. Right or wrong, I blame the dining plans.

 

[Cajun28]

Life is WAY too short to sweat these little things. :

+1...Well said, ITA

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

That is exactly Disney's goal. They don't want any "quiet" times.

I think if Disney was constantly busy, we would probably begin using our points to stay places other than WDW, the crowds we experienced this year in February and April made both vacations difficult for us. We chalked it up to sometimes you have good vacas, sometimes not, but if it became standard operating procedure for WDW to be constantly crowded, then we'd have to change how we use our DVC. Luckily we feel that the disney adventures and the dcl both offer nice options for dvc owners, and we're looking forward to the hawaii dvc.

 

[alamode]

Word got out in the office that I just bought into DVC. One of the senior VPs called me into her office today, and I thought I was getting my walking papers.

She wanted to know about DVC!! What a relief. Even though as a senior VP of a multi-national company she can obviously afford to stay wherever she wants to, she always books value resorts, because for her vacations, "All she needs is a bed" in her words.

Different vacationers have different priorities, needs and requirements for their vacations. Don't be too quick to judge a person's wealth or potential behaviours based on thir resort of choice. For some, the resort "is just a bed".

 

[DebbieB]

I think part of the reason points are so high to trade to the Disney collection, is the cheap prices to stay at DVC for non members.
I mean, the more points in the rental kitty, the less dollars they need to recover from each point.

MG

The problem is they are not going to be able to rent DVC rooms at full price. A studio at OKW or SSR is $295 plus tax, a 1 bedroom $390 plus tax (value season). A value room is $82, a moderate is $149. Most people are watching their money, they aren't going to pay the higher prices at a DVC. I would bet the deluxe resorts are having occupancy problems also but they have ammenities like walking or monorail to a park, many restaurant choices, larger swimming areas which make them easier to rent than OKW or SSR. BLT is probably getting alot of CRO reservations, also taking away from the other DVC's.

 

[Rose&Mike]

I'm happy for the families that received the upgrade, and happy of my decision to buy DVC. After all, it's about enjoying your vacation, and someone else getting a deal shouldn't take away from your vacation experience in any way.[/QUOTE]

Agreed. Well said alamode.

 

[Anal Annie]

The deals come & go. I am not jealous of their "deals". What I don't like tho is how they're letting SSR resale contracts pass ROFR for less than $75 / point. Upper $60's in some cases!! That stings when we thought we were getting a good deal at $86 / point a couple of years ago. Hopefully everything will rebound and all will be right with the world again one of these days...

But for now, I'm OK with someone getting to enjoy the magic who otherwise would not be able to. Most of those people are staying in a Value or Moderate resort so I have nothing to be jealous of on that one either...Those are a far cry from being a DVC villa.

 

[alamode]

The deals come & go. I am not jealous of their "deals". What I don't like tho is how they're letting SSR resale contracts pass ROFR for less than $75 / point. Upper $60's in some cases!! That stings when we thought we were getting a good deal at $86 / point a couple of years ago. Hopefully everything will rebound and all will be right with the world again one of these days...

I resemble those remarks!! $69.25/point. The cost, however is minimal compared to the enjoyment and memories created by these great vacations.

But for now, I'm OK with someone getting to enjoy the magic who otherwise would not be able to.

Gosh, you sound like Disney is giving vacations to those starving Sally Struther's kids on TV. Some people actually choose to save $$ at an allstar over getting a more expensive resort. It's not always a matter of not being able to afford it.

 

[WelovMickey!]

HEAR HEAR THAT is exactly what life is all about. Don't begrudge someone else their good luck. Maybe they can't afford to by into DVC. So give them an incentive to go on vacation at Disney. I was able to make my ressies at the only 2 restaurantes I really care about eating in at 40 days out (forgot about free dining ) If the lines get too long at any of the others that we 'might' want to eat at, then I'll go off property. Life is WAY too short to sweat these little things. Those with free dining have the same rights as we DVC owners to eat. Biggest difference is that I can do so in my nice, spacious 2 bedroom villa and my guess is that most of them are in Values

Yes your right life is to short! I am not begrudging anyone...but Disney can throw me a free dining pin with my DVC or even better park tickets

 

[Greysword]

Exclusive Pool Hopping privilages!! How cool is that?!

DVC has alot of points to sell at SSR and they are giving rooms away...They have a glut of Developer inventory that purchases did not consume so now they are upgrading guests.

What percentage of SSR has yet to be sold? I thought all of it was sold except THV? Doc???

 

[WelovMickey!]

Exclusive Pool Hopping privilages!! How cool is that?!

Maybe that's my problem. I haven't been on my first trip home yet and I have to wait 134 day Then once I am home I will be reminded

 

[crisi]

I think if Disney was constantly busy, we would probably begin using our points to stay places other than WDW, the crowds we experienced this year in February and April made both vacations difficult for us. We chalked it up to sometimes you have good vacas, sometimes not, but if it became standard operating procedure for WDW to be constantly crowded, then we'd have to change how we use our DVC. Luckily we feel that the disney adventures and the dcl both offer nice options for dvc owners, and we're looking forward to the hawaii dvc.

I tend to agree with you - on this and wishing Free Dining would go away (and Food and Wine by the way as well, oh, and that horrid Halloween Party - don't expect anyone else to agree with me on the last two - but I'm not a fan of either and they make MY parks crowded when I go). But I suspect Disney doesn't really care - a person is a person and a dollar is a dollar and if its my dollar or someone else's, they don't care.

 

[photobob]

The way I see free dining is that nothing is free. When you pay rack rate for the room and are required to purchase tickets for the extent of the stay, it is not free. I wouldn't swap the comfort of staying in a 1 or 2 bedroom villa to stay in a small room with 2 two beds. I would ignore the free dining stuff and concentrate on the fact that none of the reasons that you bought DVC have changed. All the positives that made you buy DVC are still there.

 

[Greysword]

I just got the feeling a lot of people regretted buying in. How do people on this much nicer thread feel about their memberships? In spite of the great deals made to non-owners?

Even though I've posted on both , I our membership at SSR!!! Even though we paid $95/point (which is much lower than the current resale purchase point), I feel we received a great deal. We've had 5 years of vacations instead of waiting for the price to drop, and the memories are priceless. I also wouldn't trade it for a lifetime of stays at non-DVC resorts (disclaimer: we just added onto BLT, which will last me until I'm 90!).