Limiting DVC Discounts???

[Sandisw]

Rarely is it good practice to deny people the opportunity of wanting to spend more money on your company.

People who are doing this are doing it for the specific purpose of getting around the black out dates and Buying a cheaper pass, not the more expensive one. So, in reality, it costs Disney to let this continue Because these DVC members are paying for only the Gold and not Platinum.

DVC moved to two levels of passes to specifically block out times for a reason. Believe me, we will see a change of this becomes Rampant. They will just eliminate the Gold pass.

 

[Sandisw]

Not very much a loophole. It's an upsell like anything else. You buy something. Like the product. Want more. Annual pass is the upsell. Same if you got 1 park for MK then suddenly said, hey I want to hop over to AK because I heard FOP is the bomb and wait times are 30min right now! --- Upsell the park hopper. Or hey, it's January and a heat wave hit and its 90s degrees! I want to add Typhoon Lagoon - upsell opportunity.

As a consumer, one may look at it as a loophole in getting at a time where one other isn't, but to Disney the company -- it's an upsell. As a business person, I would not allow my people to decline an opportunity for an upsell.

Then explain why is there a Gold vs Platinum pass? Why bother if Disney Is perfectly okay with people finding a way to buy the cheaper pass and still go during black out dates?

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Not very much a loophole. It's an upsell like anything else. You buy something. Like the product. Want more. Annual pass is the upsell. Same if you got 1 park for MK then suddenly said, hey I want to hop over to AK because I heard FOP is the bomb and wait times are 30min right now! --- Upsell the park hopper. Or hey, it's January and a heat wave hit and its 90s degrees! I want to add Typhoon Lagoon - upsell opportunity.

As a consumer, one may look at it as a loophole in getting at a time where one other isn't, but to Disney the company -- it's an upsell. As a business person, I would not allow my people to decline an opportunity for an upsell.

Let’s say at the beginning of the blackout period you go to the ticket window to purchase 7 day tickets. You tell the CM you are coming back to upgrade to a gold pass at the end of the blackout period. You then offer to split the difference and ask for $200 off the platinum pass now. You save $200, and they make $200. They obviously will say no to that up sell, and they will knowingly leave money on the table.
it’s a loophole, plain and simple.

 

[montreid]

This would only help those not renewing every year and selecting one period of the blackout to bridge the exception.
Most AP users between Gold/Platinum aren't doing one offs of a few additional days at the edge of the 2 major blackout periods. The upsell opportunity IMHO is much greater than the smaller number taking advantage of this design.

In fact, Universal studios actively embraces these upsell 'loophole' by simply stating 1st day is blackout free without restrictions on the multiple types of multi-day tickets/passes that they offer.

Consumers want choice. How consumers actively and efficiently stretch their dollars, that's on them. To deny an upsell? Bad company policy.

 

[montreid]

Let’s say at the beginning of the blackout period you go to the ticket window to purchase 7 day tickets. You tell the CM you are coming back to upgrade to a gold pass at the end of the blackout period. You then offer to split the difference and ask for $200 off the platinum pass now. You save $200, and they make $200. They obviously will say no to that up sell, and they will knowingly leave money on the table.
it’s a loophole, plain and simple.

The CM wouldn't have any ability to make that decision. If you did that proposition to a SBO who runs the company --- you may very well get a different answer.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

The CM wouldn't have any ability to make that decision. If you did that proposition to a SBO who runs the company --- you may very well get a different answer.

I’m betting not.

 

[Sandisw]

This would only help those not renewing every year and selecting one period of the blackout to bridge the exception.
Most AP users between Gold/Platinum aren't doing one offs of a few additional days at the edge of the 2 major blackout periods. The upsell opportunity IMHO is much greater than the smaller number taking advantage of this design.

In fact, Universal studios actively embraces these upsell 'loophole' by simply stating 1st day is blackout free without restrictions on the multiple types of multi-day tickets/passes that they offer.

Consumers want choice. How consumers actively and efficiently stretch their dollars, that's on them. To deny an upsell? Bad company policy.

As you just confirmed, this is a small number of people who have found a way to not have to pay for a platinum pass. That is how Disney sees it. But, as long as this stays small, Disney may not choose to fix it,

If it becomes a problem...and Disney is losing a lot of money...they will find a way to eliminate the practice.

 

[DebbieB]

You are talking about DVC members who aren’t upgrading to an AP simply because they decided after visiting, They had every intention to buy the AP and are finding a way around having to buy the platinum.

So, if the loophole is closed, they would be forced to decide to upgrade those tickets to the platinum pass or not upgrade. But I’d they don’t upgrade, then the money they spent on those tickets would go to waste since most likely, they buy APs because they visit enough to make it worth it.

Do not underestimate Disney in terms of making sure that loopholes are closed. IMO, the reason for the black out dates may be to reduce DVC member attendance during those peak times.

The deal for APs is a deal through Disney Parks, that is negotiated for DVC members, If they weren’t concerned about how much they make off tickets, they would have never changed to charging based on when one visits.

DVC Gold is the same as the Florida Resident Gold. I would bet there are far more Florida Resident Gold than DVC Member Gold. I don't think the blackout dates were created to reduce DVC member attendance, they just followed the Florida Resident dates, which were in effect before they extended it to DVC. The main reason is to reduce park attendance in general. It's not just DVC members taking advantage of the loophole.

 

[Sandisw]

DVC Gold is the same as the Florida Resident Gold. I would bet there are far more Florida Resident Gold than DVC Member Gold. I don't think the blackout dates were created to reduce DVC member attendance, they just followed the Florida Resident dates, which were in effect before they extended it to DVC. The main reason is to reduce park attendance in general. It's not just DVC members taking advantage of the loophole.

Thank you for clarifying that. I thought the Gold pass was unique to DVC. I knew FR has Silver

So, it makes you wonder then Iif you hsve Florida residents also using the ticket upgrade option for those time, then its more than I thought and I guess I’d be surprised If it doesn’t get changed at some point

 

[gskywalker]

In less than 12 months we will have saved more on the discounts than what the direct/indirect savings was. We bought the minimum 75 points required in Sept, bought 7 gold annual pass renewals, saved $2800, renewing 2 of them again in August(possibly all 7) which would save us another $800. Whole contract only cost us $12000 fees in. $3600 saved on annual passes, $300 in credit card dollars charging it to the card and then whatever extra savings we had from the discounts on food above the 10% we would have had with our annual pass discounts. IE we already got back 1/3 of the contract's value in the first year.

Plus my favorite part was we only had to pay 4 month of dues to get the first years points. Looking forward to our first stay(adults only) at the Poly and Boardwalkview for 2 nights each in May. I only wish a DVC rep had listened years ago when I said why the numbers didn't work for us. If they had mentioned the discounted annual passes we would have bought many years ago. Would have been especially good back when the CDN dollar was worth more than the american.

We plan to add on during a recession, a spike in the CDN dollar etc, but for now our 75 point contract will work well combined with other trip discounts like free dining, being off site etc.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Important note: It now requires 100 points to get a blue card.

 

[SL6827]

I have a blue DVC card when I owned a resale contract last year. Wasn't supposed to get one but they sent me one. Could I take it and still use it to get discounts at Disney, yes, because it doesn't expire until like 2021. But I won't since I am no longer even an member in the DVC.

 

[LoveMugsNPins]

Thank you for clarifying that. I thought the Gold pass was unique to DVC. I knew FR has Silver

So, it makes you wonder then Iif you hsve Florida residents also using the ticket upgrade option for those time, then its more than I thought and I guess I’d be surprised If it doesn’t get changed at some point

My guess would be most Florida residents don't even want to visit the parks during those blackout dates. They can do alll the Christmas things right up to the blackout dates. I would think they avoid the parks those weeks. I know I would!

 

[Deb & Bill]

My guess would be most Florida residents don't even want to visit the parks during those blackout dates. They can do alll the Christmas things right up to the blackout dates. I would think they avoid the parks those weeks. I know I would!

We have the Florida Resident Weekday Pass. It is blocked out Easter, Christmas, all summer and every Sat/Sun. It works great for us. No need to go any of those times.

 

[LoveMugsNPins]

Important note: It now requires 100 points to get a blue card.

For a few more weeks only!! The minimum for the blue card is going up to 125 Mid October.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

For a few more weeks only!! The minimum for the blue card is going up to 125 Mid October.

Please note that you are quoting a message from January.