Membership benefits and extras acknowledgement document for new direct purchases

[Grumpy Mouse]

I just wanted to post one additional piece of information from Disney's Q1 2021 earnings call, on Feb 11, 2021. This is CEO Bob Chapek commenting on the future of the parks business:

Well as you know, we have a wide variety of margins depending on the nature of the guest and how they visit and when they visit. So with a lens towards maximizing the guest experience, we are now able to essentially reset many pieces of our business both on the cost and revenue side of the business in order to say, if we had a blank piece of paper how would we set up our parks business and be a little bit more aggressive than we typically might be able to be without the impetus of unfortunately a year-long closure. So we've had a lot of time to think particularly, at Disneyland about what could be and I think you're about to see some of those strategies be born.

This comment is primarily about Disneyland, but it is clear he is commenting about certain aspects of their business at ALL parks. If you couple this comment with the recent change in language in the member's acknowledgement about 'able to offer a substitute' - they really add up to one distinct possibility: a big reset is coming.

And keep in mind that comment above was made to a phone full of analysts who care little about maximizing guest experience - as long as whatever Chapek does results in growing EPS (earnings per share). It's likely close to the unvarnished truth.

And if DVC legal really did make a change to the member's acknowledgement, that speaks volumes. Lawyers don't normally make changes like this unless they're feeling exposed.

 

[Red Dog Run]

Thanks - I have sent an e-mail and started the ball rolling.

We'll see what they do; in my mind they have applied a benefit in a non-uniform, discriminatory way. The contract is clear on their right to control when and whether a benefit will be offered to ALL (Blue Card) members, but there is nothing that gives them the right to control which members may receive a given benefit - other than the explicitly stated 'Blue Card' requirement.

If you're a Blue Card member - either all receive the benefit - or none.

I've called several times and gotten nowhere and emailed. How did you email? I'll try again.

 

[4luv2cdisney]

Any updates from anyone?

 

[DisneyMountainWoman]

Reading this makes me feel more confident about being just white card... what is the point of being blue card if they can just pull away for any reason. Eeep.
Goodluck on fighting the good fight to be able to get access to AP Grumpy Mouse.

 

[Grumpy Mouse]

Thought I'd take a moment to send a quick update. Our city got knocked back to the Stone Age on Monday and its been a crazy week. Both of my grown children had to move out of their places of residence because of lack of power and water. One couple with the wife and me; one couple with the fiance's parents.

Anyway, I spoke with DVC senior management on Wednesday; he has not been able to touch base with the proper individuals in ticketing management; and the contacts he did get in touch with have not given satisfactory answers (his words). He had hoped to have more information today - but I got a call from MS late this afternoon saying that he would need a couple more days.

Sad to see that DVC management is just as powerless as its members in this fight. Even sadder considering that DVC dues saved their bacon during the pandemic; without that revenue stream they would have had to put the resorts and internal transportation on life support.

I'll post an update next week. Again, I'm not overly hopeful.

 

[PurdueTodd]

Thought I'd take a moment to send a quick update. Our city got knocked back to the Stone Age on Monday and its been a crazy week. Both of my grown children had to move out of their places of residence because of lack of power and water. One couple with the wife and me; one couple with the fiance's parents.

Anyway, I spoke with DVC senior management on Wednesday; he has not been able to touch base with the proper individuals in ticketing management; and the contacts he did get in touch with have not given satisfactory answers (his words). He had hoped to have more information today - but I got a call from MS late this afternoon saying that he would need a couple more days.

Sad to see that DVC management is just as powerless as its members in this fight. Even sadder considering that DVC dues saved their bacon during the pandemic; without that revenue stream they would have had to put the resorts and internal transportation on life support.

I'll post an update next week. Again, I'm not overly hopeful.

Hang in there, sounds like it’s moving in the right direction. Sorry to hear about what your family is going through.

 

[LoveMugsNPins]

At this point it seems like DVC management need to go to bat for blue card members.

There doesn't seem to be any reason to sell new APs to those who cancelled or expired during and not to sell to those who expired before Covid shutdown or never had an AP before.

ETA: I have said this before but they are just pushing the use of our DVC points further back to when so many others are going to want to use their points. I doubt we are the only ones that don't want to pay cash park ticket prices for the few hours a day that we go to the parks.

 

[TinkB278]

ETA: I have said this before but they are just pushing the use of our DVC points further back to when so many others are going to want to use their points. I doubt we are the only ones that don't want to pay cash park ticket prices for the few hours a day that we go to the parks.

ive thought about this too and agree. I think they are exacerbating the point surplus problem by not offering DVC members the AP since it’s pushing people to wait to go once APs are available, myself included. I wonder if they’ve thought this through though.

 

[ArmyChaplain Matt]

I also have joined in as a blue card holder and sent e-mails about the legality of them picking and choosing members to extend benefits or to deny. I asked for clarity in how they can give some blue card holders the benefit and others not. I got a generic response of how those benefits can be stopped temporarily. I shared that i understood that but the issue in the legality department was that the benefit was being extended to some blue card holders and some not. Still waiting on a response back.

 

[Belle53]

I hope Disney allows new blue card members who bought in during COVID the chance to buy AP's this year or else a lot of members won't be going. The tickets just cost too much. Seaworld and Universal are still selling annual passes.

 

[LoveMugsNPins]

I keep alternating between the irrational and bratty "I want to buy my darn AP" to "oh well, another month has passed and Disney didn't get any of my money!"

Right Now though, SELL ME AN AP DISNEY!!

 

[Red Dog Run]

I've sent 3 emails requesting to purchase a pass based on the fact that new passes are being sold at the discretion of Disney. New is new, if it was expired and someone pays full price, then it is new. Each email came back as "No, Disney is not selling new passes." This is not true.

 

[DVC Flip]

Just interested, I sent an email about a week ago requesting to get an AP since we just purchased a contract. I'm still waiting for a response, like anything besides the boilerplate we're busy email they send immediately. Where have you all sent your emails to even get a response?

 

[New Mouse]

I've sent 3 emails requesting to purchase a pass based on the fact that new passes are being sold at the discretion of Disney. New is new, if it was expired and someone pays full price, then it is new. Each email came back as "No, Disney is not selling new passes." This is not true.

If its not at the renewal rate, it is new.

 

[New Mouse]

Just interested, I sent an email about a week ago requesting to get an AP since we just purchased a contract. I'm still waiting for a response, like anything besides the boilerplate we're busy email they send immediately. Where have you all sent your emails to even get a response?

Id be curious to see if anyone could leverage their ability to cancel a new contract.

 

[Red Dog Run]

Just interested, I sent an email about a week ago requesting to get an AP since we just purchased a contract. I'm still waiting for a response, like anything besides the boilerplate we're busy email they send immediately. Where have you all sent your emails to even get a response?

passholder@disneyworld.com

I also went through contact us on the DVC membership

 

[Red Dog Run]

I have requested to have my 3 denials to purchase an annual pass sent to management. I want a reply from someone with more than a made-up first name such as "Aqua" or "Vera." I would like management to tell me that I am not allowed to buy a new pass because I am not part of their selected customers even though my contract states that I can purchase an AP at a reduced rate. If Disney is selling new passes, then I qualify. All blue DVC members qualify IF any passes are being sold. The contract says "at times" certain benefits will be available. It does not say Disney will choose to whom they will select to use the benefit services.

 

[ArmyChaplain Matt]

I have requested to have my 3 denials to purchase an annual pass sent to management. I want a reply from someone with more than a made-up first name such as "Aqua" or "Vera." I would like management to tell me that I am not allowed to buy a new pass because I am not part of their selected customers even though my contract states that I can purchase an AP at a reduced rate. If Disney is selling new passes, then I qualify. All blue DVC members qualify IF any passes are being sold. The contract says "at times" certain benefits will be available. It does not say Disney will choose to whom they will select to use the benefit services.

that is exactly my argument!!!

 

[RoseGold]

This has become exactly the cluster I expected. However, it makes me hopeful that APs will eventually return for everyone.

 

[Grumpy Mouse]

Thought I'd take a moment to send a quick update. Our city got knocked back to the Stone Age on Monday and its been a crazy week. Both of my grown children had to move out of their places of residence because of lack of power and water. One couple with the wife and me; one couple with the fiance's parents.

Anyway, I spoke with DVC senior management on Wednesday; he has not been able to touch base with the proper individuals in ticketing management; and the contacts he did get in touch with have not given satisfactory answers (his words). He had hoped to have more information today - but I got a call from MS late this afternoon saying that he would need a couple more days.

Sad to see that DVC management is just as powerless as its members in this fight. Even sadder considering that DVC dues saved their bacon during the pandemic; without that revenue stream they would have had to put the resorts and internal transportation on life support.

I'll post an update next week. Again, I'm not overly hopeful.

Well its Wednesday and I've heard nothing from my DVC management contact. This implies one of two possibilities:

1) They've blown me off
2) Given the influx of complaints from other Blue Card holders (many in this thread), they're actually trying to work something out with ticketing.

DVC management's only motivation will be finding the path that causes them the least amount of headache.