Membership Magic Beyond

[Genie+]

Sure, but this is what we are offered, so we take it at $99 or leave it $0.

And since we’ve already extracted good value out of free direct benefits. So far 100% satisfied and beyond my expectations of usefulness or value. The resale sector can be quite loud about how nothing is guaranteed and can be taken away… but hasn’t been the case for us.

This $100 to open more options does not feel like a money grab - more like the loyalty programs elsewhere we’ve paid to join.

 

[Anthony1971]

I did not even see these where is my email. Opps now I see the .25 slot for DVC emails on the bottom of my screen.
I will bite IF the ticket discount is that good try to stay away on weekends anyway otherwise we get a discount from Work, 2 Banks we have accounts with (which is better then the work one by a few bucks) or a known discount site as a last option now. For us not sure the lounge soda and bag of pretzels is worth 99 bucks although if we can still get in we do enjoy the 20-30 minute break.
Likely a good deal however if you exchange points to not pay the 95 fee especially if you can do this twice in one year or exchange and go to the parks for the easier lounge access..

 

[VGCgroupie]

Someone that likes this please explain to me how it's a good thing that Disney intentionally built lounges that are too small to meet demand and are now charging for people to skip the lime that they created.

We all want new DVC resorts, with new resorts you get more DVC members, which means more people trying to utilize benefits. So I wouldn't say they didnt make lounges big enough to be sheisty or anything.

 

[DonMacGregor]

Another thought on the 5-day ticket deal. We often do Monday to Friday or Sunday to Friday trips, mostly because I can go whenever I want, but also DW likes a full weekend to decompress before Monday rolls around and it's back to the grind. Also, the VAST majority of theme park related perks are only offered on weekdays/nights (Early Entry, Extended Evening Hours, Private Parties, Moonlight Magic, etc.).

If we didn't have AP's and were only going to plan on one trip per year or two shorter trips with only 3 or 4 park days for each trip (borderline on the benefit of AP's), then a discount on weekday multi-day tickets is actually perfect.

I can't imagine there aren't other members who prefer to travel during the week, either out of necessity, desire to save points, or travel for MNSSHP or MVMCP, lower crowds, whatever.

 

[Sprinkles&Sprints]

I guess I disagree with this. Owning more points get you more days/bigger rooms/more flexibility, so having more points absolutely does count for something.

The difference is that more points is not something that is potentially "taken away" from other members - if someone gets to cut the lounge line in front of me, then that is being taken away from me.

I should have said counts for something above and beyond what they paid for. Getting bigger rooms is not a perk. But I understand your position.

 

[PalmettoPath]

hopefully they adjust the thing so Canadians can participate. they had the same restriction for purchasing LL in advance at first and then before it launched, they rectified it and Canadians could buy it. if not its not the worst, but I need to buy some OTU points next year and id rather pay less..

If it's not altered and paywalls became an increasingly common thing (likely), then the non-US-DVC owners have truly had their membership downgraded into a lower tier of DVC, with no option to change that. Even though we pay the same fees, dues and so on.

My concern is being downgraded to essentially a new category we could call DVC-Y-Intl (with no access to paid perks) while DVC-Y-US has full access to paid perks/options (whether or not they choose to buy them).

 

[Matty B13]

So..... Will you have to have 150 points Direct with DVC or just DVC-Y? Or is it still up in the air. Because we have 50 points Direct to get our DVC-Y grandfathered.

 

[CarolynFH]

So..... Will you have to have 150 points Direct with DVC or just DVC-Y? Or is it still up in the air. Because we got in with 50 points Direct to get our DVC-Y.

As long as you have DVC-Y you’re eligible to buy this. The notation about the 2021 date is just to let new members know what the current minimum is.

 

[Sandisw]

Someone that likes this please explain to me how it's a good thing that Disney intentionally built lounges that are too small to meet demand and are now charging for people to skip the lime that they created.

If you don't think moonlight magic is next you're kidding yourself.

We have too many people interested in attending, but for the privilege of $100 per event ticket you can skip that ticket sale.

Because DVC doesnt have to have a membership extras program at all? However, they have just added the Disney Springs lounge and adding the one at MK..so two additional lounges to help give members more.

Look at Moonlight Magic. How many members don’t get to go at all because they aren’t there when a party happens?

Sure, it’s free for those that do, but for owners who are not lucky enough to ever have a trip planned on the right date have a perk that is useless.

Does that mean we should be telling DVC to stop offering them because so many owners can’t get in?

Dont resale buyers already see the perks as extras that are not worth paying for when they don’t buy direct?

I guess I will never understand how now having access to BOGO free OTU points, discounted tickets and the ability to trade points for a Sorcerer Pass is a bad thing for DVC to offered their members for a $99 fee, simply because they included priority lounge access if there is a waitlist…which isn’t always needed in the first place.

 

[Sandisw]

I guess I disagree with this. Owning more points get you more days/bigger rooms/more flexibility, so having more points absolutely does count for something.

The difference is that more points is not something that is potentially "taken away" from other members - if someone gets to cut the lounge line in front of me, then that is being taken away from me.

Isn’t the early registration for MM events for those that have a resort reservation the same thing?

Some owners getting priority over another?

 

[tx911]

I think Disney just needs to not touch anything that they have previously offered all members, and suddenly put it behind a paywall or put preferred access behind a paywall. The lounge access fits into this category.

If you want to come up with brand new benefits, like the OTUP discount, that's easier for existing members to stomach.

 

[New Mouse]

Because DVC doesnt have to have a membership extras program at all? However, they have just added the Disney Springs lounge and adding the one at MK..so two additional lounges to help give members more.

Look at Moonlight Magic. How many members don’t get to go at all because they aren’t there when a party happens?

Sure, it’s free for those that do, but for owners who are not lucky enough to ever have a trip planned on the right date have a perk that is useless.

Does that mean we should be telling DVC to stop offering them because so many owners can’t get in?

Dont resale buyers already see the perks as extras that are not worth paying for when they don’t buy direct?

I guess I will never understand how now having access to BOGO free OTU points, discounted tickets and the ability to trade points for a Sorcerer Pass is a bad thing for DVC to offered their members for a $99 fee, simply because they included priority lounge access if there is a waitlist…which isn’t always needed in the first place.

Yes, for someone who wants OTU points it's a discount - but why not just say to the general population - if you buy more than X OTU points it's discounted.

No data on this but I'd be shocked if 5% of DVC members use OTU points.

Memory maker - how many times and ways can they try and prop up internal sales on this failed product? They force it on everyone.

Are you OK with an even more premium tier of this product that includes guaranteed moonlight magic? Which in turn makes it even harder for others? It's coming

 

[BeachClub2014]

I think Disney just needs to not touch anything that they have previously offered all members, and suddenly put it behind a paywall or put preferred access behind a paywall. The lounge access fits into this category.

If you want to come up with brand new benefits, like the OTUP discount, that's easier for existing members to stomach.

I guess I see it a bit differently. Access to lounges for eligible members hasn't changed at all. It's still the same. Those members who want to pay for priority access now have that option.

No member has actually lost anything as a result of this new offering.

 

[New Mouse]

I guess I see it a bit differently. Access to lounges for eligible members hasn't changed at all. It's still the same. Those members who want to pay for priority access now have that option.

No member has actually lost anything as a result of this new offering.

As a regular member, the likelihood of a wait for your lounge access has now increased.

Just like as a regular guest, your wait time because of fast pass/lightning pass is guaranteed to increase.

 

[tx911]

I guess I see it a bit differently. Access to lounges for eligible members hasn't changed at all. It's still the same. Those members who want to pay for priority access now have that option.

No member has actually lost anything as a result of this new offering.

Except that previously, all DVC-Y members were on equal lounge footing. A waitlist was made based on when you checked in.
Under this new program, a DVC-YB member will leapfrog you to the front of the line.

The point is that you will be forced to pay for DVC-YB to maintain your equal footing. In what are sure to be ever increasing amounts.

 

[BeachClub2014]

As a regular member, the likelihood of a wait for your lounge access has now increased.

Just like as a regular guest, your wait time because of fast pass/lightning pass is guaranteed to increase.

I just don't see this as that much of a change. There were times when we could walk right into the lounge and times when there were extended waits. That will still be the case. Same is true for wait times for rides. Sometimes the wait times for standby are so short you don't need LL.


Edited my autocorrect spelling error

 

[PalmettoPath]

Except that previously, all DVC-Y members were on equal lounge footing. A waitlist was made based on when you checked in.
Under this new program, a DVC-YB member will leapfrog you to the front of the line.

The point is that you will be forced to pay for DVC-YB to maintain your equal footing. In what are sure to be ever increasing amounts.

And if you are international, you get sent to the back of the line because you don't even have an option to buy-in... DVC-YIntl perhaps. The value of Int'l membership will decline with each new perk program like this that is added, to which CAD and Intl members do not have access (I know I'm in the minority in this discussion, but it's really a bad precedent that has us concerned...from a future perspective).

 

[Genie+]

I’m not sure I’d call Memory Maker a failed product. I added up what we spent over the last decade - $3k. That was buying twice a year we didn’t have AP at the early purchase discount price and $35 for hard copies. Beyond offers me a new option to cut costs.

Honestly I see all this as trying to improve my satisfaction with DVC and WDW at a time when Epic Universe might turn our heads.

Why would a Coffee Subscription or Gamestop charge for their loyalty programs? Same thing. They’re not just going to give 20% off to all customers, they’re going to give it customers who purchase often enough to make paying that fee useful. Gamestop charges $25/yr (used to $60) and it comes with $5 credit each month. Makes no sense to give that to the occasional shopper. It’s rewarding those who shop enough to make paying the fee work both for them and the business.

 

[BeachClub2014]

Except that previously, all DVC-Y members were on equal lounge footing. A waitlist was made based on when you checked in.
Under this new program, a DVC-YB member will leapfrog you to the front of the line.

The point is that you will be forced to pay for DVC-YB to maintain your equal footing. In what are sure to be ever increasing amounts.

If there's a wait. I'm sure there'll be times when a DVC-Y member can just walk right in to a lounge and then snicker at the next member to walk in who is a DVC-YB because in that moment you both had the same access but you didn't have to pay extra.

 

[Hubalorian]

I also don’t know if they will put moonlight magic behind a paywall unless it guarantees entry. While the membership beyond was created to generate value it also has to allow the majority of the people using the upgrade to feel it was worthwhile. However, if you buy an upgrade that provides “priority access” to moonlight magic it could leave many with a bad taste on the upgrade they purchased. Leading them not to renew and leave dissatisfied feedback.