MM registration..

[airjay75]

I think they’ll eventually have to find some way to further limit MM. Just too many reports of people who try and try but can’t seem to snag a spot.

You can’t sell it as a perk of direct points if it’s mostly theoretical.

 

[VGCgroupie]

This I do agree. But I can see plan changes too tho.

Member has to enter so if member plans change nobody else can go anyway. If your guests plans change then you should be cancelling tix and DVC can give out spares day of to members.

I saw some non DVC people acting like fools and getting in trouble at MM. He told the CM he was let in by a stranger off the internet.

 

[Brian Noble]

Most revisions would upset some chunk of the member base. No solution will make everyone happy.

Exactly so.

The problem is not (or at least not only) how they distribute access. The problem is more people want to go than can go---and that's true even if you limit most of the attendance to just eligible Members who happen to have a reservation on their Membership either checking in on, checking out on, or spanning the date in question.

So, no matter how they decide to distribute the slots, someone is going to be disappointed. I do happen to think a lottery would be better than this process, but it doesn't magically create more capacity.

This is nothing new. It is one of the main reasons I consistently tell people that the perks are not a reason to buy. Moonlight Magic is one of those things that sounds awesome, but in practice the vast majority of the Members will never experience one.

 

[The Jackal]

Exactly so.

The problem is not (or at least not only) how they distribute access. The problem is more people want to go than can go---and that's true even if you limit most of the attendance to just eligible Members who happen to have a reservation on their Membership either checking in on, checking out on, or spanning the date in question.

So, no matter how they decide to distribute the slots, someone is going to be disappointed. I do happen to think a lottery would be better than this process, but it doesn't magically create more capacity.

This is nothing new. It is one of the main reasons I consistently tell people that the perks are not a reason to buy. Moonlight Magic is one of those things that sounds awesome, but in practice the vast majority of the Members will never experience one.

Well, DVC keeps adding more and more resorts, adding thousands and thousands of new members with limited attendance at these smaller parks. MK can hold a lot more, but it’s never an option anymore. I understand they are offering them several times a year. But they allow you to go to one per season. I have said for years now it should be one per calendar year. Let more people enjoy them.

It appears DVC is doing the right thing with the early people who got kicked out.

 

[Dfoerch]

Will do-thanks

Will do-thanks

Check with me closer to the event date.

Apparently I won't be needing you gracious (possible) offer. I never got an email, so I called MS and told them how I was in the registration process when it said I wasn't eligible (even have a pic of the screen). After about 30 min of them talking to higher ups, and asking more questions, they said it has been confirmed, but I won't get an email. They assured me it is in their system.

 

[Brian Noble]

eligible Members who happen to have a reservation on their Membership either checking in on, checking out on, or spanning the date in question.

There are just under 5,000 DVC rooms (ignoring the cabins, because I can't remember how many are declared).

I suspect the vast majority of those are occupied by eligible Members. Let's say 80%, or 4,000 rooms. Some of those rooms can be double-counted, because there is a check-in/check-out on that day. If the average stay is 5 days, then one in five can double count, which gets us back to 4,800 "eligible rooms."

How many Members per room want to attend? No idea. Let's call it three, just as a ballpark. It is probably more, because I am going to guess a lot of Members book the full allotment of tickets they can, "just in case," plus some of those rooms are 2BRs with presumably at least a few more than three guests.

That means you have as a guesstimate 14,400 people who are eligible to attend MM.

So, what is MM's capacity? The average daily attendance at Studios in 2024 was just under 28,250. Do you think the MM crowd is even half of that? I don't. None of the shows are operating, and neither are some of the secondary attractions.

You can argue with this either way for just about any of the assumptions I made, and I would not tell you you were wrong. But, at the end of the day, I suspect that there are more eligible Members (plus guests) with a qualifying stay than there are tickets.

As today's kids say: The math does not math.

Edited to add sources:
DVC room counts: https://c.touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/hotels/number-rooms
Daily attendance based on an annual total of 10.3M: https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/disneyland-disney-world-top-attendance-155833536.html

 

[Wiltony]

Apparently I won't be needing you gracious (possible) offer. I never got an email, so I called MS and told them how I was in the registration process when it said I wasn't eligible (even have a pic of the screen). After about 30 min of them talking to higher ups, and asking more questions, they said it has been confirmed, but I won't get an email. They assured me it is in their system.

Ask them for something in writing anyway. Otherwise you should plan to be turned away at the entrance without it.

 

[Willow Ufgood]

Member has to enter so if member plans change nobody else can go anyway. If your guests plans change then you should be cancelling tix and DVC can give out spares day of to members.

I saw some non DVC people acting like fools and getting in trouble at MM. He told the CM he was let in by a stranger off the internet.

The problem is that canceling is all or nothing. You can't change from a party of 6 to a party of 4, for example. Maybe someday but in my experience, that option didn't exist when I tried a couple of years ago. I could cancel the whole thing but I couldn't modify to reduce the number of guests.

And while I agree that members should not be allowing random strangers in on their tickets, I'm not sure how DVC would police that. It would require changing the registration process to include all guests' names expected to enter under the member's tickets (and slowing down the registration queue) and then proof of ID for everyone would be necessary at the gate the night of, which would slow down entrance significantly.

In the long run, as @Brian Noble pointed out, the problem ultimately lies in there being more members who wish to attend than there are available tickets. Not everyone can get AKV value studios. Not everyone can book BWV resort view studios. And not everyone who wants MM is going to get tickets, no matter how DVC decides to distribute the tickets.

 

[Dfoerch]

Ask them for something in writing anyway. Otherwise you should plan to be turned away at the entrance without it.

I hear you. They said to wait a couple weeks to see if I get some kind of notice. I'll probably do that and then call back asking for something more concrete. They said it's a 'note' on my DVC account, but I won't be able to see it, only they can. Almost sounds like a scam

 

[VGCgroupie]

The problem is that canceling is all or nothing. You can't change from a party of 6 to a party of 4, for example. Maybe someday but in my experience, that option didn't exist when I tried a couple of years ago. I could cancel the whole thing but I couldn't modify to reduce the number of guests.

And while I agree that members should not be allowing random strangers in on their tickets, I'm not sure how DVC would police that. It would require changing the registration process to include all guests' names expected to enter under the member's tickets (and slowing down the registration queue) and then proof of ID for everyone would be necessary at the gate the night of, which would slow down entrance significantly.

In the long run, as @Brian Noble pointed out, the problem ultimately lies in there being more members who wish to attend than there are available tickets. Not everyone can get AKV value studios. Not everyone can book BWV resort view studios. And not everyone who wants MM is going to get tickets, no matter how DVC decides to distribute the tickets.

Right. We were talking about what changes could be made not what is currently in place. I think making cancelling and/or modifying party size could benefit the membership as a whole.

People only get in the parks by showing they have a valid ticket for them, not so crazy that they could do the same for MM, it can be loaded into your MDE and made so it cant be reassigned.

 

[eticketplease]

Exactly so.

The problem is not (or at least not only) how they distribute access. The problem is more people want to go than can go---and that's true even if you limit most of the attendance to just eligible Members who happen to have a reservation on their Membership either checking in on, checking out on, or spanning the date in question.

So, no matter how they decide to distribute the slots, someone is going to be disappointed. I do happen to think a lottery would be better than this process, but it doesn't magically create more capacity.

This is nothing new. It is one of the main reasons I consistently tell people that the perks are not a reason to buy. Moonlight Magic is one of those things that sounds awesome, but in practice the vast majority of the Members will never experience one.

Yes capacity is capped but there are some things that can help.

It is already been brought up about booking with blue card eligible points for the event. With the exception of some dates there is plenty of notice to allow one to book with qualifying points. Even if just that night of the event is booked with said points and the rest of your stay is with any others.

This brings us to general registration. Get rid of it people should be staying on points. Whether you are a local, staying at the Swan Reserve or Days Inn the fact is you are not staying on DVC points so you shouldn't be eligible. If you want to go book a room for the night with qualifying points.

Another thing what about Vero Beach? Yes it is a DVC resort but how many people are booking a MM event and then driving 2 hours after the event to spend the night? I know that is not something I personally would be doing. Perhaps this is a loophole that locals are using to get in as then they are on property but imo it should not be an eligible resort for a MM event at WDW.

Another thing that has been mentioned, only names that are on your room get tickets. You can still modify who is in your room but if they are not listed on your reservation then they are not going to be let in.

 

[peder]

I still think the entire thing is ridiculous and really just a benefit for locals. It's effectively impossible to plan for this if you're not in the area.

 

[VGCgroupie]

I still think the entire thing is ridiculous and really just a benefit for locals. It's effectively impossible to plan for this if you're not in the area.

I’m not local and have been 2 MM events and just got tickets for another.

 

[eticketplease]

And while I agree that members should not be allowing random strangers in on their tickets, I'm not sure how DVC would police that. It would require changing the registration process to include all guests' names expected to enter under the member's tickets (and slowing down the registration queue) and then proof of ID for everyone would be necessary at the gate the night of, which would slow down entrance significantly.

They could tap their magicband and see if it matches the room number of the guest that registered for MM. If it doesn't match sorry you will not be able to come in

 

[eticketplease]

I still think the entire thing is ridiculous and really just a benefit for locals. It's effectively impossible to plan for this if you're not in the area.

They announce the dates in advance. Some giving a lot of time to plan to book a room. Epcot is on 9/10/2026. I'm sure there are still plenty of rooms available as we are now in the 7 month window if you really wanted to put effort into attending.

 

[eticketplease]

But, at the end of the day, I suspect that there are more eligible Members (plus guests) with a qualifying stay than there are tickets.

Agreed which is why they should get rid of the general registration to allow more of these guests that are actually staying a better chance.

 

[jenhelgren]

Think they mean those that got in as in tried to register and were told invalid reservation prior to pause, and thus booted to back of line.

Yep By the time I got booted it was almost minutes into the 11 am que so I knew there wasnt much chance.

I have not seen the email either-did everyon that got booted get it? I wonder if I should call Member Services.

 

[VGCgroupie]

Yep By the time I got booted it was almost minutes into the 11 am que so I knew there wasnt much chance.

I have not seen the email either-did everyon that got booted get it? I wonder if I should call Member Services.

So you made it in by entering membership number, got a wait time and then got sent to the registration page where you entered membership number again and then were told invalid reservation, then booted?

 

[Cyberc1978]

Most revisions would upset some chunk of the member base. No solution will make everyone happy.

I think you should have to be staying on direct points which I thought was the rules to begin with but evidently not. This will cut out a lot of eligibility since now people can stay on resale points. I know this would make most people unhappy though.

In Oct and July last year I used my resale points from my resale only UY. I’m a direct too just with another UY.

 

[Cyberc1978]

Like I said not all would be happy. If they cant do that, which I am sure they can if they wanted too. Then at minimum under the same membership.

Next up early registration should require all parties to be staying in the room. Names should be collected. I see so many people giving non DVC strangers tickets on the internet.

How should they verify it? Not everyone has a magic band. If they need to bring driver’s licenses to verify their ID it would backfire against Disney.