MS System Enhancements

[kayla87]

I think I visit the DVC boards pretty regularly, but I haven't seen anyone discuss the news article about changes coming to DVC booking. Personally, I'm super excited about these changes.

Did I miss previous discussions about these changes? (The article isn't dated, so I don't know how old it is.) Is no one as excited about this as they are upset at the point charts changing?

This spring, system enhancements at Disneyland®, Walt Disney World® and Disney Vacation Club Resorts will aim to improve the Member and Guest experience through what's being described as one of the largest Information Technology efforts in the history of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.

Here's a look at some of the changes Members will experience when the enhanced systems are in place:

* Member Services will begin e-mailing reservation confirmations to Members and other Guests in those Members' traveling parties.
* Members will begin creating simplified "travel plans" that combine all accommodations for their trip. Gone will be the days of booking separate reservations for every room and resort included in the trip. No more juggling multiple confirmation or cancellation numbers. Instead, a single travel plan and confirmation number will represent the entire trip, regardless of the number of rooms and resorts included. Members will no longer need to link separate reservations, as they'll be included in one travel plan.
* When booking multiple, consecutive accommodations on a travel plan, Members will be able to book advanced dining reservations as many as 180 days prior to the check-in date of the first accommodation for the length of stay (up to 10 days) of the entire travel plan.
* Members who prefer to pay for their Disney Dining Plan prior to arrival will be able to do so through Member Services when booking their reservation. Members who don't wish to pay in advance will still have the option of adding their Disney Dining Plan to their reservation as many as 48 hours prior to arrival and paying for the plan just prior to the start of their vacation.
* When booking cash reservations, Members will pay a deposit of one night room plus tax at the time of booking.

Future plans call for further enhancements, including the ability to reserve Disney Vacation Club Resort accommodations online.

These changes continue a recent wave of system enhancements designed to improve the Member and Guest experience. Other recent enhancements at the Walt Disney World Resort, for example, have included:

* Online Check-In Service: Members and Guests "check-in" to their resort as many as 10 days prior to their arrival. Travelers simply pre-register for their upcoming stay from the comfort of their own home and can even add a credit card for incidentals. Upon arrival, a welcome folder containing their Key to the World card awaits them at the designated Online Check-In Service desk in the resort hotel lobby.
* Online dining reservations: Members and Guests may book advanced dining reservations online at www.disneyworld.com/dining.
* Mobile Room Ready Notification Service: Designed for Members and Guests who arrive before their scheduled check-in time, this new system sends a text message or automated call to those families' mobile phones when their room is ready.

Watch www.dvcmember.com for more information about our system enhancements as new details become available.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Yes, that was posted a few weeks ago.

And we all know about "enhancements".

 

[disneynutz]

I think that some feel that it is to little to late. Disney comes across as if they are doing all of these wonderful things to benefit the membership, when in reality it also benefits Disney.

I also expect that the members will be paying for the changes. In addition, most of the past updates, have limited functionality and they don't really work that well. Online check in is a good example.

A huge issue is that it sounds like the changes will take away the DDP split stay savings. Many of us deliberately schedule a split stay so that we don't have to have the DDP for the entire vacation. If that happens we won't be buying the DDP.

The enhancement of letting you pay for the DDP 6 months in advance gives Disney money in the bank. It's like guests giving them a interest free loan for 6 months. I know that some guests like to pay ahead and that's fine, that's not me.

Bottom line is that I will believe it when I see it.

Bill

 

[castleri]

A huge issue is that it sounds like the changes will take away the DDP split stay savings. Many of us deliberately schedule a split stay so that we don't have to have the DDP for the entire vacation. If that happens we won't be buying the DDP.

Bill

This was my first thought also - even though we have no plans to use the DDP in the near future it was nice to know it was an option. I guess you can still do it. Just make one reservation with name A as the lead name and then make a second reservation with name B as the lead name and tell MS you don't want them linked. Of course as with other "enhancements" they may say this is not possible.

 

[CarolMN]

This was my first thought also - even though we have no plans to use the DDP in the near future it was nice to know it was an option. I guess you can still do it. Just make one reservation with name A as the lead name and then make a second reservation with name B as the lead name and tell MS you don't want them linked. Of course as with other "enhancements" they may say this is not possible.

If the reservations are not linked, you may end up changing rooms.

 

[kayla87]

Maybe I was on vacation when this was discussed. I'm sorry I missed it.

It should be greener and more efficient to email reservation confirmations. I'm pretty excited that no one will have the right to complain about not being able to make ADRs for their whole trip since they have multiple reservations. I prefer being able to pay for my DDP whenever I want (and as far as I can tell you can still pay at check-in, so what's the problem with us finally having options?).

I'm sure these changes were implemented based on member feedback, just like the point chart changes purportedly were. So, if I'm the only one celebrating, I've have a lovely party by myself

 

[Sandisw]

This was my first thought also - even though we have no plans to use the DDP in the near future it was nice to know it was an option. I guess you can still do it. Just make one reservation with name A as the lead name and then make a second reservation with name B as the lead name and tell MS you don't want them linked. Of course as with other "enhancements" they may say this is not possible.

I am not sure that having one overall travel plan, but stays at different resorts will eliminate the ability to book separate dining plans.

If I stay at BCV for a few nights and then to BLT, those have to be separate reservations as I will be checking in and out of both places.

I just think that the travel plan piece will simply allow everyone to see the entire trip by entering one number. For those that WL, when it comes through, it is currently listed separately and those have to be "linked". I am hoping that it is these situations that the new "travel plan" is aimed to help.

Now, those that stayed in the same rooms and didn't link to avoid getting the DDP for the whole stay may be indeed not able to continue to do this.

We also will not be doing the DDP if we have to carry it over from one resort to the next.

 

[castleri]

If the reservations are not linked, you may end up changing rooms.

I wasn't clear in that I meant if you were planning to change resorts you could do this and in that case you have to change rooms no matter what. I would like the option of being at one resort for 2 nights with the DDp and then at another without it for 5 nights. It sounds as if everything is one reservation number you might be required to do the DDP for all 7 nights. I guess only time will tell.