MYO free dining for DVC'ers on points?

[crisi]

And I wouldn't bet much on the "average" DVC owner. We own (almost) no pins and come home with few souvieniers (I have a couple we've been given as promos and such). In fact, the souvienier budget is WAY DOWN from our hotel stays. We go to Disney more often than we did, every other year rather than every three to five. But we spend a lot less on those every other year trips at Disney.

It would be nice if there was a pass discount other than APs, but I didn't buy DVC for the pass discount. It would be nice if DDE was offered to be cost effective for DVC members who don't by APs (and it is for some, it won't be for us this trip), but I'm not crying over it. I'm still staying in a one bedroom room at the Boardwalk this fall for $150 a night - much nicer than a value resort and I'm not putting my kids in the same bedroom with us. I couldn't take advantage of the September deal anyway, and while $35 a day dining is nice, the room tax I don't pay on a Deluxe room more than covers the difference between paying for my own meals and the MYW plan.

In my opinion, Disney has gotten themselves into a bit of a scrape with the popularity of the MYW plan at its price. They can't seat everyone who pays for the plan (and those of us who still eat in the restaurants without the plan). There is little lost revenue because every seat in every restaurant is pretty darn filled now. And there are more upset customers and people who prepaid meals (and then didn't make reservations or decided to skip reservations they had and "eat later) then can't get a table. I'd lay good odds that the plan will be more expensive next year, until it becomes more like the old dining plans, where they really aren't a great deal for most people.

 

[Johnnie Fedora]

Do DVC members spend more, on average, than cash resort guests? I don't know if I believe that's true or not. Even if so, by how much? 5% more? 8% more? Whatever it is, it's certainly not enough to offset the reality that we are just a drop in the bucket of the entire population Disney hosts on a daily basis.

If I'm remembering correctly from the member homecoming event, The DVC bigwig (Jim..I think?) was quoted as saying the average DVCers spends 7x the amount of a regular cash guest. Don't know what the spending timeframe was, but if someone in his position made that statement, I'd have to believe it. He has access to the real $$$ numbers. Maybe someone here remebers the thread where that was posted. I think it had to do with the 2004 MH event.

 

[tjkraz]

If I'm remembering correctly from the member homecoming event, The DVC bigwig (Jim..I think?) was quoted as saying the average DVCers spends 7x the amount of a regular cash guest.

Wow, I'd love to see the list of footnotes for that figure.

Is that over a lifetime? It's certainly not on a trip-by-trip basis. Surely nobody believes for every $1000 we DVCers spend on our trips, cash guests only spend $142.

 

[DebbieB]

I find since joining DVC I spend less on vacations. I very rarely buy any souveniers, none really interest me, I have plenty of Disney shirts & trinkets. We have breakfast in the room, so less food costs. My room charge usually runs around $200-$300 (for 2 people), before it ran around $600 (excluding the room cost).

 

[crisi]

Wow, I'd love to see the list of footnotes for that figure.

Is that over a lifetime? It's certainly not on a trip-by-trip basis. Surely nobody believes for every $1000 we DVCers spend on our trips, cash guests only spend $142.

Yeah, my "data alarm" went off with that one as well.

 

[Johnnie Fedora]

Here's the quote I remembered and a link to the original thread.

Lewis said the company wants to build its time-share business because owners tend to visit more often and spend more money -- twice as much as those who stay at a Disney hotel and seven times as much as those who stay off property.

Previous thread

 

[rmontgo892]

Roxanne:

I'm really not trying to bait you with this question; just curious to hear your perspective.

WHY is it "smart business" to give us perks? DVC already has our money. They know we'll be back. Why is it so important to give DVC members the best of all worlds rather than reserving some perks for other select groups?

Dialogue is always good!

I believe DVC'ers are part of the other groups if your referring to WDW resorts/guests. Your question is why is it important when DVC already has our money, right? Can they reserve certain perks for other resort guests in respect to packages and services? Sure. I just don't see the prob people have with extending the existing programs to include us.

It's good business cause it's all about guest satisfaction and making it a win/win for everyone i.e. making money. How many have added on pts and spread the word. I believe the Disney brand and marketing has a lot to do with repeat guests. The *magic* so to speak.

Are some of us DVC'ers never gonna be satisfied?? Maybe? I do feel DVC'ers loyalty and feeling Disney cares about their satisfaction after we bought in and now offering an AP discount speaks to that. It matters. Should it? According to DVC/Disney apparently "they" feel so.

Years ago I was in an online group (still am) that got all hot and bothered because OKW stopped using peach towels and nicer shower curtains. I was one of them. Why? Cause DVC was still a bit new and I saw it and panicked that maybe they would be downgrading service. Show you the nice model with all the bells and whistles and bam. That was back when timeshares were still shifty business. We even actually purchased in 1993 and backed out when we got home cause EVERYONE said it's a rip off...yadda yadda...

Eh...you live and learn...hopefully. We look at DVC as a prepaid vacation plan and don't expect anything but beautiful resorts. That's what we get and we are 100% satisfied. Little kinks like no more peach towels but we will survive. No more daily mousekeeping and fresh towels. Yikes. I actually like it better without daily mousekeeping. Who knew. Point restructuring. Yikes. Oh well, no more studio in low season OKW for 64 pts.

We bought in when DVC had the free passes. They expired in 1999. You should have seen the threads on those saying DVC should offer them indefinitely. Holy Moly. Talk about heated debates. I never saw THAT point. It was nice while it lasted. And look how many bought in withOUT free passes.

People used the argument then that they have our money so why shouldn't DVC do what they want, so to speak.

Can I ramble or what? Be nice.

I am not one of those DVC'ers that even know what unit I belong too. I read the entire documents once and that was it.

Eh, I don't know everything and I can't prove it but I just believe it's good business to offer DVC'ers perks. They offered a food plan once so why is it impossible to believe they are gonna offer it again? We may be a small population compared to other WDW resorts but why wouldn't DVC want us happy and to make some money.

I guess I don't see why offering DVC'ers the best of the best is a problem. A discount on an AP is to the advantage of DVC/Disney. We (some) benefit and so do they. Same with a meal plan.

I can't answer for those who aren't ever happy or satisfied. Starting a dialogue on DVC'ers maybe getting a meal plan is a bad thing?? DVC doesn't owe us anything except what was promised and they certainly aren't gonna offer a meal plan just to be nice.

Sorry for the snooze fest!





~Roxanne

 

[lenshanem]

Starting a dialogue on DVC'ers maybe getting a meal plan is a bad thing?

I'm starting to think there could even be a debate on the thickness of the toilet paper...

 

[DisFlan]

I'd hazard a guess that Jim Lewis' figures include the HUGE numbers of people who stay off site in very cheap lodgings. Many of these visitors tend to be toward the lowest end of the spending curve. They budget trips very closely and many don't eat a main meal on site. They buy very few souveniers. Most Disney trinkets are fairly expensive for the budget traveler. This group may only get to WDW once or twice in their lives, and they feel happy/lucky just to be there. As DVC and WDW vets, we may tend to forget how many of these visitors there are.

The bulk of DVC and other multi-trip on-site people would be toward the higher end of the spending curve. We eat, we buy stuff and we engage in a lot of the more expensive add-on attractions (golf, tours, fireworks cruises, Princess Teas, kids' costumes, Disney artwork, watches etc.) that the tightly-budgeted visitors just simply don't pay for or can't afford.

Disney wants to get those tight-budget people on site. That's what the values are for and why there are so many value rooms. The tight-budget group isn't likely to spend much on food anyway, so Disney gives them a free meal plan in a cheap room to entice them on site and maybe convince them to visit more often.

We'll know if this strategy works when we see if Disney continues it in some form. I don't feel slighted or ignored to be left out of this or any meal plan. We were never the intended targets. I'm more worried about the impact it'll have on restaurant use, availability and meal quality.

DisFlan

 

[crisi]

Johnnie, I'm not doubting the quote, I'd just like to know how they got the numbers. Is that "per trip" or "per year" or "per five year period?" Does twice as much count room costs? Do they amortize the cost of the original DVC purchase? Do they count DVC renters and guests against the original contract? What was the sample size? Confidence interval. Median and mean amounts spent for each group? How was the data collected? For offsite guests, its really hard to account, since they probably use a lot of cash, so survey? - notoriously inaccurate. Onsite guests they can look at charging patterns.

And that's the sort of stuff us outsiders will never find out. And thats the only way to tell smoke and mirrors.

 

[Johnnie Fedora]

As DVCers, we go more frequently, but we do not spend more per trip than pre-DVC, at least on a per individual basis.

I do wonder if the member spending figures from Jim Lewis include the fact we bought the DVC resorts and will gift them back to Disney in 2042. The food plan would not be for us, as we use the DVC kitchen. We like the option of it, and also like the DDE option with the AP purchase. The more options for members the better the program...IMO.

How Disney crunches numbers is anyones guess. In the end though, I bet they make more money.

 

[colleen costello]

I get a little overwhelmed planning sometimes, because I feel that just as I learn the game, they change it... This happens repeatedly. I had settled into a plan of purchasing an AP, which was getting me a discount on cash rooms (to save points but mostly avoid the late-check-in/crappy room scenario that Shan and others here are all too familiar with). Now the AP room-discount rules are changing... But if I don't buy the AP (the 10-day hopper with no expiration is REALLY a deal) I can't buy the Disney Dining Card... What to do? It gets overwhelming at times and I would love it if there were just some discounts offered to DVC members... That's it, no other requirements, just be a member! That would simplify my life some!

I would like a meal plan in that I could pre-plan and/or pre-pay my dining costs. I always make reservations anyway, for our favorite sit-down places and character meals. Yet the "old-timers" from OKW back in the 90's claim that no one used the dining plan so they took it away... Maybe a simpler one would work today? I DO think a plan would keep more dollars on-property. We did more onsite meals last trip with DDE and skipped the places at the Crossings. But again, if I decide against the AP I can't even buy the DDE next year in the first place! It's crazy!

 

[J and R's mom]

I've actually read through the five pages on this thread and you can add me to the list of folks who would like to be given a dining plan option. Who knows if I'd use it or not, but I'd like the option.

I'd also like an option of whether or not to get the AP discount or a discount on regular MYW park tickets. [APs do our family no good since we won't be able to go more than once a year...so DDE doesn't make since for us.] Again, it'd be nice to have the option.

I'll be honest. I expect perks as part of my ownership. It's part of the reason I bought into DVC. I also understand that they will change the perks from time-to-time and we may not always get the perks we want or think that we're entitled to, but that won't stop me from letting DVC Management know what I'm interested in. I also know that what I'm interested in may not be the least bit important to someone else, but to each their own. The best we can do is voice our individual opinions and hope for the best.

The worst case scenario is that we're still DVC members in the end and that's not too shabby.

 

[ColoradoBelle1]

It seems obvious that the cost of owning DVC would be included in the stats of DVC expenditures VS non DVC.
From what I've read here on the boards, the spending patterns of we DVC as a group is extremely variable. Even before owning DVC , I never spent all that much on souveners. Our DD got one of the small stuffed characters per trip. Even so, she now has a full collection!

Ever since stores like Walmart started carrying Disney stuff, it seemed silly to buy Dis stuff on site. I am now hooked on pins however....but I haven't bought any at cost yet, so I guess I'm not completely gone on that count.

In the old days, we spent more on Character breakfasts and Luau and hoop de do. Now, I'd rather have one great dinner at California Grill or V and A's and then I'm satisfied.

 

[JenniferCassidy]

I wish we could buy the MYW dining plan. We can purchase the tickets, why can't we add-on the dining plan? We are new members and haven't stayed at the DVC resort yet, but I already know we will be only staying in the studio. And if it did have a kitchen.. we wouldn't use it. Only for pop and water as others have said before. We eat EVERY meal in the park (unless we're off Disney property at Sea World or something) and the Dining plan would be very beneficial for us.

More than likely we will only go to WDW once a year so we're thinking of not buying the Annual Pass, which means we can't get the DDE card. I would be more pleased if Disney/DVC would at least let all DVC members purchase the DDE card without having an AP. That would help a lot!

 

[msdis]

It's like a value meal at McDonald's. They make the money on the soda & fries not the sandwich. It won't ever be available to DVC members for the same economics, nor would it be for the same value if they came up with something. I'm trying to talk DH into skipping DVC and buying a pkg instead for our fall trip. But when you compare rooms it easy to see we're not willing to get "free" food for an "exchange" of our great DVC rooms. I'd be happy with a bigger selection of food at the resort store and cheaper prices. Or food courts at our DVC resorts. We all have dreams.

 

[abouna]

Here is what we were doing:

We had booked the current offer with the dining included, five nights at All-Star resort and base tickets for 2 adults and 2 children for $1183.00.


Then, I got very lucky (I am a Maui Marriott owner who deposited my 2006 week with II and got a bonus week that they give to Hawaii owners since it is a popular trade) and a week came up in a one bedroom at OKW for the same dates I booked my package, October 1-8. I grabbed it since Disney weeks almost never come up, especially for anything more than a studio. It is costing me $344 ($249 for the "bonus" week and $95 for the resort fee people who trade into Disney have to pay).

I was thinking to keep the other reservation since the room portion of the $1183 for five nights in an All-Star resort is $385 + tax or close to $450.00. That's about what the meal plan would cost if we were able to purchase it for two adults and two kids. We need the tickets anyway.


In the end, we got what amounts to the current deal for $1526 ($1183 + $344) for a one bedroom at OKW. If you try to book the same thing at the Disney website it comes out to about $2800.00 at the Disney website for the package at OKW one bedroom. Even with a studio it is about $2300.

Best part of all is that I can now get there a day before the rest of the family and just relax in the pool since they can't arrive until Monday because of school!!!!!

 

[robinb]

Here is what we were doing:

{snip}
In the end, we got what amounts to the current deal for $1526 ($1183 + $344) for a one bedroom at OKW. If you try to book the same thing at the Disney website it comes out to about $2800.00 at the Disney website for the package at OKW one bedroom. Even with a studio it is about $2300.

Welcome to the DIS!!!

Have you been to WDW before? I'm curious because you booked the basic tickets and not park-hoppers.

If you keep the All Star reservation you are essentially paying for the meal plan. It usually costs $35 per adult and $10 per child, or $90 for your family. You're paying about $86 per night for an All Stars room that will go empty and unused. With a 1BR you can cook a lot of meals, especially breakfast and a dinner like frozen pizza, mac n cheese, etc. I'm not sure if it would be worth it to your family, especially if this is your first time at WDW. Those sit-down dinners take up a lot of time!

BTW: If you keep the All Stars reservation, check here for more info on the dining plan:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=820709