New Poly DVC rumors

[tjkraz]

Could they say that all bungalows can be sold as fixed weeks all year around without the 35% limit existing for the VGF?
Even if it's not likely they will ever sell out, guides could say: "if you don't buy a fixed week you won't be able to get a bungalow when they'll be sold out".
This could originate the rumor "you won't get the bungalows if you don't buy them".

Legally, yes.

But then the bungalows cease to add any appeal to the property for buyers who are not purchasing a fixed week.

Also, not all 52 weeks hold inherent value to buyers. VGF is nearly half sold now but less than 7% of the current sales (out of a possible 35%) have been fixed weeks.

 

[Sammie]

The first time I saw it was at 9 1/2 months out and it was available over Christmas. The next year it was similar - actually I think it was a little bit further out. It was not a 60 days out inventory being turned over. I also contacted DVC about this and was told that they could select all categories of rooms at AKV to turn over to CRO.

Interesting, as I was told by DVC, only at 60 days and rarely then.

I see the studios and one bedroom listed on the Disney World booking, but they never seem to be available. Must be a rare thing for them to pop up.

 

[lah3hh]

I know the Poly lovers over on the Tikiman site have been going crazy over all the changes happening to their beloved resort. I get it and understand it because they have such passion for the Poly and want to keep it as it always has been. Well we all know Disney and changes do take place. Many of them are saying rather negative comments about DVC and the members in general but 'we' did make this happen. We may have requested a DVC presence at the Poly but ultimately Disney had to see it as a profitable venture.

I don't think items listed as #2 and #3 will ever happen. It either comes from folks who just don't know or they enjoy stirring the pot of rumors. I trust in Disney that they will work hard to provide a new revised Poly for ALL Disney folks to enjoy for years to come.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Interesting, as I was told by DVC, only at 60 days and rarely then.

Where are you seeing them for cash, are they available to be booked on the Disney World online site.

The only thing I see are the Concierge resort suites.

It was on CRO - the Disneyworld online site. I viewed the rooms in March and availability was for Christmas week reservations. This was in both 2010 and 2011 and I have not looked for them since that time. After asking here about it I did make a call to DVC to ask about this. Was transferred to a supervisor in some department (I just don't recall anymore where) who said that DVC could select any of the room categories at AKV to place into Disney cash inventory. There was both a studio (described as a queen w/double sleeper and kitchenette) and a 1BR with a washer/dryer. Value villas rooms were also available and I can find those at various times currently on the CRO site although in a brief look the Concierge rooms were showing unavailable for the dates I was selecting.

Here's a link to that post way back when where I copied the availability showing and room descriptions:

http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=35847486&postcount=7

 

[twinsouvenirs]

2. Poly DVC will only be available to Poly DVC owners, not to other DCV members
3. No cash reservations allowed for Poly DVC


The way I read the bylaws and purchase agreements, the structures of these timeshares work like this: each DVC resort is a separate timeshare, a separate entity. They then AGREE to participate in the larger DVC timeshare exchange program. (forgive me, I do not have the IPO docs here so I am using loose terminology which is probably confusing.) So each individual property may join OR NOT join the larger organization with reciprocity between the other participating properties.

THUS: if Poly DVC was built and sold as an exclusive property and did NOT offer reciprocity to other DVC resorts, they would NOT get privileges at other resorts. I know people think that DVC can just do whatever it wants, but each timeshare resort IS beholden to its membership, and practically and legally I see no way that they could grant a Poly DVC resort access without reciprocity FROM the Poly DVC.

Not to mention the inventory problem--if Poly DVC members booked at other resorts, that leaves the Poly units unfilled and other resorts overbooked. That is what we would call 'leaving money on the table' and is not something Disney usually does. Since all the DVC resorts have fixed points, when you stay at another property, you are actually participating in an exchange with the other resort--it's NOT just a big vat of DVC points.

Does this make sense?

So #2 & #3 just don't make sense from any legal, practical or business sense. They DO make sense as a rumory way to jack up Poly sales to existing DVC members, but if you understand the underlying structure of DVC, I think you can rule out #2 & #3 as nonsensical.

Correct me if I am wrong or stated this poorly, but I did scour those IPO and other agreements very carefully when we bought.

 

[Dean]

2. Poly DVC will only be available to Poly DVC owners, not to other DCV members
3. No cash reservations allowed for Poly DVC


The way I read the bylaws and purchase agreements, the structures of these timeshares work like this: each DVC resort is a separate timeshare, a separate entity. They then AGREE to participate in the larger DVC timeshare exchange program. (forgive me, I do not have the IPO docs here so I am using loose terminology which is probably confusing.) So each individual property may join OR NOT join the larger organization with reciprocity between the other participating properties.

THUS: if Poly DVC was built and sold as an exclusive property and did NOT offer reciprocity to other DVC resorts, they would NOT get privileges at other resorts. I know people think that DVC can just do whatever it wants, but each timeshare resort IS beholden to its membership, and practically and legally I see no way that they could grant a Poly DVC resort access without reciprocity FROM the Poly DVC.

Not to mention the inventory problem--if Poly DVC members booked at other resorts, that leaves the Poly units unfilled and other resorts overbooked. That is what we would call 'leaving money on the table' and is not something Disney usually does. Since all the DVC resorts have fixed points, when you stay at another property, you are actually participating in an exchange with the other resort--it's NOT just a big vat of DVC points.

Does this make sense?

So #2 & #3 just don't make sense from any legal, practical or business sense. They DO make sense as a rumory way to jack up Poly sales to existing DVC members, but if you understand the underlying structure of DVC, I think you can rule out #2 & #3 as nonsensical.

Correct me if I am wrong or stated this poorly, but I did scour those IPO and other agreements very carefully when we bought.

That's correct, IF the Poly is part of the current DVC, they must abide by the Multi site POS legalities. If they were part of a new timeshare system, they could have different rules. Then any potential access from the current system could be manipulated in one of several ways, normally with some type of VIP program or some type of additional fee to get access, both usually restricted to qualified points.

 

[twinsouvenirs]

That's correct, IF the Poly is part of the current DVC, they must abide by the Multi site POS legalities. If they were part of a new timeshare system, they could have different rules. Then any potential access from the current system could be manipulated in one of several ways, normally with some type of VIP program or some type of additional fee to get access, both usually restricted to qualified points.

That makes sense--it would be as though Poly/their system was another outside exchange program; in other words there would still have to be some benefit to the overarching/multisite exchange (whether it be a fee or something else).

That said I really don't see WHY DVC would do that. Their model is successful as is, and they pretty much name their price and clearly haven't found the ceiling yet. A huge selling point is the versatility of the points, even at those 'prime' locations--so I suppose if I was an exec I'd be of the mindset that if it isn't broken I'm not going to bend over backwards to 'fix' it... when the fix may create a host of unknown issues and certainly legal challenges by their many affluent and educated current owners. As it stands, every DVC resort strengthens the brand by offering a different vacation experience.

So although they 'could' do a lot of things, the cost/benefit of doing most or many of those things just doesn't pan out IMO. I think they are going to have TONS of current owners that snap up Poly points, and tons of people that are lying in wait to buy DVC at the Poly--and again, they can kind of name their price here, so it's not as though they need to create a new, suspect tiered system to sell the points especially when they can save A LOT of legal $s by using a version of the structure they already have.

As a new Poly owner, would you like having to pay a $50 exchange fee to book a non-home resort, or would that feel insulting after you pay a gazillion for your points and MFs? Or even say they build in those costs as part of a VIP membership or part of your MFs... as these boards will prove, people get pretty penny-conscious with maintenance fees and if members feel that they are the only ones paying a premium for something they don't use as much as others (i.e. extra towels, shampoo) how do you think a Poly owner is going to feel about paying a premium in the MFs for a service that other DVC'ers get to use for free (the exchange of resorts).

As an existing member, would you like having to use a different booking structure and learn a different system to book for your Poly points? Remember, existing members are a HUGE part of their target market. We're proven customers and they know we get addonitis They also get lots of sales by word of mouth, and if current members feel screwed by the new property, they are likely to badmouth DVC, sell off in large numbers (sinking new sales by flooding the market) and create a publicity deficit at a time that DVC will need brand strength.

Feel free to disagree with me, but I think most of the rumors come from cast/crew's perhaps accurate assessments that it will be PRACTICALLY difficult to trade in to stay at the poly bungalows or get space if it is your non home resort. But that was also said about VGF, one of our home resorts, and it seems like non-VGF owners have definitely able to trade in so far.

 

[paults]

Rumor or speculation? Here's how things usually go down:

Post on forum #1: "I wonder if DVC would block other owners from accessing the Poly."
Post on forum #2: "I read a rumor on another forum that DVC will block other owners from the Poly."

Or it originates with someone who doesn't really understand timeshares / DVC.

Or it originates with a DVC ASA or Guide...whose sole purpose is to sell new points even if it means stretching the truth.

Don't mean to sound too caddy but if you search the DIS, you'll find similar speculation regarding AKV, BLT, VGC and VGF at a minimum. You'll also find "rumors" that Art of Animation would have DVC villas, that Grand Floridian villas would all have concierge access and a host of others.

I just don't see the upside for DVC. It isn't going to drive a lot of additional sales, yet it has the potential to alienate (upset / enrage) the hundreds-of-thousands of current owners.

There aren't a lot of potential buyers who find a 4-month booking window to be inadequate, to the point of deciding not to buy.

TIM, you're forgetting about the wdw BUS DRIVER they know what's going on

 

[Dean]

That makes sense--it would be as though Poly/their system was another outside exchange program; in other words there would still have to be some benefit to the overarching/multisite exchange (whether it be a fee or something else).

That said I really don't see WHY DVC would do that. Their model is successful as is, and they pretty much name their price and clearly haven't found the ceiling yet. A huge selling point is the versatility of the points, even at those 'prime' locations--so I suppose if I was an exec I'd be of the mindset that if it isn't broken I'm not going to bend over backwards to 'fix' it... when the fix may create a host of unknown issues and certainly legal challenges by their many affluent and educated current owners. As it stands, every DVC resort strengthens the brand by offering a different vacation experience.

So although they 'could' do a lot of things, the cost/benefit of doing most or many of those things just doesn't pan out IMO. I think they are going to have TONS of current owners that snap up Poly points, and tons of people that are lying in wait to buy DVC at the Poly--and again, they can kind of name their price here, so it's not as though they need to create a new, suspect tiered system to sell the points especially when they can save A LOT of legal $s by using a version of the structure they already have.

As a new Poly owner, would you like having to pay a $50 exchange fee to book a non-home resort, or would that feel insulting after you pay a gazillion for your points and MFs? Or even say they build in those costs as part of a VIP membership or part of your MFs... as these boards will prove, people get pretty penny-conscious with maintenance fees and if members feel that they are the only ones paying a premium for something they don't use as much as others (i.e. extra towels, shampoo) how do you think a Poly owner is going to feel about paying a premium in the MFs for a service that other DVC'ers get to use for free (the exchange of resorts).

As an existing member, would you like having to use a different booking structure and learn a different system to book for your Poly points? Remember, existing members are a HUGE part of their target market. We're proven customers and they know we get addonitis They also get lots of sales by word of mouth, and if current members feel screwed by the new property, they are likely to badmouth DVC, sell off in large numbers (sinking new sales by flooding the market) and create a publicity deficit at a time that DVC will need brand strength.

Feel free to disagree with me, but I think most of the rumors come from cast/crew's perhaps accurate assessments that it will be PRACTICALLY difficult to trade in to stay at the poly bungalows or get space if it is your non home resort. But that was also said about VGF, one of our home resorts, and it seems like non-VGF owners have definitely able to trade in so far.

I doubt they'll create a new system but I could certainly see it happening. Some reasons would be to allow they to change the rules in some major fashion or change from deeded to a trust point system. They could also create a VIP system that would allow some of the same changes within the current DVC.