Newest Issue of Vaca Magic

[DISNEYDUET]

Check out page 28!! SSR can't be far behind!!

Hospitality HomesVC is creating special room catagories at OKW to identify the limited number of Vacation Homes located near the Hospitality House. The new catagory, slated to debut this fall, will allow Members to secure this high demand location based on availablility at the time of reservation. Before these new catagories are offered for new reservations, existing reservations that unclude requests to be near the Hospitality House will be converted to these new catagories.(Based on availability and in order of booking date) Currently, there are no plans to charge additional Vacation points for these accomodations.

 

[Sammie]

Currently, there are no plans to charge additional Vacation points for these accomodations.

And how long before that changes.

I figure they will offer it, hook everyone into really liking the idea, then wham, up go the points. Just like bunkbed charges, and theme park charges at Disney resorts.

 

[Granny]

And how long before that changes.

I figure they will offer it, hook everyone into really liking the idea, then wham, up go the points. Just like bunkbed charges, and theme park charges at Disney resorts.

And you know that they can't raise the points without lowering them somewhere else at the same resort. I think there is very little chance that they would mess with the point schedule...just making the booking distinction should address most member needs (like they did with BWV Preferred Pool/Garden vs Boardwalk View).

I hope they do go to this at SSR and all the DVC resorts. It puts more of a benefit to owning a resort, which is the way it should be. And hopefully it will somewhat reduce the check-in whining.

 

[CarolAnnC]

Sounds fine to me. Hospitality House area is actually not my fav at OKW, so if they lower the points for other areas, I would be fine with that!

 

[bobbiwoz]

So, I guess that HH would include the elevator buildings. We don't own at OKW, and if we stay there we really want a 1 bedroom, but having the 1st floor or an elevator building will be fine with us. Don't know much else about different areas.

Bobbi

 

[Sammie]

So, I guess that HH would include the elevator buildings. We don't own at OKW, and if we stay there we really want a 1 bedroom, but having the 1st floor or an elevator building will be fine with us. Don't know much else about different areas.

Bobbi

It will be interesting to see which buildings qualify; for I can guarantee there will be a more desired and less desired within the classification.

 

[kimberh]

I was very happy to see that there is daily mousekeeping with Concierge stays at ALV's listed in Vacation Magic.

 

[CarnotaurDad]

Interesting. Personally, at OKW, I like being AWAY from Hospitality House, but I can understand why others might like it.

SSR should definitely do something similar for the "DTD" view.

 

[3DisneyKids]

This is very interesting, indeed. And I agree...SSR guaranteed bookings can't be too far behind. After all, it is larger and it seems (to me, anyway) that the sections of SSR are really quite different...whereas at OKW, it is just proximity to HH--otherwise, all areas are very similar other than view.

 

[disneymom8589]

I'm still waiting for my Vacation Magic to come. How long ago did you receive yours?

 

[kimberh]

I'm still waiting for my Vacation Magic to come. How long ago did you receive yours?

Mine came today.

 

[castleri]

Another who does not care for HH area. Much prefer South Point bldgs 55 and 56. Wish they could do those areas also at time of booking.

 

[CheapMom]

Wow! It is exactly what SSR owners have been asking for- almost word for word. Weird how that happened at OKW. Let's hope things go smoothly at OKW and they give SSR owners 1st shot at high demand locations too, via the 11 month window.

 

[Robo-Daddy 3000]

So, I guess that HH would include the elevator buildings. We don't own at OKW, and if we stay there we really want a 1 bedroom, but having the 1st floor or an elevator building will be fine with us. Don't know much else about different areas.

Bobbi

Just got back from our first visit to OKW last week and stayed in bldg 64 near HH. If we stay there in the future, I think I would only book near the HH. Unless we had a car, which we didn't have. We requested a 1st floor 1br or one of the elevator buildings and we got a 1st floor in an elevator building so I can't complain. We enjoyed being close enough to the main pool to walk over there in a just a few minutes time.
And finally discovered on the our last day there that it was quicker to get off at the Peninsular Rd exit and walk back to our building than sit on the bus while it made stops thru the resort and then finally get dropped off at HH.

 

[chalee94]

Sounds fine to me. Hospitality House area is actually not my fav at OKW, so if they lower the points for other areas, I would be fine with that!

me too!

 

[bobbiwoz]

Just got back from our first visit to OKW last week and stayed in bldg 64 near HH. If we stay there in the future, I think I would only book near the HH. Unless we had a car, which we didn't have. We requested a 1st floor 1br or one of the elevator buildings and we got a 1st floor in an elevator building so I can't complain. We enjoyed being close enough to the main pool to walk over there in a just a few minutes time.
And finally discovered on the our last day there that it was quicker to get off at the Peninsular Rd exit and walk back to our building than sit on the bus while it made stops thru the resort and then finally get dropped off at HH.

It's a coincidence that the one time we had a 1 bedroom at OKW and asked for "first floor or an elevator building, we also had a 1 bedroom on the first floor of an elevator building!" It was wonderful!!!!

Bpbbo

 

[Amy5000]

Check out page 28!! SSR can't be far behind!!

Call me cynical...but I wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't happen for SSR very quickly.

The speculation has been that DVC is extending the OKW contracts so they can start selling OKW again. I think that this move to create separate booking categories for OKW is to increase the value of an OKW membership. ("You can get the more a desireable unit if you own at OKW" will be part of the sales pitch).

I think this move was for the benefit of the DVC sales machine and not DVC members. (Though members will benefit from this...it wasn't done with them in mind).

On a positive note, I bet that OKW will see an improvement in mousekeeping and renovations once it is being actively sold again.

Just my 2 cents...

Amy

 

[tjkraz]

Call me cynical...but I wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't happen for SSR very quickly.

The speculation has been that DVC is extending the OKW contracts so they can start selling OKW again. I think that this move to create separate booking categories for OKW is to increase the value of an OKW membership. ("You can get the more a desireable unit if you own at OKW" will be part of the sales pitch).

I think this move was for the benefit of the DVC sales machine and not DVC members. (Though members will benefit from this...it wasn't done with them in mind).

The "Preferred BoardWalk View" and "Preferred Garden / Pool View" categories were created at BWV well after the resort opened and sales had ended. The resort opened in 1996 and sold until '99 or 2000, yet the separate booking categories were not created until 2002.

It's a move that costs DVC almost nothing, yet most members would consider it a huge benefit. Most of the work is just in the initial setup--putting rooms into classes, adding the categories to the reservation system and converting existing reservations.

After that it's simply a matter of having the member choose a certain category at the time of booking. There may be a little more waitlist activity (if people take one category and wait for another), but since the waitlist is not entirely automated, that's of little concern.

 

[Michael623]

If it will cost me fewer points and allow me to stay longer I will stay at the furthest away room in the whole resort. In fact I think I might have the last time I stayed at OKW. I always rent a car so location really means nothing to me.