NO MORE free valet parking for DVC members.

[Doctor P]

Hate to be an "I told you so" but I predicted that soon after BLT opened the valet parking perk would be history. LOL, and this Xmas we are finally spending a full vacation at one of the DVC resorts that has valet parking.

 

[zalansky]

I sent my email to DVC member satisfaction just now.

As for those who are not bothered by the removal of this perk because its not a perk that they use, well i'd like to see your reaction when they remove a perk you do use. For instance, I am a Fl resident so I don't need the DVC annual passholder discount...but if they removed it I would be upset for those who do use it. I guess I just don't get that mentality.

 

[Dean]

If the cost for valet service was going up, why didn't DVC just change from "free" valet to a discount on valet? Why eliminate the valet perk completely?

Why go from free to $12 a day? Why not give us a reduced rate as a perk, say $5 a day for valet? Why eliminate the perk completely?

We obviously don't have access to the contracts and numbers to truly make rational decisions in this situation other than on impressions, philosophy and personal impact. I'm sure they discussed various options and made the decision that it was best to make everyone the same. I would bet that contractually it would have been much harder to have different fees for different people and that free was actually much easier than a discounted rate. Of course one could argue to make everyone the same but at a lower rate and I'm sure that is not possible without lowering the rate at all Disney resorts. I'm sure one option was to keep the perk in place and raise the rate to more like $15 per day.

One interesting thought would be to have pay valet and move all self parking to a less convenient option such as across the street at BWV. Another would be to charge for self parking but at a lower rate than valet, say $5 per day. Another would be to do away with free park parking if staying on property but I'm guessing that's not likely since they want you in the parks.

 

[LIFERBABE]

Just found this out the hard way!!!!! Checked in BLT yesterday no mention of the loss of valet. Today we used valet for dinner and they made us pay after dinner! No notice to guests at all!

 

[Ciciwoowoo]

I just sent in an email expressing my family's dissastisfaction with this new policy and how it was implemented in such secrecy.

Our home resort is BWV. As others here have stated, it really is a nightmare to park there. The valet parking is not just a perk, its a neccesity! Far too many people stay at the World enjoy using the Boardwalk parking lot and walking to use the less crowded International entrance. Those parking spots are all taken up, and those of us who have no where else to park HAVE to use valet.

I mentioned this in my email, and stated that the loss of free valet would mandate the requirement of additional security at the BW parking lot, to ensure the patrons of this hotel were the ones who were using the parking spaces.

I also wrote to let them know how unhappy we were not to be notified of these changes. It is not very costly to update a website or send out an email. Why haven't they done this?

 

[mgilmer]

Personally for me the issue isn't valet parking. The issue is the overall "trend" of cut backs, cut backs, cut backs that I see occuring at the world. The valet parking is just one more issue.
Cuts in Fantasmic
Cuts in "live" performers (ex pre show entertainment like 4 for a dollar)
cuts in menu offering.

Any one of these things I could probably shrug my shoulders but start adding them up and my overall experience is starting to feel more like a "amusement park " and less like "a magical disneyworld" ***sighs***

I agree

 

[WDWorld2003]

I just read about this - my husband's favorite perk when we rented a car. I'm sure the valet staff will be cut way back - saves on wages and benefits. I feel sorry for them and for the loss of this perk.

I'm still not over the change in the banking deadlines. I'm going to transfer a quarter of our points to another member as we still don't know if we will be going in January and I don't want to risk losing them. We'll either borrow the points or go somewhere else if we decide on a vacation.

I also agree with Eliza61 and really noticed the cutbacks during our last trip in January. I think the economy has taken its' toll on WDW and they're doing cutbacks just like everyone else to stay afloat.

I hope if the economy turns around we will see things become better and they don't follow in the airlines footsteps of charging for luggage because of the extra fuel and then instead of eliminating the charge when fuel costs went down they raised it if you don't pay for it online - isn't that a kicker!

 

[twinklebug]

The removal of valet from the DVC perks isn't a loss from my point of view. I never used valet & only had a car when staying off site. It was, however, a bad approach for them to suddenly remove it without warning.

This is yet another sign that DVC needs "a slap upside the head" as grandma would have said, to sort out their priorities & timing. Other examples just within the past year would be the annual membership information books in JUNE! We should have had that info no later than Jan 1st. (I suspect this coming year will be just as bad as it's probably the same project manager on that) and the point reconfigurations were a shock to many. Again, more advance notice could have helped. I've only been a member for a year now, I can't imagine all the other stuff they've put you folk through.

OK, a Question... Do we really need those welcome home Wednesdays? UGH. I have never been to one, nor do I ever intend to go. And the videos they keep producing with Dee V Cee are just nasty. They're not meant to entice new buyers -- they're for existing owners! Are we really that cheesy of a bunch? I consider them insulting to our intelligence as a group. I have a pretty good idea of how much it takes to produce just a basic video like what they been creating and it's not cheap, I don't care if you're Disney and own tons of video production equipment and have staff on hand. Like any business, every use of equipment and labor has to be billed to someone. I'm sorry if the lady who plays Dee V is a nice one (I'm sure she is) but let her go - it's time to free up the resources and allocate them in a way that would make a difference to the owners.

 

[WDWorld2003]

I forgot about the change in points required for stays. That one hurt too!

Absolutely agree on the Welcome Home Wednesdays - went to one and I'll never go again. I've never even opened an email with Dee V Cee which in my opinion really cheapens DVC - you'd never see Hilton or Marriott do that.

 

[nuttylawprofessor]

We had member perks in DL as far back as 2005 when we were there because we got Portable Perks from the GC desk. I wasn't there before that, so I can't say further back or not. I don't really see the sleeper chair as a perk, but as a negative - crowding rooms that shouldn't be crowded with extra guests.

One of the earlier DL perks? FREE tickets. We used to get park tickets when using points to stay at Disneyland Hotel.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

If the cost for valet service was going up, why didn't DVC just change from "free" valet to a discount on valet? Why eliminate the valet perk completely?

Why go from free to $12 a day? Why not give us a reduced rate as a perk, say $5 a day for valet? Why eliminate the perk completely?

I have thought the same thing. Resort guests saw an increase of $2.00. DVC - $12.00.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) OK, stupid question time.
2) Why didn't people complain when the outsourcing started?
3) Instead of complaining only when it affected them?
4) Several WDW employees were "transferred" and WDW jobs eliminated.
5) Guests/Members had to think there were going to be changes coming.
6) I am sure if we voted to raise dues, we could get free valet parking back.
7) We bought in 1992, and have seen a lot of perks come-and-go.

NOTE: By the way, we all bought a timeshare, that's all. We did not buy a discount program. So adding/changing/eliminating perks should not be a biggie.

 

[skyshelder]

1) OK, stupid question time.
2) Why didn't people complain when the outsourcing started?
3) Instead of complaining only when it affected them?
4) Several WDW employees were "transferred" and WDW jobs eliminated.
5) Guests/Members had to think there were going to be changes coming.
6) I am sure if we voted to raise dues, we could get free valet parking back.

NOTE: By the way, we all bought a timeshare, that's all. We did not buy a discount program. So adding/changing/eliminating perks should not be a biggie.

Haha touche

 

[Chuck S]

What do you think it costs to provide valet services at a resort? I doubt it is inexpensive, figuring payroll (even the state minimum for tipped positons), payroll taxes, health insurance, workmen's comp, car damage liability, accounting, office lease, reasonable profit for the contractor...I'll bet were looking at $250K per resort per year minimum, if you figure 2 runners and a desk person for 1 busy shift, and 1 runner and 1 desk person for 2 slower shifts per day. That's about 65 to 70 paid cars per day, every day, per resort, to break even.

 

[Longhairbear]

If I could not find a parking space at BWV, or BCV, and was forced to use valet parking, I certainly would go right to the front desk. I would explain that I could not get a parking space in self parking, and would like to be reimbursed for having to pay for valet.

 

[rsimon]

I'm planning to buy a TIW card on Wednesday-I'm going to check then on free valet parking.

We used our TIW card last night to get free valet at AKV while eating at Jiko. So, for the time being, it hasn't been changed.

 

[n2mm]

We used our TIW card last night to get free valet at AKV while eating at Jiko. So, for the time being, it hasn't been changed.

Thanks, I hope that at least stays.

 

[nunzia]

Outsourcing doesn't always result in cheaper expense. In fact, from my experience in the corporate world, it's often the opposite. The difference is that the expense of using Disney CMs as opposed to outsourced contractors is where the expense falls on the profit & loss statement. Often times the powers that be will bring down an edict that they must reduce payroll. So what do they do, fire people and hire contractors because contractor expense falls in a different expense line item. Payroll is reduced but the cost of contractors is higher than the employees ever were. But the powers that be are happy because payroll expense is down

Now there's some smart thinking (I say this with great sarcasm because it sounds like something the MGM Grand would pull when I was there)

 

[OKW Lover]

As a "bean counter" I can tell you that the change in the policy about valet parking has nothing to do with the outsourcing of the jobs. If anything, outsourcing was done to reduce costs so that would have made it less expensive to give us that perk. It makes no sense to try to blame this change on outsourcing.

 

[eliza61]

1) OK, stupid question time.
2) Why didn't people complain when the outsourcing started?
3) Instead of complaining only when it affected them?
4) Several WDW employees were "transferred" and WDW jobs eliminated.
5) Guests/Members had to think there were going to be changes coming.
6) I am sure if we voted to raise dues, we could get free valet parking back.
7) We bought in 1992, and have seen a lot of perks come-and-go.

NOTE: By the way, we all bought a timeshare, that's all. We did not buy a discount program. So adding/changing/eliminating perks should not be a biggie.

Not stupid at all.

2) I did complain or let's say I wrote a letter voicing my displeasure. I write each and every time I lose a perk. Why? I don't like losing perks.
5) Sure I know changes come. The issue with me is the over all trend seems to be lose more, lose more lose more.
6) Dues are going to be raised regardless so it makes the insult even bigger. If you're going to raise my rates at least gimme some thing for it.
And if as you say, jobs have been eliminated, services are going down and perks are being discontinued. What the sam hill are you raising my dues for?

Note: Yes we did by a timeshare but we purchased a timeshare with a certain amount of intrinsic value associated with it. When that "intrinsic" value starts to decline where the product (timeshare) is no longer worth what I orginally thought it was worth better believe I'm complaining.