NO MORE free valet parking for DVC members.

[Grumpygrandpa]

I feel like this my fault. I was very unhappy that GVC was not going to have free valet parking and I contacted MS and complained that it wasn't fair that CA be treated differently than FL. So I guess this is how they decided to make it "fair".

 

[ADP]

I feel like this my fault. I was very unhappy that GVC was not going to have free valet parking and I contacted MS and complained that it wasn't fair that CA be treated differently than FL. So I guess this is how they decided to make it "fair".

I knew removing free valet parking from the list of DVC perks had something to do with guest demand.

FWIW - I doubt you had anything to do with it.

 

[twinklebug]

why every time this comes up do we get someone say yeah but you have to pay full rack rate to get free dining, they are advertising for next year 42% OFF AND FREE DINING, and if this year was anything to go by possible free upgrades to dvc 1 bedrooms now back in the day went i went to school 42% was just shy of half. please if you are going to put this in your post make sure you do know the facts.

Wow - I'm interested in this for my sister and can't find it - can you link to where you saw it? Hey, I might consider it for myself too. I love my DVC, but if the deal is good enough, I have no problem banking my points and paying cash. It just means it'll be that much longer before I need an add-on.

 

[toocherie]

I feel like this my fault. I was very unhappy that GVC was not going to have free valet parking and I contacted MS and complained that it wasn't fair that CA be treated differently than FL. So I guess this is how they decided to make it "fair".

I believe this was in the works long before your call to MS--Grand Cal not having valet parking free was just the opening salvo.

My issue is if there was a cost associated with the perk prior to yesterday (which I know there was) how is it that we went from having to pay $0 to $12 a day? Let's say the "cost" to valet park previously was $10--shouldn't we have been given the option to pay the difference and keep "most of" the perk?

 

[Deb & Bill]

I feel like this my fault. I was very unhappy that GVC was not going to have free valet parking and I contacted MS and complained that it wasn't fair that CA be treated differently than FL. So I guess this is how they decided to make it "fair".

Aha! Kill the Beast!!! (just kidding, it wasn't you, just how DVC works).

 

[going/again]

Wow - I'm interested in this for my sister and can't find it - can you link to where you saw it? Hey, I might consider it for myself too. I love my DVC, but if the deal is good enough, I have no problem banking my points and paying cash. It just means it'll be that much longer before I need an add-on.

uk disney travel co

 

[Chuck S]

why every time this comes up do we get someone say yeah but you have to pay full rack rate to get free dining, they are advertising for next year 42% OFF AND FREE DINING, and if this year was anything to go by possible free upgrades to dvc 1 bedrooms now back in the day went i went to school 42% was just shy of half. please if you are going to put this in your post make sure you do know the facts.

Really? Because according the US WDW site, the specials are...

1) Buy a non-discounted 4 night package, get 3 free, NOT including dining.

2) 29% discount at Value resorts

3) 40% off club level cash rates.

Using the buy 4 get 3 special, in an OKW studio, the cash price is $1809.04 plus tax for Jan 3 to Jan 10. Includes 7 day base ticket, no dining.

Points: 77 points @ $10 = $770
base ticket $ for two adults = $468
Total $1238.

1238/1809 = 68.4% or a savings of 31.6% over the "special"

Now, given that most members actual cost is closer to $6 per point, $462 + $468 ticket = $930.

That amounts to a 48.6% savings over the buy 4 get 3 special. I'll stick with points, thanks.

UK specials are not valid in the US. UK has traditionally gotten better deals, they travel farther, and often stay several weeks at a time...pretty much an irrelevant comparison for US residents.

 

[Chuck S]

I believe this was in the works long before your call to MS--Grand Cal not having valet parking free was just the opening salvo.

My issue is if there was a cost associated with the perk prior to yesterday (which I know there was) how is it that we went from having to pay $0 to $12 a day? Let's say the "cost" to valet park previously was $10--shouldn't we have been given the option to pay the difference and keep "most of" the perk?

Why? It isn't Disney or DVC that was offering the perk for the last several years, it was the valet contractor. The contractor may have been obligated to honor the free parking when they took over the valet service until the contract was up for renewal, just as when one company buys another they have to honor existing contracts until they expire. But now that the contract has renewed, it is at the sole discretion of the independent valet operator to offer the perk, or not. They chose not. No doubt Disney had the the options of either 1) not offering valet services at all, 2)renewing the contract on terms agreeable to both parties, the contractor & Disney (which evidently did not include free parking), or 3) merging the valet payroll and employee benefits back into the WDW employee system. They chose to renew the contract on the terms wanted by the contractor. Simple as that...they did not want to boost Disney payroll and offer a perk that they knew would cost them operating revenue.

The contractor is free to negotiate a discount or free parking for DVC, or not. What benefit was there to the contractor to offer free parking to DVCers?

No one yet has said they'd be in favor of dues subsidizing the contractor for free parking.

 

[photobob]

Why? It isn't Disney or DVC that was offering the perk for the last several years, it was the valet contractor. The contractor may have been obligated to honor the free parking when they took over the valet service until the contract was up for renewal, just as when one company buys another they have to honor existing contracts until they expire. But now that the contract has renewed, it is at the sole discretion of the independent valet operator to offer the perk, or not. They chose not. No doubt Disney had the the options of either 1) not offering valet services at all, 2)renewing the contract on terms agreeable to both parties, the contractor & Disney (which evidently did not include free parking), or 3) merging the valet payroll and employee benefits back into the WDW employee system. They chose to renew the contract on the terms wanted by the contractor. Simple as that...they did not want to boost Disney payroll and offer a perk that they knew would cost them operating revenue.

The contractor is free to negotiate a discount or free parking for DVC, or not. What benefit was there to the contractor to off free parking to DVCers?

No one yet has said they'd be in favor of dues subsidizing the contractor for free parking.

Chuck, thanks so much for posting this. While I don't like losing a perk, this post does help my understanding of the reason for it.

Bob

 

[going/again]

UK specials are not valid in the US. UK has traditionally gotten better deals, they travel farther, and often stay several weeks at a time...pretty much an irrelevant comparison for US residents.

I was pointing out that you dont have to pay full rack rate to get free dining,

nothing you wrote disproves that.

 

[d1gitman]

...
Points: 77 points @ $10 = $770
base ticket $ for two adults = $468
Total $1238.

1238/1809 = 68.4% or a savings of 31.6% over the "special"

Now, given that most members actual cost is closer to $6 per point, $462 + $468 ticket = $930.

That amounts to a 48.6% savings over the buy 4 get 3 special. I'll stick with points, thanks.

UK specials are not valid in the US. UK has traditionally gotten better deals, they travel farther, and often stay several weeks at a time...pretty much an irrelevant comparison for US residents.

what about the annual dues? that's a real cost, but i don't see that factored into the above analysis.

 

[Chuck S]

I was pointing out that you dont have to pay full rack rate to get free dining,

nothing you wrote disproves that.

Except that it's not valid in the US. Only to foreign visitors

But we can compare that rate, too.

For 2 adults:

A week in an OKW studio...

$2323 less 42% = 1347.34 plus tax (January 3 to 10)

Points, 77 @ $6 = 462
Dining for 7 nights = $82 per night = $588

Total $1050. a savings of: 22% with points over a really good UK special.

 

[childsplay]

Why can't we see how much of our dues goes to "subsidize" things like valet, it must be a line item expense on a balance sheet somewhere?
I have used valet a grand total of one time in 9 years, but I know others really like it.

 

[Chuck S]

what about the annual dues? that's a real cost, but i don't see that factored into the above analysis.

Ahhh..but it is included.

Dues are roughtly $5, more or less.

Initial buy in at $100 is about $2 per point per year, much less if purchased at OKW in 1992. So that $6 per point total more than covers the initial investment and annual dues for me as an OKW purchaser in 1992. Even newer purchasers should be able to figure roughly $7 per point total actual cost for a stay in 2010, unless dues skyrocket.

 

[going/again]

what about the annual dues? that's a real cost, but i don't see that factored into the above analysis.

this is what happens they quote this and that but never give the real facts and costs in their argument, and keep shoving figures at you till you are supposed to believe them. no matter what anyone says with all the constant discounting disney is doing dvc is not the bargain it was. do i like it, no

and for what its worth americans can book via the uk, you just have to know how

 

[Deb & Bill]

Why can't we see how much of our dues goes to "subsidize" things like valet, it must be a line item expense on a balance sheet somewhere?
I have used valet a grand total of one time in 9 years, but I know others really like it.

I was looking at a few of the old annual meeting reports that have the budget for the next year listed. There is a line item for Transportation in the budget, but it says just Cost for WDW transportation provided to the resort. Or it could be under the Property Management Subcontract which is provision of hospitality service to the Condominium including expenses for housekeeping, maintenance and front desk oeprations (there are other housekeeping, maintenance and front desk operations line items as well) which may be shared between the condominium and the adjactent property.

 

[hakepb]

BWV should charge $14 for parking, but make it free for hotel and DVC guests (people visiting the Boardwalk could get validated parking once they spend $20 bucks). That would make sure nobody was parking there and going to the parks. They could do the same thing at DTD.

that may or may not work. I'm not sure if the vendors would want less foot traffic. Charging would also "legalize" anyone who would prefer to park at BWV for an EPCOT day (instead of paying the same amount at the larger, farther from World Showcase, EPCOT), but is currently obeying the rules.

In my small city, downtown establishments complained enough that paid parking (Even with validation - people hate the idea of paid parking if they are not used to it) was hurting their business that free lots were eventually made available

 

[Deb & Bill]

that may or may not work. I'm not sure if the vendors would want less foot traffic. Charging would also "legalize" anyone who would prefer to park at BWV for an EPCOT day (instead of paying the same amount at the larger, farther from World Showcase, EPCOT), but is currently obeying the rules.

If they made valet more expensive or at least the same as theme park parking, that might resolve some of those problems.

 

[melissac]

They could have given us a little warning here. We are going to have a care for our vacation in 5 days and where so hoping for the valet parking. This really stinks.

 

[Chuck S]

Why can't we see how much of our dues goes to "subsidize" things like valet, it must be a line item expense on a balance sheet somewhere?
I have used valet a grand total of one time in 9 years, but I know others really like it.

If the valet contractor is independent, then actually none of the dues should be used to subsidize them, right? They should be making $ from the usage fees. But, since the contract included so much free parking, until recently, I would bet that some employee costs has been included until now as park of common area expense. Now, assuming that common area item is dropped, you can't really base it on previous years, as it was shared with Disney resorts...now it would have to be fully funded by DVC in whatever agreement they may reach with the contractor to offer free parking, if they wanted to do so. Or DVC could fund their own valets, if they wished, but again, it wouldn't be cheap when you add insurance, workmens comp, taxes and benefits for 9 or 10 people per resort. And DVC would need to reach an agreement with Disney Resorts to even offer it...plus would likely require the negotiation of a DVC Valet parking area separate from the indepenent contractor's valet area. I don't see DVC going to their own valets.