NO MORE free valet parking for DVC members.

[SCFIREMAN]

I'm curious - Did anyone receive an email response to their email complaint regarding the lack of notification regarding the revoking of the perk or your complaint in general?

I got an email response back...but it was only to tell me that they wouldn't respond to me because I didn't have all my membership info in my email. At this point, I don't even know if I want to bother sending it again...

Yes I got a reply and this is what they sent:

"Hello Josh,

As part of the normal course of doing business, we regularly evaluate
and adjust our pricing. As a result, effective Sunday, October 11,
2009, complimentary valet parking for Disney Vacation Club Members at
the Walt Disney World Resort has been discontinued. The valet parking
charge is $12.00 per day, however complimentary self-parking is always
available. Similar to other fee-based services, such as additional
housekeeping service or additional room amenities, only those Members
who choose to valet park will be charged instead of increasing the
annual dues for all Members.

Thank you again for contacting us.

Sincerely,

Buffy"

The only result they got from this was making me even more annoyed at them since they sent me a scripted reply instead of answering my questions directly. But I guess they took away replying to your emails with real responses unless you pay for it as well. I guess I just sit back and see what they say to my reply to the email they sent me.

 

[bumbershoot]

That's the second time I've seen that "blurb" message being sent to someone after they emailed through the site. It was in a thread about Disney IT.

Sounds like their website is just ridiculous...no surprise to many!

I'd just write back, including that info. It seems their form doesn't include any of that information, and the bot who is responding or the harried rep who is responding isn't *thinking* that this complaint isn't something that NEEDS member info.

It's like with photopass...I sent in an email from my account, with my info all in it...and they responded back that they needed all my info. I made myself happy by quoting myself and referring to where I'd put the info in the initial email, and we continued our email contacts from there.

 

[DebbieB]

And Boardwalk and Beachclub have the additional issue - three hours is plenty to get to Illuminations. So the three hour parking pass isn't useful. MK resorts can have the same issues with Spectromagic.

I'd validate at all park attached WDW resorts (Monorail resorts, BW and Y&BC - but probably not WL or AKL). You either show a current hotel room key when you leave, a receipt from a Boardwalk restaurant or shop for a minimum of $XX dollars, or you pay a $20 parking fee. I'd make it over the cost to park at the parks. That still enables people who are spending at the hotel restaurants and shops, keeps parking free for the hotel guests, but addresses the abusers who are "free parking" for Epcot. It does require staffing a booth, but you'd only really need to staff it for half a dozen hours a day - if that. Fireworks letting out time is the prime time to catch the abusers.

They'll never do that because it will discourage business from the boardwalk. People may just want to browse or see the acts on the boardwalk.

I think the answer is dedicated parking spots for hotel guests. They probably have some statistics on the percentage of hotel guests that take a parking permit.

 

[zimomiller]

Glad I review the Dis boards regularly.

We had some friend that were ready to pull the trigger on a DVC ownership at WDW.

I asked them if they were aware that the rules changed re free valet parking. They did not.

Based on that info they have decided not to buy. I think they made a good decision.

It's obvious that financial woes are are allowing Disney to justify another way to take away something of value while smiling and saying have a nice day.

Just a matter of what is next.

 

[Chuck S]

True. I just logged on and resent it with any additional information I may have "missed".

Wouldn't you rather have Member Satisfaction/Member Services replying only to members? Really, without your membership number, they'd have no real way of knowing if this complaint was coming from a member, or a renter, or some other person.

 

[Chuck S]

Glad I review the Dis boards regularly.

We had some friend that were ready to pull the trigger on a DVC ownership at WDW.

I asked them if they were aware that the rules changed re free valet parking. They did not.

Based on that info they have decided not to buy. I think they made a good decision.

It's obvious that financial woes are are allowing Disney to justify another way to take away something of value while smiling and saying have a nice day.

Just a matter of what is next.

Did you ask your friends how much additonal dues they'd be willing to pay to retain the perk?

Again, I haven't seen a poster in this thread say "Yeah, I want my dues raised to pay for it!"

 

[ddave]

I'm curious - Did anyone receive an email response to their email complaint regarding the lack of notification regarding the revoking of the perk or your complaint in general?

I got an email response back...but it was only to tell me that they wouldn't respond to me because I didn't have all my membership info in my email. At this point, I don't even know if I want to bother sending it again...

You have to post from the DVC website. That will automatically give them your membership info.

Here is what i got back: Needless to say, I replied back and ripped em a new one.
Thank you for contacting Member Services.

As part of the normal course of doing business, we regularly evaluate and adjust our pricing. As a result, effective Sunday, October 11, 2009, complimentary valet parking for Disney Vacation Club Members at the Walt Disney World Resort has been discontinued. The valet parking charge is $12.00 per day, however complimentary self-parking is always available. Similar to other fee-based services, such as additional housekeeping service or additional room amenities, only those Members who choose to valet park will be charged instead of increasing the annual dues for all Members.

Thank you again for contacting us.



Sincerely,

Vilma

Member Services
Disney Vacation Club

 

[colonialtinker]

I got the standard reply too!

Thank you for contacting Member Services.

As part of the normal course of doing business, we regularly evaluate
and adjust our pricing. As a result, effective Sunday, October 11,
2009, complimentary valet parking for Disney Vacation Club Members at
the Walt Disney World Resort has been discontinued. The valet parking
charge is $12.00 per day, however complimentary self-parking is always
available. Similar to other fee-based services, such as additional
housekeeping service or additional room amenities, only those Members
who choose to valet park will be charged instead of increasing the
annual dues for all Members.

Thank you again for contacting us.

Needless to say I'll be writing a reply to them from this email, as they didn't adddress my parking concerns at BWV.

 

[Chuck S]

You have to post from the DVC website. That will automatically give them your membership info.

Here is what i got back: Needless to say, I replied back and ripped em a new one.

Yep, that will certainly make them inclined to reverse the decision.

 

[crisi]

They'll never do that because it will discourage business from the boardwalk. People may just want to browse or see the acts on the boardwalk.

I think the answer is dedicated parking spots for hotel guests. They probably have some statistics on the percentage of hotel guests that take a parking permit.

But Disney isn't interested in browsers that don't spend. If you validate on spend, you've made money on the spend - if people don't spend and need to pay for parking, you've made money. Win win for Disney. It might cut down on foot traffic and impulse purchases, but I suspect the parking fee would more than make up for the people coming who don't intend to spend anything at all, and spend less than the validate amount.

 

[TLSnell1981]

The only result they got from this was making me even more annoyed at them since they sent me a scripted reply instead of answering my questions directly. But I guess they took away replying to your emails with real responses unless you pay for it as well. I guess I just sit back and see what they say to my reply to the email they sent me.

Well, I received a scripted phone call. "We're really glad you let us know of the problem....we need to make sure our communication is better...blah, blah" At least, she didn't use " done to enhance your membership."

I was left with the impression Disney really doesn't care what we think.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Did you ask your friends how much additonal dues they'd be willing to pay to retain the perk?

Again, I haven't seen a poster in this thread say "Yeah, I want my dues raised to pay for it!"

Exactly! We have never and probably will never use Valet parking anyway. I have always felt like I was subsidizing those who required valet when I continued to self park. I'll bet if you asked, you'd find that no more than half the DVC members used "free valet" anway. I certainly can't imagine cancelling a purchase of DVC over it! There are FAR more advantages to DVC without any perks than to no DVC. It seems a bit like cutting off your nose to spite your face.

 

[CarolAnnC]

If someone cancelled their DVC purchase because of the change in paying a fee to valet park, then they probably would not have been happy with their membership had they purchased.

Any such "perks" are never guaranteed and subject to change at any time. They are nice while they last, but nobody should expect them with their DVC purchase...

 

[vicki_c]

If you e-mail through the link on the site, you don't have to provide all that (or most of it) - that's what the notice says. I've only contacted them through the website link and never had any issue/questions, but the form there does have your membership # in it.

The OP didn't say that they e-mailed through the "contact us" link - I assumed they did not. But they may have ...

 

[dianeschlicht]

If you e-mail through the link on the site, you don't have to provide all that (or most of it) - that's what the notice says. I've only contacted them through the website link and never had any issue/questions, but the form there does have your membership # in it.

The OP didn't say that they e-mailed through the "contact us" link - I assumed they did not. But they may have ...

WRONG! I did email through the site after signing into my account, and I got that same stupid email. I do agree it is necessary for them to know they are being contacted by a member, but shouldn't they be able to see that when I send it from the member site? I too was complaining about the IT problems with the website....it certainly made my point clear to me....probably not to them though.

 

[TLSnell1981]

I don't use ME. Am I paying for the service? I have a feeling we are entering the "a la carte" world of Disney.

 

[Chuck S]

Well, here is another change that has nothing to do with DVC.

A week of so ago I called to make dining ADRs for my January trip. I specifically booked LTT for lunch, and asked if it was goingt o character meals foir lunch because of the Crystal Palace rehab. I was told, no, standard lunch menu, no characters. So I read on the Restaurant Board that they were going to character breakfast, lunch and dinner during the rehab. I just called dinging, and confirmed this is true. I asked why they were calling people that already had existing reservations to inform them of this change...no answer. I cancelled the reservation.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Did you ask your friends how much additonal dues they'd be willing to pay to retain the perk?

Again, I haven't seen a poster in this thread say "Yeah, I want my dues raised to pay for it!"

Shall I be the first? I haven't specifically said it on the boards but I also didn't think this has been a free service anyway. It's been difficult to tell if we have been paying since it was outsourced or not but it does seem that we did as part of overall CAM prior to the change.

I say this b/c I probably do pay for ME in CAM just as I pay for the pool, workout rooms, housekeeping (that is included) etc. It seems fair to have a large variety of services that are covered and IMO that helps even out different member's value received. Free valet may not be a common service provided in most timeshares but I'm under the impression that there are lots that don't provide any housekeeping service either. Just room cleaning between guests? And certainly ME is not typical to timeshares. So is not typical necessarily a good argument for not having it?

Now I am assuming that DVC would be able to negotiate some sort of guaranteed volume rate etc. and they ought to have a pretty good idea of how many DVC members use the service to determine an amount. If they couldn't do any better than to pay $12/room/day then no, I wouldn't want it in the dues but I'd venture that they didn't even try on our behalf if that's all the better of a deal they could get.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

WRONG! I did email through the site after signing into my account, and I got that same stupid email. I do agree it is necessary for them to know they are being contacted by a member, but shouldn't they be able to see that when I send it from the member site? I too was complaining about the IT problems with the website....it certainly made my point clear to me....probably not to them though.

How perfect!

I've only emailed thru the website and haven't gotten the message back thankfully. That would be very annoying. There isn't any place to put it in nor do they tell you to include it.

 

[ddave]

Did you ask your friends how much additonal dues they'd be willing to pay to retain the perk?

Again, I haven't seen a poster in this thread say "Yeah, I want my dues raised to pay for it!"

Thats not the correct question! The question we should all be asking is "how much are my dues going down by taking this perk away".

And that is the question we should he asking every time they take a perk away. I know perks are not guaranteed, but with every loss, it devalues DVCs attraction, worth and reputation.

If they are outsourcing things, those things should be cheaper and/or better quality. DVC members aren't getting either in this case. DVC gets zip/zero. >again<