NO MORE free valet parking for DVC members.

[jade1]

Did the valet wages come out of everybody's dues? I think not. The owners at VWL, BWV & BCV paid them (a prorated share with the non-DVC side).

So that means prior to the outsourcing, the dues of the owners at VWL, BCV & BWV (and the associated Disney resorts) subsidized that perk for the entire DVC membership. (I'm not including AKV or BLT because they are so new and I think the valet contract was out sourced before the perk was extended to those two resorts).

I was in that group and was glad to pay it, and would have continued with no problem. I don't remember anybody complaining actually now that I think of it.

 

[disneynutz]

I've always wondered why free valet parking was made available to all DVC members no matter where you happened to be staying. In fact, you didn't even have to be staying on site to take advantage of the perk.

Did the valet wages come out of everybody's dues? I think not. The owners at VWL, BWV & BCV paid them (a prorated share with the non-DVC side).

So that means prior to the outsourcing, the dues of the owners at VWL, BCV & BWV (and the associated Disney resorts) subsidized that perk for the entire DVC membership. (I'm not including AKV or BLT because they are so new and I think the valet contract was out sourced before the perk was extended to those two resorts).

If the perk only applied to those actually staying at the resort that offered it, it would have made much more sense.

Count me among those who would not be happy to pay higher dues to continue the subsidy.

I agree they could have done a better job implementing the change.

How do you know that you would have to pay higher dues to continue the free Valet service?

Bill

 

[manning]

The voice of my father is saying to me right now.

"Nothing in life is free, It has to be paid for somehow by someone."

Free valet parking? no, not really.

 

[TChrist05]

Bottom line fellow DVC members.....DVC and Disney is real big business....and it is the bottom line they are worried about. Yes, many members are not happy about losing the valet...but they know that after a while we will all forget about it...until the next thing they take away and implement it poorly. Not much we can really do about it. Personally, we have been going down to the World 2 or 3 times a year the past ten years or so.....DW and I love doing the Disney cruise, so our vacations will be limited for the next year or so to cruising.....still love everything about Disney when it comes to the parks and nighttime entertainment...but just gonna take a little break.
Tom

 

[Dean]

Bottom line fellow DVC members.....DVC and Disney is real big business....and it is the bottom line they are worried about. Yes, many members are not happy about losing the valet...but they know that after a while we will all forget about it...until the next thing they take away and implement it poorly. Not much we can really do about it. Personally, we have been going down to the World 2 or 3 times a year the past ten years or so.....DW and I love doing the Disney cruise, so our vacations will be limited for the next year or so to cruising.....still love everything about Disney when it comes to the parks and nighttime entertainment...but just gonna take a little break.
Tom

This does not add to or take away from Disney's bottom line. Any costs would be transferred to the members by way of the dues.

 

[ReneeQ]

I have read this entire thread over the last few days (but not sure how much of it I can remember now). But I do have a few thoughts.

Here's what I don't understand.....It is $12 lousy dollars. Seriously, there isn't a lot you can buy in WDW for $12. Obviously at some locations (BW for one) $12 is a good value for what you are getting.

It's perfectly acceptable to drop tens of thousands of dollars on membership, hundreds of dollars on admission tickets, more hundreds on food, but people don't want to pay $12 for valet parking? It's twelve lousy dollars! Seriously--get over it! And if you can't get over it--move on!

As others have mentioned, it's not "$12 lousy dollars." For our upcoming 5 night trip, it's $60, $12 PER DAY. Some posters are acting like all of us have a CHOICE in whether or not to have a car. From my front door to BWV is 290 miles, so we don't fly. We'll ALWAYS have a car, and will always need a place to put it. I don't really understand valet pricing anyway. I would even glady pay the $12 to drop off my car on arrival, and again to have my car brought back to me on departure day, but WHY do I have to pay $12 per day for the three days in between when I don't even see my car, and no one has to touch it? We use the car to GET there only, once there, we enjoy the break from driving.

Also, BTW, we DON'T drop hundreds of dollars on tickets, we are still using our 10 day tickets from 5 years ago. We rarely go to the parks. And we haven't spent ANYTHING on food in years, we use our Disney Visa rewards, since my husbands runs his business expenses through his Disney Visa card.

On the subject of the cars being parked out front of BWV while checking in, we travel a good bit by car (to non-Disney places), and with very few exceptions, we always leave the car "out front" while checking in. We don't decide where to park until we see where our room is, where the side entrances are, etc. That might not really work well at BWV, but I can understand why people would do that.

Another thought is, people might be leaving their cars up front to check in to see if their room is ready, before deciding what to do with their luggage. I often go to Disney alone with my 4 year old nephew. If I was willing to handle my own bags, I would not be willing to park "across the street," walk with my nephew all the way to the entrance, check in, only to find out my room IS ready, then walk with him all the way BACK to my car, get my bags, walk all the way BACK to my room.

I COULD just park, take myself, my nephew and all our stuff to the front, check in, and hopefully the room is ready. But if it's not, then I have to go give my bags to bell services (whom I would be expected to tip, and I did all the work!).

Maybe it's just me, but I don't get the "appeal" of using bell services for my bags, if I have to park my own car. It felt "special" having the car and bags taken care of. It seems odd to me to drive up, have bell services take my bags, then go park my own car. Like if I can't get full service, why bother at all.

Last thing, many posters have said how so many of the DVC perks aren't included at other timeshares. Well, don't other timeshares have substantially lower dues than DVC? Anyway to get a comparision of dues between DVC, Hilton, Marriott, and what they cover?

Sorry so long!!!

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

I have read this entire thread over the last few days (but not sure how much of it I can remember now). But I do have a few thoughts.



As others have mentioned, it's not "$12 lousy dollars." For our upcoming 5 night trip, it's $60, $12 PER DAY. Some posters are acting like all of us have a CHOICE in whether or not to have a car. From my front door to BWV is 290 miles, so we don't fly. We'll ALWAYS have a car, and will always need a place to put it. I don't really understand valet pricing anyway. I would even glady pay the $12 to drop off my car on arrival, and again to have my car brought back to me on departure day, but WHY do I have to pay $12 per day for the three days in between when I don't even see my car, and no one has to touch it? We use the car to GET there only, once there, we enjoy the break from driving.

Also, BTW, we DON'T drop hundreds of dollars on tickets, we are still using our 10 day tickets from 5 years ago. We rarely go to the parks. And we haven't spent ANYTHING on food in years, we use our Disney Visa rewards, since my husbands runs his business expenses through his Disney Visa card.

On the subject of the cars being parked out front of BWV while checking in, we travel a good bit by car (to non-Disney places), and with very few exceptions, we always leave the car "out front" while checking in. We don't decide where to park until we see where our room is, where the side entrances are, etc. That might not really work well at BWV, but I can understand why people would do that.

Another thought is, people might be leaving their cars up front to check in to see if their room is ready, before deciding what to do with their luggage. I often go to Disney alone with my 4 year old nephew. If I was willing to handle my own bags, I would not be willing to park "across the street," walk with my nephew all the way to the entrance, check in, only to find out my room IS ready, then walk with him all the way BACK to my car, get my bags, walk all the way BACK to my room.

I COULD just park, take myself, my nephew and all our stuff to the front, check in, and hopefully the room is ready. But if it's not, then I have to go give my bags to bell services (whom I would be expected to tip, and I did all the work!).

Maybe it's just me, but I don't get the "appeal" of using bell services for my bags, if I have to park my own car. It felt "special" having the car and bags taken care of. It seems odd to me to drive up, have bell services take my bags, then go park my own car. Like if I can't get full service, why bother at all.

Last thing, many posters have said how so many of the DVC perks aren't included at other timeshares. Well, don't other timeshares have substantially lower dues than DVC? Anyway to get a comparision of dues between DVC, Hilton, Marriott, and what they cover?

Sorry so long!!!

 

[Sammie]

Does anyone else have a problem with the fact that the only thing that we as owners can do is speculate as to the reasoning this was done? We don't get answers, we just have to take an educated guess. It sure would be easier to handle if we got solid reasoning from DVC instead of vague, generic statements that we will no longer have a given perk. I'm not saying that there isn't solid reasoning behind it, we just aren't given the info which leads to the speculation which sometimes can grow wildly. There would be no reason for the speculation if we were kept in the know!

Well I got answers, so I am not guessing at anything. Dues never paid for valet parking. DVC, or DVD or whatever you want to call it, paid it. However now that Disney does not provide the service and the contract was up for renewal it was decided by those that have the power to make these type of decisions that it was not a service used widely enough by all members to warrant charging it to everyone and therefore it will be paid by those that use it.

They felt that there was not a large enough percentage of members that used to warrant everyone paying it for. And we all must remember us here on the DIS and even other forums is a very smart part of the total membership.

I do not have a problem with paying it, my complaint was the way it was handled. At least on the day it happened a notice could have gone out by email and on the website.

 

[Anjelica]

...my complaint was the way it was handled. At least on the day it happened a notice could have gone out by email and on the website.

BINGO!!! And as far as I can tell they STILL haven't sent out notification via email to DVC members.

 

[Dean]

IFor our upcoming 5 night trip, it's $60, $12 PER DAY. Some posters are acting like all of us have a CHOICE in whether or not to have a car.

You do have a choice and choose to drive, same for us, we're 4 hours away. You also have a choice whether to use valet or not, that has not changed, all that has changed is the cost of such choices. This is no different than at OKW, SSR, HH, VB and most every other timeshare and all non DVC hotels at Disney. You pull up and run in leaving someone with the car or you park and go in or if it's too crowded up front or there's a line. You can leave your luggage with bell services if the room is not ready, though we simply wait to get it out once we know the room is ready.

 

[DisneyWalker44]

I often go to Disney alone with my 4 year old nephew. handle my own bags, I would not be willing to park "across the street," walk with my nephew all the way to the entrance, check in, only to find out my room IS ready, then walk with him all the way BACK to my car, get my bags, walk all the way BACK to my room.

I COULD just park, take myself, my nephew and all our stuff to the front, check in, and hopefully the room is ready. But if it's not, then I have to go give my bags to bell services (whom I would be expected to tip, and I did all the work!).

Maybe it's just me, but I don't get the "appeal" of using bell services for my bags, if I have to park my own car.

I think your scenarios exactly explain the appeal of bell services for your bags if you have to park your own car. Drive up, hand over the bags, don't worry about them again until they are in your room.

 

[crisi]

I have read this entire thread over the last few days (but not sure how much of it I can remember now). But I do have a few thoughts.

.....

I'm not going to cry tears over this. We have little choice but to fly - driving is two days each way in the car - with vacation time we don't have. When we started going to Disney as a family we could fly round trip for $200 a person. Last two times have been four people at $450 a person. Plus now they charge us for checked luggage, so our choice has become add another $200 on for luggage or try and pack four people in carryons for a seven day vacation. From here, it looks like you don't know how good you've got it to be able to go on vacation for gas money and then CHOOSE whether or not to valet park.

 

[jade1]

Dues never paid for valet parking. DVC, or DVD or whatever you want to call it, paid it.

Doesn't some of DVC/DVD's money come from the owners or dues?

 

[tjkraz]

BINGO!!! And as far as I can tell they STILL haven't sent out notification via email to DVC members.

DVC hasn't really used email to communicate policy changes for some time now.

A statement regarding the policy change has been on DVCMember.com for more than a week, and I imagine the same statement will appear in the next issue of DisneyFiles.

 

[tjkraz]

Doesn't some of DVC/DVD's money come from the owners or dues?

Yes, DVC is paid a Management Fee via member dues. It is not a budgeted amount, rather it's a fixed percentage of the other items included in the dues. I believe it's around 12% of other dues items except transportation and property taxes.

What DVC does with that money is entirely up to them. Even if they were using part of the Management Fee to subsidize valet parking, members were required to pay that fee one way or another.

 

[jade1]

Yes, DVC is paid a Management Fee via member dues. It is not a budgeted amount, rather it's a fixed percentage of the other items included in the dues. I believe it's around 12% of other dues items except transportation and property taxes.

What DVC does with that money is entirely up to them. Even if they were using part of the Management Fee to subsidize valet parking, members were required to pay that fee one way or another.

Thanks Tim, do you know about DVD as well?

 

[Anjelica]

DVC hasn't really used email to communicate policy changes for some time now.

A statement regarding the policy change has been on DVCMember.com for more than a week, and I imagine the same statement will appear in the next issue of DisneyFiles.

I think that is an issue - basically not taking advantage of a notification process that would get to quite a few members as quickly as possible. I guarantee people check their email way more often than they go out to the DVC website.

I really think DVC management could have taken the opportunity to try and get out the policy change to as many members as possible as quickly as possible.

 

[DVCBELLE]

I think that is an issue - basically not taking advantage of a notification process that would get to quite a few members as quickly as possible. I guarantee people check their email way more often than they go out to the DVC website.

I really think DVC management could have taken the opportunity to try and get out the policy change to as many members as possible as quickly as possible.

IF they can take the time to make and send out those stupid Deevey emails - then they could do this. I am willing to bet they could use the money they spend producing those stupid videos and keep paying for valet.

 

[DebbieB]

IF they can take the time to make and send out those stupid Deevey emails - then they could do this. I am willing to bet they could use the money they spend producing those stupid videos and keep paying for valet.

Those are 2 different things. Those goofy videos should be coming out of their sales budget (not dues). I doubt they would pay for valet parking out of their sales budget.

But it does show they have the means to send mass e-mails, so no excuse for lack of communication.

 

[Chuck S]

Thanks Tim, do you know about DVD as well?

DVD is the development and sales arm of DVC, they should not receive any monies from dues at all, their income/expenses have to do with building and sales.

As Tim mentioned in the case of the 12% management fees, those fees are basically theirs to do with as they please, if they chose to pay valet or services for memmerber, fine. If they choose to have a private party in the Bahamas for their employees, fine. If they chose to use it for corporate bonuses and salaries, fine. DVCers basically have no claims on that percentage.