No more segmented vacations for ddp

[Sammie]

So in actuality it could be done if you segment your stay also...switching rooms.
However, this decision is very disappointing.

Yes you can. And if you are staying at the same resort, and work with the front desk staff when you check in, more than likely you won't have to move.

 

[Deb & Bill]

... So instead of people segmenting & trying different restaurants the people who did not use it before will go back to either making their meals in the room or going off-site I guess.

People try out various restaurants whether they are on the dining plan or not. Just because you are on the plan, doesn't mean you try out more of them. It just means you leave without leaving cash for the meal, just the tip.

Trying restaurants on the dining plan doesn't make Disney more money than people just trying them out using TIW or no plan at all.

 

[hakepb]

If done correctly, segmenting saves housekeeping costs, and thus helps keep every DVC member's dues lower. (Before some members used split stays to "segment" dining (although that may of been a side effect vs the reason to split stay))

Although if it were not correct, then people got more housekeeping, and if that were the case DVC should work to correct the system.

 

[Sandisw]

I think the piece that made segmenting so appealing to those of us who did it was that you did not have to change rooms if your segments were for the same room type/resort.

Now, the fact that you will probably have to change rooms, unless you can get the front desk to agree to keep you in the same one--and I, for one, would never chance it--makes it a lot less appealing.

I had a feeling that this would stop as there were too many problems. And, I think the issue I just had with ending up with holding points when I should not have had to do with BWV messing with my account prior to our arrival and they believe it had to do with the fact that I was segmented.

 

[edk35]

Agreed. And if you look at dvcmember.com it still says in the DDP section that the plan must be added for the entire length of stay. It was simply a loophole that was allowing the segmented days.

Given the prices of dining at WDW even with TIW, we will likely start eating in our villa more or offsite. I just don't think that a place like Le Cellier is worth the prices they charge. The buffets are another example. Just way too expensive for a family of 5.

Very expensive for a family of 5. I think that when the day comes that just my husband and I go by ourselves is when we will try it.

 

[Dean]

It was easily predictable. It's very likely this was never OK by Disney and basically started happening with an enterprising CM working with a member and spread to other CM and members. As I noted previously, it was an unreasonable option from the start.

 

[OhioDVC]

When I talked to a supervisor at DVC, she blamed the problem with stopping the segmenting of reservations to the new poor computer system that they have for reservations. For some reason, it could not keep the reservations for dining straight with a segmented reservation.

Looks like poor customer service to me. Bone-headed computer programers failed to comprehend all aspecst of the reservation/dining process.

DVC has arrived at become a second rate timeshare company when it comes to customer service/satisfaction.

 

[Brian Noble]

Disney stops a program that genuinely saves customers money? Shocking!

()

 

[Dean]

Disney stops a program that genuinely saves customers money? Shocking!

()

And costs Disney money.

 

[hakepb]

People try out various restaurants whether they are on the dining plan or not. Just because you are on the plan, doesn't mean you try out more of them. It just means you leave without leaving cash for the meal, just the tip.

Trying restaurants on the dining plan doesn't make Disney more money than people just trying them out using TIW or no plan at all.

In my pre-DVC days, the DDP (discounted, as a package "add-on" I think that was $25/day and included appetizer and tip ) was the reason I tried many new TS, and because of that, several of those TS are now part of my regular vacation plan. I wish Disney would keep "up-selling" me with discounted DDP packages.
Because of that

 

[dansyr2514]

When I talked to a supervisor at DVC, she blamed the problem with stopping the segmenting of reservations to the new poor computer system that they have for reservations. For some reason, it could not keep the reservations for dining straight with a segmented reservation.

Looks like poor customer service to me. Bone-headed computer programers failed to comprehend all aspecst of the reservation/dining process.

DVC has arrived at become a second rate timeshare company when it comes to customer service/satisfaction.

Ya know what has me baffled about Disney....they are working on RFID wristbands that could would have all your info on it to personalize your experience...but they can't make a computer segment a reservations

 

[deerislemaine]

Boy am I glad I called last week to segment and add the DP for the middle of our trip. What a disappointment it would have been......

For once we also had good timing. We segmented two days on our January stay and already bought the DDP for two different days. We'll use TIW the rest of the time, and it sounds like this will be our last segmented stay...

 

[twinklebug]

When I talked to a supervisor at DVC, she blamed the problem with stopping the segmenting of reservations to the new poor computer system that they have for reservations. For some reason, it could not keep the reservations for dining straight with a segmented reservation.

Looks like poor customer service to me. Bone-headed computer programers failed to comprehend all aspecst of the reservation/dining process.

DVC has arrived at become a second rate timeshare company when it comes to customer service/satisfaction.

If the manager blamed the programmers, then passing the buck like that was very poor CS, you're right. Disney philosophy is never to pass the buck, but to own up enough to offer solutions, and if one cannot reach a satisfactory solution to escalate it to a higher level. One level up typically has enough authority and information to clear up the situation. Seems to me that the DVC manager you spoke with needs a Disney refresher course.

Speaking for programmers in general: the code will only be as good as 1) the specs 2) the developer and 3) the tester. It's a group effort. Everyone from management on down is quick to raise a hand when all goes well for acknowledgement, but when the software is imperfect, it's the developers with the fingers pointed at them.

 

[Brian Noble]

And costs Disney money.

Well, six of one...

 

[disneynutz]

When I talked to a supervisor at DVC, she blamed the problem with stopping the segmenting of reservations to the new poor computer system that they have for reservations. For some reason, it could not keep the reservations for dining straight with a segmented reservation.

Looks like poor customer service to me. Bone-headed computer programers failed to comprehend all aspecst of the reservation/dining process.

DVC has arrived at become a second rate timeshare company when it comes to customer service/satisfaction.

As I posted in post #62, it's easy to blame a computer system instead of other reasons.

Bill

 

[Dean]

Well, six of one...

Not necessarily. Not everything is a win/lose scenario. In this specific case it is to a degree but even then, it's not 1 to 1 related to capacities, usage patterns, cash business lost, and many other factors. One of the ploys used is to get people used to doing certain things then take away the savings and see how many keep doing it. Another is to offer one thing as a savings while taking their money in other areas, Disney is good at both and more.

My main reason for pointing out the difference is that your post seemed to imply that they took it away because it was a benefit to the members and I do not believe that to be the motivation though the end point may be the same. It's like the valet parking issue, they didn't take it away to hurt members, they made a business decision related to realities and costs.

 

[Missy H]

There is another possibilty...
It could be just suspended whilst some re-programming is going on to stop all the problems that people have had in the past with segmenting and adding the DDp.

Maybe the reason it was never announced was that it was on trial and now they are going to fix the problems that have occured and once fixed and sorted it could be announced officially as a perk... you never know...

 

[Castillo Mom]

I'm not at all surprised to hear that segmenting has come to an end. In actuality I'm somewhat concerned about glitches during our upcoming trip so was feeling that maybe it isn't worth the stress, especially with extended family coming along.

Guess tomorrow morning I'll be on the phone to MS to see if I can still add my son to our reservation. He's arriving a few days after us so adding him will trigger another segment which I need to find out if they will allow due to the new policy change.

 

[TisBit]

There is another possibilty...
It could be just suspended whilst some re-programming is going on to stop all the problems that people have had in the past with segmenting and adding the DDp.

Maybe the reason it was never announced was that it was on trial and now they are going to fix the problems that have occured and once fixed and sorted it could be announced officially as a perk... you never know...

The point is that the segmenting was a by product of the new reservation system...it was never meant to be part of the programming. There has to be an incentive to put out money to programmers to try to add it into the system. It would have still required multiple trips to get new key cards, cause some confusion on novice DVC owners/renters (lets face it, most DVC owners barely understand their ownership and when to book...much less understanding what segmenting does and how to use it). Plus, with the DP rules that it must be booked for the length of stay for everyone in a room is a cash benefit to WDW...there is no incentive to try to improve segmenting and is much easier to just do away with it.

 

[papamouse1]

Well, I saw this one coming. Looks like we go back to the old segmenting plan of changing resorts or running the risk of changing rooms if you stay at the same resort....

So will this method still work? Honestly, this is the way we have been doing it for years. We like to try different resorts on the same trip and don't mind moving. Now the scary thing is for my upcoming trip I had booked 2 nights at BCV after our cruise and then one more day at BWV... booked it as 2 reservations, but they gave me 1 #. Then later, we decided it would be better to stay in just BCV if we could get in, so went on wait list and got a room. So tomorrow, I am going to call to see if I can still do DxDDP on the 1st 2 nights like we planned or if now that I moved to BCV I am now out of luck