Other financial backers get a pass discount, why not DVCers?

[Johnnie Fedora]

My wife is a former employee for Metlife, which sponsored the "Wonders of Life Pavillion" (until they dumped it several years ago). Anyhow, as a Met employee, she was able to get a nice discount on park passes. I don't remember the exact amount, but it may have been 15-20%. This benefit was likely granted because Met kicked in $$$$$ to build and maintain that pavillion. In the case of Met, my wife didn't actually contribute any money from her paycheck to build the WOL pavillion, but she got the "perk". In our case, DVCers actually contribute the money, and we don't get a comparable "perk".

As DVC members, haven't we built and maintained 5 (soon to be 6) "DVC pavillions" on and off Disney property?? Doesn't it make sense that we would be offered the same "perk" afforded other companies that have contributed large amounts of money to build and maintain Disney facilities???

 

[PamOKW]

The corporations negotiate a deal with Disney. As you say, part of their building the pavilion probably included this discount. Just like some corporations negotiated free MKC membership for their employees, yet all Disney stockholders got was a discount on the membership.

It's up to DVC to negotiate on our behalf.

 

[Granny]

As PamOKW corrctly pointed out, corporations negotiate the sponsorships with Disney. They pay an annual fee for the rights to have their name advertised. Part of these negotiations include pass discounts, evidently.

It's just like companies that advertise at pro sports stadiums....the deals always include a bunch of "free" tickets as part of the negotiation.

In my opinion, the one time that DVC could have gotten a good discount would have been in 1999, when the free passes were discontinued. If DVC would have seen a dramatic drop in sales at that time, I'm sure Disney would have continued to "sweeten the pot" with at least a good admission discount program.

But, alas, DVC sales continued to move briskly without the passes. So Disney has no particular incentive to induce sales by offering a discount.

I know this was discussed at great length in the other recent thread. This thread may turn into a similar debate.

 

[Simba1]

While we may not receive "pass discounts", Met life employees and other corporate alliance partners won't receive 40+ years of magical familiy vacation memories (unless they are DVC members)....I think that that's an even trade-off!!

I don't really understand this sense of "entitlement" or "expectation". And it certainly won't make me any less proud of my membership or of the kind folks at DVC.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Our money went to DVC, a seperate entity, not WDW!

 

[drusba]

I agree they should give some discount on all forms of passes and not just the LOS. DVC is a large loyal group. I don't look at it as an "entitlement" or "expectation" as mentioned above. The reality is this. Disney "discounts" it tickets to members of AAA, Disney Club, and other large groups (including everyone from Florida). In effect virtually anyone can get a "discount" by joining one of those groups. What is really going on is that the true price of the tickets is the discount price and Disney's regular price is actually an inflated price (it is like the store that is always putting things on "sale"; the sale price is the real price the merchant wants to get but the regular price is inflated above that sale price simply so the merchant can entice buyers with a "sale" and of course find some people foolish enough to pay the inflated price). Thus, this is not an issue of getting a "discount" but being charged what Disney considers to be its actual price. Thus, the issue is simply whether DVC members should be able to forgo joining another organization (like AAA) to pay the actual price at which Disney is willing to sell the tickets. I do not think it is asking Disney much to simply recognize DVC as a large group of loyal customers who should be treated at least equal to AAA, Disney Club, or other large organization members.

 

[raidermatt]

Johnnie's initial question was legitimate, but now its "same arguement, different thread"...

Disney offers discounts to groups that will result in a benefit that outweighs the lost revenue. If/When the numbers dictate DVC is one of those groups. there will be a discount.

 

[PamOKW]

While the other discount programs appear on the surface to be rewarding a group for loyalty that is not really the case. They are offering a discount to receive something in return, as Raidermatt just said. They do not offer discounts to guests who stay in the hotels multiple times per year. These are loyal customers as well who are not being rewarded. I fully expected something to be negotiated for the future when I purchased. However, at the point they decided they didn't even need to include the free passes to generate sales (I can't remember exactly when....maybe 1995?) they made the decision that including passes wasn't that important to sales. And that's where we stand today.

 

[Johnnie Fedora]

The question has been on other posts: Why are DVCers different than any other groups who might deserve a discount for their loyalty??

I'm trying to draw a correlation between DVC as a group, and lets say Metlife or Kodak or any of the corporations that have most likely funded physical buildings at WDW with $$$. I don't see a big difference. Now if these corporations negotiated these discounts for their workers, why didn't DVC for it's members, especially since we are funding WDW buildings??

Most likely because DVC=Disney. Just like DVC equaled Disney when it came to negotiating the 2002 points for the DC. The way I see it, DVC is a separate entity in name only and really has very little (if any) incentive in offering its members too much at the Disneys expense. Personally, I would like to see DVC work a little harder for the members when it comes to negotiating with "mother".

I don't view it is an "entitlement" issue when these types of discounts are handed out all the time. While most DVCers are very happy with what they purchased (a room only), there is absolutley no harm in letting DVC (and people considering buying) know our opinions on the park pass and other topics. We all have our "DVC mountain to climb" and this happens to be mine. For others, it might be the bus service, but why complain about that??? You only purchased a room....not guaranted buses every five minutes???

I may be ringing this bell loudly now because my wife an I are discussing our vacation plans for the next two years, and what to do about park passes. Sorry if it is the same topic...different thread, but the boards are full of those.

 

[PKS44]

As for AAA- I would guess the membership is at least a power of 10 or more bigger than DVC...

As for sponsors- we bought what we bought- a resort room to use, the sponsors bought what they bought- advertising and a perk to throw the way of their employees to keep them happy...Disney gets a helper to run the park. We have contributed nothing to the park until we buy a ticket...the buses on the other hand are paid by us as part a resort expense, so we can pay more dues if we want better service, or we can somehow influence for better management of the buses...

As for why any company offers discounts- think about Vegas and those suites that are "comped" to the high rollers...you think they would do it just to reward those high rollers for loyalty? If the casino did not come out way ahead in the long run there would be no complimentary rooms, flights, meals, etc...it is all about the bottom line. So if you are hoping to get a discount because it will save you money in the long run, Disney will be smart not to offer it- because if you come out ahead, they come out behind...

Paul

 

[raidermatt]

Why are DVCers different than any other groups who might deserve a discount for their loyalty??

AAA, MetLife, AMEX, etc, etc are not getting discounts as a reward for their loyalty. If we cannot get past this fact, there can be no true understanding of the issue.

These groups get discount for one of two reasons:

1- They paid for it, in one way or another. Sponsorships, co-branding, partnerships, etc.

2- Disney feels offering discounts to the group helps Disney's bottom line in one way or another.

In reality, its usually a combination of both.

 

[RobDoc]

Now if these corporations negotiated these discounts for their workers, why didn't DVC for it's members, especially since we are funding WDW buildings?? ....I would like to see DVC work a little harder for the members when it comes to negotiating with "mother".

It's really more like negotiating with "brother" instead of "mother".

When United Technologies negotiated to sponsor their "building" (the Living Seas), they were bargaining with the Theme Parks division. Lo and Behold, the Theme Parks Division is where the admission discounts come from. Not a lot of negotiating had to take place there. UT employees had access to a nice VIP lounge and admission discounts.

DVC also has to negotiate with Theme Parks for admission discounts, but can't bring sponsorship of a major Theme Park attraction to the table for it's offering. DVC can only offer the possibility that some of it's members will use the discount- but no contractual guarantee- as with United Technologies. (I'll bet the United Technologies employees aren't getting that discount now that they're not a sponsor any longer.) DVC negotiations may hold no stronger position that any other WDW resort and I'm not aware of any other resort offering a discount. At least we have the UMP discount.

When DVC had to negotiate the DC program, again- the other resorts have to look at their occupancy levels and rate structure and offer a fee to DVC. DVC doesn't really have a lot to offer contractually- just the possibility that members will want to use points at other resorts. No guarantees- just possibilities. There is no "mother" overseeing these negotiations between "brothers"- just the "brothers" playing a game of Monopoly and looking out for their own interests first. (Hey, I'll trade you Water Works and $100 for Boardwalk.)

The DVC staff does bargain in earnest with the other Disney "brothers", but with no "mother" to insist on playing fair, the negotiations are often led by whomever has what the other wants. At this point DVC offers what Theme Parks already has, as we already buy many passes (Hoppers, AP's) without any discount offered. Why discount what you're already getting full price for? Until Theme Parks is convinced that they have lost something, there may not be a lot of incentive for them to offer a discount.

 

[Simba1]

It's also not exactly an apples to apples correlation.

The corporate alliance partners pay hundreds of millions of dollars for their "right to associate with Disney". Take the landmark McDonald's-Disney alliance. McDonald's paid over $100 million dollars for a 10-year agreement that provides them with the category exclusive, promotional partnership rights (meaning BK, Wendy's and the like cannot tie-in or partner promotionally with any Disney entity).

Tickets and "park discounts", are at best, very low on the negotiated items list when these companies are brokering deals. The "rights and entitlements" are for image usage, specific product tie-ins, advertising rights, etc.

You cannot separate the one element of "park passes or discounts", when these are tertiary benefits.

And, technically, Disney's deals with these corporate alliance partners really are helping every one of us and every Disney guest as these sponsorship dollars offer both hard and soft benefits to Disney's bottomline.

Although we may not realize it since we're lacking the "tangible" reward, these agreements ultimately benefit BOTH Disney and it's guests.

 

[raidermatt]

Although we may not realize it since we're lacking the "tangible" reward,
these agreements ultimately benefit BOTH Disney and it's guests.

Unless the guest ranks McDonald's near the bottom of the fast food quality list... (actually, pretty much at the bottom, but, that's just me )

 

[Poohjan]

I too am puzzled by the sense of entitlement to special priviledges as DVC members. Being a part of DVC is a priviledge, and I think a good value for the money spent already. As one who got in on the "free passes" early on, I loved it and wished it could continue, and wish there were better pass deals for DVC members, but I don't necessarily feel I "deserve" them. I was a Disney store CM for 3 years and initially we could get tickets at a deep discount. Even working for the company, that deal was cut way back to the point that the discount was just slightly more than the Disney Club discount.

In my eyes, DVC is great, and whatever else we get is just gravy. Much appreciated but we have no right to expect it.

Jan