Perk Pirate!

[DVCconvert]

Boy...if it was the "Perk Fairy" that brought us the Dining plans....

I guess from the impact I've seen this must be the fairy...

That will cost you two credits my pretty!!

 

[mickeysbestfriend]

have come and gone....i remember a few years back they had free golf shoe and club rental and they terminated that perk right after I booked my tee times.

The perks like that and free valet parking appealed to a very limited segment. Restaurant discounts, fast passes for DVC, free tables in wonderland would benefit so many more DVCr's and could be carried on a lot longer!

 

[Sammie]

I'll be curious to see where this thread goes.

Where will it go, no where, it's pretty obvious it was killed before it even had a chance to get started.

 

[Deb & Bill]

...Booking changes that changed the reservation window from being based on the check-out day to the check-in day. (Some may consider this one to be a minus instead of a plus.)... Free access to SSR Spa locker room, sauna, and steam room. (Admittedly, this was a formal perk that was taken away, it was a change in how access to the facilities were enforced.)
.

Yeah, most assuredly a minus instead of a plus. Now you can only book seven nights max at a time. We usually go for ten to twelve nights. So I'm adding on each day anyway.

The spa didn't get to be a problem until too many resort guests started using the spa (which is a separate operation not funded by member dues) as an extension of the pool. It was always a separate function. I don't think it was ever a formal perk.

 

[CarolAnnC]

acknowledged but my point was it was always a perk and has been diminished so if I were doing a pro/con list, I'd put it on the con side because it was always there and has been reduced.

Dean, I am confused by this. How has Pool Hopping been diminished for DVC Members as a perk?

What am I missing? The fact that it is not allowed at AKV nor BCV has always been the case...

 

[castleri]

Dean, I am confused by this. How has Pool Hopping been diminished for DVC Members as a perk?

What am I missing? The fact that it is not allowed at AKV nor BCV has always been the case...

I think it was allowed at BCV but that may have been before the villas were there now that I think of it when it was just Beach Club and Yacht Club. I do know that we did pool hop there a couple of times when staying at OKW.

 

[wishicouldgomoreofte]

Apparently I don't know about what happened with use of SSR spa.
Can someone fill me in please?

 

[CarolAnnC]

I think it was allowed at BCV but that may have been before the villas were there now that I think of it when it was just Beach Club and Yacht Club. I do know that we did pool hop there a couple of times when staying at OKW.

Yes, I know there has been no pool hopping there since BCV was opened (I purchased as soon as it was available). But I was not aware that it was allowed there prior to that time? Thanks for the input!

 

[TLSnell1981]

Another member came up with the great term "Perk Pirate" as a term for the thing's that DVC has taken away from us. I love it, it expresses it exactly. The thing I'm curious about is can everyone come up with a list of all the things that the DVC Perk Pirate has plundered from us?

I'll start,
1. free valet parking

I am STILL extremely bitter, over the loss of free valet.

Boy...if it was the "Perk Fairy" that brought us the Dining plans....
I guess from the impact I've seen this must be the fairy...
http://www.google.com/url?source=imgres&ct=img&q=http://mimg.ugo.com/201105/5/3/1/188135/wicked-witch-of-the-west.jpg&sa=X&ei=hC8STqH8D-rt0gGvsuSbDw&ved=0CAQQ8wc4Ig&usg=AFQjCNGE89WoAUYm_c-
5191Ivkf4AXbsFgI do believe, she's responsible for "free dining".

That will cost you two credits my pretty!!

I do believe, she's responsible for "free dining".

 

[Chuck S]

Apparently I don't know about what happened with use of SSR spa.
Can someone fill me in please?

The spa is leased by the company that runs the salons and spas at WDW, it is not a Disney operated company. They used to allow DVCMemebers to use the spa sauna and shower facilities, and it may have been part of the lease contract originally, similar to when Valet Parking was outsourced.

Anyway, the company that runs the spas no longer allows that free usage. Of course, few business owners would allow free use of space that they pay for and maintain for their paying customers, it costs them money.

 

[twinklebug]

I guess I just haven't been a member long enough... to me, the term 'perk' equates to 'friendly gesture'. In the case of valet, it was a friendly gesture that DVC members got to use the service free of charge. Wow! What a nice gesture too!

As for reduced price APs, again, it's incredibly nice that Disney has extended this to us. Do I expect it to continue? Although it would be nice, no, all good things come to an end However, I need a good excuse to venture off Disney property and experience other Florida areas and attractions.

Same goes for Magical Express. Although, as others have pointed out this 'perk' is for all guests staying on site. Give me a reason to rent a car, add to that more expensive passes and I'm outta there!

I don't believe 'pirate' is the proper term at all for the perks being removed or modified. The term 'pirate' infers that something that DVC members owned was stolen from them. In fact, DVC members never owned any perks, but rather was just loaned the use of them for some time. All we can do is just roll with it.

Disney likes us, that's pretty clear. I can see them using us and these 'perks' more in the future to market the less popular or overpriced places and activities etc though. Oh wait, they already do that.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Apparently I don't know about what happened with use of SSR spa.
Can someone fill me in please?

The spa is leased by the company that runs the salons and spas at WDW, it is not a Disney operated company. They used to allow DVCMemebers to use the spa sauna and shower facilities, and it may have been part of the lease contract originally, similar to when Valet Parking was outsourced.

Anyway, the company that runs the spas no longer allows that free usage. Of course, few business owners would allow free use of space that they pay for and maintain for their paying customers, it costs them money.

I think things went south when a lot of the guests started using the towels and changing room to clean up to go to the airport or to eat after swimming all day in the pool. And there were a lot of children in the jacuzzi tub in the changing rooms/waiting areas to be taken for spa treatments.

 

[rotlex]

Yeah, most assuredly a minus instead of a plus. Now you can only book seven nights max at a time. We usually go for ten to twelve nights. So I'm adding on each day anyway.

As a perspective member, looking very, very seriously at resales right now, what is meant by this? Our average vacation is 10-12 nights. You can't book more than seven nights at once? If that's the case, that gets moved to my "downside for buying DVC column". Is that really the case?

 

[bobbiwoz]

Did the policy change when the SSR spa went over to be a Niki Bryant Spa?

 

[rock_doctor]

You can't book more than seven nights at once? If that's the case.... Is that really the case?

Yep 7 days. I just made a reservation this morning for 7 days and now i must call every day to add on to make sure i don't get snaked out (wanted a standard studio at BLT at peak time which is difficult). If even one day is unavailable then i will end up having to leave for the one night...

 

[BEASLYBOO]

I can honestly say that none of the perks loss/gain have affected me very much! I take a discount here and there where it suits me, I don't pool hop nor did I valet park, I'm a FL resident so I get ticket discounts that way! So I guess for now I'm good, till the next round of changes!

By the way none of those "perks" + or - were part of my decision to buy into DVC!

 

[wdrl]

As a perspective member, looking very, very seriously at resales right now, what is meant by this? Our average vacation is 10-12 nights. You can't book more than seven nights at once? If that's the case, that gets moved to my "downside for buying DVC column". Is that really the case?

Yep 7 days. I just made a reservation this morning for 7 days and now i must call every day to add on to make sure i don't get snaked out (wanted a standard studio at BLT at peak time which is difficult). If even one day is unavailable then i will end up having to leave for the one night...

The 7-night limit only comes into play if you are trying to book your home resort at 11 months, or a non-home resort at 7 months. If you are booking a stay just 5 or 6 months before check-in, you can book whatever number of days you want.

Even if you are trying to book right when the 11-month home resort or 7-month non-home resort windows open, you don't need to call every day to secure your reservation. For a 12-night stay, you only need to call twice: Once on the first day to lock in the first 7 nights, and then on the sixth day to lock in the remaining 5 nights.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Did the policy change when the SSR spa went over to be a Niki Bryant Spa?

I think the policy was always there. But as more people started using the pool at SSR, and with the internet telling them about the fantastic changing room with jacuzzi at the spa, people started taking advantage of it. It's a small changing room and there should be no children in that room at all, nor in the jacuzzi. Children don't receive spa treatments. They may get pedicure and manicures, but those don't require you changing into a robe.

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

As a perspective member, looking very, very seriously at resales right now, what is meant by this? Our average vacation is 10-12 nights. You can't book more than seven nights at once? If that's the case, that gets moved to my "downside for buying DVC column". Is that really the case?

Yes and no. It's not that you can't book more than 7 nights at once. The restriction has to do with how many nights you can book past the booking window. You can't book more than 7 nights past the 11 month mark at your home resort or 7 months at a non-home resort.

So, if you call on January 1st, you can book a 7-night vacation at your home resort for 1-8 December. You can call back the next day and add the night of the 8th, and so on until you had your 10-12 nights.

However, if you call on January 6th, you'd be able to book all 12 nights (1-13 December) on that one call.

Prior to the change a while back, you were only able to do the later, not the former. You had to wait for 11/7 months from your check-out date to make a booking. Back in those days, people would walk a reservation for the whole period. Now you just have to walk anything after the first week.

For me, the 7-day restriction hasn't ever really been a problem. Even though we travel for 12-14 days each trip, we have always done a split stay between the two weeks. That means it winds up being to 7-day-or-less reservations every time anyway.

 

[Dean]

Dean, I am confused by this. How has Pool Hopping been diminished for DVC Members as a perk?

What am I missing? The fact that it is not allowed at AKV nor BCV has always been the case...

Originally there were no formal restrictions of any kind. Fast forward to the present where it's blacked out for certain times and it's now space available with the requirement to check with the destination resort to clear the option and the expressed possibility that you may be asked to leave. In addition, it's now blocked at BC/YC and Contemporary when it wasn't before. I believe restrictions were in place when AK went live so that was not a change. BC was NOT always a restriction, I'm even thinking there may have been a short delay between when BCV open and the restrictions went into effect but I'm not certain on that portion though it couldn't have been very long after BCV opened before it was restricted at BC/YC. Like Valet parking, it was an inevitable change and I'm surprised they haven't stopped it totally already.

ME was not free initially but I'm pretty sure that the changes there have been consistent btween DVC and non DVC onsite guests.

As a perspective member, looking very, very seriously at resales right now, what is meant by this? Our average vacation is 10-12 nights. You can't book more than seven nights at once? If that's the case, that gets moved to my "downside for buying DVC column". Is that really the case?

There were a lot of concerns from some members when this change went down. The change was that prior you had to call day by day at 11 months out 11 months from the first day of the reservation. Now you call 11 months out but can make up to 7 days at a time. IMO this is a positive rather than a negative. Some were concerned it's hinder the availability of what they wanted but the reality is that was never a valid concern unless there was another member who didn't get something equally desired. Many of those who were concerned have since posted that their anticipated problems never arose, which was predictable. It was only going to be a problem for those options that even day by day wasn't safe, like AKV concierge. The bottom line is that it didn't cause problems and it apparently cut down on phone calls to MS compared to before. Eventually they will have to stop the walking of reservations which will cut down further on phone calls.