Question on new point chart

[TiffanyW1]

I don't mean to sound dumb, but I thought they couldn't change how many points it took to book a DVC room I know the week equals the same, but Sun-Thurs is what we always book.
We purchased a small BLT contract that allowed us to book 4 October nights, every other year, in a MK view room. Now we don't have enough & they don't allow add-ons of less than 100 points now.
Not sure what we should do After we do a stay in October (like we planned), maybe we should just sell our 70 point BLT contract & call it a day

 

[ahalla]

I was under the same assumption as you. When we purchased a year ago our guide told us (as a selling point) that although the cash rate can increase year to year, the point values will remain the same. The only weeks that would change would be easter and thankgiving, depending on when they fell. Obviously our guide misled us. A friend explained to me today that they can change the point values for days as long as they don't change the overall point total for the resort. Where they have raised the daily point value for the weekdays they have offset it for weekends. Where some weeks go up other weeks go down. It makes sense to me but I don't explain very well, hopefully you can make sense. It affects us too as we usually stay 12 nights as opposed to 14 missing one weekend. It will now cost us considerable more points for the same stay!

 

[TiffanyW1]

I was under the same assumption as you. When we purchased a year ago our guide told us (as a selling point) that although the cash rate can increase year to year, the point values will remain the same. The only weeks that would change would be easter and thankgiving, depending on when they fell. Obviously our guide misled us.

That's exactly what we were told. Now with the wait list restrictions & adjusted point charts, I just want out

 

[Val]

In some cases the week totals did NOT stay the same. For example, we are pretty well stuck going in July. We own at BWV....it went up 2 points, from 350 a week to 352. Yes, I can borrow the 2 points each year, and it will take years before we lose a year. BUT- when we bought in 1998 we were told that DVC wanted to keep the week totals the same- they would just adjust within the week. Like many other original buyers, we were told to just buy what we needed.

Some have suggested we should have "padded" our points in case this were to happen. But DVC is supposed to help lock you in to vacations and buy you vacations in the future. Not necessarily save money, but lock in a price. Why would I waste the extra annual fees and bank "extra points" for just-in-case? Not wise, particularly since I must add on in 25 point or higher increments and I need only 2!

I think this just may be the proverbial straw that breaks the camel's back for my family. With the cup disaster, the poor housekeeping, the extra fees for exchanging and the downgrading of exchanges, DVC is NOT the value we bought into 11 years ago. Ticket prices have become outrageous, food prices are incredible high and the food quality has significantly decreased. Maintenance in the parks and DVCs stinks, and the CMs are becoming crankier and crankier...WDW is no longer the little "paradise" and I would rather spend less money at another park if the experience is of similar quality. WDW use to be a special experience- now it is becoming closer and closer to the run of the mill park...and I don't want to pay WDW prices for Six Flags experiences. We are slowly sliding to less and less differentiation.

Companies change......and customers leave those companies when the company begins to take advantage of said customer, marginalize their products, or otherwise devalue their services. Customers vote with their feet... and Disney needs to get its head out of its.....sand!

It is DVC's legal right to make changes.....and it is our legal right to stop spending money at WDW, to sell our timeshare, or to significantly curtail our visits to WDW. This is a real gamble on the part of DVC-and I think the gamble given the recent huge increase in sales is that people will add on when they come up short in points. The poll that is currently running, surveying mostly the die-hard fans, is not supporting this argument. Last time I checked Business 101, making such unpopular changes was NOT a smart thing do during a recession. DVC has become a little cocky with all the success and building- and it just may come back to bite them in on their proverbial behind.

 

[OKW Lover]

Sorry folks, IMHO you have nothing to complain about here. Did you read the documents you signed? The ability to re-allocate points is specifically spelled out in there. Although the points for your typical stay may have gone up, the points for somebody else's typical stay went down. The total number of points in the year does not change, its a zero sum game.

 

[FuzzyMelton]

I was told that I was locking in todays dollars for future vacations. That simply isn't true anymore. So my salesman lied to me. Good thing I have a very new contract because I am seriously thinking about getting a lawyer and just cancelling. This is wrong!!!! It goes against everything that was told to us and that made DVC attractive. Even if it is a few points, they had no right to change them, even if you say it is in the 'contract'. Our salesman (a 10+ year veteran) said that points were NEVER to change, and the points at OKW will be the same as they always have been. Weather it affects me + or - is not the point, it is the fact that they did something they were not supposed to do.

I am really upset! Now what do we do?

 

[hakepb]

mathematically, if a weekend to weekday point adjustment is needed, they would have to take increments of 5 points each from S S to add 2 points to each M-F day, otherwise they'd have fractions of points or have to have longer "weekends" in some categories for the odd amounts.

That is unfortunate about the sales people. In fact, they say OKW points were reallocated once before in their history so the "OKW same as they have always been" means a changing target..

 

[Inkmahm]

<snip>
It is DVC's legal right to make changes.....and it is our legal right to stop spending money at WDW, to sell our timeshare, or to significantly curtail our visits to WDW. This is a real gamble on the part of DVC-and I think the gamble given the recent huge increase in sales is that people will add on when they come up short in points. The poll that is currently running, surveying mostly the die-hard fans, is not supporting this argument. Last time I checked Business 101, making such unpopular changes was NOT a smart thing do during a recession. DVC has become a little cocky with all the success and building- and it just may come back to bite them in on their proverbial behind.

You're dreaming. If you sell your contract, someone will buy it and spend the money at WDW that you did before. Disney loses nothing. Someone else's dollars are just as green as yours. Nothing will bite them in the butt, all that will happen is that a different family will be staying in the villa that you previously occupied. And Disney won't care one bit.

 

[Inkmahm]

Sorry folks, IMHO you have nothing to complain about here. Did you read the documents you signed? The ability to re-allocate points is specifically spelled out in there. Although the points for your typical stay may have gone up, the points for somebody else's typical stay went down. The total number of points in the year does not change, its a zero sum game.

Amen. People here at the DIS seem to think this is a plot on the part of Disney to get everyone to buy more points. There's only a set number of points at each resort, Disney isn't cranking out new ones!

For every person who has to pay 2 points, 11 points, or 30 points MORE for their planned trips starting in 2010, there are owners who will be paying exactly the same total of points LESS for theirs. The zero sum game fact seems to be getting lost in the discussion.

 

[Inkmahm]

I was told that I was locking in todays dollars for future vacations. That simply isn't true anymore. So my salesman lied to me. Good thing I have a very new contract because I am seriously thinking about getting a lawyer and just cancelling. This is wrong!!!! It goes against everything that was told to us and that made DVC attractive. Even if it is a few points, they had no right to change them, even if you say it is in the 'contract'. Our salesman (a 10+ year veteran) said that points were NEVER to change, and the points at OKW will be the same as they always have been. Weather it affects me + or - is not the point, it is the fact that they did something they were not supposed to do.

I am really upset! Now what do we do?

That's just it... Disney DOES "have a right to change them" BECAUSE it is in the "contract." They did not do something they "were not supposed to do."
If you're that upset, sell your contract.

 

[alldiz]

Amen. People here at the DIS seem to think this is a plot on the part of Disney to get everyone to buy more points. There's only a set number of points at each resort, Disney isn't cranking out new ones!

For every person who has to pay 2 points, 11 points, or 30 points MORE for their planned trips starting in 2010, there are owners who will be paying exactly the same total of points LESS for theirs. The zero sum game fact seems to be getting lost in the discussion.

But your missing the point of yes.....people who saved points will still travel as they would before....they will have a few extra points to bank.

Someone like myself who owns at WLV and loves the 1BR's.....feel like my points were raised to much. I think there will be more people like me cutting back on the amount of WDW trips....I don't think it will be made up necessarily by someone else. Not in this economy anyway.
Kerri

 

[newgeneb]

I cant belive this is happening Micky Mouse has lied to us I talked with my DVC guy this morning and he really did not know it was happening He did say he would look into it !!!!!!!!!! This really SUCKS

 

[BroganMc]

Amen. People here at the DIS seem to think this is a plot on the part of Disney to get everyone to buy more points. There's only a set number of points at each resort, Disney isn't cranking out new ones!

Gee and here I thought they just started selling SSR points again (for THV). Not to mention the BLT and AKV points up for sale.

Oh and of course it means absolutely nothing that the point increase comes to us just one week AFTER they raise the cost per point for ALL resorts?

Don't think this change hasn't come because Disney found no way to profit from it. Resorts operated at a near 100% occupancy limit well before the point reallocation. Last October, SSR was at 110% occupancy.

 

[Inkmahm]

But your missing the point of yes.....people who saved points will still travel as they would before....they will have a few extra points to bank.

Someone like myself who owns at WLV and loves the 1BR's.....feel like my points were raised to much. I think there will be more people like me cutting back on the amount of WDW trips....I don't think it will be made up necessarily by someone else. Not in this economy anyway.
Kerri

Will you cut back and waste your points letting them expire? No? Then Disney loses nothing in the long run.
You will use them at some point or transfer them to someone who will. Or maybe sell them to someone else. The only way they don't get used is if you waste them.

 

[Inkmahm]

Gee and here I thought they just started selling SSR points again (for THV). Not to mention the BLT and AKV points up for sale.

You don't understand the concept of expansion? Once the expansion points are sold, there are no additional points to sell. It isn't that hard of a concept, really. Total points for all the units in a resort are total points. Once they are sold, that's it. No more points to sell. No increases in point costs for villas that aren't also offset by decreases in point costs for other villas. Zero sum changes only.

 

[OKW Lover]

Oh and of course it means absolutely nothing that the point increase comes to us just one week AFTER they raise the cost per point for ALL resorts?

One more time - this is a point reallocation, not a point increase. In fact some of us will see a decrease in the number of points needed for our stay.

 

[stanmills34]

As stated it may be in the contract, but the point is your on vacation you take time out of your vacation to go with the guide and there maybe a small percent of people who read the all the papers they give you but people like me took them for their word and they LIED.. Bottom line..A point here and a point there will add up quick over the years..Very upset with disney and I hope when we take our first DVC vacation in march my guide calls me to see how things are and if he doesn't call I will be calling him..Also the biggest point of all is the salesman lied. he told my wife and I that the point chart he showed us would have the exact same numbers on it in thru out our contract.. The only thing that would change would be maint fees..

 

[stanmills34]

One more time - this is a point reallocation, not a point increase. In fact some of us will see a decrease in the number of points needed for our stay.

If you bought and plan and the only time you can go is in that time period and or days of the week then it is a increase....

 

[OKW Lover]

If you bought and plan and the only time you can go is in that time period and or days of the week then it is a increase....

The converse is also true.

 

[DVC92]

One more time - this is a point reallocation, not a point increase. In fact some of us will see a decrease in the number of points needed for our stay.

Although not legally a point increase, IMHO it is an increase in the the sense that I believe most members don't go for a week. Most go for less, and some, like myself, go for more. Ergo, it will now require more points for a stay. Also, I surmise that the 2010 reallocation is only the first such change since DVC is only permitted to reallocate 20% from the previous year. I believe they are evening out the weekday and weekend points since they feel it will increase their bottom line.

As with the OKW extension, Jim Lewis has once again failed to communicate with members on a serious matter. I'm sure there will be a future email or letter telling us how great this change is for the membership. He needs to go!!!